"As the psalms are a microcosm of the Old Testament, so the Expositions of the Psalms can be seen as a microcosm of Augustinian thought. In the Book of Psalms are to be found the history of the people of Israel, the theology and spirituality of the Old Covenant, and a treasury of human experience expressed in prayer and poetry. So too does the work of expounding the psalms recapitulate and focus the experiences of Augustine's personal life, his theological reflections and his pastoral concerns as Bishop of Hippo."--Publisher's website.

Essential Expositions of the Psalms is a collection distilled from the 6-volume set in the Works of Saint Augustine. As the psalms are a microcosm of the Old Testament, so the Expositions of the Psalms can be seen as a microcosm of Augustinian thought. In the Book of Psalms are to be found the history of the people of Israel, the theology and spirituality of the Old Covenant, and a treasury of human experience expressed in prayer and poetry. So too does the work of expounding the psalms recapitulate and focus the experiences of Augustine's personal life, his theological reflections and his pastoral concerns as Bishop of Hippo.

In addition to Fisher's commentaries, this book includes an introduction to Fisher's life and writings by the translator, Anne Barbeau Gardiner.

Recent research has explored how past interpretation can help contextualize current interpretation as well as provide a more colorful and theologically meaningful understanding of scripture. In St. Augustine's Interpretation of the Psalms of Ascent, Gerald McLarney examines Augustine of Hippo's (d. 430) interpretation of the ascent motif in sermons on Psalms 119-133. He looks at the delivery, transmission, and broader context of the sermons, as well as examining the sermons as they stand.

While St. John Chrysostom may have commented on all 150 psalms in the Psalter, commentary has survived on only fifty-eight. In these volumes, Robert Charles Hill has prepared an excellent translation of the commentary - in Volume One Psalms 4-13, 44-50, and in Volume Two Psalms 109-150 (with the exception of the long Ps 119) - all appearing for the first time in English. In this work, probably composed while he was still in Antioch, Chrysostom's brilliance as an exegete of the "literal school" of Antioch shines forth, even as he works with the metaphorical language and imagery of the psalms. As Hill writes, "it is fascinating to watch Chrysostom . . . coming to grips with this lyrical material, achieving some sense of comfort, and eventually devising - for the first time? - his own hermeneutical principles for coping with such texts." The extensive Introduction in Volume One covers basic issues on the commentary, including its origins, its relationship to Chrysostom's other exegetical work, his attitude to Scripture, and the theology, spirituality and other moral accents of the commentary. Comment on Chrysostom's text is also given in endnotes, and indexes are provided in each volume. -- ‡c From publisher's description

Although more than six hundred commentators have written on the Psalms, it has long been difficult to find a comprehensive treatment of this book of Scripture in one volume. Some expositions have excelled in scholarship, but, unlike the Psalter, in instructing the mind they have failed to exercise the heart. Dr Plumer's Commentary avoids this defect, the author believing that from the Psalms 'piety has derived more nourishment than from any other source,' and that his work should serve that same purpose. In 1211 pages he gives both exposition and doctrinal and practical remarks and presents in readable form a great wealth of material drawn from all the leading commentators who had gone before him. In the opinion of Dr John Macleod of Edinburgh, he succeeded in producing the best single volume on this book of Scripture.

The particular value of this work is that it is simply written and is a compact size. While Dickson aims primarily at giving an accurate exegesis his main emphasis is instructive and devotional.

Chantry invites us to share in meditation on the person of Christ and his work through the study of three psalms which focus our gaze on different aspects of his grace, majesty, and glory.