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The New International Commentary on the Old Testament
The Book of Psalms (New International Commentary on the Old Testament
This work by Nancy L. deClaisse-Walford, Rolf Jacobson, and Beth Tanner is the most complete and detailed one-volume commentary available on the Psalms. Significantly, the volume reflects the combined insights of three superior (younger) biblical scholars.
DeClaisse-Walford, Jacobson, and Tanner offer a succinct introduction to the Psalter, a new translation of all the psalms that takes special account of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and individual entries on each psalm unit. Throughout the book they draw on state-of-the-art research on the canonical shape and shaping of the Psalter and evidence a nuanced attention to the poetic nature of the psalms.
DeClaisse-Walford, Jacobson, and Tanner offer a succinct introduction to the Psalter, a new translation of all the psalms that takes special account of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and individual entries on each psalm unit. Throughout the book they draw on state-of-the-art research on the canonical shape and shaping of the Psalter and evidence a nuanced attention to the poetic nature of the psalms.
1080 pages, Hardcover
Published December 12, 2014
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About the author
Nancy L. deClaissé-Walford
18 books3 followersNancy L. deClaissé-Walford (born December 21, 1954) is an American theologian, specialist in the Hebrew language and Biblical studies.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 28, 2016
A more extensive review to follow. In summary, this is an excellent work by three very gifted scholars. There is a wealth of insight into the text, theological reflection, and pastoral application. The authors are sensitive to canonical context and draw attention to connections throughout the Psalter. This commentary is challenging and enriching. My only substantial complaint is that it is at times much too brief—which is probably the result of limitations imposed by the publisher.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
July 14, 2019
This book has a lot of great information in it. It talks about the structure of the Psalms, the authors, and the background of individual Psalms (as much as can be stated by history). It is written by several different authors. It is a commentary and a lengthy one on all 150 of the Psalms. I will say that I did actually enjoy some parts of it. I enjoyed the Psalms of ascent, which were Psalms sung by the ancient Jewish people on their way to the Jewish festivals in Jerusalem. I also enjoyed learning about the Psalms of Passover, which are five Psalms. A couple are sang before the Passover meal, and some are sung afterward. It also does a great job talking about the difficulties of interpreting the texts/translating the text; it talks about the problems with the various translations, which is very interesting to see.
However, this is not a book that I can say that I really enjoyed. It is written in a very dry, monotone way that reminds me of stereo instructions. I had to read this for one of my classes, and I can't count to you the number of times it put me to sleep. It is not a very friendly read. It is best suited as a desk reference for a Pastor. As a Pastor in training, I will not get rid of this book as it is a good book for reference, but I don't recommend it just for a friendly commentary on the Psalms; it is very dry, hard to read, and boring to follow. I give it 2 stars.
However, this is not a book that I can say that I really enjoyed. It is written in a very dry, monotone way that reminds me of stereo instructions. I had to read this for one of my classes, and I can't count to you the number of times it put me to sleep. It is not a very friendly read. It is best suited as a desk reference for a Pastor. As a Pastor in training, I will not get rid of this book as it is a good book for reference, but I don't recommend it just for a friendly commentary on the Psalms; it is very dry, hard to read, and boring to follow. I give it 2 stars.
April 17, 2023
The good:
There is a custom Hebrew translation with insight on the Hebrew meanings. The commentary is concise with a focus on original meaning and historical context. I appreciate that there's minimal modern application. It has a scholarly approach, which I appreciate.
The bad:
The commentary reads strangely as though it is a Jewish commentary on the Psalms and not a Christian one. There is no acknowledgement of the possibility of the prophetic nature of any of the psalms. There is little to no mention of Jesus. New Testament commentary on the Psalms is largely ignored or even EXPRESSLY CONTRADICTED, most notably Jesus' own interpretation of Psalm 82.
There is some dubious scholarship referenced, which sent me on several rabbit holes, most notably theories on Yahweh and the Canaanite gods having common origins. I get the impression that the lure of modern scholarship has caused the authors to prioritize speculative ancient history over the commentary of the apostles themselves.
Despite the contradictions to the New Testament there weren't a huge number of theological red flags, which has me occasionally using it as a resource, but I treat it more like a secular historical reference who's claims need to be carefully assessed.
There is a custom Hebrew translation with insight on the Hebrew meanings. The commentary is concise with a focus on original meaning and historical context. I appreciate that there's minimal modern application. It has a scholarly approach, which I appreciate.
The bad:
The commentary reads strangely as though it is a Jewish commentary on the Psalms and not a Christian one. There is no acknowledgement of the possibility of the prophetic nature of any of the psalms. There is little to no mention of Jesus. New Testament commentary on the Psalms is largely ignored or even EXPRESSLY CONTRADICTED, most notably Jesus' own interpretation of Psalm 82.
There is some dubious scholarship referenced, which sent me on several rabbit holes, most notably theories on Yahweh and the Canaanite gods having common origins. I get the impression that the lure of modern scholarship has caused the authors to prioritize speculative ancient history over the commentary of the apostles themselves.
Despite the contradictions to the New Testament there weren't a huge number of theological red flags, which has me occasionally using it as a resource, but I treat it more like a secular historical reference who's claims need to be carefully assessed.
May 3, 2022
I personally liked this commentary. I found it interesting to explore the psalms through the poetic aspect. I also appreciated the use of “hesed” throughout the commentary — I think it gave me a better grasp of the meaning of the word as well as the hesed of the LORD.
September 13, 2020
A little disappointing. I found that the commentary added very little useful information in my sermon prep. I got much more from Kidner and Spurgeon.
December 3, 2025
Very good commentary.
May 7, 2015
The Book of Psalms has been well served in the world of commentaries of late, and here the venerable New International Commentary series enters the fray. Three scholars, Nancy deClaisse’-Walford, Rolf A. Jacobson, and Beth LaNeel Tanner, combine to give us this 1000-page one-volume commentary.
The target audience ranges from studious pastors to scholars. In this recent spate of commentaries, its niche seems clear. There is a recent fine three-volume set by Allen Ross among others, and this volume appeals to the same audience except offering a more economical option in one volume. This volume attempts to cover the same territory in a more succinct way. Ross would likely be more conservative, though I imagine the depth of three volumes verses the compactness of one volume will be the criteria of choice among purchasers.
The Introduction runs to page 51 and covers key issues well. Pastors will find some parts of it more helpful than others while scholars will delight in it all. Mr. Jacobson writes the bulk of the Introduction (and, as a matter of personal taste, he was my favorite of the three and I found myself agreeing with him more). Settling on the Masoretic Text rather than endless speculations over the elusive “original” is certainly a plus. An easy-to-follow history of approaches to scholarly trends in studying the Psalms was helpful.
Discussion on the Five Books within the Psalms as well as division within the books made sense. Special collections, like the Psalms of Ascent, are discussed in a meaningful way. There is less coverage of Hebrew poetry itself and main theological themes, though what was given I found interesting.
The commentary itself is exegetically satisfying. For reasons not clear to me, only Mr. Jabobson offered us a reflections section on some of the Psalms he covered. Perhaps it would have made the book too large to have it on every Psalm, but I especially enjoyed them. On that point, we can just enjoy what we got.
The writers chose not to translate hesed, which seemed odd to me. “Mercy’ or ‘Loving-kindness” are pretty good English words. Some Psalms seemed a little short in coverage, but, perhaps, that is the cost of covering Psalms in one volume.
Still, this is a fine volume and a worthy counterpart among New International Commentary volumes, and I suspect it will be around for a long time to come.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
The target audience ranges from studious pastors to scholars. In this recent spate of commentaries, its niche seems clear. There is a recent fine three-volume set by Allen Ross among others, and this volume appeals to the same audience except offering a more economical option in one volume. This volume attempts to cover the same territory in a more succinct way. Ross would likely be more conservative, though I imagine the depth of three volumes verses the compactness of one volume will be the criteria of choice among purchasers.
The Introduction runs to page 51 and covers key issues well. Pastors will find some parts of it more helpful than others while scholars will delight in it all. Mr. Jacobson writes the bulk of the Introduction (and, as a matter of personal taste, he was my favorite of the three and I found myself agreeing with him more). Settling on the Masoretic Text rather than endless speculations over the elusive “original” is certainly a plus. An easy-to-follow history of approaches to scholarly trends in studying the Psalms was helpful.
Discussion on the Five Books within the Psalms as well as division within the books made sense. Special collections, like the Psalms of Ascent, are discussed in a meaningful way. There is less coverage of Hebrew poetry itself and main theological themes, though what was given I found interesting.
The commentary itself is exegetically satisfying. For reasons not clear to me, only Mr. Jabobson offered us a reflections section on some of the Psalms he covered. Perhaps it would have made the book too large to have it on every Psalm, but I especially enjoyed them. On that point, we can just enjoy what we got.
The writers chose not to translate hesed, which seemed odd to me. “Mercy’ or ‘Loving-kindness” are pretty good English words. Some Psalms seemed a little short in coverage, but, perhaps, that is the cost of covering Psalms in one volume.
Still, this is a fine volume and a worthy counterpart among New International Commentary volumes, and I suspect it will be around for a long time to come.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
April 5, 2023
The good:
There is a custom Hebrew translation with insight on the Hebrew meanings. The commentary is concise with a focus on original meaning and historical context. I appreciate that there's minimal modern application. It has a scholarly approach, which I appreciate.
The bad:
The commentary reads strangely as though it is a Jewish commentary on the Psalms and not a Christian one. There is no acknowledgement of the possibility of the prophetic nature of any of the psalms. There is little to no mention of Jesus. New Testament commentary on the Psalms is largely ignored or even EXPRESSLY CONTRADICTED, most notably Jesus' own interpretation of Psalm 82.
There is some dubious scholarship referenced, which sent me on several rabbit holes, most notably theories on Yahweh and the Canaanite gods having common origins. I get the impression that the lure of modern scholarship has caused the authors to prioritize speculative ancient history over the commentary of the apostles themselves.
Despite the contradictions to the New Testament there weren't a huge number of theological red flags, which has me occasionally using it as a resource, but I treat it more like a secular historical reference who's claims need to be carefully assessed.
There is a custom Hebrew translation with insight on the Hebrew meanings. The commentary is concise with a focus on original meaning and historical context. I appreciate that there's minimal modern application. It has a scholarly approach, which I appreciate.
The bad:
The commentary reads strangely as though it is a Jewish commentary on the Psalms and not a Christian one. There is no acknowledgement of the possibility of the prophetic nature of any of the psalms. There is little to no mention of Jesus. New Testament commentary on the Psalms is largely ignored or even EXPRESSLY CONTRADICTED, most notably Jesus' own interpretation of Psalm 82.
There is some dubious scholarship referenced, which sent me on several rabbit holes, most notably theories on Yahweh and the Canaanite gods having common origins. I get the impression that the lure of modern scholarship has caused the authors to prioritize speculative ancient history over the commentary of the apostles themselves.
Despite the contradictions to the New Testament there weren't a huge number of theological red flags, which has me occasionally using it as a resource, but I treat it more like a secular historical reference who's claims need to be carefully assessed.
September 5, 2018
I wanted to like this more than I did. It's theology is fine as far as I could tell, but I didn't like the appropriation of "she" for writers of the Psalms. I understand why, that the authors are generally unknowable by the prescription given in the text, but given the society, Psalms would not likely have been drafted by women. Not a deal breaker, and certainly not liberal or feminist. Much commentary was a bit shorter than I would expect. I recommend Goldingay over this any day.
August 29, 2016
A commentary on Psalms that gave me a new appreciation for this book while also helped me understand aspects of ancient Hebrew poetry. Five stores not because I agree with it, but helpful for sure. Very different than CS Lewis book on Psalms and Spurgeon's three volumes.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews