Psalms 51-100 [Hardcover]

Peter Craigie was supposed to have done a commentary on all the Psalms but as has been mentioned, "his untimely death" prevented that from happening. Two other writers completed the task: Marvin Tate for Psalms 51-100, Leslie Allen for 101-150.

One of the reviewers referred to Craigie's work as "scholarly and evangelical." Another called it an "inspiring, intelligent, and faithful survey." I agree completely. When I saw that Craigie had done a commentary on the Psalms, I immediately purchased volume 19 in this series because I had previously used his commentary on Deuteronomy and found it invaluable in a two-year series of Bible studies we did on Deuteronomy.

I figured the editors of the series must have tried to maintain consistency when Tate and Allen continued Craigie's work.

I am not as happy with Tate's volume as I was with Craigie's. Of course, this volume is full of scholarly notes on the text and the language and the theological/literary/historical/liturgical contexts of the psalms. As was Craigie's volume. However, Tate, in his commendable effort to bring a great quantity of detailed information about each psalm's theological/literary/historical/liturgical context, often left me with the impression that there is no clear idea of what the psalm was meant to do. Psalm after psalm is analyzed in this way. While the application of the Scripture is not necessarily the main task of a commentary, I found Craigie's approach less abstract, more practical. Tate also seems rather fond of pointing out in his explanations how psalms relate to "old mythical ideas." And the point of that is . . . ?

If I read Calvin, Luther, Boice, or Craigie on the Psalms, I am informed and edified. I greatly appreciate the detailed knowledge that Tate provides, but often, after reading Tate, I had no feel for the effect that the psalms actually had not only on Israel but on Christians over the centuries.

I bought volume 20 (Tate) in this series because of Craigie's volume 19. I have found the information in Tate helpful at times, and I know that whatever the Lord does is right and best, but I tend to wish that Craigie had been allowed to complete the commentary.