Psallam Domino

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Psalm 103: Overview

Psalm 103 is said at Saturday matins in the Benedictine Office, divided into two parts.

It is a poetic retelling of the days of creation, particularly appropriate for reflection on the seventh day, on which Cassiodorus said:

The Prophet, desiring to signify divine mysteries by the order of nature, first sings of the Sacraments of Christ and the Church under the type of the formation of heaven and earth: Praise the Lord, O my soul. In the second part, he enumerates the works of the Lord veiled under divers figures: O Lord, how manifold are Thy works. In the third place, he declares that in the everlasting world he will unceasingly utter the praises of the Lord, which he had made his song, even in his short life here: I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will praise my God while I have my being.

St Alphonsus Liguori summarised it as follows:

According to the interpreters, this psalm presents a brilliant description of the glory of the Saviour as manifested in the works of nature. In it we find a eulogy of the wisdom and of the power that God has, shown forth in creating heaven and earth. The author of the arguments, placed at the head of the psalms in the Compilation of Venice, adds that we learn here how to see nature and the manifold variety of created things.

The text of the psalm

Psalm 103/1

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Ipsi David.	For David himself.
1 Bénedic ánima mea, Dómino: * Dómine, Deus meus, magnificátus es veheménter.	1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, you are exceedingly great.
2 Confessiónem, et decórem induísti: * amíctus lúmine sicut vestiménto.	You have put on praise and beauty: 2 And are clothed with light as with a garment.
3 Exténdens cælum sicut pellem: * qui tegis aquis superióra ejus.	Who stretches out the heaven like a pavilion: 3 Who covers the higher rooms thereof with water.
4 Qui ponis nubem ascénsum tuum: * qui ámbulas super pennas ventórum.	Who make the clouds your chariot: who walks upon the wings of the winds.
5 Qui facis ángelos tuos, spíritus: * et minístros tuos ignem uréntem.	4 Who make your angels spirits: and your ministers a burning fire
6 Qui fundásti terram super stabilitátem suam: * non inclinábitur in sæculum sæculi.	5 Who have founded the earth upon its own bases: it shall not be moved for ever and ever.
7 Abyssus, sicut vestiméntum, amíctus ejus: * super montes stabunt aquæ.	6 The deep like a garment is its clothing: above the mountains shall the waters stand.
8 Ab increpatióne tua fúgient: * a voce tonítrui tui formidábunt.	7 At your rebuke they shall flee: at the voice of your thunder they shall fear.
9 Ascéndunt montes: et descéndunt campi * in locum, quem fundásti eis.	8 The mountains ascend, and the plains descend into the place which you have founded for them.
10 Términum posuísti, quem non transgrediéntur: * neque converténtur operíre terram.	9 You have set a bound which they shall not pass over; neither shall they return to cover the earth.
11 Qui emíttis fontes in convállibus: * inter médium móntium pertransíbunt aquæ.	10 You send forth springs in the vales: between the midst of the hills the waters shall pass.
12 Potábunt omnes béstiæ agri: * exspectábunt ónagri in siti sua.	11 All the beasts of the field shall drink: the wild asses shall expect in their thirst.
13 Super ea vólucres cæli habitábunt: * de médio petrárum dabunt voces.	12 Over them the birds of the air shall dwell: from the midst of the rocks they shall give forth their voices.
14 Rigans montes de superióribus suis: * de fructu óperum tuórum satiábitur terra :	13 You water the hills from your upper rooms: the earth shall be filled with the fruit of your works:
15 Prodúcens fœnum juméntis: * et herbam servitúti hóminum :	14 Bringing forth grass for cattle, and herb for the service of men.
16 Ut edúcas panem de terra: * et vinum lætíficet cor hóminis :	That you may bring bread out of the earth: 15 And that wine may cheer the heart of man.
17 Ut exhílaret fáciem in óleo: * et panis cor hóminis confírmet.	That he may make the face cheerful with oil: and that bread may strengthen man's heart.
18 Saturabúntur ligna campi, et cedri Líbani, quas plantávit: * illic pásseres nidificábunt.	16 The trees of the field shall be filled, and the cedars of Libanus which he has planted: 17 There the sparrows shall make their nests.
19 Heródii domus dux est eórum: * montes excélsi cervis : petra refúgium herináciis.	The highest of them is the house of the heron.18 The high hills are a refuge for the harts, the rock for the irchins.
20 Fecit lunam in témpora: * sol cognóvit occásum suum.	19 He has made the moon for seasons: the sun knows his going down.
21 Posuísti ténebras, et facta est nox: * in ipsa pertransíbunt omnes béstiæ silvæ	20 You have appointed darkness, and it is night: in it shall all the beasts of the woods go about:
22 Cátuli leónum rugiéntes, ut rápiant: * et quærant a Deo escam sibi.	21 The young lions roaring after their prey, and seeking their meat from God.
23 Ortus est sol, et congregáti sunt: * et in cubílibus suis collocabúntur.	22 The sun arises, and they are gathered together: and they shall lie down in their dens.
24 Exíbit homo ad opus suum: * et ad operatiónem suam usque ad vésperum.	23 Man shall go forth to his work, and to his labour until the evening.
25 Quam magnificáta sunt ópera tua, Dómine! * ómnia in sapiéntia fecísti : impléta est terra possessióne tua.	24 How great are your works, O Lord? You have made all things in wisdom: the earth is filled with your riches.

(divisio)

Psalm 103/2

26 Hoc mare magnum, et spatiósum mánibus: * illic reptília, quorum non est númerus.	25 So is this great sea, which stretcheth wide its arms: there are creeping things without number.
27 Animália pusílla cum magnis: * illic naves pertransíbunt.	Creatures little and great: 26 There the ships shall go.
28 Draco iste, quem formásti ad illudéndum ei: * ómnia a te exspéctant ut des illis escam in témpore.	This sea dragon which you have formed to play therein. 27 All expect of you that you give them food in season.
29 Dante te illis, cólligent: * aperiénte te manum tuam, ómnia implebúntur bonitáte.	28 What you give to them they shall gather up: when you open your hand, they shall all be filled with good.
30 Averténte autem te fáciem, turbabúntur: * áuferes spíritum eórum, et defícient, et in púlverem suum reverténtur.	29 But if you turn away your face, they shall be troubled: you shall take away their breath, and they shall fail, and shall return to their dust.
31 Emíttes spíritum tuum, et creabúntur: * et renovábis fáciem terræ.	30 You shall send forth your spirit, and they shall be created: and you shall renew the face of the earth.
32 Sit glória Dómini in sæculum: * lætábitur Dóminus in opéribus suis :	31 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.
33 Qui réspicit terram, et facit eam trémere: * qui tangit montes, et fúmigant.	32 He looks upon the earth, and makes it tremble: he troubles the mountains, and they smoke.
34 Cantábo Dómino in vita mea: * psallam Deo meo, quámdiu sum.	33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
35 Jucúndum sit ei elóquium meum: * ego vero delectábor in Dómino.	34 Let my speech be acceptable to him: but I will take delight in the Lord.
36 Defíciant peccatóres a terra, et iníqui ita ut non sint: * bénedic, ánima mea, Dómino.	35 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth, and the unjust, so that they be no more: O my soul, bless the Lord

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Heb 1:7 (5); Mt 13:31-32; Mk 4:32, Lk 13:19 (13); Acts 14:17(13-17); Mt 24:45-46 (28); Acts 2:14 (31)
RB cursus	Sat matins
Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc	Transfiguration
Roman pre 1911	Sat matins
Ambrosian	Fri Matins wk 2
Brigittine	Friday Sext
Maurist	Monday Matins
Thesauris schemas	A: Sat matins; B: Monday Matins ; C: Wed Vespers; D: Tuesday V wk 2
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Sat Sext . 1970:
Byzantine	Kathisma 14/stasis 2
Mass propers (EF)	Pentecost, AL (31) PP 12, CO (14-17) Pentecost, AL (31)

Monday, April 20, 2020

Psalm 38: Overview

Psalm 38 is said at Matins on Monday in the Benedictine office.

St Augustine provided an extended discussion of the title of Psalm 38, which links it to the psalms of ascent (Gradual):

The title of this Psalm, which we have just chanted and proposed to discuss, is, On the end, for Idithun, a Psalm for David himself. Here then we must look for, and must attend to, the words of a certain person who is called Idithun; and if each one of ourselves may be Idithun, in that which he sings he recognises himself, and hears himself speak. For you may see who was called Idithun, according to the ancient descent of man; let us, however, understand what this name is translated, and seek to comprehend the Truth in the translation of the word. According therefore to what we have been able to discover by enquiry in those names which have been translated from the Hebrew tongue into the Latin, by those who study the sacred writings, Idithun being translated is over-leaping them. Who then is this person over-leaping them? Or who those whom he has over-leaped?...For there are some persons, yet clinging to the earth, yet bowed down to the ground, yet setting their hearts on what is below, yet placing their hopes in things that pass away, whom he who is called over-leaping them has over-leaped.

You know that some of the Psalms are entitled, Songs of Degrees; and in the Greek it is obvious enough what the word ‡ ναβαθμῶν means. For ‡ ναβαθμοὶ are degrees (or steps) of them that ascend, not of them that descend. The Latin, not being able to express it strictly, expresses it by the general term; and in that it called them steps, left it undetermined, whether they were steps of persons ascending or descending. But because there is no speech or language where their voices are not heard among them, the earlier language explains the one which comes after it: and what was ambiguous in one is made certain in another. Just then as there the singer is some one who is ascending, so here is it some one who is over-leaping....Let this Idithun come still to us, let him over-leap those whose delight is in things below, and take delight in these things, and let him rejoice in the Word of the Lord; in the delight of the law of the Most High....

St Alphonsus Liguori's summary of the psalm makes the link to the pilgrimage psalms more succinctly:

David speaks here of the pain that he felt and of the silence that he kept when Semei annoyed him with insults. The royal prophet at the same time exposes the reflections that his sins and the vain cares of men suggested to him. Finally, he represents himself as a pilgrim here on earth, and points out to sinners with what sentiments they should be animated in order to do penance.