Interpreting the Psalms: Issues and Approaches

by David G. Firth (Editor)

The book of Psalms has been precious to countless people in many languages and countries over many centuries. It has expressed their hopes and fears, inspired their faith, and renewed their trust in God. Through the Psalms, the spiritual insight and religious heritage of ancient Israel have had a profound and lasting impact on the human race. The book of Psalms is also of great interest to biblical scholars, and scholarly study of the Psalms is in the midst of a sea change. A generation ago, the dominant tendency was to study individual psalms in relation to their literary forms and cultural functions. However, in recent years, studies have increasingly emphasized Hebrew poetry, the structure of the entire Psalter, and its development from earlier collections to a unified canonical book. In exploring these and other facets, this volume aims to bridge the gap between general introductions to the study of the Psalms and specialized literature. Written by members and guests of the Tyndale Fellowship Old Testament Study Group, it offers the insights of internationally recognized Old Testament scholars into the world of the Psalms.This volume will be a treasure to both students and scholars alike.

Genres: Old Testament

345 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 2006

Reviews

[Travis Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great intermediate introduction to the Psalms. Knowing Hebrew makes this book come to life a lot more. But it is written in a way that you do not need to know it to get loads out of the book. Perhaps the best thing about this book is that it gives a solid overview of themes, and things to look for as you wander through the Psalms. It also opened my eyes to looking at the structure of the entire Psalter. i am looking forward to going through the Psalms after having read this book.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used this book for my Psalms class in college. It was interesting and had insight into the psalms I had not heard about before. We didn't read a lot of this for class, but I liked it.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2012...