Psalm 138

Psalm 138 is the 138th psalm of the Book of Psalms, generally known in English by its first verse, "I will praise thee with my whole heart" (King James Version). The Book of Psalms is found in the third section of the Hebrew Bible,[1] and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and in its Latin translation in the Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 137 in a slightly different numbering system. In Latin, it is known as "Confitebor tibi Domine in toto corde meo".[2] The psalm is a hymn psalm.[3]

This article uses the Hebrew (Masoretic) Psalms numbering. Psalm 138 in Septuagint/Vulgate numbering would correspond to Psalm 139 in Hebrew numbering.
Psalm 138
"I will praise thee with my whole heart"
Hymn psalm
The beginning of Psalm 138, Hymne d'action de grâce, folio 84 of Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, musée Condé, ms.65. The miniature represents a religious spraying holy water on a dignitary who had just entered his church.
Other name
  • Psalm 137 (Vulgate)
  • "Confitebor tibi Domine in toto corde meo"
LanguageHebrew (original)

The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music often, by composers such as Claudio Monteverdi, Heinrich Schütz, Michel Richard Delalande, Josef Rheinberger and Stefans Grové.

History and content

Psalm 138 is the 138th psalm from the Book of Psalms, which is the first book of the Ketuvim ("Writings") in the Hebrew Bible, and is also a book of the Christian Old Testament.[4] It is part of the final Davidic collection of psalms, comprising Psalms 138 through 145, which are specifically attributed to David in the first verse.[5][6] However, Dunn and Rogerson assert that the psalm was written as an expression of thankfulness after the return from exile in Babylon.[7] This particular psalm describes that those who are close to God live in reality, and those who believe in human power live in a world of fantasy.[8]

The singer begins with individual thanks for God's lasting love and care. The hope that it will endure forever ends the psalm, framing the middle section which first calls to universal thanks and praise, and then mentions ongoing adversaries and trouble which the singer is sure to overcome with God's help.[9]

Text

Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 138:

Verse Hebrew
1 לְדָוִ֨ד | אֽוֹדְךָ֥ בְכָל־לִבִּ֑י נֶ֖גֶד אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲזַמְּרֶֽךָּ
2 אֶשְׁתַּֽחֲוֶ֨ה אֶל־הֵיכַ֪ל קָדְשְׁךָ֡ וְא֘וֹדֶ֚ה אֶת־שְׁמֶ֗ךָ עַל־חַסְדְּךָ֥ וְעַל־אֲמִתֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־הִגְדַּ֥לְתָּ עַל־כָּל־שִׁ֜מְךָ֗ אִמְרָתֶֽךָ
3 בְּי֣וֹם קָ֖רָאתִי וַֽתַּֽעֲנֵ֑נִי תַּרְהִבֵ֖נִי בְנַפְשִׁ֣י עֹֽז
4 יוֹד֣וּךָ יְהֹוָה כָּל־מַלְכֵי־אָ֑רֶץ כִּ֥י שָֽׁ֜מְע֗וּ אִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ
5 וְיָשִׁירוּ בְּדַרְכֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה כִּ֥י גָ֜ד֗וֹל כְּב֣וֹד יְהֹוָֽה
6 כִּ֚י רָ֣ם יְ֖הֹוָה וְשָׁפָ֣ל יִרְאֶ֑ה וְגָבֹ֖הַּ מִמֶּרְחָ֥ק יְיֵדָֽע
7 אִם־אֵלֵ֚ךְ | בְּקֶ֥רֶב צָרָ֗ה תְּחַ֫יֵּ֥נִי עַ֚ל אַ֣ף אֹֽ֖יְבַי תִּשְׁלַ֣ח יָדֶ֑ךָ וְת֖וֹשִׁיעֵ֣נִי יְמִינֶֽךָ
8 יְהֹוָה֘ יִגְמֹ֪ר בַּֽ֫עֲדִ֥י יְ֖הֹוָה חַסְדְּךָ֣ לְעוֹלָ֑ם מַֽעֲשֵׂ֖י יָדֶ֣יךָ אַל־תֶּֽרֶף

King James Version
  1. [A Psalm] of David.
I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
  1. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
  2. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
  3. All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD,[10] when they hear the words of thy mouth.
  4. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.
  5. Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
  6. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
  7. The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Uses

Judaism

Psalm 138 is traditionally recited as a psalm of thanks and gratitude to God.[11][12]

Verse 2 is recited during Selichot.[13]

Verse 4 is the verse said by the mule in Perek Shirah.[14]

Verses 3 and 8 are recited at the end of the Amidah by people whose names begin with the first letter of the verse and end with the last letter of the verse.[13]

Catholic Church

Historically, this psalm was recited or sung at the office of Vespers on Wednesday, according to the Rule of St. Benedict.[15][16] In the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 138 is recited at Vespers of Tuesday of the fourth semaine.[17] Moreover, in the liturgy of the Mass, it is played on the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time of the year,[18] the 5th and the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time of the year.

Musical settings

The psalm appeared in a rhymed version in the hymnal Genevan Psalter in the 1551 edition. German versions on the same melody, "Mein ganzes Herz erhebet dich", were published from the 18th century, and are part of Protestant and Catholic hymnals.

Heinrich Schütz set Psalm 138 in German, "Aus meines Herzens Grunde" (From the bottom of my heart) as part of his settings of the Becker Psalter, published in 1628, SWV 243.[19] Michel Richard Delalande set the psalm in Latin, "Confitebor tibi Domine in toto corde meo", S.48, for voices and orchestra in 1697.[20] Henri Desmarets composed a setting for soloists, a five-part choir and orchestra in 1707.[21] Josef Rheinberger composed a four-part setting in Latin- "Confitebor tibi Domine" as No. 4 of his Fünf Motetten (Five motets), Op. 163, in 1885.[22] The South African composer Stefans Grové wrote a setting for children's choir, choir, African drums, marimba, and string orchestra in 2002.[23]

References
  1. Mazor 2011, p. 589.
  2. Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 137 (138) Archived 2017-05-07 at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
  3. Pankhurst 2018.
  4. Commentaires of the psalms, Hilaire de Poitiers, IVe siècle, Paris, Éditions du Cerf, 2008
  5. Lama, A. K. (2013). Reading Psalm 145 with the Sages: A Compositional Analysis. Langham Monographs. p. 3. ISBN 9781907713354.
  6. Schaefer, Konrad (2016). Berit Olam: Psalms. Liturgical Press. p. 19. ISBN 9780814682173.
  7. Dunn & Rogerson 2003, p. 431.
  8. The Artscroll Tehillim page 298
  9. Dunn & Rogerson 2003, p. 430.
  10. In the King James Version, the use of small capitals in LORD means that the Hebrew Text contains the proper name Yhwh here, translated as "Lord" following an ancient Jewish and Christian liturgical practice.
  11. Weintraub, Rabbi Simkha Y. (2018). "Psalms as the Ultimate Self-Help Tool". myjewishlearning.com. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  12. Geduld, Herb (September 27, 2017). "Tehillim in the cornerstone of our liturgy". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  13. Brauner, Reuven (2013). Shimush Pesukim: Comprehensive Index to Liturgical and Ceremonial Uses of Biblical Verses and Passages (PDF) (2nd ed.). p. 50.
  14. Slifkin, Nosson (2003). "Perek Shirah" (PDF). zootorah.com. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  15. Règle de saint Benoît, traduction de Prosper Guéranger, p. 47, réimpression 2007
  16. Psautier latin-français du bréviaire monastique, p. 516, 1938/2003.
  17. The main cycle of liturgical prayers takes place over four weeks.
  18. The cycle of Sunday Mass readings takes place over three years.
  19. Becker Psalter, Op.5 (Schütz, Heinrich): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
  20. Confitebor tibi Domine in toto corde meo, S.48 (Lalande, Michel Richard de): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
  21. Confitebor tibi Domine (Desmarets, Henri)): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
  22. Confitebor tibi Domine / aus: Fünf Motetten /op. 163, 4, 1885 Carus
  23. Stephanus Muller, Chris Walton (eds.): A Composer in Africa: Essays on the Life and Work of Stefans Grové p. 124

Cited sources
  • Dunn, James D. G.; Rogerson, John William (2003). Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 430–431. ISBN 978-0-80-283711-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Mazor, Lea (2011). Berlin, Adele; Grossman, Maxine (eds.). Book of Psalms. The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-973004-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Pankhurst, Jennifer (2018). "The Conventions of Biblical Poetry". myjewishlearning.com. Retrieved 3 April 2018.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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