How To Read The Psalms

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By Tremper Longman on January 1, 2010 ,

Nine Principles to Enrich Your Understanding

Christians love to read the psalms and rightly so. But while Psalms may be the most popular book of the Bible, the psalms are often misunderstood and misinterpreted. Many of us choose a few favorites and ignore other psalms that strike us as bizarre or even cruel. Yet all the psalms were written for our benefit. To understand and appreciate the whole collection, we need solid principles of interpretation that will guide us to a proper reading and application of this riveting book.

There are nine principles that we should keep in mind...

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Tremper Longman

Professor and Theologian

Tremper Longman III, Professor and Theologian, is the Distinguished Scholar of Biblical Studies at Westmont College, visiting professor of Old Testament at Seattle School of Theology and Psychology and adjunct of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary. He earned a Master of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary and completed a doctorate in ancient Near Eastern studies at Yale University. He has authored over thirty books including interdisciplinary works and textbooks. Titles include Science, Creation and the Bible: Reconciling Rival Theories of Origins; How to Read Genesis; Intimate Allies; How to Read the Psalms; How to Read Proverbs and Literary Approaches to Biblical Interpretation. He is one of the main translators of the New Living Translation and has consulted on other translations.

 

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