psalter

A psalter is a book of the Psalms, the 150 sacred poems and songs found in the Bible. It is not just any hymnbook. It usually means the Book of Psalms itself or a book made for singing or reading the Psalms in worship.

For many centuries, people used psalters in churches, monasteries, and private prayer. Some medieval psalters were richly decorated, while others were plain books meant for daily use. The word comes from Greek and is linked to music, which fits because the Psalms were meant to be sung. You will usually meet this word in religious or historical writing.

The word "psalter" refers mainly to a book containing the Psalms, the 150 sacred poems, prayers, and songs found in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. It can mean the biblical Book of Psalms itself, or a book arranged for people to read, chant, or sing those Psalms in worship. Unlike a general hymnbook, a psalter is closely tied to the Psalms.

The word comes from the Greek psaltērion, the name of a stringed instrument. That musical link matters because the Psalms were closely connected with singing and chanting from very early times. For that reason, a psalter was often more than a book to read silently; it was a book used in spoken and sung prayer.

Throughout history, psalters have taken many forms. Some medieval psalters were beautifully decorated manuscripts, made both for worship and as valued works of art. Others were simple working books used every day in churches and religious communities. In later traditions, people also created "metrical psalters," which put the Psalms into regular verse so they could be sung to familiar tunes.

Today, you will most often see "psalter" in religious, literary, musical, or historical contexts. When you hear the word, think first of the Psalms and of the long tradition of reading and singing them in public worship and private devotion.