This volume follows the general pattern of the series, opening with a
discussion of content, of authorship, and of the way the collection came
to be put together, followed by a psalm-by-psalm presentation of the New
English Bible text with commentary. Dr Rogerson and Dr McKay stress the
richness and variety of the material in the Psalms, and provide an
analytical table of the predominant themes. They discuss the literary
characteristics of Hebrew poetry with special reference to devices such
as the acrostic, and examine the problems faced by the New English Bible
translators. Over the years many different approaches have been made to
the interpretation of the Psalms. The authors characterize these as the
spiritual, the historical, the form-critical and the cultic approaches,
and their own commentary strikes an effective balance between them. One
of their primary purposes is to bring out the religious teaching that is
of permanent value within the Psalms.