NIV Application Commentary: Psalms, vol. 1 (NIVAC)

by Gerald H. Wilson

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2002

Overview

Perhaps more clearly than any other part of the biblical canon, the Psalms are human words directed to God. Yet, through the Holy Spirit, these honest, sometimes brutal words return to us as the Word of God. Their agonies and exaltations reflect more than the human condition in which they were created. Within the context of the canonical Psalter, they become the source of divine guidance, challenge, confrontation, and comfort. However, it is possible to misapply them. How can we use the Psalms in a way that faithfully connects God’s meaning in them and his intentions for them with our circumstances today?

Drawing on over 20 years of study in the book of Psalms, Dr. Gerald H. Wilson reveals the links between the Bible and our present times. While he considers each psalm in itself, Wilson goes much further, examining whole groups of psalms and, ultimately, the entire Psalter, its purpose, and its use from the days of Hebrew temple worship onward through church history. In so doing, Wilson opens our eyes to ageless truths for our 21st-century lives.

Key Features

• Preface by the author
• In-depth introduction
• Bibliographical references and indexes

Contents

Top Highlights

“At its heart Psalm 23 is an expression of confidence in the protective care of Yahweh, upon whom the psalmist expresses absolute dependence.” (Page 430)

“The psalmist clearly sees such purposeful immersion in the torah as an effective antidote to the inappropriate association with evil described in verse 1. Not only are students of torah occupied, but torah so feeds and shapes the mind and heart of those who give themselves to it that their feet are kept firmly on the path of life.” (Page 97)

“I shall not be in want. The focus of the word ‘want’ is not so much on the idea of ‘desiring’ something as on ‘lacking’ something needed. The psalmist does not mean that Yahweh shepherds us by giving us everything we desire. Rather, those who trust in Yahweh as sheep do in a shepherd will never lack for whatever they need. The niv’s translation ‘I shall not be in want’ succeeds in clarifying the true meaning of the phrase. In the verses that follow, the psalmist illustrates how the shepherd-God supplies abundantly all that his trusting people need.” (Page 432)

“That David, who understood himself to be the shepherd of Israel and who was acknowledged by the people as such, should speak of Yahweh as ‘my shepherd’ (23:1) is a way of acknowledging that Yahweh is indeed the power behind the throne of David (and all the kings of Israel and Judah), and that in reality Yahweh is the true king of Israel.” (Page 432)

“For ultimately Psalm 8 is not about divine power, or even human insignificance. It is much more about divine grace, empowerment, and resultant human responsibility.” (Page 205)

Product Details

• Title: Psalms, Volume 1
• Author: Gerald H. Wilson
• Series: NIV Application Commentary
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 2002
• Logos Release Date: 2012
• Pages: 1024
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. O.T. Psalms › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9780310490494, 9780310206354, 9780310520733, 0310490499, 0310206359, 0310520738
• Resource ID: LLS:NIVAC19PS01
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-10-05T17:06:39Z

About Gerald H. Wilson

Gerald H. Wilson received his PhD from Yale University, and he was a professor of Old Testament and biblical Hebrew at Azusa Pacific University. He wrote The Editing of the Hebrew Psalter and numerous articles for journals, encyclopedias, and reviews.