How to Read the Psalms - by Tremper Longman III (Paperback)

About the Book

The Psalms are well-loved by Christians, yet they also challenge us when we look at them closely. In the second edition of this popular How to Read volume, Tremper Longman III offers practical study exercises and suggestions for interpreting the psalms, helping us overcome the distance between the psalmists' world and ours.

Book Synopsis

The Psalms have been well-loved and frequently used by Christians throughout history. For directness, intensity, and intimacy, they are unrivaled in all of Scripture. Somehow the psalmists seem to have anticipated our own awe, desires, and frustrations.

Yet the Psalms also challenge us when we look at them closely. Their poetry is unfamiliar in form. Many images used are foreign to us today. And the psalmists sometimes express troubling thoughts that seem hard to reconcile with other teachings of Scripture.

In this volume of the popular How to Read Series, Tremper Longman III gives us the kind of help we need to overcome the distance between the psalmists' world and ours. He explains the various genres of psalms, the way they were used in Hebrew worship, their relationship to the rest of the Old Testament, and the characteristics of Hebrew poetry. Then he looks at how Christians can appropriate the message and insights of Psalms today.

Step-by-step suggestions for interpreting the psalms on our own are followed by exercises for further study and reflection, plus a helpful guide to commentaries on the Psalms. This second edition includes expanded content, updated sources, and a new appendix on the structure of the book of Psalms.

Review Quotes

"For over thirty years, countless believers have benefited from How to Read the Psalms. Its secret sauce is its combination of literary guidance on genres and poetry, theological guidance for praying in view of Christ, and practical guidance on how readers can engage personally with God. May this second edition continue to equip the next generation to meet with God through the Psalter."--Andrew Abernethy, professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College

"Most of us can find the book of Psalms in our Bible by familiarity of touch. It is the most read portion of the Bible for dear and clear reasons. The Psalms attune, evoke, and give voice to some of our deepest struggles and desires. The Psalms are also complex poetic masterpieces that need a thoughtful guide to explicate the full richness of what is read. Tremper is a brilliant and passionate guide whose heart is shaped by the cry of the Psalms and transformed by the promise of Jesus in them. You can't find a better ally than Tremper to read the life-giving gift of the Psalms."--Dan Allender, professor of counseling psychology and founding president of the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology

"The Psalms have long been thought of as the great prayer book of the Bible, but that has often been a distinction more noted than lived. No more. Tremper Longman III has given us a guide for not only reading and understanding these classic expressions of the soul-at-depth but also allowing them to form our lives."--John Ortberg, founder of BecomeNew.com

"With this second edition, Tremper Longman III has placed us all in his debt. With theological and literary sensitivity, and drawing on his wide research on Psalms, he introduces readers to the main issues needed to read Psalms well and the resources that can enable their further reading. A foundational work, this deserves to be read widely."--David Firth, tutor in Old Testament at Trinity College, Bristol

"Longman has a unique gift to make complex biblical ideas clear and understandable. In this introduction to the Psalms, he writes with a scholar's experience and wisdom, and with a pastor's ability to connect Scripture to everyday life and practice. I will continue to use Longman's book not only as a textbook in my courses but also as a resource to help me understand and appreciate the Psalms."--David T. Lamb, Allan A. MacRae Professor of Old Testament and dean of the faculty at Missio Seminary and author of God Behaving Badly and The Emotions of God

"There is no better guide to reading and understanding the biblical Psalms than Tremper Longman. Bringing decades of his expertise to a new culmination in this second edition of How to Read the Psalms, Longman's work continues to be the go-to resource for students, pastors, and all who want to seriously engage the heart of the Old Testament and its anticipation of Jesus Christ."--Karen Jobes, Gerald F. Hawthorne Professor Emerita of New Testament Greek and Exegesis at Wheaton College

"In this updated introduction to the Psalms, Longman offers readers a solid foundation for understanding and appreciating these beloved Scriptures. In addition to learning about important facets of the Psalms, such as genre and poetics, readers have an opportunity to see interpretation of the Psalms modeled, and even test their understanding with exercises for each chapter. I will be recommending this book to my students, church members, and everyone who wishes to explore this 'mirror of the soul'!"--Elizabeth H. P. Backfish, associate professor of biblical studies at Jessup University

About the Author

Tremper Longman III (PhD, Yale University) is Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. He is the author or coauthor of over thirty books, including How to Read Genesis, How to Read Proverbs, Literary Approaches to Biblical Interpretation, and Old Testament Essentials.