PSALMS
By Simon P. Stocks
Bible Reading Fellowship. 111 pages. £6.99
ISBN 978 0 857 467 317
This A6 booklet promises to be a Really Useful Guide: Psalms, offering key introductory information that ‘summarises the important aspects of the book to aid reading and application,’ and ‘giving confidence in the Bible’.
Regarding the first of these aims, the author provides much useful material that he explains well and earths via good illustrations: the psalms are both ‘tailor-made’ (written for specific circumstances) and ‘made for tailoring’ (readily applicable to contemporary contexts). The section on poetry is particularly helpful. One might, though, have expected more fulsome coverage of the structure of the Book of Psalms and of the range of literary genres, and one could also argue for more objectivity and rigour in the move from the biblical text to fulfilment in Christ and application to the Christian believer.
Expression of feelings only?
With regard to the second aim, Stocks succeeds in persuading the reader that appropriating individual psalms is a task that is both manageable and nourishing for the believer’s relationship with God (e.g., pp. 23, 31, 110). But he considers that no psalm could pre-date David (p. 68; yet see Psalm 90!) and even views Davidic authorship as essentially a ‘tradition’ that grew up subsequently (pp. 13-14, 68, 70, 71).
He seems to distance himself from many propositions of Scripture by using phrases such as ‘portrayed as’, ‘interpreted as’, ‘narrated as’ (pp. 45, 66, 67) and prefers speaking of ‘failings’ and ‘shortcomings’ than of sin (pp. 33-34). He regards psalms as ‘an expression of feeling more than a statement of ideas’ (p. 75) and can accuse the psalmist of ‘a little exaggeration’ (p. 90; cf. p. 97). Better guides are available. en readers wanting the above aims to be achieved more satisfactorily and faithfully, though in a similarly brief and readable format, could access – freely, on line – the ESV Study Bible’s introduction to the Book of Psalms (www. monergismbooks.com/pdfs/ESV-Psalms. pdf) or turn to the introduction to Allan Harman’s excellent Mentor commentary.
