The Vitality of Worship: A Commentary on the Book of Psalms
Overview
The Psalms have been central to Jewish and Christian tradition and spirituality across the centuries. In them people of all times and places have found echoes of their own experiences, whether of praise or perplexity, certainty or doubt, quiet assurance or agonized questioning. This commentary on the book of Psalms by Robert Davidson seeks to show how a knowledge of the place the Psalms originally had in the worship of ancient Israel enables them to come alive in worship within believing communities today.
Taking primarily a theological approach to the Psalms, Davidson looks at each numbered Psalm in turn, discussing its relationship to the other Psalms, its message according to its original context, and its enduring theological significance. Davidson’s special concern to highlight the continuing relevance of the Psalms for worship—in ancient times and now. According to Davidson, when we recognize in the Psalms their reflections of our own life experiences, they can be significantly more helpful to our private spiritual lives and our public worship than many of the hymnbooks currently being used.
In drawing on contemporary worship sources, both Jewish and Christian, this excellent commentary will appeal as much to general readers and worship leaders as to scholars, students, and pastors.
Top Highlights
“Given the proper attitude in the hearts and minds of the worshippers, an inner spirituality could be genuinely expressed through ‘right sacrifices,’” (Page 171)
“but what it uses it reshapes into a hymn which has its own distinctive character” (Page 434)
“Although the word translated ‘pride’ often refers to human arrogance (cf. 10:2; 36:11), here it is simply a description of the land of which Jacob (i.e., the nation; cf. 14:7) is rightly proud, the gift of God’s ‘love’ (see comment on 31:23; cf. 44:2–3).” (Page 155)
“The central section in verses 5–21, however, contains the thanksgiving of an individual, probably the king or some other representative of the community. It also presupposes a festal procession to the Jerusalem temple, with a question and answer session at the gate into the temple courts (vv. 19–20) similar to what we have seen in Psalms 15 and 24.” (Page 383)
“In verses 26 and 27 we listen to a priestly blessing, the first part of which was probably pronounced by the priests at the gate leading into the temple courts. He ‘who comes [REB: ‘enters’] in the name of the Lord’ is the king and possibly each one of those who accompany him in the procession, coming to the temple with the Lord’s imprimatur.” (Page 387)
This commentary bridges the unfortunate gap between scholarship and devotional use of the psalms. Exegetical problems are squarely faced, and then readers are led to a point where the text can address their own lives.
- Leslie C. Allen, Senior Professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA.
Truly a magnum opus. . . . Davidson's cross-references from one psalm to another will greatly help readers who are simply looking up a particular psalm. A thoroughly theological volume, always based on good critical study.
- Title: The Vitality of Worship: A Commentary on the Book of Psalms
- Author: Robert Davidson
- Series: International Theological Commentary
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Print Publication Date: 1998
- Logos Release Date: 2006
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Bible. O.T. Psalms › Commentaries
- ISBNs: 9780802842466, 0802842461
- Resource ID: LLS:ITC14PSLM
- Resource Type: Bible Commentary
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-08-22T23:32:05Z
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