Psalm 148 veres 5-6

Verses 5 and 6 of Psalm 148 invite us to praise God as the creator of all:

5	V	Quia ipse dixit, et facta sunt: * ipse mandávit, et creáta sunt.
	NV	quia ipse mandavit, et creata sunt;
	JH	quoniam ipse mandauit, et creata sunt.
		ὅτι αὐτὸς εἶπεν καὶ ἐγενήθησαν αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατο καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν

Quia (for) ipse (he himself) dixit (he said), et (and) facta sunt (they were made): ipse (he himself) mandávit (he commanded), et (and) creáta sunt (they were created).

 The Neo-Vulgate follows the Hebrew Masoretic Text in omitting ipse dixit et facta sunt (a phrase that can also be found in Psalm 32:9).

dico, dixi, dictum, ere 3,  to say, speak;  to sing;  in the sense of to think, plan, desire; to praise.

facio, feci, factum, ere 3,  to make, do, cause, bring to pass

creo are avi atum  to create, bring into being

mando, avi, atum, are to enjoin, order

DR	For he spoke, and they were made: he commanded, and they were created.
Brenton	for he spoke, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created.
RSV	For he commanded and they were created.
Cover	for he spoke the word, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created.

The Fathers invariably point point to the importance of the Second Person of God in relation to the work of creation, as St Augustine explains:

"...he goes on, for He spoke, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created. No wonder if the works praise the Worker, no wonder if the things that are made praise the Maker, no wonder if creation praise its Creator. In this Christ also is mentioned, though we seem not to have heard His Name....By what were they made? By the Word? John 1:1-2 How does he show in this Psalm, that all things were made by the Word? He spoke, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created. No one speaks, no one commands, save by word."

6	V	Státuit ea in ætérnum, et in sæculum sæculi: * præcéptum pósuit, et non præteríbit.
	JH	Et statuit ea in saeculum et in saeculum praeceptum dedit, et non praeteribit.
		ἔστησεν αὐτὰ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος πρόσταγμα ἔθετο καὶ οὐ παρελεύσεται

Státuit (he established) ea (them) in ætérnum (forever), et in sæculum sæculi (and ever): præcéptum (commandment/ordinance/decree) pósuit (he set/put in place), et (and) non (not) præteríbit (it will come to an end/pass away)

statuo, ui, utum, ere 3 to set, place, establish; to change, still, calm; to be determined, resolved.

praeceptum, i, n.  a law, commandment, precept, ordinance.

pono, posui, itum, ere 3,  to put, place, lay, set

praetereo, ii, itum, ire,   to go by, pass by: to pass away, cease to be, come to an end.

DR	He has established them for ever, and for ages of ages: he has made a decree, and it shall not pass away.
Brenton	He has established them for ever, even for ever and ever: he has made an ordinance, and it shall not pass away.
Cover	He hath made them fast for ever and ever; he hath given them a law which shall not be broken.

This verse goes to the eternal nature of heaven, and creation n a broader sense, as Cassiodorus explains:

"This passage too announces the power and strength of the Lord with the words: He hath established them for ever, and for ages of ages: he hath made a decree, and it shall not pass away. This is to remove all doubt that God is almighty, for what He has established continues in being without change, since this con­clusion is applied to the things of heaven. But we read of the world to come: There will be a new heaven and a new earth, so how can one say of the present heaven: He hath established them for ever? There is however no doubt that all things have been established by God. Though man himself dies, he is established in God's eyes when he rises again; similarly heaven and earth remain in God's sight when they are made new. Once they have laid aside their roughness or corruptible character, nature itself is made better and abides, since it has been bidden to exist in eternity. As Paul says about the transformation of our bodies: When the corruptible has put on incorruption, and the mortal puts on immortality. A decree means a law or condition, so that we may realise that all things are in His power. It cannot pass away because the Almighty established it, and Truth has promised it in return."

Psalm 148: Laudate Dominum de caelis

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Alleluia
1 Laudáte Dóminum de cælis: * laudáte eum in excélsis.	Praise the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the high places.
2  Laudáte eum, omnes Angeli ejus: * laudáte eum, omnes virtútes ejus.	2 Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his hosts.
3  Laudáte eum, sol et luna: * laudáte eum, omnes stellæ et lumen.	3 Praise him, O sun and moon: praise him, all you stars and light
4  Laudáte eum, cæli cælórum: * et aquæ omnes, quæ super cælos sunt, laudent nomen Dómini.	4 Praise him, you heavens of heavens: and let all   the waters that are above the heavens 5 praise the name of the Lord.
5 Quia ipse dixit, et facta sunt: * ipse mandávit, et creáta sunt.	For he spoke, and they were made: he commanded, and they were created
6  Státuit ea in ætérnum, et in sæculum sæculi: * præcéptum pósuit, et non præteríbit.	6 He has established them for ever, and for ages of ages: he has made a decree, and it shall not pass away.
7  Laudáte Dóminum de terra, * dracónes, et omnes abyssi.	7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you dragons, and all you deeps:
8  Ignis, grando, nix, glácies, spíritus procellárum: * quæ fáciunt verbum ejus:	8 Fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy winds, which fulfil his word:
9  Montes, et omnes colles: * ligna fructífera, et omnes cedri.	9 Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars:
10  Béstiæ, et univérsa pécora: * serpéntes, et vólucres pennátæ:	10 Beasts and all cattle: serpents and feathered fowls:
11  Reges terræ, et omnes pópuli: * príncipes, et omnes júdices terræ.	11 Kings of the earth and all people: princes and all judges of the earth:
12  Júvenes, et vírgines : senes cum junióribus laudent nomen Dómini: * quia exaltátum est nomen ejus solíus.	12 Young men and maidens: let the old with the younger, praise the name of the Lord: 13 For his name alone is exalted.
13  Conféssio ejus super cælum et terram: * et exaltávit cornu pópuli sui.	14 The praise of him is above heaven and earth: and he has exalted the horn of his people.
14  Hymnus ómnibus sanctis ejus: * fíliis Israël, pópulo appropinquánti sibi.	A hymn to all his saints to the children of Israel, a people approaching to him. Alleluia

For the next set of notes on the verses of this psalm, continue on here.

Psalm 148 verses 1-4

The opening verses of Psalm 148 are a call to praise God directed at the entire universe, starting with the heavens, and the holy angels.

1	Vulgate/Neo-Vulgate (V/NV)	Laudáte Dóminum de cælis: * laudáte eum in excélsis.
	Septuagint	αἰνεῖτε τὸν κύριον ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις

laudo, avi, atum, are  to praise, glorify, to boast, glory, rejoice

caelum, i, n., or caeli, orum, m.  heaven, the abode of God; the heavens as opposed to the earth; the air;

excelsus, a, um  high, august, sublime, towering aloft ; uplifted; heights, high places; billows, high waves

Douay-Rheims (DR)	Praise the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the high places
Brenton (from the Septuagint)	Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the highest.
Coverdale (Cover)	O praise the Lord of heaven; praise him in the heights.
Grail (Psalter)	Praise the Lord from the heavens, raise him in the heights.

The psalm opens with an exhortation for all those in heaven to praise God.  Cassiodorus points out that this is in their nature anyway, it must be an exhortation to do so more intensively:

"Since all heavenly things continually pour out hymns to the Lord, we must examine why the prophet first urges that to be done which is unceasingly fulfilled. It is a human tendency to tell men, when we see them working in the fields: "Work on"; or when they are reading: "Read on"; or when they are building: "Build on." So this exhortation can be uttered, it seems, to intensify the will to work rather than to inaugurate it. But what are these heavenly things which are encour¬aged to utter praise? Surely the things capable of contemplation of the Lord with the most refined understanding, through His gift. Fired with perennial love, they together hymn their Creator with sweet rejoicing. Since they are immortal, so their praises are not bounded by any close. In the high places denotes the more worthy essences which human beings in their weakness rightly proclaim to be lofty in their eyes, since they themselves are forced down by weakness of the flesh. It is right that each and every thing praise its Maker, in accordance with the limitations of the gift which it has received."

2	V/NV	Laudáte eum, omnes angeli ejus: * laudáte eum, omnes virtútes ejus.
	Jerome from the Hebrew (JH)	Laudate eum omnes angeli eius : laudate eum omnes exercitus eius.
		αἰνεῖτε αὐτόν πάντες οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ αἰνεῖτε αὐτόν πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις αὐτοῦ

virtus, utis,   strength, power, might; an army, host; the angels.; the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, and stars

  

DR	Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his hosts.
Brenton	Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
Cover	Praise him, all ye angels of his; praise him, all his host.
Grail	Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host.

Bellarmine sees this verse as attesting to the superiority of the holy spirits:

"The angels, as residing in the supreme heavens, as it were, in the very palace of the eternal King, get the first invi­tation. The words "praise ye" are not used in a spirit of com­mand or exhortation, as if the angels were deficient in their duty, and needed such; it is spoken in a spirit of invitation and strong affection by the Prophet, who is highly excited and inflamed with the love of God, as if he said: Oh that all creat­ed things would praise their Creator! and you, ye angels, who hold the first place in creation, follow up the praise you daily offer him; "from the heavens," indicates where the angels reside, which he repeats when he adds, "praise ye him in the high places." This he explains more clearly when he adds who they are that dwell there, saying, "praise ye him, all his hosts," meaning the heavenly powers, and not the sun, moon, and stars, as some will have it; first, because nothing is more usual than such repetitions with David; secondly, the holy fathers are unanimous that these words refer to the Cherubim, Seraphim, and the other angels; thirdly, from Luke 2, where the angels are called "The multitude of the heavenly host;" and fourthly, from Psalm 102, where the angels are more clear­ly indicated, when he says, "Bless the Lord, all ye his hosts; you ministers of his that do his will."

3	V	Laudáte eum, sol et luna: * laudáte eum, omnes stellæ et lumen.
	NV	Laudate eum, sol et luna, laudate eum, omnes stellae lucentes.
	JH	Laudate eum, sol et luua : laudate eum, omnes stellae luminis.
		αἰνεῖτε αὐτόν ἥλιος καὶ σελήνη αἰνεῖτε αὐτόν πάντα τὰ ἄστρα καὶ τὸ φῶς

sol, solis, m., the sun.

lumen, inis, n.  light; in the hymns, brightness, splendor

luna, ae, . the moon.

stella, ae,  a star.

DR	Praise him, O sun and moon: praise him, all you stars and light.
Brenton	Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all ye stars and light.
RSV	Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!
Cover	Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all ye stars and light

St Augustine starts his explanation of the enumeration of the praises of God uttered by the entire universe:

"When can he unfold all in his enumeration? Yet he has in a manner touched upon them all summarily, and included all things in heaven praising their Creator. And as though it were said to him, Why do they praise Him? What has He conferred on them, that they should praise Him?"

4	V/NV	Laudáte eum, cæli cælórum: * et aquæ omnes, quæ super cælos sunt, laudent nomen Dómini.
	JH	Laudate eum, caeli caelorum, et aquae quae super caelos sunt. Laudent nomen Domini :
		αἰνεῖτε αὐτόν οἱ οὐρανοὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν αἰνεσάτωσαν τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου

Caeli caelorum=highest heaven

Waters above the heavens are the firmament of Gen 1:7.

aqua, ae, water

DR	Praise him, you heavens of heavens: and let all the waters that are above the heavens praise the name of the Lord.
Brenton	Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and the water that is above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord:
RSV	Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD!
Cover	Praise him, all ye heavens, and ye waters that are above the heavens. Let them praise the Name of the Lord,

What is meant by the highest heavens and the waters here?  St Alphonse Liguori points out that there are different opinions on this:  

"With regard to these waters there are various opinions. Some, as St. Bonaventure, Ambrose and Catharinus, etc., say that they are the crystalline heaven. Others, as St. Athanasius (Cont. Arian. or. 2, n. 28, E .), St. Basil (In Hexam. horn. 3), St. Ambrose (Hexam. 1. 2, c. 2, 3), St. John Chrysostom (In Genes, horn. 4), Bede (Hexam), etc., believe that these waters are above the firmament or starry heavens, and they cite for this opinion Genesis... And St. Augustine, who holds the same view, says: Major est Scripturce hujus auctoritas, quam omnis humani ingenii capacitas. The authority of this Scripture is greater than all the capacity of the human mind (De Gen. ad litt. 1. 2, c. 5, n. 9). This opinion is also followed by many modern interpreters cited by Tirinus. Others, in fine, such as Rupert, Lorinus, Mariana, etc., with the greatest number of modern commentators, understand by these waters the clouds that are suspended over the earth.  Bellarmine, who holds the second opinion with the holy Fathers, seems to us to refute in a solid way this last opinion; besides, we see that the psalm is divided into two parts, the first of which refers to the higher regions of the heavens. See, moreover, in the preceding canticle, verse 3, and in Psalm ciii., verse 3."

Psalm 148: Laudate Dominum de caelis

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Alleluia
1 Laudáte Dóminum de cælis: * laudáte eum in excélsis.	Praise the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the high places.
2  Laudáte eum, omnes Angeli ejus: * laudáte eum, omnes virtútes ejus.	2 Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his hosts.
3  Laudáte eum, sol et luna: * laudáte eum, omnes stellæ et lumen.	3 Praise him, O sun and moon: praise him, all you stars and light
4  Laudáte eum, cæli cælórum: * et aquæ omnes, quæ super cælos sunt, laudent nomen Dómini.	4 Praise him, you heavens of heavens: and let all   the waters that are above the heavens 5 praise the name of the Lord.
5 Quia ipse dixit, et facta sunt: * ipse mandávit, et creáta sunt.	For he spoke, and they were made: he commanded, and they were created
6  Státuit ea in ætérnum, et in sæculum sæculi: * præcéptum pósuit, et non præteríbit.	6 He has established them for ever, and for ages of ages: he has made a decree, and it shall not pass away.
7  Laudáte Dóminum de terra, * dracónes, et omnes abyssi.	7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you dragons, and all you deeps:
8  Ignis, grando, nix, glácies, spíritus procellárum: * quæ fáciunt verbum ejus:	8 Fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy winds, which fulfil his word:
9  Montes, et omnes colles: * ligna fructífera, et omnes cedri.	9 Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars:
10  Béstiæ, et univérsa pécora: * serpéntes, et vólucres pennátæ:	10 Beasts and all cattle: serpents and feathered fowls:
11  Reges terræ, et omnes pópuli: * príncipes, et omnes júdices terræ.	11 Kings of the earth and all people: princes and all judges of the earth:
12  Júvenes, et vírgines : senes cum junióribus laudent nomen Dómini: * quia exaltátum est nomen ejus solíus.	12 Young men and maidens: let the old with the younger, praise the name of the Lord: 13 For his name alone is exalted.
13  Conféssio ejus super cælum et terram: * et exaltávit cornu pópuli sui.	14 The praise of him is above heaven and earth: and he has exalted the horn of his people.
14  Hymnus ómnibus sanctis ejus: * fíliis Israël, pópulo appropinquánti sibi.	A hymn to all his saints to the children of Israel, a people approaching to him. Alleluia

You can find the next set of verse notes on Psalm 148 here.

Introduction to Psalm 148

Psalm 148 has been described as Genesis 1 in poetic form, because it invites all creation to give God in an order that mirrors the days of creation.  

But it goes further than this, containing a call to our own conversion and intensification of efforts in seeking holiness. 

The content and structure of Psalm 148 is echoed in a number of other Old Testament canticles, including the Benedicite (Daniel 3) said at Lauds on Sunday, Job 28, and Sirach 43.  Read in the light of the New Testament however, the call to praise is not just for creation, but more particularly for our redemption through the Resurrection of Christ.  St Augustine explains the context:

"This is the Halleluia which we sing, which, as you know, means (in Latin), Praise ye the Lord...this, after His Resurrection: by which time is signified the future hope which as yet we have not: for what we represent after the Lord's Resurrection, we shall have after our own. For in our Head both are figured, both are set forth. The Baptism of the Lord sets forth to us this present life of trial, for in it we must toil, be harassed, and, at last, die; but the Resurrection and Glorification of the Lord sets forth to us the life which we are to have hereafter, when He shall come to recompense due rewards, evil to the evil, good to the good."

Similarly, St Alphonsus Liguori notes that:

In this psalm, as well as in the two following, all creatures are called upon to praise and thank the Lord for the victory gained over the enemies of his holy name.

The praises of creation

Psalm 148 can be interpreted both literally and metaphorically.

At the literal level, the psalm calls on all creation to praise God, for all are equal before God, praising in their own way either with our hearts, minds and voices, or by our very being.  The psalm is in essence a call to redouble our efforts, to intensify our praise of God, and to join others to our work of praise, as St John Chrysostom's explains:

"The practice of the saints in their deep gratitude was like this, when on the point of giving thanks to God, to invite many to share in the praise and exhort them to be associated with them in this lovely ritual...."

There is, moreover, a particularly monastic dimension to the psalm, for the work of heaven, and of the angels, as the opening verses attest, is the constant praise of God, and on earth, the monastery is the pre-eminent place where this is imitated.  Indeed, Pope Benedict XVI made this very point:

"In the patristic period the monastic life was likened to the life of the angels. It was considered the essential mark of the angels that they are worshippers. Their very life is worship. This should hold true also for monks. Monks pray first and foremost not for any specific intention, but simply because God is worthy of being praised. “Confitemini Domino, quoniam bonus! – Praise the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy is eternal!”: so we are urged by a number of Psalms (e.g. Ps 106:1). Such prayer for its own sake, intended as pure divine service, is rightly called officium. It is “service” par excellence, the “sacred service” of monks. It is offered to the triune God who, above all else, is worthy “to receive glory, honour and power” (Rev 4:11), because he wondrously created the world and even more wondrously renewed it." Visit To Heiligenkreuz Abbey, 9 September 2007

The celestial hierarchy

Verses 5 and 6 explain why we should praise him, namely because is the creator - and recreator - of all, effecting the work of creation out of nothing with ease, and continuing to govern it.

Though all are part of creation and therefore called to respond to the creator with praise, the psalm sets out  a hierarchy in creation. 

Verses 1-4 start with the heavens and all therein, including the angels, to praise God more intensively.

Verses 7-10 extend the call to the things of earth, including the good and the bad; the beautiful and the scary, for everything created plays a role in God's providential plan for the world.  These verses also perhaps service to put humanity in its place, for we are but one part of this divine creation, a part of it, not something above it.

Verses 11-12 set out the hierarchy amongst men: rulers and judges and ruled; young and old; men and women.  They illustrate perhaps that all are equally called to God's praise yet the hierarchical construction of society is also part of God's creation, a protection against chaos.

The final verses attest to the special place of the Church in this hierarchy: through it God grants his people grace, and thus allows us to share in his glory.

The spiritual interpretation

The Fathers though, also constructed allegorical interpretations of each of the elements mentioned in the psalm.  Dragons, for example, dragons, can be seen as representing the more abrasive and strong-minded amongst us, while the stormy winds that fulfil his word are those who have turned from evil and been converted.

St Alphonsus Liguori summarises the meaning at this level as follows:

In an allegorical sense all Christians are invited to bless God for the victory that he helped them to gain over the devil, the world, and the flesh; a victory so great that for it they will be honored by being appointed judges at the day of judgment.

Liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	-
RB cursus	Lauds daily+3585, 4116, 1836
Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc	AN 3232, 3720 (1), 4116 (1,13); 4976, 4977 (3) 3584 (4) 5001 (5) 5020 (6) 4593 (7, 11) 3219 (cf13) 3155 (9, 14)
Roman pre 1911	Lauds daily
Responsories	?6826 (Hic est Michael)
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Sunday Lauds 1970: Lauds for Sunday of the third week;
Mass propers (EF)	Second Sunday after Epiphany, AL (2) Votive Mass of the Holy Angels, GR (1-2)

Psalm 148: Laudate Dominum de caelis

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Alleluia
1 Laudáte Dóminum de cælis: * laudáte eum in excélsis.	Praise the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the high places.
2  Laudáte eum, omnes Angeli ejus: * laudáte eum, omnes virtútes ejus.	2 Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his hosts.
3  Laudáte eum, sol et luna: * laudáte eum, omnes stellæ et lumen.	3 Praise him, O sun and moon: praise him, all you stars and light
4  Laudáte eum, cæli cælórum: * et aquæ omnes, quæ super cælos sunt, laudent nomen Dómini.	4 Praise him, you heavens of heavens: and let all the waters that are above the heavens 5 praise the name of the Lord.
5 Quia ipse dixit, et facta sunt: * ipse mandávit, et creáta sunt.	For he spoke, and they were made: he commanded, and they were created
6  Státuit ea in ætérnum, et in sæculum sæculi: * præcéptum pósuit, et non præteríbit.	6 He has established them for ever, and for ages of ages: he has made a decree, and it shall not pass away.
7  Laudáte Dóminum de terra, * dracónes, et omnes abyssi.	7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you dragons, and all you deeps:
8  Ignis, grando, nix, glácies, spíritus procellárum: * quæ fáciunt verbum ejus:	8 Fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy winds, which fulfil his word:
9  Montes, et omnes colles: * ligna fructífera, et omnes cedri.	9 Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars:
10  Béstiæ, et univérsa pécora: * serpéntes, et vólucres pennátæ:	10 Beasts and all cattle: serpents and feathered fowls:
11  Reges terræ, et omnes pópuli: * príncipes, et omnes júdices terræ.	11 Kings of the earth and all people: princes and all judges of the earth:
12  Júvenes, et vírgines : senes cum junióribus laudent nomen Dómini: * quia exaltátum est nomen ejus solíus.	12 Young men and maidens: let the old with the younger, praise the name of the Lord: 13 For his name alone is exalted.
13  Conféssio ejus super cælum et terram: * et exaltávit cornu pópuli sui.	14 The praise of him is above heaven and earth: and he has exalted the horn of his people.
14  Hymnus ómnibus sanctis ejus: * fíliis Israël, pópulo appropinquánti sibi.	A hymn to all his saints to the children of Israel, a people approaching to him. Alleluia

You can find the first set of verse by verse notes on this psalm here.