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Studies in Theological Interpretation
Psalms as Torah: Reading Biblical Song Ethically
The Psalms are the most-read part of the Old Testament, but their importance for ethics has often been overlooked. However, the Psalms offer some of the most potent ethical instruction in the Bible. In this book internationally renowned Old Testament scholar Gordon Wenham examines the source of the Psalms' power, reflects on their main ethical themes, and shows how they function as prayers that change us. Wenham makes an important contribution to biblical scholarship and breaks new ground in discussions of Old Testament ethics, yet he writes accessibly, making this book invaluable for students, scholars, and pastors.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
23 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Gordon J. Wenham
47 books26 followersGordon J. Wenham was a Reformed British Old Testament scholar and writer. He has authored several books about the Bible. Tremper Longman has called him "one of the finest evangelical commentators today."
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 26, 2012
Overall, I found this book extremely insightful and immediately practical. It basically changed my approach to devotional reading to be more “Psalm-centric,” and after reading through the Psalter over the course of last month separately, my wife and I are reading through the Psalms daily together this month. I’ve been particular guilty of neglecting the Psalms, but Wenham’s book has shown me the importance the Psalms have in the Christian life and inspired me to study them more diligently. I would hope if you pick up a copy of this book it would do much the same for you. Though some of the other books in this series can be rather technical in nature, this book is well suited in style, and for the most part in content, for the average reader. It would make a great study for a small group or a church staff, and hopefully many people will do just that!
For the full review, visit my blog
For the full review, visit my blog
June 30, 2016
Excellent! Changed the way I view the Psalms and has given me a lot to think about. I would like to see some of the thoughts in this book further developed and applied to the life of the church.
March 13, 2024
Zu dem Thema könnte man mal promovieren... ;)
February 8, 2022
Helpful in terms of showing what the Psalms intended to achieve.
They were for worship, instruction and also for making clear that man cannot live up to the law; but that one day God will intervene to rectify this.
Most useful is seeing how the Psalms are a reflection of David (mostly) on the Law of the Pentateuch. His reflections are what show human experience; that we recognise the law is good; but that man cannot live up to it.
Thus we live in a world that is confusing and where sin is ever pervasive; the psalms are therefore a tonic to a bewildered soul.
They were for worship, instruction and also for making clear that man cannot live up to the law; but that one day God will intervene to rectify this.
Most useful is seeing how the Psalms are a reflection of David (mostly) on the Law of the Pentateuch. His reflections are what show human experience; that we recognise the law is good; but that man cannot live up to it.
Thus we live in a world that is confusing and where sin is ever pervasive; the psalms are therefore a tonic to a bewildered soul.
April 28, 2020
Very helpful in understanding the role of the Psalms in the life of ancient Israel. Most impactful for me was the realization that it's likely that the Psalms were memorized and regularly sung in worship, ceremonies, and in everyday life (depending on the psalm). It made me consider the question, what if I memorized, sang, and continually meditated on God's word as encouraged in Ps. 1? Thanks for the exhortation Dr. Wenham!
April 17, 2024
Such a helpful book for both study and the use of the Psalms today; privately and in congregational worship.
April 20, 2021
Fascinating and enlightening. One of the work's most original contributions is the notion of how singing and reciting these first-person prayers inculcate the law of God (and its ethic) in the heart of the believer. Wenham's study of the psalms not only provides fresh insights into the connections between the psalter and the Torah, but uncovers the true Old Testament ethic in its deepest form. This ethic of the psalter matches perfectly the New Testament teachings that so depend on the psalms for their arguments, theology, and ethics. It is a noteworthy academic achievement that I heartily recommend to admirers and students of the psalms.
May 12, 2017
Wenham writes with scholarly acumen and evangelical fervor. He writes to serve the church. Each chapter accomplishes specific goals, builds upon when precedes it, and supports what comes after word. His conclusion provided a helpful summary. In addition to serving as a great introduction to the Psalms, Wenham demonstrates their connection with the Pentateuch and their ethical nature.
Here is a summary of the chapters:
#1 - Jewish and Christian approaches to the Psalms: He examines how the Psalms were used in the OT, 2nd Temple Period, NT, by 1st century Jews and Christians moving through the Medieval, Reformation, and modern eras.
#2 – Surveys historic methodologies for Psalm studies. Introduces his tools – reader response criticism, speech act theory, and – most importantly – canonical criticism.
#3 – He makes the case for the Psalms as an anthology to be memorized. This simultaneously criticizes documentary theories of transmission but also demonstrates how memorization ethically transforms us and helps us participate in them.
#4 - He demonstrates how the Psalms are used in prayer. Praying for God to act against unrighteousness assumes that one is aligning oneself with God's standard of righteousness. Praying the Psalms is a commissive act that changes things in a way that listening to them does not.
#5 – Surveys Psalms 1, 19, and 119 to examine how they treat the Law. Also includes a taxonomy (mainly from 119) of different terms used to describe the law. Argues that Ps 19 and 119 are laments and thus ask God to act, especially to change them and help them conform to his statutes.
# 6 – Examines the 10 commandments and how they are depicted in the Psalter.
# 7 – Examines Psalm 104, 105, 106, and 78 and how they portray the narrative of the Pentateuch.
# 8 – Examines concepts of virtue and vice (the "righteous" and "the wicked") in the Psalms. Draws Parallels between Ps 18/53 and Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah.
# 9 – Argues that the imprecatory Psalms are dependent upon the talionic principle (punishment fits the crime), trust God for vengeance (rather than self-vengeance), and insist that God does act in situations where he seems to not be acting. Praying these Psalms convicts the one praying them of the plight of the poor/orphan/widow and beckons one to examine ways in which he/she is also complicit in injustice. He deftly asserts that rejection of the imprecatory Psalms is allowing Marcion to have authoritative word on the Psalms than Jesus
# 10 – Observes how the Psalms inform NT ethics. Particularly interesting were the parallels of Ps 34 in 1 Peter.
Here is a summary of the chapters:
#1 - Jewish and Christian approaches to the Psalms: He examines how the Psalms were used in the OT, 2nd Temple Period, NT, by 1st century Jews and Christians moving through the Medieval, Reformation, and modern eras.
#2 – Surveys historic methodologies for Psalm studies. Introduces his tools – reader response criticism, speech act theory, and – most importantly – canonical criticism.
#3 – He makes the case for the Psalms as an anthology to be memorized. This simultaneously criticizes documentary theories of transmission but also demonstrates how memorization ethically transforms us and helps us participate in them.
#4 - He demonstrates how the Psalms are used in prayer. Praying for God to act against unrighteousness assumes that one is aligning oneself with God's standard of righteousness. Praying the Psalms is a commissive act that changes things in a way that listening to them does not.
#5 – Surveys Psalms 1, 19, and 119 to examine how they treat the Law. Also includes a taxonomy (mainly from 119) of different terms used to describe the law. Argues that Ps 19 and 119 are laments and thus ask God to act, especially to change them and help them conform to his statutes.
# 6 – Examines the 10 commandments and how they are depicted in the Psalter.
# 7 – Examines Psalm 104, 105, 106, and 78 and how they portray the narrative of the Pentateuch.
# 8 – Examines concepts of virtue and vice (the "righteous" and "the wicked") in the Psalms. Draws Parallels between Ps 18/53 and Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah.
# 9 – Argues that the imprecatory Psalms are dependent upon the talionic principle (punishment fits the crime), trust God for vengeance (rather than self-vengeance), and insist that God does act in situations where he seems to not be acting. Praying these Psalms convicts the one praying them of the plight of the poor/orphan/widow and beckons one to examine ways in which he/she is also complicit in injustice. He deftly asserts that rejection of the imprecatory Psalms is allowing Marcion to have authoritative word on the Psalms than Jesus
# 10 – Observes how the Psalms inform NT ethics. Particularly interesting were the parallels of Ps 34 in 1 Peter.
April 1, 2019
If you have ever thought of the Psalms as mysterious, you are not alone. The structure and the content of the Psalms can mystify. While no one would quibble over the majesty of passages like:
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” (Ps 19:1-2 ESV)
But what do you make of:“O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!” (Ps 137:8-9)
Postmodern readers are unlikely to hear such passages advocating child smashing as anything less than praying for God to commit war crimes. So, the Psalms clearly mystify us.
Introduction
Gordon J. Wenham’s Psalms as Torah: Reading Biblical Song Ethically sets forth these objectives:
“It is the ethic taught by the liturgy of the Old Testament, the Psalter, that is the focus of this book. The psalms were sung in the first and second temples, and in the subsequent two millennia they have been reused in the prayers of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian church. As we will see, the psalms have much to say about behavior, about what actions please God and what he hates, so that anyone praying them is simultaneously being taught an ethic.” (1-2)
Wenham goes on to explain:
“This book, then, is an attempt to begin to deal with a blind spot in current biblical and theological thinking. I have called it Psalms as Torah out of my conviction that the psalms were and are vehicles not only of worship but also of instruction, which is the fundamental meaning of Torah, otherwise rendered ‘law’. From the very first psalm, the Psalter presents itself as a second Torah, divided into five books like the Pentateuch, and it invited its readers to meditate on them day and night, just as Joshua was told to meditate on the law of Moses (Ps 1.2; Josh 1:8).” (7)
This relationship between the Psalms and the Pentateuch proved interesting to me and motivated my purchase of this book.
Background and Organization
Gordon J. Wenham studied Old Testament (OT) at Cambridge University and has worked also at King's College London, Harvard University, and in Jerusalem at the Ecole Biblique and the Hebrew University. He is the author of OT commentaries on Genesis, Leviticus, and numbers, and several other theology books.
Wenham writes in ten chapters:
1. Jewish and Christian Approaches to the Psalms
2. Critical Approaches to the Psalms
3. The Psalter as an Anthology to be Memorized
4. The Unique Claims of Prayed Ethics
5. The Concept of the Law in the Psalms
6. Laws in the Psalter
7. Narrative Law in the Psalter
8. Virtues and vices in the Psalter
9. Appeals for Divine Intervention
10. The Ethic of the Psalms and the New Testament (vii)
These chapters are preceded by several prefaces and an introduction. They are followed by conclusions, a bibliography, and several indices.
Memorizing the Psalms
A key insight that Wenham offers is the effect of memorization and putting the Psalms to music on ethical teaching. In my own case, I can remember memorizing Psalm 23 and Psalm 100 many times through the years, even in different languages, and I prayed Psalm 8 daily as a centering prayer for about 10 years. I used to joke, be careful what songs you sing because once you get Alzheimer’s, they are the last thing that you forget—you don’t want to leave this world singing the Oscar Mayer Wiener jiggle!
Wenham notes that many Psalms are written in the first person. Repeating such psalms in prayer or song accordingly is like repeating a vow before God, yourself, and others. He writes:
“If we praise a certain type of behavior in our prayers, we are telling God that this is how we intend to behave. On the other hand, if in prayer we denounce certain acts and pray for God to punish them, we are in effect inviting God to judge us if we do the same. This makes the ethics of liturgy uniquely powerful. It makes a stronger claim on the believer than either law, wisdom, or story, which are simply subject to passive reception: one can listen to a proverb or a story and then take it or leave it, but if you pray ethically, you commit yourself to a path of action.” (57)
Because many of us grew up singing hymns and liturgy inspired by Psalms, this tradition helped insulate us from less reflective and negative influences that seem so pervasive today—it’s not just the Oscar Mayer Wiener commercials.
Assessment
In part 1 of this review, I have given an overview of Wenham’s argument. In part 2, I will look more closely at some of his arguments, especially the innovative form that law takes when presented in the Psalter. I will also go over his view on the precatory psalms, such as Psalm 137 cited above. To read part 2, check out T2Pneuma.net.
Gordon Wenham’s Psalms as Torah: Reading Biblical Song Ethically is an unusually clear guide to reading and understanding the Psalms, which should be interesting to any serious believer wanting to deepen their faith. I suspect that scholars will be citing this work for a long time.
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” (Ps 19:1-2 ESV)
But what do you make of:“O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!” (Ps 137:8-9)
Postmodern readers are unlikely to hear such passages advocating child smashing as anything less than praying for God to commit war crimes. So, the Psalms clearly mystify us.
Introduction
Gordon J. Wenham’s Psalms as Torah: Reading Biblical Song Ethically sets forth these objectives:
“It is the ethic taught by the liturgy of the Old Testament, the Psalter, that is the focus of this book. The psalms were sung in the first and second temples, and in the subsequent two millennia they have been reused in the prayers of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian church. As we will see, the psalms have much to say about behavior, about what actions please God and what he hates, so that anyone praying them is simultaneously being taught an ethic.” (1-2)
Wenham goes on to explain:
“This book, then, is an attempt to begin to deal with a blind spot in current biblical and theological thinking. I have called it Psalms as Torah out of my conviction that the psalms were and are vehicles not only of worship but also of instruction, which is the fundamental meaning of Torah, otherwise rendered ‘law’. From the very first psalm, the Psalter presents itself as a second Torah, divided into five books like the Pentateuch, and it invited its readers to meditate on them day and night, just as Joshua was told to meditate on the law of Moses (Ps 1.2; Josh 1:8).” (7)
This relationship between the Psalms and the Pentateuch proved interesting to me and motivated my purchase of this book.
Background and Organization
Gordon J. Wenham studied Old Testament (OT) at Cambridge University and has worked also at King's College London, Harvard University, and in Jerusalem at the Ecole Biblique and the Hebrew University. He is the author of OT commentaries on Genesis, Leviticus, and numbers, and several other theology books.
Wenham writes in ten chapters:
1. Jewish and Christian Approaches to the Psalms
2. Critical Approaches to the Psalms
3. The Psalter as an Anthology to be Memorized
4. The Unique Claims of Prayed Ethics
5. The Concept of the Law in the Psalms
6. Laws in the Psalter
7. Narrative Law in the Psalter
8. Virtues and vices in the Psalter
9. Appeals for Divine Intervention
10. The Ethic of the Psalms and the New Testament (vii)
These chapters are preceded by several prefaces and an introduction. They are followed by conclusions, a bibliography, and several indices.
Memorizing the Psalms
A key insight that Wenham offers is the effect of memorization and putting the Psalms to music on ethical teaching. In my own case, I can remember memorizing Psalm 23 and Psalm 100 many times through the years, even in different languages, and I prayed Psalm 8 daily as a centering prayer for about 10 years. I used to joke, be careful what songs you sing because once you get Alzheimer’s, they are the last thing that you forget—you don’t want to leave this world singing the Oscar Mayer Wiener jiggle!
Wenham notes that many Psalms are written in the first person. Repeating such psalms in prayer or song accordingly is like repeating a vow before God, yourself, and others. He writes:
“If we praise a certain type of behavior in our prayers, we are telling God that this is how we intend to behave. On the other hand, if in prayer we denounce certain acts and pray for God to punish them, we are in effect inviting God to judge us if we do the same. This makes the ethics of liturgy uniquely powerful. It makes a stronger claim on the believer than either law, wisdom, or story, which are simply subject to passive reception: one can listen to a proverb or a story and then take it or leave it, but if you pray ethically, you commit yourself to a path of action.” (57)
Because many of us grew up singing hymns and liturgy inspired by Psalms, this tradition helped insulate us from less reflective and negative influences that seem so pervasive today—it’s not just the Oscar Mayer Wiener commercials.
Assessment
In part 1 of this review, I have given an overview of Wenham’s argument. In part 2, I will look more closely at some of his arguments, especially the innovative form that law takes when presented in the Psalter. I will also go over his view on the precatory psalms, such as Psalm 137 cited above. To read part 2, check out T2Pneuma.net.
Gordon Wenham’s Psalms as Torah: Reading Biblical Song Ethically is an unusually clear guide to reading and understanding the Psalms, which should be interesting to any serious believer wanting to deepen their faith. I suspect that scholars will be citing this work for a long time.
September 16, 2020
Even though my graduate program was centered on the Hebrew Bible, I’ve always had a strong dislike of the Psalms (and, therefore, avoided them). Over the past few months (i.e. Quarantide), I’ve tried to rectify that. I’ve read through the Psalter a few times and then read books on the Psalms by Walter Brueggemann, C.S. Lewis, N.T. Wright, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Eugene Peterson.
Of the books I’ve read, this is definitely the best one. It has changed the way I look at Psalms. Since the time of Gunkel (late 1800s-early 1900s), scholars have been obsessed with identifying the genre of the Psalms. The headings are trashed and the psalms are treated individually.
Wenham takes more of a canonical approach. He sees the Psalms as a post-exilic collection that was specifically ordered with purpose. The headings, while probably ahistorical, give us insight to how the editors interpreted the Psalms. The psalms are not treated individually but as a neighbor to the surrounding the psalms, as part of a small collection (Psalms of David, Psalms of Korah, Psalms of Ascents, etc.), and as part of the overall Psalter. Wenham argues that this 5-book collection was supposed to be a second Torah, inviting its readers to daily reflection (cf. Ps 1). Furthermore, he argues that the organization of the Psalms was intended as an aid for memorization. In early Judaism and Christianity, memorization of the Psalms was considered essential. Like pop songs, they’d be in the reciter’s head as he/she went about their daily business. Finally, he argues that if early Jews and Christians were so intimate with the Psalms, then they likely extracted their ethics from the Psalms.
This book has caused me to attempt to memorize some of the Psalms, read them more frequently, and treat them more seriously. I do feel that the book loses a bit of steam in the chapters that detail the ethics present in the Psalms, but overall it was a great read.
Of the books I’ve read, this is definitely the best one. It has changed the way I look at Psalms. Since the time of Gunkel (late 1800s-early 1900s), scholars have been obsessed with identifying the genre of the Psalms. The headings are trashed and the psalms are treated individually.
Wenham takes more of a canonical approach. He sees the Psalms as a post-exilic collection that was specifically ordered with purpose. The headings, while probably ahistorical, give us insight to how the editors interpreted the Psalms. The psalms are not treated individually but as a neighbor to the surrounding the psalms, as part of a small collection (Psalms of David, Psalms of Korah, Psalms of Ascents, etc.), and as part of the overall Psalter. Wenham argues that this 5-book collection was supposed to be a second Torah, inviting its readers to daily reflection (cf. Ps 1). Furthermore, he argues that the organization of the Psalms was intended as an aid for memorization. In early Judaism and Christianity, memorization of the Psalms was considered essential. Like pop songs, they’d be in the reciter’s head as he/she went about their daily business. Finally, he argues that if early Jews and Christians were so intimate with the Psalms, then they likely extracted their ethics from the Psalms.
This book has caused me to attempt to memorize some of the Psalms, read them more frequently, and treat them more seriously. I do feel that the book loses a bit of steam in the chapters that detail the ethics present in the Psalms, but overall it was a great read.
February 21, 2021
A delightful book that is easy and quick to read but full of meat for thoughtful consideration. He attempts to show just how much law and ethics are in the background or foreground of the Psalms. Especially challenging is his chapter on how singing or praying the Psalms invites us to become ethical participants in the content of the Psalms. I also appreciate his chapter on the canonical structure of the Psalms.
October 1, 2017
I read this last year for a Psalms class as extra reading. Wenham reads the Psalms through the lens of Torah and shows convincingly that Torah is all through the Psalms, both explicitly and implicitly. Because the Psalms are supposed to be meditated upon, as well as prayed and sung within a corporate setting, they have a character-forming and community-shaping heft to them that reading the commands of the Torah quietly to one's self does not. The Psalms are the way God's law gets written on the heart and conscience; how they become part of who a person is. Of course this all assumes that the Psalms are actually sung and prayed privately and corporately, both practices which are not common in modern evangelical churches. I recommend this book not only for the material presented but also for the process Wenham uses to read the Psalms through a specific lens or from a certain vantage point. Its not the only vantage point, of course, but it is an aspect that enriches one's understanding of the Psalms and, if put into practice, one's own spiritual life. I would love to see him do this again, in a volume called Psalms as Prophecy, and/or Psalms as Wisdom.
September 27, 2017
Though in a few sections slightly half-baked, Wenham does a great job presenting a concisely comprehensive picture for the ethical thrust of the psalter. His section on how the psalter formed much of the ethical basis of the New Testament is worth the price of the entire book. However, I would recommend his Reclaiming the Psalter over this volume.
December 28, 2021
A deep dive into reading the Psalms ethically. Wenham’s thesis is that the Psalms model the structure of the Torah and since Torah means instruction or law, then the Psalms are kind of a 2nd law that should be put into practice. My biggest take away from this book is that if we pray the Psalms, then we should practice what the Psalm is saying.
December 13, 2019
Amazing.
October 4, 2024
It's alright. A helpful summary of some of the views through the ages but not very rigorous dealing with key debates. Disappointingly almost entirely Jesus-less.
March 8, 2025
Insightful and thought-provoking and well worth reading!
March 13, 2025
Excellent discussion of ethics and Torah in the Psalms. I especially loved Wenham's comments on speech-act theory and reciting the Psalms!
Read
March 28, 2025“When you pray a psalm, you are describing what actions you will take and what you will avoid. It is more like taking an oath or making a vow.”, p. 65
May 18, 2015
This volume is excellent, and draws attention to an oft overlooked area of study, the ethics of the Psalms. Rather than creating a systematic presentation of the Psalms' ethics, Wenham first draws attention to the kind of claims the Psalms make on a reader/reciter/worshiper. Here he connects speech act theory and liturgy, and asserts that the reciter of the Psalms is inherently committing himself or herself to the claims the text makes about God, the world, humanity, etc. Thus, the Psalms exercise an active claim upon the life of those who pray/read/recite them, which sets them apart from other types of literature in the OT, such as the Law.
Wenham explicitly treats the ethics of the Psalms in four large chapters: one on the Law in the Psalms, another on narrative law in the Psalms, a third on virtue and vices (as seen through the characterizations of the wicked and righteous), and appeals for divine intervention. There is also a final chapter on the ethics of the Psalter and the NT, in which Wenham draws out how the norms of the Psalter underlie the commands and admonitions of several key NT texts.
This volume will be helpful for anyone interested in OT ethics, and the study of the Psalms. As a note, Wenham reads the Psalter canonically and pays attention to the intentional shaping and arrangement of its five books. Reading the Psalter thusly is a current trend in the study of the Psalms, yet not all scholars subscribe to it. Wenham does not seek to prove the merits of this kind of reading-he simply utilizes it-so do not expect a careful demonstration of the Psalter's canonical form (for that, consult the work of Gerald Wilson and J. Clinton McCann). I do not think his study stands or falls on that way of reading, but those who lean more steeply towards form-critical methods of studying the Psalms will probably be disappointed that Wenham does not interact with the forms and "life-settings" of the Psalms.
Wenham explicitly treats the ethics of the Psalms in four large chapters: one on the Law in the Psalms, another on narrative law in the Psalms, a third on virtue and vices (as seen through the characterizations of the wicked and righteous), and appeals for divine intervention. There is also a final chapter on the ethics of the Psalter and the NT, in which Wenham draws out how the norms of the Psalter underlie the commands and admonitions of several key NT texts.
This volume will be helpful for anyone interested in OT ethics, and the study of the Psalms. As a note, Wenham reads the Psalter canonically and pays attention to the intentional shaping and arrangement of its five books. Reading the Psalter thusly is a current trend in the study of the Psalms, yet not all scholars subscribe to it. Wenham does not seek to prove the merits of this kind of reading-he simply utilizes it-so do not expect a careful demonstration of the Psalter's canonical form (for that, consult the work of Gerald Wilson and J. Clinton McCann). I do not think his study stands or falls on that way of reading, but those who lean more steeply towards form-critical methods of studying the Psalms will probably be disappointed that Wenham does not interact with the forms and "life-settings" of the Psalms.
January 7, 2016
Dieses Buch begann ich zu lesen um mehr über das Thema: "Das Auswendiglernen der Psalmen" zu erfahren. Wegnahm hat diesem Thema ein ganzes Kapitel gewidmet. In früheren Zeiten war es normal, dass Juden den ganzen Psalter auswendig lernten. Die Art und Weise, wie die Psalmen geschrieben und wie sie zusammengefügt wurden, lassen diesen Rückschluss zu.
Darüber hinaus habe ich jedoch viele weitere wertvolle Dinge erfahren. Ziel des Autors ist es, die Rolle der Psalmen für die jüdische und christliche Ethik darzustellen. Dazu beleuchtet er verschiedene Aspekte. Besonders das Kapitel "Die Psalmen und ihre Beziehung zum Gesetz", in welchem der Autor eingängig Psalm 119 betrachtet, hat mir gut gefallen.
Ingesamt ist das Buch wissenschaftlich geschrieben, was mich aber nicht gestört hat. Jeder der die Psalmen liebt und mehr über sie lernen will, wird von diesem Buch profitieren.
Darüber hinaus habe ich jedoch viele weitere wertvolle Dinge erfahren. Ziel des Autors ist es, die Rolle der Psalmen für die jüdische und christliche Ethik darzustellen. Dazu beleuchtet er verschiedene Aspekte. Besonders das Kapitel "Die Psalmen und ihre Beziehung zum Gesetz", in welchem der Autor eingängig Psalm 119 betrachtet, hat mir gut gefallen.
Ingesamt ist das Buch wissenschaftlich geschrieben, was mich aber nicht gestört hat. Jeder der die Psalmen liebt und mehr über sie lernen will, wird von diesem Buch profitieren.
September 21, 2013
Wenham makes the case that the Psalter should play a greater role in Christian worship. He opens with a historical survey that demonstrates the Psalms played this important role during much of Jewish and Christian history, and he believes it is vital to the health of the church to recover this practice. He specifically argues that the Psalter was intended to be memorized and sung. From this foundation Wenham explores the ethical implications that singing the Psalms has. Singing the Psalms engages the worshipper in affirmations about God and commitments to his ways. This leads Wenham to examine the Psalter's teaching about the law as well as the presence of law within the Psalter. This book is both thought provoking and is persuasive for giving the Psalms a greater role in our worship.
August 4, 2016
Having discovered through daily reading of the Psalms that the Psalter is filled with teachings on the ethics of following God and His word, I stumbled across this title and thought it might be helpful. And it is. Most of all it laid out the case for the prominent use of the Psalms in our liturgy - a practice I am particularly concerned about in my personal worship setting.
April 9, 2012
A sequel of sorts to 'Story and Torah'. Solid and definitely one to return to for study. The Canonical reading of the Psalms is most attractive, and the idea that the book is arranged to aid memorisation also convincing as well as challenging!!
January 27, 2015
Rarely do I give a book 5 stars, but Wenham navigates the technical aspects by showing its ethical life. A fresh oasis compared to many dry academic ventures.
February 19, 2021
Better for a theological study of Psalms then devotional.
May 1, 2017
Good but a bit cursory.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews