The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary (The Eerdmans Critical Commentary)

Rating:
Summary: An old song in a new way...
Review: I have a copy of this book sitting on my shelf right beside my bed. I keep the most useful commentaries and references there to be handy (I have the 12-volume New Interpeter's Bible, all my versions of the BCP, etc. on the same shelf).

It has a 70-page introduction by Terrien. This looks at historical setting of the ancient Near East, origins of the psalter, growth of the psalter over time, ancient versions and linguistic issues with the text, music and poetic structures, literary genres of different types of psalms, theological considerations, and the relationship of the psalms to the New Testament. Overall this is rather well done, not a great deal of depth on any particular topic (as each could merit an entire book), but a good introduction. That said, there are generous footnotes and extensive bibliographic information for further study.

`The Psalter is unique in the history of Jewish and Christian spirituality. For twenty-five centuries it has been sung, chanted, recited, read, translated, and annotated by adherents of Judaism, and for two millennia by the disciples of Jesus Christ, more often and with more alacrity than any other collection of sacred canticles.'

The Psalms provide a seed-bed for inspiration and spirituality for many, if not most, Christians and Jews. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other prominent Christian thinkers worshiped using the Psalms; Maimonides and Jewish communities of the Ashkenazic and Sephardic persuasions worshiped using the Psalms. They are of a literary heritage that dates even farther back than the 2500 years of their own existence; their echoes fall back as much as 1500 farther back to ancient Sumerian and Akkadian hymns. `The poetic art of many psalms, with its use of different kinds of rhythm and strophic structure, resembles the form and style of the cultic poetry preserved at Ugarit, which preceded by several generations the arrival of the Hebrews in the land.'

The Psalms themselves (150) are presented each by individual chapters. They are presented in new translation by Terrien, who has shown great care in following the Masoretic text closely and researching obscure words thoroughly. Each psalm is presented with a brief discussion according to form/structure, general commentary divided by strophe, and concluding with a discussion of date and theological issues. Again, each psalm has its own bibliography appended.

Terrien gives a lot of attention to the strophic structure, both in the introduction and in the individual commentaries. This structure is similar to both the writings of the ancient poets as well as the utterances of the ancient prophets. There are discernable patterns of verse and meter in the original language texts, and these are often lost in modern translation, that take too much of the structure and style of the modern language for granted as universal. Terrien's unique translation gives great attention to retaining linguistic nuances such as strophic style. This is readily apparent even from a brief glance at the layout on the page.

The Psalms contain praise, lamentation, hope, desperation, and most every strong emotion known to humankind. They speak of God's presence and God's absence, the glory of creation even in the face of trauma, the sovereignty of God and the victory of God's justice. They tap into other traditions such as prophecy as well as wisdom literature, and look to put things in a context and format for use, not just for reflection and reading.

Terrien's achievement here is a superb conclusion to a distinguished career as a Biblical scholar. A professor at Union Theological Seminary, he died shortly before this volume was published. It is a fitting testimony to his consummate skill as a scholar, and a wonderful inaugural volume for Eerdman's Critical Commentaries.

Rating:
Summary: An old song in a new way...
Review: I have a copy of this book sitting on my shelf right beside my bed. I keep the most useful commentaries and references there to be handy (I have the 12-volume New Interpeter's Bible, all my versions of the BCP, etc. on the same shelf).

It has a 70-page introduction by Terrien. This looks at historical setting of the ancient Near East, origins of the psalter, growth of the psalter over time, ancient versions and linguistic issues with the text, music and poetic structures, literary genres of different types of psalms, theological considerations, and the relationship of the psalms to the New Testament. Overall this is rather well done, not a great deal of depth on any particular topic (as each could merit an entire book), but a good introduction. That said, there are generous footnotes and extensive bibliographic information for further study.

'The Psalter is unique in the history of Jewish and Christian spirituality. For twenty-five centuries it has been sung, chanted, recited, read, translated, and annotated by adherents of Judaism, and for two millennia by the disciples of Jesus Christ, more often and with more alacrity than any other collection of sacred canticles.'

The Psalms provide a seed-bed for inspiration and spirituality for many, if not most, Christians and Jews. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other prominent Christian thinkers worshiped using the Psalms; Maimonides and Jewish communities of the Ashkenazic and Sephardic persuasions worshiped using the Psalms. They are of a literary heritage that dates even farther back than the 2500 years of their own existence; their echoes fall back as much as 1500 farther back to ancient Sumerian and Akkadian hymns. 'The poetic art of many psalms, with its use of different kinds of rhythm and strophic structure, resembles the form and style of the cultic poetry preserved at Ugarit, which preceded by several generations the arrival of the Hebrews in the land.'

The Psalms themselves (150) are presented each by individual chapters. They are presented in new translation by Terrien, who has shown great care in following the Masoretic text closely and researching obscure words thoroughly. Each psalm is presented with a brief discussion according to form/structure, general commentary divided by strophe, and concluding with a discussion of date and theological issues. Again, each psalm has its own bibliography appended.

Terrien gives a lot of attention to the strophic structure, both in the introduction and in the individual commentaries. This structure is similar to both the writings of the ancient poets as well as the utterances of the ancient prophets. There are discernable patterns of verse and meter in the original language texts, and these are often lost in modern translation, that take too much of the structure and style of the modern language for granted as universal. Terrien's unique translation gives great attention to retaining linguistic nuances such as strophic style. This is readily apparent even from a brief glance at the layout on the page.

The Psalms contain praise, lamentation, hope, desperation, and most every strong emotion known to humankind. They speak of God's presence and God's absence, the glory of creation even in the face of trauma, the sovereignty of God and the victory of God's justice. They tap into other traditions such as prophecy as well as wisdom literature, and look to put things in a context and format for use, not just for reflection and reading.

Terrien's achievement here is a superb conclusion to a distinguished career as a Biblical scholar. A professor at Union Theological Seminary, he died shortly before this volume was published. It is a fitting testimony to his consummate skill as a scholar, and a wonderful inaugural volume for Eerdman's Critical Commentaries.