What do you think?
Rate this book
Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis
Interpreting the Psalms: An Exegetical Handbook by Futato, Mark D. [Kregel Academic & Professional, 2007] (Paperback) [Paperback]
Interpreting the An Exegetical Handbook by Futato, Mark D. [Kregel Ac...
Paperback
First published August 17, 2007
15 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 7, 2019
Excelente livro! Mt útil na interpretação desse livro tão amado pelos cristãos!
Destaco o capítulo 2, que traz um esquema muito interessante da forma como foram compilados os salmos e a maneira como a sequência dos 5 livros contém uma mensagem impactante para nós.
Recomendo!
Destaco o capítulo 2, que traz um esquema muito interessante da forma como foram compilados os salmos e a maneira como a sequência dos 5 livros contém uma mensagem impactante para nós.
Recomendo!
May 17, 2017
"Handbook" is the perfect term for this. Ideal for knowing what the psalms are, what they do, and how they do it. Styles, techniques, images, themes, structure, their place in the whole canon of scripture - it's all there.
Despite being a brilliant technical handbook, the writer's voice is very accessible, and Futato clearly values the preaching and devotional use of the psalms above all else. Interestingly, his go-to translation throughout is the NLT, so accessibility is clearly key!
If you're going to be regularly teaching the psalms, get this on your shelf.
Despite being a brilliant technical handbook, the writer's voice is very accessible, and Futato clearly values the preaching and devotional use of the psalms above all else. Interestingly, his go-to translation throughout is the NLT, so accessibility is clearly key!
If you're going to be regularly teaching the psalms, get this on your shelf.
March 1, 2019
Uma ferramenta fantástica pra interpretar os Salmos!
February 18, 2023
A serviceable introduction to the study of psalms, much of which I think is too taken up with pointless questions. I'm not convinced genre distinctions within the psalms are anywhere near as helpful for interpretation as so many people seem to think. Nor am I convinced that there is a detailed theological outline to the arrangement of the psalms, which is a point Futato spends quite a long time belaboring (about a third of the book).
More helpful is his discussion of Hebrew poetics, though there's nothing here I haven't seen laid out better somewhere else (e.g., Robert Alter's The Art of Biblical Poetry). But the final two chapters, which set out a methodology for teaching/preaching the psalms, is worth reading.
I was a little frustrated with how he handled mythopoeic imagery in the Psalms. The biblical Chaoskampf motif is something I've spent the last couple of years studying, and I don't think it can be boiled down to mere imagery. Nor do I think, for theological reasons, it can be tied to the doctrine of creation, even if it is only imagery. Eric Ortlund's treatment of the subject in Piercing Leviathan represents a much better way of approaching the subject.
More helpful is his discussion of Hebrew poetics, though there's nothing here I haven't seen laid out better somewhere else (e.g., Robert Alter's The Art of Biblical Poetry). But the final two chapters, which set out a methodology for teaching/preaching the psalms, is worth reading.
I was a little frustrated with how he handled mythopoeic imagery in the Psalms. The biblical Chaoskampf motif is something I've spent the last couple of years studying, and I don't think it can be boiled down to mere imagery. Nor do I think, for theological reasons, it can be tied to the doctrine of creation, even if it is only imagery. Eric Ortlund's treatment of the subject in Piercing Leviathan represents a much better way of approaching the subject.
December 9, 2024
High points: this is perhaps the greatest introduction to Hebrew poetry that I’ve read. Futato I think rightly shows that our understanding of Hebrew poetry is essential to a right interpretation of the psalms and displays how Hebrew poetry is drastically different than that of English poetry.
Low points: the insistence of the use of his 5 categories. I found the categories to be helpful, but general and non comprehensive. It feels hard to assert that they sufficiently encompass the entire book of psalms. Though I confess SOME of these categories are obvious, I’m not convinced that these 5 are the only 5, nor that all of the psalms even naturally fit into one of these 5 categories.
Low points: the insistence of the use of his 5 categories. I found the categories to be helpful, but general and non comprehensive. It feels hard to assert that they sufficiently encompass the entire book of psalms. Though I confess SOME of these categories are obvious, I’m not convinced that these 5 are the only 5, nor that all of the psalms even naturally fit into one of these 5 categories.
July 4, 2023
4.5 stars
Required reading for a class. Easy to follow, very readable. Even though I have grown up reading the Psalms, I haven’t had much instruction on how to teach from them or even how to better understand them. If you are teaching on the Psalms, I would recommend this book as a good resource.
Required reading for a class. Easy to follow, very readable. Even though I have grown up reading the Psalms, I haven’t had much instruction on how to teach from them or even how to better understand them. If you are teaching on the Psalms, I would recommend this book as a good resource.
November 3, 2023
Insightful in many ways, but it also misses the mark in other key ones.
December 28, 2011
Part of the new Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis series, Mark D. Futato’s Interpreting the Psalms fills an important place on the shelf of the serious Bible student. Explaining and building on foundational principles, Futato takes the reader beyond a simplistic explanation of Hebrew poetry. He incorporates the results of current scholarship as he helps the reader unfold the meaning of the Psalms.
Futato’s interpretation of the Psalms is non-traditional, but valuable. He presents and defends his position that the primary purpose of the Psalms is instruction, not worship. The first two psalms form an introduction to the book. Psalm 1 presents the main purpose: the way of blessing (contrasted against the ungodly way) hinges on the Law (torah) of God. Psalm 2 sums up the main message: the Lord is king!
Building on this foundation, Futato lists and describes some of the overarching themes of Psalms and provides thematic categories for contextual interpretation. His emphasis on interpreting the Psalms in context covers all levels: historical, book, category and whole-Bible. Throughout this handbook, Futato repeatedly teaches contextual interpretation.
The book ends with an example: Futato practices what he teaches. The final chapter is an excellent exposition of the 29th psalm. Throughout the book, but in this chapter especially, I gleaned not only principles and concepts but also many insightful exegetical details.
I found Interpreting the Psalms to be very helpful and instructional. However, I recommend it with a caveat. Mythopoeic language is an recurring topic in this book. Futato points out similarities between phrases used in Psalms and phrases used in other ancient Near East literature. In the last chapter, he allows that Psalm 29 may be a re-written song to Ba’al. Though suggestions like that are common in scholarship today, I’m a bit edgy around such claims. I’m certain that the Lord is greater than Ba’al and any other eastern deity, but I’m not convinced that David would take a pagan hymn and change the name at the top to “Yahweh.”
Beyond those disclaimers, I enjoyed and benefited from Interpreting the Psalms. In my opinion, it would make an excellent textbook for a seminary class on the Psalms or a valuable resource for a pastor in the ministry.
Futato’s interpretation of the Psalms is non-traditional, but valuable. He presents and defends his position that the primary purpose of the Psalms is instruction, not worship. The first two psalms form an introduction to the book. Psalm 1 presents the main purpose: the way of blessing (contrasted against the ungodly way) hinges on the Law (torah) of God. Psalm 2 sums up the main message: the Lord is king!
Building on this foundation, Futato lists and describes some of the overarching themes of Psalms and provides thematic categories for contextual interpretation. His emphasis on interpreting the Psalms in context covers all levels: historical, book, category and whole-Bible. Throughout this handbook, Futato repeatedly teaches contextual interpretation.
The book ends with an example: Futato practices what he teaches. The final chapter is an excellent exposition of the 29th psalm. Throughout the book, but in this chapter especially, I gleaned not only principles and concepts but also many insightful exegetical details.
I found Interpreting the Psalms to be very helpful and instructional. However, I recommend it with a caveat. Mythopoeic language is an recurring topic in this book. Futato points out similarities between phrases used in Psalms and phrases used in other ancient Near East literature. In the last chapter, he allows that Psalm 29 may be a re-written song to Ba’al. Though suggestions like that are common in scholarship today, I’m a bit edgy around such claims. I’m certain that the Lord is greater than Ba’al and any other eastern deity, but I’m not convinced that David would take a pagan hymn and change the name at the top to “Yahweh.”
Beyond those disclaimers, I enjoyed and benefited from Interpreting the Psalms. In my opinion, it would make an excellent textbook for a seminary class on the Psalms or a valuable resource for a pastor in the ministry.
August 31, 2018
A helpful introductory handbook to the psalms, designed particularly for preachers and teachers, and written by someone with an obvious love for Christ and his people. Although I've been happily interpreting the psalms for 11 years, and didn't agree with all of Futato's perspectives, this was still a very profitable read.
The first (and most helpful) half of the book covers the groundwork for exegeting the psalms, looking at the form of Hebrew poetry (structure, imagery, parallelism), the overall message and movement of the psalms, and different psalm categories. For Futato, "the book of Psalms is an instruction manual for living a truly happy life," which is ultimately experienced eschatologically in Christ, with many of the psalms wrestling with the apparent lack of blessedness given the promise of Psalm 1 and the reign described in Psalm 2. Within this overall picture, he shows how different categories function, and how within each category each psalm can be seen as "being spoken by Christ and as speaking about Christ."
Futato has clearly spent a lot of time in the psalms and distills a lot of knowledge into a short space. It's worth adding that he works from Hebrew, with translation, so a knowledge of the original language is an asset but not essential.
The second part of the book outlines a four-part sermon preparation process, before showing a worked example with Psalm 29. I appreciated Futato's concern for good psalms preaching, but I found this section of the book less helpful. Rather than the chapter on Psalm 29, I would have preferred more worked examples in the earlier part of the book, with a view to sermon preparation. But for some preachers, there may be more value in Futato's design.
Overall, a valuable addition to a preacher's bookshelf, and it would make a great gift to a younger preacher who's made a good start but wants to go deeper.
The first (and most helpful) half of the book covers the groundwork for exegeting the psalms, looking at the form of Hebrew poetry (structure, imagery, parallelism), the overall message and movement of the psalms, and different psalm categories. For Futato, "the book of Psalms is an instruction manual for living a truly happy life," which is ultimately experienced eschatologically in Christ, with many of the psalms wrestling with the apparent lack of blessedness given the promise of Psalm 1 and the reign described in Psalm 2. Within this overall picture, he shows how different categories function, and how within each category each psalm can be seen as "being spoken by Christ and as speaking about Christ."
Futato has clearly spent a lot of time in the psalms and distills a lot of knowledge into a short space. It's worth adding that he works from Hebrew, with translation, so a knowledge of the original language is an asset but not essential.
The second part of the book outlines a four-part sermon preparation process, before showing a worked example with Psalm 29. I appreciated Futato's concern for good psalms preaching, but I found this section of the book less helpful. Rather than the chapter on Psalm 29, I would have preferred more worked examples in the earlier part of the book, with a view to sermon preparation. But for some preachers, there may be more value in Futato's design.
Overall, a valuable addition to a preacher's bookshelf, and it would make a great gift to a younger preacher who's made a good start but wants to go deeper.
July 23, 2020
I picked this book up because I thought it would help deepen my understanding of Hebrew poetry. It surely did that but taught me much more as well.
Mark Furtato, a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, wrote the book as a guide to sound exegesis and interpretation of the Psalms. He begins with the offering the reader a skill set for interpreting Hebrew poetry which is useful for much more than the Psalms, then moves to a chapter describing how the whole of the Psalms are arranged for a specific purpose. I found this chapter to be quite enlightening.
His third chapter, covering the historicity and textual criticism as applied to the Psalms is rather academic, but not out of place for his task. The set of resources with which he ends this chapter is quite useful for a student of the Psalms.
His fourth chapter on the categories of the Psalms and how to recognize them was quite helpful. His final two chapters on proclaiming the Psalms and practicing its principles will be most useful for exegetes, though helpful to any student of the Psalms.
In short, a clear, readable and useful tool in deepening understanding of the Psalms for any student of the Bible.
Mark Furtato, a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, wrote the book as a guide to sound exegesis and interpretation of the Psalms. He begins with the offering the reader a skill set for interpreting Hebrew poetry which is useful for much more than the Psalms, then moves to a chapter describing how the whole of the Psalms are arranged for a specific purpose. I found this chapter to be quite enlightening.
His third chapter, covering the historicity and textual criticism as applied to the Psalms is rather academic, but not out of place for his task. The set of resources with which he ends this chapter is quite useful for a student of the Psalms.
His fourth chapter on the categories of the Psalms and how to recognize them was quite helpful. His final two chapters on proclaiming the Psalms and practicing its principles will be most useful for exegetes, though helpful to any student of the Psalms.
In short, a clear, readable and useful tool in deepening understanding of the Psalms for any student of the Bible.
July 13, 2021
Great discussion on various aspects of Hebrew poetry. Useful discussion on the important relationship between images and affections (bonus points for quoting Athanasius to Marcellinus!). I really appreciated his addressing and regular pointing out of mythopoeic elements in some of psalms.
Futato did really well in framing the Psalms as an "instruction manual" towards the "happy" (importantly, not in the modern sense) life, which is the holy life (59-72), under the reign of God the King, as we wait for God's coming King.
His chapter on interpretation (117-37) provides a smattering of resources on things like text criticism, theology, and the literary shape of the Psalms.
Really helpful for those who want a better grasp on how to preach the gift that is the Book of Psalms.
Futato did really well in framing the Psalms as an "instruction manual" towards the "happy" (importantly, not in the modern sense) life, which is the holy life (59-72), under the reign of God the King, as we wait for God's coming King.
His chapter on interpretation (117-37) provides a smattering of resources on things like text criticism, theology, and the literary shape of the Psalms.
Really helpful for those who want a better grasp on how to preach the gift that is the Book of Psalms.
November 24, 2021
This was a great introduction for working with the psalms. I’m impressed by the scope and helpfulness of this book. I have read so many books where I learn a lot but am left with questions and have to read another book to answer those questions. This book made me feel that I could legitimately work with the psalms and feel informed on how to do that. I thought his introduction was sufficient and well informed. Overall, I would highly recommend this book for anyone, layman and budding scholar alike, for an introduction into Hebrew psalms
April 5, 2023
Dr. Mark Futato's book is very well written and easy to follow. The reader can use the steps on any psalm to heighten their own study. His use of the original Hebrew words and their definitions ensures that translations are suitable. He also gives detailed examples that enable the reader to firmly grasp their own exegesis. By the end of the book, the reader has a better foundation on which to do exegesis and a more confident ability to do so.
March 12, 2025
An insightful introduction to the Psalms. The method Futato follows in his introduction provides one with the sufficient tools to tackle an expository teaching on the psalms. Some of the wording was unclear, but overall this was a wonderful book to whet your appetite for more “meaty” commentaries as well as for the content of the Psalms themselves.
March 27, 2019
Good intro to interpretation of the psalms. Great help in understanding poetic devices of the ancient near east, hebrew grammar, and the use of mythopoeic imagery in the psalms. Gives a framework for exegesis and exposition
October 24, 2019
Intro to exegesis in the Psalms/Biblical poetry and geared toward people with specifically preaching positions. A bit simplistic, I could go with a lot more nuances and digging into the exegetical questions.
August 30, 2021
Undoubtedly I’d have gotten more from this were I to know any Biblical Hebrew. Still, the first and last couple of chapters were very valuable, especially the practical approach to proclaiming a psalm.
March 24, 2022
Very helpful for personal study and preaching. I’m teaching a Sunday School series on the psalms and will continue to go back to this as a solid resource and the many examples he uses throughout. Also, recommends many sources for extended research and study.
July 16, 2022
Love Futato’s obvious passion for the Psalms. I hope this isn’t the last time I study the Psalms— there is more than enough in the Psalter for many lifetimes of study. Will return to this introduction next time around to dig deeper.
March 24, 2023
Great for a lay person. Futato is able to masterfully communicate in a simple way to help the avg reader understand the beauty of the Psalms. However with a liberal use of simplicity comes a loss of complexity.
January 17, 2024
This is excellent reading for anyone who is interested in understanding more about biblical poetry, especially going from exegesis to exposition. Mark Futato expertly balances scholarly prowess and deep devotional significance as he guides the reader on how to read and interpret the Psalms.
June 15, 2017
Great introduction to various interpretative issues in the Psalms. The sections on the characteristics of Hebrew poetry and types of psalms were especially good.
July 4, 2023
An excellent tool for preachers and serious bible students alike. For anyone wanting to grasp the Psalms more, I'd recommend this.
July 23, 2012
If I could I would give this one 3 1/2 stars. There were lots of interesting insights into the Psalms in this handbook, which was written by one of the translators for the NLT. As such, he often presented his case for why the NLT was correct in its translation of a particular passage. At many points I would have preferred for Futato to focus on the HOW TO instead of the WHAT THIS MEANS. "For crying out loud, man, you're teaching me to interpret for myself here!!! So lets get down to brass tacks and learn how to do exegetical work." Many people will not have a problem with this, but I felt that by the time Futato was finished telling me the themes of the psalms and what several of the psalms meant there was little work for me to do. After taking four seminary classes on inductive Bible study, I have high expectations.
On the other hand, I enjoyed most of his insights. Sometimes it got a little dry, but that's the nature of handbooks on exegesis I guess. I've never noticed one hitting the New York Times bestseller's list or winning any awards for engaging writing. Still, he keeps things straightforward and geared towards novice academics...or pastors with some background in Hebrew.
One of my favorite parts of the book is the last section, where he guides students through how to put all the steps together in order to prepare for a sermon and how to go from exegesis to expositional preaching. Very helpful in this regard. I had never understood the difference between expositional and exegetical preaching.
On the other hand, I enjoyed most of his insights. Sometimes it got a little dry, but that's the nature of handbooks on exegesis I guess. I've never noticed one hitting the New York Times bestseller's list or winning any awards for engaging writing. Still, he keeps things straightforward and geared towards novice academics...or pastors with some background in Hebrew.
One of my favorite parts of the book is the last section, where he guides students through how to put all the steps together in order to prepare for a sermon and how to go from exegesis to expositional preaching. Very helpful in this regard. I had never understood the difference between expositional and exegetical preaching.
September 7, 2010
Great book for someone taking an upper level exegetical approach to the Psalms. For nearly the same material presented in a more pastoral format, I would recommend Futato's [Transformed By Praise:].
Futato does an excellent job of managing the scholarship on the Psalms from the last half century, presenting how our understanding of the Psalms continues to deepen with time. The most helpful scholarship is on the meta-structure of the Psalms, looking at the Book's theme(s) as a whole rather than each individual Psalms. Additionally, his section on poetry helps clarify difficulties that previous scholarship presented in regard to parellelism. More immediate than the language of synonymous/antithetic/synthetic parallelism that has been around for a while, he clarifies:"Parallelism is the art of saying something similar in both cola (lines) but with a difference added in the second colon."
Futato does an excellent job of managing the scholarship on the Psalms from the last half century, presenting how our understanding of the Psalms continues to deepen with time. The most helpful scholarship is on the meta-structure of the Psalms, looking at the Book's theme(s) as a whole rather than each individual Psalms. Additionally, his section on poetry helps clarify difficulties that previous scholarship presented in regard to parellelism. More immediate than the language of synonymous/antithetic/synthetic parallelism that has been around for a while, he clarifies:"Parallelism is the art of saying something similar in both cola (lines) but with a difference added in the second colon."
April 15, 2011
Clear and logical introduction. Easy to read. Introduces some basics to Hebrew poetry (without requiring any knowledge of the language), argues that the entire Psalter reflects a deliberate arrangement, helpful analysis of different categories of psalms (lament, praise, thanksgiving, confidence, royal). Dedicates a portion of his chapter on "categories of psalms" to what they tell us about Christ. My only disappointment was that Futato does not carry this Christ-focus, which he argues for in his chapter on categories, into his chapter on preaching the psalms.
December 21, 2012
This book is a great handbook on the book of Psalms. It definitely shaped my understand of the book and will affect the way I read both the book in its entirety and individual Psalms. Futato does an excellent job of communicating the message and shape of the entire book of Psalms. I appreciate that this book is very practical and extremely Christocentric. My opinion is that this book is a must-read for pastors preaching the Psalms as well as all Christians. It will not only affect your reading of Psalms but your day-to-day walk with the Lord.
January 15, 2008
Dr. Futato has written another excellent introduction to the Psalms. This one is part of an academic series aimed at preaching a certain genre of Biblical text, in this case Hebrew poetry. It contains quite a bit of historical, linguistic and technical information, but it is written in such a friendly style that you will hardly realize how much you have learned. Set it next to Tremper Longman's How to Read the Psalms on your bookshelf.
May 19, 2009
Clear, logical, well-written and easy to read. I devoured this book in a few days. Much of the information was not new to me, but Futato's manner of presentation of the material was far superior than any of the other venues which I had been exposed to the information. This book is a great resource for any pastors or laypersons who would like to study and teach the psalms well.
June 3, 2011
Great book on the Psalms. It is a good read and excellent reference for an overall summary of the Book of Psalms. Also commend Futato's RTS Poets lectures which are on Itunes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews