---
product_id: 3512741
title: "The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary"
price: "¥6935"
currency: JPY
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 10
url: https://www.desertcart.jp/products/3512741-the-book-of-psalms-a-translation-with-commentary
store_origin: JP
region: Japan
---

# The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary

**Price:** ¥6935
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary
- **How much does it cost?** ¥6935 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.jp](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/3512741-the-book-of-psalms-a-translation-with-commentary)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary [Alter, Robert] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary

Review: A beautiful, lyric translation - This translation of the 150 psalms, from biblical Hebrew to English, is masterful, beautiful and lyric. All Christians should read, sing and pray these psalms, as they make the true import of the meaning and feeling of the text more accessible to all, haunted by the rhythms of the original. A work of love by a literary scholar, who was determined to accurately and faithfully translate the text, verse by verse. Beautifully done.
Review: A Most Excellent Study Reference for the Scriptural Psalms - It is unclear if Mr. Alter is a believer in Jehovah, so if your purchase is in order to get a better understanding of the Psalms to get closer to God realize that it may only be through his excellence in interpreting the meaning of the Ancient Hebrew words and sentences (if you are using this book alone), rather than with his spiritual insight. Also, while reading this work, as with any man-written document, discern against the potential of opinion overshadowing scholarly interpretation here. In other words, as (if we are) Jehovah believers (and hopefully, Christ-followers), Godly wisdom will only come to us through prayer along with Jehovah's Word (a good version of the Holy Bible), as illuminated by His Holy Spirit within us. But that’s OK considering God uses many persons, Godly or even secular, to keep our feet on the path of righteousness. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a better understanding of the Psalms from a scholarly perspective, with the above caveat. As with any written word outside of God’s Word, this book is for the discerning Jehovah believer, to be cautiously used as a reference source only; vetted, with prayer, against Jehovah’s Word, alone. Mr. Alter seems an extremely smart and scholarly individual and, as such, I assume has surely come across knowledge of how to acquire God’s salvation, as offered to us all in His Word. I pray he has already made a humble, honest, personal decision for Christ and assured his eternal place with God in heaven.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #74,518 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #31 in Old Testament Criticism & Interpretation #65 in Old Testament Commentaries #161 in Old Testament Bible Study (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (479) |
| Dimensions  | 5.6 x 1 x 8.3 inches |
| Edition  | First Edition |
| ISBN-10  | 0393337049 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0393337044 |
| Item Weight  | 1.1 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 560 pages |
| Publication date  | October 19, 2009 |
| Publisher  | W. W. Norton & Company |

## Images

![The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71vRzEz-22L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A beautiful, lyric translation
*by T***D on June 12, 2025*

This translation of the 150 psalms, from biblical Hebrew to English, is masterful, beautiful and lyric. All Christians should read, sing and pray these psalms, as they make the true import of the meaning and feeling of the text more accessible to all, haunted by the rhythms of the original. A work of love by a literary scholar, who was determined to accurately and faithfully translate the text, verse by verse. Beautifully done.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Most Excellent Study Reference for the Scriptural Psalms
*by M***D on January 18, 2025*

It is unclear if Mr. Alter is a believer in Jehovah, so if your purchase is in order to get a better understanding of the Psalms to get closer to God realize that it may only be through his excellence in interpreting the meaning of the Ancient Hebrew words and sentences (if you are using this book alone), rather than with his spiritual insight. Also, while reading this work, as with any man-written document, discern against the potential of opinion overshadowing scholarly interpretation here. In other words, as (if we are) Jehovah believers (and hopefully, Christ-followers), Godly wisdom will only come to us through prayer along with Jehovah's Word (a good version of the Holy Bible), as illuminated by His Holy Spirit within us. But that’s OK considering God uses many persons, Godly or even secular, to keep our feet on the path of righteousness. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a better understanding of the Psalms from a scholarly perspective, with the above caveat. As with any written word outside of God’s Word, this book is for the discerning Jehovah believer, to be cautiously used as a reference source only; vetted, with prayer, against Jehovah’s Word, alone. Mr. Alter seems an extremely smart and scholarly individual and, as such, I assume has surely come across knowledge of how to acquire God’s salvation, as offered to us all in His Word. I pray he has already made a humble, honest, personal decision for Christ and assured his eternal place with God in heaven.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Some Reviewers Don't Get
*by H***N on March 26, 2014*

As with all of Alters translations and exegesis his translations are exceptional, as is his commentary. I have an entire shelf of Alter's work. That said, Alter is not where I go to uplifted spirituality. One reviewer claimed that the translations were done from the head and not the heart. So what? There other places to go where the translations are more spiritual. One person complained that they were too Jewish, she was looking for a Christian translation, obviously she buys before she thinks. So the kindle edition was poorly formatted; you are not here reviewing the quality of e-books, you are here reviewing the book, not the delivery system. Some people gave Kindle one star and the book five stars. A friend is Lubavitcher and a rabbi; his comment was interesting, excellent translation, but Alter denies that David wrote all the psalms so my friend lost interest. I get that, Fundamentalism shows up in all religions. With that same friend i pointed out that Alter translates translates a word in Hebrew in Psalm 23 differently than is the usual usage. He did not; according to Alter the word in the 23rd Psalm does not mean anointed , as in He anointed my head with oil. First Alter points out that the word used used in Samuel when Samuel anoints first Saul and then David is a different word and that the word in the 23rd Psalm means something along the lines of luxurious rubbed olive oil into my hair. It is after all a Psalm of abundance. Because I can read and understand a lot of the Hebrew I must say to the person who complained that Alter compressed the English in order to make it more like the Hebrew. It is a book of examination, not a get closer to your G-d book. In Alters translation while some of the poetry is lost, the cadence is much closer to the Hebrew. Yea though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death in Hebrew is only two words, lech tsalmovit. In poetry cadence counts. Alter has also written two books on understanding the bible, one is about understanding narrative and the other is about uderstanding the poetry.

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary
- The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes: A Translation with Commentary
- The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.jp/products/3512741-the-book-of-psalms-a-translation-with-commentary](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/3512741-the-book-of-psalms-a-translation-with-commentary)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Japan*
*Store origin: JP*
*Last updated: 2026-02-22*