The one hundred and fifty psalms in the Bible have usually been classified into various categories. Apparently, there is no single way to arrange the psalms; however, most systems encompass similar classes with just slight variations. In that regard, the system presented by Hermann Gunkel, a biblical scholar, covers the five primary classes of psalms. Fundamentally, the main categories of psalms include hymns, complaint psalms, royal psalms, thanks, psalms, and wisdom psalms.
Most of the psalms in the Bible are simple songs of praise or hymns. For instance, psalms eight is a hymn that starts, “Lord, our Lord, /how majestic is your name in all the earth” (Different Types of Psalms, 2018). The second category is the complaint or laments psalms, and these encompass songs, which express sorrow to God or grievances against the enemies of God. For instance, psalms three is a complain psalms, which starts, “Lord, how many are my foes! / How many rise up against me!” (Different Types of Psalms, 2018). Some lament psalms express negative feelings and emotions, albeit they are set in a context of God offering a response to power and love. For instance, Psalms chapter forty-four and versus twenty-three and twenty-four read, “Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? / Why do you hide your face / and forget our misery and oppression?” (Different Types of Psalms, 2018) .
The third category is royal psalms. In that regard, the performance of several psalms was carried out in the presence of dignitaries and kings (Introduction of Christianity, 2018). For example, Psalms chapter eighteen and verse fifty says, "He gives his king great victories; / he shows unfailing love to his anointed, / to David and his descendants forever" (Different Types of Psalms, 2018). The fourth category is thanksgiving psalms. In this case, such songs of thanksgiving encompass thanks from individuals and the community. One of the most popular thanksgiving psalms is psalm one hundred. Psalms chapter one hundred verses four and five states, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving / and his courts with praise; / give thanks to him and praise his name. / For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; / his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Different Types of Psalms, 2018).
The fifth category is the wisdom psalms. Whereas most of the psalms talk about the wisdom aspects; on the other hand, particular psalms including psalms chapter one, thirty-seven, and forty-nine consider the subject of wisdom, talking about the fear of God or giving words of wisdom (Introduction of Christianity, 2018). A great example of this is psalms chapter one verses one to three. Which states 'blessed is the person does not walk with wicked people or stands in the way taken by sinners or sits in the mockers' company, but whose joy is in the Lord's law and who constantly meditates on the Lord's law'. Further, it is pointed out that such a person resembles “a tree planted by streams of water, / which yields its fruits in season / and whose leaf does not wither - / whatever they do prosper” (Different Types of Psalms, 2018).
Evidently, the main categories of psalms include hymns, complaint psalms, royal psalms, thanks psalms, and wisdom psalms. From the writing, it is apparent that the book of Psalms in the Bible is the longest and serve different purposes. By reading this book, one can understand and gain a lot concerning the word of God.
References
Introduction of Christianity. (2018) (Lecture notes)
Different Types of Psalms. (2018). Got Questions Ministries. Retrieved from https://www.gotquestions.org/types-of-psalms.html
