J's Pages

In the first paragraph of this volume of the Concordia Commentary, Dr. Saleska tells us that the word the Greeks use for "maker" is the same one they use for "poet". So with the idea set that God is the "poet of Heaven and Earth" (if we may so translate the creeds) he delves into a look at poetry: Why we write it, why is it in the Bible, how do we read it. Stuff like that. He then gets to digging into the Psalms. He formats his commentary into two sections. First he looks at the psalm from it's original perspective. Then he touches on how Christians might understand the text in light of Jesus and his life, death, and resurrection. What I found most notable, however, is the way Dr. Saleska translates the text. He doesn't necessarily follow the standard translations, but opts for a rougher, more literal translation. He reasons that the poetry of the Psalms is more emotional and that the broken sentences and standalone phrases you get with a more literal translations better expresses those gut wrenching feelings which fill the psalter.

It's one for my shelf.
LibraryThing link

Labels: ConcordiaCommentary, OnMyShelf, TimothySaleska

// posted by John @ 9:46 PM