Psalms Through the Centuries, Volume 2

Susan Gillingham is Emeritus Professor of the Hebrew Bible at the University of Oxford and a Senior Research Fellow at Worcester College, Oxford. She is a Permanent Deacon in the Anglican Church and serves at St. Barnabas Church and Worcester College Chapel, Oxford. She was appointed as Canon Theologian for the Cathedral Church of St Peter in Exeter in 2018. She has written some fifty articles and eight books, mostly on the Psalms and Biblical Interpretation. These include the companion publication, Psalms Through the Centuries: Volume One (Wiley Blackwell, 2008), which is a cultural and reception history introduction to the entire Psalter; The Poems and Psalms of the Hebrew Bible (1994); One Bible, Many Voices: Different Approaches to Biblical Studies (1998); The Image, the Depths and the Surface (2002); and A Journey of Two Psalms: The Reception of Psalms 1&2 in Jewish and Christian Tradition (2013).

• Illustrations xiiiPreface xviiAbbreviations xxiIntroduction: How is a Reception History Commentary a Different Genre? 1Book One: Psalms 1–41 Davidic Piety and the Conflict of Faith and Experience 9Psalms 1 and 2: The Prologue to the Psalter 11Psalm 1: Who is the ‘Blessed Man’? 13Psalm 2: Who is ‘My Son’? 25Psalms 3–41: the First Davidic Psalter 44Psalms 3–14: Praying by Night and Day 46Psalm 3: A ‘Morning Psalm’ 47Psalm 4: An ‘Evening Psalm’ 53Psalm 5: A ‘Morning Psalm’ 58Psalm 6: An ‘Evening Psalm’ of Penitence 61Psalm 7: A ‘Morning Psalm’ 68Psalm 8: An ‘Evening Hymn of Praise’ 72Psalms 9 and 10: An Acrostic Psalm 83Psalm 11: The ‘All‐Seeing God’ 89Psalm 12: ‘Flattering Lips’ 91Psalm 13: The Fear of Death 95Psalm 14: The Fool says ‘There is no God’ 98Psalms 15–24: Bringing Prayer to the Temple 101Psalm 15: An Entrance Liturgy 102Psalm 16: Confident Trust in God 105Psalm 17: Lament for Deliverance 111Psalm 18: Thanksgiving for Victory 116Psalm 19: A Hymn of Praise 122Psalm 20: Thanksgiving for Victory 129Psalm 21: Thanksgiving for Victory 133Psalm 22: Lament for Deliverance 136Psalm 23: Confident Trust in God 144Psalm 24: An Entrance Liturgy 153Psalms 25–34: Prayers and Thanks for Deliverance 163Psalm 25: An Acrostic Concerning the Poor 164Psalm 26: A Protest of Integrity 167Psalm 27: Confidence and Complaint 170Psalm 28: Lament and Thanksgiving 177Psalm 29: A Hymn of Praise 180Psalm 30: Thanksgiving for Healing 186Psalm 31: Confidence through Fear 190Psalm 32: Confession and Healing 195Psalm 33: A Hymn of Praise 201Psalm 34: An Acrostic concerning the Poor 205Psalms 35–41: Poverty, Sickness and Trust in God 213Psalm 35: Friends and Enemies 214Psalm 36: The Plight of the Poor 218Psalm 37: The Poor and the Land 221Psalm 38: Penitence and Sickness 231Psalm 39: Penitence and Human Transience 237Psalm 40: Thanksgiving and Sacrifice 242Psalm 41: Friends and Enemies 248Book Two: Psalms 42–72 David and the Temple: Nostalgia and Hope 255Psalms 42–49: Exile, Temple and King 257Psalms 42–43: Longing for the Temple 258Psalm 44: Praying for National Deliverance 263Psalm 45: A Wedding Song for the King 267Psalm 46: God is King in Zion 276Psalm 47: God is King 284Psalm 48: God is King in Zion 288Psalm 49: A Psalm of Complaint and Instruction 292Psalm 50: An Asaphite Psalm about Repentance and Sacrifice 297Psalms 51–72: the Second Davidic Psalter 302Psalm 51: ‘The Psalm of Psalms’ 304Psalms 52–55: Learning from the Life of David 317Psalm 52: For Instruction on the ‘Deceitful Tongue’ 317Psalm 53: For Instruction on the ‘Fool’ 320Psalm 54: For Instruction on Persecution 323Psalm 55: Instruction on Betrayal 324Psalms 56–60: Reflecting on the Life of David 330Psalm 56: Reflections on Persecution 330Psalm 57: Reflections on Violence 333Psalm 58: Reflections on Confronting Evil 335Psalm 59: Reflections on Enemy Aggression 338Psalm 60: Reflections in Times of War 340Psalms 61–64: Hymnic Reflections on God’s Protection 344Psalm 61: A ‘Psalm’ about Refuge in God 344Psalm 62: A ‘Psalm’ about the Silence of God 347Psalm 63: A ‘Psalm’ Seeking God in the Morning 349Psalm 64: A ‘Psalm’ about Protection 352Psalms 65–68: God’s People Sing of his Praise 355Psalm 65: A Sanctuary Song about God’s Sustenance through Nature 355Psalm 66: A Sanctuary Song about God’s Sustenance through History 359Psalm 67: A Sanctuary Song about God’s Universal Blessings 362Psalm 68: A Sanctuary Song about the Divine Warrior 367Psalms 69–71: Psalms of the Righteous Sufferer 374Psalm 69: Righteous Suffering of the One and the Many 374Psalm 70: Righteous Suffering and the Plea for Deliverance 379Psalm 71: Righteous Suffering as a Model for Faith 381Psalm 72: ‘Of Solomon’: The Completion of the Prayers of David 386Appendix 395Glossary 400References 416Index of Names 431Psalms Index 441Subject Index 444