Psalter Resources and FAQs

I like the idea of singing psalms, but I'm not used to it. What do you have to help me learn to sing psalms?

Absolutely! Helpful aids include psalter.org, a list of common hymn tunes, psalm recording on MP3 and CDs, and The Book of Psalms for Worship app.

• Psalter.org is the most comprehensive source for The Book of Psalms for Singing, The Book of Psalms for Worship, The Trinity Psalter, and the ARP Psalter. This site allows you to search through the text of lyrics, play audio of each selection, and sort through information on composer, meter, and more. It's the ultimate resource for psalter owners!
• The list of familiar hymn tunes enables you to sing a psalm to a tune you already know.
• Click here for familiar hymn tunes in The Book of Psalms for Worship.
• Click here for familiar hymn tunes in The Book of Psalms for Singing.
• Click here for familiar hymn tunes in The ARP Psalter.
• Looking to sing through the entire psalter? Download The Book of Psalms for Worship Selection Guide.
• Interested in studying the psalms? This printable accompanies 150 Questions about the Psalter by Bradley Johnston: Arranging the Psalter in Your Head.
• Psalm recordings (on CD or MP3 digital download) can be purchased at our website. Our store carries CDs of American psalters, international English-language psalters, and some foreign language psalters!
• The Book of Psalms for Worship app is an easy way to keep psalm lyrics at your fingertips and psalm tunes near your ear. Searches through psalms, displays lyrics, shows sheet music, and plays audio.
• Click for the iPhone/iPad app.
• Click for the Android app.

You have several different psalters on this site. What's the difference?

Great question! All of the psalters we sell are metrical (singing-friendly) renditions of the Book of Psalms found in the center of the Bible. Each psalter contains at least part of every psalm in the Bible, and many offer all parts of each psalm in several musical selections.

English language psalters

• The Book of Psalms for Worship is a popular psalter that contains modern language and some international tunes.
• The Book of Psalms for Singing includes some older language (like "Thee" and "Jehovah") and some chants.
• The Trinity Psalter contains only one lyrical option for each psalm selection, but is otherwise similar to The Book of Psalms for Singing.
• The ARP Psalter includes some selections from The Book of Psalms for Worship and some Bible Songs based on psalms.
• The Psalms of David in Metre is a 1650 Scottish metrical psalter.

Psalters in other languages

• The Chinese Psalter is a complete version of The Book of Psalms for Worship using simplified Chinese characters.
• The Korean Psalter contains 323 selections with tunes from The Book of Psalms for Singing.
• Salterio is the classic Genevan psalter translated into Spanish.

Can you show me the difference between The Book of Psalms for Singing (1973) and The Book of Psalms for Worship (2009)?

Both psalters strive to remain as close as possible to the original Hebrew, in which the psalms were written. Both contain many common hymn tunes, are written for four-part congregational singing, and have approximately the same number of selections.

However, The Book of Psalms for Singing contains some chants and uses older language (like "Thee" and "Jehovah") in some selections. The Book of Psalms for Worship does not include chants and uses modernized language (except in historic selections such as Psalms 23B, 24B, and 100A). It also contains some new compositions and international tunes. Approximately 1/4th of the tunes differ from The Book of Psalms for Singing. Below is a comparison between the phrasing in the two psalters.

The Book of Psalms for Singing	The Book of Psalms for Worship
Psalm 5:7 To Thy house will I repair	To Your house will I draw near
Psalm 18:14 The deadly arrows He sent forth Dispersed His foes in wild retreat. The flaming lightnings He shot out Made their discomfiture complete.	14 He shot His arrows at His foes, And made them scatter in retreat. He made abundant lightning flash, And sent them fleeing in defeat.
Psalm 36:1-2 Transgression to the wicked speaks; Deep in the heart it lies. There surely is no fear of God At all before his eyes, Because himself he flatters so In his own blinded eyes, That he in his iniquity Sees nothing to despise.	1 About the sin of wicked men, My heart within me cries: There surely is no fear of God At all before his eyes. 2 With flattery he views himself As good in his own eyes; His sin he's certain no one will Discover and despise.
Psalm 39:6 Each man doth surely walk in empty show; They heap up wealth and vex themselves for naught, Nor know to whom their garnered riches go.	6 Man, like a shadow, wanders to and fro. Surely an uproar he creates in vain, He never knows to whom his riches go.
Psalm 133:1 Behold how good a thing it is, And how becoming well, When those that brethren are delight In unity to dwell.	Behold how very good it is, A pleasant thing to see; When brothers join to live as one In peace and unity.