New revised standard version, general editor harold w. Every psalm is treated with precision of the hebrew text. Robert alters translation of the hebrew bible, the magnificent capstone to a lifetime of distinguished scholarly work, has won the pen center literary award for translation. Author robert alter, a professor of hebrew at berkeley, has expertly translated each of the 150 psalms from hebrew into english and then offered a detailed commentary on eachalmost, but not quiteverse by verse. A cornerstone of the scriptural canon, the book of psalms. Robert alters new translation, the book of psalms norton. My heart, my hope, my plaint, my overthrow, my will to rise, and let by. A translation with commentary by robert alter 2007, 548 page paperback the harpercollins study bible. About the author robert alters translation of the hebrew bible, the magnificent capstone to a lifetime of distinguished scholarly work, has won the pen center literary. Scholar and translator robert alter is the author of more than 20 books of criticism, translation, and commentary. The book of psalms read march 10 to november 17 i read two versions with notes the book of psalms. As the translators continue to wrestle with the poetic and religious challenges of the text, one may hope these are flaws they will seek to correct.
Bring the beauty and truth of the bible into everyday life. Psalms with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Robert alter has accomplished the monumental feat, 22 years in the making, of singlehandedly translating the hebrew bible into english. Jesus fulfills the scriptures especially in his passion. Retuning the psalms by robert alter articles first things. One of newsweeks best books of the year and winner of the robert kirsch award for lifetime achievement a cornerstone of the scriptural canon, the book of psalms has been a source of solace and joy for countless readers over millennia. A translation with a commentary is a literary masterpiece. Since he began, alter s translation has been published in segments. Here are three psalms that are full of hope and inspiration, which i hope will make your day full of the same. Robert alters the book of psalms excels them all in both content and commentary. A brilliant new translation and commentary of one of the bible s.
At least, lets hope alter is forgetting how this line might scan. The book of psalms is the first and main book of the third part of the hebrew bible, of the writings hebr. I often turn to it when i am spending time with god in the morning. Im married to jessica total rockstar, and together were raising two little boys, roman and august, in the wonderful city of portland, oregon. Lawrence, enters british military headquarters in cairo, dusty and exhausted from the long trek across the sinai, and says to his commanding. The book of gimp a complete guide to nearly everything, the cherry cola book club, and many other ebooks. You can find the best commentary on psalms for you using the tools on the right side. He is the author of the 1981 the art of biblical narrative and in 1987 with frank kermode the edited the literary guide to the bible, key early works in the study of religious texts as imaginative works over the last 20 years he has been working on the mammoth task of. The book of psalms, which is generally believed to be the most widely read and the most highly treasured of all the books in the old testament, is a collection of poems, hymns, and prayers that express the religious feelings of jews throughout the various periods of their national history. Walter brueggemann is the author of a gospel of hope and. Matthew henry 18 october 1662 22 june 1714 was an english commentator on the bible, who published his works in 1706, sixvolume exposition of the old and new testaments 17081710 or complete commentary, provides an exhaustive verse by verse study of the bible, covering the whole of the old testament, and the gospels and acts in the new testament. The book of psalms by robert alter books the guardian. We have made it easy for you to find a pdf ebooks without any digging. Sep 17, 2007 robert alter, a professor of hebrew and comparative literature at the university of california berkeley, has published a new translation of the psalms, the book of psalms.
Jan 24, 2008 considering that the psalms are meant to be spoken or sung, many of alters lines are difficult to say. Alters the book of psalms captures the simplicity, the physicality, and the coiled rhythmic power of the hebrew, restoring the remarkable eloquence of these ancient poems. With the youversion bible app, you can read, watch, listen, and share on your smartphone or tablet, and online at. Psalms 7 clearly refers to the babylonian captivity. Commentary on the book of psalms by matthew henry old. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Unlike lawrence, thoughwho, despite his i, had a supporting cast of horse and camelmounted warriorsalter has worked alone, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book, year after year, to produce this exquisite bible translation and commentary. Buy a cheap copy of the book of psalms by robert alter. His learned and insightful commentary shines a light on the obscurities of the text. Since he began, alters translation has been published in segments. When i first learned that robert alter had completed the task of singlehandedly translating the entire bible, a project he commenced around 1995, my mind went to lawrence of arabia. His learned and insightful commentary illuminates the obscurities of the text. The hebrew bible a translation with commentary vol.
I like his deeuropeanized translation and how he helps me understand how to sing the songs. A translation with commentary by robert alter 560pp, ww norton. Psalms 175 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. Now that he has completed the magisterial project, it is available in its entirety as a threevolume set. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Robert alter, a professor of hebrew and comparative literature at the university of california berkeley, has published a new translation of the psalms, the book of psalms. Robert alters the book of psalms captures the simplicity, the physicality, and the coiled rhythmic power of the hebrew, restoring the remarkable eloquence of these ancient poems. The psalmist begins by extolling the blessedness of the right eous, who is first described negatively, as turning away from the counsels of the wicked, ver. Though not reckoned as a scripture scholar in any conventional sense, robert alter has affected the study of the hebrew bible in immense ways. In the first of these alter took up close reading of scriptural. Featuring alters generous commentary, which quietly alerts readers to the literary and historical dimensions of the text, this is the definitive edition of the hebrew bible. Tim was so fascinated with jesus jewish heritage that he went on to pursue a degree in theology from western seminary and then gained a phd in hebrew bible and jewish studies at the university of wisconsinmadison his early research and writing interests focused on the manuscript history of the bible and the formation of the biblical canon. His translation of genesis, accompanied by literary commentary, will be published by w. It is wonderful to have translations by such competent men.
Robert alter offers a translation of the hebrew scriptures in a way that captures the intended poetry like no other modern translation. In robert alter s translation of the wisdom books we have an excellent example. The 1611 king james authorised version of the book of psalms and of course of the entire bible is so deep in the english language that we no longer know when we are repeating its phrases. A translation with commentary 2nd imp by alter, robert isbn. The complete psalms by pamela greenberg, psalms for praying by nan merrill, the psalms in other words by dom hubert van zeller, a book of psalms by stephen mitchell. My greatest passion and privilege is to help people grasp the beautiful and compelling story of the ancient scriptures and how they lead us to jesus of nazareth. Pdf overview of robert alter, the book of psalmsa translation. We thank him for his translations the immense amount of time, work, labour and just sweat it all involved is known to him alone. Its quite common for half of any given page to be filled with footnotes. In robert alters translation of the wisdom books we have an excellent example.
He earned his ba from columbia university and phd from harvard university. A translation with commentary kindle edition by alter, robert. Paul beauchamps book on the psalms is not a commentary on the psalms like robert alters the book of psalms. Philip larkins little poem days offers a sarcastic commentary on the idea. One of newsweeks best books of the year and winner of the robert kirsch award for lifetime achievement. Robert alters hebrew bible translation is at once accurate. Reading robert alters magisterial the hebrew bible. Your throne stands firm from of old,from forever you are 93 is one for elocution class, and the kj make haste, o god, to deliver me. While his brief versebyverse commentary is not the main focus of the book, alter s comments are helpful and scholarly. As stated in a recent interview, he hopes readers will come away with a. Robert alter s the book of psalms captures the simplicity, the physicality, and the coiled rhythmic power of the hebrew, restoring the remarkable eloquence of these ancient poems. Later jewish tradition made this the first in a sequence of psalms chanted as a prelude to the fridayevening prayer for welcoming the sabbath, evidently because the sabbath was seen as a celebration of creation. His influence stems primarily from two remarkable books, the art of biblical narrative and the art of biblical poetry published by basic books in 1983 and 1987 respectively.
Robert alter, who was born in new york city in 1935, has had a distinguished career as a translator and literary critic. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the book of psalms. A translation with commentary by robert alter 2007, 548 page paperback the harpercollins. Jun 11, 2019 robert alter has accomplished the monumental feat, 22 years in the making, of singlehandedly translating the hebrew bible into english. In one scene of that spectacular movie, peter otoole, playing t. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. The book of psalms, wisdom books, and the five books of moses. The book of psalms quotes by robert alter goodreads. Known for his translations of biblical texts, alter has also written extensively on the european. I hope to have alter guide me on this odyssey again and again.
Robert alters landmark work sheds fresh light on old testament. David endeavours to still his spirit, with hope and confidence in god. A translation with commentary by robert alter 555 ratings, 4. A translation with commentary robert alter norton buy from indiebound buy from amazon. This timeless poetry is beautifully wrought by a scholar whose translation of the five books of moses was hailed as a godsend by seamus heaney.
Overview of robert alter, the book of psalms a translation with commentary. Thus the psalter is an important aspect of the gospel. Robert alter teaches hebrew and comparative literature at the university of california at berkeley. I have a commentarytranslation on the psalms sitting by my prayer chair at home. Ive read other single translations of the book of psalms. In the mid1970s, scholar and critic robert alter began writing about the literary techniques of the bible. Attridge 2006, 117 pages within paperback i am the wrong reader for the psalms. Study the bible online using commentary on psalms 175 and more.
Robert alters commentary is extensive throughout the translation. According to many researchers it was ezra, the priest and scribe, himself who completed the final collection of the psalms ezra 3. Obviously, robert alter is a man steeped in hebrew and the hebrew language. In the mid1990s, he began to translate it, beginning with genesis, then moving forward to the story of king david in the two books of samuel and the beginning of kings, before turning back to translate the other four books of moses.
Robert alter is, with james kugel, one of the two leading writer translators of the hebrew bible who write to a general, lay audience who simply wish. Joy, despair, and hope recaptures the power and immediacy of psalms for modern readers, showing how these biblical poems can speak to us yet again. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the book of psalms. Psalms cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. Jesus christ put on the text of the psalms, but we recite them. Robert alters translation of the hebrew bible, the magnificent capstone to a lifetime of distinguished scholarly work, has won the pen center literary award for. Accompanying the author on his personal spiritual search through psalms, readers find their own inner lives given voice within these texts. This timeless poetry is beautifully wrought by a scholar whose translation of the five books of moses was hailed as a godsend by seamus heaney and a. Read psalms 175 commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. Tim mackie phd in hebrew bible, bibleproject cofounder.
111 543 79 1051 59 745 789 138 1010 736 986 670 639 884 314 1470 542 20 671 334 716 580 553 33 164 1073 539 182 463 731 1327 680 458 1499 1418