Corpus Psalterium • Sitz im Lied

Vol. I

Psalms 1 – 25

Cantillation and Structure

Psalms 1–25 set to music by their Hebrew grammar, following the natural flow of the text. Each psalm is arranged according to its functional type, so you can hear what the text is doing.

Download Vol. I (139 MB)All 150 psalms

Didactic

Psalms that teach rather than speak: wisdom and instruction that form the mind.

Cantillated

Psalms spoken, sung or performed before God: prayer, praise, lament, declaration, dialogue.

Composite

Psalms that move from one mode into the other.

Choose a psalmTap any row, or press Play

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#	Title	Type	Sections
1	Psalm I (1)	Didactic	Wisdom Instruction	2:52
2	Psalm II (2)	Cantillated	Royal Proclamation	4:22
3	Psalm III (3)	Cantillated	Lament Turning	4:42
4	Psalm IV (4)	Cantillated	Lament Exhortation	4:01
5	Psalm V (5)	Cantillated	Lament Participation	4:26
6	Psalm VI (6)	Cantillated	Penitential Lament	3:37
7	Psalm VII (7)	Cantillated	Lament Vindication	4:04
8	Psalm VIII (8)	Cantillated	Refrain Praise	3:56
9	Psalm IX (9)	Cantillated	Judicial Progression	5:59
10	Psalm X (10)	Cantillated	Lament Delay	6:04
11	Psalm XI (11)	Cantillated	Declarative Confidence	4:18
12	Psalm XII (12)	Cantillated	Lament Divine Pivot	3:53
13	Psalm XIII (13)	Cantillated	Lament Trust	3:41
14	Psalm XIV (14)	Didactic	Corruption Declaration	2:02
15	Psalm XV (15)	Didactic	Righteous Standard	2:03
16	Psalm XVI (16)	Cantillated	Trust Delight	4:42
17	Psalm XVII (17)	Cantillated	Lament Vindication	4:12
18	Psalm XVIII (18)	Cantillated	Ascending Petition	4:33
19	Psalm XIX (19)	Composite	Revelation Transition	4:27
20	Psalm XX (20)	Cantillated	Communal Intercession	3:45
21	Psalm XXI (21)	Cantillated	Royal Praise	3:17
22	Psalm XXII (22)	Cantillated	Lament Ascent	4:32
23	Psalm XXIII (23)	Cantillated	Declarative Stability	3:38
24	Psalm XXIV (24)	Cantillated	Dialogical Ascent	4:19
25	Psalm XXV (25)	Cantillated	Lament Dependence	3:44

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn

Vol. I

Psalms 1 – 25

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What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not