The book of Psalms is a treasure trove of instruction and encouragement. This wonderful book is worthy of years of study!
This post contains 5 methods and resources to help you study the book of Psalms. These methods are outlined in further detail in my post about how to study the Bible. This post will be specific to the study of the Psalms and have resources listed for that book alone.
Read The Psalms for Yourself
The first step in studying the Psalms is to read them for yourself. I have made this part VERY easy for you.
Enter your email below to receive a three-month long Bible reading plan that takes you through the book of Psalms 3 times! This plan is part of my Psalms of the Summer series here on my blog. We’re reading through all the Psalms together and learning as much as possible. Join us by subscribing below.
Commit Psalms to Memory
The second way to study the Psalms is to memorize some of the passages. Committing Scripture to memory is an excellent way to study the Bible.
As you are reading through the Psalms, find a few passages that you would like to memorize and get to it. Write them out and post them around your home.
If you’d like to join me in memorizing Psalm 19 this month, then follow the link below to take you to the direct downloadable print of this Psalm. I love to print out the verses and hang them somewhere visible in my home.
Memorizing Scripture can seem overwhelming, so I’ve written a whole blog post about how to memorize it well. Just click here for all my tips on how to memorize Scripture.
Read Commentaries On the Psalms
The third way to study the Psalms is to read commentaries on this glorious book.
The commentary that I have found most helpful was written by John Calvin. It is John Calvin’s Commentary on the Psalms. You can purchase the abridged version of his commentary here.
The unabridged version is very long and the best format I could find available is on Logos.com. Logos is an electronic Bible software program that can hold numerous resources for you.
Another commentary that is worth reading was written by James Hamilton. You can purchase James Hamilton’s Commentary on the Psalms from Lexham press here.
The third commentary on the Psalms that I would suggest to you was written by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. It is called The Treasury of David and is available for free online viewing here.
Other Books on the Psalms
In addition to commentaries, here are a few books that I have found particular helpful when reading the Psalms.
The Flow of the Psalms by O. Palmer Robertson is especially helpful in getting the big picture of the Psalms as well as how the different books work together to create a beautiful structure throughout the Psalms. I wrote about many of his insights in this post. And even reviewed this book on my blog here.
Awake O Harp by William Varner is a devotional commentary on the Psalms. This is a perfect book to read alongside your Psalms reading. Varner gives helpful insight and encouragement with his devotional thoughts on the book of Psalms.
Listen to Sermons on the Psalms
Sermons give you more flexibility of when you can study the Psalms. You can plug in your ear buds and listen to them while working out or cleaning the house. So, here are some sermon series on the book of Psalms.
James Hamilton, who wrote the above linked commentary on the Psalms, preached through the entire book of Psalms at his church back in 2015. These sermons are all available to download or to listen to directly on their website. Take a look here.
Alistair Begg has many pages of sermons on the Psalms. His encouraging and witty sermons are broken into 20-minute segments so that you can listen to them throughout the day. Find them all on his website here.
John Piper has preached on many Psalms and they are available on his website here. Some of his are also in video format.
John MacArthur has preached through some of the Psalms, here is the link to his sermons on the Psalms.
Lastly, I would also recommend listening to these sermons from Grace Community Church in Los Angeles. There are multiple pastors who have taught on the Psalms and they are all helpful and encouraging.
There is also one sermon that is not part of a series that I found extremely encouraging. H. B. Charles Jr. preached a sermon at a Ligonier conference on Psalm 8. You can listen and watch it here.
Listening to Podcasts
Many of the links above to sermons can be found on your podcast app as well. I would highly recommend subscribing to those podcasts so that you get their sermons on your phone directly. Then you can listen even when they are not talking about the Psalms!
Here are a few links to some specific podcasts regarding the Psalms.
Nancy Guthrie interviewed both James Hamilton and Mark Hurtato on her podcast Help Me Teach the Bible. They both talk about the Psalms and give an overview, Hamilton remarks specifically about typology in the Psalms. Here are the links to their interviews:
James Hamilton on Typology in the Psalms
John Piper has a helpful podcast regarding Jesus’ quote of Psalm 22 on the cross. Listen here.
For more podcasts on the Psalms, I recommend going to the website of podcasts you listen to and learn from. Then look through their list by Scripture (most have this option). Then you can find a specific podcast on a specific Psalm.
Studying The Psalms
As believers we will never stop studying God’s Word. But it will also never run out of lessons to teach us! So, study hard and study daily. I hope that these resources have been helpful to you. I will be updating this post as I continue my own study of the Psalms (and the Bible) for the rest of my life. You can find all of my posts on the Psalms here.
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