Interpreting the Psalms - by Philip S Johnston & David G Firth (Paperback)

About the Book

Editors David Firth and Philip Johnston help academic readers understand current approaches and issues in study of the Psalms, while also giving them a deeper appreciation for these poetic texts.

Book Synopsis

The book of Psalms has been precious to countless people in many languages and countries over many centuries. It has expressed their hopes and fears, inspired their faith, and renewed their trust in God. Through the Psalms, the spiritual insight and religious heritage of ancient Israel have had a profound and lasting impact on the human race.The book of Psalms is also of great interest to biblical scholars, and scholarly study of the Psalms is in the midst of a sea change. A generation ago, the dominant tendency was to study individual psalms in relation to their literary forms and cultural functions. However, in recent years, studies have increasingly emphasized Hebrew poetry, the structure of the entire Psalter, and its development from earlier collections to a unified canonical book.In exploring these and other facets, this volume aims to bridge the gap between general introductions to the study of the Psalms and specialized literature. Written by members and guests of the Tyndale Fellowship Old Testament Study Group, it offers the insights of internationally recognized Old Testament scholars into the world of the Psalms.This volume will be a treasure to both students and scholars alike.

Review Quotes

For those who treasure, love and pray the psalms, this book will be a sheer delight, and, if used in the classroom, it will offer up so much for lay people that they will . . . say "Hallelujah!"

About the Author

Philip S. Johnston is Old Testament tutor and director of studies at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He has published studies of Israelite beliefs in the afterlife and is a review editor for Themelios. His other books include Les Psaumes, Shades of Sheol and The Land of Promise (coedited with Peter Walker).

David Firth is Old Testament tutor and B.A. course leader at Cliff College, Derbyshire. He is the author of Responses to Violence in Complaint Psalms of the Individual (forthcoming).