Religion Answer

When was Psalms written?

The book of Psalms is known for its beautiful poetry, authentic reflections, and profound theology. In the New Testament, Paul taught from the Psalms, Peter preached from the book, and John quoted from it. Furthermore, Jesus is referred to the Psalms, and He recited verses from the book as He was dying on the cross (Matthew 27:46). The rich content of the Psalms, which has drawn readers to it for millennia, was written by multiple authors in different eras. The earliest of the psalms is probably Psalm 90, written by Moses around 1410 BC. What is probably the latest, Psalm 126, was written anonymously in the mid-400s BC. Thus, the book of Psalms was written over the span of about 1,000 years.

Bible scholars traditionally credit David with writing at least half of the 150 psalms in the book of Psalms. He is explicitly named as the author in 73 superscriptions. About one third of the psalms are anonymous, and it is possible that David wrote some of these as well. David lived from about 1040 BC to 970 BC and assumed the throne in Israel around 1010 BC. While he composed a few psalms before his reign began, most were written during it. Thus, the window of composition for most of David’s psalms is about 40 years, from 1010 to 970 BC.

Understanding the historical context of other contributors to the book of Psalms helps to know when other psalms were composed. Asaph, a chief worship leader appointed by David, is traditionally credited with writing 12 psalms, making him the writer with the second most contributions after David. While the exact dates of Asaph’s birth and death are not recorded in the Bible, his period of service likely spans the reigns of David and Solomon.

Furthermore, the sons of Korah, who were descendants from the tribe of Levi, are traditionally credited with writing 11 psalms. Their role as temple musicians and servants likely began during David’s reign (1010—970 BC), during which most of these psalms were composed. However, their service extended beyond this period. Subsequent sons of Korah continued to serve in the temple during Solomon’s reign and possibly afterward, suggesting that some of the psalms attributed to them could have been written later.

Among other psalms that have attributions, Solomon wrote two (Psalms 72 and 127), while Heman and Ethan each wrote one (Psalms 88 and 89, respectively). Solomon, one of David’s sons and the third king of Israel, reigned from about 970 to 930 BC. Heman is often referred to as a singer and may have been the grandson of Samuel. Ethan is noted for his wisdom. Both served as temple musicians during the reigns of David and Solomon.

Some scholars speculate that Ezra the priest may have been involved in the composition or compilation of the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120—134). However, none of these psalms are specifically attributed to him. If he did contribute to this section, it would suggest that some of the psalms were composed as late as the fifth century BC. This would have been during the period of Jewish restoration and temple rebuilding after the Babylonian exile.

The last verse in Psalms aptly summarizes the 150 chapters of the book. It reads, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” The devotional richness of the Psalms has edified readers and inspired songwriters for millennia. From Moses to possibly Ezra, the Israelites expressed their worship by writing and singing praises to God, demonstrating a profound tradition of praise and prayer.

The book of Psalms is known for its beautiful poetry, authentic reflections, and profound theology. In the New Testament, Paul taught from the Psalms, Peter preached from the book, and John quoted from it. Furthermore, Jesus is referred to the Psalms, and He recited verses from the book as He was dying on the cross…

The book of Psalms is known for its beautiful poetry, authentic reflections, and profound theology. In the New Testament, Paul taught from the Psalms, Peter preached from the book, and John quoted from it. Furthermore, Jesus is referred to the Psalms, and He recited verses from the book as He was dying on the cross…