St. John Chrysostom: Commentary on the Psalms, Volume 1 [Paperback]

Robert C. Hill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 26, 2007

Two volumes of Chrysostom's commentaries on the Psalms. Volume One contains commentaries on Psalms 4-13, 44-50, and Volume Two contains commentaries on Psalms 109-150 (with the exception of the long Ps 119). While St. John Chrysostom may have commented on all 150 psalms in the Psalter, commentary has survived on only fifty-eight. In these volumes, Robert Charles Hill has prepared an excellent translation of the commentary - in Volume One Psalms 4-13, 44-50, and in Volume Two Psalms 109-150 (with the exception of the long Ps 119) - all appearing for the first time in English. In this work, probably composed while he was still in Antioch, Chrysostom's brilliance as an exegete of the "literal school" of Antioch shines forth, even as he works with the metaphorical language and imagery of the psalms. As Hill writes, "it is fascinating to watch Chrysostom . . . coming to grips with this lyrical material, achieving some sense of comfort, and eventually devising - for the first time? - his own hermeneutical principles for coping with such texts." The extensive Introduction in Volume One covers basic issues on the commentary, including its origins, its relationship to Chrysostom's other exegetical work, his attitude to Scripture, and the theology, spirituality and other moral accents of the commentary. Comment on Chrysostom's text is also given in endnotes, and indexes are provided in each volume.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr Robert Charles Hill, MA, STD, LSS, has also translated Chrysostom’s larger series of Old Testament homilies – on the Psalms (Holy Cross Orthodox Press) and on Genesis (Fathers of the Church series – and written extensively on this versatile Antiochene commentator.

Product Details

• Paperback: 388 pages
• Publisher: Holy Cross Orthodox Press (February 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885652127
• ISBN-13: 978-1885652126
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #787,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Commentary: 5 stars; Commentary on commentary: 0 stars, August 7, 2003

By 

Joel Sullivan (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: St. John Chrysostom: Commentary on the Psalms, Volume 1 (Paperback)

It's a bit odd to be writing the "first review" of a book by such an incredibly gifted 4th-century author. But here goes.

The book of Psalms is saturated with meaning. Sadly most of us in the 21st century (including myself) don't have the attention span necessary to even begin to comprehend the meaning packed into each twist of phrase in the Psalms.

Fortunately we have St. John, quite possibly the most gifted biblical expositor of the last 1800 years, to help us understand the Psalms. St John's writing on the Psalms is truly inspiring and edifying. He has an amazing ability to impart understanding, clarity of thought, and the beginnings of wisdom.

This book is more than a commentary on the Psalms; it is a series of homilies based on the Psalms.

The translator doesn't seem to think to much of St. John or his homilies. I think an appropriate subtitle would be "Translated and with Trash-talking by: Robert Charles Hill". Hill is quite capable as a translator but the introduction and notes seem narrow-minded, pedantinc, and self-important to me. Apparently the notes are intended for scholars who study Chrysostom, as opposed to Christians who learn from him. (Based on the notes, one might conclude that Hill is an atheist; I wonder why he decided to translate this particular book.)

Nonetheless, I highly recommend this book--especially as a starting point for those new to Chrysostom's writing. (I have also read parts of Chrysostom's commentary on the Gospel of John... but that is over my head at this point. I'm saving it for another decade.)

If you like the works of C.S. Lewis and Dostoevsky more than most modern literature, that is a promising sign that you may get a lot out of this book.

However, if you think calling God "Father" is sexist then this book is not for you. If your idea of a good commentary on the Psalms involves a dissection of each Hebrew word in the text, keep looking.