Psalms Through the Centuries, Volume 2 A Reception History Commentary on Psalms 1 - 72

Psalms Through the Centuries: Volume Two provides the first ever extensive commentary on the Jewish and Christian reception history of the first two books of the Psalter (Psalms 1-41 and 42-72). It explores the various uses of the Psalms, over two millennia, in translation and commentary, liturgy and prayer, study and preaching, musical composition and artistic illustration, poetic and dramatic imitation, and contemporary discourse.

With lavish illustrations, using examples from both music and art, Psalms Through the Centuries: Volume Two offers a detailed commentary on each psalm, with an extensive bibliography, a large glossary of terms, and helpful indices. It is an ideal resource both for students and scholars in the academy and for lay people and ministers in church and synagogue.

Psalms Through the Centuries is published within the Wiley Blackwell Commentary series.  Further information about this innovative reception history series is available at www.bbibcomm.info

Susan Gillingham is Emeritus Professor of the Hebrew Bible at the University of Oxford and a Senior Research Fellow at Worcester College, Oxford. She is a Permanent Deacon in the Anglican Church and serves at St. Barnabas Church and Worcester College Chapel, Oxford. She was appointed as Canon Theologian for the Cathedral Church of St Peter in Exeter in 2018. She has written some fifty articles and eight books, mostly on the Psalms and Biblical Interpretation. These include the companion publication, Psalms Through the Centuries: Volume One (Wiley Blackwell, 2008), which is a cultural and reception history introduction to the entire Psalter; The Poems and Psalms of the Hebrew Bible (1994); One Bible, Many Voices: Different Approaches to Biblical Studies (1998); The Image, the Depths and the Surface (2002); and A Journey of Two Psalms: The Reception of Psalms 1&2 in Jewish and Christian Tradition (2013).

Illustrations xiii

Preface xvii

Abbreviations xxi

Introduction: How is a Reception History Commentary a Different Genre? 1

Book One: Psalms 1–41

Davidic Piety and the Conflict of Faith and Experience 9

Psalms 1 and 2: The Prologue to the Psalter 11

Psalm 1: Who is the ‘Blessed Man’? 13

Psalm 2: Who is ‘My Son’? 25

Psalms 3–41: The First Davidic Psalter 44

Psalms 3–14: Praying by Night and Day 46

Psalm 3: A ‘Morning Psalm’ 47

Psalm 4: An ‘Evening Psalm’ 53

Psalm 5: A ‘Morning Psalm’ 58

Psalm 6: An ‘Evening Psalm’ of Penitence 61

Psalm 7: A ‘Morning Psalm’ 68

Psalm 8: An ‘Evening Hymn of Praise’ 72

Psalms 9 and 10: An Acrostic Psalm 83

Psalm 11: The ‘All‐Seeing God’ 89

Psalm 12: ‘Flattering Lips’ 91

Psalm 13: The Fear of Death 95

Psalm 14: The Fool says ‘There is no God’ 98

Psalms 15–24: Bringing Prayer to the Temple 101

Psalm 15: An Entrance Liturgy 102

Psalm 16: Confident Trust in God 105

Psalm 17: Lament for Deliverance 111

Psalm 18: Thanksgiving for Victory 116

Psalm 19: A Hymn of Praise 122

Psalm 20: Thanksgiving for Victory 129

Psalm 21: Thanksgiving for Victory 133

Psalm 22: Lament for Deliverance 136

Psalm 23: Confident Trust in God 144

Psalm 24: An Entrance Liturgy 153

Psalms 25–34: Prayers and Thanks for Deliverance 163

Psalm 25: An Acrostic Concerning the Poor 164

Psalm 26: A Protest of Integrity 167

Psalm 27: Confidence and Complaint 170

Psalm 28: Lament and Thanksgiving 177

Psalm 29: A Hymn of Praise 180

Psalm 30: Thanksgiving for Healing 186

Psalm 31: Confidence through Fear 190

Psalm 32: Confession and Healing 195

Psalm 33: A Hymn of Praise 201

Psalm 34: An Acrostic concerning the Poor 205

Psalms 35–41: Poverty, Sickness and Trust in God 213

Psalm 35: Friends and Enemies 214

Psalm 36: The Plight of the Poor 218

Psalm 37: The Poor and the Land 221

Psalm 38: Penitence and Sickness 231

Psalm 39: Penitence and Human Transience 237

Psalm 40: Thanksgiving and Sacrifice 242

Psalm 41: Friends and Enemies 248

Book Two: Psalms 42–72

David and the Temple: Nostalgia and Hope 255

Psalms 42–49: Exile, Temple and King 257

Psalms 42–43: Longing for the Temple 258

Psalm 44: Praying for National Deliverance 263

Psalm 45: A Wedding Song for the King 267

Psalm 46: God is King in Zion 276

Psalm 47: God is King 284

Psalm 48: God is King in Zion 288

Psalm 49: A Psalm of Complaint and Instruction 292

Psalm 50: An Asaphite Psalm about Repentance and Sacrifice 297

Psalms 51–72: The Second Davidic Psalter 302

Psalm 51: ‘The Psalm of Psalms’ 304

Psalms 52–55: Learning from the Life of David 317

Psalm 52: For Instruction on the ‘Deceitful Tongue’ 317

Psalm 53: For Instruction on the ‘Fool’ 320

Psalm 54: For Instruction on Persecution 323

Psalm 55: Instruction on Betrayal 324

Psalms 56–60: Reflecting on the Life of David 330

Psalm 56: Reflections on Persecution 330

Psalm 57: Reflections on Violence 333

Psalm 58: Reflections on Confronting Evil 335

Psalm 59: Reflections on Enemy Aggression 338

Psalm 60: Reflections in Times of War 340

Psalms 61–64: Hymnic Reflections on God’s Protection 344

Psalm 61: A ‘Psalm’ about Refuge in God 344

Psalm 62: A ‘Psalm’ about the Silence of God 347

Psalm 63: A ‘Psalm’ Seeking God in the Morning 349

Psalm 64: A ‘Psalm’ about Protection 352

Psalms 65–68: God’s People Sing of his Praise 355

Psalm 65: A Sanctuary Song about God’s Sustenance through Nature 355

Psalm 66: A Sanctuary Song about God’s Sustenance through History 359

Psalm 67: A Sanctuary Song about God’s Universal Blessings 362

Psalm 68: A Sanctuary Song about the Divine Warrior 367

Psalms 69–71: Psalms of the Righteous Sufferer 374

Psalm 69: Righteous Suffering of the One and the Many 374

Psalm 70: Righteous Suffering and the Plea for Deliverance 379

Psalm 71: Righteous Suffering as a Model for Faith 381

Psalm 72: ‘Of Solomon’: The Completion of the Prayers of David 386

Appendix 395

Glossary 400

References 416

Index of Names 431

Psalms Index 441

Subject Index 444

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