Psalms by
Biblical texts create worlds of meaning and invite readers to enter them. When readers enter such textual worlds, which are often strange and complex, they are confronted with theological claims. With this in mind, the purpose of the Interpreting Biblical Texts series is to help serious readers in their experience of reading and interpreting, by providing guides for their journeys into textual worlds. The controlling perspective is expressed in the operative word of the title--interpreting. The primary focus of the series is not so much on the world behind the texts or out of which the texts have arisen as on the worlds created by the texts in their engagement with readers. The focus of the volume moves from the smallest to the largest of scales, from an examination of poetic segments to considerations of God and the world through the psalmists' eyes. The author will present new slants and questions that equip the reader with various tools of interpretation while leaving issues open for the reader's further exploration. Included are discussions of Psalms as Hebrew poetry, species, performance, corpus, anthropology, and theology.
Introducing the Psalms by
A new general introduction to the Psalms. Seybold guides the reader through the most important aspects of the history and literary form of the Psalm texts and the major questions of critical scholarship, and discusses all leading writers on the subject.
A Feminist Companion to Wisdom and Psalms by
While the Wisdom volume in the first Feminist Companion series investigated multiple aspects of characterizations of women found in Wisdom literature, the 13 essays in this volume move beyond the study of the characterization of females that formed one of the first steps of modern feminist criticism-the recovery of what had been ignored or trivialized by androcentric readings dominant through the centuries. This second volume takes up questions of voice, exclusion and construction as well as the reinforcement of world views that, while perhaps necessary to the survival of the postexilic community as a whole, nevertheless left a legacy of continued gender asymmetry in Judaism and Christianity.
NBBC, Psalms 1-72
Engaging, perceptive, and academically thorough, the New Beacon Bible Commentary will expand your understanding and deepen your appreciation of the meaning and message of each book of the Bible.Written from the Wesleyan theological perspective, this indispensable commentary provides pastors, professional scholars, teachers, and Bible students with a critical, relevant, and inspiring interpretation of the Word of God in the 21st century.Perhaps no other book of the OT is more beloved, more widely used, and more often interpreted than Psalms. Psalms 1-72 is the first of two volumes on this treasured collection of hymns, praises, and prayers.With scholarly precision, David Thompson brings to the forefront the meaning of each psalm, describing its background and original function in the life of God s people. He then skillfully steers the reader toward present-day applications, displaying a keen grasp of what the psalms mean in the light of Christ s coming. Through this commentary, pastors, worship leaders, teachers, and laypeople can gain increased insight into how each psalm best fits in worship, ministry, and daily life. Biblically sound and thoroughly relevant, this commentary is an essential guide to the church s most important book of prayer and song.
Dictionary of Biblical Imagery by
A Christianity Today 1999 Book of the Year!Every reader of the Bible has encountered the powerful, comforting and sometimes puzzling imagery of Scripture. These concrete pictures with their hidden force have struck sharp and lasting impressions on our minds. Their imprint has etched itself on the language and grammar of Christian faith and Western culture.Why then do traditional Bible dictionaries and reference works offer so little help to explorers of the Bible's galaxy of verbal pictures? They excel in describing the climate, borders and location of Galilee or Sinai. But they are often blind to the artistic expressions and deaf to the musical meanings that echo from within the world of the biblical text.The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery is the first contemporary reference work dedicated to exploring the images, symbols, motifs, metaphors and literary patterns found in the Bible. More than that, it examines the Bible's universal archetypes or master images--including the plot motifs and character types that recur throughout life, literature and the Bible.This unique dictionary explores the dazzling variety in which the Word of God comes dressed in clothes of everyday life. It traces the trail of images from Eden to the New Jerusalem. It captures the plotted patterns of biblical narrative. It surveys the imaged texture of each book of the Bible. In short, The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery is an inviting, enlightening and indispensable companion to the reading, study, contemplation and enjoyment of the Bible.