Digital Logos Edition
The final installment in Goldingay’s comprehensive study! Blending literary, historical, grammatical, and theological insights, the acclaimed scholar offers his own translation of Psalms 90–150, followed by interpretive commentary. An incisive look at the Scriptures Tremper Longman calls “a literary sanctuary: a holy place where humans share their joys and struggles with brutal honesty in God’s presence.”
This resource is both scholarly and readable, presenting an historical, theological, and applicable survey of the riches of Wisdom literature. In the Logos edition, each Scripture passage links to your favorite translation, and is easy to study side-by-side with your other commentaries. You can search by topic or Scripture with split-second results!
“The two sections of the psalm combine to urge a simple message on the man who bears the burden of responsibility for his household: relax.” (Page 505)
“Individual believers are fond of the idea that they should seek to make a difference, and the church is fond of the idea that it should seek to bring in or further or extend the kingdom of God. The psalm suggests that the task of the people of God is rather to wait for the kingdom of God, and Jesus also takes this view. Instead of being lofty and looking high and going about thinking that we can do wonders that are actually too great for us, the suppliant invites us to relax like a child in its mother’s arms. This is a statement that will infuriate readers, which as usual shows how important it is.” (Pages 538–539)
“But the most spectacularly unanswered prayer in world history is Jesus’s prayer in John 17:20–23. Christian kinfolk live in breathtaking disharmony. This devastates their witness as it removes the goodness and the loveliness from them; it removes their joy and surrenders their blessing. The psalm invites us to consider the loveliness of kinfolk living as one and to meditate on the images for this that it offers, to see if this inspires us to live as one.23 Calvin’s caveats24 show how scandalous is the psalm’s conviction and how unanswerable the prayer.” (Page 569)
“But the psalm’s direct point is to invite people to reflect on the joy of the blessing that comes from the dew and then take that as an image for the blessing of harmony in the community. It is not something to be taken for granted or imperiled but something to be cherished and safeguarded.” (Page 569)
An excellent addition to an outstanding series. No one interested in preaching, teaching, or researching the Psalms can afford to be without it. I highly recommend it.
—Leonard Mare, Review of Biblical Literature
Pastors will benefit from Goldingay’s lucid discussion of interpretive issues, which is always informed by the faith of the church. Scholars will be well served by the insightful textual notes and extensive bibliography. In sum, this volume is a welcome resource for the study of the Psalms from which many different readers may glean.
—Jerome F. D. Creach, Robert C. Holland Professor of Old Testament, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary