Bible's longest book offers prayer guide

By Patricia Kasten
Compass Associate Editor

What's the longest book of the Bible?

While there may seem to be many candidates, the answer is the Book of the Psalms.

With 150 psalms, divided in five sections, the psalms cover a variety of topics and types of prayer. In fact, the psalms cover so much that they have been called "the epitome of the whole Scriptures" (St. Athanasius).

The word "psalm" comes from a Greek word psalmoi for "a song sung with the harp." (The Hebrew word for the psalms is tehillim, meaning "the praises.")

The most famous harpist of Hebrew Scriptures was David - although Moses and even Adam were said to be harpists. For a time, all 150 psalms were ascribed to David, however, we now know this not the case - especially since the psalms were written over approximately 500 years. However, many psalms - 73 - are linked to King David. Others are ascribed to his son, King Solomon, and still more to other writers, including one (Psalm 90) said to have been composed by Moses.

The Book of the Psalms is divided into five books just as the Pentateuch, the Jewish Book of the Law, is divided into five books. The divisions follow a timeline of composition:

• Psalms 1-41, from the time of David (about 1055 to 1015 B.C.)

• Psalms 42-72, composed during the reign of Solomon (about 1015 to 928 B.C.)

• Psalms 73-89, compiled during the Babylonian Exile (about 586 to 538 B.C.)

• Psalms 90-106, also compiled during the Exile;

• Psalms 107-150, added after the return from Exile.

Whenever the psalms were composed - and by whom - they remain one of the most popular groups of biblical writings. In fact, they are the most frequently used book of the Bible in liturgical celebrations - used in every Mass, in prayer services, the Liturgy of the Hours and celebration of the sacraments. They are even the basis for the development of the Rosary, which has been called "the poor man's psalter."

The popularity of the psalms arises from the fact that they address all aspects of life, as well as the entire ministry of Christ.

Fr. Jovian Lang, OFM, a liturgy expert, calls the psalms "the prayer book of the Holy Spirit" with "magnificent prayers and hymns for every religious desire and need, mood and feeling."

The primary purpose of the psalms - the songs - has always been liturgical worship. However, many moods and feelings run through the psalms. And they were used for many types of prayer in official worship and daily life.

Scholars have long recognized five major categories of psalms, which some have referred to as following a pattern of "the rhythm of life":

• Hymns of Praise -- Since they are named "praise," it is no surprise that many psalms take this form. They also list reasons for such praise of God and invite others to join in. A good example is Psalm 8.

• Wisdom Songs -- The first of psalms, with its advice - "Happy those who do not follow the counsel of the wicked" - is an example of this psalm type. Dr. John Craghan, a retired theology professor from St. Norbert College in De Pere, calls wisdom psalms examples of "the possibilities and problems of living before God."

• Hymns of Lament -- Despite the psalms' purpose for praise in worship, the most common type of psalm is actually the lament. There are more than 50 laments among the psalms. The most familiar for Christians is probably Psalm 22, since its opening line is spoken by the dying Jesus in Mark and Matthew: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" A characteristic of these psalms is the tendency to shift between uttering cries of lament and making statements of trust.

• Prayers of Trust -- Craghan and other scholars believe that psalms of trust developed naturally out of the psalms of lament. "At a time of disorientation, protestations of trust or confidence were the reason for God to act," Craghan wrote. Psalm 23, following the lament of Psalm 22, is one of the psalms of trust.

• Songs of Thanksgiving -- Also developed from the laments, thanksgiving psalms indicate a turn of events for the better. Psalms of thanksgiving often resemble psalms of praise. One example is Psalm 34.

• The Royal Psalms -- Each of the above types of psalms can be found amidst the royal psalms. The only difference is that these psalms relate directly to the royal house. They reflect the life of the line of David, and some prefigure the reign of Christ.

There is no rigidity to these stated categories of psalms and many - like Psalm 22 - contain several of characteristics of each type. The point is that the psalms provide us a way to acknowledge, through all the moments of our lives, the presence and actions of our God.

"The Psalter is the book in which The Word of God becomes man's prayer," says the Catechism of the Catholic Church. "The words of the Psalmist, sung for God, both express and acclaim the Lord's saving words; the same Spirit inspires both God's work and our response. Christ will unite the two. In him, the psalms continue to teach us how to pray" (n. 2587).