ESV Commentary: Psalms—Song of Solomon (volume 5)

ESV Expository Commentary: Psalms—Song of Solomon, Volume 5 (Crossway, 2022).

This volume is the fifth OT entry in the ESV Expository Commentary series. It features an exposition of Psalms by C. John Collins, Proverbs by Ryan Patrick O'Dowd, Ecclesiastes by Max Rogland, and Song of Solomon by Douglas Sean O'Donnell. 

This volume treats some of the most reflective literature in the OT. The expository focus and reflective style of this commentary series is thus particularly suited to these biblical books. The commentary entries on the Psalms (700 pages) and Proverbs (300 pages) in particular are thoughtful and substantive. 

Collins recognizes the diverse historical and literary setting of the individual psalms but also prioritizes "the corporate worship of Israel as their primary life setting" (29). A helpful implication of this interpretive commitment is that the genre patterns that occur in the Psalter are not set at odds with one another. Instead of noting, for instance, that there are a large number of laments and psalms of remembrance and then concluding that not all of the psalms are praise and worship (which is true enough on one level), Collins suggests a different perspective: The presence of these diverse psalms within the collection that serves as the basis for Israel's liturgy means that each type of psalm contributes to the way the believing community approaches God in corporate worship. 

In this regard, Collins encourages readers to see that it is "proper to consider how even those psalms that do not at first appear to be hymnlike nevertheless function as songs for corporate worship—we know them by the company they keep" (31). A practical effect of this insight might be that we may need to "expand our vision of what people should sing, pray, or chant together in worship!" (31; see the treatment of Ps 3 for an early example of this strategy, pp. 61–65). 

Collins does not argue for any type of canonical structure to the shape of the Psalter as a whole, but his commitment to reading this collection as Christian Scripture opens up a host of biblical-theological connections to the flow of redemptive history and the content of OT and NT theology. Primary among these theological presuppositions is the ongoing relevance of these biblical texts for the Christian community. As Collins reflects, "The Psalms, properly taken in, will not allow us to retain a privatized or individualized faith; they help us to yearn to see God's lordship enjoyed in all of his world. This was true in the earlier era, and it is true for Christians as well" (40). 

In his treatment of the book of Proverbs, O'Dowd has a similarly helpful perspective on the literary and theological features of the biblical text. O'Dowd does treat the individual sayings within the book but he also keeps an eye on the broader implications and coherence of wisdom theology. As he notes, "Far surpassing a long list of independent sentences, these groups of poems and clusters in Proverbs undergird a worldview, a storied picture about the world, human nature, our greatest risks, and our most profitable opportunities. Within this storied image the wise life is one lived imaginatively in a world ordered by a just, merciful, and righteous Creator" (699). 

Moving to Ecclesiastes, Rogland notes that this book is "simultaneously one of the most fascinating and one of the most perplexing books of the OT" (1007). Rogland helpfully gives a snapshot of the history of interpretation of this book and balances the meandering reflections of "the preacher" and the sober assessment of the narrator of the book as a whole. From Rogland's perspective, the book should produce both frustration and hope. As he reflects, Ecclesiastes "acknowledges that much of what happens in the world is shrouded in mystery. On the one hand this is a frustrating limitation for the curious seeker of God. On the other hand, it is intended to whet the believer's appetite for the day when we 'shall know fully, even as [we] have been fully know'" (1024). Rogland concludes that "by reading Ecclesiastes attentively, one is better prepared to appreciate the unveiling of the revelation of the mystery of Christ by his apostles in NT Scripture" (1024). 

 

This is a stand-out volume among the series and would be a helpful investment for a preacher or teacher of these books of biblical wisdom. 

Some Notes:

• See details on the other volumes in the ESV Expository Commentary series; Cf. my goodreads post & reviews of other volumes in this series; Thanks to Crossway for this review copy.