Psalms By The Day

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A review of Psalms by the Day: A New Devotional Translation by Alec Motyer and published by Christian Focus Publications (hardcover 422 pages).

It wasn’t that long ago when I mentioned to someone that I couldn’t “get into” the Psalms. Within about a week or two of making that statement, I developed a passion for them. I can say the same thing for Spurgeon and the Puritans – there was a time when I found them dry. Not now – far from it. The Psalms now form a part of my daily devotion, along with Spurgeon and the Puritans.

I soon collected two commentaries and (thanks to Walter Kaiser’s recommendation) O. Palmer Robertson’s The Flow of the Psalms. More recently I was looking for a devotional on the Psalms and came across Alec Motyer’s Psalms By The Day.

Motyer is probably best known for his commentary on Isaiah. He’s written a devotional on Isaiah as well. What I love about Motyer is his obvious passion for the Lord. His love and enthusiasm for the Psalms is clearly evident in Psalms By The Day, and it is contagious.

The devotional contains Motyer’s personal translation of the Hebrew and a handy bookmarker. He uses the terms YAH and Yahweh instead of Lord. YAH is a poetic abbreviation for Yahweh. It appears in Exodus 15:2; Psalm 150 and elsewhere. In my case, Motyer’s translation took some getting used to as I love my New King James Translation. But persevering with his version pays dividends, as he brings out and highlights tenses and emphases one might otherwise miss in other translations.

Aside from the fresh translation, a great feature of this devotional is Motyer’s explanation of the structure and composition of each Psalm by using margin study notes and explanatory title headings. Another valuable resource is his insightful use of the “Pause for Thought” commentaries after each Psalm, or groups of Psalms. His thoughts on Hezekiah’s tunnel (p 374) are instructive, as they are on why we should always pray “Thy will be done” (p 303). His Pause for Thought on Psalm 95 is sobering as he skilfully demonstrates how the world today is still bowing the knee to Baal, Molech and Tiamat. Motyer also titles each Psalm according to the thoughts it addresses, and adds informative subtitles as guidelines throughout the Psalm. Psalm 119 suddenly doesn’t become so laborious to read. Motyer opens it up for you. This book is much more than a daily devotional.

Those who are interested in more information may read Mark Dever’s review at TGC. It also contains Dever’s Foreword to the book. He writes:

His summary of the Psalms’ teaching on the messianic king in his ‘Pause for Thought’ after Psalm 72 is a tiny, splendid, encouraging tour-de-force! Pithy and learned expressions abound. ‘To abandon prayer is to embrace atheism’ (p. 246). In these concluding ‘Pauses,’ Motyer’s long Christian experience, his knowledge of the New Testament, as well as the Old, act together with the Psalm being considered to serve us. These thoughts are expository without being dry, devotional without being forced.

Note that the reference to page 246 is a typo which also appears in the book. The correct page is 248. This devotional isn’t without its minor flaws and Barrick’s review highlights some of these. My only frustration is that Motyer’s amillennial Covenant Theology filter misses the message of Jacob-Israel’s election and future redemption, a clear thread which runs throughout the Psalms. Sadly, CT commentaries of the Psalms spiritualize Israel’s eschatology. This is a pity as the book could have been so much better.

Despite this misgiving, Dr William Barrick enthusiastically recommends Psalms By The Day. He writes:

Few volumes have received as enthusiastic a recommendation as this reviewer awards Psalms by the Day. Dear readers, obtain it. Read it—slowly. Be satiated by the Scriptures’ truth. Put those truths to work in your life (James 1:22). Do not miss out on experiencing first hand the joys of this volume. Motyer provides us with a devotional that transcends what the church has been far too accustomed to adopt.

I agree with Barrick. This is a valuable devotional.

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