Psalms
The Psalms have been loved by many generations of Christians, especially for the way they poetically express some of our deepest emotions and longings. However, their human authors wrote about much more than their own situations before God; their view was much more expansive. They also wrote about God himself, about the world, about God’s people and their relationship with him.
What if God’s people have forgotten how to read the Psalms as they were intended to be read? What if the Psalms are much more about God and his Anointed One than they are about us?
Recommended Resources
Introductory Commentaries (Short)
T D Alexander, “Introduction to Hebrew Poetry”, Essays, The Gospel Coalition (TGC) | USA, © 2026: Introduction to Hebrew Poetry | TGCBC | T. Desmond Alexander
T D Alexander, “Jesus as Messiah”, Essays, TGC | USA, Creative Commons Licence 2026: Jesus as Messiah - The Gospel Coalition
Matthew H Patton, “How to Read Hebrew Poetry”, Articles, Hermeneutics, Ligonier Ministries, © 2026: How to Read Hebrew Poetry
Commentaries
Christopher Ash, Psalms For You: How to Pray, How to Feel and How to Sing, The Good Book Company, 2023
Christopher Ash, Teaching Psalms, Volume 1: From Text to Message, PT Resources/Christian Focus Publications, 2017
Derek Kidner, Psalms 1 – 72 (Vol. 1) and Psalms 73 – 150 (Vol. 2), Kidner Classic Commentaries, IVP Academic, reprinted 2014
Bruce K Waltke, Commentary, The Psalms, TGC | USA, © 2023
Psalms 1–41 | Commentary | Bruce Waltke | TGCBC
Psalms 42–72 Commentary | Bruce Waltke | TGCBC
Psalms 73–89 | Commentary | Bruce Waltke | TGCBC
Psalms 90–106 | Commentary | Bruce Waltke | TGCBC
Psalms 107–150 | Commentary | Bruce Waltke | TGCBC
Michael Wilcock, The Message of the Psalms (Volume 1, Psalms 1 – 72; Volume 2, Psalms 73 – 150), Bible Speaks Today series, InterVarsity Press UK, 2023
Online Resources
Akos Balogh, “As a Christian Bloke Here’s What I’ve Learned About Dealing With Difficult Emotions”, Articles, Faith, Life & Work, TGC | Australia, 25 October 2024, As a Christian Bloke, Here’s What I’ve Learned About Dealing With Difficult Emotions - The Gospel Coalition | Australia
Mitch Everingham, “Learning to Lament: A Guide to Praying in Our Hardest Moments”, Articles, Bible & Theology, TGC | Australia, 23 February 2023, Learning to Lament: A Guide to Praying in Our Hardest Moments - The Gospel Coalition | Australia
Jon Nielson, “An Attribute of God That Isn’t Discussed Enough”, Articles, Crossway, 18 May 2023, An Attribute of God That Isn’t Discussed Enough | Crossway
Jonty Rhodes, “What Does It Mean That Jesus is Prophet, Priest, and King?”, Articles, Crossway, 15 June 2021, What Does It Mean that Jesus Is Prophet, Priest, and King? | Crossway
Stephen Steele, “The Psalms: Are They Maximally or Minimally Messianic?”, Articles, Ministry, Logos.com, 1 December 2023, The Psalms: Are They Maximally or Minimally Messianic?
“Don’t Skip the Poems”, interview with Dr Michelle Knight (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), The Biblical Mind podcast | Center for Hebraic Thought, Episode #43 (reissue), 17 February 2023 (first aired October 2020), Don't Skip the Poems (Michelle Knight) | The Biblical Mind
Recommended Books
Alistair Begg & Sinclair B Ferguson, Name Above All Names, Crossway, 2013
Ligon Duncan, When Pain is Real and God Seems Silent: Finding Hope in the Psalms, Crossway, 2020
William R Osborne (author) & Brad Woodard (illustrator), God, You Are: 20 Promises From the Psalms For Kids, Crossway, 2023 (for kids, ages 4–8)
Courtney Reissig, Teach Me To Feel: Worshipping Through the Psalms in Every Season of Life, The Good Book Company, 2023
Andrew G Shead, Walk His Way: Following Christ Through the Book of Psalms, Inter-Varsity Press UK, 2023
Rory Shiner, One Forever: The Transforming Power of Being in Christ (Guidebooks for Life series), Matthias Media, 2012
R C Sproul, The Glory of Christ, Tyndale House Publishers, 1990
Bruce K Waltke & Fred G Zaspel, How to Read and Understand the Psalms, Crossway, 2023