Overview
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.
Table of Contents
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
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
Endorsements
"Hassell Bullock presents the fruit of a lifetime of academic study and spiritual practice devoted to the Psalms. The first edition brought understanding and appreciation, and the second edition will do this and more. Hassell brings these poems of old off the page and into the hearts and lives of readers. The Psalms sing again."
Richard S. Hess, distinguished professor of Old Testament, Denver Seminary
"Readers can hear and feel the psalmists' heartbeat for God as they read Hassell Bullock's book on the Psalms. This revised edition is thoroughly updated and contains many useful and reader-friendly features, including sidebars, photos, figures, charts, and more. An especially welcome feature is the new attention to the canonical reading of the Psalter, i.e., to the book's structure and message as an organic whole. If one reads through this book--along with the book of Psalms itself!--one's spiritual life and love for God and neighbor will be immeasurably enriched. I heartily recommend it."
David M. Howard Jr., professor of Old Testament, Bethel Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota
"Hassell Bullock has done it again! In this revision of his time-honored Encountering the Book of Psalms, he combines the mind of a scholar, the clarity of a teacher, the heart of a pastor, and the deep piety of one who has long walked with God as he guides the reader to learn, to live, and to love the Psalter."
Daniel J. Estes, distinguished professor of Old Testament, Cedarville University
"Bullock's first edition has proven itself to be the most comprehensive introduction to the Psalter for students, pastors, and serious lay readers. What was already an outstanding treatment is now further enriched by years of mature reflection in preparation for his two-volume commentary on the Psalms. This updated edition of Bullock's balanced and student-centered volume is most welcome."
John W. Hilber, professor of Old Testament, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary
Author
C. Hassell Bullock
C. Hassell Bullock (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is professor of Hebrew Bible emeritus at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, where he taught for thirty-six years. He also served as an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He specializes in Wisdom literature, particularly the Psalms, and wrote the successful textbook Encountering the Book of Psalms as well as the two-volume Teach the Text Commentary on the Psalms.