Ark of the Covenant - Bible History Online
Bible History
Picture Study Bible with Maps and Background Information

Psalms 89

1 - I will sing of the loving kindness of the LORD forever.With my mouth, I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
2 - I indeed declare, "Love stands firm forever.You established the heavens.Your faithfulness is in them."
3 - "I have made a covenant with my chosen one,I have sworn to David, my servant,
4 - 'I will establish your offspring forever,and build up your throne to all generations.'"Selah.
5 - The heavens will praise your wonders, The LORD;your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 - For who in the skies can be compared to The LORD?Who among the sons of the heavenly beings is like The LORD,
7 - a very awesome God in the council of the holy ones,to be feared above all those who are around him?
8 - The LORD, God of Armies, who is a mighty one, like you?Yah, your faithfulness is around you.
9 - You rule the pride of the sea.When its waves rise up, you calm them.
10 - You have broken Rahab in pieces, like one of the slain.You have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11 - The heavens are yours.The earth also is yours;the world and its fullness.You have founded them.
12 - The north and the south, you have created them.Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
13 - You have a mighty arm.Your hand is strong, and your right hand is exalted.
14 - Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.Loving kindness and truth go before your face.
15 - Blessed are the people who learn to acclaim you.They walk in the light of your presence, The LORD.
16 - In your name they rejoice all day.In your righteousness, they are exalted.
17 - For you are the glory of their strength.In your favor, our horn will be exalted.
18 - For our shield belongs to The LORD;our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19 - Then you spoke in vision to your saints,and said, "I have given strength to the warrior.I have exalted a young man from the people.
20 - I have found David, my servant.I have anointed him with my holy oil,
21 - with whom my hand shall be established.My arm will also strengthen him.
22 - No enemy will tax him.No wicked man will oppress him.
23 - I will beat down his adversaries before him,and strike those who hate him.
24 - But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him.In my name, his horn will be exalted.
25 - I will set his hand also on the sea,and his right hand on the rivers.
26 - He will call to me, 'You are my Father,my God, and the rock of my salvation!'
27 - I will also appoint him my firstborn,the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 - I will keep my loving kindness for him forever more.My covenant will stand firm with him.
29 - I will also make his offspring endure forever,and his throne as the days of heaven.
30 - If his children forsake my law,and don't walk in my ordinances;
31 - if they break my statutes,and don't keep my commandments;
32 - then I will punish their sin with the rod,and their iniquity with stripes.
33 - But I will not completely take my loving kindness from him,nor allow my faithfulness to fail.
34 - I will not break my covenant,nor alter what my lips have uttered.
35 - Once I have sworn by my holiness,I will not lie to David.
36 - His offspring will endure forever,his throne like the sun before me.
37 - It will be established forever like the moon,the faithful witness in the sky."Selah.
38 - But you have rejected and spurned.You have been angry with your anointed.
39 - You have renounced the covenant of your servant.You have defiled his crown in the dust.
40 - You have broken down all his hedges.You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
41 - All who pass by the way rob him.He has become a reproach to his neighbors.
42 - You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries.You have made all of his enemies rejoice.
43 - Yes, you turn back the edge of his sword,and haven't supported him in battle.
44 - You have ended his splendor,and thrown his throne down to the ground.
45 - You have shortened the days of his youth.You have covered him with shame.Selah.
46 - How long, The LORD?Will you hide yourself forever?Will your wrath burn like fire?
47 - Remember how short my time is!For what vanity have you created all the children of men!
48 - What man is he who shall live and not see death,who shall deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?Selah.
49 - Lord, where are your former loving kindnesses,which you swore to David in your faithfulness?
50 - Remember, Lord, the reproach of your servants,how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the mighty peoples,
51 - With which your enemies have mocked, The LORD,with which they have mocked the footsteps of your anointed one.
52 - Blessed be the LORD forever more.Amen, and Amen.

Select a Chapter

Psalms Images and Notes

The Book of Psalms

Psalm 2:7-9 - I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give [thee] the heathen [for] thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth [for] thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

Psalm 8:3-4 - When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psalm 53:1-3 - The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: [there is] none that doeth good. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were [any] that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; [there is] none that doeth good, no, not one.

The Old Testament - A Brief Overview

Bible Survey - Psalms
Hebrew Name - Tehillim "praises"
Greek Name - Psalmoi (Greek form of the Hebrew mizmor, meaning instrument songs)
Author - David (According to Tradition)
Date - 1056 BC Approximately
Theme - Give praise to the Lord
Types and Shadows - In Psalms Jesus is the One worthy of all praise

The Tomb of King David in Jerusalem
Painted Sketch of the Tomb of King David in Second Temple Jerusalem

Summary of The Book of Psalms

The title of the Book of Psalms in the Hebrew is sepher tehillim, meaning "book of praises", and indeed it is a fitting title. Every chapter is devoted to praise and thanksgiving from the author to Yahweh. This book clearly provides hope and confidence in the Lord as the maker of all things, the ultimate ruler of everything including the universe. He sees everything, knows everything, he has no limits, his presence is everywhere even in darkness there is no hiding and he is to be praised.

The Psalms are full of religious poetry and this was not uncommon in the ancient Near Eastern nations and peoples, and it was not surprising for the Hebrews to have produced such a powerful work. David was the recognized writer of the Psalms and they are many times referred to as the Psalms of David, although some of the chapters are not attributed to him in the notes.

The Psalms of David included Psalms 2-41 (except Psalms 33), Psalms 51-72, Psalms 108-110, and Psalms 138-145. David was no doubt a very skillful musician, the Bible mentions that he played the lyre for King Saul (1 Samuel 16:23), and the prophet Amos mentions that David invented instruments of music for worship of the Lord (Amos 6:5). There is also mention in the book of Samuel about David lamenting over Saul and Jonathan in a poetic fashion revealing his natural ability.

David went to many experiences in his life that he wrote about, especially when he was hunted down by King Saul from place to place like a "Partridge" in the wilderness. David was a young shepherd, he knew what it was like to tend his flock and to guard them from predators, this gave him a beautiful imagery for the Lord the great Shepherd. David was also a musician, a man of war, a king, a father, a husband, a friend, and many more. He repented over his sin in Psalm 51, acknowledging himself to be a sinner before God and God alone. God called David "a man after my own heart" and these experiences allowed him to share with the reader, a man who knew the heart of God. David was a master at finding different ways to praise God in life experiences and the book of Psalms is a wonder book for those who want to know how to please God. He was filled with the Holy Spirit (1 Samuel 16:13). There is no doubt the David wrote most of the Psalms, and the ones that he did not write are in his style as well.

Among the Psalms are two collections of Levitical Psalms, one is ascribed to the "sons of Korah" (Psalms 42-49), the other is ascribed to Asaph (Psalms 73-83 and Psalms 50). These exalt the tribes of Joseph. There are Psalms mentioning Moses, Haman, Ethan, and Solomon, some are anonymous (Psalm 33, 84-89). Some of the Psalms reveal a strong liturgical emphasis which might've been used in worship services, or on special days and do not mention the author (Psalms 91-100).

It is impossible to determine exactly how the Psalms were compiled and collected, and dating them is also difficult for most of the Psalms. Some of the Psalms are commemorating victories, while others are historical, remembering the Lord and God's people in past events. Other Psalms are prophetic and look to the future and the coming of the Messiah, as well as the heavenly kingdom. There are Psalms of affliction, lamentation and remorse over sin, as well as songs of Thanksgiving and trusting the Lord.

Some of the songs were chosen to be good for reciting on certain Jewish holy days, like the Sabbath, or Passover, the feast of Tabernacles, etc. There are titles on about 100 of the Psalms, the titles are so old that they cannot be understood even in the second century BC. Some of the titles point to the source of the Psalm, while others point to a certain purpose, or a certain melody, or something related to music.

Outline of the Book of Psalms

Psalms is divided into five books : Psalms 1-41, which witness to David's life and faith; Psalms 42-72, a group of historical writings; Psalms 73-99, ritual psalms; Psalms 90-106, reflecting pre-captivity sentiment and history; and Psalms 107-150, dealing with the captivity and return to Jerusalem. These five books are often regarded as the devotional counterpart to the five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy).

ARCHAEOLOGY

House of David Inscription - Tel Dan Stele

Tel Dan Stele - House of David Inscription
1 Kings 2:11 - And the days that David reigned over Israel [were] forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

An inscription containing the words "house of David" was found on a black basalt stone slab called the Tel Dan Stele, from Tel Dan, Israel, 9th Century B.C.

 Interesting facts about the Psalms: The book of Psalms is the longest book in the Bible. The 119th Psalm is a longest chapter in the whole Bible. The 117th Psalm is the shortest chapter in the Bible and located in the middle. When the Old Testament is quoted in the New Testament by someone, over one third of all the quotes are from the Psalms.

Quick Reference Map
Map of the Empires of David and Solomon
Map of the Empires of David and Solomon (Click to Enlarge)

Quick Reference Maps - Psalms

Hebron

Mahanaim

Zion and the City of David

The Kidron Valley and David's City

The Empire of David and Solomon

The Kingdom of David

Shiloh

Kirjath Jearim

Jabesh Gilead

Michmash

Judah in the Time of David

The City of Nob and David's Flight

The First Day. Light.

Psalms Resources

Samuel the Prophet
Saul, Israel's First King
King David
King Solomon

More About the Book of Psalms
Psalms in the Picture Study Bible
Timeline of the Ancient World
Back to the Old Testament
Back to Bible History Online