Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the Old Testament
3 total works
This reissue of Cambridge's classic series of commentaries on the New English Bible conveys some of the best biblical scholarship of its time, with many of its contributors going on to become famous scholars in their field and the church. The commentaries are designed for use in schools and colleges, as well as for the minister and general reader. Each volume comments on one book, or a few short books, of the Old Testament and in each the text is given in full. Sections of text and commentary alternate, so that the reader does not have to keep two books open, or turn from one part of the book to the other, or refer to a commentary in small type at the foot of the page. Great care has been taken to see that the commentary is suitable for the student and the general reader: there is no Greek or Hebrew and no strings of biblical reference, making them an accessible and thought provoking read. In addition to the general introductory volume, Understanding the Old Testament, there is a volume of maps and plates: Old Testament Illustrations.
This volume follows the general pattern of the series, opening with a discussion of content, of authorship, and of the way the collection came to be put together, followed by a psalm-by-psalm presentation of the NEB text with commentary. Dr Rogerson and Dr McKay stress the richness and variety of the material in the Psalms, and provide an analytical table of the predominant themes. They discuss the literary characteristics of Hebrew poetry with special reference to devices such as the acrostic, and examine the problems faced by the NEB translators. Over the years many different approaches have been made to the interoperation of the Psalms. The authors characterize these as the spiritual, the historical, the form-critical and the cultic approach, and their own commentary strikes an effective balance between them. One of their primary purposes is to bring out the religious teaching of permanent value within the Psalms.
This volume follows the general pattern of the series, opening with a discussion of content, of authorship and of the way the collection came to be put together, followed by a psalm-by-psalm presentation of the N.E.B. text with commentary.