Where in the Bible

David wrote about half of the Psalms; various authors, including Asaph, Korah and his sons, Moses, Heman, Ethan, Solomon, Jeduthun, and still others who remain unidentified, wrote the rest. Ezra, Nehemiah or some other post-exilic scribe then compiled the psalms into one book. Psalmos is Greek for the Hebrew word mizmor, which comes from zamar, “to sing with instrumental accompaniment.”

A deeply sensitive and emotional musician, David frequently expressed himself through music. His life experiences occasioned the writing of songs that express the full range of human emotions. The Psalms frequently allude to his experiences, and NT references substantiate his significant contribution to the book’s authorship. Asaph, a Levite, served David as a choir leader. Korah’s children led the temple worship. Heman was Samuel’s grandson and also a music leader in the temple. Jeduthun was a temple musician. Those psalms which do not name their author have been attributed to Ezra, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel or Haggai.