Psalms (New Cambridge Bible Commentary)

This one-volume commentary, which takes different tacks with different psalms, is all the commentary many people might need. Indeed, it stands ready to enlighten those wanting just one volume that "speaks volumes". Depending on specific issues raised in a particular psalm, the commentary takes different tacks (background, ritual use, inherent wisdom, movement of emotions, poetic themes, etc), nearly all of them interesting and understandable, so that you want to read more and more of the book. Each psalm, even the longest psalm, gets a few succinct pages, which focus not just on the single psalm but also include highlighted portions of text delving into further background of a more general nature. And the prose is a joy to read, not just understandable but at times it positively sparkles! For example, describing Psalm 104, which the authors suggest contains a theology of of ecology, of environmentalism, we read: "Psalm 104 is a prime example of the way in which Israel - in hymnic modes - responds to the generative, life-giving power of creation and refers the wonder of creation back to the faithful power of the creator. Although the psalm has Egyptian parallels and reflects an older generic theology of creation, it has been made, through the traditioning process, into a vehicle for Israel's Yahwistic faith. "The psalm begins with a summons to the self to turn fully ("bless") to YHWH, ceding self in celebrative affirmation to YHWH (v.1)... After the summons YHWH is named as "my God' and 'exuberantly affirmed' ... [with] a long glad inventory of all facets of creation that are credited to the creator God (vv. 2-23)... "The psalmist is smitten with the beauty, awesomeness, generativity and ordered coherence of creation to the wondrous power of the creator." So beautifully written is the description and analysis, and I've really only quoted a tiny bit, that one wants to read the commentary on Psalm 104 again and again. Along with the psalm itself, of course. It's a commentary one actually wants to read in its entirety, not just as a reference book. Because the commentary series utilizes the NRSV version, the authors do not need to justify the translation (by interminable footnotes as in some commentaries). Nevertheless in unobtrusive ways you can see that the authors at times take exception to bits of the NRSV translation, for example in Psalm 1 - using the singular in referring to the "person" in verse 1 (NRSV uses "those") as "blessed or happy" - and cautioning that the word "happy" (NRSV's translation) does "not connote pleasing external circumstances in life but rather a deeper joy about the fruitfulness of the way of living urged on the reader's of the psalm." If I had to describe the book overall, I'd say it presents succinctly an enormous amount of information, information of types both specific to each psalm as well as enlarging upon issues raised by a particular psalm, which relate to the psalms as a whole or across other books of the Bible. In addition, the prose at times reaches poetic heights - sparkling, uplifting, verging on prayer. Which personally bring me great joy! Which brings me to my small beefs - which I do not hold against the authors but the series itself. I purchased the "hardback" - as I really love the psalms and do make use of commentaries. Well, for the cost, this appears to be a paperback with stiff covers. It is not really a "bound book" - as one would expect given the cost involved (when compared to the Hermeneia series binding and cost, for example). If I had it to do over again, I'd buy the paperback along with a download to my Kindle, both of which together are way cheaper than the hardback cost. And more versatile! (Or, I suggest that the publisher should - at least - allow people who have unsuspectingly purchased the hardback to download a Kindle copy for free or for a very nominal fee.) Because this book, to my mind, is one I want to refer to over and over. It is such a joy to read - on many levels. It is informative and succinct and beautifully written. And for that reason, I grieve that my hardback isn't really what I expected. And though I want a Kindle copy - truly I do - I hate to pay more money still, after feeling gypped already in paying so much for so little (I refer to my so-called "hardback" copy). I thought long and hard about my 5 stars. They are for the authors! For the joy of reading. To invite others to rejoice in a one-volume commentary, which is all most of us would ever need. (Even though I still look forward to the very scholarly third volume on the psalms in the Hermeneia series. Even though this seems to be a year with many, many books on psalms coming out. Too many to read them all - I only wish I were younger had decades to do that.)

I love this commentary. I am a fluent reader of the Hebrew Bible in Hebrew, have lived in Israel for the past 20 years, and have been a working tour guide since the year 2000. I am also intimately familiar with the physical settings of those locations that are associated with King David's life. Although my preference is usually for Hebrew language commentaries on the various books of the Hebrew Bible, I have thoroughly enjoyed this commentary, which I am using in tandem with a Hebrew one on the Book of Psalms from the "Olam Ha Tanaach" series. While I feel that native Hebrew speakers understand the nuances of Biblical Hebrew in a way unmatched by their counterparts in Western academia, this particular commentary has immensely added to my understanding of to the "big picture," or setting of each individual Psalm in the corpus as a whole. The authors are very good at showing not only the original meaning as it was likely intended to its original audience, but also explain why the particular psalm was placed in its final location within the greater work. And, most importantly, they do this in a highly edifying and easy reading manner. Never falling into the trap of being overly "philological," it's obvious the authors love the Book of Psalms on a personal level, and wish to make them as edifying and personal to their readers as they are to them, the authors. I think the New Cambridge Bible Commentary is a precious gem, and based on my experience with this volume, I plan to get the Genesis and Revelation volumes as well. This series has succeeded to find that all too rare balance between philological/historical based scholarship and beautiful/edifying prose. I thank the authors for deepening not only my understanding of the Books of Psalms, but my love for them as well. Toda Rabba!

A read a Psalm almost every day and appreciate the commentary. Some days there is too much detail for the day. On the other hand it is aq great commentary when the Psalm appears in the Lectionary for a Sunday. Hard to beat Brueggerman.

While I'm neither an ordained minister or even someone trained in Old Testament studies, I had agreed to teach a short (seven weeks) Sunday School class on the Psalms. In preparation, I read six books my pastor recommended and found two books by Brueggemann to be the most useful because they examined the Psalms both in terms of their own time and in our own. Brueggemann is also a beautiful writer who reminds readers that the Bible is something that can teach us how to live today.

very goog guide book I enjoyed. Much trustworthy for the catholics. Thank you.

This is very solid and informative. It will always be one of the books you'll want to refer to when you're studying a psalm.

An excellent commentary on the Psalms. Good for teaching or for academic research.

not for a common man must have theological background to patiently go through ..but the effort but the author is good

This is great for the clergy or students who may need a deeper and rich understanding of the Psalms. Well worth the money.

As usual, Brueggemann's book is always the best!

Its a good book and easy to understand. The explanations makes want to read more about the book.

The content is fantastic but I purchased the Kindle edition and it works very poorly. Takes forever to open and responds very sluggish. The publisher needs to fix this!

I bought this commentary because I was told (correctly) that it dealt with the Psalms in their context (historical and for today) without 'Christianizing' them. This is an integrity I applaud - though I am a Christian minister. The problems I encounter on my Kindle are probably because of the massive data of the text. Opening the book is slow, changing places in the book is slow (and sometimes crashes and has to be reopened) and making notes and highlighting is slow. Still it takes up less space than would the codex version, and I'm glad to use it daily for the Office Psalms.