Psalm 32: verses 1-2

The first two verses of Psalm 32 set the scene: those in a state of grace are invited to worship God.

1	V/NV	Exsultáte, justi in Dómino: * rectos decet collaudátio.
	Old Roman	Gaudete iusti in Domino rectos decet conlaudatio
	JH	Laudate, iusti, Dominum: rectos decet laudatio.
		ἀγαλλιᾶσθε δίκαιοι ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ τοῖς εὐθέσι πρέπει αἴνεσις

Exsultáte (Rejoice/exsult), justi (the just) in Dómino (in the Lord): * rectos (the upright) decet (it is fitting) collaudátio (praise)

Boylan suggests the just should be read as the community of Israel.

exsulto, avi, atum, are ., to spring, leap, or jump up; to exult, to rejoice exceedingly

justus, a, um  just as a subst., a just man, the just

rectus, a, um, part. adj. just, right, righteous, upright; the just, just men, the good; steadfast, stable, steady.

decet = it is fitting

collaudatio – onis – praise, praising together

rectus, a, um, part. adj. (from rego),just, right, righteous, upright; the just, just men, the good; steadfast, stable, steady. 

DR	Rejoice in the Lord, O you just: praise becomes the upright.
Brenton	Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; praise becomes the upright.
Knox	Triumph, just souls, in the Lord; true hearts, it is yours to praise him.
Cover	Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; for it becometh well the just to be to be thankful
Grail	Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just; for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.

The Fathers point out that only those genuinely seeking to do God's will can properly praise him.  St Thomas Aquinas puts it thus:

Why though does he say 'be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye just' (Psalm 31:11), and not 'be glad...all persons'? The explanation is that 'Praise becometh the upright' (Psalm 32:1), praise, that is, of God. Thus it must be determined whether they are just and how it is fitting they praise. Something is not called 'upright' unless it is conformed to rule and measure. Now the rule and measure of human will is justice and the divine will. Thus, those who do not have an upright disposition are not able properly to praise God, because they do not wish their will to conform to God's, but would rather the divine will conform to theirs. Hence God does many things which these ones do not condone. But those who accommodate themselves to God's will rejoice in prosperity and adversity, and thus he says: 'praise becometh the upright' (Psalm 32:1), because they give praise in every circumstance, not just certain ones. Again, they praise with one spirit: 'Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner' (Ecclesiastes 15:9) -- 'A great joy to them that shall have escaped of Israel.' (Isaiah 4.2).

2	V/OR/NV	Confitémini Dómino in cíthara: * in psaltério decem chordárum psállite illi.
	JH	Confitemini Domino in cithara : in psalterio decachordo cantate ei.
		ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῷ κυρίῳ ἐν κιθάρᾳ ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ δεκαχόρδῳ ψάλατε αὐτῷ

Confitémini (let us give praise) Dómino (to the Lord) in cíthara (on the harp): * in psaltério (on the psaltery) decem (ten) chordárum (of strings) psállite (sing) illi (to him).

Note that the cithara and psalterium were two stringed instruments.

confiteor, fessus sum, eri 2 to praise, give thanks; to confess, acknowledge one's guilt.

cithara, ae, f stringed instrument, a harp

psalterium, ii, n a stringed instrument, a psaltery, harp, zither.

decem ten

chorda, ae, a string of a musical instrument.

psallo, ere 3 to sing to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument,; to sing the praises of God. 

DR	Give praise to the Lord on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings.
Brenton	Praise the Lord on the harp; platy to him on a psaltery of ten strings.
Cover	Praise the Lord with harp; sing praises unto him with the lute and instrument of ten strings.
Grail	Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp, with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.

The concept being conveyed here is the need to conform our external activity of worship, with our inner dispositions.  St Basil the Great, for example instructs:

First, it is necessary to praise the Lord on the harp; that is, to render harmoniously the actions of the body. Since, indeed, we sinned in the body, 'when we yielded our members as slaves of sin, unto lawlessness' let us give praise with our body, using the same instrument for the destruction of sin. Have you reviled? Bless. Have you defrauded? Make restitution. Have you been intoxicated? Fast. Have you made false pretensions? Be humble. Have you been envious? Console. Have you murdered? Bear witness, or afflict your body with the equivalent of martyrdom through confession. And then, after confession you are worthy to play for God on the ten-stringed psaltery. For, it is necessary, first, to correct the actions of our body, so that we perform them harmoniously with the divine Word and thus mount up to the contemplation of things intellectual. 

 Psalm 32: Exsultáte, justi in Dómino

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Psalmus David.	A psalm for David.
1 Exsultáte, justi in Dómino: * rectos decet collaudátio.	Rejoice in the Lord, O you just: praise becomes the upright.
2  Confitémini Dómino in cíthara: * in psaltério decem chordárum psállite illi.	2 Give praise to the Lord on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings
3  Cantáte ei cánticum novum: * bene psállite ei in vociferatióne.	3 Sing to him a new canticle, sing well unto him with a loud noise.
4  Quia rectum est verbum Dómini, * et ómnia ópera ejus in fide.	4 For the word of the Lord is right, and all his works are done with faithfulness.
5  Díligit misericórdiam et judícium: * misericórdia Dómini plena est terra.	5 He loves mercy and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
6 Verbo Dómini cæli firmáti sunt: * et spíritu oris ejus omnis virtus eórum.	6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were established; and all the power of them by the spirit of his mouth:
7  Cóngregans sicut in utre aquas maris: * ponens in thesáuris abyssos.	7 Gathering together the waters of the sea, as in a vessel; laying up the depths in storehouses.
8  Tímeat Dóminum omnis terra: * ab eo autem commoveántur omnes inhabitántes orbem.	8 Let all the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the world be in awe of him.
9  Quóniam ipse dixit, et facta sunt: * ipse mandávit, et creáta sunt.	9 For he spoke and they were made: he commanded and they were created.
10  Dóminus díssipat consília Géntium: * réprobat autem cogitatiónes populórum et réprobat consília príncipum.	10 The Lord brings to nought the counsels of nations; and he rejects the devices of people, and casts away the counsels of princes.
11  Consílium autem Dómini in ætérnum manet: * cogitatiónes cordis ejus in generatióne et generatiónem.	11 But the counsel of the Lord stands for ever: the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12 Beáta gens, cujus est Dóminus, Deus ejus: * pópulus, quem elégit in hereditátem sibi.	12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: the people whom he has chosen for his inheritance.
13  De cælo respéxit Dóminus: * vidit omnes fílios hóminum.	13 The Lord has looked from heaven: he has beheld all the sons of men.
14  De præparáto habitáculo suo * respéxit super omnes, qui hábitant terram.	14 From his habitation which he has prepared, he has looked upon all that dwell on the earth.
15  Qui finxit sigillátim corda eórum: * qui intélligit ómnia ópera eórum.	15 He who has made the hearts of every one of them: who understands all their works.
16  Non salvátur rex per multam virtútem: * et gigas non salvábitur in multitúdine virtútis suæ.	16 The king is not saved by a great army: nor shall the giant be saved by his own great strength.
17  Fallax equus ad salútem: * in abundántia autem virtútis suæ non salvábitur.	17 Vain is the horse for safety: neither shall he be saved by the abundance of his strength.
18 Ecce óculi Dómini super metuéntes eum: * et in eis, qui sperant super misericórdia ejus :	18 Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him: and on them that hope in his mercy.
19  Ut éruat a morte ánimas eórum: * et alat eos in fame.	19 To deliver their souls from death; and feed them in famine.
20  Anima nostra sústinet Dóminum: * quóniam adjútor et protéctor noster est.	20 Our soul waits for the Lord: for he is our helper and protector.
21  Quia in eo lætábitur cor nostrum: * et in nómine sancto ejus sperávimus.	21 For in him our heart shall rejoice: and in his holy name we have trusted.
22  Fiat misericórdia tua, Dómine, super nos: * quemádmodum sperávimus in te.	22 Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in you.

You can find the next part in this series on Psalm 32 here.

Introduction to Psalm 32

Why did St Benedict set Psalm 32 as the opener for Monday?  

The first and most obvious reason is surely its reference to the Incarnation, particularly in the phrase 'sing a new song' in verse 3. 

The new song of the Incarnation

When we read a psalm verse with the phrase sing 'a new song' (canticum novum), verse 3, we are liable to take it pretty literally, as 'compose a new hymn'.  Indeed, the Navarre commentary's take on the phrase in Psalm 39 (40) is "God inspires the psalmist to sing a "new" song as distinct from one of lamentation over his suffering..." (Psalms, p151).

Yet when a monk of a previous era read the phrase he would know that the phrase also occurs in a passage in Isaiah 42 that makes clear its Messianic significance.  And he would also read the psalm in the light of its use in Revelation 5, that makes it clear that what follows is a song of the people formed by the New Covenant, the Church:

"...and they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth." 

Accordingly, when the monk of St Benedict's time read the phrase 'canticum novum' (new song), then, (as occurs in Psalms 32, 39, 95, 97, 143, and 149) he was likely to interpret what followed as a song about Messianic times.  And St Benedict's contemporary Cassiodorus tells us exactly that:

"The new canticle means the Lord's incarnation, at which the world was filled with the exultation of salvation and the angels sounded forth with tuneful voices..." 

The vocation of praise

The Benedictine connections of this psalm, however, are I think deeper than this.  First, verses 1-3 instruct us to give praise to God.  Who is to do this? The just, or upright (v1), those who have put off the flesh of the old man who, as Bellarmine puts it, have "a taste for the things of the world, and is delighted with them:, but instead "renewed in the spirit of his mind, longs after the things of the other world, and takes pleasure in those things alone that appertain to heaven" (v3).  The people called out of every tribe and nation by God as his own (Rev 5:9). 

At one level this can obviously be applied to all Christians.  Yet it can also be applied in a special way to monks, as Pope Benedict XVI's comments on their vocation to give praise to God for no reason other than his goodness:

In fact St Robert Bellarmine's commentary on the opening verses of this psalm make the connection to the Benedictine charism very directly indeed:

"St Benedict, in his Rule, lays down that Psalmody is a divine work, and should be preferred to any other work.  St Bernard has:" My dearly beloved, I advise you to assist at the Divine Office, with a pure intention and an active mind; I say active, because I wish you to be active, as well as reverent; neither lazy, nor drowsy, nor nodding; nor sparing your voice, or clipping the words, not skipping sentences, nor in a weak and tremulous voice, full of sloth and effeminacy, but in an open and manly tone, vigorous, as well as affectionate, give out the language of the Holy Spirit.""

Renunciation of the world

There is another connection between this psalm and the monastic life as well, for St Basil the Great's commentary on it opens with an injunction for those who are God's servants, those who take up the invitation to be  labourers in his vineyard (RB Prologue), to ponder God's goodness, beauty and wisdom:

"Therefore, Scripture urges the just to be aware of their dignity, because they have been considered worthy to be the servants of so great a Master, and to glory in His service with inexpressible joy and exultation, since the heart is, as it were, bounding with ecstasy of love of the good."

St Basil goes on to suggest the progress we hope to experience, starting with brief moments of illumination, and progressing to the enjoyment of the fruits of the spirit with the permanent joy of heaven.

God the Creator and Lord of history

There are some other key themes of the day set up by this psalm as well.  The Opening verses, as noted above, go to the recreation of the world through Christ in the Incarnation.  But that recreation can only be effected by the creator himself, and verses 6-9 remind us of that, providing a recapitulation in poetic form of the account of creation contained in Genesis 1-2, with references to both the 'word' without whom nothing is made (John 1:3), and the 'spirit' who in Genesis is depicted as hovering over the cosmic waters.  God's power as creator is also featured at Vespers on Monday in Psalm 113 (In exitu Israel de Aegypto), where we are told that this is the God who 'odes whatever he wants', and 'who made heaven and earth'.

The psalm then goes on, in verses 10-17, to point to God as the Lord of history, and there are some allusions to  Old Testament salvation history, for example in the references armies and horses (perhaps an allusion to the destruction of Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea) and other sources of earthly power proving of no use when confronted with God's power. 

Psalm 113, of course, also reflects this theme, with its references to some of the key evens in salvation history.  The main focus here though, is clearly Messianic, with some obvious links here to Psalms 1& 2 which are said at Prime on Monday.  In Psalm 1, the way of the good (consilio justorum) is contrasted with the councils of the evil (consilio impiorum).  In Psalm 2, the kings and princes gather together to plot against Christ:

2: 2  Astitérunt reges terræ, et príncipes convenérunt in unum * advérsus Dóminum, et advérsus Christum ejus.

The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord, and against his Christ.

In Psalm 2, the narrative, the continues with the appointment of a King to rule over them, God's son begotten that day.  Psalm 32 provides a summary of this:

32: 10  Dóminus díssipat consília Géntium: * réprobat autem cogitatiónes populórum et réprobat consília príncipum.

10 The Lord brings to nought the counsels of nations; and he rejects the devices of people, and casts away the counsels of princes.

Verse 12 provides another link to the Prime psalms with its beatitude: this time 'happy the nation'.

God our hope

There is another link to note between Psalm 32 and Vespers on Monday too, closing verses of Psalm 32 are strongly echoed in Psalm 113's concluding litany: in Psalm 113 he is mindful of his people and blesses them (Ps 113:20); in Psalm 32 his eyes are on us, to rescue us from death and famine.

In both psalms he is the hope of those who fear him (Ps 113:19; 32:18, 22); our 'protector and helper' (Ps 113:17-19; 32:20).

Other liturgical and Scriptural uses of the psalm

NT references	Rev 5:9; 14:3 (v3);Jn 11, 3, Heb 11:3, 2 Pet 3:5 (v6); Jn 1:3 (v9); 1 Pet 3:12 (v19);
RB cursus	Monday Matins
Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc	Pentecost, Trinity; Sacred Heart
Roman pre 1911	Monday Matins
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Monday None . 1970: Lauds, Tuesday week 1
Mass propers (EF)	Lent Wed 4, GR 6, 12; Eastertide 2, IN 1, 5-6; Pent Ember Wed AL 6; Sept Ember Wed GR 6, 12; Sacred Heart, IN 1, 11, 19; PP 17 GR 6, 12;

The text

Psalm 32: Exsultáte, justi in Dómino

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Psalmus David.	A psalm for David.
1 Exsultáte, justi in Dómino: * rectos decet collaudátio.	Rejoice in the Lord, O you just: praise becomes the upright.
2  Confitémini Dómino in cíthara: * in psaltério decem chordárum psállite illi.	2 Give praise to the Lord on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings
3  Cantáte ei cánticum novum: * bene psállite ei in vociferatióne.	3 Sing to him a new canticle, sing well unto him with a loud noise.
4  Quia rectum est verbum Dómini, * et ómnia ópera ejus in fide.	4 For the word of the Lord is right, and all his works are done with faithfulness.
5  Díligit misericórdiam et judícium: * misericórdia Dómini plena est terra.	5 He loves mercy and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
6 Verbo Dómini cæli firmáti sunt: * et spíritu oris ejus omnis virtus eórum.	6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were established; and all the power of them by the spirit of his mouth:
7  Cóngregans sicut in utre aquas maris: * ponens in thesáuris abyssos.	7 Gathering together the waters of the sea, as in a vessel; laying up the depths in storehouses.
8  Tímeat Dóminum omnis terra: * ab eo autem commoveántur omnes inhabitántes orbem.	8 Let all the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the world be in awe of him.
9  Quóniam ipse dixit, et facta sunt: * ipse mandávit, et creáta sunt.	9 For he spoke and they were made: he commanded and they were created.
10  Dóminus díssipat consília Géntium: * réprobat autem cogitatiónes populórum et réprobat consília príncipum.	10 The Lord brings to nought the counsels of nations; and he rejects the devices of people, and casts away the counsels of princes.
11  Consílium autem Dómini in ætérnum manet: * cogitatiónes cordis ejus in generatióne et generatiónem.	11 But the counsel of the Lord stands for ever: the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12 Beáta gens, cujus est Dóminus, Deus ejus: * pópulus, quem elégit in hereditátem sibi.	12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: the people whom he has chosen for his inheritance.
13  De cælo respéxit Dóminus: * vidit omnes fílios hóminum.	13 The Lord has looked from heaven: he has beheld all the sons of men.
14  De præparáto habitáculo suo * respéxit super omnes, qui hábitant terram.	14 From his habitation which he has prepared, he has looked upon all that dwell on the earth.
15  Qui finxit sigillátim corda eórum: * qui intélligit ómnia ópera eórum.	15 He who has made the hearts of every one of them: who understands all their works.
16  Non salvátur rex per multam virtútem: * et gigas non salvábitur in multitúdine virtútis suæ.	16 The king is not saved by a great army: nor shall the giant be saved by his own great strength.
17  Fallax equus ad salútem: * in abundántia autem virtútis suæ non salvábitur.	17 Vain is the horse for safety: neither shall he be saved by the abundance of his strength.
18 Ecce óculi Dómini super metuéntes eum: * et in eis, qui sperant super misericórdia ejus :	18 Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him: and on them that hope in his mercy.
19  Ut éruat a morte ánimas eórum: * et alat eos in fame.	19 To deliver their souls from death; and feed them in famine.
20  Anima nostra sústinet Dóminum: * quóniam adjútor et protéctor noster est.	20 Our soul waits for the Lord: for he is our helper and protector.
21  Quia in eo lætábitur cor nostrum: * et in nómine sancto ejus sperávimus.	21 For in him our heart shall rejoice: and in his holy name we have trusted.
22  Fiat misericórdia tua, Dómine, super nos: * quemádmodum sperávimus in te.	22 Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in you.

You can find verse by verse notes on this psalm in a series of posts starting here.

Psalm 123 verses 5-8

Psalm 123 continues in verses 5-7 with a third image, explanied by Pope Benedict XVI:

"The second part of our thanksgiving hymn shifts from the marine image to a hunting scene, typical of many Psalms of supplication (cf. Ps 124[123]: 6-8). Here, in fact, the Psalm evokes a wild beast clenching its prey between its teeth or the snare of fowlers that captures a bird. But the blessing this Psalm expresses enables us to understand that the destiny of the faithful, that was a destiny of death, has been radically changed by a saving intervention: "Blessed be the Lord who did not give us a prey to their teeth!"

5	V	Benedíctus Dóminus * qui non dedit nos, in captiónem déntibus eórum.
	NV	Benedictus Dominus, qui non dedit nos in direptionem dentibus eorum.
	JH	Benedictus Dominus, qui non dedit nos in praedam dentibus eorum.
		εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὃς οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἡμᾶς εἰς θήραν τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτῶν

benedico, dixi, dictum, ere 3, to bless

do, dedi, datum, are, to give,

captio, onis, /. prey, booty; a net, trap, snare.

DR	Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us to be a prey to their teeth.
Cover	But praised be the Lord, who hath not given us over for a prey unto their teeth.

St Athanasius comments: 

What then is our duty, my brothers, for the sake of these things, but to praise and give thanks to God, the king of all? And let us first exclaim in the words of the psalms, "Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us over as a prey to their teeth." Let us keep the feast in that way that he has dedicated for us unto salvation—the holy day Easter—so that we may celebrate the feast which is in heaven with the angels. Thus anciently, the people of the Jews, when they came out of affliction into a state of ease, kept the feast, singing a song of praise for their victory. So also the people in the time of Esther, because they were delivered from the edict of death, kept a feast to the Lord, considering it a feast, returning thanks to the Lord and praising him for having changed their condition. Therefore let us, per­forming our vows to the Lord and confessing our sins, keep the feast to the Lord, in conversation, moral conduct and manner of life; praising our Lord, who has chastened us a little but has not utterly failed or forsaken us or altogether kept silence from us. For if, having brought us out of the deceitful and famous Egypt of the opponents of Christ, he has caused us to pass through many trials and afflictions, as it were in the wilderness, to his holy church, so that from hence, according to custom, we can send to you, as well as receive letters from you; on this account especially I both give thanks to God myself and exhort you to thank him with me and on my behalf, this being the apostolic custom, which these opponents of Christ, and the schismatics, wished to put an end to and to break off. The Lord did not permit it but both renewed and preserved that which was ordained by him through the apostle, so that we may keep the feast together, and together keep holy day, according to the tradition and com­mandment of the fathers. Festal Letter 10.11

6	V/NV	Anima nostra sicut passer erépta est * de láqueo venántium.
	JH	Anima nostra quasi auis erepta est de laqueo uenantium :
		ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν ὡς στρουθίον ἐρρύσθη ἐκ τῆς παγίδος τῶν θηρευόντων

Text notes: ‘Passer’ means sparrow, which is often used with connotations of a bird that lives alone; the Diurnal however follows the Masoretic text, which just uses the generic ‘bird’.

sicut, adv., as, just as, like.

passer, eris, m., a sparrow; the Hebrew term means any kind of small bird, not necessarily a sparrow

eripio, ripui, reptum, ere 3 (ex and rapio, to snatch away, to rescue, deliver

laqueus, ei, m., a noose for capturing animals; a snare, trap

dens, dentis, a tooth; to escape the malice of enemies is to escape from their teeth. 123,6.

venor, atus sum, ari, to hunt.

DR	Our soul has been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers.
MD	Our soul hath escaped like a bird, out of the snare of the fowler.
RSV	We have escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
Cover	Our soul is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler;

Bellarmine comments:

"and he tells us how that was effected when he says, "Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers." No doubt, our soul fell into persecution and temp­tation, as would a sparrow or any other bird, when they are seduced into the snare set by the fowlers; but still it was loosed and delivered from the temptation before the tempter got hold of it to kill it; like a bird caught in a snare but enlarged before the fowler arrived to take it, kill it, and eat it."

7	V/JH	Láqueus contrítus est, * et nos liberáti sumus.
	NV	laqueus contritus est, et nos erepti sumus.
		ἡ παγὶς συνετρίβη καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐρρύσθημεν

contero, trivi, Itum, ere 3, to break, crush, destroy.

libero, avi, atum, are  to free, set free, deliver

DR	The snare is broken, and we are delivered.

Bellarmine continues:

That was effected by "the snare being broken and thus we are delivered." God having by his grace, repressed the temptation before the soul either denied the faith or consented to sin in any other respect, just as the snare that held the bird would be broken, on which the bird flies off, and thus disappoints the fowler of his prey.

8	V/NV	Adjutórium nostrum in nómine Dómini, * qui fecit cælum et terram.
	JH	Auxilium nostrum in nomine Domini, qui fecit caelum et terram.
		ἡ βοήθεια ἡμῶν ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου τοῦ ποιήσαντος τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν

adjutorium, ii, n.  help, aid, assistance, strength,  shelter, protection,  support

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

nomen, mis, n. name.

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

terra, ae, /. the earth

DR	Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth
Cover	Our help standeth in the Name of the Lord, who hath made heaven and earth.

St Augustine notes that: 

So this heaven and earth is called the world. In saying "Do not love the world," he is not disparaging that world; whoever disparages that world, after all, is disparaging the maker of the world. Listen to the world mentioned twice in one place in different senses: it was said of the Lord Christ, "He was in this world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him."9 The world was made through him: "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." The world was made through him: "I lifted up my eyes to the moun­tains; from where will help come to me? My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."10 This world was made by God, and the world did not know him. Which world did not know him? The lover of the world, the lover of the work, the scorner of the workman. Sermon 3I3A.2.

Psalm 123: Nisi quia Dóminus erat in nobis 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Canticum graduum
1  Nisi quia Dóminus erat in nobis, dicat nunc Israël: * nisi quia Dóminus erat in nobis,	If it had not been that the Lord was with us, let Israel now say: 2 If it had not been that the Lord was with us,
2  Cum exsúrgerent hómines in nos, * forte vivos deglutíssent nos:	When men rose up against us, 3 perhaps they had swallowed us up alive.
3  Cum irascerétur furor eórum in nos, * fórsitan aqua absorbuísset nos.	When their fury was enkindled against us, perhaps the waters had swallowed us up.
4  Torréntem pertransívit ánima nostra: * fórsitan pertransísset ánima nostra aquam intolerábilem.	5 Our soul has passed through a torrent: perhaps our soul had passed through a water insupportable.
5  Benedíctus Dóminus * qui non dedit nos, in captiónem déntibus eórum.	6 Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us to be a prey to their teeth.
6  Anima nostra sicut passer erépta est * de láqueo venántium.	7 Our soul has been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers.
7  Láqueus contrítus est, * et nos liberáti sumus.	The snare is broken, and we are delivered.
8  Adjutórium nostrum in nómine Dómini, * qui fecit cælum et terram.	8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth