It has a particular appropriateness to the day of the week on which we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist though, since its focus is on the history of the liberation of the people of Israel from Egypt, and the first half in particular focuses on the miraculous feeding in the desert, a type of the Eucharist. The second half of the psalm tells mostly of Israel's ingratitude, thus forshadowing the exit of God's presence from the Temple, and presence henceforward in Christian churches instead.
Cassiodorus broke down the psalm into several sections:
In the first part of the psalm, two short verses are seen to be ascribed to the Lord's person; the purpose of this is that respect for the ensuing words may be enhanced when the King himself was seen to speak the exordium.
In the second part Asaph speaks more expansively, rebuking the Jews because they have shown themselves ungrateful for the Lord's great benefits. They were deformed by wickedness, and utterly refused to submit their hearts to the Lord's commands.
In the third part are enumerated all the gifts which God's power bestowed on the people of Israel, yet they did not cease grumbling.
The fourth section states the nature of the vengeance which rose up among them, and tells how that sentence was softened by the Lord's pity.
In the fifth part they were punished for their murmurings, but they returned to entreat the Lord in recognition of His great works.
In the sixth section they again spoke with guile and pursued their customary errors, but the Lord's mercy did not permit them to be scattered, though this penalty could have been justly imposed on their evil deeds.
The seventh part describes how they roused the Lord in the desert, when on their account the Egyptians were sorely afflicted by ten plagues.
In the eighth the kindnesses of the Lord are recounted, and again the guilt of Jewish obduracy is appended.
In the ninth the most stern vengeance follows, resulting in His consigning the people to captivity and abandoning the tabernacle of Silo, in which He was seen to dwell among men; and subsequently He chose Mount Sion, and David His servant, so that from his seed Christ the Lord should be born to come as saving Physician of the world. Thus in the psalm there is the description from the beginning of the choice of the Jewish race right up to the coming of the Lord Saviour.The text of the psalm
| 
Vulgate | 
Douay-Rheims | 
| 
Intellectus Asaph. | 
Understanding for Asaph. | 
| 
1  Atténdite, pópule meus, legem meam: *
  inclináte aurem vestram in verba oris mei. | 
Attend,
  O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. | 
| 
2  Apériam
  in parábolis os meum: * loquar propositiónes ab inítio. | 
2 I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter
  propositions from the beginning. | 
| 
3  Quanta
  audívimus et cognóvimus ea: * et patres nostri narravérunt nobis. | 
3 How great things have we heard and known, and our fathers
  have told us. | 
| 
4  Non
  sunt occultáta a fíliis eórum: * in generatióne áltera. | 
4 They have not been hidden from their
  children, in another generation. | 
| 
5 
  Narrántes laudes Dómini, et virtútes ejus: * et mirabília ejus, quæ fecit. | 
Declaring
  the praises of the Lord,
  and his powers, and his wonders which he has done. | 
| 
6  Et
  suscitávit testimónium in Jacob: * et legem pósuit in Israël | 
5 And he set up a testimony in Jacob: and made a law
  in Israel. | 
| 
7 
  Quanta mandávit pátribus nostris nota fácere ea fíliis suis: * ut cognóscat
  generátio áltera. | 
How
  great things he commanded our fathers, that they should make the same known to their
  children: 6 That another generation might know them. | 
| 
8 
  Fílii qui nascéntur, et exsúrgent, * et narrábunt fíliis suis. | 
The
  children that should be born and should rise up, and declare them to their
  children. | 
| 
9  Ut
  ponant in Deo spem suam, et non obliviscántur óperum Dei: * et mandáta ejus
  exquírant. | 
7 That they may put their hope in God and may not forget
  the works of God:
  and may seek his commandments | 
| 
10  Ne
  fiant sicut patres eórum: * generátio prava et exásperans. | 
8 That they may not become like their fathers,
  a perverse and exasperating generation.  | 
| 
11 
  Generátio, quæ non diréxit cor suum: * et non est créditus cum Deo spíritus
  ejus. | 
A
  generation that set
  not their heart aright: and whose spirit was not faithful to God.  | 
| 
12  Fílii
  Ephrem intendéntes et mitténtes arcum: * convérsi sunt in die belli. | 
9 The sons of Ephraim who bend and shoot with
  the bow: they have turned back in the day of battle. | 
| 
13  Non
  custodiérunt testaméntum Dei: * et in lege ejus noluérunt ambuláre. | 
10 They
  kept not the covenant of God:
  and in his law they would not walk | 
| 
14  Et
  oblíti sunt benefactórum ejus: * et mirabílium ejus quæ osténdit eis. | 
11 And
  they forgot his benefits, and his wonders that he had shown them. | 
| 
15  Coram
  pátribus eórum fecit mirabília in terra Ægypti: * in campo Táneos. | 
12 Wonderful
  things did he do in the sight of their fathers, in the  | 
| 
16  Interrúpit
  mare, et perdúxit eos: * et státuit aquas quasi in utre. | 
13 He
  divided the sea and brought them through: and he made the waters to stand as
  in a vessel. | 
| 
17  Et
  dedúxit eos in nube diéi: * et tota nocte in illuminatióne ignis. | 
14 And
  he conducted them with a cloud by day: and all the night with a light of
  fire. | 
| 
18  Interrúpit
  petram in erémo: * et adaquávit eos velut in abysso multa. | 
15 He
  struck the rock in the wilderness:
  and gave them to drink, as out of the great deep. | 
| 
19  Et
  edúxit aquam de  | 
16 He brought forth water out of the rock: and
  made streams run down as rivers. | 
| 
20
  Et apposuérunt adhuc peccáre ei: * in iram excitavérunt Excélsum in inaquóso. | 
17 And they added yet more sin against him: they
  provoked the most High
  to wrath in the
  place without water.  | 
| 
21  Et
  tentavérunt Deum in córdibus suis, * ut péterent escas animábus suis. | 
18 And they tempted God in their hearts, by
  asking meat for their desires | 
| 
22  Et
  male locúti sunt de Deo: * dixérunt: Numquid póterit Deus paráre mensam in
  desérto? | 
19 And they spoke ill of God: they said: Can God furnish a table in
  the wilderness?  | 
| 
23  Quóniam
  percússit petram, et fluxérunt aquæ: * et torréntes inundavérunt. | 
20 Because he struck the rock, and the waters
  gushed out, and the streams overflowed.  | 
| 
24 
  Numquid et panem póterit dare, * aut paráre mensam pópulo suo? | 
Can
  he also give bread, or provide a table for his people?  | 
| 
25  Ideo
  audívit Dóminus, et dístulit: * et ignis accénsus est in Jacob, et ira
  ascéndit in Israël. | 
21 Therefore the Lord heard, and was angry: and a fire was
  kindled against Jacob,
  and wrath came up
  against Israel.  | 
| 
26  Quia
  non credidérunt in Deo: * nec speravérunt in salutári ejus : | 
22 Because they believed not in God: and trusted not in
  his salvation.  | 
| 
27  Et
  mandávit núbibus désuper: * et jánuas cæli apéruit. | 
23 And he had commanded the clouds from above,
  and had opened the doors of heaven.  | 
| 
28  Et
  pluit illis manna ad manducándum: * et panem cæli dedit eis. | 
24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat,
  and had given them the bread of heaven. | 
| 
29  Panem
  Angelórum manducávit homo, * cibária misit eis in abundántia. | 
25 Man ate the bread of angels: he sent them
  provisions in abundance.  | 
| 
30  Tránstulit
  Austrum de cælo: * et indúxit in virtúte sua Africum. | 
26 He removed the south wind from heaven: and by his
  power brought in the southwest wind.  | 
| 
31  Et
  pluit super eos sicut púlverem carnes: * et sicut arénam maris volatília
  pennáta. | 
27 And he rained upon them flesh as dust: and
  feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.  | 
| 
32  Et
  cecidérunt in médio castrórum eórum: * circa tabernácula eórum. | 
28 And they fell in the midst of their camp,
  round about their pavilions.  | 
| 
33  Et
  manducavérunt, et saturáti sunt nimis, et desidérium eórum áttulit eis:
  * non sunt fraudáti a desidério suo. | 
29 So they ate, and were filled exceedingly, and
  he gave them their desire: 30 They were not
  defrauded of that which they craved.  | 
| 
34 
  Adhuc escæ eórum erant in ore ipsórum: * et ira Dei ascéndit super eos | 
As
  yet their meat was in their mouth: 31 And the wrath of God came upon them.  | 
| 
35 
  Et occídit pingues eórum, * et eléctos Israël impedívit. | 
And
  he slew the fat ones amongst them, and brought down the chosen men of Israel. | 
| 
36  In ómnibus his peccavérunt adhuc: * et non
  credidérunt mirabílibus ejus. | 
32 In all these things they sinned still: and they
  behaved not for his wondrous works.  | 
| 
37  Et
  defecérunt in vanitáte dies eórum: * et anni eórum cum festinatióne. | 
33 And their days were consumed in vanity, and
  their years in haste.  | 
| 
38  Cum
  occíderet eos, quærébant eum: * et revertebántur, et dilúculo veniébant ad
  eum. | 
34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and
  they returned, and came to him early in the morning. | 
| 
39  Et
  rememoráti sunt quia Deus adjútor est eórum: * et Deus excélsus redémptor
  eórum est. | 
35 And they remembered that God was their helper:
  and the most high God
  their redeemer.  | 
(divisio)
| 
Vulgate | 
Douay-Rheims | 
| 
40  Et dilexérunt eum
  in ore suo, * et lingua sua mentíti sunt ei. | 
36 And they loved
  him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied unto him:  | 
| 
41  Cor autem eórum
  non erat rectum cum eo: * nec fidéles hábiti sunt in testaménto ejus. | 
37 But their heart
  was not right with him: nor were they counted faithful in his
  covenant. | 
| 
42 Ipse autem est miséricors, et
  propítius fiet peccátis eórum: * et non dispérdet eos. | 
38 But he is
  merciful, and will forgive their sins: and will not
  destroy them.  | 
| 
43  Et abundávit ut
  avérteret iram suam: * et non accéndit omnem iram suam: | 
And many a time did he turn away
  his anger: and did
  not kindle all his wrath. | 
| 
44  Et recordátus est
  quia caro sunt: * spíritus vadens et non rédiens. | 
39 And he
  remembered that they are flesh: a wind that goes and returns not. | 
| 
45  Quóties
  exacerbavérunt eum in desérto, *  in iram concitavérunt eum in inaquóso? | 
40 How often did
  they provoke him in the desert:
  and move him to wrath
  in the place without water? | 
| 
46  Et convérsi sunt,
  et tentavérunt Deum: * et Sanctum Israël exacerbavérunt | 
41 And they turned
  back and tempted God: and grieved the holy one of Israel. | 
| 
47 Non sunt recordáti manus
  ejus, * die qua redémit eos de manu tribulántis. | 
42 They remembered
  not his hand, in the day that he redeemed them from the
  hand of him that afflicted them: | 
| 
48  Sicut pósuit in
  Ægypto signa sua, * et prodígia sua in campo Táneos. | 
43 How he wrought
  his signs in Egypt,
  and his wonders in the field of Tanis. | 
| 
49  Et convértit in
  sánguinem flúmina eórum: * et imbres eórum, ne bíberent. | 
44 And he turned
  their rivers into blood, and their showers that they might not drink. | 
| 
50  Misit in eos
  cœnomyíam, et comédit eos: * et ranam, et dispérdidit eos. | 
45 He sent amongst
  them divers sorts of flies, which devoured them: and frogs which destroyed
  them. | 
| 
51  Et dedit ærúgini
  fructus eórum: * et labóres eórum locústæ. | 
46 And he gave up
  their fruits to the blast, and their labours to the locust. | 
| 
52  Et occídit in
  grándine víneas eórum: * et moros eórum in pruína. | 
47 And he
  destroyed their vineyards with hail, and their mulberry trees with hoarfrost. | 
| 
53  Et trádidit
  grándini juménta eórum: * et possessiónem eórum igni. | 
48 And he gave up
  their cattle to the hail, and their stock to the fire. | 
| 
54  Misit  in eos
  iram indignatiónis suæ: * indignatiónem, et iram, et tribulatiónem:
  immissiónes per ángelos malos. | 
49 And he sent
  upon them the wrath
  of his indignation: indignation and wrath and trouble,
  which he sent by evil
  angels. | 
| 
55  Viam fecit sémitæ
  iræ suæ, non pepércit a morte animábus eórum: * et juménta eórum in morte
  conclúsit. | 
50 He made a way
  for a path to his anger:
  he spared not their souls
  from death, and their cattle he shut up in death. | 
| 
56  Et percússit omne
  primogénitum in terra Ægypti: * primítias omnis labóris eórum in tabernáculis
  Cham | 
51 And he killed
  all the firstborn in
  the  | 
| 
57  Et ábstulit sicut
  oves pópulum suum: * et perdúxit eos tamquam gregem in desérto. | 
52 And he took
  away his own people as sheep: and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. | 
| 
58  Et dedúxit eos in
  spe, et non timuérunt: * et inimícos eórum opéruit mare. | 
53 And he brought
  them out in hope and
  they feared not: and the sea overwhelmed their enemies.  | 
| 
59  Et indúxit eos in
  montem sanctificatiónis suæ: * montem, quem acquisívit déxtera ejus. | 
54 And he brought
  them into the mountain of his sanctuary: the mountain which his right hand
  had purchased. | 
| 
60  Et ejécit a fácie eórum
  Gentes: * et sorte divísit eis terram in funículo distributiónis. | 
And he cast out the Gentiles before them:
  and by lot divided to them their land by a line of distribution. | 
| 
61  Et habitáre fecit
  in tabernáculis eórum: * tribus Israël. | 
55 And he made the
  tribes of Israel to
  dwell in their tabernacles. | 
| 
62  Et tentavérunt, et
  exacerbavérunt Deum excélsum: * et testimónia ejus non custodiérunt. | 
56 Yet they tempted, and provoked
  the most high God:
  and they kept not his testimonies. | 
| 
63  Et avertérunt se,
  et non servavérunt pactum: * quemádmodum patres eórum convérsi sunt in arcum
  pravum. | 
57 And they turned
  away, and kept not the covenant: even like their fathers they were turned
  aside as a crooked bow. | 
| 
64  In iram
  concitavérunt eum in cóllibus suis: * et in sculptílibus suis ad æmulatiónem
  eum provocavérunt. | 
58 They provoked
  him to anger on
  their hills: and moved him to jealousy with their
  graven things. | 
| 
65  Audívit Deus, et
  sprevit: * et ad níhilum redégit valde Israël. | 
59 God heard, and despised them, and he
  reduced Israel
  exceedingly as it were to nothing. | 
| 
66  Et répulit
  tabernáculum Silo: * tabernáculum suum, ubi habitávit in homínibus. | 
60 And he put away
  the tabernacle of
  Silo, his tabernacle
  where he dwelt among men. | 
| 
67  Et trádidit in
  captivitátem virtútem eórum: * et pulchritúdinem eórum in manus inimíci. | 
61 And he
  delivered their strength into captivity: and their beauty into the hands of
  the enemy. | 
| 
68  Et conclúsit in
  gládio pópulum suum: * et hereditátem suam sprevit. | 
62 And he shut up
  his people under the sword: and he despised his inheritance. | 
| 
69  Júvenes eórum
  comédit ignis: * et vírgines eórum non sunt lamentátæ. | 
63 Fire consumed
  their young men: and their maidens were not lamented. | 
| 
70  Sacerdótes eórum
  in gládio cecidérunt: * et víduæ eórum non plorabántur. | 
64 Their priests fell by the
  sword: and their widows
  did not mourn.  | 
| 
71  Et excitátus est
  tamquam dórmiens Dóminus: * tamquam potens crapulátus a vino. | 
65 And the Lord was awaked as one
  out of sleep, and like a mighty man that has been
  surfeited with wine. | 
| 
72  Et percússit
  inimícos suos in posterióra: * oppróbrium sempitérnum dedit illis. | 
66 And he smote
  his enemies on the hinder parts: he put them to an everlasting reproach.  | 
| 
73  Et répulit
  tabernáculum Joseph: * et tribum Ephraim non elégit. | 
67 And he rejected
  the tabernacle of Joseph:
  and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:  | 
| 
74  Sed elégit tribum
  Juda, * montem Sion quem diléxit. | 
68 But he chose
  the tribe of Juda,  | 
| 
75  Et ædificávit
  sicut unicórnium sanctifícium suum in terra, * quam fundávit in sæcula. | 
69 And he built
  his sanctuary as of unicorns, in the land which he founded for ever. | 
| 
76  Et elégit David,
  servum suum, et sústulit eum de grégibus óvium: * de post fœtántes accépit
  eum, | 
70 And he chose
  his servant David,
  and took him from the flocks of sheep: he brought him from following the ewes
  great with young,  | 
| 
77  Páscere Jacob,
  servum suum, * et Israël, hereditátem suam: | 
71 to feed Jacob his servant and Israel his inheritance. | 
| 
78  Et pavit eos in
  innocéntia cordis sui: * et in intelléctibus mánuum suárum dedúxit eos. | 
72 And he fed them
  in the innocence of his heart: and conducted them by the skilfulness of his
  hands. | 
Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm
| 
NT
  references | 
Mt 13:34-5 (2); Acts 2:
  40  (10-11); 1 Cor 10:1-4 (18); 1 Cor
  10:9 (21); 1 Cor 10:3  (29); 1 Cor
  9-10  (34-5); Jn 6: 30-33 (28) | 
| 
RB
  cursus | 
Thursday matins I, 4-5 | 
| 
Monastic/(Roman)
  feasts etc |  | 
| 
Responsories | 
Lent 4 (&W/s):v 1-2 | 
| 
Roman
  pre 1911 | 
Thursday Matins | 
| 
Roman
  post 1911 | 
1911-62:
  Friday Matins . 1970: Advent, Christmas, Lent and Eastertide only.         | 
| 
Mass
  propers (EF) | 
Lent 3 Thursday IN (1);  
Easter Wednesday OF (27-29);  
Whit Tuesday IN (1);  
PP 19, IN (1) | 
