The Psalms as Christian Worship: A Historical Commentary is a collaboration by two of the most revered evangelical scholars of the last 50 years.

Bruce Waltke, who has been teaching and preaching the book of Psalms for over fifty years, skillfully establishes the meaning of the Hebrew text through the careful exegesis for which he is well known. James Houston traces the church's historical interpretation and use of these psalms, highlighting their deep spiritual significance to Christians through the ages.

Waltke and Houston focus their in-depth commentary on thirteen psalms that represent various genres and perspectives or hold special significance for Christian faith and the life of the church, including Psalm 1, Psalm 23, Psalm 51, and Psalm 139.

While much modern scholarship has tended to "despiritualize" the Psalms, Waltke and Houston's "sacred hermeneutic" listens closely to the two voices of the Holy Spirit—heard infallibly in Scripture and edifyingly in the church's response. A masterly historical-devotional commentary, The Psalms as Christian Worship will deepen the church's worship and enrich the faith and life of contemporary Christians.

This collaboration by two esteemed evangelical scholars blends a verse-by-verse exposition of select psalms with a history of their interpretation in the church from the time of the apostles to the present.

This is really two books in one. An historical survey of commentators throughout the centuries by Houston, and a detailed grammatical commentary on the selected Psalms by Waltke. Houston's survey is often haphazard and hard to follow. His choice of which time periods to cover seems random, and the information he chooses to include seems, at times, unrelated to the Psalms. I found this section of each psalm often unhelpful. Waltke's commentary is not for the faint of heart. It is very technical both in Hebrew grammar and poetic terminology. It is, however, thorough. I did not like this commentary as much as his Genesis commentary, but the styles are very different. ( )

This is really two books in one. An historical survey of commentators throughout the centuries by Houston, and a detailed grammatical commentary on the selected Psalms by Waltke. Houston's survey is often haphazard and hard to follow. His choice of which time periods to cover seems random, and the information he chooses to include seems, at times, unrelated to the Psalms. I found this section of each psalm often unhelpful. Waltke's commentary is not for the faint of heart. It is very technical both in Hebrew grammar and poetic terminology. It is, however, thorough. I did not like this commentary as much as his Genesis commentary, but the styles are very different. ( )

An in-depth and intense analysis of some Psalms and the general disposition of Christians toward the Psalms.

The authors begin with an explanation of their purpose: to discuss the history of interpretation of the Psalms in the Christian tradition both in general with focus on particular psalms as well as an in-depth analysis of the psalms in context. They describe both the general contours of that history of interpretation, from patristics to medieval and scholastics, to the Reformation, and into the modern era. In so doing they wish to show the strengths of interpretation in various eras as well as the challenges so as to provide Christians with a holistic understanding of the psalms.

The authors then present the history in general: pre-exilic Israel, Second Temple Judaism, and then the interpretive methodologies during various periods of church history. They then provide a useful section detailing various approaches: historical Biblical critiism, form criticism, cult-functional criticism, and canonical criticism, pointing out the merits and detractions when necessary. The rest of the work is devoted to in-depth analysis of Psalms 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 15, 16, 19, 22, 23, 51, 110, and 139.

For its purposes the book is more than thorough: the discussions of individual psalms is quite in-depth and the introductory material is invaluable for a study of Psalms. Nevertheless the history of interpretation of the individual psalms is a bit too cleanly thematic; it is as if the authors are trying to make an argument in terms of the history of interpretation with each psalm and therefore a holistic understanding of the history of interpretation of the individual psalm is a bit lacking. At times the posture of the authors is a bit too polemic in my estimation, particularly in terms of Psalm 16. The Calvinistic bent of the authors is evident in their devotion to Reformation and Puritanical modes of exegesis and effusive praise for said Reformers.

Nevertheless a very useful book in a study of Psalms. ( )