The Psalms: Hebrew Text & English Translation, With an Introduction and Commentary (The Soncino Books of the Bible)

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Summary: A review of the second edition of A. Cohen's "The Psalms"
Review: Having used the first edition of this commentary extensively in both personal prayer, study, and as a research tool for my work with the Psalms, I am very familiar with the book and have found it to be an invaluable tool and trusted resource. However, I am disappointed in this revised edition for a number of reasons. First, the new editor removed all commentary references from non-Jewish scholars, which is unfortunate, since the ecumenical nature of the first edition, with extensive Jewish as well as Christian scholarship, was more extensive. The Christian scholars cited in the first edition were not used in a "Christological" manner, but offered their notes on the Hebrew text. I thoroughly enjoy the fact that the commentary is "Jewish" in perspective, but the revised edition lacks the quality of the original due to the removal of the non-Christian scholars' works. Secondly, the earlier edition has a neater, more attractive font and is more readable. The revised edition also has several errors, and some of the titles to head the various divisions of the Psalter are missing in the revised edition. I recommend that people search for a good copy of the first edition--which had several printings--rather than purchase the revised edition.