Psalms - Everyday Bible Commentary

Psalms- Everyday Bible Commentary
By Robert L. Alden
There is so much information in this commentary of the Psalms I personally am a bit overwhelmed- in a good way. Each Psalms is broken down verse by verse. The Psalms are dissected, giving translation meanings, context to the people and places being discussed, as well as perspective given on the construction of the Psalms and thoughts on the verses themselves. It is thorough study of the Psalms and if you have the time to read this with your Psalms I would suggest it for a fresh outlook and deeper understanding.

I was able to read Psalms-everyday bible commentary by Robert L. Aiden for free from Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review; thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book!
The psalms are explained by providing the people, places related for each psalm. This is great study guide to learn more about the psalms. For those who want to understand and know more about the Psalm should get this book.

My goal for 2019 is to read the bible. Flipping through this book I can see that it will definitely help me to study and understand. I will be ordering these books for the branch library so that patrons will be able to study the Word too.

This is a great series and this is a great book. Because of the nature of the Psalms I would recommend, as the author does, to read this while you're reading the psalms. You will get more out of it, as the author explains the background of each Psalm and/or section and points to ways in which the Psalm was used in other parts of Scripture.

This is a brilliant companion for the book of Psalms. Not only does it give a religious insight, it will be useful for those looking at the Bible as a source of Wisdom. It could be recommended to A-Level students to read independently or used by the teacher to encorporate into lessons.

Robert L. Alden presents an in-depth look at the Psalms, taking each Psalm verse by verse, relating the historical situation, its meaning, and commenting on its contemporary application. He also speaks of the various poetic structures employed by the Psalms and how they add meaning and depth to the message.

This is a thorough and excellent commentary for any reader wishing to know and understand more about one of the favorite books of the Bible. Though I have read the Psalms hundreds of times in my lifetime, this book helps me understand and appreciate each Psalm in new, fresh way.

I look forward to continuing my study of this commentary, and learning more about the Psalms I have always loved.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Moody Publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I'm a sucker for Bible commentaries.  I really enjoy reading books of Bible through the lens of another reader.  I especially enjoy reading about new insights, new points of view, new biblical connections, etc.  I've really enjoyed the books in the series "Everyday Bible Commentaries."  But this Psalms commentary is pretty worthless.  Reading this feels like I'm reading the mumbling of someone who doesn't really understand Psalms (or the bigger context of the biblical narrative).  The commentary is short, but heavy on explaining the outlines of the Psalms.  Personally,  I don't care much about outlining the Psalms.  When the commentary tried to talk about application, it was predictable and moralistic.  I'm pretty sure a Mormon or JW would agree with everything in this book.  I don't have a lot of patience for moralistic interpretation that leads to crappy application.  I spend a few hours of life with this book, and it just made me bitter.

In this book, Robert Alden takes us through the Bible book of Psalms in a chapter by chapter, verse by verse manner. He defines commonly used words by indicating how they were used within the Bible and in the language, it was written. For instance, when discussing Psalm 3, the author talks about what is meant in ‘’There is no help for him in God.”’ He states, “the word for help is the same as the word salvation elsewhere (v.8).”

The also denotes who the author is talking to. For instance, in Chapter 5, verse 6(a) he states that “[this] is the only instance, in this psalm, of the psalmist’s speaking of God in the third person.”

The author helps us to understand symbolism in the Bible such as when addressing Psalm 124, he states:
…the psalmist, speaking for all who sing this hymn, escaped both drowning and capture. There is no reason to think that the enemy actually put out nets or other gadgetry to trap the righteous. Rather, the snares illustrate the sneaky, deceptive, and usually cruel methods that wicked men use.

I enjoyed this book and found it to be very informative. It does not just spit back what the Bible says but help us to understand it better. It doesn’t just show what was said but why it was said, who it was addressing or referring to, and what was meant. I found it very clear to read. The voice is such that I just wanted to keep reading. That cannot be said for many of this type of book.


I received an ARC from Moody Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.