Chapter: Book 2

Psalms of Thanksgiving

These psalms/songs praise God in response to an event of deliverance already experienced. They are songs sung by people who, after a time of waiting, have experienced the goodness of God in the everyday world. These songs come from ordinary individuals, the king (royal), or the believing community.

Examples: Psalms 30, 32, 34, 65, 67, 92, 107, 116, 124, 138 and others

Hymns

Hymns extol the glory and greatness of God as it is revealed in nature and history, and particularly in Israels’s history. Hymns praise God in general terms for his power and faithfulness as creator of the cosmos, ruler of history, and creator/redeemer of Israel to bring blessing to all the world. Israel’s hymns stress God’s active involvement in the life story of Israel. Hymns typically demonstrate motives for worshipping and praising God. A clear example is Psalm 117, the shortest psalm, just two verses:

¹ O praise the Lord, all you nations; *

praise him, all you peoples.

² For (= Hebrew ki) great is his loving-kindness towards us, *

and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.

Praise the Lord.

Hymns were used for exuberant worship in the temple and the synagogue. The people of God before the Incarnation invite us to celebrate and praise with them in hope of the kingdom of God and his Messiah. Hymns, like all psalms, show Christians how to praise God who has acted in creation, in revelation, and in redemption, and who is acting decisively in establishing his kingdom on earth. They do not ask anything; they simply rejoice in God’s presence.

Examples: Psalms 8, 19:1-6, 33, 66:1-12, 100, 103, 104, 145-150, and others

67

Deus misereatur

¹ May God be merciful unto us, and bless us, *

and show us the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto us.

² Let your way be known upon earth, *

your saving health among all nations.

³ Let the peoples praise you, O God; *

indeed, let all the peoples praise you.

⁴ O let the nations rejoice and be glad, *

for you shall judge the peoples righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.

⁵ Let the peoples praise you, O God; *

let all the peoples praise you.

⁶ Then shall the earth bring forth her increase, *

and God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing.

⁷ God shall bless us, *

and all the ends of the world shall fear him.

Hymns

Hymns extol the glory and greatness of God as it is revealed in nature and history, and particularly in Israels’s history. Hymns praise God in general terms for his power and faithfulness as creator of the cosmos, ruler of history, and creator/redeemer of Israel to bring blessing to all the world. Israel’s hymns stress God’s active involvement in the life story of Israel. Hymns typically demonstrate motives for worshipping and praising God. A clear example is Psalm 117, the shortest psalm, just two verses:

¹ O praise the Lord, all you nations; *

praise him, all you peoples.

² For (= Hebrew ki) great is his loving-kindness towards us, *

and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.

Praise the Lord.

Hymns were used for exuberant worship in the temple and the synagogue. The people of God before the Incarnation invite us to celebrate and praise with them in hope of the kingdom of God and his Messiah. Hymns, like all psalms, show Christians how to praise God who has acted in creation, in revelation, and in redemption, and who is acting decisively in establishing his kingdom on earth. They do not ask anything; they simply rejoice in God’s presence.

Examples: Psalms 8, 19:1-6, 33, 66:1-12, 100, 103, 104, 145-150, and others

Psalms of Thanksgiving

These psalms/songs praise God in response to an event of deliverance already experienced. They are songs sung by people who, after a time of waiting, have experienced the goodness of God in the everyday world. These songs come from ordinary individuals, the king (royal), or the believing community.

Examples: Psalms 30, 32, 34, 65, 67, 92, 107, 116, 124, 138 and others

66

Jubilate Deo

¹ Be joyful in God, all you lands; *

sing praises to the honor of his Name; make his praise to be glorious.

² Say to God, “How wonderful are your works; *

through the greatness of your power shall your enemies cower before you.

³ For all the world shall worship you, *

sing to you, and praise your Name.”

⁴ O come and see the works of God, *

how wonderful he is in his doing toward all people.

⁵ He turned the sea into dry land, so that they went through the water on foot; *

therefore in him let us rejoice.

⁶ He rules with his power for ever; his eyes keep watch over the nations; *

let not the rebellious exalt themselves.

⁷ Bless our God, you peoples, *

and make the voice of his praise to be heard,

⁸ Who holds our soul in life, *

and does not allow our feet to slip.

⁹ For you, O God, have proved us; *

you have tried us, as silver is tried.

¹⁰ You brought us into the snare *

and laid trouble upon our backs.

¹¹ You allowed men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and water; *

but you brought us out into a place of plenty.

¹² I will go into your house with burnt offerings *

and will pay you my vows,

¹³ Even those which I promised with my lips *

and spoke with my mouth when I was in trouble.

¹⁴ I will offer you burnt sacrifices of fattened beasts, with the incense of rams; *

I will offer bullocks and goats.

¹⁵ Come here and listen, all you who fear God, *

and I will tell you what he has done for me.

¹⁶ I called to him with my mouth, *

and gave him praises with my tongue.

¹⁷ If I had inclined toward wickedness with my heart, *

the Lord would not have heard me.

¹⁸ But God has heard me *

and considered the voice of my prayer.

¹⁹ Blessed be God who has not refused my prayer, *

nor turned his mercy from me.

Psalms of Thanksgiving

These psalms/songs praise God in response to an event of deliverance already experienced. They are songs sung by people who, after a time of waiting, have experienced the goodness of God in the everyday world. These songs come from ordinary individuals, the king (royal), or the believing community.

Examples: Psalms 30, 32, 34, 65, 67, 92, 107, 116, 124, 138 and others

Hymns

Hymns extol the glory and greatness of God as it is revealed in nature and history, and particularly in Israels’s history. Hymns praise God in general terms for his power and faithfulness as creator of the cosmos, ruler of history, and creator/redeemer of Israel to bring blessing to all the world. Israel’s hymns stress God’s active involvement in the life story of Israel. Hymns typically demonstrate motives for worshipping and praising God. A clear example is Psalm 117, the shortest psalm, just two verses:

¹ O praise the Lord, all you nations; *

praise him, all you peoples.

² For (= Hebrew ki) great is his loving-kindness towards us, *

and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.

Praise the Lord.

Hymns were used for exuberant worship in the temple and the synagogue. The people of God before the Incarnation invite us to celebrate and praise with them in hope of the kingdom of God and his Messiah. Hymns, like all psalms, show Christians how to praise God who has acted in creation, in revelation, and in redemption, and who is acting decisively in establishing his kingdom on earth. They do not ask anything; they simply rejoice in God’s presence.

Examples: Psalms 8, 19:1-6, 33, 66:1-12, 100, 103, 104, 145-150, and others

65

Te decet hymnus

¹ You, O God, are to be praised in Zion, *

and unto you shall vows be performed in Jerusalem.

² You who hear our prayer, *

unto you shall all flesh come.

³ My misdeeds prevail against me; *

O be merciful and blot out our sins.

⁴ Blessed is the man whom you choose and receive unto yourself; *

he shall dwell in your courts, and shall be satisfied with the pleasures of your house, even of your holy temple.

⁵ You shall show us wonderful things in your righteousness, O God of our salvation, *

for you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the isles that are far away.

⁶ You in your strength set firm the mountains, *

and are girded about with power.

⁷ You still the raging of the seas, *

the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.

⁸ Those who dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth shall be in fear of your wonders; *

you make the morning and evening to shout with joy.

⁹ You visit the earth and bless it; *

you make it very plenteous.

¹⁰ The river of God is full of water; *

you prepare the grain, for so you provide for the earth.

¹¹ You water its furrows; you send rain into the little valleys; *

you make it soft with the drops of rain and bless the increase of it.

¹² You crown the year with your goodness, *

and your paths overflow with plenty.

¹³ The fields of the wilderness are rich in pasture, *

and the little hills rejoice on every side.

¹⁴ The folds shall be full of sheep; *

the valleys also shall stand so thick with grain that they shall laugh and sing.

Laments

More than 1/3 of the Psalms fall into the category of complaints to God in situations of limitation or threat. These laments were a form of prayer and praise based on the conviction that God is concerned about people and answers the human cry in ways surpassing human expectation or understanding. Israel’s laments out of distress were a way of praising God even when he seemed absent. The faith of the psalmists is founded on the good news that God intervenes in desperate situations to help those who are distressed. The psalmists share a deep confidence that God is compassionate, concerned, hearing his people and involved with them; God is faithful and trustworthy. A lament is an outcry to God from a responsive heart. Laments came from individuals or from the community.

Examples: Psalms 3-5, 22, 27:7-14, 42, 51, 69, 90, 130, 137 and many others

64

Exaudi, Deus

¹ Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer; *

preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

² Hide me from the gathering together of the wicked, *

and from the tumult of evildoers,

³ Who have whet their tongue like a sword, *

and shoot out their arrows, even bitter words,

⁴ That they may secretly shoot at the one who is blameless; *

suddenly do they shoot him, and fear not.

⁵ They hold fast to their evil purpose, *

and discuss among themselves how they may lay snares, and say that no one shall see them.

⁶ They imagine wickedness, and practice a cunning plot; *

for the human heart and mind are very deep.

⁷ But God shall suddenly shoot at them with a swift arrow, *

and they shall be wounded.

⁸ Indeed, their own tongues shall make them fall, *

so that all who see them shall laugh them to scorn.

⁹ And all shall fear and tell what God has done, *

for they shall perceive that it is his work.

¹⁰ The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord and put their trust in him, *

and all who are true of heart shall be glad.

Songs of Trust

Even in direst straits, the psalmists interject words of trust and confidence in God. However, in some psalms the theme of trust is developed as a self-contained song. the psalmists share their sense of the nearness and saving power of God, and their attitude of humble trust in God. These psalms speak for us as we entrust our will and our lives to God’s care. Psalm 23 is the most famous psalm of trust.

Example: Psalms 11, 16, 23, 27:1-6, 62, 63, 91, 121, 125, 131

Laments

More than 1/3 of the Psalms fall into the category of complaints to God in situations of limitation or threat. These laments were a form of prayer and praise based on the conviction that God is concerned about people and answers the human cry in ways surpassing human expectation or understanding. Israel’s laments out of distress were a way of praising God even when he seemed absent. The faith of the psalmists is founded on the good news that God intervenes in desperate situations to help those who are distressed. The psalmists share a deep confidence that God is compassionate, concerned, hearing his people and involved with them; God is faithful and trustworthy. A lament is an outcry to God from a responsive heart. Laments came from individuals or from the community.

Examples: Psalms 3-5, 22, 27:7-14, 42, 51, 69, 90, 130, 137 and many others

63

Deus, Deus meus

¹ O God, you are my God; *

early will I seek you.

² My soul thirsts for you, my flesh also longs after you, *

in a barren and dry land where there is no water.

³ Thus I have looked upon you in your holy place, *

that I might behold your power and glory.

⁴ For your loving-kindness is better than life itself; *

my lips shall praise you.

⁵ As long as I live I will magnify you, *

and lift up my hands in your Name.

⁶ My soul shall be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness, *

when my mouth praises you with joyful lips.

⁷ When I remember you on my bed, *

I meditate on you in the watches of the night.

⁸ Because you have been my helper, *

therefore under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.

⁹ My soul clings to you; *

your right hand has upheld me.

¹⁰ Those who seek to destroy my life *

shall go down into the earth.

¹¹ Let them fall upon the edge of the sword, *

that they may be a portion for jackals.

¹² But the King shall rejoice in God; all those who swear by him shall be commended, *

for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

Songs of Trust

Even in direst straits, the psalmists interject words of trust and confidence in God. However, in some psalms the theme of trust is developed as a self-contained song. the psalmists share their sense of the nearness and saving power of God, and their attitude of humble trust in God. These psalms speak for us as we entrust our will and our lives to God’s care. Psalm 23 is the most famous psalm of trust.

Example: Psalms 11, 16, 23, 27:1-6, 62, 63, 91, 121, 125, 131

62

Nonne Deo?

¹ For God alone my soul in silence waits; *

from him comes my salvation.

² He truly is my strength and my salvation; *

he is my defense, so that I shall not be greatly shaken.

³ How long will you assail a man to crush him, all of you together, *

as if you were a tottering wall or a broken fence?

⁴ Their plan is only to bring down the one whom God has exalted; *

their delight is in lies; they bless with their mouth, but curse with their heart.

⁵ Nevertheless, for God alone my soul in silence waits, *

for my hope is in him.

⁶ He truly is my strength and my salvation; *

he is my defense, so that I shall not fall.

⁷ In God is my help and my glory; *

he is the rock of my might, and in him is my trust.

⁸ O put your trust in him always, you people; *

pour out your hearts before him, for God is our hope.

⁹ As for the children of men, they are but a breath; *

the children of men are deceitful; upon the scales, they are altogether lighter than a breath.

¹⁰ O trust not in oppression; put not vain hopes in robbery; *

if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

¹¹ One thing has God spoken; indeed, two things have I heard him say: *

that power belongs to our God;

¹² And that you, O Lord, are merciful, *

for you reward everyone according to his work.

Laments

More than 1/3 of the Psalms fall into the category of complaints to God in situations of limitation or threat. These laments were a form of prayer and praise based on the conviction that God is concerned about people and answers the human cry in ways surpassing human expectation or understanding. Israel’s laments out of distress were a way of praising God even when he seemed absent. The faith of the psalmists is founded on the good news that God intervenes in desperate situations to help those who are distressed. The psalmists share a deep confidence that God is compassionate, concerned, hearing his people and involved with them; God is faithful and trustworthy. A lament is an outcry to God from a responsive heart. Laments came from individuals or from the community.

Examples: Psalms 3-5, 22, 27:7-14, 42, 51, 69, 90, 130, 137 and many others

61

Exaudi, Deus

¹ Hear my cry, O God; *

give ear unto my prayer.

² From the ends of the earth I will call upon you *

when my heart is in heaviness.

³ O set me upon the rock that is higher than I, *

for you have been my refuge and a strong tower for me against the enemy.

⁴ Let me dwell in your tabernacle for ever, *

and my refuge shall be under the covering of your wings.

⁵ For you, O God, have heard my vows, *

and have given a heritage to those who fear your Name.

⁶ You shall grant the king a long life, *

that his years may endure throughout all generations.

⁷ His throne shall abide before God for ever; *

O prepare your loving mercy and faithfulness, that they may preserve him.

⁸ So will I always sing praise unto your Name, *

that I may daily perform my vows.

Laments

More than 1/3 of the Psalms fall into the category of complaints to God in situations of limitation or threat. These laments were a form of prayer and praise based on the conviction that God is concerned about people and answers the human cry in ways surpassing human expectation or understanding. Israel’s laments out of distress were a way of praising God even when he seemed absent. The faith of the psalmists is founded on the good news that God intervenes in desperate situations to help those who are distressed. The psalmists share a deep confidence that God is compassionate, concerned, hearing his people and involved with them; God is faithful and trustworthy. A lament is an outcry to God from a responsive heart. Laments came from individuals or from the community.

Examples: Psalms 3-5, 22, 27:7-14, 42, 51, 69, 90, 130, 137 and many others

60

Deus, repulisti nos

¹ O God, you have cast us out and scattered us abroad; *

you have been so displeased; O turn unto us again.

² You have made the land to quake and divided it; *

heal the breaches in it, for it shakes.

³ You have made your people to drink a cup of bitterness; *

you have filled us with wine that makes us stagger.

⁴ You have set up a banner for those who fear you, *

that they may triumph because of the truth.

⁵ That your beloved may be delivered, *

help me with your right hand and hear me.

⁶ God has spoken in his holiness: *

“I will rejoice and divide Shechem, and parcel out the valley of Succoth.

⁷ Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; *

Ephraim also is the helmet for my head; Judah is my scepter.

⁸ Moab is my wash pot; on Edom I will cast my shoe; *

over Philistia will I shout in triumph.”

⁹ Who will lead me into the strong city? *

Who will bring me into Edom?

¹⁰ Have you not cast us out, O God? *

Will you not, O God, go out with our armies?

¹¹ O be our help in trouble, *

for vain is the help of man.

¹² Through God we will do great acts, *

for it is he who shall tread down our enemies.

Laments

More than 1/3 of the Psalms fall into the category of complaints to God in situations of limitation or threat. These laments were a form of prayer and praise based on the conviction that God is concerned about people and answers the human cry in ways surpassing human expectation or understanding. Israel’s laments out of distress were a way of praising God even when he seemed absent. The faith of the psalmists is founded on the good news that God intervenes in desperate situations to help those who are distressed. The psalmists share a deep confidence that God is compassionate, concerned, hearing his people and involved with them; God is faithful and trustworthy. A lament is an outcry to God from a responsive heart. Laments came from individuals or from the community.

Examples: Psalms 3-5, 22, 27:7-14, 42, 51, 69, 90, 130, 137 and many others

59

Eripe me de inimicis

¹ Deliver me from my enemies, O God; *

defend me from those who rise up against me.

² O deliver me from the evildoers, *

and save me from the bloodthirsty.

³ For behold, they lie in wait for my soul; *

the mighty are gathered against me, without any offense or fault of mine, O Lord.

⁴ They run and prepare themselves without cause. *

Arise therefore to help me, and behold.

⁵ Rise up, O Lord God of hosts, O God of Israel, to visit all the nations, *

and be not merciful to those who offend with malicious wickedness.

⁶ They go to and fro in the evening; *

they howl like dogs, and run about through the city.

⁷ Behold, they boast with their mouths, and taunts are on their lips, *

for they say, “Who will hear us?”

⁸ But you, O Lord, shall hold them in derision, *

and you shall laugh all the nations to scorn.

⁹ My strength I will ascribe unto you, *

for you are the God of my refuge.

¹⁰ God shows me his plenteous goodness, *

and God shall let me look in triumph upon my enemies.

¹¹ Slay them not, lest my people forget it, *

but scatter them abroad by your might, and put them down, O Lord our shield.

¹² For the sin of their mouth, and for the words of their lips, they shall be taken in their pride, *

because their talk is cursing and lies.

¹³ Consume them in your wrath; consume them, that they may perish, *

and know that it is God who rules in Jacob, and unto the ends of the world.

¹⁴ In the evening they will return, *

howl like dogs, and run about through the city.

¹⁵ They will run here and there for meat *

and growl if they are not satisfied.

¹⁶ As for me, I will sing of your power, and will praise your mercy early in the morning, *

for you have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.

¹⁷ Unto you, O my strength, will I sing, *

for you, O God, are my refuge, and my merciful God.