Psalms (Expositor's Bible Commentary, The) [Hardcover]

Tremper Longman III (Author), David E. Garland (Author), Willem A. VanGemeren (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 18, 2008 | Series: Expositor's Bible Commentary, The (Book 5)

Continuing a Gold Medallion Award-winning legacy, this completely revised edition of The Expositor's Bible Commentary series puts world-class biblical scholarship in your hands. Based on the original twelve-volume set that has become a staple in college and seminary libraries and pastors' studies worldwide, this new thirteen-volume edition marshals the most current evangelical scholarship and resources. The thoroughly revised features consist of: * Comprehensive introductions * Short and precise bibliographies * Detailed outlines * Insightful expositions of passages and verses * Overviews of sections of Scripture to illuminate the big picture * Occasional reflections to give more detail on important issues * Notes on textual questions and special problems, placed close to the texts in question * Transliterations and translations of Hebrew and Greek words, enabling readers to understand even the more technical notes * A balanced and respectful approach toward marked differences of opinion

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tremper Longman III (PhD, Yale University) is the Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies and the chair of the Religious Studies department at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, where he lives with his wife, Alice. He is the Old Testament editor for the revised Expositor's Bible Commentary and has authored many articles and books on the Psalms and other Old Testament books.

David E. Garland (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is William B. Hinson Professor of Christian Scriptures and dean for academic affairs at George W. Truett Seminary, Baylor University. He is the New Testament editor for the revised Expositor's Bible Commentary and the author of various books and commentaries, including Mark and Colossians/Philemon in the NIV Application Commentary, and the article on Mark in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary. He and his wife, Diana, reside in Waco, Texas. SPANISH BIO: David E. Garland es profesor de Nuevo Testamento en Truett Theological Seminary, Waco, Texas, y autor de numerosos comentarios.

Willem VanGemeren (PhD, University of Wisconsin) is professor of Old Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of a number of books, including Interpreting the Prophetic Word (Zondervan) and a commentary on Psalms in the Expositor's Bible Commentary series (Zondervan).

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 1024 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; Revised edition (November 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310234972
• ISBN-13: 978-0310234975
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.7 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #165,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Superb Commentary on a Beloved Book, July 26, 2010

By 

K. R. Sperling (Birmingham, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Psalms (Expositor's Bible Commentary, The) (Hardcover)

This is part of the Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised (EBCR) series. Someone made the smart decision of making this Psalms commentary a stand-alone volume instead of combining it with other Biblical books like the other volumes in the series.

But someone made the dubious decision to have the names of the general editors, Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, appear prominently on the front cover and spine while the author's name, Willem A. VanGemeren, doesn't appear until the back cover, in relatively small print, listed merely as "contributor."

The 51-page introduction ably covers standard topics such as the forms and the formation of the Psalter, composition, structure, literary genre, Psalm titles, and literary approach to the Psalms.

The commentary proper has been designed to be structurally and visually user-friendly. Each Psalm is divided into sections, with each section consisting of four parts: (1) an overview of that section of the Psalm; (2) the Biblical text of the NIV is printed, anywhere from one to several verses (enclosed in grey shading making it stand out); (3) commentary; and (4) translation notes on the NIV text. For those who are used to having the author supplying his or her own translation in the commentary instead of a Bible version such as the NIV, I'd like to suggest that having a familiar Bible version printed when the author is free to comment on the Bible version (confirming, criticizing, or correcting) can be insightful and quite eye-opening at times.

The translation notes on the NIV text also provide a specialized discussion of key words or concepts and you don't have to be a scholar to benefit from them. For example, VanGemeren writes concerning Ps. 16:9 (Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure), "The doctrine of the two aspects of human beings is clearly here. Humans are "body" (bâsâr "flesh") and "spirit" ("heart," "glory")." We are dichotomous, not trichotomous beings, according to VanGemeren.

Sprinkled throughout the commentary are 22 expanded thoughts entitled "Reflections." These insightful teachings cover topics such as The Ways of Wisdom and Folly, The Name of Yahweh, The Word of God, The Perfections of Yahweh, Anger in the Psalms, and Imprecations in the Psalms, among others.

The four best commentaries on the Psalms are: the 3-volume Word Biblical Commentary (WBC) by Craigie, Allen, and Tate; the 3-volume Baker Commentary on the Old Testament (BCOT) by Goldingay; the 2-volume Continental Commentary (CC) by Kraus; and VanGemeren's single-volume EBCR.

I don't know your financial situation, and if you're independently wealthy you can skip this paragraph, but if you're like me, cost is a factor. Craigie/Allen/Tate's WBC retails for $150 ($107 on Amazon). Goldingay's BCOT will set you back $135 ($85 on Amazon). Kraus' CC is $102 ($67 on Amazon). VanGemeren's EBCR at $50 ($35 on Amazon) is a steal.

And although it is a single volume, it certainly is not a featherweight, both figuratively because it packs as good a punch as the competition, and literally because it is 1011 pages long, measures 7 x 9 x 2 inches, and weighs in at a solid 4 pounds.

Longman wrote that if you can have only one work on the Psalms, VanGemeren is it. He is scholarly yet practical and down-to-earth. This is an outstanding commentary and one of the best on this beloved book of the Bible. Highly recommended.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great resource, November 10, 2010

By 

Ryan - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Psalms (Expositor's Bible Commentary, The) (Hardcover)

One of the best resources out there as a commentary on the whole book of Psalms. Many good interpretations and even applications (though not as direct as NIVAC), but still this is a great resource for preaching or teaching through the Psalms or for personal study.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for the novice, May 9, 2011

By 

Happyjack - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Psalms (Expositor's Bible Commentary, The) (Hardcover)

I was looking for a commentary that I could use as I was reading through the book of Psalms. This was one book recommended to me but I have found that the book is really much "heavier" then I would have preferred. (a clue was the Expositor's which I chose to ignore) I was really looking for a commentary for a layman's use, but this is more along the lines of a Pastor's commentary or theology students commentary. I am using it but wish I had gotten something a little more user friendly. The insights and commentaries provided do seem to be thoughtful and helpful and Biblical in their interpretation.