| Psalm 108 | |
|---|---|
| "O give thanks unto the LORD" | |
 Psalm 108 in theHarley Psalter (1000-1050) | |
| Other name |
|
| Language | Hebrew (original) |
| Psalm 108 | |
|---|---|
| Book | Book of Psalms |
| Hebrew Bible part | Ketuvim |
| Order in the Hebrew part | 1 |
| Category | Sifrei Emet |
| Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 19 |
Psalm 108 is the 108th psalm in theBook of Psalms. It is ahymn psalm, beginning in English in theKing James Version: "O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory". In the slightly different numbering system used in the GreekSeptuagint version of the bible, and in the LatinVulgate, this psalm isPsalm 107. In Latin, it is known as "Paratum cor meum Deus".[1] It is attributed toDavid.
The psalm forms a regular part ofJewish,Catholic,Lutheran,Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music.
Psalm 108 contains numerous verses which appear in other psalms. Verses 1–5 are similar toPsalm 57:7–11, with slight variation, while verses 7–13 are similar toPsalm 60:5–12. William Barrick considers this psalm to be the "borrower".[2][3]John Paul II said that the fusion of Psalms 57 and 60 with Psalm 108 shows that "Israel, already in theOld Testament, was re-using and bringing up-to-date the Word of God revealed".[4]
Charles Spurgeon called Psalm 108 "The Warrior's Morning Song, with which he adores his God and strengthens his heart before entering upon the conflicts of the day". He notes that in Psalm 57, verses 7-11 follow on from prayer "and grow out of it", whereas here they initiate the psalm: "the psalmist begins at once to sing and give praise, and afterwards prays to God in a remarkably confident manner".[5]
Matthew Henry calls it "an assurance of God's answer and salvation".[6]
This is one of the psalms for which St.Benedict of Nursia did not specify the use, in theRule of St. Benedict of 530AD. However, Psalm 108 was traditionally performed by his order formatins ofSaturday,[8] or according to another document of the founder or according to one of his successors, so that all 150 psalms are executed each Week.[9]
In theLiturgy of Hours, Psalm 108 is read to the Office ofLauds of Wednesday of the fourth week.[10]
After theexcommunication of the whole Spanish town ofTrasmoz in the late 13th century, and the refusal of the population to repent the Church cursed the town with the chanting of psalm 108 in 1511.[11]
In theEastern Orthodox Church, Psalm 107 (Psalm 108 in the Masoretic Text) is part of the fifteenthKathisma division of the Psalter, read atVespers on Thursday evenings, as well as on Tuesdays and Fridays duringLent, at theSixth Hour andMatins, respectively.[12]
Psalm 108 has been set to music in theAnglican "Hymnal 1982",The United Methodist Hymnal, Psalter Hymnal (Gray) and theBaptist Hymnal (1991 version).
In theChurch of England'sBook of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the twenty-second day of the month,[13] as well as atEvensong onAscension Day.[14]
Heinrich Schütz composed a four-part setting to a metric German text, "Mit rechtem Ernst und fröhlichm Mut",SVW 206, for the 1628Becker Psalter.Marc-Antoine Charpentier set it around 1680 in Latin,Paratum cor meum Deus, H.183, for three voices and continuo.
The following table shows the Hebrew text[15][16] of the Psalm with vowels, alongside theKoine Greek text in theSeptuagint[17] and the English translation from theKing James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and theMasoretic Text come from different textual traditions.[note 1] In the Septuagint, this psalm is numbered Psalm 107.
| # | Hebrew | English | Greek |
|---|---|---|---|
| [a] | שִׁ֖יר מִזְמ֣וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ | (A Song or Psalm of David.) | ᾿ῼδὴ ψαλμοῦ τῷ Δαυΐδ. - |
| 1 | נָכ֣וֹן לִבִּ֣י אֱלֹהִ֑ים אָשִׁ֥ירָה וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה אַף־כְּבוֹדִֽי׃ | O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. | ΕΤΟΙΜΗ ἡ καρδία μου, ὁ Θεός, ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου, ᾄσομαι καὶ ψαλῶ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ μου. |
| 2 | ע֭וּרָֽה הַנֵּ֥בֶל וְכִנּ֗וֹר אָעִ֥ירָה שָּֽׁחַר׃ | Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. | ἐξεγέρθητι, ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάρα· ἐξεγερθήσομαι ὄρθρου. |
| 3 | אוֹדְךָ֖ בָעַמִּ֥ים ׀ יְהֹוָ֑ה וַ֝אֲזַמֶּרְךָ֗ בַּלְאֻמִּֽים׃ | I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. | ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι ἐν λαοῖς, Κύριε, ψαλῶ σοι ἐν ἔθνεσιν, |
| 4 | כִּי־גָד֣וֹל מֵעַל־שָׁמַ֣יִם חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וְֽעַד־שְׁחָקִ֥ים אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃ | For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. | ὅτι μέγα ἐπάνω τῶν οὐρανῶν τὸ ἔλεός σου καὶ ἕως τῶν νεφελῶν ἡ ἀλήθειά σου. |
| 5 | ר֣וּמָה עַל־שָׁמַ֣יִם אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְעַ֖ל כׇּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃ | Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth; | ὑψώθητι ἐπὶ τοὺς οὐρανούς, ὁ Θεός, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἡ δόξα σου. |
| 6 | לְ֭מַעַן יֵחָלְצ֣וּן יְדִידֶ֑יךָ הוֹשִׁ֖יעָה יְמִֽינְךָ֣ וַעֲנֵֽנִי׃ | That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me. | ὅπως ἂν ῥυσθῶσιν οἱ ἀγαπητοί σου, σῶσον τῇ δεξιᾷ σου καὶ ἐπάκουσόν μου. |
| 7 | אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ דִּבֶּ֥ר בְּקׇדְשׁ֗וֹ אֶ֫עְלֹ֥זָה אֲחַלְּקָ֥ה שְׁכֶ֑ם וְעֵ֖מֶק סֻכּ֣וֹת אֲמַדֵּֽד׃ | God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. | ὁ Θεὸς ἐλάλησεν ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ· ὑψωθήσομαι καὶ διαμεριῶ Σίκιμα, καὶ τὴν κοιλάδα τῶν σκηνῶν διαμετρήσω· |
| 8 | לִ֤י גִלְעָ֨ד ׀ לִ֤י מְנַשֶּׁ֗ה וְ֭אֶפְרַיִם מָע֣וֹז רֹאשִׁ֑י יְ֝הוּדָ֗ה מְחֹקְקִֽי׃ | Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; | ἐμός ἐστι Γαλαάδ, καὶ ἐμός ἐστι Μανασσῆς, καὶ ᾿Εφραὶμ ἀντίληψις τῆς κεφαλῆς μου, ᾿Ιούδας βασιλεύς μου, |
| 9 | מוֹאָ֤ב ׀ סִ֬יר רַחְצִ֗י עַל־אֱ֭דוֹם אַשְׁלִ֣יךְ נַעֲלִ֑י עֲלֵי־פְ֝לֶ֗שֶׁת אֶתְרוֹעָֽע׃ | Moab is my washpot; overEdom will I cast out my shoe; overPhilistia will I triumph. | Μωὰβ λέβης τῆς ἐλπίδος μου, ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿Ιδουμαίαν ἐπιβαλῶ τὸ ὑπόδημά μου, ἐμοὶ ἀλλόφυλοι ὑπετάγησαν. |
| 10 | מִ֣י יֹ֭בִלֵנִי עִ֣יר מִבְצָ֑ר מִ֖י נָחַ֣נִי עַד־אֱדֽוֹם׃ | Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? | τίς ἀπάξει με εἰς πόλιν περιοχῆς; ἢ τίς ὁδηγήσει με ἕως τῆς ᾿Ιδουμαίας; |
| 11 | הֲלֹֽא־אֱלֹהִ֥ים זְנַחְתָּ֑נוּ וְֽלֹא־תֵצֵ֥א אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים בְּצִבְאֹתֵֽינוּ׃ | Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts? | οὐχὶ σύ, ὁ Θεός, ὁ ἀπωσάμενος ἡμᾶς; καὶ οὐκ ἐξελεύσῃ, ὁ Θεός, ἐν ταῖς δυνάμεσιν ἡμῶν; |
| 12 | הָבָה־לָּ֣נוּ עֶזְרָ֣ת מִצָּ֑ר וְ֝שָׁ֗וְא תְּשׁוּעַ֥ת אָדָֽם׃ | Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. | δὸς ἡμῖν βοήθειαν ἐκ θλίψεως, καὶ ματαία σωτηρία ἀνθρώπου. |
| 13 | בֵּאלֹהִ֥ים נַעֲשֶׂה־חָ֑יִל וְ֝ה֗וּא יָב֥וּס צָרֵֽינוּ׃ | Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. | ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ποιήσωμεν δύναμιν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξουδενώσει τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἡμῶν. |
TheMidrash teaches that this verse (verse 3 in Hebrew numbering) refers to David's practice of arising each night before dawn and praising God with psaltery and harp, thus "awakening the dawn".[19]
