Explanation of the Psalms (review)

This volume is the first of a long desiderated, 3-volume translation of Cassiodorus' prolix commentary. It contains his comments on Psalms 1-50 [Psalms 1-51]. The other two volumes have already appeared. In volume 1 Walsh gives an intelligent and serviceable introduction to the work. He places Cassiodorus in his proper perspective and recounts the development of the commentary. Throughout the work his notes are informative and pertinent. His appendices on the variant readings of the Psalms and the rhetorical elements introduced by Cassiodorus are valuable. The edition, based on the text edited by Adriaen in the Corpus Christianorum collection, is well done.

Cassiodorus' approach to the psalms will not, I fear, sit well with the devotees of the historico-and form-critical approaches which are prevalent today. For this reason, however, it is very refreshing. It also gives us something which many scholars claim is sorely lacking today: a concrete instance of how the Fathers of the Church both viewed and used Scripture: an insight, therefore, into Scripture as the living word, applied to our daily world. One can overlook the bad etymologies (Walsh is careful to indicate these) and (perhaps) enjoy seeing the psalms treated as literature, rhetoric, and spiritual nourishment. In a word there is little or no modern Scriptural scholarship in this work.

Cassiodorus in his preface comments on Augustine's "abundance of words" in his commentary on the psalms. Much the same can be said for our author too. As a daily reader of Latin I must confess that I found Cassiodorus' Latin easier to cope with than Walsh's English. I am confident that it is a question of style and taste. I find the English too chopped and sometimes unnuanced. I am not saying that the translation is bad. I am discussing style.

Spot-checking reveals some problems which may be addressed in a second edition. On p. 24 (seven lines from bottom) the text would better read, I think, as "In short, they (scil., the psalms) happily espousing divine praises, etc." On page 38 the neologism "grammaticians" escapes me. Cassiodorus is discussing grammarians and rhetoricians. On p. 71, paragraph 7, I fear a word was missed in the Latin text. It reads: "Non timebo, non significat se non esse moriturum, sed mortem formidare non poterat, quam triduanam et mundo profuturam esse praesciebat." Walsh translates "The words, I will not fear, do not connote that He will die. He could not fear death, because he foreknew that it would last for only three days, and that it would be of service to the world." The first sentence should read: "The words, I will not fear, do not signify that He would not die." On p. 530, note 3 Walsh is, of course, too definitive: the question of the dating of Job is quite complex.

This volume is a good edition and my few observations do not call into question the scholarship and intelligence manifested in this work. Translating is a painstaking and relatively thankless job. Walsh has done his work well. My limited comments are made in the hope that they will help better a good job.