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The first four verses of Psalm 137 talk of an individual praising God.
In verses 5 to 7, the focus becomes more universal, with the psalmist foreseeing the spread of the worship of God across the whole world. They have a particularly Advent flavour, with their allusion to the kings of the earth coming to worship the true God, as the three kings of the East symbolised at Christ's birth. And to keep the reference to the kings of the earth in perspective, the psalm reminds us that God is close to the humble, but far from the proud and mighty, a sentiment echoed in the Magnificat:
5 Confiteántur tibi, Dómine, omnes reges terræ: * quia audiérunt ómnia verba oris tui.
May all the kings of the earth give glory to you: for they have heard all the words of your mouth.
6. Et cantent in viis Dómini: * quóniam magna est glória Dómini.
And let them sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.
7. Quóniam excélsus Dóminus, et humília réspicit: * et alta a longe cognóscit.
For the Lord is high, and looks on the low: and the high he knows afar off.
The Latin
The first phrase of verse 5 echoes the opening verse of the psalm, but now with the verb in the third person rather than the first person singular:
Confiteántur tibi, Dómine = let them/may they [the kings of the earth] give thanks to you/glory to you O Lord
confiteor, fessus sum, eri 2 to praise, give thanks; to confess, acknowledge one's guilt.
omnes reges terræ = all the kings of the earth
rex, regis, m. a king, ruler, lawgiver
terra, ae, f. the earth
quia audiérunt =for they have heard
audio, ivi or ii, itum, ire to hear; to hear gladly; sound forth, utter, announce; hear favorably, to grant,
ómnia verba oris tui. = all the words of your mouth
verbum, i, n.,word, command, edict, also a promise; saying, speech; Law, the Eternal Son.
os, oris, n., the mouth.
Et cantent in viis Dómini: = and let them/may they sing (subj) [in/of] the ways of the Lord
canto, avi, atum, are to sing, to praise in song
via, ae, a way, road, path, street. God's way, God's policy, way of life
quóniam magna est glória Dómini = for great is the glory of the Lord
magnus, a, um, great, mighty; elders
gloria, ae, f glory, honor, majesty
These verses should, I think, remind us that our duty is not just to worship God ourselves, though that clearly comes first, but also to spread his message to all, and to be joined to all in his worship. But there is a catch to this injunction, namely the importance of preserving humility. Here is the verse echoed in the Magnificat (Luke 1:52):
Quóniam excélsus Dóminus = for the Lord [is] high/exalted
excelsus, a, um high, august, sublime, towering aloft
et humília réspicit = yet he takes thought for the humble
humilia, the lowly, God's people and their affairs.
respicio, spexi, spectum, ere 3 to look upon, behold, consider; take thought for, heed, have regard to;
et alta a longe cognóscit = but the proud he knows from afar
altus, deep (=deceitful), high (=proud)
longe, adv. far off, at a distance; as a substantive with a and de, afar off, from afar.
cognosco, gnovi, gnitum, ere 3, to know, see, learn, perceive, be come acquainted with.
He exalts the humble
Pope Benedict XVI has commented on this psalm that:
“Thus, one discovers that God is certainly "exalted" and transcendent, but he looks on the "lowly" with affection while he turns his face away from the proud as a sign of rejection and judgment (cf. v. 6). As Isaiah proclaimed: "For thus says he who is high and exalted, living eternally, whose name is the Holy One: On high I dwell, and in holiness, and with the crushed and dejected in spirit, to revive the spirits of the dejected, to revive the hearts of the crushed" (Is 57: 15). God therefore chooses to take the side of the weak, victims, the lowliest: this is made known to all kings so that they will know what their option should be in the governing of nations. Naturally, this is not only said to kings and to all governments but also to all of us, because we too must know what choice to make, what the option is: to side with the humble and the lowliest, with the poor and the weak.”
Psalm 137
1. Confitébor tibi, Dómine, in toto corde meo: * quóniam audísti verba oris mei.
I will praise you, O Lord, with my whole heart: for you have heard the words of my mouth.
2. In conspéctu Angelórum psallam tibi: * adorábo ad templum sanctum tuum, et confitébor nómini tuo.
I will sing praise to you in the sight of the angels: I will worship towards your holy temple, and I will give glory to your name.
3. Super misericórdia tua, et veritáte tua: * quóniam magnificásti super omne, nomen sanctum tuum.
For your mercy, and for your truth: for you have magnified your holy name above all.
4. In quacúmque die invocávero te, exáudi me: * multiplicábis in ánima mea virtútem.
In what day soever I shall call upon you, hear me: you shall multiply strength in my soul.
5 Confiteántur tibi, Dómine, omnes reges terræ: * quia audiérunt ómnia verba oris tui.
May all the kings of the earth give glory to you: for they have heard all the words of your mouth.
6. Et cantent in viis Dómini: * quóniam magna est glória Dómini.
And let them sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.
7. Quóniam excélsus Dóminus, et humília réspicit: * et alta a longe cognóscit.
For the Lord is high, and looks on the low: and the high he knows afar off.
Si ambulávero in médio tribulatiónis, vivificábis me: * et super iram inimicórum meórum extendísti manum tuam, et salvum me fecit déxtera tua.
Dóminus retríbuet pro me: * Dómine, misericórdia tua in sæculum: ópera mánuum tuárum ne despícias.
The next part of this series of notes on Psalm 137 can be found here.
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