Structure of the Book of Psalms (Biblical)

The Psalms are organized in five books. The general organization of the book of Psalms reflects the growth of the collection in several stages. The superscriptions of many psalms contain information relevant to their collection, as well as their performance. Divisions within the Book of Psalms The present book of Psalms is divided into five books, probably intended to correspond to the five books of the Pentateuch, or law of Moses. The divisions are: Book I, Psalms 141; Book II, Psalms 4272; Book III, Psalms 7389; Book IV, Psalms 90106; and Book V, Psalms 107150. Each of the first four books ends with a doxology, and Psalm 150 serves as the doxology to the entire collection. The first psalm, which describes the righteous worshiper who delights in the law of the Lord, serves as an introduction to the Psalms. Several subgroups occur within the Psalms that may be remnants of earlier collections. Psalms 272 make up "the prayers of David son of Jesse" (Ps. 72:20); the two psalms that …