Psalms

Hossfeld and Zenger provide one of the most important scholarly commentaries on the latter two-thirds of the Psalter. Their great contribution is the integration of detailed exegesis of individual psalms with sustained attention to neighbouring psalms, collections and the editorial shaping of the Psalter. They are especially strong in showing how the meaning of a psalm can be enriched by its position within a deliberately arranged sequence, while also bringing formidable expertise in textual criticism, literary analysis, ancient Near Eastern background and reception history. Some redactional reconstructions are inevitably more persuasive than others, but the commentary repeatedly opens up dimensions of the text that are easily missed when psalms are treated in isolation. For serious research on Psalms 51–150 it is indispensable.

I like this a lot. The attention to the history of interpretation is particularly welcome, but the commentary is strong throughout. Too bad that the set will never be completed.

These volumes are by far the best in analyzing the poetics of a psalm. And they’re helpful in showing the psalms’ interconnectedness. Hossfeld and Zenger’s research is profitably erudite without being tedious. But Hossfeld in particular must be read with theological caution because he assumes some critical, non-orthodox views. Volume 1 in the series exists in German but has not yet been published in English. [Full Review]

Although this set is incomplete (both authors passed before the first volume could be completed), it offers unique contributions. First, in its careful attention to historical-critical issues, and second in its extended purview. Each psalm’s relationship to adjacent psalms and to major translations (LXX, Targum) and New Testament use are given thoughtful consideration. [Full Review]