Psalms As Torah

Taking his point of departure from the newest frontier of research, McCann reads the psalms in the context of their final shape and canonical form. He interprets the psalms as scripture as well as in their character as songs, prayers, and poetry from Israel's history. McCann's intent is to contribute to the church's recovery of the psalms as torah--as instruction, as a guide to prayer, praise of God, and pious living. The explicit connections which McCann draws from the psalms to the New Testament and to Christian faith and life are extensive, making his work suitable for serious study of the psalms in academic and in church settings. An appendix examines the tradition of singing the psalms and offers suggestions for the use of the psalms in worship.

An internationally-renowned Old Testament scholar explores the riches of the Psalms, expounding the ways they shape those who read them.

"A new, poetic translation of the Book of Psalms faces the Masoretic Hebrew text. A running textual commentary takes us inside the translation process. A second, spiritual commentary connects each psalm to the events, struggles, and triumphs in our spiritual lives"--

The Psalms are the most-read part of the Old Testament, but their importance for ethics has often been overlooked. However, the Psalms offer some of the most potent ethical instruction in the Bible. In this book internationally renowned Old Testament scholar Gordon Wenham examines the source of the Psalms' power, reflects on their main ethical themes, and shows how they function as prayers that change us. Wenham makes an important contribution to biblical scholarship and breaks new ground in discussions of Old Testament ethics, yet he writes accessibly, making this book invaluable for students, scholars, and pastors.

What's really going on in the Psalms? Is it just an anthology of old Israelite songs? Or is there more to it than anyone ever guessed? This evergreen classic is the book that first proposed, in 1997, a messianic metanarrative in the Psalms. It explains how someone arranged the Psalms to outline a program of future events like in Zechariah 9-14. There is an appendix of apocalyptic midrashim, translated into English for the first time. A bridegroom-Messiah gathers exiled Israel. He sets up a kingdom, but dies a violent death. Israel are scattered in the wilderness of the nations. Then they are gathered again in troublous times. Finally, they are rescued by a king from the heavens. He sets his throne on Zion and receives the homage of the nations. 160,000 words. Read all about it!

"Despite extensive study of the poetic features of Psalm 119, the conceptions it advocates and its contribution to developing Judaism have not been well understood; indeed some scholars have dismissed the psalm as containing little more than wearisome repetition. Reynolds distinguishes between the psalmist and the speaker within the psalm. The psalmist portrays the speaker as an exemplary Torah student and thereby promotes the contemplation of Torah as a facet of ethical instruction. Using this new perspective, Reynolds contributes a fresh and coherent understanding of the ideas in Psalm 119. He explains the function of its length and highlights its emphasis on Torah study that became axiomatic in Rabbinic Judaism."--Publisher's website.

An investigation by O. Palmer Robertson that uncovers the mystery of the arrangement and structure of the Psalms and shows that there is a redemptive flow through its five books.