Calvin on Psalms: Reading His Hermeneutic from the Preface to His Commentary

Abstract

Calvin loved and lived the psalms. A lifetime of reflection and praying them stands behind his commentary on the Psalter. The Preface to the commentary, in which Calvin tells much of his own story, is revealing of his hermeneutic when dealing with the psalms. Parallels between his own life and that of David as psalmist functions as a major key for interpretation. This article explores Calvin's hermeneutic when dealing with the psalms and notes ways in which it correlates with principles of composition of the Psalter itself.