Psalm 138 is the 138th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the
King James Version
The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an Bible translations into English, English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and publis ...
: "I will praise thee with my whole heart". In Latin, it is known as "Confitebor tibi Domine in toto corde meo". The psalm is a hymn psalm.
In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek
Septuagint
The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Greek translation of books from the Hebrew Bible. It includes several books beyond ...
version of the Bible and in the Latin
Vulgate
The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible.
The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...
, this psalm is Psalm 137.
The psalm forms a regular part of
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
,
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
,
Orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
, and
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
liturgies. It has often been set to music, by composers including Claudio Monteverdi,
Heinrich Schütz
Heinrich Schütz (; 6 November 1672) was a German early Baroque composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as one of the most important composers of the 17th century. He ...
,
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (; 1643 – 24 February 1704) was a French Baroque composer during the reign of Louis XIV. One of his most famous works is the main theme from the prelude of his ''Te Deum'', ''Marche en rondeau''. This theme is still us ...
,
Michel Richard Delalande
Michel Richard Delalande e Lalande'' (; 15 December 1657 – 18 June 1726) was a French Baroque composer and organist who was in the service of King Louis XIV. He was one of the most important composers of grands motets. He also wrote orch ...
,
Jan Dismas Zelenka
Jan Dismas Zelenka (16 October 1679 – 23 December 1745), baptised Jan Lukáš Zelenka was a Czech composer and musician of the Baroque period. His music is admired for its harmonic inventiveness and mastery of counterpoint.
Zelenka was rais ...
,
Josef Rheinberger
Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (17 March 1839 – 25 November 1901) was a Liechtensteiner organist and composer, residing in Bavaria for most of his life.
Life
Josef Gabriel Rheinberger, whose father was the treasurer for Aloys II, Prince of Liech ...
psalm
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived f ...
from the Book of Psalms, which is the first book of the ''
Ketuvim
The Ketuvim (; hbo, , Modern: ''Kəṯūvīm'', Tiberian: ''Kăṯūḇīm'' "writings") is the third and final section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), after Torah (instruction) and Nevi'im (prophets). In English translations of the Hebrew Bi ...
'' ("Writings") in the
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach" '' ChristianOld Testament. It is part of the final Davidic collection of psalms, comprising Psalms 138 through 145, which are specifically attributed to
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
in their opening verses. However, Dunn and Rogerson assert that the psalm was written as an expression of thankfulness after the return from exile in Babylon. 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.
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.
Text
Hebrew Bible version
Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 138:
King James Version
# Psalmof David.
::I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
# 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.
# In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
# All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O L, when they hear the words of thy mouth.
# Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the L: for great is the glory of the L.
# Though the L be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
# 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.
# The L will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O L, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
Verse 1
:''I will praise You with my whole heart;
:''Before the gods I will sing praises to You.''
Alexander Kirkpatrick notes that the object of the psalmist's praise is not named, nor is it necessary that the should be named, although in certain "ancient versions", "the Lord" is added. Among modern translations, the
New Revised Standard Version
The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is an English translation of the Bible published in 1989 by the National Council of Churches.Modern English Version
The Modern English Version (MEV) is an English translation of the Bible begun in 2005 and completed in 2014. The work was edited by James F. Linzey, and is an update of the King James Version (KJV), re-translated from the Masoretic Text and the ...
add "O Lord".
Uses
Judaism
Psalm 138 is traditionally recited as a psalm of thanks and gratitude to God.
Verse 2 is recited during
Selichot
Selichot ( he, סְלִיחוֹת, səlīḥōt, singular: , ''səlīḥā'') are Jewish penitential poems and prayers, especially those said in the period leading up to the High Holidays, and on fast days. The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy ar ...
.
Verse 4 is the verse said by the mule in
Perek Shirah
''Perek Shira'' (Hebrew פרק שירה, lit. "Chapter of Song") is an ancient Jewish text. There are a number of versions extant, some associated with the Ashkenazic tradition, some with the Sephardic, and some with the Mizrahi Jews tradition. ...
.
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.
Catholic Church
Historically, this psalm was recited or sung at the office of
Vespers
Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic (both Latin and Eastern), Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Latin , meanin ...
on
Wednesday
Wednesday is the day of the week between Tuesday and Thursday. According to international standard ISO 8601, it is the third day of the week. In countries which have Friday as their holiday, Wednesday is the fifth day of the week. In countrie ...
s, according to the
Rule of St. Benedict
The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' ( la, Regula Sancti Benedicti) is a book of precepts written in Latin in 516 by St Benedict of Nursia ( AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot.
The spirit of Saint Benedict's Ru ...
. In the
Liturgy of the Hours
The Liturgy of the Hours (Latin: ''Liturgia Horarum'') or Divine Office (Latin: ''Officium Divinum'') or ''Opus Dei'' ("Work of God") are a set of Catholic prayers comprising the canonical hours, often also referred to as the breviary, of the ...
, Psalm 138 is recited at
Vespers
Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic (both Latin and Eastern), Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Latin , meanin ...
on the
Tuesday
Tuesday is the day of the week between Monday and Wednesday. According to international standard ISO 8601, Monday is the first day of the week; thus, Tuesday is the second day of the week. According to some commonly used calendars, however ...
of the fourth week of the four weekly liturgical cycle. In the liturgy of the Mass, it is played on the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time of the year, 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
The ''Genevan Psalter'', also known as the ''Huguenot Psalter'', is a metrical psalter in French created under the supervision of John Calvin for liturgical use by the Reformed churches of the city of Geneva in the sixteenth century.
Background ...
'' 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
Heinrich Schütz (; 6 November 1672) was a German early Baroque composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as one of the most important composers of the 17th century. He ...
set Psalm 138 in German, "Aus meines Herzens Grunde" (From the bottom of my heart) as part of his settings of the
Becker Psalter
The ''Becker Psalter'' is a German metrical psalter authored by the Leipzig theologian Cornelius Becker and first published by Jakob Apel in Leipzig in 1602 under the title ''Der Psalter Davids Gesangweis''. Several composers set the psalms cont ...
, published in 1628, SWV 243.
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (; 1643 – 24 February 1704) was a French Baroque composer during the reign of Louis XIV. One of his most famous works is the main theme from the prelude of his ''Te Deum'', ''Marche en rondeau''. This theme is still us ...
, 4 settings, (H.200, H.200 a, H.151, H.225, H.220),
Michel Richard Delalande
Michel Richard Delalande e Lalande'' (; 15 December 1657 – 18 June 1726) was a French Baroque composer and organist who was in the service of King Louis XIV. He was one of the most important composers of grands motets. He also wrote orch ...
set the psalm in Latin, "Confitebor tibi Domine in toto corde meo", S48, for soloists, chorus and orchestra in 1697. Henri Desmarets composed a setting for soloists, a five-part choir and orchestra in 1707.
Jan Dismas Zelenka
Jan Dismas Zelenka (16 October 1679 – 23 December 1745), baptised Jan Lukáš Zelenka was a Czech composer and musician of the Baroque period. His music is admired for its harmonic inventiveness and mastery of counterpoint.
Zelenka was rais ...
wrote 5 settings for soloists, chorus and orchestra, ZWV 70-73 and ZWV 100.
Josef Rheinberger
Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (17 March 1839 – 25 November 1901) was a Liechtensteiner organist and composer, residing in Bavaria for most of his life.
Life
Josef Gabriel Rheinberger, whose father was the treasurer for Aloys II, Prince of Liech ...
composed a four-part setting in Latin- "Confitebor tibi Domine" as No. 4 of his ''Fünf Motetten'' (Five motets), Op. 163, in 1885. The South African composer Stefans Grové wrote a setting for children's choir, choir, African drums,
marimba
The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...