Introduction

 Alexander Jones, Christ's College, Liverpool

June 1966

Introduction to the Psalms (150)

The Psalter (Greek, Psalterion,

the string-instrument used for the 

accompaniment of these songs/Psalms)

is a collection of 150 Psalms.

From Psalm 10 to Psalm 148

the numbering of the Hebrew Bible

(adopted for the Jerusalem Bible)

is one figure ahead of the Greek

and Vulgate which join 9 and 10 and also

114 and 115, but divide 116 and 147 into

two.

In Hebrew this book is called

Tehillim 'hymns'. . . other Literary forms are

Entreaty

Thanksgiving

Exception and composite forms

Royal Psalms and Messianic Psalms