The Abbreviated Psalter of the Venerable Bede

by Bede

Book Overview

Designed for personal devotion Bede's abbreviated Psalter distills the essence of each of the Psalms, selecting a few verses which encapsulate the Psalm. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802839193
• ISBN13: 9780802839190
• Release Date: December 2001
• Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
• Length: 68 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Interesting for liturgical history or devotions

This is a condensed version of the Psalms as editted by the Venerable Bede (c. 673-735). It is illustrated by plates of the Latin and translated well by a professor of Classics at the University of Illinois (Urbana). The translation is very readable.The condensations may be as long 11 or 12 verses or a short as a phrase. Often they trigger a memory of the Psalm from which they come; this would be even more common among those who regularly pray the Psalms. Reading the condensations gives an overview of the Psalms as a whole, that is difficult to observe when reading the entire Psalter. This overview helps place the various psalms in their literary and theological context.One oddity in Bede's abridgment; Psalm 50 not only prefigures Jesus but refers directly to him! The brief introduction explains this and the single line from Psalm 136 which in no way implies the well-known "By the waters of Babylon".If you are interested in the early Church in England, liturgy, or a devotional version of the Psalms, this version is well worth exploring.

A message of comfort and hope

I puchased this book for my wife as a birthday present. Ironically I read it once she was done, based on her flowering recomendation. It was fantastic, well written, and inspirational. The pictures of the original texts are beutiful. I will read a page or two when ever I need a quick pick me up. In these times, thats probably going to be often.