Penitential Psalms These are usually reckoned seven. They are so called because they are regarded as specially expressive of sorrow for sin, and accepted by Christian devotion as forms of prayer suitable for the repentant sinner. They are Ps 6; Ps 32; Ps 39; Ps 51; Ps 102; Ps 130; Ps 143 according to the A.V., which correspond with 6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129, and 142 of the Vulgate. These Psalms have been set apart from a very early period, and are referred to as such by Origen (Hom. ii in Leviticum). Pope Innocent III ordered that they should be recited in Lent. They have a special place in the Roman Breviary, and more than one of the popes attached an indulgence to the recital of them. The most deeply penitential, and the most frequent in use, both public and private, is the 51st Psalm, or the Miserere (50th in the Vulgate.)
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More