- Table View
- List View
Psalmody and Poetry in Old Testament Ethics
by Dirk J. HumanQuestions arise from scholarly debate in Hebrew Bible ethics such as: what is Old Testament ethics?, what is the object of study?, what are the methods involved and how normative are Old Testament ethics for modern contexts? These questions advance crucial issues in the quest for understanding ethics of the ancient Hebrew mind and the problem of how to contextualize them in modern contexts.This book begins by exploring the relationship between the Old Testament and Ethics, as well as a philosophical discussion on meta-ethical presuppositions on divinity and morality in the Psalter. The main part of the book reflects analyses of specific psalms (Pss 16; 34; 50; 72; 104; and 133). The core of this section reflects an illustration of psalm texts with the thematic focus on Hebrew ethical thinking. Included are a few contextual contributions discussing relevant ethical issues in Africa from an African perspective. In the final section two exemplary poetic texts from the Pentateuch (Deut 32) and the Prophets (Jer 5) reverberate ethical thinking from other parts of the Hebrew canon.Â
Psalms: My Psalm My Context (Texts @ Contexts)
by Athalya Brenner-Idan and Gale A. YeeThis unique volume on the Psalms is the final Hebrew Bible installment of the Texts@Contexts series. Each contribution provides a contextual reflection on a Psalm as chosen by the contributor. These contributions take account of the contributor's own personal context or the contexts of those around them, providing readings that are varied in geographical and linguistic scope, that reflect on pressing themes such as immigration, diversity, race, marginalized voices (such as those of adults with learning disabilities) and postcolonialism. Scholars also reflect on their own contexts of research and education. Taken together the contributions to this volume provide a sort of contextual commentary on the Psalms, gathering a wide range of voices and reflecting a diverse range of cultural afterlives of the Psalms.
The Psalms (Essentials of Biblical Studies)
by Keith BodnerWithin the library of the world's classics, the book of Psalms occupies a unique place. Few books were composed over a longer period of time and have exercised more cultural and religious influence than the Psalms, the longest and most complex collection in the Hebrew Bible. Nearly 1,000 years in the making with dozens of contributors, this ancient anthology includes 150 prayers and poems for a host of public occasions and private exigencies, ranging from the comforting passage ?Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,? Ps 23:4 to some of the most violent imprecations, such as ?Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth,? Ps 58:6). The Psalms is an introduction to the world of the Psalms that focuses on the content and the poetic forms in the collection, guiding the reader toward an appreciation of the purposes of the Psalms and their contribution to the Scriptures of Israel. Rather than abstract theorizing, Keith Bodner offers close readings of numerous psalms, exploring the poetically-framed questions raised in the Psalms, ranging from the problem of evil and the silence of God to issues of philosophical speculation, practical atheism, and even life after death.
The Psalms (Essentials of Biblical Studies)
by Keith BodnerWithin the library of the world's classics, the book of Psalms occupies a unique place. Few books were composed over a longer period of time and have exercised more cultural and religious influence than the Psalms, the longest and most complex collection in the Hebrew Bible. Nearly 1,000 years in the making with dozens of contributors, this ancient anthology includes 150 prayers and poems for a host of public occasions and private exigencies, ranging from the comforting passage ?Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,? Ps 23:4 to some of the most violent imprecations, such as ?Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth,? Ps 58:6). The Psalms is an introduction to the world of the Psalms that focuses on the content and the poetic forms in the collection, guiding the reader toward an appreciation of the purposes of the Psalms and their contribution to the Scriptures of Israel. Rather than abstract theorizing, Keith Bodner offers close readings of numerous psalms, exploring the poetically-framed questions raised in the Psalms, ranging from the problem of evil and the silence of God to issues of philosophical speculation, practical atheism, and even life after death.
The Psalms: A Historical and Spiritual Commentary with an Introduction and New Translation
by John H. EatonRemarkably enough, there is a scarcity of modern commentaries on the Psalms for the more general reader, though after the Gospels, they are probably the most widely-read part of the Bible. No one is more qualified to write on the Psalms than John Eaton. He is a distinguished Old Testament scholar and has spent a lifetime studying the Psalms. This commentary is addressed to the wide readership. There is a long and highly readable introduction giving a background to the Psalms; then follow the 150 Psalms, each in Eaton's translation. He explains the background to the Psalms and their content in a way that makes them interesting and relevant to the present. The discussion of each psalm ends with a related Christian prayer, either from the tradition or written by Eaton himself. John Eaton is recognized as one of the world's leading experts on Psalms: this commentary is the culmination of his life's work.John Eaton lectured in Old Testament at the University of Birmingham until his retirement. He is the author of many books, especially on aspects of the Psalms.
Psalms: My Psalm My Context (Texts @ Contexts)
This unique volume on the Psalms is the final Hebrew Bible installment of the Texts@Contexts series. Each contribution provides a contextual reflection on a Psalm as chosen by the contributor. These contributions take account of the contributor's own personal context or the contexts of those around them, providing readings that are varied in geographical and linguistic scope, that reflect on pressing themes such as immigration, diversity, race, marginalized voices (such as those of adults with learning disabilities) and postcolonialism. Scholars also reflect on their own contexts of research and education. Taken together the contributions to this volume provide a sort of contextual commentary on the Psalms, gathering a wide range of voices and reflecting a diverse range of cultural afterlives of the Psalms.
Psalms and Hebrews: Studies in Reception (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)
by Dirk J. Human Gert Jacobus SteynThe reception of early Jewish/Israelite texts in early Christianity provides valuable insights into the hermeneutics of ancient authors and studies in this regard are vital for an understanding of their theology/ies. By focusing particularly on the reception of the Psalms through the hand of the unknown author of Hebrews, Old Testament and New Testament scholars combine forces in this collection to determine the shifts in interpretation of the Psalms that took place during the processes of (re)interpretation within the work of a particular early Christian writer. By paying careful attention to the original reading(s) of the text versions utilized as well as to the manner in which those texts were embedded in a later literary context by the author of Hebrews, they provide a window into the trajectories of the Psalm traditions. A contextual contribution illustrates the versification of the Psalms in a contemporary African language, Afrikaans, to illustrate how the Psalms' reception remains a vivid endeavor in current times.
Psalms and Liturgy (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)
by Dirk J. Human C.J.A. VosThis book offers unique insights into the Psalms and sketches a variety of interpretive possibilities. The exposition of Psalm texts against the background of their different historical and/or cultic settings in the ancient Near East sets a firm basis for their reapplication in the liturgy today. In the history of interpretation the Psalms have also proven themselves to be natural texts for liturgical use. This scholarly effort thus portrays in various ways the importance of the Psalms for their reviving interpretation and application in the liturgy.Contributors include: Marcel Bernhard, Georg P. Braulik, Brian Doyle, Alphonso Groenewald, Dirk J. Human, Jorg Jeremias, Louis C. Joner, Jurie H. le Roux, Eckhart Otto, Nick A. Schuman, Stephanus D. Snyman, Hans-Ulrich Steymans, Pieter M. Venler and Cas J.A. Vos.JSOTS 410
Psalms and Proverbs for Everyday Life: 100 Daily Devotions
by Joel Osteen#1 New York Times bestselling author Joel Osteen offers readers daily encouragement from the Psalms and Proverbs through this uplifting 100-day devotional. For three thousand years the words of the books of Psalms and Proverbs have calmed anxious hearts, rekindled courage in the fearful, nourished souls with wisdom, and renewed worship and thanksgiving. In this 100-day devotional, #1 New York Times bestselling author Joel Osteen provides daily encouragement from the psalms and proverbs that will inspire you on even the most difficult days. He shares how to live from a place of peace in the midst of life&’s everyday worries. You&’ll find the wisdom and insight to help you focus on what matters most in your life. There&’s no better way to start your day than with the God who leads you beside quiet waters and refreshes your soul.
Psalms and the Use of the Critical Imagination: Essays in Honour of Professor Susan Gillingham (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)
The contributors provide fresh insight into the context surrounding the composition and reception of the Psalms, the relationships between the Psalms, and of early audiences who engaged with the material. Close attention is also paid to specific interpretative problems which emerge in the Psalms, both linguistic and theological. Consequently, there is the creation of a more sophisticated historical reconstruction of how the Psalms were used originally and in subsequent periods, opening up challenges and possibilities for scholars through emphasizing the need in critical Psalms scholarship for vitality and imagination.
The Psalms and their Readers: Interpretive Strategies for Psalm 18 (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)
by Donald K. BerryA reader-oriented approach provides a substantially new angle of vision on Psalm 18 and Psalms study in general. Reader-based interpretation is compared to conventional methodologies by means of four separate analyses of Psalm 18: a textual study, a form-critical explication, a rhetorical study, and an experimental reader-oriented study involving the following strategies. Initially, the components of the text are considered as networks of signals for the reader. Secondly, the text's speech acts are isolated and typified. Thirdly, the ancient and contemporary contexts for the reading of the psalm are examined. The reader-oriented study culminates in two perspectives upon Psalm 18. The psalm may be read as a ritual speech act performed by the community of ancient worshippers, or as a lyric poem that each contemporary reader experiences by identification with the speaker. The concluding chapter reviews each of the methodologies, evaluating strengths and weaknesses, as well as interrelationships among methods.
Psalms Book 2: “As a Doe Groans” (Earth Bible Commentary)
by Arthur Walker-JonesArthur Walker-Jones presents an Earth-focused reading of the second book of Psalms, focusing upon the many nonhuman animals that appear repeatedly within the text. In the first commentary to explore the implications of the natural and cultural history of animals for the interpretation of Psalms, Walker-Jones moves beyond the standard treatment of animals as mere metaphors for human concerns, or background to human stories. Instead, Walker-Jones draws upon the interdisciplinary field of animal studies, incorporating this into ecocritical analysis and arguing for the similarity between the two approaches, including recognizing that the oppression and liberation of humans is interrelated with the oppression and liberation of Earth and all its creatures. Walker-Jones looks at foxes, sheep, goats, cattle, doves, snakes, lions, snails, dogs, and deer, which all appear in Psalms 42–72, taking into account that many of these animals co-evolved with humans and created the particular ecological niche of the highlands east of the Mediterranean. Perceiving Earth in various ways-as refuge, as enemy, as Rock, and as fertile and joyous-this volume brings an entirely new ecological perspective to the Psalms.
Psalms Book 2: “As a Doe Groans” (Earth Bible Commentary)
by Arthur Walker-JonesArthur Walker-Jones presents an Earth-focused reading of the second book of Psalms, focusing upon the many nonhuman animals that appear repeatedly within the text. In the first commentary to explore the implications of the natural and cultural history of animals for the interpretation of Psalms, Walker-Jones moves beyond the standard treatment of animals as mere metaphors for human concerns, or background to human stories. Instead, Walker-Jones draws upon the interdisciplinary field of animal studies, incorporating this into ecocritical analysis and arguing for the similarity between the two approaches, including recognizing that the oppression and liberation of humans is interrelated with the oppression and liberation of Earth and all its creatures. Walker-Jones looks at foxes, sheep, goats, cattle, doves, snakes, lions, snails, dogs, and deer, which all appear in Psalms 42–72, taking into account that many of these animals co-evolved with humans and created the particular ecological niche of the highlands east of the Mediterranean. Perceiving Earth in various ways-as refuge, as enemy, as Rock, and as fertile and joyous-this volume brings an entirely new ecological perspective to the Psalms.
Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness
by Nan C. MerrillEvery commentary on the Book of Psalms has had to face the issue that many of these prayers commemorate and celebrate wrath and vengeance. What is needed is not ingenious exegetical rationalization of ancient texts, but the kind of transformation into a work of piety and art that is provided here.Addressed are the needs of a world seeking to counter individual and societal injustices by a global peace born of personal peace through prayer and practice. In short, here is the Book of Psalms recast in the light of the continuing revelation and evolution of the authentic religious spirit of the scriptures.
The Psalms in the Early Irish Church (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)
by Martin J. McNamaraA creative, independent, Irish exegetical tradition was well established by the year 700 CE, influencing Northumbria but not Continental Europe. This book contains eight studies by the distinguished Irish biblical scholar, Martin McNamara, which he has published over the past twenty-five years, on the Latin biblical texts (Vulgate, Gallicanum and Jerome's Hebraicum) of the Psalter and commentaries on it in Ireland from 600 CE onwards. The oldest Irish Vulgate text, the Cathach of St Columba of Iona (died 597), shows signs of correction against the Irish recension of the Hebrew text. The central exegetical tradition is strongly Antiochene, being dependent on the commentary of Theodore of Mopsuestia (in Julian's translation), while another branch understands the Psalms as principally about David, rather than christologically or as about later Jewish history.
The Psalms in the New Testament
by Steve Moyise Maarten J.J. MenkenThis book offers a comprehensive summary of the use of the Psalms at Qumran and in the New Testament. For the first time this collection offers a set of studies which will offer an overview of the role and function of the Psalms in the first century. Each chapter considers matters of textual form, points of particular interest, and hermeneutics. Together, this collection forms an important research tool for Septuagintal and manuscript studies, first-century hermeneutics and the development of Christian apologetics and theology. The contributors have all either written or are writing monographs on their particular section of the New Testament/ Qumran. In a number of cases, the particular chapter will be the first of its kind (such as Steve Moyise's discussion of Psalms in Revelation).
The Psalms of Asaph and the Pentateuch: Studies in the Psalter, III (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)
by Michael D. GoulderThe Asaph psalms (50, 73-83) are a unity. They often call God 'Elohim' and 'El', and the people 'Joseph', as Amos does; they appeal to Israelite history, the exodus and the covenant; they are written in the face of military catastrophe. In this suggestive and brilliant work, Goulder argues that they were composed in Bethel in the 720s for use as the psalmody for the autumn festival. This gives us vital new evidence for the history of the Pentateuch: there was at Bethel a historical tradition from at least the time of the oppression in Egypt to the Solomonic Empire; the Asaphites took this tradition to Jerusalem and their descendants were the Deuteronomists.
Psalms of Solomon: A Critical Edition of the Greek Text (Jewish and Christian Texts)
by Robert B. WrightThe Psalms of Solomon, the most important early psalm book outside the canonical psalter, reflects the turmoil of events in the last pre-Christian century and gives an apparently eyewitness account of the first invasions of the Romans into Jerusalem. The Psalm of Solomon provides the most detailed expectation of the Jewish Messiah before the New Testament. Wright's critical edition is the first complete critical edition of the Greek texts of the Psalms of Solomon.
The Psalms of the Return: Studies in the Psalter, IV (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)
by Michael D. GoulderBook V of the Psalter (Psalms 107-150) divides into three, with the Songs of the Ascents (120-134) as the central section, and the first and third units following parallel structures (historical, Davidic, alphabetical, Hallel psalms). The units are all compositions of the Return period: 107-119 for the reconstruction of the Temple, 120-134 for Nehemiah's wall-building, 135-150 for Ezra's mission. Psalms 120-134 follow the episodes of Nehemiah's 'memoir', in order. All three groups show evidence of evening-morning alternation, and were intended for festal use: 107-118 at the Passover of Ezra 6, 120-134 at the Tabernacles of Nehemiah 12, 135-150 at Ezra's Tabernacles (Neh. 8).
The Psalms of the Sons of Korah (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies #20)
by Michael D. GoulderIn this innovative study, a different approach to the study of the Psalms from that represented by form criticism is attempted. What is determinative here is the context given to the psalms in their positions in the Psalter: that is, the collections in which they are gathered, the order in which they stand, and the technical notes (Maskil, Selah, and the like) in the text. The application of this approach to one group of psalms, the psalms of the sons of Korah (42-49, 84-85, 87-88 + 89), results in the theory, developed with the author's characteristic flair and originality, that the Korah psalms stand in their original order as the liturgy of the national festival at the Danite sanctuary. Its many fresh and persuasive exegetical suggestions make this work an essential acquisition for the student of the Psalter.
Psalms of the Way and the Kingdom: A Conference with the Commentators (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)
by John H. EatonJohn Eaton, well known for his Psalms commentary, here offers a new model of commentary-writing. The psalms treated are those exalting God's Torah (Psalms 1, 19, 119) and those proclaiming his kingship (93, 97, 99). A detailed examination is made of the treatment of these psalms by selected exegetes from Delitzsch to the present. General conclusions are then drawn for such questions as dating, text, unity, meaning, piety, theology, and relation to prophecy. Both groups of psalms are found to contain great riches of religious insight and experience, which exegetes have rarely come within range of appreciating. Several important interpreters are only superficially known outside their own language group; the present study seeks to remedy this.
Psalms Through the Centuries (Wiley Blackwell Bible Commentaries #36)
by Susan GillinghamThis is the first of a two-volume bible commentary covering the Psalms and examining the role of these biblical poems throughout Jewish and Christian history. Provides a fascinating introduction to the literary, historical, and theological background of psalmody Examines the psalms through liturgy and prayer, study and preaching, translation and imitation, and musical composition and artistic illustration Includes illustrations of significant psalms, helpful maps, and an extensive bibliography; an expanded bibliography to accompany the book is also available at www.wiley.com/go/gillingham A forthcoming second volume is planned, which will take an alternative psalm-by-psalm approach Now available in paperback, and published in the innovative reception-history series, Blackwell Bible Commentaries
Psalms Through the Centuries (Wiley Blackwell Bible Commentaries)
by Susan GillinghamThis is the first of a two-volume bible commentary covering the Psalms and examining the role of these biblical poems throughout Jewish and Christian history. Provides a fascinating introduction to the literary, historical, and theological background of psalmody Examines the psalms through liturgy and prayer, study and preaching, translation and imitation, and musical composition and artistic illustration Includes illustrations of significant psalms, helpful maps, and an extensive bibliography; an expanded bibliography to accompany the book is also available at www.wiley.com/go/gillingham A forthcoming second volume is planned, which will take an alternative psalm-by-psalm approach Now available in paperback, and published in the innovative reception-history series, Blackwell Bible Commentaries
Psalms Through the Centuries, Volume 3: A Reception History Commentary on Psalms 73 - 151 (Wiley Blackwell Bible Commentaries #36)
by Susan GillinghamThis third volume completes the set of a groundbreaking reception history of the Psalter, the culmination of two decades’ work In Volume Three of Psalms Through the Centuries: A Reception History Commentary on Psalms 73-151, the internationally recognized biblical scholar Professor Susan Gillingham examines the Jewish and Christian cultural and reception history of Books Three to Five of the Psalter. She examines the changing ways in which psalms have been understood in translations and commentaries, liturgy and prayer, study and preaching, music and art, poetic and dramatic performance, and political and ethical discourse. Lavishly illustrated with thirty colour plates, several black and white images and a number of musical scores, this volume also includes a comprehensive glossary of terms for readers less familiar with the subject and a full, selective bibliography complete with footnote references for each psalm. Numerous links to website resources also allow readers to pursue topics at greater depth, and three clearly organized indices facilitate searches by specific psalms or authors, or types of reception for selected psalms. This structure makes the commentary easy to use, whether for private study, teaching or preaching. The book also offers: A one-of-a-kind treatment of the reception history of the psalms that starts where most commentaries end— beginning with the trajectory of the Psalter’s multi-faceted reception over two millennia Specific discussions of both Jewish and Christian responses to individual psalmsPsalms Through the Centuries: A Reception History Commentary on Psalms 73-151, like the previous two volumes, will earn a distinctive place in the libraries of faculties, colleges, seminaries, and religious communities as well as in private collections of students and scholars of biblical studies, theology, and religion.
Psalms Through the Centuries, Volume 3: A Reception History Commentary on Psalms 73 - 151 (Wiley Blackwell Bible Commentaries)
by Susan GillinghamThis third volume completes the set of a groundbreaking reception history of the Psalter, the culmination of two decades’ work In Volume Three of Psalms Through the Centuries: A Reception History Commentary on Psalms 73-151, the internationally recognized biblical scholar Professor Susan Gillingham examines the Jewish and Christian cultural and reception history of Books Three to Five of the Psalter. She examines the changing ways in which psalms have been understood in translations and commentaries, liturgy and prayer, study and preaching, music and art, poetic and dramatic performance, and political and ethical discourse. Lavishly illustrated with thirty colour plates, several black and white images and a number of musical scores, this volume also includes a comprehensive glossary of terms for readers less familiar with the subject and a full, selective bibliography complete with footnote references for each psalm. Numerous links to website resources also allow readers to pursue topics at greater depth, and three clearly organized indices facilitate searches by specific psalms or authors, or types of reception for selected psalms. This structure makes the commentary easy to use, whether for private study, teaching or preaching. The book also offers: A one-of-a-kind treatment of the reception history of the psalms that starts where most commentaries end— beginning with the trajectory of the Psalter’s multi-faceted reception over two millennia Specific discussions of both Jewish and Christian responses to individual psalmsPsalms Through the Centuries: A Reception History Commentary on Psalms 73-151, like the previous two volumes, will earn a distinctive place in the libraries of faculties, colleges, seminaries, and religious communities as well as in private collections of students and scholars of biblical studies, theology, and religion.