Another commentary on the Psalms? Yes, and better than most you already have on your shelves. Mr. Ross has spent a lifetime studying the Psalms and the fruit of it is handed right to us here. The style is pastor-friendly, yet the scholarship is rich. The difference seems to be that he doesn’t feel the need to impress other scholars as he ever aims at those who handle God’s Word. I loved that he had no problem consulting literature of yesteryear thereby avoiding the ridiculous idea that only the latest commentary has anything to say to us.

The first 179 pages give a powerful introduction to the Psalms. Written to be understood, he communicates what other commentaries couldn’t touch in double the pages.  When he writes on the value of the Psalms, we find out all we need to know about Mr. Ross. He loves, appreciates, and is in awe of the Psalms. He  realizes the special place the Psalms have always help among God’s people. I especially liked his discussion on the titles of the Psalms. He gives good help on the different types of Psalms. These discussions are crucial to understanding the text.  He well discusses how to interpret Biblical poetry, without which we are shooting in the dark. His “Psalms in Worship” are eyeopening and a good reminder on how the Lord used the Psalms in Israel. Then, he writes again about the various types of Psalms pulling out their theology.

What’s the last part of the introduction? He tells us how to develop an exposition of the Psalms. Whether you would do an exposition exactly as he would say or not, don’t you appreciate that emphasis?

Pages 181-887 cover Psalms 1-41. The depth is good. You may have some volumes on the Psalms that look thick on your shelves, but they cover all 150 Psalms and can be surprisingly thin and really not cover some verses at all. He gives background on each individual Psalm, an exegetical analysis, commentary in expository form, followed by message and application. That design is superior.

If this is what the Kregel Exegetical Library Series is going to be like, give us more. I hope Mr. Ross will give us the rest of the volumes to cover the Psalms in a timely manner. This is a winner, especially for the pastor!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 .