Deep Dive into Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume by Matthew Henry - Psalms Introduction

The Book of Psalms, known in Hebrew as Tehillim, is considered the abstract or summary of both the Old and New Testaments, containing information about Christ, the Gospel, God, and the Law. This collection of 150 psalms serves as a comprehensive spiritual guide, moving believers away from worldly discourse and directing them toward deep communion with God in the sanctuary.

The majority of these compositions were written by David, the son of Jesse, the sweet psalmist of Israel, who was raised up to establish the lasting ordinance of singing psalms. While David penned the far greater part, other authors contributed, including Moses, whose prayer is explicitly identified as Psalm 90, and Asaph.

The Psalms function fundamentally to assist the exercises of natural religion and to kindle devout affections toward God. While other scriptures prove the first principles of divine perfections, the Psalms help believers to improve these principles through prayers, praises, and professions of dependence and entire resignation to Him.

As a directory for devotion, the Psalms are metrical compositions fitted to be sung and provide believers with apt words—taught by the Holy Ghost—for confession, petition, and thanksgiving, assisting praying infirmities. This usage conveys divine life and a holy warmth into affections and teaches believers how to order their lives rightly. The collection clearly speaks of Christ, the crown and center of revealed religion, detailing his sufferings, glory, and kingdom in type and prophecy.

The Psalms are of greater use to Christians than to those who lived before Christ’s coming, as the Gospel expounds them and makes them more intelligible by letting the church "within the veil." Historically, the 150 psalms were divided into five books, with each segment concluding with an expression of worship, such as Amen, Amen, or Hallelujah. The books end at Psalms 41, 72, 89, 106, and 150.

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