New ESV Study Bible Provides Great Introduction To The Psalms

I’ve never owned an ESV Bible, although I’ve studied from it with increasing frequency online over the last couple years.  So when I read that Crossway was publishing a new ESV Study Bible this fall, I decided to order it.

Last week the ESV blog published a pdf preview of the Study Bible introduction to the book of Psalms.  I’d encourage anyone interested in psalmody, worship, songwriting — or the Bible, for that matter — to check it out.

I appreciated the clear way in which the ESV Study Bible describes the common literary devices found in Psalms, such as metaphor, personification, hyperbole and apostrophe.  Even more so, I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the basic categories of the various psalms:

Laments (which modern scholars sometimes call the “lost language of the church.”  It’s interesting to note that laments make up the largest portion of psalms).

Hymns of praise

Hymns of thanksgiving

Hymns of celebration of God’s law

Wisdom psalms

Songs of confidence

Royal psalms

Historical psalms

and prophetic hymns.

This section alone is a great resource for the church as well as for liturgical artists and others interested in the worship arts.

You can also check out a five-minute video introduction to the key features of the new ESV Study Bible hosted by my friend Tullian Tchividian, book author, professor, blogger and pastor of New City Church in Pompano Beach, Florida.  The intro also includes testimonials from Josh Harris, Joni Eareckson Tada and Albert Mohler.