For Jews and Christians alike, the book of Psalms—with its songs and prayers—is the quintessential reservoir of comfort, hope, assurance, and instruction for faithful living.
Singular in beauty and scope, the book of Psalms exquisitely captures the interchange between God and humanity as does no other biblical book. From joy and love to hate and despair, from creation to consummation, the wide range of expressions and theological themes is matchless. For Jews and Christians alike, the book of Psalms—with its songs and prayers—is the quintessential reservoir of comfort, hope, assurance, and instruction for faithful living.
In this volume of Reading and Interpreting the Bible, Alex Varughese equips readers with a detailed introduction to the Psalms, including guidelines for interpretation. He then skillfully illustrates his interpretive method by applying it to eight representative psalms. This accessible approach makes this volume an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to explore this sublime biblical book.
Reading the Bible with understanding is challenging. Without sound guidance, making sense of the different literary types, settings, and cultures found in the Scriptures can be overwhelming. The Reading and Interpreting the Bible Series opens the door to a proper and accessible method of biblical interpretation. Each volume concentrates on a specific literary type found in the Bible, highlighting its features and function. Social, political, and religious settings are examined, and a critical analysis of the biblical text brings to light its message and relevance for today. Readers will find in these volumes numerous illustrations of how to interpret specific texts, which can be used as a pattern for individual or group Bible studies.
Dr. Alex Varughese is professor emeritus of biblical literature at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, where he taught in the religion department for thirty-two years, until 2014. He also served as a religion professor at Eastern Nazarene College, an adjunct faculty member for Nazarene Theological Seminary, and a visiting lecturer in a number of overseas theological schools. He is a retired ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene. His education includes BS and MS degrees (University of Kerala, India), MA in Religion (Olivet Nazarene University), MDiv (Nazarene Theological Seminary), and M.Phil and PhD degrees in biblical studies (Drew University). Varughese currently serves as the managing editor for the Centennial Initiative Textbook project for the Church of the Nazarene and as the general editor of the New Beacon Bible Commentary (NBBC) series. His contributions include writing and editing Discovering the Old Testament, Discovering the New Testament, and Discovering the Bible, and co-authoring the NBBC volumes on Jeremiah 1-25, Jeremiah 26-52, and Genesis 12-50.
