This commentary set on the Psalms is four volumes by Christopher Ash. The first volume is an introduction to Christ in the Psalms. The second volume is Psalms 1-50. The third volume is Psalms 51-100. And the fourth volume is Psalms 101-150. This series intrigued me from the start. I was interested in how an author would write a commentary on the Psalms with a clear focus on Jesus. I have a lot of commentaries, and a number of them cover the Psalms. But none of my commentaries has a clearly stated purpose to be intensely Christ-Centered in its approach.

For example, Ash says, “I have become persuaded that Jesus Christ is the subject and object of the Psalms, that his majestic divine-human person is woven into the warp and woof of the Psalter, and that he is the preeminent singer of psalms, the focus of the Psalter, and the one whom the Psalms cannot be understood aright.”

As I have flipped through the pages of this commentary, I have been refreshed by Christopher Ash’s organization, clarity, concise comments, and of course, dedication to being centered on Christ. Each Psalm is organized around three sub-headings: orientation, the text, and reflection and response. In the orientation section, Ash provides commentary on how the Psalm should be viewed in light of Christ. It also explains important background details. The text section gives the reader a clear structure of the Psalm, a verse-by-verse commentary, and an explanation of key words and phrases. And finally, in the reflection and response section, Ash provides applications about how Christians might respond to the truths of the Psalm in light of Christ and the full story of the Bible.

Ash explains that this is not a technical or scholarly commentary. But it is, “the Psalms read with the breadth of a whole-bible perspective allied with the depth of a clear focus on Christ, the center of history and the fulcrum of the Bible story.” This commitment to Christ clearly stands out as I have read this commentary. I appreciate Ash’s keen insights into how each Psalm is about Jesus and how Jesus would be the ultimate singer of each Psalm. I learn from Ash in this respect every time I open this book. The cross-references are extremely helpful, and the whole-bible themes are very enlightening. I also like the layout of bold words of the text with comments surrounding them. It is also an easy commentary to follow; the structure of each Psalm is very clear.

I highly recommend this commentary because of its unique focus on Christ. There are many excellent commentaries on the Psalms available, but this one stands out if you want a clear and concise explanation of the text with a strong emphasis on Christ as the center of each Psalm. Excellent! I will be using this commentary for many years.