tehillim

Tehillim, meaning "praises" in Hebrew, is the Book of Psalms, a collection of religious poems, prayers, and songs that occupies a central place in the Hebrew Bible. Traditionally attributed to King David, the psalms are now understood as the product of multiple authors across centuries, with contributions by Asaph, the Sons of Korah, Solomon, and others.

The Hebrew text contains 150 psalms, arranged within the Bible as five books. This fivefold structure echoes the Pentateuch and concludes with doxologies in several places. The psalms cover diverse genres, including hymns of praise, laments, penitential prayers, royal psalms, and wisdom-inspired pieces; some psalms, such as Psalm 119, are acrostic.

In Jewish practice Tehillim is recited in daily prayer and private devotion, and various psalms are linked to religious observances, life-cycle events, or times of distress. It also appears in liturgical contexts and study.

In Christianity, the Psalms are part of the Old Testament and widely used in worship, hymnody, and devotional reading. Across languages, different traditions follow the Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering or the Greek Septuagint/Latin Vulgate numbering, which can shift psalm numbers.

Textual history emphasizes the Masoretic Text as the basis for most modern editions, while the Dead Sea Scrolls contain psalm fragments and some extended collections. Scholarship notes the Psalter's development over centuries and its enduring influence on religious, literary, and musical traditions.