Psalter

A psalter is a volume or collection that contains the Book of Psalms, and often additional liturgical material, designed for reading or singing the psalms in worship. The name derives from Latin psalterium, from Greek psalterion, originally a stringed instrument; over time the term came to denote a compilation of psalms arranged for devotional or liturgical use. In Jewish and Christian traditions, the psalter has been central to daily prayer and church worship.

Contents vary by tradition. Most psalters present all 150 psalms, sometimes arranged to fit a liturgical day or season. They may include canticles, prayers, and the Penitential Psalms; often psalms are provided with responsories, antiphons, and musical notation or chant hints. Medieval psalters are notable for illuminated miniature pages and marginal glosses; later editions often include metrical translations for congregational singing, such as the Genevan Psalter.

In Judaism, Tehillim forms part of the Hebrew Bible and is used in daily and Sabbath prayers. Christian psalters emerged early, with Latin and Greek manuscripts and later vernacular editions. The Reformation popularized metrical psalters for congregational singing, while Catholic and Orthodox traditions maintained psalters within the Divine Office and liturgical books like the Liturgy of the Hours.

Today, a psalter can refer to the Book of Psalms in any Bible translation, or a dedicated devotional or liturgical book used for prayer and worship in various Christian denominations.