Though the Psalms are perhaps the most familiar portion of the Hebrew Bible, they are also among the most difficult to interpret. In this new, thoroughly updated edition of a successful textbook, a respected evangelical Old Testament scholar offers a guide to the book of Psalms that is informed by current scholarship and written at an accessible level. Designed for the undergraduate classroom, it includes photos, sidebars, and other pedagogical aids and features a new interior design.

Author

C. Hassell Bullock

Contents

To the Student
Preface to the Second Edition
Preface to the First Edition
Part 1: Encountering the Literary and Hermeneutical Dimensions of the Psalms
1. "Begin the Music": Introducing the Psalms
2. Listening to the Symphony of Praise: Interpreting the Psalms
3. The Seams of the Garment of Praise: The Structure of the Book
Part 2: Encountering the Psalms as Worship and Historical Reflection
4. The Psalms in Worship and Faith
5. Encountering Theology and History in the Psalms
Part 3: Encountering the Psalms as Literary and Theological Types
6. "Praise the Lord, O My Soul; All My Inmost Being, Praise His Holy Name": Psalms of Praise
7. "My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?": Psalms of Lament
8. "I Love the Lord, for He Heard My Voice; He Heard My Cry for Mercy": Psalms of Thanksgiving
9. "The Lord Is My Shepherd, I Shall Not Want": Psalms of Trust
10. "You Are My Son; Today I Have Become Your Father": The Royal Psalms
11. "The Lord Reigns": The Kingship of Yahweh Psalms
12. "My Mouth Will Speak Words of Wisdom": Wisdom Psalms
13. "The Law of the Lord Is Perfect, Reviving the Soul": Psalms of Torah
14. "May They Be Blotted Out of the Book of Life": Imprecatory Psalms
Glossary
Indexes