Book 4 of 5 · Parallels Sefer Bamidbar
Fourth Book of Tehilim
Chapters 90-106.
Book 4 opens with a singular chapter: chapter 90, "Tefilah l'Moshe ish HaElokim", the only psalm in all of Tehilim attributed to Moshe Rabbeinu. It speaks of human mortality and divine timelessness, and is said at funerals and at certain memorial observances.
Right after it stands chapter 91, "Yoshev BeSeter Elyon", the classic protection psalm, said before travel and in moments of danger. Chapter 92, "Mizmor Shir leYom HaShabbat", is the official Shabbat psalm: the Levi'im sang it every Shabbat in the Mikdash and we still say it at Kabbalat Shabbat today.
The book contains the "Hashem Melech" cluster (chapters 93, 95-99), psalms on God's sovereignty that form the core of R. Shlomo Alkabetz's Kabbalat Shabbat. It closes with chapter 106, "Hallelukah hodu lashem ki tov", which surveys the history of Israel from the Exodus through exile.
Notable chapters in Book 4
- 90 Tefilah L'Moshe
The only psalm in Tehilim attributed to Moshe Rabbeinu. Said at funerals.
- 91 Yoshev BeSeter Elyon
The classic protection psalm. Said before travel and in danger.
- 92 Mizmor Shir L'Yom HaShabbat
The official Shabbat psalm. Anchor of Kabbalat Shabbat.
- 95 Lechu Neranenah
Opens Kabbalat Shabbat.
- 100 Mizmor LeTodah
Said in Pesukei DeZimra. The thanksgiving psalm after rescue and after birth.
- 104 Barchi Nafshi
Said on Rosh Chodesh. A song of creation.
All chapters in Book 4
Chapters 90-106. Tap a chapter to read.
Frequently asked questions
Did Moshe Rabbeinu actually write a psalm?
Per traditional teaching, yes. Chapter 90, "Tefilah l'Moshe ish HaElokim", is attributed to Moshe Rabbeinu. Chazal indicate Moshe wrote additional chapters in Book 4 (such as 91-100), though only 90 carries his name explicitly. Modern scholars dispute this, but Jewish tradition holds firm.
Why is chapter 91 considered protective?
Chapter 91, "Yoshev BeSeter Elyon", promises divine protection from plague, war, night, and trouble. Many communities recite it before travel and at bedtime. It's also said on the first night after a birth (in place of the seven-day vigil custom).
How did the Shabbat psalm enter Kabbalat Shabbat?
Chapter 92, "Mizmor Shir leYom HaShabbat", was the official daily psalm of Shabbat in the Beit HaMikdash. The Levi'im sang it every Shabbat. R. Shlomo Alkabetz (16th c.) integrated it into the modern Kabbalat Shabbat together with the "Hashem Melech" psalms (93, 95-99) of Book 4.
How does Book 4 parallel Bamidbar?
Book 4 mirrors the journey-in-the-wilderness theme of Sefer Bamidbar. Both grapple with the in-between state: not home, not destination, but journey. Book 4's psalms are journey-of-the-soul psalms: trust (91), Shabbat as resting point (92), accepting divine sovereignty (93, 95-99), thanksgiving (100).