What is a psalter?

A psalter is a book containing the Psalms, a version of them, or selections arranged for singing. The name covers several kinds of books. Some present the biblical text; others shape it into verse or provide musical settings. The American Heritage Dictionary includes these different uses in its definition.

That breadth matters when you open a psalter for the first time. Look at its introduction and one complete entry. Does it print the words of a Bible translation, a metrical paraphrase, or a poet’s devotional response? Knowing which you are reading helps you understand the book and use it alongside Scripture.

Is a psalter the same as the book of Psalms?

The biblical book of Psalms is the source around which a psalter is formed. A separately bound copy of that biblical text can be called a psalter. But the word also applies to versions, selections, and musical treatments, so a book with “psalter” in its title does not necessarily reproduce a Bible translation.

Nor does the title alone tell you whether it includes every Psalm. Check the contents and the publisher’s description for the particular edition. The useful question is more specific than “Is this a psalter?” Ask, “How does this book present the Psalms?”

What is a metrical psalter?

A metrical psalter presents Psalms in verse with recurring patterns of syllables suited to singing. A metrical paraphrase reshapes the text into those measured lines. Its wording can therefore differ from the Bible translation you normally read.

Meter describes the pattern of the lines, not how closely a particular writer follows each biblical verse. To understand that relationship, read the collection’s stated approach and compare an entry with the Psalm itself.

The letters or numbers beside a tune give practical help with singing. For example, C.M. means common meter, a four-line pattern of 8.6.8.6 syllables. Our guide to finding a hymn tune explains how to use those markings and why matching numbers alone does not settle every musical question.

How is a psalter different from a hymnal?

A psalter centers on the biblical Psalms. A hymnal can gather songs on a wider range of Christian themes. Some hymns draw on a Psalm; others respond to other passages of Scripture or express prayer and praise.

These categories can meet in one reading or singing session. A poem responding to a Psalm can use a tune known through a hymn with different words. That shared melody provides a familiar musical setting for the poem.

What kind of book is Heritage Psalter?

Pat Dys’s Heritage Psalter contains devotional poetry responding to the Psalms, paired with established hymn tunes. The poems follow a Psalm’s thoughts rather than offering a verse-by-verse metrical paraphrase. Read them alongside the biblical text.

The samples show how the poems and tunes are paired. On printed page 1, Pat’s Psalm 1 poem names “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” as the suggested hymn and St. Peter C.M. as the tune and meter. On printed page 25, her Psalm 23 poem names “How Shall the Young Direct Their Way?” and Duane Street L.M.D.

You can read both poems in the book sample, with their suggested tunes.

Begin with one Psalm

Choose a poem from Heritage Psalter. Read the biblical Psalm it responds to, then read the poem aloud. Notice a thought the poem brings forward and return to the passage to consider it in context. If you know the suggested melody, sing the poem. If you do not, begin with the words.

For a practical first session, follow our Psalm 1 reading and singing guide. Bring what you have read before God in prayer.