The ESV Psalter

This past weekend I was surprised to see a package from Amazon outside our front door. I opened it and was delighted to see a gift from one of my closest friends: a small volume titled simply The Psalms, published by Crossway in Wheaton, Illinois, USA, and containing the English Standard Version of the biblical Psalter. Its cover is cloth over board. The pages are thicker than the india paper typically used in volumes of the full Bible, and the font is larger too, making for easy reading, especially for older people. It comes in a board case, as seen in the photographs below:

As you can see, the layout is quite nice, making it easy to read. It looks to be sturdily bound and has an attractive cover. From what I've read, ESV Bibles have not always had the best-quality binding, but they seem to have improved in recent years. One drawback to this volume is that it does not easily lie flat during reading, which should be a hard-and-fast rule for all liturgical books. Also, unlike the Concordia Psalter, which I reviewed in 2017, it contains no schedule for praying through the Psalms or chant tones for singing them. There is a brief introduction to the ESV translation at the beginning, but this is the only ancillary material in the book.

Here is the publisher's presentation of this volume from its YouTube channel:

As I was using this volume for daily prayers this week, I noticed something peculiar about the translation. The ESV used here is slightly different from the ESV in the Concordia, from which I usually read. All contemporary bible translations are subject to revision, to reflect new knowledge of manuscript evidence or changes in the English language. But one change struck me as particularly odd. Here is Psalm 119:105-108 from Concordia:

Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path. 
I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
    to keep your righteous decrees.
I am severely afflicted;
    give me life, O LORD, according to your word!
Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD,
    and teach me your just decrees.

Here is the same passage from The Psalms:

Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path. 
I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
    to keep your righteous rules.
I am severely afflicted;
    give me life, O LORD, according to your word!
Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD,
    and teach me your rules.

Here is the Hebrew of this passage from an online interlinear Old Testament, along with an English translation:

The Hebrew words are usually rendered righteous judgements. Rulings would thus seem better than rules. Why the translation committee decided to make this change is not clear, given the way it has been translated elsewhere. I personally find it a bit jarring, as the English word rules lacks the gravitas of judgements or decrees. Of course not everyone will agree.

Despite these drawbacks, I like this volume and the high quality Crossway has put into it.