Q 01/05

How many psalms are in the Book of Psalms in Jewish and Western Christian Bibles?

A) 150

B) 180

C) 100

D) 120

Answer · why

A) 150

Eastern churches keep a few more; the Septuagint adds one and some Syriac Bibles run to 155.

Q 02/05

The Book of Psalms is divided into how many "books" or sections?

A) Four

B) Five

C) Seven

D) Three

Answer · why

B) Five

Each section ends with a doxology; editors probably copied the five-fold division of the Torah.

Q 03/05

Which famous line opens Psalm 23 in the King James Version?

A) Have mercy upon me, O God

B) Blessed is the man

C) The Lord is my shepherd

D) Make a joyful noise

Answer · why

C) The Lord is my shepherd

The psalm is widely read at funerals and gave English the phrases "valley of the shadow of death" and "my cup runneth over".

Q 04/05

Which psalm, at 176 verses, is the longest chapter in the entire Bible?

A) 78

B) 89

C) 107

D) 119

Answer · why

D) 119

It is an acrostic: one stanza for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, with every verse in a stanza starting with that letter.

Q 05/05

Which two-verse psalm is the shortest chapter in the Bible?

A) 117

B) 123

C) 131

D) 134

Answer · why

A) 117

It is so short that St Benedict added a fifth psalm whenever it was used at Vespers.

Want the full quiz?

Play the full Psalms Trivia quiz — scored, streaked, and passable to a friend.

Play it on BrainPickle