Monday with the New Psalms: Psalm 132

Psalm 132

1 A song of ascents.

Remember, O LORD, for David

all his hardships;

2 How he swore an oath to the LORD,

vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:

3 “I will not enter the house where I live,

nor lie on the couch where I sleep;

4 I will give my eyes no sleep,

my eyelids no rest,

5 Till I find a place for the LORD,

a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6 “We have heard of it in Ephrathah;

we have found it in the fields of Jaar.

7 Let us enter his dwelling;

let us worship at his footstool.”

8 “Arise, LORD, come to your resting place,

you and your mighty ark.

9 Your priests will be clothed with justice;

your devout will shout for joy.”

10 For the sake of David your servant,

do not reject your anointed.

11 The LORD swore an oath to David in truth,

he will never turn back from it:

“Your own offspring I will set upon your throne.

12 If your sons observe my covenant,

and my decrees I shall teach them,

Their sons, in turn,

shall sit forever on your throne.”

13 Yes, the LORD has chosen Zion,

desired it for a dwelling:

14 “This is my resting place forever;

here I will dwell, for I desire it.

15 I will bless Zion with provisions;

its poor I will fill with bread.

16 I will clothe its priests with salvation;

its devout shall shout for joy.

17 There I will make a horn sprout for David;

I will set a lamp for my anointed.

18 His foes I will clothe with shame,

but on him his crown shall shine.”

--NABRE

1 A Song of Ascents.

O LORD, remember David

and all the hardships he endured,

2 the oath he swore to the LORD,

his vow to the Strong One of Jacob.

3 "I will not enter my house,

nor go to the bed where I rest;

4 I will give no sleep to my eyes,

to my eyelids I will give no slumber,

5 till I find a place for the LORD,

a dwelling for the Strong One of Jacob."

6 At Ephrata we heard of it;

we found it in the plains of Yearim.

7 "Let us go to the place of his dwelling;

let us bow down at his footstool."

8 Go up, LORD, to the place of your rest,

you and the ark of your strength.

9 Your priests shall be clothed with justice;

your faithful shall ring out their joy.

10 For the sake of David your servant,

do not reject your anointed.

11 The LORD swore an oath to David;

he will not go back on his word:

"A son, the fruit of your body,

will I set upon your throne.

12 If your sons hold fast to my covenant,

and my laws that I have taught them,

their sons, in turn, shall sit

on your throne from age to age."

13 For the LORD has chosen Sion;

he has desired it for his dwelling:

14 "This is my resting place from age to age;

here have I chosen to dwell.

15 I will greatly bless her produce;

I will; fill her poor with bread.

16 I will clothe her priests with salvation,

and her faithful shall ring out their joy.

17 I will make a stock sprout up for David;

I will prepare a lamp for my anointed.

18 I will cover his enemies with shame,

but on him my crown shall shine."

--Revised Grail Psalms

NABRE Notes:

[Psalm 132] A song for a liturgical ceremony in which the ark, the throne of Israel’s God, was carried in procession to the Temple. The singer asks that David’s care for the proper housing of the ark be regarded with favor (Ps 132:1–5), and tells how it was brought to Jerusalem (Ps 132:6–10). There follows God’s promise of favor to the Davidic dynasty (Ps 132:11–12) and to Zion (Ps 132:13–17). The transfer of the ark to the tent in Jerusalem is described in 2 Sm 6.

[132:2, 132:5] Mighty One of Jacob: one of the titles of Israel’s God, cf. Gn 49:24; Is 49:26; 60:16.

[132:6] Ephrathah: the homeland of David, cf. Ru 4:11. The fields of Jaar: poetic for Kiriath-jearim, a town west of Jerusalem, where the ark remained for several generations, cf. 1 Sm 7:1–2; 2 Sm 6:2; 1 Chr 13:5–6.

[132:17] A horn sprout for David: the image of the horn, a symbol of strength, is combined with that of a “sprout,” a term used for the Davidic descendant (cf. Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zec 3:8; 6:12). Early Christians referred the latter designation to Christ as son of David (Lk 1:69).