THE PSALMS IN THE JEWISH CHURCH - The Psalms in
the Jewish Church. By W. E. Oesterley, D.D. (Rivingtons. 3s. 6d. net.)-The contents of Dr. Oesterley's volume are of varied interest. Chaps. 1-3 deal with the musical aspect of the subject. Then comes a discussion of the "Ante- cedents of the Psalms." Among these were early poems of which fragments are found in the Old Testament, as "Lord, when Thou
wentest out of Seir," or "Curse ye, Maros," or "Spring up, 0 well." This is followed by what will be the most interesting portion of the book to many readers. Probably most of those who use the Psalms, reckoning uneducated and educated together, believe that David wrote all the Psalms,-the writer of this notice grievously shocked a clergyman's wife by suggesting a doubt. If pressed on such a Psalm as "By the Waters of Babylon," they would account for it as a prophecy. Of course no such line is taken here. Dr. Oesterley thinks that a "considerable pro- portion" of the Psalms are pre-Exilic. He reserves, however, the question of form. Changes of this kind can be traced without much difficulty. The metrical systems of the Psalms are dealt with, and we have also some particulars of their use in Temple worship, as well as in that of the modern synagogue. Some details of Rabbinical interpretation are given.
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