Invitation to the Psalms: A Reader's Guide for Discovery and Engagement

by Rolf A. Jacobson, Karl N. Jacobson

The Book of Psalms is perhaps the most cherished book in the Old Testament. In this lively volume, two experienced teachers invite students to read and explore the Psalter and roam widely among its poems. The book introduces the dynamics of the biblical text, helping students become careful and attentive readers. It covers how to read Hebrew poetry, the Psalter's basic genres, the idea of "the psalmist," the metaphorical world of the Psalms, and the theology of the Psalms. Sidebars, discussion questions, and plenty of examples enhance the reading experience. This clear and concise guide is accessible to all serious students of the Bible.

Genres: School, Theology, Nonfiction, Christian, Biblical Studies

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2013

About the author

Rolf A. Jacobson is associate professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is an ordained pastor. His teaching interests include the Psalms, the Old Testament prophets, biblical poetry, biblical theology, and biblical narrative. He collaborated with Karl Jacobson on Crazy Book: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Biblical Terms.

Reviews

[Abbigail B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this book as it was a great read for those wanting to understand the psalms better, but the mentions of Harry Potter didn't sit right with me, hence only two stars. Overall, it was a good book and a good companion for reading through the Old Testament and teaching you to really see God in the psalms.

[jess h. · Rating 3 out of 5]

-school read-
This book was hard for me to track with but I honest think I didn’t appreciate it enough
As I started to really pay attention (in the last chapter 😭) I was noticing bits of truth that were really profound
One of the concepts in this book was brought to my mind when explaining a parallelism in the psalms to someone who was translating it incorrectly
Definitely good for a deep study of psalms

[lil ✧.* · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Riley G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know, I know, this was assigned reading for school, but… I just couldn’t finish it. I didn’t agree with some stuff in here, and found it boring.

[Davis Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good, but very basic introductory survey. Mostly missable and unmemorable. Just get Ryken's Words of Delight, which has all this exact same information amidst a sweeping exploration of the literary glories of the Bible.

[kate rehurek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was used in a classroom setting as curriculum for me. I loved the “living theology” and “re-living the psalms” concept for sure, but this book didn’t stick out to me as much as I would have liked it to.

+1 star for so, SO many Bible references in the Psalms. +1 for the examples used and shown in basically every term, so there was absolutely no confusion in the definitions and information in the book. Finally, another star for making me challenge myself in my religious thinking. Our class had many good discussions with this book!

It lost a star because there were barely any cross-references throughout the Bible in general, which I would have liked to see.

The book lost another star because of the way it was written. Was this book supposed to be exciting? -Because that was not the way it was written. It had a very rigid structure for each chapter, and the thesis was just the same without any words changed for diversity of speech. I honestly got very bored with it very quickly.

Overall the book is worth reading if you want to see the Psalms in a different perspective, if you want how to learn to pray the psalms in a new light, and read some interesting commentaries that will get your gears turning.

[Charles Puskas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this helpful introduction in preparation for a Men's Bible Study, 9-09-17. It starts with a Billy Collins poem on enjoying poetry before introducing us to the different poetic parallelisms, categories/genres, metaphors, and key themes. Nicely written with sidebar discussions and many examples provided from favorite psalms. Marketing copy: The Book of Psalms is perhaps the most cherished book in the Old Testament. In this lively volume, two experienced teachers invite students to read and explore the Psalter and roam widely among its poems. The book introduces the dynamics of the biblical text, helping students become careful and attentive readers. It covers how to read Hebrew poetry, the Psalter's basic genres, the idea of "the psalmist," the metaphorical world of the Psalms, and the theology of the Psalms. Sidebars, discussion questions, and plenty of examples enhance the reading experience. This clear and concise guide is accessible to all serious students of the Bible.

[George Mayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fine basic introduction to the genres and form of the Psalter, and if used as a simple grammar book it accomplishes its purpose well. It does, however, suffer from Higher Criticism in some places, and the authors' failure to accept the superscripts as written is a major flaw throughout.

It's primary weakness, however, is in its all but completely ignoring the Messianic nature of the Psalms. The Royal Psalms, for example, focus exclusively on the human kings without any reference to the Christ. As the authors explore the theology of the Psalms, and especially the covenant faithfulness of God, they miss the ultimate expression of God's faithfulness in sending Israel a Savior!

Invitation to the Psalms works as a technical guide to the literary genres, the forms the Psalms take, and the use of metaphors and other illustrative language, but when it comes to the theology of the Psalms and the overarching theme of the whole book, the authors miss it by a mile.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it!! I learned a lot from it and appreciated the very precise structure of the writing! My only reason for not giving it 5 stars is the fact that a lot of what was said could be observed from just reading a psalm and a lot of simple concepts were elaborated on to the extreme. I am assuming that this book is intended for people who have never read the psalms before, but even so, a lot of the elaboration provided throughout was excessive and unnecessary and could have been inferred easily from the provided example psalms. This wouldn’t be a qualm if the authors were to simply write a sentence or two summarizing their point but it sometimes resulted in a paragraph or two of repetition. There were quite a few cool gems throughout the book and I loved going through my bible and annotating some of my psalms with the information from this book! Would definitely encourage a skim but not an extensive read.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a tremendous freshness and vitality to this book that enables it to stand out above other introductions to Psalms. The authors do provide a simple and accessible guide to Psalms and a clear and concise introduction but they also encourage readers to experience Psalms for themselves as if each psalm was solely written for them. They are keen to emphasise the importance of appreciating the psalmist were people like us, experiencing the same kind of struggles and challenges we experience, and are seeking to find God in the midst of life. There are very few books which affect me in this way. Its certainly demands another read.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent companion book for reading the Psalms and adding depth to your understanding and engagement with the spiritual content of these beautiful works of poetry. If you are studying the Psalms as literary works, the discussions of the structural arrangement of Psalms, as well as ways to categorize their content by authorial intent helps contextualize them in the larger framework of Israel’s worship of the LORD. Moreover, we walk away with tools for taking our reading and experience of the Psalms as a means of worship to a deeper level of understanding and experience as children of God worshiping the same, unchanging God as the Psalmists.

[Susannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is on my high school senior's booklist.

Some of it is basic (e.g., parallelism in Hebrew poetry). My biggest take-aways: 1) *Hesed,* God's loving-faithfulness the theological basis of the psalms. 2) The psalms are to be experienced and prayed; they place us in the correct stance in covenant relationship to God, a covenant God has initiated in mercy. 3) God welcomes our questioning and cries of confusion and pain, and even those are predicated on his loving-faithulness. 4) Forgiveness from God also includes the reknitting of relationship and community.

I also learned what a *merism* is.

[Jen]

“If there is any value in learning about the psalms, it is just this - that by learning about the Psalms, the student may learn to read, pray sing, shout, chant, and wonder the Psalms.” Pg 2

The authors humbly and masterfully provide the tools to do just that.

“The theology of the Psalms is a lived theology. It is a theology that is less about figuring out all of the best answers to tricky questions, and more about living out life with other broken people, in the midst of a broken world, in a relationship with a God of loving faithfulness.” Pg 174

[Neil White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to the forms of poetry and the genres in the Psalms. It does a good job of covering the broad themes of the Psalms in a short book, good for students new to biblical poetry. There wasn't much new information as an experienced reader, but I could appreciate this for what it intends to be: an introduction for readers wanting to begin engaging the poetry of the book of Psalms.

[Jeffey Snell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rolf Jacobson's book is the best I have read on the psalms. It's not a commentary, but a way to read and understand the psalms. I like how he grouped the psalms together into their genres and showed how they apply to our lives today.

[Brittany McDonald Null · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was clear and could be a good resource for those wanting to deepen their understanding of the psalms. I found the book a little repetitive at times, but would still recommend for those who wish to know the context and genres of the Psalter.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Introdcution to reading the book of Psalms mindfully. Most people are drawn to the Psalms. Have you ever wondered why? Who wrote the Psalms and why? There’s so much to be discovered when we read God’s Song Book!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accessible, sometimes humorous, introduction to the major characteristics of the Psalms.

[DeNae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm reading many of the books that my oldest will read for his senior year of high school. It is sure to be a very interesting and rich year.

[Kennedy King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight into the understanding of the Psalms!

[Ryan and Sara Wendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good layperson's guide to the Psalms. I recommend it. I'm giving this book a 4 out of 5 stars as it offers a thorough explanation of understanding the Psalms for the layperson in the church.

[Nicelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a helpful, informative companion to reading the Psalms. It feels a bit repetitive toward the end, but for the most part was very enriching!

[Sophia K Dyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was assigned as reading for school along with poetry, and I think it helped a lot! 4.5 ⭐️ any age but probably more teens for comprehension.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearest and most entertaining introduction to the psalter I’ve ever read. I couldn’t wait to finish the book so I could start reading the Psalms equipped with all these tools for exploring their depths. I particularly enjoyed their comparison of our reading the psalms to the way an artist “covers” the song of a previous artist, making a song their own and re-appropriating it for a new time and situation.

[Eli Kunkel · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5/10

I'll never read the Psalms the same again

[Joshua Chubb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rolf A. Jacobson and Karl N. Jacobson’s Invitiation to the Psalms: A Reader’s Guide for Discovery and Engagement. Is a lay level introduction to scholarly study of the book of Psalms and also for personal understanding of the form, function and theology of the Psalms.
Invitation to the Psalms consists of 6 chapters. The first chapter deals with an understanding of Hebrew poetry and how it differs from English poetry. This is achieved through an indepth look into how parallelism functions across various different structures found in the book of Psalms, and the ways in which parallelism is formed linguistically and conceptually.
The next two chapters give us understanding of genre through the lenses of form and content. The introduction to and transition between these concepts of genre adequately sets up the problem of categorisation that we find in the Psalms. The lenses of form and content are constructions informed by how the text treats itself but they are not fully separable, a notable example here is the treatment of lament and helps psalms as somewhat interchangeable, whereas we should view lament psalms as a subgenre of helps psalms of which lament is the predmoniant subgenre. Chapter 2 deals with genre as form, and chapter 3 deals with genre as content. All genres are dealt with in a decent and informative manner.
Chapter four deals with questions around context, predominantly that of authorship and stiz im leben or life situation of the psalms. The introduction of chiasm in this chapter seems out of place and would be better suited to the first chapter, this structural concept is helpful in understanding the way that the Psalms are poetic. The interactions with and explicit dealing with how our life situation differs from that of the Psalmists is well done and the reader is invited and empowered to pray and live through the psalms in an informed way.
Chapter five deals with the metaphorical and symbolic imagery within the Psalms. The metaphor and symbolism used in the book of Psalms is noted to both be accessible and foreign to the modern reader. The treatment here is straightforward and encourages the reader to focus on the similarities of metaphor as opposed to the dissimilarities.
Chapter six deals with the theology of the book of Psalms. The treatment is irenic and brings all the preceding discussion together under the framework of the faithfulness of God. Through recapitualtion and the addition of this theological lens the faithfulness of God is displayed through this chapter as an encouragement to engage with that faithful God through the Psalms.
Throughout the book asides and side bars help to cover over other smaller concepts. These are part of the way in which the book encourages experiencing and not just reading/studying the Psalms. In addition to this there is constant engagement with the text in order to familiarise the reader with Psalms and help them know them not just about them. In sum this volume is a helpful introduction and tool for familiarisation with the book of Psalms to gain the most informed enjoyment out of them.

[Sanjuro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to the Psalter from an exegetical and theological perspective. This book covers the basics of Hebrew poetry and the genre of the Psalms, and argues for a royal theology of the reign of God as a unifying theme. A great book for anyone looking to learn how the Psalms are structured and the basics of poetic language.