psalters

Psalters are collections of the Book of Psalms arranged for liturgical use or private devotion. They typically present the 150 psalms in a Latin or vernacular translation and may include rubrics, canticles, and prayers. Many psalters are metrical as well as textual, providing verse translations designed to be sung to specific tunes, a practice especially associated with Protestant and Reformed hymnody.

Origins of psalters lie in Jewish worship, where the Psalms formed a central part of temple and synagogue rituals. In Christian history, the Psalms were incorporated into the Divine Office and became a core element of medieval monastic and cathedral liturgies. The form and order of psalters often reflected the schedule of canonical hours, and medieval psalter manuscripts and printed editions circulated widely. With the Reformation, vernacular metrical psalters facilitated congregational singing and became influential in many churches, shaping worship and devotional life.

Notable psalters include the Latin liturgical psalter of medieval use, the Geneva Psalter with French versifications used in Reformed churches, and later Scottish and English metrical psalters. The Bay Psalm Book, published in colonial America, is among the earliest complete psalter editions in English. Variants differ in language, verse form, and arrangement, but share the aim of making the biblical psalms usable for worship and personal devotion.

Today, psalters continue to be studied for their religious, literary, and musical significance. They appear in historical editions, modern bilingual versions, and digital formats, reflecting ongoing interest in the Psalms as poetry, prayer, and song. See also Psalms, Book of Psalms, and Psalmody.