THE COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS

Calvin's commentary on the Psalms (In librum Psalmorum commentarius) came off the press of Robert Estienne at Geneva in 1557. In the preface Calvin explains the circumstances that moved him to write this commentary. When he began giving lectures on the Psalms in 1552 he had not intended to follow his usual procedure by writing yet another commentary on the Psalms. Nonetheless, some of his friends had urged him to undertake this task, but he said he did not think this was necessary. There were already outstanding commentaries from the pens of both Bucer and Musculus. But when his friends renewed their appeals to him to publish the content of these lectures, he conceded that he might consider writing something on the Psalms in French. Nevertheless, he began by way of experiment with the exposition of a single Psalm in Latin. When his friends saw this, they continued to press him to publish a complete commentary on the Psalms. Calvin finally gave in, partly because he was worried that someone might publish an unauthorized version of the lectures. A French translation of his commentary appeared in 1558, and a new, improved, and expanded version came out in 1561.

The Psalms commentary was not the first commentary that Calvin had written. In 1540 his commentary on the epistle to the Romans had come off the press. Various other commentaries on the New Testament followed. His commentary on Isaiah was his first on an Old Testament book.