Kregel Exegetical Library: A Commentary on the Psalms, Volume 1: 1-41 [Hardcover]

Allen Ross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 29, 2012 | Series: Kregel Exegetical Library

For thousands of years, the Book of Psalms has been one of God's people's richest resources for expression of worship and development of the spiritual life. At the same time it is one of the more complex and challenging sections of the Bible for expositors. Pastors, teachers, and all serious students of the Bible will find this commentary invaluable for developing their understanding of the Psalms and for improving their ability to expound it with precision and depth.

For each psalm, Dr. Allen Ross guides the reader through a detailed exegetical outline, proposes a homiletical outline, and offers a summary expository idea of the message of the whole psalm.

The commentary includes discussion throughout of three primary challenges to understanding the Psalms:

• Textual issues: Every major textual difficulty is addressed in order to help the expositor understand the interpretive issues and make decisions when there are multiple available readings.


• Poetic language: The Psalms are full of poetic imagery, devices and structures. Ross discusses this "language" of Hebrew poetry in its context with each psalm, specifying the precise devices being used and how they work in the psalm.


• The Psalms' Hebrew grammar and syntax pose a challenge to many expositors, whether they are familiar with Hebrew or not. This commentary illuminates Hebrew constructions word meanings in a way that is helpful both to readers who are comfortable with Hebrew and those who are not.<.li>

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The Book of Psalms has been the people of God's richest resource for expressing worship and developing the spiritual life. It is also one of the more complex and challenging sections of the Bible to expound responsibly and meaningfully. Pastors, teachers, and all serious students of the Bible will find this commentary invaluable for developing their understanding of the Psalms and for improving their ability to expound it with precision and depth.

Allen P. Ross, Ph D, University of Cambridge, is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School. He is the author of Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis and Holiness to the LORD: A Guide to the Exposition of the Book of Leviticus.

"Ross has given us the rich reflections of decades of research and teaching. But make no mistake. This is no sterile tome; it is a thorough, erudite exposition grounded in a deep faith for which students of the Psalms will be grateful for years to come."
M. Daniel Carroll R., Distinguished Professor of Old Testament, Denver Seminary

"Every generation or so a benchmark publication emerges that eclipses all works of the genre that have preceded it and sets the standard for all subsequent attempts. Ross has accomplished this in his massive three volume commentary on Psalms."
Eugene Merrill, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament, Dallas Theological Seminary

"Professor Ross's extensive and superb introduction alone is worth the purchase of the commentary."
C. Hassell Bullock, Franklin S. Dyrness Professor of Biblical Studies Emeritus, Wheaton College

"An invaluable tool for all those who seek to understand and expound the Book of Psalms. …[Ross] guides the expositor through each step of observation, analysis, interpretation, and application, which if followed are sure to enrich preaching and teaching of the Psalms."
John N. Oswalt, Visiting Distinguished Professor of Old Testament, Asbury Theological Seminary

"This commentary, which is the culmination of his years of research and reflection on the Psalter, exhibits the exegetical skill and theological insight that readers have come to expect from this outstanding scholar…It is the finest commentary on the Psalms available today."
Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., Chair and Professor of Old Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

About the Author

Allen P. Ross (PhD, University of Cambridge) is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School. Prior to this, he taught at Trinity Episcopal School of Ministry and Dallas Theological Seminary. His publications include Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis, Holiness to the Lord: A Guide to the Exposition of the Book of Leviticus, and An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 928 pages
• Publisher: Kregel Academic & Professional (February 29, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082542562X
• ISBN-13: 978-0825425622
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.9 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #459,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Commentary for Preachers Available! June 27, 2012

By Ryan Case

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

For the content of this excellent commentary, see the other well-written reviews. But if you're a busy pastor looking for an excellent, all-round balanced commentary on the Psalms, this is IMHO by far the best commentary available.

In seminary, we used Ross' grammar for first & second year Hebrew; all this to say that he is indeed a top-notch Hebrew scholar (you can also see his excellent commentary on Genesis to confirm his profound understanding on parallelism, chiasms, etc.). However, he has a pastor's heart. The chapters are virtually sermons. I own Wilson's NIVAC commentary (vol. 1) on Psalms, and this is far more practical IMHO. Also, I own Goldingay's massive 3 volume commentary series on the Psalms. I prefer Ross; he just seems to use the Hebrew when it's needed, whereas Goldingay leaves me frustrated most of the time I reference him. This is meatier than Van Gemeren's, as there is much more room for him to explain prose, the Hebrew words, grammar, etc. Yet it's so unbelievably practical.

If I could rate this higher than 5 stars, I would. Preacher's you need this volume. I've been waiting for years for this to come out; this was worth the wait. Now I eagerly await further volumes. (Finally, Ross is a first rate biblical theological scholar as well [see his "recalling the hope of glory"]; basically, he understands the progressive 'big picture' of God's redemptive purposes as they unfold & culminate in fulfillment in the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection & return of Jesus Christ). Soli Deo Gloria!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A First-rate Commentary March 5, 2012

By Jacob Sweeney

Format:Hardcover

The book of Psalms has been treasured by God's people for centuries. To this day many Christians give away copies of the New Testament which even include the Psalms. Even those who are nearly illiterate concerning the Old Testament they will, at least, be familiar with Psalm 23. The Psalms have played and continue to play a crucial role in my own Christian life. Wherever else I am in my devotional reading I always include a reading of the Psalms. Often, I pray through them as a spiritual discipline.

What is so interesting, though, is that the love for the Psalms is not a modern reality. Isaiah and the Psalms are two of the most quoted Old Testament books in the New Testament. So, there must be so much more to the Psalms than Thomas Kinkade-esque paintings of deer and streams. It must be a rich source of biblical theology. Like most other books of the Bible, we would benefit from an experienced and helpful guide. Kregel has recently published the first volume of a multi-volume commentary of the Psalms. Allen Ross is a well-known expert on the Old Testament and has written many other excellent treatments of OT books. This one will prove no different.

Ross is a man with a scholar's mind and a pastor's heart. He has written this commentary to aid pastors, teachers and lay-students of God's Word to understand this most beloved portion of the Bible. For that reason he keeps the technical discussions to a minimum and includes them only if absolutely necessary (which is not often). He also explains important features of the original language in order to aid understanding not to debate another scholar.

In my mind, the best feature of this commentary is the way that he ties the Testaments together. He helps us to see how the Psalms are speaking to all of God's people and not Old Testament Israel alone. He connects the OT with the NT and refers to points of contact between them.

This is an excellent addition to any library. Whether pastor, professor, teacher or lay-person, you will benefit from Ross's study. I am eagerly anticipating the subsequent volumes in this series. Until then, I plan to turn to this valuable resource often!

NOTE: In accordance with the regulations of the Federal Trade Commission I would like to state that I received a complementary copy of the aforementioned text for the purposes of review. I was not required to furnish a positive review.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Exposition of the Psalms June 21, 2012

By Life Long Reader

Format:Hardcover

When it comes to the Psalms, like some other books, it seems that commentaries are all over the map and there are few and far between that are worthy of ones time. Let's be honest though, it is the longest book in the Bible and is not at the center of many, if any, theological debates. For many it provides great comforting devotional material and for others it is the hymnal of the church. I dare say that many, if any, preachers have not preached through the Psalms. And maybe there is good reason for this.

When it comes to deeply exegetical commentaries on the Psalms there is very little to offer. Outside of the Word, Tyndale, NACOT (only the 2nd so far)and NIVACOT series there are not many and there is nothing within the NICOT to date. In an effort to provide a solid exposition of the Psalms Allen P. Ross has turned his years of research and study on the Psalms into a commentary for Kregel, A Commentary on the Psalms: Vol. 1 (1-41). This is the first of three volumes by Ross.

The introduction of the book covers a number of issues related to the Psalms. Among other things there is a short history of the interpretation of Psalms, discussion on the various types of Psalms (praise, lament, etc.), a guide on types of literary features within the various Psalms and a short intro to the theology of the Psalms. Concluding the introduction is a brief overview of the exegetical method employed throughout the book. Ross offers a number of helpful tips and guidelines for the exegesis process. Each chapter follows the same structure:

1. Introduction - The Psalm itself, including textual variants in the footnotes.
2. Composition and Context - This looks at the overall features of the Psalm and the historical, theological, biblical and literary context of each individual Psalm.
3. Exegetical Analysis - This includes a one line summary of the message of the Psalm and the basic outline.
4. Commentary in Expository Form - This is the bulk of each chapter and is an exposition of the Psalm following the exegetical analysis outline.
5. Message and Application - As the heading states this is the application section. Here contemporary application is drawn while looking towards the New Testament as well.

As an exegetical commentary time will tell how well received it will be but I trust it will be well liked and recommended by exegetes, scholars, teachers and pastors. This commentary is written for the pastor with the layman in mind as well. The only area in which it might have improved was in the theology of the Psalms as a book and as individuals but that is not the primary purpose of the book. Ross is keen on exegesis and models it well. He has a good grasp of how the Psalms speak to all of life's experiences and how the Psalms still speak to the church today. I recommend Psalms by Ross for all pastors, Bible students and laymen alike.

NOTE: I received this book from Kregel in return of a review but was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.