The psalms are the religious poetry of Israel. The name is derived from the Greek psalterion, which was a string instrument used for accompanying them when they were sung. Amongst their number are hymns of praise, songs of deliverance, and solemn entreaties. Some of them are personal complaints and others national prayers and confessions for past misdemeanours. They mirror the mood of the writer, and by extension speak closely to our condition also. The outer world has changed beyond recognition since the days of the Psalmist (some 2,500 to 3,000 years ago for the majority of the 150 psalms), but human nature remains distressingly immature even though the mind has virtually exploded in scientific brilliance. The writers of the Bible would rub their eyes if they could witness our present civilization, but then they would shake their heads when they saw humans walking around as spiritually uncomprehending as their own brethren.

The psalms are traditionally attributed to King David himself, but only seventy-three are inscribed directly to him. Twelve are inscribed to Asaph, eleven to the sons of Korah, and one each to Heman, Ethan, Moses and Solomon. The sons of Korah, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 9:19, were guards of the thresholds of the Temple, while Asaph, Heman and Ethan (or Jeduthun) were cantors appointed by David for service in the Temple (1 Chron. 25:1-7). Asaph is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 16 as being entrusted with David's song of praise which follows (verses 8-36). Heman and Ethan were also sages of the east whose wisdom was surpassed by that of Solomon (1 Kings 4:31). In fact we are unsure of the authorship of the psalms; it is possible that the original purpose of the various inscriptions was not so much to name the actual author as to establish some kind of relationship between the psalm and the person named. The psalms for the sons of Korah were part of the repertoire of this family of cantors, just as the numerous psalms "for the choirmaster" were performed under his direction. As the excellent introduction to the authorship and dates of the psalms in the Standard Edition of the Jerusalem Bible goes on to explain, the same is probably true of collections under the names of Asaph and David. Nevertheless we should not disregard the ancient and valuable information embodied in the inscriptions. While it may well be that the collections of Asaph and the sons of Korah were composed by poets attached to the Temple, there may also be some direct connection between the Davidic collection and the king himself. He is celebrated in the pages of the Bible for his musical talent (1 Sam. 16:16-18), his gifts as a poet (2 Sam. 1:19-27; 3:33-34) and his love of liturgy (2 Sam. 6:5; 15-16), and so it would be surprising if the psalter did not contain some of his work.

Historically some of the psalms obviously mirror the period of return of the Jews from Babylonian exile. The Psalms of the Kingship of God, discussed in chapter 12, re-echo many of the earlier psalms and also the theology of the second part of the Book of Isaiah (beginning at chapter 40), but it is doubtful whether many psalms date from the Maccabaean period. It is good to think back on David, who "was the singer of Israel's psalms" (2 Sam. 23.1): his life with its moral frailty, humility and courage are the deeper inspiration of the whole collection. We need his faith even today.

The psalms have afforded consolation to generations of humans in misery and sickness. They have also been on the lips of exultant throngs as victory odes or part of the liturgy of great festivals. Originally confined to Jewish worship, they were transported intact by the Christian Church, and have been the staple of worship for religious communities down the ages. It is moving to attend the offices of such a community, and also instructive to note the discipline of devotion to the words of many centuries past still re-echoing in the spirituality of the present. At each office a sequence of psalms is sung; as one listens, so one is carried back in time to the earliest groups chanting in glorious plainsong. The continuity of witness is very impressive, as is the familiar doxology: "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end". The constant chanting of the psalm brings us to the foundation of stability in God even when we are outwardly buffeted by the distractions of the world. And so the doxology is fulfilled as we live our earthly lives here now.

A psalm or two are usually sung in the course of general church worship, and we gradually become familiar with those that especially appeal to us. It would be ingenuous to believe that all the psalms are of equal spiritual value; some are so filled with cursing or the desire for violent revenge that they are best reserved for private reading. The Psalmist, like ourselves, has his "off-days", and it is good to be reminded of the inequality of his production when we too feel very angry, depressed, or frankly destructive. As he brought his bad mood to God, so may we also bring our own. God accepts us as we are, and realizing this, a burden is lifted from us and we may then proceed to the work in hand with relief - and perhaps a little humour also. Our problems, like those of Job, pale into insignificance when we consider the glory of creation and revel in the privilege of having been born human. But then we are here to play our part in the world's development to spiritual excellence.

It is uncanny how a particular psalm, or perhaps only a verse or a simple phrase, seems to "turn up" when we are in special need. Such a piece may be prayed, just as we pray the Lord's Prayer when we are really attentive and do not merely "rattle it off" as part of daily worship. This way of prayer is one of meditating deeply on the words, putting oneself in the position of attention to God, and being quite still. As we enter the depth of the passage, so does God enter more fully into our own depth, which is the soul, or true-self. It is here that our real identity is known, and from it we may speak with personal integrity to God and to our neighbour also.

There is a strong link between the psalms and the New Testament. The great, and very terrible, Psalm 110 is a Messianic forecast of the advent of Christ, as we read in Hebrews 5:5-6. The violence portrayed at the end of the psalm was to be fulfilled in the sufferings of Jesus himself rather than the fierce anger visited by God on the world. The much more reassuring Psalm 91 was actually quoted by the devil when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness (Matt. 4:6). Jesus himself quotes from Psalm 110, which he assumes to be written by David, to point to a deeper origin of the unexpected Messiah than that predicted by the theologians (Mark 12:35-37). But the greatest quotations come when Jesus hangs suspended from the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34) and, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46). The psalm texts are 22:1 and 31:5 respectively.

This book has been written primarily for those who know little about the psalms. I hope that my own enthusiasm for them may be transmitted to the enquiring reader, so that he or she may be stimulated to explore this treasury of human spiritual experience. I have purposely quoted many passages so as to whet the appetite of the seeker, and here I am grateful for the translation in the Revised English Bible. While the modern translations lack the memorable poetry of the Authorized Version, they are more accurate and also decidedly more intelligible. The scheme of development that I have chosen in the chapter headings is symbolic of our origin in God and our final return to the Source. And so we descend from God's glory to the very different human situation and our way of life. Then come the negative experiences of spiritual dereliction, fear and trouble, and how the Psalmist has also met them and coped with their terrors. The reward of suffering is the natural outcome of this dark encounter, and we learn the necessity for penitence in respect of what harm we have done to others and our own bodies by thoughtless, selfish living. Then we may enter the daylight once more and enjoy the time and the season of our life in the place where we find ourselves. And so we return to God, but this time as experienced people, able to accept his love in praise and joyful living. His glory has been intensified by our own conscious participation in it. One can hardly avoid comparisons with Christ's incarnation, ministry, suffering, death, resurrection and final ascension to his seat of equality with the Father. But he is even greater than before he came down to earth, for, in human form, he has triumphed over the prince of this world whom we call the devil, however we may understand this term. Furthermore he brings our humanity with him to the Godhead as a promise of the world's eventual deification.

A considerable number of psalms have been included. They are among my favourites, and also speak to a variety of human situations. May they enter into the lives of those who read this book!