AllPsalms

Psalms of David

Every psalm whose heading names David, from Psalm 3 to Psalm 145, with its length, its type and the words of its heading.

73 of the 150 psalms have a heading that names David, just under half of the book. They run from Psalm 3 to Psalm 145, with the largest block in Psalms 3 to 41. Together they come to 1,047 verses. A heading such as "A Psalm by David" is old, but it is not proof that David wrote the poem. The phrase is also translated "to David" or "for David", so this page says the heading names him.

The list below gives each psalm's short title, the words of its heading, its number of verses and its type. Psalm 131 and Psalm 133 are the shortest, at 3 verses each. Psalm 18 is the longest, at 50 verses.

The 73 psalms whose heading names David

  1. 3Psalm 3: A Shield Around MeA psalm the heading gives to David, when he fled from Absalom his son. Eight verses. A lament that turns to trust.8 verses · Lament and Trust
  2. 4Psalm 4: Answer Me When I CallA Psalm by David for the Chief Musician on stringed instruments. Eight verses. A prayer of trust that ends in peaceful sleep.8 verses · Prayer and Trust
  3. 5Psalm 5: Give Ear to My WordsThe heading attributes it to David, for the Chief Musician with flutes. Twelve verses. A morning prayer asking God to hear and lead.12 verses · Prayer and Lament
  4. 6Psalm 6: LORD, Don't Rebuke MeA Psalm by David for the Chief Musician. Ten verses. A lament for mercy and healing, and one of the seven penitential psalms.10 verses · Lament and Penitential
  5. 7Psalm 7: I Take Refuge in YouA meditation by David in seventeen verses: a prayer for rescue and justice from someone who insists they are innocent of the charge.17 verses · Lament and Trust
  6. 8Psalm 8: How Majestic Is Your NameFor the Chief Musician, a Psalm by David. Nine verses. A hymn praising God's name and asking why he cares for people.9 verses · Praise
  7. 9Psalm 9: A High Tower for the OppressedA Psalm by David for the Chief Musician. Twenty verses. A song of thanks for God's justice that turns into a prayer for help.20 verses · Thanksgiving and Prayer
  8. 11Psalm 11: In the LORD I Take RefugeFor the Chief Musician, by David. Seven verses. A psalm of trust that answers advice to run away from danger.7 verses · Trust
  9. 12Psalm 12: Help, LORDA Psalm of David for the Chief Musician. Eight verses. A lament over lying speech that turns on a promise from the LORD.8 verses · Lament
  10. 13Psalm 13: How Long, LORD?A psalm the heading gives to David, for the Chief Musician. Six verses. A lament that turns to trust by its end.6 verses · Lament and Trust
  11. 14Psalm 14: No One Does Good, Not OneFor the Chief Musician, by David. Seven verses. A wisdom psalm about people who live as if there is no God.7 verses · Wisdom
  12. 15Psalm 15: Who Shall Dwell in Your SanctuaryThe heading attributes it to David. Five verses. A wisdom psalm that answers one question: who may live near God?5 verses · Wisdom
  13. 16Psalm 16: The Path of LifeA Poem by David. Eleven verses. A psalm of trust that moves from a request for safety to joy in God's presence.11 verses · Trust
  14. 17Psalm 17: The Apple of Your EyeA prayer by David in fifteen verses: a plea for protection from someone who says their heart has been tested and found clean.15 verses · Prayer and Lament
  15. 18Psalm 18: The LORD Is My RockBy David, for the Chief Musician. Fifty verses. A royal song of thanksgiving for rescue from his enemies and from Saul.50 verses · Thanksgiving and Royal
  16. 19Psalm 19: The Heavens Declare the GloryA Psalm by David for the Chief Musician. Fourteen verses. A praise psalm that moves from the sky, to God's law, to a personal prayer.14 verses · Praise and Wisdom
  17. 20Psalm 20: May the LORD Answer YouFor the Chief Musician, a Psalm by David. Nine verses. A royal prayer asking the LORD to answer and save the king.9 verses · Royal and Prayer
  18. 21Psalm 21: The King Rejoices in Your StrengthFor the Chief Musician, a Psalm by David. Thirteen verses. A royal psalm of thanksgiving for what God has given the king.13 verses · Royal and Thanksgiving
  19. 22Psalm 22: My God, My GodA Psalm by David for the Chief Musician, set to The Doe of the Morning. Thirty-one verses of lament that turn to praise.31 verses · Lament and Praise
  20. 23Psalm 23: The LORD Is My ShepherdA psalm the heading gives to David. Six verses. A psalm of trust that speaks about the LORD as shepherd, then speaks to him.6 verses · Trust
  21. 24Psalm 24: The Earth Is the LORD'sA Psalm by David. Ten verses. A praise psalm about who may approach God and the entry of the King of glory.10 verses · Praise
  22. 25Psalm 25: I Lift Up My SoulThe heading attributes it to David. Twenty-two verses. A prayer for guidance, forgiveness and rescue, spoken by someone who waits on God.22 verses · Prayer and Trust
  23. 26Psalm 26: I Have Walked in My IntegrityBy David. Twelve verses. A prayer asking God to judge and test the speaker, who claims a life of integrity.12 verses · Prayer and Trust
  24. 27Psalm 27: The LORD Is My LightA psalm by David in fourteen verses: confident trust in the first half, an urgent plea in the second, ending with a call to wait.14 verses · Trust and Lament
  25. 28Psalm 28: My Strength and My ShieldBy David. Nine verses. A prayer for help that turns into thanks once the writer says God has heard him.9 verses · Prayer and Thanksgiving
  26. 29Psalm 29: The Voice of the LordA Psalm by David. Eleven verses. A hymn of praise that hears God's voice in a storm and ends with a blessing of peace.11 verses · Praise
  27. 30Psalm 30: Joy Comes in the MorningA Psalm and Song for the Dedication of the Temple, by David. Twelve verses. A thanksgiving for rescue from the edge of death.12 verses · Thanksgiving
  28. 31Psalm 31: My Times Are in Your HandFor the Chief Musician, a Psalm by David. Twenty four verses. A lament that keeps turning to trust, moving from distress to praise.24 verses · Lament and Trust
  29. 32Psalm 32: Whose Sin Is CoveredBy David, a contemplative psalm. Eleven verses. One of the seven penitential psalms, about the relief of confessing sin.11 verses · Penitential and Wisdom
  30. 34Psalm 34: Taste and SeeBy David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech. Twenty-two verses. A thanksgiving psalm that turns into teaching.22 verses · Thanksgiving and Wisdom
  31. 35Psalm 35: Contend, LORD, With Those Who ContendThe heading attributes it to David. Twenty-eight verses. A lament asking God to fight for someone falsely accused and repaid evil for good.28 verses · Lament and Imprecatory
  32. 36Psalm 36: In Your Light We See LightFor the Chief Musician, by David the servant of the LORD. Twelve verses. A wisdom psalm that turns into praise and prayer.12 verses · Wisdom and Praise
  33. 37Psalm 37: Don't Fret Because of EvildoersA psalm by David in forty verses: wisdom sayings for anyone troubled that wrongdoers seem to prosper, with a steady call to trust and wait.40 verses · Wisdom and Trust
  34. 38Psalm 38: Don't Rebuke Me in Your WrathA Psalm by David, for a memorial. Twenty-two verses. One of the seven penitential psalms, a prayer from sickness and guilt.22 verses · Penitential and Lament
  35. 39Psalm 39: Show Me My EndA Psalm by David for the Chief Musician and Jeduthun. Thirteen verses. A lament about the shortness of life, ending in prayer.13 verses · Lament and Prayer
  36. 40Psalm 40: I Waited Patiently for the LORDFor the Chief Musician, a Psalm by David. Seventeen verses. A thanksgiving for rescue that turns into a fresh plea for help.17 verses · Thanksgiving and Lament
  37. 41Psalm 41: Heal Me, for I Have SinnedFor the Chief Musician, a Psalm by David. Thirteen verses. A prayer from a sickbed, surrounded by enemies and betrayed by a friend.13 verses · Lament and Trust
  38. 51Psalm 51: Create in Me a Clean HeartFor the Chief Musician, a Psalm by David, after Nathan came to him. Nineteen verses. A penitential prayer for mercy and a clean heart.19 verses · Penitential and Prayer
  39. 52Psalm 52: Like a Green Olive TreeA contemplation by David for the Chief Musician, tied to Doeg the Edomite. Nine verses. A psalm of trust set against a boaster.9 verses · Trust
  40. 53Psalm 53: The Fool Has SaidA contemplation the heading gives to David, to the tune of Mahalath. Six verses. A wisdom psalm about human corruption.6 verses · Wisdom and Lament
  41. 54Psalm 54: Save Me, God, by Your NameA contemplation by David, when the Ziphites told Saul he was hiding among them. Seven verses. A prayer for rescue that ends in thanks.7 verses · Prayer and Thanksgiving
  42. 55Psalm 55: Wings Like a DoveThe heading attributes it to David, for stringed instruments. Twenty-three verses. A lament over betrayal by a close friend that ends in trust.23 verses · Lament and Trust
  43. 56Psalm 56: When I Am AfraidA poem by David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Thirteen verses. A lament that becomes a psalm of trust.13 verses · Lament and Trust
  44. 57Psalm 57: In the Shadow of Your WingsA poem by David in eleven verses, set in the cave when he fled from Saul: a plea for mercy that turns into praise.11 verses · Lament and Praise
  45. 58Psalm 58: There Is a God Who JudgesFor the Chief Musician, to the tune of Do Not Destroy, a poem by David. Eleven verses. A prayer against unjust rulers.11 verses · Imprecatory
  46. 59Psalm 59: God Is My High TowerA poem by David, to the tune "Do Not Destroy." Seventeen verses. A lament for rescue from enemies that ends in praise.17 verses · Lament and Trust
  47. 60Psalm 60: Through God We Will Do ValiantlyA teaching poem by David, set in wartime. Twelve verses. A national lament after defeat that ends in confidence.12 verses · Lament
  48. 61Psalm 61: Lead Me to the RockFor the Chief Musician, for a stringed instrument, by David. Eight verses. A prayer for refuge that turns to the king and to praise.8 verses · Prayer and Trust
  49. 62Psalm 62: My Soul Rests in God AloneA Psalm by David for the Chief Musician, to Jeduthun. Twelve verses. A psalm of trust that keeps returning to God alone.12 verses · Trust
  50. 63Psalm 63: My Soul Thirsts for YouA psalm the heading gives to David, in the desert of Judah. Eleven verses. A psalm of longing and trust.11 verses · Trust
  51. 64Psalm 64: Hear My Voice, GodFor the Chief Musician, a Psalm by David. Ten verses. A prayer for protection from people who attack with words.10 verses · Lament
  52. 65Psalm 65: Praise Waits for YouThe heading attributes it to David and calls it a song. Thirteen verses. A praise psalm for forgiveness, answered prayer and a rich harvest.13 verses · Praise and Thanksgiving
  53. 68Psalm 68: Let God AriseFor the Chief Musician, a Psalm by David, a song. Thirty-five verses. A victory hymn of God marching out and reigning in his sanctuary.35 verses · Praise
  54. 69Psalm 69: Save Me, GodA psalm by David for the Chief Musician, to the tune "Lilies." Thirty-six verses. A long lament that moves through curses to praise.36 verses · Lament and Imprecatory
  55. 70Psalm 70: Hurry, God, to Deliver MeFor the Chief Musician, by David, a reminder. Five verses. A short, urgent prayer for rescue.5 verses · Lament and Prayer
  56. 86Psalm 86: Teach Me Your WayA Prayer by David. Seventeen verses. A personal prayer for help that pauses to praise God's greatness and mercy.17 verses · Prayer
  57. 101Psalm 101: I Will Sing of Loving KindnessA Psalm by David. Eight verses. A royal psalm in which the speaker vows to live with integrity and keep deceit out of his house.8 verses · Royal
  58. 103Psalm 103: Praise the LORD, My SoulA psalm the heading gives to David. Twenty-two verses. A psalm of praise and thanksgiving for God's forgiveness and compassion.22 verses · Praise and Thanksgiving
  59. 108Psalm 108: My Heart Is Steadfast, GodA Song, a Psalm by David. Thirteen verses. A psalm of praise that turns into a prayer for help against enemies.13 verses · Praise and Prayer
  60. 109Psalm 109: God of My PraiseA Psalm by David for the Chief Musician. Thirty-one verses. A lament against false accusers, with a long run of curses and a closing praise.31 verses · Lament and Imprecatory
  61. 110Psalm 110: Sit at My Right HandA Psalm by David. Seven verses. A royal psalm in which the LORD speaks to the king and names him a priest forever.7 verses · Royal
  62. 122Psalm 122: I Was GladA Song of Ascents, attributed to David. Nine verses. A song of joy at going up to Jerusalem, with a prayer for its peace.9 verses · Song of Ascents
  63. 124Psalm 124: The LORD on Our SideA Song of Ascents by David. Eight verses. A thanksgiving for escape, spoken by the whole community.8 verses · Song of Ascents and Thanksgiving
  64. 131Psalm 131: Like a Weaned ChildA Song of Ascents, by David. Three verses. A short psalm of trust about humility and a quieted soul.3 verses · Song of Ascents and Trust
  65. 133Psalm 133: How Good and PleasantA Song of Ascents, attributed to David. Three verses. A short song about the goodness of brothers living together in unity.3 verses · Song of Ascents
  66. 138Psalm 138: With My Whole HeartA psalm by David in eight verses: whole-hearted thanks for answered prayer, ending with trust that God will finish what concerns the speaker.8 verses · Thanksgiving
  67. 139Psalm 139: You Have Searched MeFor the Chief Musician, a Psalm by David. Twenty-four verses. A personal prayer about being fully known by God.24 verses · Trust and Prayer
  68. 140Psalm 140: Deliver Me From Evil MenA Psalm by David for the Chief Musician. Thirteen verses. A prayer for protection from violent, lying enemies that ends in confidence.13 verses · Prayer and Trust
  69. 141Psalm 141: Let My Prayer Be Like IncenseA Psalm by David. Ten verses. A prayer for a guarded mouth and heart, and for protection from traps.10 verses · Prayer and Lament
  70. 142Psalm 142: You Are My RefugeA contemplation by David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer. Seven verses. A lament from someone alone, trapped and outnumbered.7 verses · Lament and Prayer
  71. 143Psalm 143: Teach Me to Do Your WillA Psalm by David. Twelve verses. The last of the seven penitential psalms, a prayer for mercy, guidance and rescue from enemies.12 verses · Penitential and Lament
  72. 144Psalm 144: Blessed Be the LORD, My RockA psalm the heading gives to David. Fifteen verses. A royal prayer for rescue that ends with a picture of a blessed people.15 verses · Royal and Prayer
  73. 145Psalm 145: I Will Exalt You, My GodA praise psalm by David. Twenty-one verses. A hymn to God's greatness, goodness and kingdom, from one voice to all flesh.21 verses · Praise

Headings that name an event in David's life

Psalm 3A Psalm by David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
Psalm 34By David; when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.
Psalm 51For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Psalm 52For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, “David has come to Ahimelech’s house.”
Psalm 54For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation by David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Isn’t David hiding himself among us?”
Psalm 56For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A poem by David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.
Psalm 57For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.
Psalm 59For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David, when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.
Psalm 60For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A teaching poem by David, when he fought with Aram Naharaim and with Aram Zobah, and Joab returned, and killed twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.
Psalm 63A Psalm by David, when he was in the desert of Judah.
Psalm 142A contemplation by David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.

Did King David write the psalms?

The Bible links David closely with music. In 1 Samuel 16:23 he plays the harp for Saul, and 2 Samuel 23:1 calls him "the sweet psalmist of Israel." 2 Samuel 22 opens with nearly the same words as the heading of Psalm 18, and the song that follows runs close to it. Even so, only 73 headings name David. Psalm 72:20 says "This ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse," yet later headings name him again. Modern scholars do not treat his authorship as a historical fact, and some regard the headings as later additions. That is why this page says the heading attributes a psalm to David.

Which psalms did David write, and when?

The psalms carry no dates. What some headings give is a moment in David's life. Psalm 3 is set when he fled from Absalom his son. Psalm 51 comes when Nathan the prophet came to him, after Bathsheba. Psalms 57 and 142 place him in a cave, Psalm 63 in the desert of Judah, and Psalm 34 at the time he pretended to be insane before Abimelech. Most David psalms name no occasion at all. They give only his name, and sometimes a note for the Chief Musician, a tune or an instrument.

Why did David write Psalm 23?

Psalm 23's heading reads only "A Psalm by David." It names no occasion, so the text does not say why or when it was written. What the psalm itself does is clear. It speaks of the LORD as a shepherd who leads and restores, and who is present in the valley of the shadow of death. Then it pictures him as a host who prepares a table and anoints the speaker's head with oil. It opens with "I shall lack nothing" and ends with the hope to dwell in the LORD's house forever. At 6 verses it is one of the shorter psalms in this group.

What kinds of psalms did David write?

This site gives each psalm one or two type labels. Across the 73 psalms that name David, lament is the most common, on 28 of them. Trust follows on 23 and prayer on 20. Praise and thanksgiving appear on 12 each, wisdom on 8, and royal psalms about the king on 6. Five of the seven penitential psalms name David: 6, 32, 38, 51 and 143. Four Songs of Ascents name him: 122, 124, 131 and 133. Four carry the imprecatory label, asking God to act against enemies, among them Psalm 35 and Psalm 109.

Guides to the Book of Psalms

What is a psalm?How to study the psalmsPsalms KJVShort psalm versesMost popular psalmsVerse of the dayWhat Selah meansHeading words explainedPsalms in HebrewCatholic psalm numbersPsalms in the New TestamentPsalms and ProverbsPsalms, hymns and spiritual songsFree commentariesPsalm 151The Bay Psalm Book

Questions

How many psalms did David write?

73 psalms have a heading that names David. Headings are not proof of authorship, so this is a count of headings, not of poems he certainly wrote.

Did David write the whole book of Psalms?

No. Other headings name Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses and Ethan, and 50 psalms name no author.

Who wrote Psalm 23?

The heading attributes it to David. It reads "A Psalm by David."

What does "a psalm of David" mean?

It is the wording of a psalm's heading. It is usually read as naming David as the author, but the phrase is also translated "to David" or "for David".

What is the longest psalm of David?

Psalm 18, at 50 verses. The shortest are Psalm 131 and Psalm 133, at 3 verses each.

Which psalms of David are Songs of Ascents?

Four: Psalms 122, 124, 131 and 133.

Keep reading

Who Wrote the Psalms?Psalms of SolomonThe Seven Penitential PsalmsPsalms of Ascent: The 15 Songs of AscentsPsalms of AsaphThe Book of Psalms: All 150 Psalms

Sources

LP

Written by

Lucas Pradella

Last checked 25 September 2026 · How pages are checked

I built AllPsalms because I could not find one site that covered all 150 psalms properly. I am a Christian and a reader of the psalms, not a scholar or a minister. What I can do is the work: put every psalm in one place, in plain English, with the text unedited and every claim sourced.

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