Psalms 1–44, 45–100, 101–150: A Theological Commentary for Preachers by Abraham Kuruvilla

This three-volume commentary on the Psalms, part of the series of theological commentaries of Scripture for preachers, engages hermeneutics for preaching, employing theological exegesis that enables the preacher to utilize all the psalms in the Psalter to craft effective sermons.

The three volumes tackle, respectively, Psalms 1–44, Psalms 45–100, and Psalms 101–150 (slightly over 1,100 pages total).

This set of commentaries unpacks the crucial link between Scripture and application: the theology of each preaching text/psalm—what the author is doing with what he is saying in each psalm—is explored and explicated. While the primary goal of the commentary is to take the preacher from text to theology, it also provides a sermon outline for each of the preaching units in the Psalms. The unique approach of this work results in a theology-for-preaching commentary that promises to be useful for anyone planning to teach from the Psalter with an emphasis on application.

God bless your preaching and … God bless your listeners, as you seek to facilitate their conformation into Christlikeness, by the power of the Spirit, for the glory of God!

Sample Chapters

Sample chapter (Psalm 1) from Psalms 1–44. Download Free Chapter

Sample chapter (Psalm 46) from Psalms 45–100. Download Free Chapter

Sample chapter (Psalm 101) from Psalms 101–150. Download Free Chapter

Purchase Options

From:  Wipf & Stock  |  Amazon

 Endorsements

What an extraordinary study! Dr. Kuruvilla has applied himself with resolution and enthusiasm to all 150 psalms, and here he shares the results with us. He thus takes us through the entire Psalter with careful and suggestive outlines of the Psalms for preachers, and with judicious comments on their theological significance. It will be wonderful if pastors make them a resource for preaching. Indeed, any student of the Psalms will learn from them.”

John Goldingay
Senior Professor of Old Testament
Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California

What a delightful surprise this series of commentaries on the Psalms is. Acknowledging his protestant and evangelical “bias,” the author explicates the Book of Psalms for every Christian reader. This series will be extremely useful for anyone who preaches, teaches, or studies the Bible seriously. The commentaries demonstrate the theological coherence of every psalm and its role within the Book of Psalms. Working with proper regard for the newest academic insights, Kuruvilla makes an innovative synthesis of the meaning of each psalm, building a bridge between its theological essence and practical application of the text in various situations. Kind regards and best wishes for the speedy completion of this splendid work! I will be one of the first to buy it for myself when the series becomes available.”

Philippus (Phil) J. Botha
Professor Emeritus of Ancient and Modern Languages and Cultures
University of Pretoria, Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA

Whenever my friend and former colleague Abe Kuruvilla speaks about preaching, I’m all ears. If you’ve read his books on preaching or listened to his sermons, you understand why. His hermeneutical approach is carefully crafted, producing penetrating insights and proposals worthy of consideration. This commentary, crafted in the crucible of Abe’s personal suffering, will be immensely helpful to those who love the psalms and the God who inspired ancient authors to compose them.”

Robert B. Chisholm, Jr.
Chair and Senior Professor of Old Testament Studies
Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas

Although preaching from the Psalter was a regular practice in the early church, nowadays Christians might sing and pray the psalms, but rarely  listen to a sermon one of them. Kuruvilla’s commentary skilfully reverses this trend. He takes seriously each psalm in its poetic Hebrew medium then applies its theological message, however difficult, to Christian discipleship today. No minister now has an excuse for avoiding preaching from the Book of Psalms.”

Susan Gillingham
Emeritus Professor of Hebrew Bible
University of Oxford, Oxford, UNITED KINGDOM

Why is it that we don’t hear more excellent sermons on the Psalms that engage the text in deep and serious ways? Abe Kuruvilla has written a monumental three-volume work to help address this shortcoming. He recognizes that the Psalms, as captivating as they may be, are not necessarily easy to interpret and many of their contexts and occasions remain in the shadows. Nevertheless, through close attention to each Psalm Kuruvilla shows that their theology can result in preaching that engages both the heart and the mind.”

Stanley E. Porter
President, Dean, and Professor of New Testament
McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario, CANADA

In his commentary, Abe Kuruvilla approaches the Psalms with the eye and the heart of a preacher/pastor. He draws deeply from the scholarly literature, but he focuses on the needs of the expositor. His primary emphasis is upon how Christians are to align their lives to what God reveals in the various songs in the Psalter, and how the Psalms guide the people of God in their spiritual transformation toward Christlikeness. What he has written will both stretch the mind and warm the heart of the reader. I highly recommend it!”

Daniel Estes
Distinguished Professor of Old Testament
Cedarville University, Cedarville, Ohio

This three-volume series on preaching the Psalms is a masterful work, combining exegesis, hermeneutics, biblical theology, and homiletics. Kuruvilla astutely guides the preacher through the most difficult step of sermon development in the Psalms that of determining the biblical theology that is to be proclaimed. In my opinion, this is the best work on preaching the Psalms that is available today, and it should be on the shelf of all preachers who aspire to proclaim the wonderful message of the Psalms to their congregations.”

J. Daniel Hays
Senior Professor of Old Testament
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas
Professor of Biblical Studies Emeritus
Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas

This is a valuable addition to Kuruvilla’s existing work on Christian preaching of Scripture. He knows the issues, provides a fresh translation of the Hebrew text to ponder, and offers theologically robust content. Though it is oriented to those who would preach the psalms, it also has value for those who pray them.”

Walter Moberly
Emeritus Professor of Theology and Biblical Interpretation
University of Durham, Durham, UNITED KINGDOM

Kuruvilla has provided the kind of theological exegesis preachers need to engage in sermon preparation. His thorough exploration draws on his own attention to the literary complexities of the text and his engagement with the best of scholarship. A literal translation, structural analysis, theological focus statement, discerning commentary, and sermon map for each Psalm efficiently guide the preacher through the essential steps of sermon development. This will be my go-to commentary on the Psalms.”

Timothy S. Warren
Senior Professor Emeritus of Pastoral Ministries
Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas
Guide and President
Preaching Camp Ministries, Dallas, Texas

Dr. Kuruvilla has produced another helpful commentary to guide faithful preaching of God’s word. Although best known as a leading scholar in homiletics, he proves himself to be a competent Hebrew exegete as well. His christiconic hermeneutic allows the psalms to fully speak their multidimensional message for spiritual formation today.”

John W. Hilber
Professor of Old Testament
McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario, CANADA

Kuruvilla’s commentary set on the Psalter is unique and helpful. He clearly explains the text of each Psalm, laying out its meaning as well as aspects of divine demand, calling its readers to Christlikeness. I thank him for his faithful ministry in helping students bring and use God’s word to push believers toward Christlikeness.”

Michael A. Grisanti
Chair and Distinguished Research Professor of Old Testament
The Master’s Seminary, Sun Valley, California