Psalms (Tehilim תהילים, in Hebrew) is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, and of the "Old Testament" of the Christian Bible. Because of its original meaning as a song or chant, the word psalm can be used to mean any religious chant or poem of praise. This article, however, deals specifically with the Psalms (with upper-case P) as the book of Scripture. Ketuvim is the third and final section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). ... The Book of Proverbs is a book of the Bibles Old Testament. ... The Book of Job (איוב, Standard Hebrew Iyyov, Tiberian Hebrew ʾIyyôḇ; Arabic أيّوب ʾAyyūb) is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, and is also one of the books of the Christian Old Testament. ... Song of Solomon is also the title of a novel by Toni Morrison. ... The Book of Ruth is a book in the Hebrew Bible known to Jews as the Tanakh and to Christians as the Old Testament. ... The Book of Lamentations (Hebrew מגילת איכה) is a book of the Bible Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh. ... Ecclesiastes, Kohelet in Hebrew, is a book of the Hebrew Bible, known to Jews as the Tanakh and to Christians as the Old Testament. ... The Book of Esther is a book of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and of the Old Testament. ... This article is about the Biblical book. ... The Book of Ezra is a book of the Bible in the Old Testament and Hebrew Tanakh. ... The Book of Nehemiah is a book of the Hebrew Bible, known to Jews as the Tanakh and to Christians as the Old Testament. ... The Book of Chronicles is a book in the Hebrew Bible (also see Old Testament). ... The Modern Hebrew language is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. ... 11th century manuscript of the Hebrew Bible with Targum Hebrew Bible refers to the common portions of the Jewish and Christian canons. ... 11th century Targum Tanakh [תנ״ך] (also spelt Tanach or Tenach) is an acronym for the three parts of the Hebrew Bible, based upon the initial Hebrew letters of each part: Torah [תורה] (The Law; also: Teaching or Instruction), Chumash [חומש] (The five, also Pentateuch or The five books of... The Old Testament or the Hebrew Scriptures (also called the Hebrew Bible) constitutes the first major part of the Bible according to Christianity. ... Christianity is the worlds largest religion. ... A Bible handwritten in Latin, on display in Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, England. ... A song is a relatively short musical composition for the human voice (possibly accompanied by other musical instruments), which features words (lyrics). ... A chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, either on a single pitch or with a simple notes and often including a great deal of repetition or statis. ... Many religions and spiritual movements hold certain written texts (or series of spoken legends not traditionally written down) to be sacred. ...

In the Hebrew Bible, the Psalms are counted among the "Writings" or Hagiographa (one of the three main sections into which the books are grouped). In Luke 24:44 the word "psalms" refers the Writings as a whole. Ketuvim is the third and final section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). ... The Gospel of Luke is the third of the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament, which tell the story of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. ...

The Book of Psalms, especially if printed separately and set for singing or chanting, is also called the Psalter.

Composition of the Book of Psalms

The Book of Psalms is divided into 150 Psalms, each of which constitutes a religious song or chant, though one or two are long and may constitute a set of related chants. It is incorrect to speak of these as chapters, since their individuality antedates by at least 1500 years the division of the other books of the Bible into chapters.

The organization and numbering of the Psalms differs slightly between the (Masoretic) Hebrew and the (Septuagint) Greek manuscripts: The Masoretic Text (MT) is the Hebrew text of the Tanakh approved for general use in Judaism. ... The Septuagint (LXX) is the name commonly given in the West to the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) produced in the third century BC. The Septuagint Bible includes additional books beyond those used in todays Jewish Tanakh. ...

Christian traditions vary: Christianity is the worlds largest religion. ...

• Protestant translations are based on the Hebrew numbering;
• Eastern Orthodox translations are based on the Greek numbering;
• Roman Catholic official liturgical texts follow the Greek numbering, but modern Catholic translations often use the Hebrew numbering, sometimes adding, in parenthesis, the Greek numbering as well.

Most manuscripts of the Septuagint also include a Psalm 151, present in Eastern Orthodox translations; a Hebrew version of this poem was found amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls. Protestantism is a movement within Christianity. ... ... Saint Peters Basilica in Rome. ... From the Greek word λειτουργια, which can be transliterated as leitourgia, meaning the work of the people, a liturgy comprises a prescribed religious ceremony, according to the traditions of a particular religion; it may refer to, or include, an elaborate formal ritual (such as the Catholic Mass), a daily activity... Psalm 151 is the name given colloquially to a short psalm which is found in most copies of the Septuagint but not in the Masoretic text. ... Fragments of the scrolls on display at the Archeological Museum, Amman The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of about 850 documents, including texts from the Hebrew Bible, which were discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves in and around the Wadi Qumran, near the ruins of the ancient...

For the remainder of this article, the Hebrew Psalm numbers will be used unless otherwise noted.

Authorship and ascriptions

Traditionally all the Psalms were thought to be the work of David, but modern scholars recognise them as the product of several authors or groups of authors, many unknown. Most Psalms are prefixed with introductory words (very different in the Masoretic and Septuagint traditions) ascribing them to a particular author or saying something about the circumstances of their composition; only 73 of these introductions claim David as author. Since the Psalms were written down around the 6th century BC, nearly half a millenium after David's reign (about 1000 BC), they doubtless depended on oral tradition for transmission of any Davidic material. Michelangelos David This page is about the Biblical king David. ... The Masoretic Text (MT) is the Hebrew text of the Tanakh approved for general use in Judaism. ... The Septuagint (LXX) is the name commonly given in the West to the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) produced in the third century BC. The Septuagint Bible includes additional books beyond those used in todays Jewish Tanakh. ... (7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC - other centuries) (600s BC - 590s BC - 580s BC - 570s BC - 560s BC - 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC - 520s BC - 510s BC - 500s BC - other decades) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events Cyrus the Great conquered many...

Psalms 39, 62, and 77 are linked with Jeduthun, to be sung after his manner or in his choir. Psalms 50 and 73-83 are associated with Asaph, as the master of his choir, to be sung in the worship of God. The ascriptions of Psalms 42, 44-49, 84, 85, 87, and 88 assert that the "sons of Korah" were entrusted with arranging and singing them; 2 Chronicles 20:19 suggests that this group formed a leading part of the Korathite singers. Jeduthun - lauder; praising - the name of two men in the Bible. ... Asaph (God has gathered), is the name of five men from the Old Testament. ... The term God is used to designate a Supreme Being; however, there are other definitions of God. ... People named Korah or Kórach (קֹרַח Baldness; ice; hail; frost, Standard Hebrew Qóraḥ, Tiberian Hebrew Qōraḥ) in the Bible: One of Esaus sons. ... The Book of Chronicles is a book in the Hebrew Bible (also see Old Testament). ...

Sections of the book

The Psalter is divided, after the analogy of the Pentateuch, into five books, each closing with a doxology or benediction: Torah, (תורה) is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or especially Law. ...

1. The first book comprises the first 41 Psalms, all of which are ascribed to David except 1, 2, 10, and 33, which, though anonymous, were also traditionally ascribed to him. While Davidic authorship cannot be relied on this probably is the oldest section of the Psalms
2. Book second consists of the next 31 Psalms (42-72), 18 of which are ascribed to David and 1 to Solomon (the 72nd). The rest are anonymous.
3. The third book contains 17 Psalms (73-89), of which the 86th is ascribed to David, the 88th to Heman the Ezrahite, and the 89th to Ethan the Ezrahite.
4. The fourth book also contains 17 Psalms (90-106), of which the 90th is ascribed to Moses, and the 101st and 103rd to David.
5. The fifth book contains the remaining Psalms, 44 in number. Of these, 15 are ascribed to David, and the 127th to Solomon.

Psalm 136 is generally called "the great Hallel." But the Talmud includes also Psalms 120-135. Psalms 113-118, inclusive, constitute the "Hallel" recited at the three great feasts, at the new moon, and on the eight days of the Feast of Dedication. Solomon or Shlomo (Hebrew: שְׁלֹמֹה; Standard Hebrew: Šəlomo; Tiberian Hebrew: Šəlōmōh, meaning peace) in the Tanakh (Old Testament), is the third king of Israel (including Judah), builder of the temple in Jerusalem, renowned for his great wisdom and wealth and power, but also blamed for falling away from worshipping the... In the Old Testament, Ethan (אֵיתָן Firm, Standard Hebrew Etan, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÊṯān) the Ezrahite is the cymbal-player in King Davids court. ... Moses or Móshe (מֹשֶׁה, Standard Hebrew Móše, Tiberian Hebrew Mōšeh, Arabic موسى), son of Amram and his wife, Jochebed, a Levite. ... The first page of the Talmud, in the standard Vilna edition. ...

Psalms 120-134 are referred to as Songs of Degrees, and are thought to have been used as hymns of approach by pilgrims. This entry incorporates text from Eastons Bible Dictionary, 1897, with some modernisation. ... For albums named Pilgrim, see Pilgrim (album). ...

Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm. It is composed of 176 verses, in sets of 8 verses, each set beginning with one of the 22 Hebrew letters. Several other Psalms too have alphabetical arrangements. Psalm 119 is the longest psalm as well as the longest chapter in the Bible. ... Verse is a writing that uses meter as its primary organisational mode, as opposed to prose, which uses grammatical and discoursal units like sentences and paragraphs. ... This article is mainly about Hebrew letters. ...

Use of the Psalms in Jewish ritual

The Mosaic ritual set out in the books of the Pentateuch or Torah makes no provision for the service of song in the worship of God. The earliest references to the use of singing in Jewish worship are in relation to David, and to this extent the ascription of the Psalms to him may express a general if not a specific truth. Torah, (תורה) is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or especially Law. ... Torah, (תורה) is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or especially law. It primarily refers to the first section of the Tanakh–the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, or the Five Books of Moses, but can also be used in the general sense to also include both the... Worship usually refers to specific acts of religious praise, honour, or devotion, typically directed to a supernatural being such as a god or goddess. ...

Some of the titles given to the Psalms in their ascriptions suggest their use in worship:

• Some bear the Hebrew designation shir (Greek ode, a song). Thirteen have this title. It means the flow of speech, as it were, in a straight line or in a regular strain. This title includes secular as well as sacred song.
• Fifty-eight Psalms bear the designation (Hebrew) mitsmor (Greek psalmos, a Psalm), a lyric ode, or a song set to music; a sacred song accompanied with a musical instrument.
• Psalm 145, and many others, have the designation (Hebrew) tehillah (Greek hymnos, a hymn), meaning a song of praise; a song the prominent thought of which is the praise of God.
• Six Psalms (16, 56-60) have the title (Hebrew) michtam.
• Psalms 7 and Habakkuk 3 bear the title (Hebrew) shiggaion.

Psalms are used in traditional Jewish worship. Several Psalms appear as part of the morning services; Psalm 145 (commonly referred to as "Ashrei," which is really the first word of each of the last 2 verses of Psalm 144), is read during or before services, three times every day. Additionally, at the eve of the Sabbath, various Psalms are read in the pre-Sabbath service ("Kabalas Shabbos"). Ode is a form of stately and elaborate lyrical verse. ... The Prophet There is not much biographical information on the prophet Habakkuk; in fact less is known about this prophet than any other. ...

Traditionally, a "Psalm for the Day" is read after the service each day. This is described in the Mishnah (the initial codification of the Jewish oral tradition) in the section "Tamid."

Many Jews complete the Book of Psalms on a weekly or monthly basis, and say, each week, a Psalm connected to that week's events or the Torah portion read during that week. In addition, many Jews (notably Lubavitch, and other Chasidim) read the entire Book of Psalms prior to the morning (Shachris) service, on the Sabbath preceding the calculated appearance of the new moon.

The 116 direct quotations from the Psalms in the New Testament show that they were familiar to the Judean community at the time of Jesus. The New Testament, sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written after the birth of Jesus. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus Christ*, Jesus of Nazareth, and Jesus the Nazarene, is the central figure in Christianity. ...

The Psalms in Christian worship

New Testament references show that the earliest Christians used the Psalms in worship, and the Psalms have remained an important part of worship in virtually all Christian Churches. The Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches have always made systematic use of the Psalms, with a cycle for the recitation of all or most of them over the course of one or more weeks. In the early centuries of the Church, it was expected that any candidate for bishop would be able to recite the entire Psalter from memory, something they often learned automatically during their time as monks. Today, new translations and settings of the Psalms continue to be produced. Several conservative denominations sing only the Psalms (and the small number of hymns found elsewhere in the Bible) in worship, and do not accept the use of any non-Biblical hymns; an example is the RPCNA church which sings Psalms exclusively. Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... The Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America is a Christian, Protestant, Reformed denomination which adheres to the biblical principles first enunciated during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. ...

Some Psalms are among the best-known and best-loved passages of Scripture, with a popularity extending well beyond regular church-goers. In particular, the 23rd Psalm ("The Lord is My Shepherd", 22nd in the Greek numbering) offers an immediately appealing message of comfort and is widely chosen for church funeral services, either as a reading or in one of several popular hymn settings; and Psalm 50/51 ("Have mercy on me O God", called the Miserere from the first word in its Latin version) is by far the most sung Psalm of Orthodoxy, in both Divine Liturgy and Hours, in the sacrament of repentance or confession, and in other settings. Psalm 102/103 ("Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!") is one of the best-known prayers of praise. Psalm 137/136 ("By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept") is a moody, yet eventually triumphant, meditation upon living in slavery, and has been used in at least one spiritual, as well as one well-known reggae song. In popular music, the U2 song "40" is based on Psalm 40 ("I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.") Underwater funeral in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea A funeral is a ceremony marking a persons death. ... The Divine Liturgy is the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern-Rite Catholic eucharistic service. ... A monument celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, erected in Victoria Tower Gardens, Millbank, Westminster, London Look up Slavery in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Slavery is a condition of control over a person against their will, enforced by violence or other forms of coercion. ... A spiritual is a African American song, usually with a Christian religious text. ... Reggae is a style of music developed in Jamaica and is closely linked to the Rastafari movement, though not universally popular among Rastafarians. ... U2 (L to R): Adam Clayton, The Edge, Bono, Larry Mullen U2 is an Irish rock band featuring Bono (Paul David Hewson) on vocals and guitar, The Edge (David Howell Evans) on guitar and pianos, vocals, and bass, Adam Clayton on bass and guitar, and Larry Mullen on drums. ...

Eastern Orthodox usage

Eastern Orthodox Christians have long made the Psalms an integral part of their corporate and private prayers. To facilitate its reading, the 150 Psalms are divided into 20 kathismata, and each kathisma is further subdivided into three antiphons as follows (using the Greek chapter numbering): Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ...

• Kathisma 1: Psalms 1-3, 4-6, 7-8
• Kathisma 2: 9-10, 11-13, 14-16
• Kathisma 3: 17, 18-20, 21-23
• Kathisma 4: 24-26, 27-29, 30-31
• Kathisma 5: 32-33, 34-35, 36
• Kathisma 6: 37-39, 40-42, 43-45
• Kathisma 7: 40-48, 49-50, 51-54
• Kathisma 8: 55-57, 58-60, 61-63
• Kathisma 9: 64-66, 67, 68-69
• Kathisma 10: 70-71, 72-73, 74-76
• Kathisma 11: 77, 78-80, 81-84
• Kathisma 12: 85-87, 88, 89-90
• Kathisma 13: 91-93, 94-96, 97-100
• Kathisma 14: 101-102, 103, 104
• Kathisma 15: 105, 106, 107-108
• Kathisma 16: 109-111, 112-114, 115-117
• Kathisma 17: 118:1-72, 73-131, 132-176
• Kathisma 18: 119-123, 124-128, 129-133
• Kathisma 19: 134-136, 137-139, 140-142
• Kathisma 20: 143-144, 145,147, 148-150

At vespers prayer services, different kathismata are read at different times of the liturgical year and on different days of the week within the same part of the year, according to the Church's calendar. In the 20th century, some lay Christians have adopted a continuous reading of the Psalms on weekdays, praying the whole book in four weeks, three times a day, one kathisma a day. Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. ... The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in some Christian churches which determines when Feasts, Memorials, Commemorations, and Solemnities are to be observed and which portions of Scripture are to be read. ...

Roman Catholic usage

The Psalms have always been an important part of Roman Catholic liturgy. The Liturgy of the Hours is centred on chanting or recitation of the Psalms. Early Catholics employed the Psalms widely in their individual prayers also; however, as knowledge of Latin (the language of the Latin rite) became uncommon, this practice ceased among the unlearned. Over the centuries, the use of the Psalms in the liturgy declined as well. The Tridentine Mass preserved only isolated verses that, in some cases, were originally refrains sung during recitation of the whole Psalm from which they were taken. Saint Peters Basilica in Rome. ... From the Greek word λειτουργια, which can be transliterated as leitourgia, meaning the work of the people, a liturgy comprises a prescribed religious ceremony, according to the traditions of a particular religion; it may refer to, or include, an elaborate formal ritual (such as the Catholic Mass), a daily activity... Canonical hours are ancient divisions of time (also called offices), developed by the Christian Church, serving as increments between prayers. ... Latin Rite, in the singular, usually refers to the sui juris particular Church of the Roman Catholic Church that developed, with its own rituals, customs and canon law, in the area of western Europe and northern Africa where Latin was for many centuries the language of education and culture. ... Mass is the term used of the celebration of the Eucharist in the Latin rites of the Roman Catholic Church. ... A pre-Vatican II altar with reredosThe altar is preceded by three steps, as was most common for a church’s main altar, though some main altars, such as that in Saint Peter’s in the Vatican, had (and have) much more than three. ...

When the Second Vatican Council permitted the use of vernacular languages in the liturgy, certain Psalms again became well known even to the laity (particularly in versions such as the Grail translation). To facilitate recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours, a new arrangement of the Psalms was introduced, distributing them in a four-week cycle. Official approval was also given to other arrangements,[1] by which the complete Psalter is recited in a one or two-week cycle. These arrangements are used principally by Catholic contemplative religious orders, such as that of the Trappists [2]. The Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... The Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance, or Trappists follow the Rule of St. ...

The 1970 revision of the Roman Missal (see Novus Ordo Missae) reintroduced the singing or recitation of a more substantial section of a Psalm, and in some cases an entire Psalm, after the first Reading from Scripture. This Psalm, called the Responsorial Psalm, is usually sung or recited responsorially, although the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 61 permits direct recitation. The Roman Missal is the liturgical book that contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Roman rite of Mass. ... Lt. ...

The General Instruction to the Liturgy of the Hours, 122 sanctions three modes of singing/recitation for the Psalms:

• directly (all sing or recite the entire psalm);
• antiphonally (two choirs or sections of the congregation sing or recite alternate verses or strophes); and
• responsorially (the cantor or choir sings or recites the verses while the congregation sings or recites a given response after each verse).

Protestant usage

The psalms were extremely popular among those who followed the Reformed tradition.

Following the Protestant Reformation, verse paraphrases of many of the Psalms were set as hymns. These were particularly popular in the Calvinist tradition. Calvin himself made some French translations of the Psalms for church usage. Martin Luther's A Mighty Fortress is Our God is based on Psalm 46. Among famous hymn settings of the Psalter were the Scottish Paraphrases and the settings by Isaac Watts. The first book printed in North America was a collection of Psalm settings, the Bay Psalm Book (1640). The Protestant Reformation was a movement which emerged in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe. ... A metrical psalter is a kind of Bible translation: a paraphrase of all or part of the Book of Psalms in vernacular poetry, meant to be sung as hymns in a church. ... A hymn is a song specifically written as a song of praise, adoration or prayer, typically addressed to a god. ... In an unadorned church, the 17th century congregation stands to hear the sermon. ... Martin Luther (originally Martin Luder or Martinus Luther) (November 10, 1483–February 18, 1546) was a German theologian and an Augustinian monk whose teachings inspired the Protestant Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines of Lutheran, Protestant and other Christian traditions (a broad movement composed of many congregations and church bodies). ... A Mighty Fortress is Our God is the most well-known of Martin Luthers hymns, it has been called the Battle Hymn of the Reformation, for the effect it had in increasing the support for the Reformers cause. ... Isaac Watts. ... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is the third largest continent in area and fourth in population after Asia and Africa in area and population and Europe in population. ... The Bay Psalm Book was the first book printed in British North America. ... Events December 1 - Portugal regains its independence from Spain and João IV of Portugal becomes king. ...

But by the 20th century they were mostly replaced by hymns in church services.

Anglican usage

Anglican chant is a way of singing the Psalms that remains part of the Anglican choral tradition. The version of the Psalter in the Book of Common Prayer is an older translation (from the Great Bible) than that included in the King James Version of the Bible. Anglican chanting is a method of singing prose translations of the Psalms in the Anglican church. ... The Book of Common Prayer is the prayer book of the Church of England and also the name for similar books used in other churches in the Anglican Communion. ... The Great Bible was the first authorised edition of the Holy Bible in English, authorised by King Henry VIII of England to be read aloud in the church services of the Church of England. ... The King James Version (KJV) is an English translation of the Holy Bible, commissioned for the benefit of the Church of England at the behest of King James I of England. ...

See also

• Psalm 23
• Psalm 51
• Psalm 104
• Psalm 119
• Psalm 151
• Old 100th
• Miserere (Allegri)
• Benefit of clergy - Psalm 50/51 was used to ascertain eligibility for benefit of clergy.
• Hallel
• Selah

Psalm 23, also known as the Shepherd Psalm because of its opening line, The Lord is my shepherd, is the best-known psalm, and perhaps the best-known chapter in the Bible. ... This article should be transwikied to Wikibooks or Wikisource Psalms 51 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. ... Psalm 119 is the longest psalm as well as the longest chapter in the Bible. ... Psalm 151 is the name given colloquially to a short psalm which is found in most copies of the Septuagint but not in the Masoretic text. ... The tune ‘Old 100th’, is a melody from Pseaumes Octante Trois de David (1551), and is one of the best known melodies in all Christian musical traditions. ... Miserere by Gregorio Allegri is a piece of a cappella religious music (a setting of Psalm 50/51) composed during the reign of Pope Urban VIII, probably during the 1630s, for use in the Sistine Chapel during matins on Wednesday and Friday of Holy Week. ... In English law, the benefit of clergy was originally a provision by which clergymen could claim that they were outside the jurisdiction of the secular courts and be tried instead under canon law. ... Hallel (Hebrew: הלל Praise [God]) is part of Judaisms prayers, a verbatim derivation from Psalms 113-118, which is used for praise and thanksgiving that is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays. ... Selah (Hebrew: סלה) meaning pause, reflection, within the context of a prayer or psalms, is similar in purpose to Amen in that it stresses the importance of the preceding passage. ...

External links

• Jewish translations:
  • Tehillim - Psalms (Judaica Press) translation with Rashi's commentary at Chabad.org

• Christian translations:
  • Psalms at The Great Books (New Revised Standard Version)
  • Psalms at Bible Gateway of Gospel Communications (various versions)
  • Psalms at Wikisource (Authorised King James Version)
  • The Psalter (Translation by the Monks of New Skete)

Partially updated and some additional material added, but still not making full use of modern scholarship Judaism is the religious culture of the Jewish people. ... Rashi (1040-1105) is the acronym of Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac (or: Shlomo Yitzhaki). ... The term Christian means belonging to Christ and is derived from the Greek noun Χριστός Khristós which means anointed one, which is itself a translation of the Hebrew word Moshiach (Hebrew: משיח, also written Messiah), (and in Arabic it is pronounced Maseeh مسيح). ... New Skete is the collective term for three Orthodox Christian monastic communities in Cambridge, New York: The Monks of New Skete, a mens monastery founded in 1966, the Nuns of New Skete, a womens monastery founded in 1969, and the Companions of New Skete, a community of married... Eastons Bible Dictionary generally refers to the Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, by Matthew George Easton M.A., D.D. ( 1823- 1894), published three years after Eastons death in 1897 by Thomas Nelson. ...