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One thing that surprised me while creating this Guide to Psalms (Tehillim) was just how universal Psalms really is.
The Bible remains the most widely distributed book in history, and according to Bible Gateway, one of the world’s largest Christian Bible platforms, Psalms alone accounted for more than a third of the 100 most searched and shared Bible verses in 2025, largely through Psalms 23, 91, and 121.
And the influence of Psalms stretches far beyond religion itself.
King David’s words echo through centuries of human expression:
“By the Rivers of Babylon”
“Hallelujah”
“The Lord is My Shepherd”
“Turn! Turn! Turn!”
U2’s “40”
“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”
Bob Dylan’s “Every Grain of Sand”
gospel music,
reggae,
classical music,
modern Israeli music,
and countless songs, prayers, poems, and reflections inspired by the emotional honesty of Psalms.
For many years, I said Psalms (Tehillim) mostly because that is what many Jews instinctively do when life becomes difficult. We say Tehillim in moments of illness, fear, uncertainty, grief, or hope.
But through illness, reflection, uncertainty, and writing, I began to realise something much deeper:
King David did not write from comfort.
He wrote from caves.
From betrayal.
From exhaustion.
From grief.
From fear.
From guilt.
From loneliness.
From hope.
And somehow, thousands of years later, those emotions still feel completely recognisable.
So I created something personal:
A Guide to Psalms (Tehillim), a companion and reference guide to all 150 Psalms. PLEASE SEE THE LINK TO THE GUIDE –> BEN LAZARUS PSALMS GUIDE V1
Importantly, this is not a copy of the Book of Psalms itself. It is a guide designed to accompany whichever version of Psalms people already use, whether online, in a traditional Book of Psalms, or within many editions of the Old Testament.
At the moment, the guide is available in English only.
This is not an academic work or a book of heavy commentary. It is written from a Jewish perspective, drawing heavily on traditional Jewish commentary and interpretation, but I genuinely do not believe Psalms belong only to Jews. Their emotional honesty is universal.
It is simply an attempt to help people connect more personally and emotionally to the words of Psalms, with background, context, reflections, and guidance for different moments in life.
There have been many moments in life when I was asked to say Psalms while barely understanding the emotional depth of the words themselves. I wrote this guide very much with that experience in mind.
Because the emotions inside Psalms are timeless and recognisably human.
Fear.
Hope.
Waiting.
Gratitude.
Depression.
Wonder.
Loneliness.
Resilience.
The search for meaning.
In some ways, Psalms reads almost like an ancient emotional journal of human life, written by someone of extraordinary spiritual and emotional depth.
You do not need to be deeply religious to connect to those things.
Honestly, this guide is for anyone navigating life itself.
If it helps even one person experience Psalms not as ancient distant words, but as something living, human, honest, and comforting, then it was worthwhile.
May we hear only good news.
