Tehillim

The Book of Psalms in Hebrew: תהלים (Tehillim) meaning ("praises"), commonly referred to simply as Psalms or "the Psalms", is the first book of the Ketuvim ("Writings"), the third section of the Hebrew Scriptures. The three sections of the TaNaK (“Hebrew Scriptures”) are as followed:
1) T = Torah (“teachings/law”)
2) N = Nevi’im (“prophets”)
3) K = Ketuvim (“writings”)

The Book of Psalms is divided into five sections, each closing with a doxology —these divisions were probably introduced by the final editors to imitate the five-fold division of the Torah:

• Book 1 (Psalms 1–41)
• Book 2 (Psalms 42–72)
• Book 3 (Psalms 73–89)
• Book 4 (Psalms 90–106)
• Book 5 (Psalms 107–150

A Hebrew version of Tehillim 151-154 were found in the Tehillim Scroll of the Dead Sea Scrolls. There are also the Psalms of Solomon (removed from most Bibles), which are a further 18 psalms of Yahudim origin, originally written in Hebrew.

The Psalms were written not merely as poems, but as songs for singing. More than a third of the psalms are addressed to the Director of Music. Some psalms exhort the worshipper to sing (e.g. Pss. 33:1-3; 92:1-3; 96:1-3; 98:1; 101:1; 150). Some headings denote the musical instruments on which the psalm should be played (Pss. 4, 5, 6, 8, 67). Some refer to singing at the sheminit or octave (Pss. 6, 12). And others preserve the name for ancient eastern modes, like mut la-ben (Death of the son; Ps. 9), ayelet ha-shachar (hind of the dawn; Ps. 22); shoshanim (Lilies; Ps. 45); or alamoth (Maidens; Ps. 46).
Despite the frequently heard view that their ancient music is lost, the means to reconstruct it still extant.

Most individual psalms involve the praise of Yahuah—for his power and beneficence, for His creation of the world, and for his past acts of deliverance for Yashar’al. The psalms envision a world in which everyone and everything will praise Yahuah, and Yahuah in turn will hear their prayers and respond. Worst of all is when Yahuah "hides His face" and refuses to respond, because this puts in question the efficacy of prayer which is the underlying assumption of the Book of Psalms.

Some psalms are called "maskil" (maschil) because in addition they impart wisdom. Most notable of these is Psalm 142 which is sometimes called the "Maskil of Daud (David)", others include Psalm 32 and Psalm 78. The term derives from maskil meaning "enlightened" or "wise".

Some of the titles given to the Psalms have descriptions which suggest their use in worship:

• Some bear the Hebrew description shir (שיר 'song'). Thirteen have this description. It means the flow of speech, as it were, in a straight line or in a regular strain. This description includes secular as well as sacred song.

• Fifty-eight Psalms bear the description mizmor (מזמור), a lyric ode, or a song set to music; a sacred song accompanied with a musical instrument.

• Psalm 145, and many others, has the designation tehillah (תהילה), meaning a song of praise; a song the prominent thought of which is the praise of Yahuah.

• Thirteen psalms are described as maskil ('wise'): 32, 42, 44, 45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142. Psalm 41:2, although not in the above list, has the description ashrei maskil.

• Six Psalms (16, 56–60) have the title michtam (מכתם, 'gold'). Michtam refers to an item that a person carries with him at all times, hence, these Psalms contain concepts or ideas that are pertinent at every stage and setting throughout life, deemed vital as part of day-to-day spiritual awareness.

• Psalm 7 (along with Habakkuk ch. 3)bears the title shigayon (שיגיון). There are three interpretations:
(a) This term stems from the root shegaga, meaning "mistake"—David committed some sin and is singing in the form of a prayer to redeem himself from it;
(b) shigayon was a type of musical instrument;
(c) A "longing", as for example in the verse in Proverbs 5:19