New Books in Biblical Studies Eric McDonnell, "The Formation of Psalms 1–3 and the Arrangement of the Hebrew Psalter" (Mohr Siebeck, 2026)
May 3, 2026
Eric McDonnell, adjunct professor and Psalter specialist, discusses his book on Psalms 1–3 and the Hebrew Psalter. He explores Psalm 3 as an original starting point. He explains Psalm 2 as a framing paratext about kingship and enemies. He shows Psalm 1 reframing that kingship toward Torah for all.
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Childhood Bible Stories Shaped Scholarly Path
- Eric McDonnell recounts growing up with Bible stories from his Sunday school teacher parents that shaped his literary imagination.
- He links that childhood exposure to his later studies in English literature and eventual doctoral work on the Psalter at Emory University.
Paratexts Shape How We Read the Psalter
- Paratexts frame how readers approach a text and can change interpretation without altering the main text itself.
- McDonnell uses modern prefaces and book covers as models to show how superscriptions and headings in the Psalms function similarly as framing devices.
Psalms 1 and 2 Act As A Hermeneutic Hinge
- Psalms 1 and 2 have long been treated as a prologue to the Psalter, raising the question whether they are paratexts or part of the main body.
- McDonnell frames this as an interpretive hinge: adding or removing them produces a different 'book'.
