cultural monarchy

David Composes Psalms

1000 BCE (approximate)

King David, the shepherd-warrior who united Israel and established Jerusalem as its capital, is traditionally credited with composing many of the Psalms—ancient Hebrew poems and songs that became the prayer book and hymnbook of Israel and, later, the church. Scripture portrays David as “the sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Samuel 23:1, KJV), and his musical gifts were recognized from youth.

David’s musical background:

As a young shepherd, David played the harp to soothe King Saul’s troubled spirit: “Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him” (1 Samuel 16:23).

When David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, he “danced before the LORD with all his might” and “brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet” (2 Samuel 6:14-15). David appointed Levites as musicians for regular worship, establishing Israel’s liturgical music tradition.

Psalms attributed to David:

Of the 150 psalms, 73 have superscriptions attributing them to David (Hebrew: l’David—“of David” or “for David”). These include:

Psalms of lament: Crying out to God in distress

  • Psalm 3: When fleeing from Absalom
  • Psalm 51: After Nathan confronted him about Bathsheba—“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love”
  • Psalm 142: When hiding in a cave from Saul

Psalms of praise: Celebrating God’s character and works

  • Psalm 8: “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
  • Psalm 23: “The LORD is my shepherd”
  • Psalm 103: “Bless the LORD, O my soul”

Royal psalms: Concerning the king and God’s covenant with David

  • Psalm 2: “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”—applied to the Messiah
  • Psalm 110: “The LORD says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand’“—quoted more in the New Testament than any other Old Testament passage

Messianic psalms: Prophecies Christians see fulfilled in Jesus

  • Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”—Jesus’s words on the cross
  • Psalm 16: “You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead”—applied to resurrection
  • Psalm 69: “Zeal for your house consumes me”—quoted about Jesus cleansing the temple

Historical superscriptions: Several psalms include historical notes:

  • Psalm 3: “When he fled from his son Absalom”
  • Psalm 18: “When the LORD delivered him from all his enemies”
  • Psalm 34: “When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek”
  • Psalm 51: “When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba”
  • Psalm 52: “When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: ‘David has gone to the house of Ahimelek’”
  • Psalm 54: “When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, ‘Is not David hiding among us?’”
  • Psalm 56: “When the Philistines had seized him in Gath”
  • Psalm 57: “When he had fled from Saul into the cave”
  • Psalm 59: “When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him”
  • Psalm 60: “When he fought Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah, and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt”
  • Psalm 63: “When he was in the Desert of Judah”
  • Psalm 142: “When he was in the cave”

These superscriptions connect David’s life experiences with the psalms’ emotional and spiritual content.

Davidic authorship debated:

Modern scholars debate the extent of David’s authorship:

Traditional view: David wrote the 73 psalms attributed to him, establishing Israel’s worship music. His experiences—as shepherd, fugitive, warrior, king, sinner, and worshiper—produced the full emotional range of the Psalter.

Critical view: The superscriptions may indicate psalms written about David, for David, or in the style of David rather than by David. Some psalms mention the temple (built after David’s death), exile, or return—suggesting later composition. The Psalter may be a collection spanning centuries, with Davidic psalms forming the core.

Moderate view: David composed many psalms, but the collection grew over centuries as later poets contributed in Davidic style.

Significance in Judaism:

The Psalms became central to Jewish worship:

  • Recited in temple services
  • Prayed in synagogues
  • Used in lifecycle events (weddings, funerals)
  • The Book of Psalms (Tehillim—“Praises”) is the most-read book in Jewish liturgy
  • Many devout Jews recite all 150 psalms weekly

Significance in Christianity:

Christians adopted the Psalms as their prayer book:

  • Jesus quoted psalms (crying Psalm 22:1 on the cross)
  • The early church sang psalms (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16)
  • Monastic communities chant all 150 psalms weekly or monthly
  • Protestant Reformers produced metrical psalms for congregational singing
  • The Psalms are the most-quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament (especially Psalms 2, 22, 69, 110)

Significance in Islam:

Islam honors Dawud (David) as a prophet and acknowledges the Zabur (Psalms) as a scripture revealed to him, though Muslims believe the current Psalter may have been corrupted over time.

The Psalms’ enduring power:

The Psalms speak to universal human experiences:

  • Joy and sorrow
  • Praise and lament
  • Trust and doubt
  • Justice and oppression
  • Sin and forgiveness
  • Death and hope

Whether David wrote all, some, or none of the psalms attributed to him, his association with them is ancient and enduring. The shepherd-king who defeated Goliath, established Jerusalem, sinned grievously with Bathsheba, and danced before the Ark became Israel’s model of heartfelt worship—teaching God’s people to pray with raw honesty, extravagant praise, and persistent hope.

For three millennia, Jews and Christians have prayed David’s words, finding in them a voice for their own joys, sorrows, doubts, and hopes before God.