Theology Today - Vol 51, No. 3 - October 1994 - BOOK REVIEW - Songs of the Heart: An Introduction to the Book of Psalms

441 - Songs of the Heart: An Introduction to the Book of Psalms

Songs of the Heart: An Introduction to the Book of Psalms
By Nahum M. Sarna
New York, Schocken Books, 1993. 298 pp. $25.00.

In the opening pages of this book, the author recalls a Jew from Yemen who told him about the celebration of his bar mitzvah in his homeland. Since the family was very poor, there were no parties, no gifts, and no speeches. The boy simply went to the synagogue and read the assigned Torah reading in front of the congregation. Sarna continues: "But what left an indelible impression on him, the experience that continues to move him deeply even forty years later, was staying up all the previous night with his grandfather, and together reciting the entire Book of Psalms."

This anecdote will provides a sample of the flavor of this elegant introduction to the Psalms. The book is informed not only by current scholarship but also by insights and illustrations from the rich Jewish tradition Sarna represents, Now Professor Emeritus at Brandeis University, the author continues to serve on a number of translation and commentary committees for the Jewish Publication Society. His work with other scholars on the translation of the Book of Psalms, he says, provided him with the ideas and inspiration that resulted in this book.

The brief "Introduction" deals with some basics of psalm study and sets the tone for what follows. "The biblical psalms are essentially a record of the human quest for God," says Sarna. "No wonder that they infuse and inform the basic patterns of both Jewish and Christian worship, give character and essence to their respective liturgies, and govern the life of prayer and spiritual activity of the individual and the congregation." Sarna discusses music and worship in ancient Israel, psalm titles, the historic importance of the Psalter, the survival and collecting of the psalms, the role of David, and musical guilds in Israel.

The remainder of the book consists of expositions of selected psalms. Psalms 1, 8, 19, 15, and 24 are treated at some length; Psalms 30, 48, 82, 93, and 94 are discussed in shorter essays. Each essay is rich in references to the Hebrew Bible and to traditional Jewish literature. Footnotes set the discussion in the context of contemporary scholarship, and the book concludes with a fifteen-page bibliography and indices.

442 - Songs of the Heart: An Introduction to the Book of Psalms

Here are a few selections from the expositions of these psalms: The rabbis called Psalm 1 an "orphan psalm" since it has no title. A fourth century teacher, Rabbi Yudan, named it "the choicest of the psalms" because its theme is "the centrality of God's teaching-torah-in the life of the individual. . ." This psalm shows that "the study of the sacred and revered text itself constitutes a pious act, a profoundly religious experience, and is an important mode of worship." Sarna provides short essays on the wicked, the sinners, and the insolent and an insightful note on the Hebrew h-g-h, usually translated "meditates" but here rendered as "studies." In the light of this psalm, he says, "it is easy to understand … why Jews have always displayed an enthusiastic reverence for learning."

Psalm 8 speaks about humans ruling over the earth and its creatures. But these words "may not be misinterpreted as granting licence for the unbridled exploitation of nature's resources."

Sarna comments on the matter of the "enemies" in Psalm 30:1 and concludes with an eye on our own time:

The pressures of crowded living conditions-most cities were walled and had little room for expansion as population grew-generate complex emotional tensions and disruptive relationships. Irascibility, frayed tempers, contentiousness , the harboring of private grudges and enduring animosities, become typical of human relationships, and individuals and families find reason to regard others as enemies. This is as true of the modern world as it was of the ancient.

Unfortunately, the book does not employ inclusive language, In our current situation, sentences like the opening one, "In the Law and the Prophets, God reaches out to man," are jarring.

The author concludes by saying of the Psalms, "In this age of spiritual and moral chaos they still have something to teach us." Indeed. This insightful and beautifully written study is exceptionally effective in helping to discover what we can learn from these ancient "Songs of the Heart."

James Limburg
Luther Seminary
St. Paul, MN