WORD BIBLICAL COMMENTARY

VOLUME 19

Psalms 1–50

PETER C. CRAIGIE

With 2004 Supplement by

MARVIN E. TATE

General Editors

Bruce M. Metzger

David A. Hubbard†

Glenn W. Barker†

Old Testament Editor

John D. W. Watts

New Testament Editor

Ralph P. Martin

Associate Editors

James W. Watts, Old Testament

Lynn Allan Losie, New Testament

Nelson Reference & Electronic

A Division of Thomas Nelson Publisher

Since 1798

Word Biblical Commentary:

Psalms 1–50

Copyright © 2004 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers.

Library of Cogress Cataloging in Publication Data

Main entry under title:

Word bibilical commentary.

Includes bibliographies.

1. Bible—Commentaries—Collected works.

BS491.2.W67 220.7ʹ7 80–71768

ISBN 0-7852-5013-1 (v. 19, 2d edition) AACR2

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations in the body of the commentary are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946 (renewed 1973), 1956, and © 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and are used by permission. Those marked niv are from the New International Version of the Bible, copyright © 1973 by New York Bible Society International. Those marked nrsv are from the New Revised Standard Version, copyright © 1989 by The Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. and are used by permission. The author’s own translation of the text appears in italic type under the heading Translation.

To Professor John Gray,

with gratitude and respect

—P.C.C., 1983

and to

Peter C. Craigie

—M.E.T., 2004

Contents

Editorial Preface

Author’s Preface [to First Edition]

Preface to Revised Edition

Abbreviations

Introduction

The Origins of Psalmody in Israel

The Compilation of the Psalter

Psalm Titles

The Psalms and the Problem of Authorship

Hebrew Poetry and Music

Theological Perspectives on the Book of Psalms

The Place of the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament

Chapter and Verse Numbers in the Psalms

The Psalms in Recent Research

The Psalms and Ugaritic Studies

Text and Commentary

Book I: Psalms 1–41

An Introductory Psalm of Wisdom (1:1–6)

A Coronation Psalm (2:1–12)

A Morning Prayer (3:1–9)

Excursus I: The Meaning of SELAH (סלה) in the Psalms

An Evening Prayer (4:1–9)

A Morning Prayer for Protection (5:1–13)

A Prayer in Sickness (6:1–11)

The Prayer of a Person Falsely Accused (7:1–18)

What Is Man? (8:1–10)

Excursus II: The Translation of Tenses in Hebrew Poetry

Praise and Lament (9:1–10:18)

Excursus III: Acrostic Psalms

Confidence in Crisis (11:1–7)

Human Flattery and Divine Speech (12:1–9)

“How Long, O Lord?” (13:1–6)

A Meditation on the Fool (14:1–7)

Preparation for Worship (15:1–5)

Confidence in the Face of Death (16:1–11)

A Prayer for Deliverance (17:1–15)

A Royal Thanksgiving Psalm (18:1–51)

Nature and Law (19:1–15)

A King’s Departure for Battle (20:1–10)

A Royal Liturgy (21:1–14)

A Liturgy ...