Berit Olam: Studies in Hebrew Narrative & Poetry: Psalms
Overview
The psalms are masterful poems that echo the tenors of community life and worship as they project the scope of the human drama from lament to praise. They chart a profound and vital relationship with God, with all the ups and downs that this relationship implies. Konrad Schaefer’s concise commentary on the psalms relates their poetic elements while respecting their historical context and traditional use in the liturgy and, more importantly, their ultimate value as a springboard to private and communal prayer.
In Psalms, Schaefer focuses on the structure of each psalm, its dramatic plot, the modes of discourse, the rhetorical features, and the effective use of imagery to portray theology and the spiritual life. Schaefer portrays each poem’s inner dynamic to acquaint readers with the poet and the community which prayed and preserved the composition, allowing the believer to transpose it in the contemporary situation.
Psalms is for those who would like to pray the psalms with more intensity of meaning; for those willing to touch the biblical world and taste of its fruit in the Word of God; and for devoted readers of the Bible to become more expert as it helps experts become more devoted.
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- Concentrates on the poetic elements of the Psalms
- Respects the historical context of the Psalms and their traditional use in the liturgy
- Includes diverse theological and theoretical perspectives
Top Highlights
“These two dimensions, narration and obligation, or, in the Jewish tradition, haggadah and halakah, are complementary. The English word law suggests a restriction that limits freedom. But God’s tôrâh as described in Scripture occasions rejoicing (see Pss 19:8; 112:1; 119:92), so it is better understood as God’s will or design for the chosen people. Tôrâh is how God shapes the human soul, like a road map that guides and identifies landmarks toward a destination.” (Page 3)
“The poems do not articulate theology, and the doctrinal hollows in the psalmist’s faith are striking, especially when one looks for the expression of faith in eternal life. But the psalmist’s original contribution is in the quality of poetry and prayer. The psalms open a door to the spiritual life of a believing community where both the poet and the orante find a home. Both are searchers. Each helps the other arrive at the richest meaning from the prayer. The poet provides the words and images, and the orante infuses them with new meaning and, in the case of the Christian, baptizes them in the experience of Christ. To appreciate the psalms is to understand them as the poetic expression of a religious experience, preserved by a worshiping faith community which extends to the present.” (Pages xxv–xxvi)
“The psalmist contrasts two attitudes. Those who depend on God and seek the divine will by studying the tôrâh enjoy a relationship with God; they strive constantly and listen intently for God’s word day and night. They are blessed by a sense of the meaning of life. In contrast are those who scorn the devout life and aim to live off their own resources. They are like chaff separated and burned after the threshing; their existence lacks substance.” (Pages 7–8)
- Title: Psalms
- Author: Konrad Schaefer
- Series: Berit Olam Studies in Hebrew Narrative and Poetry
- Publisher: Liturgical Press
- Print Publication Date: 2001
- Logos Release Date: 2014
- Pages: 448
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Bible. O.T. Psalms › Commentaries
- ISBNs: 0814650619, 9780814650615
- Resource ID: LLS:BOPSALMS
- Resource Type: Bible Commentary
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T19:14:35Z
Reviews
5 ratings
Jeffrey J H Marshall
9/25/2019
Phillip J. Long
9/14/2019
Thomas Binder
8/31/2019
Keith Adams
8/20/2019
Literary analysis is one of the most rewarding and beneficial ways of analyzing Scripture. Schaefer makes some great observations leading to insightful interpretation. Unfortunately his analysis is focused on one Psalm at a time rather than also making comments about Psalm groups, but then again I haven't found a commentary that has attempted that level of analysis. In any case, I still highly recommend.
MDD
4/5/2017
