Tehillim

Tehillim is a Hebrew word meaning praises.Music and song undoubtedly play a significant role in Scripture. The Book of Psalms is widely considered to be the songbook of the Bible. Composed by various authors over at least 500 years, the Book of Psalms contains songs featuring a variety of different styles and purposes. Psalms contains songs used for formal Tabernacle activities and songs used by the general public in their personal devotional practices.

There are Psalms used for ceremony by the Levite priests, like the brief doxological Psalm 117.

Psalm 117

1 Praise the LORD, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!
2 For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!

There are also Psalms that relate the suffering endured by the Israelites during their exile in Babylon, such as Psalm 137. Psalm 137 reveals the sorrowful suffering endured by the captive Israelites and calls for the destruction of their enemies.

Amidst the various Psalms, there are those intended for the general public, like Psalm 92, which gives us an early glimpse of a great hymn (How Great Thou Art) and a predecessor to the modern worship songs like “How Great Is Our God”, as it pays tribute to the greatness of the works of the Lord.

How Great Are Your Works
92 A PSALM. A SONG FOR THE SABBATH.

            1       It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2       to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
3       to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
4       For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

            5       How great are your works, O LORD!
Your thoughts are very deep!
6       The stupid man cannot know;
the fool cannot understand this:
7       that though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever;
8       but you, O LORD, are on high forever.
9       For behold, your enemies, O LORD,
for behold, your enemies shall perish;
all evildoers shall be scattered.

            10       But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
you have poured over me fresh oil.
11       My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.

            12       The righteous flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13       They are planted in the house of the LORD;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
14       They still bear fruit in old age;
they are ever full of sap and green,
15       to declare that the LORD is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.