Praise Psalms
The Hebrew title of the book of Psalms means "Praises." This idea fits many of the psalms. The psalms praise God for his nature and great acts in creation and history. People wrote praise psalms for both personal and community use.
Individual praise (Psalms 9; 18; 32; 34; 116; 138): In temple worship, people often gave thanks aloud in front of everyone when they made a vow or thank offering (see, for example, 22:22–26; 66:13–20; 116:17–19). These moments of personal praise and testimony added warmth and meaning to worship. Each rescue and experience of God's mercy became part of the continuing story of salvation. Worship was more than just remembering God's acts from the past.
Communal praise (Psalms 103, 113, 124, 129, 136): When the community gathered, they sang to praise the Lord for his historical acts (Psalm 103). Or they would praise him for a recent display of his mercy (Psalms 124, 129).
In Psalm 103, the psalmist praises God for his mercy to individuals and the entire community (verses 1–5, 6–14). Human weakness contrasts with God’s reliability (verses 15–18). His universal and absolute rule deserves praise from everyone and everything (verses 19–22).
Passages for Further Study
Psalms 9; 18; 32; 34; 46–48; 93; 96–99; 103; 113; 116; 124; 129; 136; 138
Passages
Psalm 9:1–20 Psalm 18:1–50 Psalm 22:22–26 Psalm 32:1–11 Psalm 34:1–22 Psalm 46:1–48:14 Psalm 66:13–20 Psalm 93:1–5 Psalm 96:1–99:9 Psalm 103:1–5 Psalm 103:1–22 Psalm 103:6–14 Psalm 103:15–18 Psalm 103:19–22 Psalm 113:1–9 Psalm 116:1–19 Psalm 116:17–19 Psalm 124:1–8 Psalm 129:1–8 Psalm 136:1–26 Psalm 138:1–8