The author (by Anonymous – Life of David in the Psalms).
David wrote 73 of the 150 Psalms, while the remaining 77 were composed by various authors. David passed through a course of intensely difficult circumstances ranging from kingship to refugee. His life touched the human condition at nearly every point of defeat and victory. He was born a simple Shepard, and later given the throne of his nation; was successful in war, and known as the most beloved man in Israel. He was forced to live in exile and hiding for years of his life. He was hunted by his father in law, betrayed by those closest to him. His story, through foreign, is relatable in shadow to many of our own hardships. He was considered a man after God’s own heart, yet he was not infallible. David, was not given a a place in his family among seven other brothers, and was instead sentenced to work the fields at a very young age. As a teen he had already become a man of war, witnessing and enduring countess acts of gruesome violence. By all modern standards, David would have lived with the post effects of severe trauma. Anyone who has been through abuse or slavery is more than familiar with these scars.
It is said that Poets “learn in suffering what they teach in song.” Falling into adultery and committing murder himself, the psalms reveal the full expanse of emotion as David pours his heart like water over the feet of eternal hope. Each chapter flows as prayer in response to the circumstances of his life. These intimate verses shape our understanding of deliverance and outline the face of the deliver himself. David writes that God strengthened his “fingers to fight.” And he told us himself how that victory was sustained: “I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” When David’s psalms speak of deliverance, which they repetitively do, the term embodies everything that God gave to free His people of their captivity – power, liberty, peace, rest, strength, justice – Himself. These promises are a roadmap to freedom – “for whatever man chooses to gaze at and meditate upon, that is what he will become”
The psalter.
A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other material bound in as well. In medieval times, these books often included an illustration of each psalm. In elaborate acts of devotion, Monks would be commissioned to pour over these biblical texts for years on end, hand copying the word of God and ornately decorating each letter. The illustrations were seen as an extension of the verses. Similarly, the images accompanying each psalm here have already been explained, as the specific story of this collection cannot be fully told without them. Included are only the psalms written by King David himself, arranged in chronological order. David’s songs can be read looking back as if a personal journal of his struggles, or looking forward as guide for those yet traveling the road to deliverance.
-
-
Psalm 54. Liberate me, O God, by the authority of Your name. Vindicate me through Your legendary power. Hear my prayer, O God; let the words of my mouth reach Your sympathetic ear. The truth is, these strangers are rallying against me; cold-blooded men seek to slay me; they have no respect for You. But see now! God comes to rescue me; the Lord is my valiant supporter. He will repay my enemies for the harm they have done; they are doomed! According to Your faithful promises, silence them. I will sacrifice to You willingly; I will lift Your name by shouts of thanksgiving…
-
-
Psalm 13. How long, O Eternal One? How long will You forget me? Forever? How long will You look the other way? How long must I agonize, grieving Your absence in my heart every day? How long will You let my enemies win? Turn back; respond to me, O Eternal, my True God! Put the spark of life in my eyes, or I’m dead. My enemies will boast they have beaten me; my foes will celebrate that I have stumbled. But I trust in Your faithful love; my heart leaps at the thought of imminent deliverance by You. I will sing to the Eternal, for He is always generous with me.
-
-
Psalm 15. Eternal One, who is invited to stay in Your dwelling? Who is granted passage to Your holy mountain? Here is the answer: The one who lives with integrity, does what is right, and speaks honestly with truth from the heart. The one who doesn’t speak evil against others or wrong his neighbor, or slander his friends. The one who loathes the loathsome, honors those who fear the Eternal, And keeps all promises no matter the cost. The one who does not lend money with gain in mind and cannot be bought to harm an innocent name. If you live this way, you will not be shaken and will live together with the Lord.
-
-
Psalm 61. Hear me, O God, when I cry; listen to my prayer. You are the One I will call when pushed to the edge, when my heart is faint. Shoulder me to the rock above me. For You are my protection, an impenetrable fortress from my enemies. Let me live in Your sanctuary forever; let me find safety in the shadow of Your wings. You have heard the promises I made, O God. You have laid upon me the legacy due to those who fear Your name. Extend the king’s life, day after day; increase his years for many generations…
-
-
Psalm 4. Answer my prayers, O True God the righteous, who makes me right. I was hopelessly surrounded, and You rescued me. Once again hear me; hide me in Your favor; bring victory in defeat and hope in hopelessness. How long will you sons of Adam steal my dignity, reduce my glory to shame? Why long for the fruitless and dream a delusion? Understand this: The Eternal One treats as special those like Him. He will answer my prayers and save me. Think long; think hard. When you are angry, don’t let it carry you into sin. When night comes, in calm be silent. From this day forward, offer to God the right sacrifice from a heart made right by God. Entrust yourself to the Eternal. Crowds of disheartened people ask, “Who can show us what is good?” Let Your brilliant face shine upon us, that we may know the undeniable answer…
-
-
Psalm 5. Bend Your ear to me and listen to my words, O Eternal One; hear the deep cry of my heart. Listen to my call for help, my King, my True God; to You alone I pray. In the morning, O Eternal One, listen for my voice; in the day’s first light, I will offer my prayer to You and watch expectantly for Your answer. You’re not a God who smiles at sin; You cannot abide with evil. The proud wither in Your presence; You hate all who pervert and destroy what is good. You destroy those with lying lips; the Eternal detests those who murder and deceive. Yet I, by Your loving grace, am welcomed into Your house; I will turn my face toward Your holy place and fall on my knees in reverence before You. O Eternal One, lead me in the path of Your righteousness amidst those who wish me harm; make Your way clear to me…
-
-
Psalm 23. The Eternal is my shepherd, He cares for me always. He provides me rest in rich, green fields beside streams of refreshing water. He soothes my fears; He makes me whole again, steering me off worn, hard paths to roads where truth and righteousness echo His name. Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness, I am not overcome by fear. Because You are with me in those dark moments, near with Your protection and guidance, I am comforted. You spread out a table before me, provisions in the midst of attack from my enemies; You care for all my needs, anointing my head with soothing, fragrant oil, filling my cup again and again with Your grace. Certainly Your faithful protection and loving provision will pursue me where I go, always, everywhere I will always be with the Eternal, in Your house forever.
-
-
Psalm 8. Our Lord, Your majestic name is heard throughout the earth. Your magnificent glory shines far above the skies. From the mouths and souls of infants and toddlers, the most innocent, You have decreed power to stop Your adversaries and quash those who seek revenge. When I gaze to the skies and meditate on Your creation—on the moon, stars, and all You have made, I can’t help but wonder why You care about mortals—sons and daughters of men—specks of dust floating about the cosmos. But You placed the son of man just beneath God and honored him like royalty, crowning him with glory and honor. You ordained him to govern the works of Your hands, to nurture the offspring of Your divine imagination; You placed everything on earth beneath his feet…
-
-
Psalm 64. O True God, hear my voice! Listen to my complaint! Guard my life; keep me safe from my enemy’s threats. Hide me from the sinful circle that conspires against me, from the band of rebels out to make trouble, Who sharpen their tongues into swords, who take aim with poisonous words like arrows….Then everyone will fear the True God; they will proclaim His deeds and will reflect upon all He has done. The righteous will delight in the Eternal and will take shelter in Him. All those with an honest heart will glorify Him!
-
-
Psalm 19. The celestial realms announce God’s glory; the skies testify of His hands’ great work. Each day pours out more of their sayings; each night, more to hear and more to learn. Inaudble words are their manner of speech, and silence, their means to convey. Yet from here to the ends of the earth, their voices have gone out; the whole world can hear what they say. God stretched out in these heavens a tent for the sun, And the sun is like a groom who, after leaving his room, arrives at the wedding in splendor; He is the strong runner who, favored to win in his race, is eager to face his challenge…
-
-
Psalm 20. May the Eternal’s answer find you, come to rescue you, when you desperately cling to the end of your rope. May the name of the True God of Jacob be your shelter. May He extend hope and help to you from His holy sanctuary and support you from His sacred city of Zion. May He remember all that you have offered Him; may your burnt sacrifices serve as a prelude to His mercy. May He grant the dreams of your heart and see your plans through to the end. When you win, we will not be silent! We will shout and raise high our banners in the great name of our God…
-
-
Psalm 24. The earth and all that’s upon it belong to the Eternal. The world is His, with every living creature on it. With seas as foundations and rivers as boundaries, He shaped the continents, fashioned the earth. Who can possibly ascend the mountain of the Eternal? Who can stand before Him in sacred spaces? Only those whose hands have been washed and hearts made pure, men and women who are not given to lies or deception. The Eternal will stand close to them with blessing and mercy at hand, and the God who redeems will right what has been wrong…
-
-
Psalm 110. The Eternal said to my lord, “Sit here at My right hand, in the place of honor and power, And I will gather your enemies together, lead them in on hands and knees; you will rest your feet on their backs.” The Eternal will extend your reach as you rule from your throne on Zion. You will be out in enemy lands, ruling. Your people will come as volunteers that day; they will be a sight to see: on that day, you will lead your army, noble in their holiness….
-
-
Psalm 39. I promised, “I’ll be careful on life’s journey not to sin with my words; I’ll seal my lips when wicked people are around.” I kept my mouth shut; I had nothing to say—not even anything good— which came to grieve me more and more. I felt my heart become hot inside me as I thought on these things; a fire ignited and burned. Then I said, “Eternal One, let me understand my end and how brief my earthly existence is; help me realize my life is fleeting…
-
-
Psalm 63. O True God, You are my God, the One whom I trust. I seek You with every fiber of my being. In this dry and weary land with no water in sight, my soul is dry and longs for You. My body aches for You, for Your presence. I have seen You in Your sanctuary and have been awed by Your power and glory. Your steadfast love is better than life itself, so my lips will give You all my praise. I will bless You with every breath of my life; I will lift up my hands in praise to Your name…
-
-
Psalm 16. Protect me, God, for the only safety I know is found in the moments I seek You. I told You, Eternal One, “You are my Lord, for the only good I know in this world is found in You alone.” The beauty of faith-filled people encompasses me. They are true, and my heart is thrilled beyond measure. All the while the despair of many, who abandoned Your goodness for the empty promises of false gods, increases day by day…
-
-
Psalm 57. Mercy. May Your mercy come to me, O God, for my soul is safe within You, the guardian of my life. I will seek protection in the shade of Your wings until the destruction has passed. I cry out to God, the Most High, to God who always does what is good for me. Out of heaven my rescue comes. He dispatches His mercy and truth And goes after whoever tries to run over me…
-
-
Psalm 41. Blessed are those who consider the helpless. The Eternal will stay near them, leading them to safety in times of bitter struggle. The Eternal defends them and preserves them, and His blessing will find them in the land He gave them. He moves ahead to frustrate their enemies’ plans. When sickness comes, the Eternal is beside them—to comfort them on their sickbeds and restore them to health…
-
-
Psalm 27. The Eternal is my light amidst my darkness and my rescue in times of trouble. So whom shall I fear? He surrounds me with a fortress of protection. So nothing should cause me alarm. When my enemies advanced to devour me alive, They tripped and fell flat on their faces into the soil. When the armies of the enemy surround me, I will not be afraid. When death calls for me in the midst of war, my soul is confident and unmoved…
-
-
Psalm 25. Always I will lift up my soul to You, Eternal One, BECAUSE You are my God and I put my trust in You. Do not let me be humiliated. Do not let my enemies celebrate at my expense. Certainly none of the people who rely on You will be shamed, but those who are unfaithful, who intentionally deceive, they are the ones who will be disgraced. DemonstrateYour ways, O Eternal One. Teach me to understand so I can follow…