The Book Of Psalms A Translation With Commentary

Robert Alter's 'The Book of Psalms' captures the simplicity, the physicality and rhythmic power of the Hebrew, while shedding light on the obscurities of the text.

A commentated new translation of the Book of Psalms seeks to preserve and convey its powerful message and musical rhythms while lending insight into the text's obscurities, in a volume by the acclaimed translator of the Five Books of Moses. 30,000 first printing.

One of Newsweek’s Best Books of the Year and winner of the Robert Kirsch Award for Lifetime Achievement. A cornerstone of the scriptural canon, the Book of Psalms has been a source of solace and joy for countless readers over millennia. This timeless poetry is beautifully wrought by a scholar whose translation of the Five Books of Moses was hailed as a “godsend” by Seamus Heaney and a “masterpiece” by Robert Fagles. Alter’s The Book of Psalms captures the simplicity, the physicality, and the coiled rhythmic power of the Hebrew, restoring the remarkable eloquence of these ancient poems. His learned and insightful commentary illuminates the obscurities of the text.

The ideas and emotions that make the book of Psalms such a powerful text for Judaism and Christianity alike are brilliantly captured in this deft translation by a scholar of Judaism. Aaron Lichtenstein offers the English translation in verse, just as the original Hebrew text is in poetry, in the various poetic modes required by the myriad moods and messages. Readers will be moved by the inspiring words of the Psalms in this essential resource.

"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"--

"A masterpiece of contemporary Bible translation and commentary."—Los Angeles Times Book Review, Best Books of 1999 Acclaimed for its masterful new translation and insightful commentary, The David Story is a fresh, vivid rendition of one of the great works in Western literature. Robert Alter's brilliant translation gives us David, the beautiful, musical hero who slays Goliath and, through his struggles with Saul, advances to the kingship of Israel. But this David is also fully human: an ambitious, calculating man who navigates his life's course with a flawed moral vision. The consequences for him, his family, and his nation are tragic and bloody. Historical personage and full-blooded imagining, David is the creation of a literary artist comparable to the Shakespeare of the history plays.

Remarkably enough, there is a scarcity of modern commentaries on the Psalms for the more general reader, though after the Gospels, they are probably the most widely-read part of the Bible. No one is more qualified to write on the Psalms than John Eaton. He is a distinguished Old Testament scholar and has spent a lifetime studying the Psalms. This commentary is addressed to the wide readership. There is a long and highly readable introduction giving a background to the Psalms; then follow the 150 Psalms, each in Eaton's translation. He explains the background to the Psalms and their content in a way that makes them interesting and relevant to the present. The discussion of each psalm ends with a related Christian prayer, either from the tradition or written by Eaton himself. John Eaton is recognized as one of the world's leading experts on Psalms: this commentary is the culmination of his life's work. John Eaton lectured in Old Testament at the University of Birmingham until his retirement. He is the author of many books, especially on aspects of the Psalms.