The Psalms as Christian Lament: A Historical Commentary

by Bruce K. Waltke, James M. Houston, Erika Moore

The Psalms as Christian Lament, a companion volume to The Psalms as Christian Worship, uniquely blends verse-by-verse commentary with a history of Psalms interpretation in the church from the time of the apostles to the present. Bruce Waltke, James Houston, and Erika Moore examine ten lament psalms, including six of the seven traditional penitential psalms, covering Psalms 5, 6, 7, 32, 38, 39, 44, 102, 130, and 143. The authors -- experts in the subject area -- skillfully establish the meaning of the Hebrew text through careful exegesis and trace the church's historical interpretation and use of these psalms, highlighting their deep spiritual significance to Christians through the ages.

Though C. S. Lewis called the "imprecatory" psalms "contemptible," Waltke, Houston, and Moore show that they too are profitable for sound doctrine and so for spiritual health, demonstrating that lament is an important aspect of the Christian life.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Biblical Studies, Christian Living, Religion, Nonfiction, Counselling

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2014

About the author

Bruce K. Waltke is Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at Knox Theological Seminary, Fort Lauderdale, and professor emeritus of biblical studies at Regent College, Vancouver.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

The strength of this book is its detailed exegesis of selected psalms which fall within the genre of lament. Also, its interaction with various interpreters throughout the centuries, from early to medieval to (post-)reformation periods. Although it discusses lament per se, its focus is more on how lament is instantiated in specific examples. Overall, a helpful read.

[Mike Jorgensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book sort of defies genre. It is a bit of a topical study on biblical lament, but it is primarily a selective commentary on different psalms. The commentaries are excellent, but would only come in handy if you're studying one of these few that they chose to focus on. This is either an academic pastoral work or a pastorally accessible academic work. Riding that line makes for an awkward audience, probably best for the seminarian.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a layperson, quite a bit of this commentary flew over my head. Even for most pastors, I think the word-parsing and deep dive into Hebrew might be a bit much. That said, the first half of each chapter, the history lessons on how each Psalm has been read by a particular important church father or theologian (or theologians), was fascinating! In fact, I found myself reading the first part of each chapter, paying close attention to details. The second half? Not so much. I tended to skim Hebrew grammar and poetry lessons liberally and then slow back down at the end of each chapter for the theological summary and conclusions. Others have noted that the approach in this commentary is unique, and I would agree. I don't think it works particularly well overall, but you may find that parts of it still find their mark.

[Louis Lapides · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me three months to go through this most worthy commentary on the lament Psalms. I cannot say enough how worthy this work is adobe works through these specific psalms with both anEnglish and Hebrew Text accompanying the students. This commentary belongs of the shelf of any serious student of the Psalms to consult over and over.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, thorough and textually-focused examination of the Psalms and of how they may be used by Christians to lament and cry out in the raw emotional midst of deep pain and suffering. Well worth a read!

[Rob Henderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too technical for me.