Psalm 134 verses 3-4

Blake: Jacob's Ladder

Verses 3&4 of Psalm 134 explain why we should praise God, namely his goodness to us, reflected in his election of his Church.  Verse 4 in particular takes us to the central theme of Wednesday in the Benedictine Office: God's deliberate choice of us as his people.

3	V/NV	Laudáte Dóminum, quia bonus Dóminus: * psállite nómini ejus, quóniam suáve.
	JH	Laudate Dominum ; quoniam bonus Dominus : cantate nomini eius ; quoniam decens.
		αἰνεῖτε τὸν κύριον ὅτι ἀγαθὸς κύριος ψάλατε τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ὅτι καλόν

 Laudate (praise) Dominum (the Lord), quia (for/because) bonus (good) Dominus (the Lord); psallite (sing) nomini (to the name) ejus (his), quoniam (because) [it is] suave (kind/good/sweet)

Note that the object of the sweetness is slightly ambiguous: it could either be the name of God, as most translations propose, or the act of praising him.  St Robert Bellarmine, however, adopts the second interpretation.

suavis, e , kind, good, gracious

DR	Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good: sing to his name, for it is sweet.
Brenton	Praise ye the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises to his name; for it is good.
Cover	O praise the Lord, for the Lord is gracious; O sing praises unto his Name, for it is lovely.
Knox	Praise to the Lord, a Lord so gracious, praise to his name, a name so well beloved.

We are now presented with a number of reasons why we should praise God, starting with one of his key attributes, namely his goodness.  Bellarmine explains that God is absolute good, and to the extent that we experience goodness, it is through him:

"Now, God is so good, that he alone is absolutely good, and so good in every respect, because he does not derive his goodness from anyone or anything  but himself, and nothing can be good except by his gift and favour.  Other things are good to a certain extent, such as a good man, house, or clothes; but God is goodness itself, having in him all the attributes of goodness." 

To the extent that we experience this good, this sweetness, we should give thanks for it then.  Nut Bellarmine's alternative reading of the text draws out an important issue in relation to the act of singing God's praises, and the reasons we have difficulty visualising the happiness of heaven:

"The saints in heaven know how sweet it is to sing to the Lord, and thus, they never desist a moment from his praise, and that by reason of their constantly tasting of his sweetness at the very source of it; we find it sometimes sweet enough, and at other times irksome enough, because it is not always that we taste of God's sweetness; it is only, when through the grace of God, and previous meditation, we come to know him, and burn to love him."

4	V	Quóniam Jacob elégit sibi Dóminus, * israël in possessiónem sibi.
	NV	Quoniam Iacob elegit sibi Dominus, Israel in peculium sibi.
	JH	Quia lacob elegit sibi Dominus, Israhel in peculium suum
		ὅτι τὸν Ιακωβ ἐξελέξατοἑαυτῷ ὁ κύριος Ισραηλ εἰς περιουσιασμὸν αὐτοῦ

Quoniam (for) Jacob elegit (he has chosen) sibi (to himself) Dominus (the Lord); Israël in possessionem (for the possession) sibi (to himself).

eligo, legi, lectum, ere 3  to choose, pick out, select.

possessio, onis, f  possession, property, substance. creatures, creations

DR	For the Lord has chosen Jacob unto himself: Israel for his own possession.
Brenton	For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.
Cover	For why? the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his own possession.
Knox	Has not the Lord made choice of Jacob, claimed Israel for his own?

cf Deuteronomy 7:6; 10:15 Exodus 19:5

St Robert Bellarmine points out that God guides all nations and peoples; gifts all with the light of reason and the natural law written on their hearts; entrusts every soul with a guardian angel.  All in other words, are invited to accept salvation.  Alas, the majority do not respond to this invitation.  Yet through no merits of our won God has chosen a special people for himself.  He has given us a law and instructions for his worship; sent prophets to guide us; and continues to guide us still through his Church.

Pope John Paul II's Redemptionis Donum reminds us how grateful we should be:

"...renew...your awareness of your special sharing in the Redeemer's death on the cross--that sharing through which you have risen with Him, and continually rise with Him to a new life. The Lord speaks to each of you, just as He once spoke through the prophet Isaiah: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." 

Psalm 134 (135) – Laudate nomen Domini

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Alleluja.	Alleluia
1 Laudáte nomen Dómini, * laudáte, servi Dóminum.	Praise the name of the Lord: O you his servants, praise the Lord:
2  Qui statis in domo Dómini, * in átriis domus Dei nostri.	2 You that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
3  Laudáte Dóminum, quia bonus Dóminus: * psállite nómini ejus, quóniam suáve.	3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good: sing to his name, for it is sweet.
4  Quóniam Jacob elégit sibi Dóminus, * Israël in possessiónem sibi.	4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob unto himself: Israel for his own possession.
5  Quia ego cognóvi quod magnus est Dóminus, * et Deus noster præ ómnibus diis.	5 For I have known that the Lord is great, and our God is above all gods.
6  Omnia quæcúmque vóluit, Dóminus fecit in cælo, et in terra, * in mari, et in ómnibus abyssis.	6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased he has done, in heaven, in earth, in the sea, and in all the deeps.
7  Edúcens nubes ab extrémo terræ: * fúlgura in plúviam fecit.	7 He brings up clouds from the end of the earth: he has made lightnings for the rain. He brings forth winds out of his stores:
8  Qui prodúcit ventos de thesáuris suis: * qui percússit primogénita Ægypti ab hómine usque ad pecus.	8 He slew the firstborn of Egypt from man even unto beast.
9  Et misit signa, et prodígia in médio tui, Ægypte: * in Pharaónem, et in omnes servos ejus.	9 He sent forth signs and wonders in the midst of you, O Egypt: upon Pharao, and upon all his servants.
10  Qui percússit gentes multas: * et occídit reges fortes:	10 He smote many nations, and slew mighty kings:
11  Sehon, regem Amorrhæórum, et Og, regem Basan, * et ómnia regna Chánaan.	11 Sehon king of the Amorrhites, and Og king of Basan, and all the kingdoms of Chanaan.
12  Et dedit terram eórum hereditátem, * hereditátem Israël, pópulo suo.	12 And gave their land for an inheritance, for an inheritance to his people Israel.
13  Dómine, nomen tuum in ætérnum: * Dómine, memoriále tuum in generatiónem et generatiónem.	13 Your name, O Lord, is for ever: your memorial, O Lord, unto all generations.
14  Quia judicábit Dóminus pópulum suum: * et in servis suis deprecábitur	14 For the Lord will judge his people, and will be entreated in favour of his servants.
15  Simulácra Géntium argéntum et aurum: * ópera mánuum hóminum.	15 The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold, the works of men's hands.
16  Os habent, et non loquéntur: * óculos habent, et non vidébunt.	16 They have a mouth, but they speak not: they have eyes, but they see not.
17  Aures habent, et non áudient: * neque enim est spíritus in ore ipsórum.	17 They have ears, but they hear not: neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18  Símiles illis fiant qui fáciunt ea: * et omnes qui confídunt in eis.	18 Let them that make them be like to them: and every one that trusts in them.
19  Domus Israël,  benedícite Dómino: * domus Aaron, benedícite Dómino.	19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: bless the Lord, O house of Aaron.
20  Domus Levi, benedícite Dómino: * qui timétis Dóminum, benedícite Dómino.	20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi: you that fear the Lord, bless the Lord.
21  Benedíctus Dóminus ex Sion, * qui hábitat in Jerúsalem.	21 Blessed be the Lord out of Sion, who dwells in Jerusalem.

And you can find the next set of notes on this psalm here.

Psalm 134 verses 1-2

The opening verses of Psalm 134 echo those of the previous psalm as they are arranged in Scripture, Psalm 133, which is said daily at Compline (the last of the Gradual psalms).

But whereas Psalm 133 is a call to night prayer, Psalm 134 is a call to continuous prayer.

As these opening verses make clear, it has a deeply liturgical dimension, that stresses the importance of Church buildings as the earthly representation of heaven, our desired destiny.

1	V/NV/JH	Laudáte nomen Dómini, * laudáte, servi Dóminum.
		αἰνεῖτε τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου αἰνεῖτε δοῦλοι κύριον

Laudate (praise) nomen (the name) Domini (of the Lord) laudate (praise), servi (servants), Dominum (the Lord)

DR	Praise the name of the Lord: O you his servants, praise the Lord:
Brenton	Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise the Lord, ye his servants
Cover	O praise the Lord, laud ye the Name of the Lord; praise it, O ye servants of the Lord

The psalm opens with a call to offer the sacrifice of praise.  The previous psalm opens with a very similar line, but restricts its call to night prayer.  This one, on the other hand, can be interpreted as a call to continuous prayer, appropriate for those who have completed their pilgrimage, and reached the heavenly home, or at least who participate in that heavenly liturgy as best we can here on earth. 

Why mention God's servants particularly?  The Fathers note that not everyone can claim to worship God in truth, but rather those who are as St Augustine puts it, the 'obeyers of his command', or, as Cassiodorus elaborates, "you who are committed to Him with steadfast will and believe that you have a Lord whom you do not despise through any superstition." 

2	V	Qui statis in domo Dómini, * in átriis domus Dei nostri.
		οἱ ἑστῶτες ἐν οἴκῳ κυρίου ἐν αὐλαῖς οἴκου θεοῦ ἡμῶν

qui (who) statis (you stand) in domo (in the house) Domini (of the Lord), in atriis (in the courts) domus (of the house) Dei (of God) nostri (our).

cf Psalm 133

atrium, ii, n., a court, often pi., courts; esp. the open courts surrounding the Tabernacle and Temple

DR	You that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
Brenton	who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God
Cover	ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

The setting is clearly the Temple, or for us, the Church.  As Pope Benedict XVI puts it:

"Therefore, we find ourselves in the living atmosphere of worship that unfolds in the temple, the preferred and communal place of prayer."

Indeed, St Chrysostom points out that the Old Testament contains numerous injunctions against worshipping anywhere other than the Temple, for the regulation of worship in the temple or church is intended to offer protection against erroneous ideas, impiety and idolatry.  To be able to stand in the house of God, St Augustine comments, is not a small thing, but rather a great favour God has granted us, something meant to symbolise, as St Bellarmine explains that though we ourselves have not yet arrived at our final home, we count ourselves nonetheless, as being amongst "those who, in hope and desire, have begun to dwell in that house above; such as those who, with the apostle, can say, 'But our conversation is in heaven.'"

Psalm 134 (135) – Laudate nomen Domini

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Alleluja.	Alleluia
1 Laudáte nomen Dómini, * laudáte, servi Dóminum.	Praise the name of the Lord: O you his servants, praise the Lord:
2  Qui statis in domo Dómini, * in átriis domus Dei nostri.	2 You that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
3  Laudáte Dóminum, quia bonus Dóminus: * psállite nómini ejus, quóniam suáve.	3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good: sing to his name, for it is sweet.
4  Quóniam Jacob elégit sibi Dóminus, * Israël in possessiónem sibi.	4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob unto himself: Israel for his own possession.
5  Quia ego cognóvi quod magnus est Dóminus, * et Deus noster præ ómnibus diis.	5 For I have known that the Lord is great, and our God is above all gods.
6  Omnia quæcúmque vóluit, Dóminus fecit in cælo, et in terra, * in mari, et in ómnibus abyssis.	6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased he has done, in heaven, in earth, in the sea, and in all the deeps.
7  Edúcens nubes ab extrémo terræ: * fúlgura in plúviam fecit.	7 He brings up clouds from the end of the earth: he has made lightnings for the rain. He brings forth winds out of his stores:
8  Qui prodúcit ventos de thesáuris suis: * qui percússit primogénita Ægypti ab hómine usque ad pecus.	8 He slew the firstborn of Egypt from man even unto beast.
9  Et misit signa, et prodígia in médio tui, Ægypte: * in Pharaónem, et in omnes servos ejus.	9 He sent forth signs and wonders in the midst of you, O Egypt: upon Pharao, and upon all his servants.
10  Qui percússit gentes multas: * et occídit reges fortes:	10 He smote many nations, and slew mighty kings:
11  Sehon, regem Amorrhæórum, et Og, regem Basan, * et ómnia regna Chánaan.	11 Sehon king of the Amorrhites, and Og king of Basan, and all the kingdoms of Chanaan.
12  Et dedit terram eórum hereditátem, * hereditátem Israël, pópulo suo.	12 And gave their land for an inheritance, for an inheritance to his people Israel.
13  Dómine, nomen tuum in ætérnum: * Dómine, memoriále tuum in generatiónem et generatiónem.	13 Your name, O Lord, is for ever: your memorial, O Lord, unto all generations.
14  Quia judicábit Dóminus pópulum suum: * et in servis suis deprecábitur	14 For the Lord will judge his people, and will be entreated in favour of his servants.
15  Simulácra Géntium argéntum et aurum: * ópera mánuum hóminum.	15 The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold, the works of men's hands.
16  Os habent, et non loquéntur: * óculos habent, et non vidébunt.	16 They have a mouth, but they speak not: they have eyes, but they see not.
17  Aures habent, et non áudient: * neque enim est spíritus in ore ipsórum.	17 They have ears, but they hear not: neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18  Símiles illis fiant qui fáciunt ea: * et omnes qui confídunt in eis.	18 Let them that make them be like to them: and every one that trusts in them.
19  Domus Israël,  benedícite Dómino: * domus Aaron, benedícite Dómino.	19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: bless the Lord, O house of Aaron.
20  Domus Levi, benedícite Dómino: * qui timétis Dóminum, benedícite Dómino.	20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi: you that fear the Lord, bless the Lord.
21  Benedíctus Dóminus ex Sion, * qui hábitat in Jerúsalem.	21 Blessed be the Lord out of Sion, who dwells in Jerusalem.

And you can find the next post in this series here.

Introduction to Psalm 134

Moses views the Promised Land
Gerard Jollain, 1670

The opening psalm of Vespers on Wednesday in the Benedictine Office is Psalm 134, Laudate Nomen Domini.

First take a look at the text.

Psalm 134 (135) – Laudate nomen Domini 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Alleluja.	Alleluia
1 Laudáte nomen Dómini, * laudáte, servi Dóminum.	Praise the name of the Lord: O you his servants, praise the Lord:
2  Qui statis in domo Dómini, * in átriis domus Dei nostri.	2 You that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
3  Laudáte Dóminum, quia bonus Dóminus: * psállite nómini ejus, quóniam suáve.	3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good: sing to his name, for it is sweet.
4  Quóniam Jacob elégit sibi Dóminus, * Israël in possessiónem sibi.	4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob unto himself: Israel for his own possession.
5  Quia ego cognóvi quod magnus est Dóminus, * et Deus noster præ ómnibus diis.	5 For I have known that the Lord is great, and our God is above all gods.
6  Omnia quæcúmque vóluit, Dóminus fecit in cælo, et in terra, * in mari, et in ómnibus abyssis.	6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased he has done, in heaven, in earth, in the sea, and in all the deeps.
7  Edúcens nubes ab extrémo terræ: * fúlgura in plúviam fecit.	7 He brings up clouds from the end of the earth: he has made lightnings for the rain. He brings forth winds out of his stores:
8  Qui prodúcit ventos de thesáuris suis: * qui percússit primogénita Ægypti ab hómine usque ad pecus.	8 He slew the firstborn of Egypt from man even unto beast.
9  Et misit signa, et prodígia in médio tui, Ægypte: * in Pharaónem, et in omnes servos ejus.	9 He sent forth signs and wonders in the midst of you, O Egypt: upon Pharao, and upon all his servants.
10  Qui percússit gentes multas: * et occídit reges fortes:	10 He smote many nations, and slew mighty kings:
11  Sehon, regem Amorrhæórum, et Og, regem Basan, * et ómnia regna Chánaan.	11 Sehon king of the Amorrhites, and Og king of Basan, and all the kingdoms of Chanaan.
12  Et dedit terram eórum hereditátem, * hereditátem Israël, pópulo suo.	12 And gave their land for an inheritance, for an inheritance to his people Israel.
13  Dómine, nomen tuum in ætérnum: * Dómine, memoriále tuum in generatiónem et generatiónem.	13 Your name, O Lord, is for ever: your memorial, O Lord, unto all generations.
14  Quia judicábit Dóminus pópulum suum: * et in servis suis deprecábitur	14 For the Lord will judge his people, and will be entreated in favour of his servants.
15  Simulácra Géntium argéntum et aurum: * ópera mánuum hóminum.	15 The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold, the works of men's hands.
16  Os habent, et non loquéntur: * óculos habent, et non vidébunt.	16 They have a mouth, but they speak not: they have eyes, but they see not.
17  Aures habent, et non áudient: * neque enim est spíritus in ore ipsórum.	17 They have ears, but they hear not: neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18  Símiles illis fiant qui fáciunt ea: * et omnes qui confídunt in eis.	18 Let them that make them be like to them: and every one that trusts in them.
19  Domus Israël,  benedícite Dómino: * domus Aaron, benedícite Dómino.	19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: bless the Lord, O house of Aaron.
20  Domus Levi, benedícite Dómino: * qui timétis Dóminum, benedícite Dómino.	20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi: you that fear the Lord, bless the Lord.
21  Benedíctus Dóminus ex Sion, * qui hábitat in Jerúsalem.	21 Blessed be the Lord out of Sion, who dwells in Jerusalem.

The place of Psalm 134 in the Office

In his book Christ in the Psalms, Patrick Reardon suggests that the placement of Psalm 134 (and Psalm 135) in the Benedictine Office is, in contrast to the more deliberate Orthodox use of the psalm, simply a matter of how the psalms happen to fall out.

I'd like, though, to take a different view, for I think that the placement of these two psalms is a very deliberate choice indeed, and one whose theological implications are worth meditating on.

Part of the genius of St Benedict's psalter, I think, are the deliberate patterns he engineers into his Office, patterns that help shape our thinking mostly at the subconscious level, shaping our implicit knowledge of the faith.  What is implicit though, can be made explicit and appropriated more actively as our own through study and meditation, and in part this is surely why the saint in his Rule explicitly bids us to meditate on the psalms.

If you look at Vespers for example, it is clear that St Benedict has undertaken some extensive engineering of the hour compared to the Roman version of the Office from which he started.  He shifts nine psalms (Psalms 119-127) out of the hour altogether, and makes extensive use of divisions and amalgamations of psalms in order to shape each day's Office to his agenda.

That agenda, it seems to me, often runs both horizontally and vertically, something akin to a crossword puzzle.

In my overview posts for the psalms of the day, I've talked about his 'vertical' agenda, based around the life of Christ, and I'll come back to how this psalm fits into that schema below.

But there is often also a horizontal logic to the psalm choices as well, both within the hours for a particular day, and across the sequences set for particular hours.  In the case of Vespers, for example, I would suggest that all of the opening psalms have something important to say about the nature of God, with Monday to Wednesday focusing above all on God's providential interventions in salvation history.

A Redemption triptych?

Consider first of all that Psalm 134 on Wednesday takes us back to many of the themes of Psalm 113 on Monday.

Psalm 113's verses on the impotence of false idols are repeated here, in a slightly cut down version.

Both psalms take us to the miracles associated with the exodus from Egypt, and entry into the Promised Land.

And both end with a call to action on the part of the Houses of Israel, Aaron and all those who fear the Lord.

I would argue that St Benedict has deliberately created something of a triptych here for us, in the first psalms of Vespers on the first three days of the week.  The left-hand panel, Monday, focuses on those parting of the waters that prefigures our baptism.  In the middle stands Psalm 129's promise of the redemption of Israel.  And in Wednesday's right-hand panel of the picture we are presented with the opening of the covenant to the gentiles and the Church as the New Israel.

The election of the gentiles

As I noted above there is, in my view, a weekly programmatic cycle to St Benedict's design that gives a unity to each particular day in the Office.

I've suggested previously that the Lauds ferial canticles are the interpretative key for this.  Today's canticle, the The Canticle of Hannah, has long been interpreted, particularly in the monastic tradition, as being about God's election of Israel - the Church - as his people.  That's a key theme in this psalm, and an important one in these confused times when some see pretty much any religion as offering the potential for redeeming grace to flow.

Both this psalm and the next take us through key events in salvation history, emphasizing that God made a deliberate choice of the people of Israel (verse 4) as his people, and then guided history to lead them into the promised land, dispossessing their enemies to do so (verses 8-12).  And it is to him alone, and not to any false gods, that we are urged to put our trust in, and praise.

Psalms 113, 134 and 135 all witness to God's wonderful interventions in history.  They praise him not just for himself (though they have a lot to say on that subject as well), but also for his work of creation and redemption. He is, this psalm tells us, the God who deposed Pharaoh and caused the first-born of Egypt to be killed in retaliation for Pharaoh's refusal to release the Hebrew slaves.  He is the God who deposed great kings because of their evil deeds, and gave their lands to the Israelites instead.

Unsurprisingly, the Fathers have long applied this dispossession to the Jews: for the majority of the original people of Israel rejected their Messiah.  Because they rejected their God when he walked on the earth and preached the good news to them, choosing instead to make idols of the law itself and ultimately to kill him on the cross, now they too have been dispossessed, the old covenant closed off in favour of the new (and for those who dispute this and prefer  an entirely 'two covenants theory', please do read Fr Hunwick's useful analysis of Vatican II on this subject).  The chosen people, Israel, are no longer the Jewish people, but rather the Church which is open to Jews and gentiles alike, indeed all those who truly seek to become his servants; the earthly Jerusalem is no longer God's special dwelling, instead we focus on heaven.

Appropriating salvation

In reality of course, this dispossession applies equally  to all who would betray the living, personal God, 'the Lord of the universe and of history', as Pope Benedict XVI puts it, in favour of creating a false religion borne of our own desires.

We can, then, apply the warning in verses 14-18 of Psalm 134, about coming judgment and the uselessness of the false idols we make for ourselves, that is power, pride, money and pleasure, to Judas and all those who plotted to kill Jesus.  And of course to all those today who would follow their path.

Liturgical and Scriptural uses of the psalm

NT references	Rev 19:5 (1) Heb 10:30 (v14); Rev 9:20 (v15)
RB cursus	Wed Vespers+AN 4139
Monastic feasts etc	AN 3588
Roman pre 1911	Thursday Vespers
Responsories	several martyrs in paschaltide, In servis suis, 6936 (14)
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Tues Lauds . 1970: Evening Prayer - Friday of Week Three
Mass propers (EF)	Lent 4 Sunday, OF (3, 6)

And you can find verse by verse notes on this psalm starting here.

Canticle for Our Lady: Sirach 39:17-21

la Vierge au buisson de roses Schongauer,
Gardner Museum

Over the last few Sundays I've been looking at the canticle used at Matins in the Benedictine Office.

Today being the feast of the Purification, the 1962 Monastic Breviary specifies the use of the Common of Our Lady.

Accordingly, the three canticles of the day are Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 39:17-21; Isaiah 61:1011, 62:1-3; and Isaiah 62:4-7.

Here is the text of the first one, from Sirach, with versification as used in the liturgy.

Common of Our Lady Canticle 1: Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 39:17-21

Canticum Ecclesiastici (39:17-21)

Obaudíte me, divíni fructus, * et quasi rosa plantáta super rivos aquárum fructificáte.	Hear me, ye divine offspring, and bud forth as the rose planted by the brooks of waters.
Quasi Líbanus * odórem suavitátis habéte.	Give ye a sweet odour as frankincense.
Floréte flores, quasi lílium, et date odórem, † et frondéte in grátiam; et collaudáte cánticum, * et benedícite Dóminum in opéribus suis.	Send forth flowers, as the lily, and yield a smell, and bring forth leaves in grace, and praise with canticles, and bless the Lord in his works.
Date nómini eius magnificéntiam, † et confitémini illi in voce labiórum vestrórum, * et in cánticis labiórum, et cítharis;	Magnify his name, and give glory to him with the voice of your lips, and with the canticles of your mouths, and with harps;
Et sic dicétis in confessióne: * Opera Dómini univérsa bona valde.	And in praising him, you shall say in this manner: All the works of the Lord are exceeding good.
Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.	As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The imagery of roses and lilies (verses 1-3) have long been associated with Our Lady in iconography, presenting Our Lady as the fulfillment of this injunction.  Verses 4-5 clearly presage the Magnificat.

More generally, these verses can perhaps be seen as a call to imitate Our Lady in holiness and thanksgiving to God for his works of creation and salvation, hence its use for female saints more generally. Challoner for example comments that: "He speaks to the children of Israel, the people of God: whom he exhorts to bud forth and flourish with virtue."