As a missionary, I came across a number of bible versions published by other churches. Because I was on the move all the time, small ones appealed highly. Many of the smaller ones tended to be abridgements, which tended to omit books to reduce size.
These often were “Psalms + New Testament” bibles.
🤨🧐🤔
I just started Psalms in my re-read of the Old Testament. It’s a nice book, but it’s also like just having a hymnal written by a guy trying to get back in God’s good grace.
Useful to many for sure. But not doctrinally revealing.
I guess for what it’s worth, most of Judges and Chronicles is as unhelpful.
If you’re going to abridge the OT, you could pick more inspirational fare. Like Genesis. Not only do you get Creation and Fall (deep doctrinal subjects), you get Noah, a brief mention of Enoch, and 20+ chapters about Abraham and God’s covenant with his descendants (of which you are one).
Why choose a book written by a guy who lost his conversion and committed the two most grievous sins possible without record of absolution or reconciliation?
Why not choose something deep and meaningful, with years of learning involved?
Audience familiarity. Audience comprehension.
Psalms is straightforward. Psalms reads easy. Psalms is milk.
Milk is good fare.
I like meat.