Introduction

To make music and sing is common human experience. The first mention of musical instruments in Sacred Scriptures---comes not in reference to worship of God---but from the offspring of Cain (Ge. 4:21); in the near context of those who exhibited at least an equal measure of Cain's malevolence if not sevenfold portion of it.

Naturally, the idea of creating music and singing can be understood as an implied component of the Creation Mandate. We are told that in the days of Seth's son Enosh, people began to call on the name of YHWH. We are not told for sure, but there is no difficulty in imagining singing arising in any activity in which human affections are engaged.

Psalms

To sing Psalms is to join voices with millennia of singers, songs that go back as far as Moses (perhaps as far back as 14th or 15th century B.C.)

Early writings, of which the early utterances of Genesis (for instances, Lamech's discourse to his wives in Ge. 4) and Job, appear to, at a minimum, have a rhythm and structure, and these would lend themselves to music. But in the Psalms, we have a clear internal evidence of them being sung.

Reasons for Singing the Psalms

1. The Psalms are Messianic to a sublime degree.
2. The Psalms are first-rate poetry.
3. The Psalms contain expressions of the different aspects of worship.
4. Singing leads to more rapid and effective memorization and aids in meditation.
5. The Psalms are prayers and show worship in real-life situations in the history that God has chosen to preserve for our instructions (see The Situations of the Psalms below)

Sources for Singing the Psalms

1. Scottish Psalter of 1650
2. Trinity Psalter Hymnal

The Situations of the Psalms.

It is my understanding that the Jews sing the introductory glosses, and they are actually "verse 1" in the Hebrew.

1. Psalm 3 "A Psalm of David. When he fled from Absalom his son." Absalom translates to "Father of Peace," and this gives us further insight into the 2 Samuel text.
2. Psalm 9 "For the Choir Director. On Muth-labben. A Psalm of David" where Muth-labben translates to "Death of the Son."
3. Psalm 30 "A Psalm. A Song at the Dedication of the House. Of David." David had longed to build a house, a temple; he had danced before the Lord as the Ark was brought to Jerusalem. Yet his desire would not be granted. We see in this Psalm both his joy as well as the danger and reality of death both from war as well as disease and even old age.