Many readers are convinced that the Psalms are hopelessly “masculine,” especially given that seventy-three of the 150 psalms begin with headings linking them to King David. In this volume, Denise Dombkowski Hopkins sets stories about women in the Hebrew Bible alongside Psalms 42–89 as “intertexts” for interpretation. The stories of women such as Hannah, Rahab, Tamar, Bathsheba, Susanna, Judith, Shiphrah, Puah, and the Levite’s concubine can generate a different set of associations for psalm metaphors than have traditionally been put forward. These different associations can give the reader different views of the dynamics of power, gender, politics, religion, family, and economics in ancient Israel and in our lives today that might help to name and transform the brokenness of our world. From the Wisdom Commentary series Feminist biblical interpretation has reached a level of maturity that now makes possible a commentary series on every book of the Bible. It is our hope that Wisdom Commentary, by making the best of current feminist biblical scholarship available in an accessible format to ministers, preachers, teachers, scholars, and students, will aid all readers in their advancement toward God’s vision of dignity, equality, and justice for all. The aim of this commentary is to provide feminist interpretation of Scripture in serious, scholarly engagement with the whole text, not only those texts that explicitly mention women. A central concern is the world in front of the text, that is, how the text is heard and appropriated by women. At the same time, this commentary aims to be faithful to the ancient text, to explicate the world behind the text, where appropriate, and not impose contemporary questions onto the ancient texts. The commentary addresses not only issues of gender (which are primary in this project) but also those of power, authority, ethnicity, racism, and classism, which all intersect. Each volume incorporates diverse voices and differing interpretations from different parts of the world, showing the importance of social location in the process of interpretation and that there is no single definitive feminist interpretation of a text.

The psalms help us to find refuge in God in the midst of trouble, and model how we can respond to the ups and downs of life in the context of our covenant relationship with him. Showing not only how each psalm might be read or preached, but also how it could be prayed, sung or used in pastoral and self-care, Tim Chester invites us to engage deeply with this poetic Scripture and learn how we can find the voice of Christ at the centre of it. About the Hodder Bible Commentary The Hodder Bible Commentary is a comprehensive 50-volume Bible commentary series. Doctrinally sensitive and globally aware, its goal is to encourage a deepened knowledge and understanding of Scripture. Accessible and insightful expository commentary explores the timeless message of the Bible and applies it to the challenges of today's world. Written by a range of authors and supported by consultant editors from around the world, it represents a diversity of church and cultural contexts. With the full text of the NIV Bible interspersed with the commentary for easy reference, this series is ideal for preaching, teaching and personal study.

Good poetry is like a good painting: the more you linger over it, the more it reveals. It is a deep well that never runs dry. And that is why the Psalter, like a good painting, keeps giving. In the last four decades, Psalms scholarship has found remarkable fruitfulness in reading the Psalter as a book—that is, in reading the Psalms as a unified composition with a metanarrative across its 150 poems. Pivotal questions associated with this approach really boil down to two questions—how and why? How are individual psalms sequenced, if at all, and what is the design logic behind that macrostructure? This volume seeks to answer those questions. In essence, the Psalter unfurls the story of the Davidic covenant. While interest in the editing of the Psalter remains high in recent Psalms scholarship, this interest has not led to clear consensus. The specific and timely contribution of this volume is twofold. First, it consolidates the results of studies on groups of psalms. Second, it integrates poetic and thematic approaches that are typically separated in Psalms scholarship. Readers will find results of this study surprising and their implications sobering.

Psalms 42-72, many of which are closely identified with King David as person as well as figure, include some of the most intimate and forceful expressions of Israelite/Judean spirituality. The Psalms reveal many theological points along the way; some of these developed, others inchoate. The security in Zion's God which replies to the longing of 'the soul' gives way to Psalms which keenly feel the absence of God, interspersed with assertions of the Lord's ability to save, and a widening sense of the scope of salvation as being in some sense 'communal'. Mark W. Elliott examines these and other themes in Psalms 42-72. He considers historical exegesis and makes use of literary approaches to get at the sense of the text. The riches of Christian praying and preaching of the psalms provide a guide into deeper theological assertion, with Elliott keeping one eye on the covenant relationship of faith and the other on Christ as author and finisher thereof.

A user-friendly guide to the study and interpretation of the Psalms.

Hassell Bullock has studied, taught, and written successful texts on the Psalms for forty years. In this book, he walks through how the Psalms convey the grand story of creation and redemption, Scripture's two theological ends, and the underlying story of God and humanity in relationship. Bullock explains how the literal and metaphorical language in the Psalms work together to articulate the message and deepen our understanding. He presents interpretive principles gleaned from the psalmists themselves and shows how these writers make intertextual connections to other Scriptures, sometimes quoting but mostly alluding, which can help us make corresponding connections between Old and New Testament teachings. The Psalms are examples of applying wisdom and Scriptures to personal and national issues and of how God interacts and intervenes in real-life situations, which help us apply the Bible today. Bullock's mature reflections and guidance on understanding and applying the Psalms' theological message will complement any traditional introduction to the Psalms.