How To Read & Understand The Psalms

How To Read & Understand The Psalms by Bruce K. Waltke and Fred G. Zaspel is a comprehensive guide to approaching, studying, and understanding the Psalms. Each chapter explores a type of psalm, and multiple examples are examined in each chapter. Setting, form, and structure are thoroughly analyzed, as well as a survey exposition of the Psalms. Each section concludes with a reflection summary. This book aims to help Christians read the Psalms more profitably. As stated in the preface, this book is written at a lay level to make it as approachable as possible. This book aims to enable all readers to grasp the psalmists thought process when writing the Psalms.

The Psalms is the most frequently quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament. As Hebrew poetry, the Psalms are limited in parallelism, brevity, and terseness, and in imagery and figures of speech. A mindful reading of the Psalms requires contemplative consideration. Psalms are best comprehended by reflection and meditation, not by simply reading them hurriedly. Each poem conveys a message that the writer seeks to convey. The blessed man is the one who meditates on God's Word both day and night, as stated in Psalm 1:2.

The following chapters are included in How To Read & Understand The Psalms.

1. Introduction to the Psalms

2. Hermeneutics: Interpreting the Psalms as Believers

3. The Historical Setting of the Psalms (3, 4)

4. The Royal Orientation of the Psalms

5. The Liturgical Setting of the Psalms: Songs of Ascents (2, 110)

6. Hebrew Poetry (133, 121, 23)

7. Form Criticism and Psalm Forms

8. Praise Psalms (117, 98, 96, 103, 150, 33, 100, 8, 81, 95)

9. Petition-Lament Psalms (54, 5, 13, 38, 58, 102, 142, 27, 42-43, 69, 6, 44, 51, 22, 90)

10. Individual Songs of Grateful Praise (66:13-20, 30, 34:1-11, 116, 32, 40, 92)

11. Songs of Trust (131, 62, 91, 139)

12. Messianic Psalms (72, 110, 2, 16, 45, 22, 34, 8, 40, 69, 118, 16)

13. Didactic Psalms (37, 15, 19, 73)

14. Rhetorical Devices and Structures (2, 110, 100, 92, 25, 32, 51, 24, 58, 49)

15. The Final Arrangement of the Psalmer (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150)

This book is definitely not a casual read. It takes a bit of concentration to read How To Read & Understand The Psalms, but it is worth the time.