Psalms Bible Trivia: 42 Questions and Answers for Families

These 42 Psalms Bible trivia questions cover the whole songbook of the Bible -- from "The LORD is my shepherd" to the crash of cymbals in Psalm 150 -- sorted into easy, medium, and hard rounds. Answers with verse references follow every question, so you can settle any dinner-table dispute on the spot.

Psalms is the biggest book in the Bible and one of the best for trivia, because it hides real surprises: the longest chapter in Scripture, the shortest, a psalm written by Moses, and the psalm Satan himself quoted. A few of these will stump the adults at the table.

What Is the Book of Psalms About?

The book of Psalms is a collection of 150 songs and prayers that God's people used for worship -- praising God, crying out to him in trouble, giving thanks, and telling the story of what he has done. King David wrote the most (73 psalms carry his name), but the superscriptions also credit Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, and even Moses, which means the collection was written across roughly a thousand years.

The book is organized into five smaller "books," each one ending with a burst of praise called a doxology. Psalms matters because it gives us words for every feeling we bring to God -- joy, fear, guilt, gratitude, even anger -- and because Jesus and the apostles quoted it more than almost any other book.

Easy Psalms Trivia Questions (Ages 5-8)

1. Finish the most famous verse in the book: "The LORD is my ___." Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)
2. How many psalms are in the book of Psalms? 150
3. Which shepherd boy who defeated Goliath grew up to write more psalms than anyone else? David (73 psalms carry his name)
4. What instrument did David play to calm King Saul? The harp (lyre) (1 Samuel 16:23)
5. In Psalm 23, where does the shepherd make his sheep lie down? In green pastures (Psalm 23:2)
6. Psalm 139 says God made each of us "fearfully and ___ made." Wonderfully (Psalm 139:14)
7. "Be still, and know that I am ___." God (Psalm 46:10)
8. Psalm 119:105 calls God's word "a ___ for my feet and a light on my path." Lamp (Psalm 119:105)
9. What does Psalm 100 tell the whole earth to do to the LORD? Shout for joy -- "make a joyful noise" in the King James (Psalm 100:1)
10. In Psalm 23, what does David's cup do? It overflows (Psalm 23:5)
11. What animal "pants for streams of water" the way our souls long for God? A deer (Psalm 42:1)
12. "When I am afraid, I put my ___ in you." Trust (Psalm 56:3)
13. What do the heavens declare, according to Psalm 19? The glory of God (Psalm 19:1)
14. Psalm 150 says to praise God with trumpet, harp, timbrel, strings, and pipe -- plus what crashing instrument? Cymbals (Psalm 150:5)

Medium Psalms Trivia Questions (Ages 9-12)

1. How many verses are in Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the whole Bible? 176
2. Which psalm is the shortest chapter in the Bible -- just two verses? Psalm 117
3. The book of Psalms is divided into how many smaller "books"? Five (Psalms 1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150)
4. Which leader of the Exodus wrote Psalm 90, likely the oldest psalm? Moses (Psalm 90, superscription)
5. Psalm 51 is David's prayer of repentance after which prophet confronted him about his sin? Nathan (Psalm 51 superscription; 2 Samuel 12)
6. In Psalm 1, the person who delights in God's law is like what? A tree planted by streams of water (Psalm 1:3)
7. "Taste and see that the LORD is ___." Good (Psalm 34:8)
8. Psalm 30 says weeping may stay for the night, but what comes in the morning? Rejoicing (Psalm 30:5)
9. By which rivers did the exiles sit and weep when they remembered Zion? The rivers of Babylon (Psalm 137:1)
10. According to Psalm 24, who does the earth belong to? The LORD -- "the earth is the LORD's, and everything in it" (Psalm 24:1)
11. How far does God remove our sins from us, according to Psalm 103? As far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12)
12. Who says in his heart, "There is no God"? The fool (Psalm 14:1)
13. Psalms 120-134 share a special title. What are they called? The Songs of Ascents -- fifteen pilgrim songs sung on the way up to Jerusalem
14. Which wise king wrote Psalm 127 -- "Unless the LORD builds the house"? Solomon (Psalm 127, superscription)

Hard Psalms Trivia Questions (Teens and Adults)

1. What mysterious Hebrew word appears 71 times in Psalms and probably signals a musical pause? Selah
2. Which psalm did Jesus quote from the cross -- "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Psalm 22 (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46)
3. Which psalm did Jesus quote with his final breath -- "Into your hands I commit my spirit"? Psalm 31 (Psalm 31:5; Luke 23:46)
4. Which psalm did Satan quote when tempting Jesus in the wilderness? Psalm 91 -- "He will command his angels concerning you" (Psalm 91:11-12; Matthew 4:6)
5. Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. What does each of its 22 sections begin with? A different letter of the Hebrew alphabet -- eight verses per letter
6. Which worship leader is credited with 12 psalms, including Psalm 50 and Psalms 73-83? Asaph
7. Which family of temple singers is credited with Psalm 42, "As the deer pants"? The sons of Korah (Psalm 42, superscription)
8. Which psalm says "the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone" -- a verse Jesus applied to himself? Psalm 118 (Psalm 118:22; Matthew 21:42)
9. Which psalm is quoted most often in the New Testament -- "The LORD says to my lord: Sit at my right hand"? Psalm 110 (Psalm 110:1)
10. Jesus quoted "From the lips of children and infants you... have called forth your praise" when kids cheered him in the temple. Which psalm? Psalm 8 (Psalm 8:2; Matthew 21:16)
11. Complete David's prayer: "Create in me a pure ___, O God." Heart (Psalm 51:10)
12. Psalm 133 says it is good and pleasant when God's people do what? Live together in unity (Psalm 133:1)
13. Each of the five books of Psalms ends the same way. How? With a doxology -- a closing burst of praise (see Psalm 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52; 106:48; 150)
14. Psalm 46 inspired which famous hymn by Martin Luther? "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"

How to Use These Questions

Match the round to the kid and keep it short -- two or three questions at dinner beats forty in one sitting. The easy round works for car rides and bedtime; save the hard round for when the adults get overconfident. For a full game-night setup with scoring ideas and prizes, see our guide to family Bible trivia night, and if your kids are new to the Psalms, our overview of the book of Psalms for kids is the fastest prep there is.

Since David wrote almost half the book, brushing up on who David was will unlock a dozen of these answers by itself. And because so many psalms double as memory verses, pair trivia with our Bible memory verse strategies for kids -- Psalm 23, Psalm 56:3, and Psalm 119:105 are three of the best starter verses in Scripture. Our video lessons at Faithful Kids work the same way: a short story video, then a quiz, so the facts stick.

When you've mastered this list, keep going with our Old Testament trivia for kids or the full 100 Bible trivia questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote the book of Psalms?

Many authors wrote the Psalms over roughly a thousand years. David is credited with 73 psalms in the superscriptions -- the most of anyone -- while Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, Ethan, and Moses are named on others, and about a third of the psalms are anonymous.

How many chapters does Psalms have?

Psalms has 150 chapters, making it the book with the most chapters in the Bible. It also contains both the longest chapter in Scripture (Psalm 119, with 176 verses) and the shortest (Psalm 117, with just two).

What is the most famous psalm?

Psalm 23 -- "The LORD is my shepherd" -- is the most famous psalm and one of the best-known passages in the entire Bible. Close behind are Psalm 100 (a thanksgiving psalm), Psalm 51 (David's prayer of repentance), and Psalm 139 ("fearfully and wonderfully made").

What does "Selah" mean in Psalms?

Nobody knows for certain -- Selah appears 71 times in Psalms, and most scholars think it marks a musical pause or interlude, a moment to stop and let the words sink in. Because its exact meaning is uncertain, it makes a great "even the experts don't know" trivia question.

What age can kids start learning the Psalms?

Preschoolers can start with single lines like "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you" (Psalm 56:3), and ages 5-8 can memorize all of Psalm 23. The Psalms work earlier than most Bible books because they're poetry -- short, rhythmic, and about feelings kids already have.

Why are the Psalms divided into five books?

The five-book structure (Psalms 1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, and 107-150) is ancient, and Jewish tradition saw it as a deliberate echo of the five books of Moses -- a songbook to match the Torah. Each book closes with a doxology, and Psalm 150 serves as one long doxology ending the whole collection.