A Book Review

Psalms 89–105: A Handbook on the Greek Text by Jennifer Brown Jones is the newest addition to the Baylor Handbook on the Septuagint Series edited by Sean A. Adams and Seth M. Ehorn. As with the other volumes in this series, this resource provides the Greek text, a fresh English translation, and a thorough analysis of grammar and syntax. Jones succeeds in upholding the excellent quality of the series by providing students and scholars with a clear and detailed handbook that unpacks the complexities of the Greek Psalter.

Owing to the impracticality of covering the entire book of Psalms, Jones offers her analysis of Book IV of the Greek Psalter (Psalms 89–105). While the focus of the work is on the Greek text, points of comparison to the Hebrew Vorlage frequently arise. Jones has carefully worked through the text with great accuracy and thoroughness, referencing the standard lexical and grammatical tools readers of previous volumes in this series would expect.

Several unique or important aspects of this work stand out. For one, Jones recognizes that the psalms are poetry. As she explains in her introduction, “By its nature, poetry is allusive and multivalent. . . . Poetry invites its audience to listen over and over, to read and reflect, deepening our understanding” (xxiii–xxiv). This recognition of the poetic nature of the psalms adds a layer of depth to her analysis, as she takes into account the nuances and stylistic elements found in poetry. We see this practically in one example when Jones suggests that the well-structured subsections of Psalm 104:25–29 and 104:31–36 poetically reinforce to the reader that what appeared as chaos to the Egyptians was “the hand of ordered, divine providence” (256). Insights such as this not only enhance our understanding of the text but also highlight the translator’s abilities.

Another unique aspect is a string of occasional references to Demetrius’s On Style (De elocutione) when making observations about the translator’s stylistic choices such as resonance (112), homoeoteleuton (197), and asyndeton (249). These references provide a fascinating glimpse into the rhetorical strategies employed by the translator, offering readers a deeper appreciation of the literary artistry of the Septuagint. Jones also covers the superscriptions in her analysis which some may not realize are unique to the Septuagint and not found in the Masoretic Text. 

Other notes worth mentioning are that the Greek text is that of the 2006 Rahlfs-Hanhart, which does not differ greatly from Rahlfs’ 1979 Göttingen edition, and Jones operates under the premise that verbs grammaticalize time and aspect. 

This book is an excellent resource for students and scholars studying the Septuagint Psalter or working to improve their Greek. An extensive Grammar Index at the back of the book aids readers who might wish to locate certain grammatical features or Greek prepositions, making it a valuable reference tool. The attention to detail from cover to cover ensures that serious readers will gain a fuller understanding of the text and its distinctive features. Jones has produced a meticulous and insightful handbook that will undoubtedly become a go-to resource for those studying the Greek Psalms.

Order here.

Special thanks to Baylor University Press for a review copy of this book. This did not affect my thoughts in any way so far as I know.