The author of James is James, the half-brother of Jesus and brother of Jude, not James the Apostle. From Acts 15 we can see that James had become an influential and well-respected leader of the Jerusalem church. He was the oldest of Mary's other children and had to deal with the problems Jesus caused the family. Scripture says His siblings did not believe Jesus' claim to be sent from God, but at some point their eyes were opened and we are told (Acts 1) they were in the upper room with the Apostles after the resurrection.

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Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, wrote this about the Psalms in the 4th century; “To me it seems that the Psalms are to him who sings them as a mirror, wherein he may see himself and the motions of his soul and with like feelings utter them. So also one who hears a psalm read, takes it as if it were spoken concerning himself.” This Psalm is a primer on repentance and forgiveness.

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This psalm was probably written during the first phase of David's life when he had become a soldier living at the court of King Saul. With David under his watchful eye Saul's jealousy had slowly turned into fits of rage eventually spiraling out of control. He let it be known he wanted David killed but done secretly because the nation adored David as a war hero. David learned of the plot from his friends at court, the closest being Saul's son, Jonathan. They advised him to escape and flee to the mountains.

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Most of the Psalms are very personal and deal with everyday life but did you ever consider reading the Psalms for their historical or theological value? They tell us information about the creation of the world. The writers are all Jewish; God's chosen people who are to proclaim Him before the world. The Psalms reveal the character of their God, His sovereignty, why He is to be worshipped, as well as how.. “It's history instructs, the Law teaches, prophecy announces, rebuke chastens, morality persuades; in the Book of Psalms we have the fruit of all these, and a kind of medicine for salvation of man.”
(St. Ambrose) “The Psalms contain a perfect theology.” (St. Basil)

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