Jerome F. D. Creach is the Robert C. Holland Professor of Old Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He earned hisPhD in biblical studies at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia (now Union Presbyterian Seminary). The primary focus of Creach’s work is the theological interpretation of the Bible, with the Psalms as a primary area of interest. Creach is a Minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He has served churches in Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. A North Carolina native, he lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, Page, who is also a minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA).
What is your hope for how Reading Psalms might impact readers?
My hope is that it will be a guide to readers on a number of levels. First, when a reader approaches a psalm, there are many basic questions the reader may ask about its content and meaning, such as: what is all that information in the heading (if there is a heading); what are the circumstances in which the psalmist wrote or spoke these words; who was the psalmist, David or someone else; how did the psalmist see the world and how did she or he think about God? I hope the commentary will at least give initial answers to questions like these and provide a basic orientation to the worldview and the theology the psalm expresses. Second, I hope Reading Psalms gives a sense of how to read an individual psalm as Scripture. What does it say about God and about our relationship with God, and how does it speak in concert with other parts of the Bible, including with other psalms, on those matters? Finally, I hope the book will speak to the reader on a deeper and more personal level to offer direction as to how to pray, worship God, and grow in faith with the Psalms as a guide.
Where did your interest in the book of Psalms begin? How has such an interest continued to develop?
I suppose I’ve always been interested in the Psalms. I remember reading them and hearing them as a child. One of my earliest memories of learning Scripture is sitting on my grandmother’s knee while she recited Bible verses and asked me to repeat them. The one specific one I remember, and I still remember it in the King James Version that she recited, was “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee” (Psalm 56:3[4]).
My interest in studying the Psalms in a more serious way, however, really started in seminary when I took a Hebrew exegesis course on the Psalms with Marvin Tate (author of the commentary on Psalms 51-100 in the Word Biblical Commentary series). In addition to reading a number of psalms in Hebrew, Marvin had us read Robert Alter’s book, The Art of Biblical Poetry (New York: Basic Books, 1985). I was fascinated by the rich variety of parallel structures we encounter in the Psalms and particularly with how the Psalms communicate their truths in language that is repetitive, but not repetitious, and with evocative images that often defy logical analysis.
In that same seminar, I also discovered what at that time was a new movement in the study of the Psalter, the effort to discern the order and shape of the book. This became my primary question, and I started my PhD with it at the forefront of my study. I wrote my dissertation to address this question. It resulted in my first book, Yahweh as Refuge and the Editing of the Hebrew Psalter (JSOTSup 217; Sheffield, 1996).
What are some of the common misconceptions about theological commentaries?
I find that many beginning students don’t really knowwhat a commentary is in general. They have some notion that a commentary explains somewhat systematically the language of the passage, but they don’t realize that there are many approaches to writing a commentary. So, it’s necessary to introduce categories like “academic” and “theological” to give some basic categories. Perhaps the most common misconception is about the limits of a commentary. No commentary, no matter how expansive, can do everything. So, it’s important to know what your purpose is. My purpose in writing Reading Psalms (as the Reading the Old Testament series calls for, and my editor, Mark Biddle reminded me) was to provide readers with ability to read a psalm and the Psalter as part of Scripture. That meant that historical issues sometimes had to take a back seat to issues of how a psalm relates to the New Testament or how it communicates key theological concerns.
In Reading Psalms, you share about the human element found in both the compilation of the book, but also in the content of each Psalm. Why do you think this element in Psalms so captivating and unique in the Bible?
The Psalms are unique in this regard. It is such a human book. Individual psalms reveal the struggles of people who are sick and dying, or who are in some other kind of trouble, sometimes of their own making (e.g. Psalm 51). This is why the Psalms have always inspired our prayers. I these same psalms, however, the person who speaks often voices the concerns and troubles of the community or nation. The book as a whole also has this dual emphasis. It calls individuals to faith and points them to ways they should pray and trust in God (see Psalm 1 for example). The book also, however, grows out of the devastating events of the Babylonian captivity (587 BCE) and so declares that “the Lord reigns” despite what might seem evidence to the contrary. I think the Psalter is unique in that it does all of this at once.
As you wrote Reading Psalms, was there a specific verse or moment that kept coming back to you? If so, what is it?
Oh, that’s so hard to answer! I think, for example, about Psalm 139, which so beautifully declares confidence in God’s caring presence and God’s sovereign guidance. As soon as I start to identify that psalm as my favorite or as the key, however, then another one comes to mind. Perhaps my key, if I were forced to identify one, is Psalm 8. That psalm at once declares God’s majesty and praises the Lord while also lifting up humankind for its unique role as God’s agents on earth. What I find fascinating is that this psalm presents humans as having this special status (though within the overarching sovereignty of God) in the midst of psalms before it (Psalms 3-7) and after it (Psalms 9-14) that lament the many troubles humans face. We are in fact both pitiful, sinful creatures who must call on God for help and magnificent creatures whom God has endowed with power and responsibility to make the world a place of “good,” a place of righteousness and justice and shalom.
After centuries of study and attention, are there new ways in which to introduce the Psalms to a contemporary audience or rather, beginners of theological study?
I’m convinced that we will never run out of new ways to introduce the Psalms to contemporary audiences. If we are speaking with people seeking comfort, then we can show them how the Psalms assure us of God’s presence and healing power (e.g. Psalm 34). If we are speaking with people whose community has been devastated – by natural disaster, disease, or whatever – we can remind them of those forebears in faith who faced similar tragedies and found ways to declare that “the Lord reigns” (Psalms 93-100).
Also, if we are speaking to skeptics who wonder if the God of the Bible is one who is relevant to the problems of today’s world, we might simply read to them Psalm 82. That psalm declares that the very definition of divinity is to work for justice for the poor and oppressed. It portrays the Lord of the Psalms as being solely devoted to that, and those who are not find themselves the target of divine wrath.
The Psalms are a book for all times and places and circumstances. They are always relevant. We just have to have the insight and imagination to show how to let them speak.
Outside of your ministry and profession, how do you enjoy spending time?
I enjoy weightlifting, fishing, hiking, and camping. My wife is a Presbyterian minister and she works hard at her own study of scripture and theology, so we work alongside each other quite a bit. When not working, however, we spend time together. I’m still trying to convince her about the blessings of camping, but my time with her is the biggest blessing.