QUICK STATISTICS ON THE PSALMS

BY

DARRYL SCHOEMAN

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 OUTLINE

1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 3

2. The Five Books .................................................................................................... 3

3. The Authors .......................................................................................................... 3

4. Who wrote each Psalm ........................................................................................ 4

4.1. Book I (1) ....................................................................................................... 4

4.2. Book II (2) ...................................................................................................... 5

4.3. Book III (3) ..................................................................................................... 6

4.4. Book IV (4) ..................................................................................................... 7

4.5. Book V (5) ...................................................................................................... 7

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 QUICK STATISTICS ON THE PSALMS

1. INTRODUCTION
There are 150 recorded Psalms in the Bible. I say recorded because not every psalm
that was written, is in the Bible. Only those that the Holy Spirit wanted recorded, is in
the Bible (1 Kings 4:32 states that Solomon wrote 1005 songs, yet only 1 song and 1
psalm of his is recorded in the book of Psalms).

2. THE FIVE BOOKS

The psalms are divided into “five” books.
Book I (1) has 41 psalms (1 to 41)
Book II (2) has 31 psalms (42 to 72)
Book III (3) has 17 psalms (73 to 89)
Book IV (4) has 17 psalms (90 to 106)
Book V (5) has 44 psalms (106 to 150)

3. THE AUTHORS
There are 6 known authors. These are authors that the Bible has declared as being
the author (like Psalm 15 which says “A psalm of David”). These six authors wrote
100 of the recorded psalms. The authors are:
Asaph wrote 12 psalms
David wrote 73 psalms
Ethan wrote 1 psalm
Moses wrote 1 psalm
Solomon wrote 2 psalms
Sons of Korah wrote 11 psalms
The remaining 50 psalms have no recorded author. It may be that after exegesis and
consulting extra-Biblical works, other authors are identified. However, I have listed
the authors as the Bible has stated them to be.

Author breakdown per Book

Book I (1) David - 37
Unknown - 4

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Book II (2) Asaph - 1
David - 18
Solomon - 1
Sons of Korah - 7
Unknown - 4
Book III (3) Asaph - 11
David - 1
Ethan - 1
Sons of Korah - 4
Book IV (4) David - 2
Moses - 1
Unknown - 14
Book V (5) David - 15
Solomon - 1
Unknown - 28

4. WHO WROTE EACH PSALM

Full listing of the Psalms and their respective author:

4.1. Book I (1)

Psalm 1 Unknown
Psalm 2 Unknown
Psalm 3 David
Psalm 4 David
Psalm 5 David
Psalm 6 David
Psalm 7 David
Psalm 8 David
Psalm 9 David
Psalm 10 Unknown
Psalm 11 David
Psalm 12 David
Psalm 13 David
Psalm 14 David
Psalm 15 David

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Psalm 16 David
Psalm 17 David
Psalm 18 David
Psalm 19 David
Psalm 20 David
Psalm 21 David
Psalm 22 David
Psalm 23 David
Psalm 24 David
Psalm 25 David
Psalm 26 David
Psalm 27 David
Psalm 28 David
Psalm 29 David
Psalm 30 David
Psalm 31 David
Psalm 32 David
Psalm 33 Unknown
Psalm 34 David
Psalm 35 David
Psalm 36 David
Psalm 37 David
Psalm 38 David
Psalm 39 David
Psalm 40 David
Psalm 41 David

4.2. Book II (2)

Psalm 42 Sons of Korah
Psalm 43 Unknown
Psalm 44 Sons of Korah
Psalm 45 Sons of Korah
Psalm 46 Sons of Korah
Psalm 47 Sons of Korah
Psalm 48 Sons of Korah

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Psalm 49 Sons of Korah
Psalm 50 Asaph
Psalm 51 David
Psalm 52 David
Psalm 53 David
Psalm 54 David
Psalm 55 David
Psalm 56 David
Psalm 57 David
Psalm 58 David
Psalm 59 David
Psalm 60 David
Psalm 61 David
Psalm 62 David
Psalm 63 David
Psalm 64 David
Psalm 65 David
Psalm 66 Unknown
Psalm 67 Unknown
Psalm 68 David
Psalm 69 David
Psalm 70 David
Psalm 71 Unknown
Psalm 72 Solomon

4.3. Book III (3)

Psalm 73 Asaph
Psalm 74 Asaph
Psalm 75 Asaph
Psalm 76 Asaph
Psalm 77 Asaph
Psalm 78 Asaph
Psalm 79 Asaph
Psalm 80 Asaph
Psalm 81 Asaph

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Psalm 82 Asaph
Psalm 83 Asaph
Psalm 84 Sons of Korah
Psalm 85 Sons of Korah
Psalm 86 David
Psalm 87 Sons of Korah
Psalm 88 Sons of Korah
Psalm 89 Ethan

4.4. Book IV (4)

Psalm 90 Moses
Psalm 91 Unknown
Psalm 92 Unknown
Psalm 93 Unknown
Psalm 94 Unknown
Psalm 95 Unknown
Psalm 96 Unknown
Psalm 97 Unknown
Psalm 98 Unknown
Psalm 99 Unknown
Psalm 100 Unknown
Psalm 101 David
Psalm 102 Unknown
Psalm 103 David
Psalm 104 Unknown
Psalm 105 Unknown
Psalm 106 Unknown

4.5. Book V (5)

Psalm 107 Unknown
Psalm 108 David
Psalm 109 David
Psalm 110 David
Psalm 111 Unknown
Psalm 112 Unknown

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Psalm 113 Unknown
Psalm 114 Unknown
Psalm 115 Unknown
Psalm 116 Unknown
Psalm 117 Unknown
Psalm 118 Unknown
Psalm 119 Unknown
Psalm 120 Unknown
Psalm 121 Unknown
Psalm 122 David
Psalm 123 Unknown
Psalm 124 David
Psalm 125 Unknown
Psalm 126 Unknown
Psalm 127 Solomon
Psalm 128 Unknown
Psalm 129 Unknown
Psalm 130 Unknown
Psalm 131 David
Psalm 132 Unknown
Psalm 133 David
Psalm 134 Unknown
Psalm 135 Unknown
Psalm 136 Unknown
Psalm 137 Unknown
Psalm 138 David
Psalm 139 David
Psalm 140 David
Psalm 141 David
Psalm 142 David
Psalm 143 David
Psalm 144 David
Psalm 145 David
Psalm 146 Unknown
Psalm 147 Unknown

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Psalm 148 Unknown
Psalm 149 Unknown
Psalm 150 Unknown