Psalm a Day: Recent Episodes
Jon Ericson
Jon Ericson reads a Psalm each day (or so).
An important source for me is Robert Alter's "The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary" which I am currently reading. I won't be specifically focusing on religion, but it might sneak in from time to time because of the topic. Feel free to skip my babbling if you just want to hear some great poetry competently recited.
Cover art by my friend Hal Bond.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
The sermon I was referring to is already on YouTube.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
The sermon that inspired me: "Bearing Fruit". Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
I remembered correctly. 1 Samuel 18:7:
And the women sang to one another as they celebrated,
“Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
The book I mentioned is The Resurrection of the Son of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, Vol. 3).
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
This is a somewhat longer episode because I analyze the Psalm line-by-line.
It's also the first using new cover art created by my friend Hal Bond.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
The podcast I mentioned is Christianity Today's "The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill". Specifically episode 9: "Questioning the Origin Myth".
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
My pastor has been preaching through Exodus since the beginning of the year. If you are interested, here's the first in the series.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
The sermon I mentioned is Calling. Journey. Becoming. "God's Beauty is Contagious" August 22, 2021.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Related to this episode is today's article by David French: They Held the Line.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
My church is still broadcasting services on YouTube. I expect that will be part of the new normal. Our pastor, Brian Chan, started his series on Exodus in January.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
YouTube has an edit of the various Balrog scenes from all three Lord of the Ring films.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
If you are listening in some point in the future where this is forgotten, here's the NY Times story about Ted Cruz.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
As I mentioned, Psalm 70 repeats a section of Psalm 40. I didn't actually talk about it there, but I did post an answer with more details.
For more on Ravi Zacharias, David French has a helpful summary.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter. Mentioned in my commentary:
- My blog post
- My pastor's Facebook post
- My initial response to the attack on the Capitol
- Further thoughts today
Warning: political and cultural commentary after I finish with this Psalm.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
A psalm about God being glorified by his creation and whether silence would do better.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Happy New Year to one and all!
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
Reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter.
I'm going to make The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter my default translation. From now on, I won't mention it in the episode itself.
I read from the NET Bible. My question and answer about this Psalm are on the Biblical Hermeneutics—Stack Exchange site. The table with both Psalms in parallel is on GitHub.
Today I read from the ESV. I believe the sermon I heard from Timothy Keller is Reality: Forgive Us Our Debts. I don't think I did it justice.
I read the ESV today. Because of travel, I missed yesterday's episode. (The publish date is not entirely correct.) I'm considering catching up today, but it depends on what my schedule looks like.
I didn't say it in the episode, but I read from the Jewish Publishing Society's translation on Sefaria.
This time I'm using the NIV.
Reading again from Robert Alter since it's easy and I'm overwhelmed today.
Reading from the NASB because is closely resembles the lyrics of the U2 song 40. Bono had a wonderful conversation with Eugene Peterson, the translator of The Message, about the Psalms. Worth listening to!
Another day; another reading from Robert Alter's excellent translation.
This reading comes from the NET Bible. I feel like my sheen of professionalism is wearing into a patina of vulnerability as this podcast goes on. Why worry about mistakes and re-recording when I can barely keep up with my daily schedule? Hope you don't mind.
The text I read to day was the ESV. The event that is the context is described in 1 Samuel 21:14.
I read from the NET Bible today. I encourage you to read the footnotes for this Psalm if you are interested in learning more about the issues I mentioned.
I’m recording this on my phone which is why the audio sounds a bit different. For Thanksgiving I’m planning on using this setup so I might as well try it out now. The translation is the NASB.
I left of the "Of David" title from the English Standard Version. It's such a common notation, it almost makes more sense to notice when it's missing!
Reading today from the NIV. This is an incredibly popular song to put to music: Handel, gospel choir and contemporary worship.
It's really hard to beat the KJV for the 23rd. If you are curious, I wrote elsewhere on the uses of the rod and the staff.
Reading Psalm 22 in the JPS translation. The Lion of Babylon is standing on a person, but not on their hands and feet. The Lion Hunt of Ashurbanipal shows lions mauling people too.
I'm reading this time from the NET Bible. A warning: I will be talking about US politics today.
Reading again from Robert Alter's translation.
Today I read from the New King James Version. I referenced Genesis 5 and I was thinking of Abraham interceding for Sodom in Genesis 18.
Another reading from David Alter's The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary.
I remember this cover from when I was a boy. The artist of all the drawings I enjoyed was Annie Vallotton and you can see some of them in this article about her work. I read the Good News Translation of Psalm 11.
This is a strange episode where I go back and pick up Psalm 9 again because it was originally one with Psalm 10. I think my fragmentary reading gets across the difficultly in putting together the fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. (My oldest son was disappointed years ago when we went to an exhibit of the scrolls and there were no Dead Sea Squirrels.) I'm using this translation of Psalm 10 and Psalm 9. I should note that the actual bits left in tact are more fragmentary than what I read. The first verse of Psalm 10 is more like:
``` far off
Why do you hide yourself in times of
```
And even that is generous since some of the Hebrew letters are unreadable. For an excellent introduction to scholarship about the scrolls, I recommend The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation which includes commentary and translations of some of the scrolls. My discussion did not do the topic justice in any sense.
Today I used the New American Standard Bible because it matches the lyrics I've sung. Looking around, it seems the song I know was written Michael W. Smith and borrows from other parts of the Hebrew scriptures. Other songs set Psalm 8 in whole to music including Keith Green's "How Majestic is Thy Name (Psalm 8)" and a choral arrangement by Lloyd Larson.
Reading from the Jewish Publishing Society's 1985 translation on Sefaria. It's a great site even for people like me who can't read Hebrew!
Once again, I'm reading from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary. It's really good!
I rerecorded this episode a number of times, but I'll have you know it was not because of messing up Peter Piper! I also discovered there is an even better version of the nursery rhyme/tongue twister for showing the chiastic structure:
``` (A) Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
(B) A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
(b) If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
(a) Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked? ```
Now that I look at it, it's more like two chiasms with "Peter Piper picked" as the (A) parts and "a peck of pickled peppers" as the (B).
I memorized Psalm 5 in the New International Version. If you have Amazon Prime, you can borrow that version for free on Kindle.
Today I read John Milton's translation of Psalm 4. You can get a free Kindle version of The Poetical Works of John Milton, which includes his Psalms. He started with Psalm 1 sometime in August, 1643 and ended on Psalm 8 on August 18. But I see now that he also did a few later Psalms, so I might pick him up toward the end of the journey.
Reading from the NET Bible today. The account of David fleeing Absalom starts in 2 Samuel 15. Two chapters later describes the fate of Ahithophel.
If you are interested in getting a copy of the NET Bible in Kindle format, Amazon has a version without the notes for free. I have a version with notes, but that does not seem to be available anymore. Alternatively, search for the NET Bible app on your phone or tablet.
Today I read from Robert Alter's translation: The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary. It's going to be difficult to resist using it every time!
I'm starting a Psalm of the day (or so) podcast where I read a Psalm each day starting with Psalm 1 and, if I persevere, continue to Psalm 150. Today I'm reading from the English Standard Version, but I plan to switch to other translations as I go. Feel free to listen to just the Psalm and skip my commentary. No guarantee I'll have anything to say about future Psalms!