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What does a faithful community pray when Jerusalem falls and justice seems far away?
The Psalms of Solomon gathers eighteen Jewish songs of prayer, lament, warning and hope. Ascribed to King Solomon, they are understood by scholars as the work of unknown devout Jews. In the shadow of Pompey's capture of Jerusalem, these voices wrestle with foreign rule, failed rulers and their own community's sins.
The songs ask how suffering and mercy can belong together. Their speakers describe God as just even in punishment, and call the righteous to accept correction without losing hope. Psalm 11 pictures exiles coming home; the best-known songs, Psalms 17 and 18, envision the Lord's Messiah, a righteous king from David's line.
What you’ll discover
- Prayer amid war Hear Psalm 1's speaker turn toward prayer at the first noise of war.
- Two paths through crisis Explore how the songs distinguish the devout from sinners through conduct, correction and hope.
- Discipline and mercy Consider the songs' belief that divine correction expresses love rather than rejection.
- The hoped-for king Meet the portrait of David's coming heir in Psalms 17 and 18.
- The exiles return Encounter Psalm 11's picture of homecoming amid a collection shaped by national disaster.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers of the Psalms, students of Second Temple Judaism and the world before the New Testament, and anyone curious about early hopes for a Messiah. It is less suited to those wanting a story or a quick, easy read.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A Jewish songbook written after Pompey
- Jerusalem's sins invite the invader
- The righteous and the sinners part ways
- God stays just even when he punishes
- The Lord's Messiah, son of David
- Why it stands outside most Bibles
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The Psalms of Solomon
by Traditionally Attributed to King Solomon
Eighteen Jewish songs seek justice and hope under foreign rule.
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
A Jewish songbook written after Pompey
The Psalms of Solomon was first composed in Hebrew, but the Hebrew text is lost. The collection survives in Greek, and in a Syriac version made from the Greek. The Greek text comes down in several medieval manuscripts, and the Syriac in a few more. Scholars rebuild the original wording by comparing these witnesses, so some verses remain uncertain.
Most scholars place the songs in the middle of the first century before the common era. The main clue is Psalm 2. It describes a proud foreign conqueror who batters down the walls of Jerusalem and defiles the sanctuary. Later it tells of his shameful death on the shores of Egypt, with no one to bury him. Many readers see here Pompey, who took Jerusalem in 63 BC and was murdered in Egypt in 48 BC. Not every scholar agrees on every detail, but this setting is widely accepted.
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What are the Psalms of Solomon about?
They are eighteen Jewish songs that respond to Pompey's conquest of Jerusalem. They blame the sins of the rulers, affirm God's justice, contrast the righteous with sinners, and hope for a righteous king, the Lord's Messiah.
Did King Solomon write the Psalms of Solomon?
No. The songs bear his name, but scholars date them to the first century BC, centuries after Solomon. Ancient writers often used the names of great figures, and the author or authors here are unknown.
When and in what language were the Psalms of Solomon written?
They were most likely written in Hebrew in the middle of the first century BC, after Pompey took Jerusalem in 63 BC. The Hebrew is lost, and the text survives in Greek and Syriac.
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