Book 1: Psalms 1-41
Book 2: Psalms 42-72
Book 3: Psalms 73-89
Book 4: Psalms 90-106
Book 5: Psalms 107-150

Hymns:

Characteristic traits:

1. a call to praise God
2. the reason for praising God
3. a renewed call to praise God


Subclasses:

Songs of Zion: Psalms: 46, 48, 76, 87
Enthronement Psalms: 47, 93, 97, 99

Laments:
 
Characteristic traits:
1. A cry to God for help
2. A description of the situation which brought on the appeal
3. A prayer for deliverance
4. Sometimes an oracles from a prophet or an expression of confidence that the Lord would answer

 
Communal: Psalms 44, 48, 60, 74, 79, 80, 83, 106, 125

Individual: Psalms 4, 11, 16, 23, 27:1-6, 51, 62, 131


Individual Songs of Thanksgiving

 
Characteristic traits:
1. An introduction
2. A narration of the psalmists' trouble, cry to God and deliverance
3. An acknowledgement of his deliverance
4. An announcement of an offering of thanks


Listing: Psalms 18 (also a Royal psalm), 31, 32, 41, 66, 92, 116, 138


The Royal Psalms

 
Characteristic traits:
1. Used as part of proper religious ceremonies for the king
2. Later, interpreted as Messianic prophecies


Listing: Psalms 2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 101, 110, 132


The Other Psalms

1. Songs of Pilgrimage: Psalms 84, 122
2. Psalms of Thanksgiving: Psalms 67, 124
3. Wisdom poetry: Psalms 1, 37, 49, 73, 112, 127, 128
4. Two type of liturgies
1. Torah liturgies: Psalms 15, 24, 121, 134
2. Prophetic liturgies: Psalms 12, 14, 50, 53, 74, 81, 82, 85, 91, 95, 132
5. Mixed poems
Often combining traits of the major classes
Listing: Psalms 9, 10, 36, 40, 77, 78, 89, 90, 94, 107, 108, 119, 123, 129, 137, 144

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