Book Review: Psalms 1–72

Like other contributions to the New Collegeville Bible Commentary series, Dianne Bergant's two-volume commentary aims to present the Psalms to the average reader. In this goal she succeeds admirably. A concise but informative six-page introduction touches upon this history of the psalter, characteristics of Hebrew poetry, basic form critical categories, theological trajectories in the Psalms, and the use of the Psalms today. The introductory material is repeated verbatim in Psalms 73–150 thus making the second volume independently as serviceable as the first. Both volumes also include review aids and discussion topics, printed at the end of each volume, as well as an index of citations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

As she rightly notes in her introductory remarks, reflective reading of the Psalms allows one to be immersed in the religious dispositions of the psalmists and thereby opened to having one's own religious consciousness shaped by the Psalms. That conviction about reflective reading directly shapes the commentary that follows. Most of Bergant's remarks on the individual Psalms consist of summaries of what the Psalms actually say; rarely does she focus her attention on the historical or cultic context from which the Psalms emerged. Nor does the commentary point to resources that might help a curious reader explore the Psalms further. While she does occasionally reference “scholars” or “other commentators,” neither volume boasts of footnotes or a bibliography. This lack obviously restricts the utility of the volumes to a very general reader indeed.

One unfortunate consequence of Bergant's appeal to a general reader can be seen in her treatment of laments of the individual. Psalm 13 serves as an example. Having rehearsed the lament of the psalmists in verses 1–5, Bergant is silent about the widely agreed upon likelihood that an oracle of salvation was spoken by a priest or temple prophet between verses 5 and 6. Moving directly to verse 6, she remarks:

As is the case with so many laments, this psalm ends on a note of trust in God. Despite the agony that is so clearly depicted, the psalmist is confident of God's faithfulness (the covenant word that characterizes God's steadfast love). Here again, confidence is grounded in the covenant relationship [Psalms 1–72: p. 32].

Let us set aside the question as to whether each and every mention of God's mercy is a direct allusion to the Sinai covenant—as Bergant indeed assumes throughout the two volumes—and the further question as to whether or not Christian readers would be equally disposed to locate their confidence in that covenant. Inattention here and elsewhere to the oracle of salvation in ancient Israel's lament tradition leaves the reader with the mistaken notions, first, that laments were uttered privately, apart from public worship and, second, that the confidence typically expressed at the end of laments originated in the psalmist's own reservoir of trustful faith. To the contrary, it appears that the Psalms were public prayers and the psalmist's pains were shared (and his confidence restored) in the company of at least a priest if not the whole assembled congregation. Moreover, the psalmist's confidence in God's mercy and the pledge of praise that follows was dependent, not upon the poet's own internal resources but rather upon the spoken assurance that his articulated cries of pain had been heard and would be remedied. In ancient Israel as in the Church today, the good news of God's Word always comes to us from beyond ourselves, sparking within us the self-same faithful confidence that it demands.

A more helpful aspect of Bergant's treatment of the laments are her remarks about the problematic imprecations against the enemies and especially those petitions that invite God to act violently that appear in those prayers. She is routinely careful to point out that the prayers encourage God to execute justice and not that the psalmist might take up a sword. For example, she says of Psalm 58:7–12,

Without justifying the vengeance found in this prayer, it is important to realize that the righteous are really calling for retribution, and they do not take matters into their own hands but look to God, the Righteous One, to render it [Psalms 1–72: p. 114].

In an age when religious people of all types find justification for violence within their respective scriptures, Bergant's consistent reminder that we are not justified by the Psalms so to act is a helpful one.

Doubtless it is because these volumes do intend to address general readers that Bergant most often limits her commentary to little more than a description or restatement of what the text actually says, peppered with the occasional provocative remark. For example, of Psalm 115:13b which declares that the lord will bless “small and great alike,” she writes, “It is significant that both small and great are mentioned; there is no class preference here” (Psalms 73–150: p. 97). Regretfully, Bergant leaves it to the reader to ponder the implications of both the text and her claim. Here, as many other places in these volumes, the reader is left wishing that this accomplished scholar had said much more. Indeed, one hopes that in the future Bergant will direct her considerable expertise to a commentary aimed to engage with those who are more familiar with Israel's ancient songs and prayers.