Psalm 108

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This article is about Psalm 108 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 108 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 109.
Psalm 108
"O give thanks unto the LORD"
Psalm 108 in the Harley Psalter (1000-1050)
Other name
  • Psalm 107
  • "Paratum cor meum Deus"
LanguageHebrew (original)
Psalm 108
BookBook of Psalms
Hebrew Bible partKetuvim
Order in the Hebrew part1
CategorySifrei Emet
Christian Bible partOld Testament
Order in the Christian part19

Psalm 108 is the 108th psalm in the Book of Psalms. It is a hymn psalm, beginning in English in the King James Version: "O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and in the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 107.In Latin, it is known as "Paratum cor meum Deus".[1] It is attributed to David.

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music.

Text[edit]

Hebrew[edit]

The following table shows the Hebrew text[2][3] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse Hebrew English translation (JPS 1917)
1 שִׁ֖יר מִזְמ֣וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃‎ A Song, a Psalm of David.
2 נָכ֣וֹן לִבִּ֣י אֱלֹהִ֑ים אָשִׁ֥ירָה וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה אַף־כְּבוֹדִֽי׃‎ My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises, even with my glory.
3 ע֭וּרָֽה הַנֵּ֥בֶל וְכִנּ֗וֹר אָעִ֥ירָה שָּֽׁחַר׃‎ Awake, psaltery and harp; I will awake the dawn.
4 אוֹדְךָ֖ בָעַמִּ֥ים ׀ יְהֹוָ֑ה וַ֝אֲזַמֶּרְךָ֗ בַּלְאֻמִּֽים׃‎ I will give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, among the peoples; And I will sing praises unto Thee among the nations.
5 כִּי־גָד֣וֹל מֵעַל־שָׁמַ֣יִם חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וְֽעַד־שְׁחָקִ֥ים אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃‎ For Thy mercy is great above the heavens, And Thy truth reacheth unto the skies.
6 ר֣וּמָה עַל־שָׁמַ֣יִם אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְעַ֖ל כׇּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃‎ Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; And Thy glory be above all the earth.
7 לְ֭מַעַן יֵחָלְצ֣וּן יְדִידֶ֑יךָ הוֹשִׁ֖יעָה יְמִֽינְךָ֣ וַעֲנֵֽנִי׃‎ That Thy beloved may be delivered, Save with Thy right hand, and answer me.
8 אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ דִּבֶּ֥ר בְּקׇדְשׁ֗וֹ אֶ֫עְלֹ֥זָה אֲחַלְּקָ֥ה שְׁכֶ֑ם וְעֵ֖מֶק סֻכּ֣וֹת אֲמַדֵּֽד׃‎ God spoke in His holiness, that I would exult; That I would divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
9 לִ֤י גִלְעָ֨ד ׀ לִ֤י מְנַשֶּׁ֗ה וְ֭אֶפְרַיִם מָע֣וֹז רֹאשִׁ֑י יְ֝הוּדָ֗ה מְחֹקְקִֽי׃‎ Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the defence of my head; Judah is my sceptre.
10 מוֹאָ֤ב ׀ סִ֬יר רַחְצִ֗י עַל־אֱ֭דוֹם אַשְׁלִ֣יךְ נַעֲלִ֑י עֲלֵי־פְ֝לֶ֗שֶׁת אֶתְרוֹעָֽע׃‎ Moab is my washpot; Upon Edom do I cast my shoe; Over Philistia do I cry aloud.
11 מִ֣י יֹ֭בִלֵנִי עִ֣יר מִבְצָ֑ר מִ֖י נָחַ֣נִי עַד־אֱדֽוֹם׃‎ Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will lead me unto Edom?
12 הֲלֹֽא־אֱלֹהִ֥ים זְנַחְתָּ֑נוּ וְֽלֹא־תֵצֵ֥א אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים בְּצִבְאֹתֵֽינוּ׃‎ Hast not Thou cast us off, O God? And Thou goest not forth, O God, with our hosts?
13 הָבָה־לָּ֣נוּ עֶזְרָ֣ת מִצָּ֑ר וְ֝שָׁ֗וְא תְּשׁוּעַ֥ת אָדָֽם׃‎ Give us help against the adversary; For vain is the help of man
14 בֵּאלֹהִ֥ים נַעֲשֶׂה־חָ֑יִל וְ֝ה֗וּא יָב֥וּס צָרֵֽינוּ׃‎ Through God we shall do valiantly; For He it is that will tread down our adversaries.

King James Version[edit]

  1. O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
  2. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
  3. I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.
  4. For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.
  5. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;
  6. That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.
  7. God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
  8. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
  9. Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.
  10. Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
  11. Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?
  12. Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
  13. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

Structure and themes[edit]

Psalm 108 contains numerous verses which appear in other psalms. Verses 1–5 are similar to Psalm 57:7–11, with slight variation, while verses 7–13 are similar to Psalm 60:5–12. William Barrick considers this psalm to be the "borrower".[4][5] John Paul II said that the fusion of Psalms 57 and 60 with Psalm 108 shows that "Israel, already in the Old Testament, was re-using and bringing up-to-date the Word of God revealed".[6]

Charles Spurgeon called Psalm 108 "The Warrior's Morning Song, with which he adores his God and strengthens his heart before entering upon the conflicts of the day". He notes that in Psalm 57, verses 7-11 follow on from prayer "and grow out of it", whereas here they initiate the psalm: "the psalmist begins at once to sing and give praise, and afterwards prays to God in a remarkably confident manner".[7]

Matthew Henry calls it "an assurance of God's answer and salvation".[8]

Verse 2[edit]

Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.[9]

The Midrash teaches that this verse (verse 3 in Hebrew numbering) refers to David's practice of arising each night before dawn and praising God with psaltery and harp, thus "awakening the dawn".[10]

Uses[edit]

Judaism[edit]

  • Verse 5 is recited during Selichot.[11]
  • Verse 7 is part of the Elokai Netzor paragraph at the end of the Amidah. This verse is identical to verse 7 in Psalm 60.[11]

Catholic Church[edit]

This is one of the psalms for which St. Benedict of Nursia did not specify the use, in the Rule of St. Benedict of 530AD. However, Psalm 108 was traditionally performed by his order for matins of Saturday,[12] or according to another document of the founder or according to one of his successors, so that all 150 psalms are executed each Week.[13]

In the Liturgy of Hours, Psalm 108 is read to the Office of Lauds of Wednesday of the fourth week.[14]

Protestant[edit]

Psalm 108 has been set to music in the Anglican "Hymnal 1982", The United Methodist Hymnal, Psalter Hymnal (Gray) and the Baptist Hymnal (1991 version).

Book of Common Prayer[edit]

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the twenty-second day of the month,[15] as well as at Evensong on Ascension Day.[16]

Musical setting[edit]

Heinrich Schütz composed a four-part setting to a metric German text, "Mit rechtem Ernst und fröhlichm Mut", SVW 206, for the 1628 Becker Psalter. Marc-Antoine Charpentier set it around 1680 in Latin, Paratum cor meum Deus, H.183, for three voices and continuo.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 107 (108 Archived 2017-05-07 at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
  2. ^ "Psalms – Chapter 108". Mechon Mamre.
  3. ^ "Psalms 108 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org.
  4. ^ James Luther Mays, Psalms (Westminster John Knox Press, 2011 ) p347.
  5. ^ William Barrick, Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs: The Master Musician melodies (2007).
  6. ^ "General Audience of John Paul II". Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 28 May 2003. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  7. ^ Spurgeon, C. H., Treasury of David: Psalm 108, accessed 12 May 2022
  8. ^ Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
  9. ^ Psalm 108:2: New King James Version
  10. ^ "Midrash Tehillim / Psalms 108" (PDF). matsati.com. October 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2018. (password: www.matsati.com)
  11. ^ a b Brauner, Reuven (2013). "Shimush Pesukim: Comprehensive Index to Liturgical and Ceremonial Uses of Biblical Verses and Passages" (PDF) (2nd ed.). p. 46. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  12. ^ Psautier latin-français du bréviaire monastique, p.408.
  13. ^ C'est la raison pour laquelle la distribution aurait été fixée par lui. (chapitre XI, traduction par Prosper Guéranger,(Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes, réimpression 2007) p39.
  14. ^ The main cycle of liturgical prayers takes place over four weeks.
  15. ^ Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, p. 281
  16. ^ "The Book of Common Prayer: Proper Psalms On Certain Days" (PDF). The Church of England. p. 6. Retrieved 19 April 2023.

External links[edit]

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