Psalm 1 is one of my favorite psalms. It’s also one of my most studied psalms. What most people miss about Psalm 1 is that it is intended to be read in tandem with Psalm 2. These two psalms together function as the introduction to the book of Psalms at Read more…
One of the most intriguing interpretive dynamics of the Psalms is their inspiration. These are the songs and prayers of people. The Psalms don’t fall in the same category of the prophets who regularly declare, “Thus says Yahweh…”. Rather, these words flow from human experience—and they are inspired. The Psalms Read more…
“Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy…” (Psalm 86:1) The most striking dynamic of psalms theology is the embrace of raw experience as being at the center of the life of prayer. This goes against the grain of contemporary prayer culture, in my Read more…
My formal study of the Psalms began with the assignment to teach the Psalms course for the undergraduate program in Haiti at Emmaus Biblical Seminary in 2007. Of all the Hebrew Bible courses I took in preparation for teaching in Haiti, somehow, I never found room to fit in a Read more…