A commentary on selected psalms, seeking to resolve the problems by placing Latin within its historical linguistic context. It demonstrates how Early Christian exegetes, especially Augustine, confronted unidiomatic peculiarities in a fundamentalist way; how they resorted to an exegetical resolution of what they perceived as a theological mystery.
What's really going on in the Psalms? Is it just an anthology of old Israelite songs? Or is there more to it than anyone ever guessed? This evergreen classic is the book that first proposed, in 1997, a messianic metanarrative in the Psalms. It explains how someone arranged the Psalms to outline a program of future events like in Zechariah 9-14. There is an appendix of apocalyptic midrashim, translated into English for the first time. A bridegroom-Messiah gathers exiled Israel. He sets up a kingdom, but dies a violent death. Israel are scattered in the wilderness of the nations. Then they are gathered again in troublous times. Finally, they are rescued by a king from the heavens. He sets his throne on Zion and receives the homage of the nations. 160,000 words. Read all about it!
Psalms 146-150, sometimes called “Final Hallel” or “Minor Hallel”, are often argued to have been written as a literary end of the Psalter. However, if sources other than the Hebrew Masoretic Text are taken into account, such an original unit of Psalms 146-150 has to be questioned. “The End of the Psalter” presents new interpretations of Psalms 146-150 based on the oldest extant evidence: the Hebrew Masoretic Text, the Hebrew Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Greek Septuagint. Each Psalm is analysed separately in all three sources, complete with a translation and detailed comments on form, intertextuality, content, genre, and date. Comparisons of the individual Psalms and their intertextual references in the ancient sources highlight substantial differences between the transmitted texts. The book concludes that Psalms 146-150 were at first separate texts which only in the Masoretic Text form the end of the Psalter. It thus stresses the importance of Psalms Exegesis before Psalter Exegesis, and argues for the inclusion of ancient sources beyond to the Masoretic Text to further our understanding of the Psalms.
The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul brings together essays from eighteen Old Testament scholars discussing the latest in Psalms scholarship and applying exegetical insights to the life of faith. These essays explore the full range of emotion expressed in the Psalms—from elation to distress—while weaving together observations from biblical scholarship and theology. The reader will gain valuable insights into how the Psalms speak to his or her soul. The book is divided into five sections that: Give an overview of Psalms studies in the 21st century Discuss psalms of praise Explore psalms of lament Look at the big picture of the Psalter as a book Present sermons on the Psalms that are models of evangelical engagement with the text. A Select Bibliography for Psalms Study is included at the end of the book.
Good poetry is like a good painting: the more you linger over it, the more it reveals. It is a deep well that never runs dry. And that is why the Psalter, like a good painting, keeps giving. In the last four decades, Psalms scholarship has found remarkable fruitfulness in reading the Psalter as a book—that is, in reading the Psalms as a unified composition with a metanarrative across its 150 poems. Pivotal questions associated with this approach really boil down to two questions—how and why? How are individual psalms sequenced, if at all, and what is the design logic behind that macrostructure? This volume seeks to answer those questions. In essence, the Psalter unfurls the story of the Davidic covenant. While interest in the editing of the Psalter remains high in recent Psalms scholarship, this interest has not led to clear consensus. The specific and timely contribution of this volume is twofold. First, it consolidates the results of studies on groups of psalms. Second, it integrates poetic and thematic approaches that are typically separated in Psalms scholarship. Readers will find results of this study surprising and their implications sobering.
The book of Psalms was at the core of devotional practice in western Christianity throughout the Middle Ages. The study of medieval Latin Psalters provides evidence for the owners, users, and makers of each of these unique books. This volume examines Psalter manuscripts as objects, exploring how they were designed and the changes that have been made to them over time. The choices made about text, decoration, size, and layout in these manuscripts reveal a diverse range of engagements with the Psalms, as they were sung, read, and scrutinized. The book thus sheds new light on some of the treasures of Trinity College Dublin and the Chester Beatty Library. *** Slim in format and heavy in insights, this book is a peculiar hybrid. It is not a robust academic catalogue or a glossy exhibition catalogue or a coffee-table book, but it manages to combine some of the most appealing features of all three. Elegantly designed and richly illustrated in (almost) full colour, it is a pleasure to hold, look at and leaf through. ...a publication that invites an intimate study of Dublin's treasures.Ã?Â?Ã?Â?-- Stella Panayotova, Times Literary Supplement, February 2016 [Subject: History, Irish Studies, Medieval Studies, Religious Studies]