Psalms

[ sahmz ]

noun

, (used with a singular verb)

1. a book of the Bible, composed of 150 songs, hymns, and prayers. : Ps.

Psalms

/ sɑːmz /

noun

1. functioning as singular the collection of 150 psalms in the Old Testament Full titleThe Book of Psalms

Word History and Origins

Origin of Psalms¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English psam, spalm, psalm, partly from Old English psealm, psalm, partly from Old French psaume, from Late Latin psalmus, from Greek psalmós “twitching of the fingers; sound of the harp or cithara,” from psállein “to twitch, pull, pluck,” translation of Hebrew mizmōr “song, psalm”

Example Sentences

He will precede Beethoven’s Ninth with Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” at the Bowl on Tuesday, optimistic works with calls for brotherhood, community and nonaggression coincidentally coming directly after a presidential debate.

From Los Angeles Times

Psalms of lament serve to highlight how righteous individuals fall prey to persecution, despite being good to others.

From Salon

And Paul Simon’s “Seven Psalms” surprisingly did not receive any all-genre nominations despite being the kind of soulful and musically complex project Grammy voters typically eat up.

From New York Times

Some of the monsters Magnus depicted date back to the Old Testament, like the sea orm—then known as the leviathan, which shows up in Psalms, the Book of Job and the Book of Isiah.

From National Geographic

For his final sermon, Copeland turned to the Book of Psalms and its many passages about life’s challenges and God’s protection.

From Seattle Times