| Psalm 108 | |
|---|---|
| "O give thanks unto the LORD" | |
 Psalm 108 in the Harley 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 the Book of Psalms. It is a hymn psalm, beginning in English in the King 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 Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and in the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 107.In Latin, it is known as "Paratum cor meum Deus".[1] It is attributed to David.
The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music.
The following table shows the Hebrew text[2][3] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).
| Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | שִׁ֖יר מִזְמ֣וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ | A Song, a Psalm of David. |
| 2 | נָכ֣וֹן לִבִּ֣י אֱלֹהִ֑ים אָשִׁ֥ירָה וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה אַף־כְּבוֹדִֽי׃ | My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises, even with my glory. |
| 3 | ע֭וּרָֽה הַנֵּ֥בֶל וְכִנּ֗וֹר אָעִ֥ירָה שָּֽׁחַר׃ | Awake, psaltery and harp; I will awake the dawn. |
| 4 | אוֹדְךָ֖ בָעַמִּ֥ים ׀ יְהֹוָ֑ה וַ֝אֲזַמֶּרְךָ֗ בַּלְאֻמִּֽים׃ | I will give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, among the peoples; And I will sing praises unto Thee among the nations. |
| 5 | כִּי־גָד֣וֹל מֵעַל־שָׁמַ֣יִם חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וְֽעַד־שְׁחָקִ֥ים אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃ | For Thy mercy is great above the heavens, And Thy truth reacheth unto the skies. |
| 6 | ר֣וּמָה עַל־שָׁמַ֣יִם אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְעַ֖ל כׇּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃ | Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; And Thy glory be above all the earth. |
| 7 | לְ֭מַעַן יֵחָלְצ֣וּן יְדִידֶ֑יךָ הוֹשִׁ֖יעָה יְמִֽינְךָ֣ וַעֲנֵֽנִי׃ | That Thy beloved may be delivered, Save with Thy right hand, and answer me. |
| 8 | אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ דִּבֶּ֥ר בְּקׇדְשׁ֗וֹ אֶ֫עְלֹ֥זָה אֲחַלְּקָ֥ה שְׁכֶ֑ם וְעֵ֖מֶק סֻכּ֣וֹת אֲמַדֵּֽד׃ | God spoke in His holiness, that I would exult; That I would divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. |
| 9 | לִ֤י גִלְעָ֨ד ׀ לִ֤י מְנַשֶּׁ֗ה וְ֭אֶפְרַיִם מָע֣וֹז רֹאשִׁ֑י יְ֝הוּדָ֗ה מְחֹקְקִֽי׃ | Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the defence of my head; Judah is my sceptre. |
| 10 | מוֹאָ֤ב ׀ סִ֬יר רַחְצִ֗י עַל־אֱ֭דוֹם אַשְׁלִ֣יךְ נַעֲלִ֑י עֲלֵי־פְ֝לֶ֗שֶׁת אֶתְרוֹעָֽע׃ | Moab is my washpot; Upon Edom do I cast my shoe; Over Philistia do I cry aloud. |
| 11 | מִ֣י יֹ֭בִלֵנִי עִ֣יר מִבְצָ֑ר מִ֖י נָחַ֣נִי עַד־אֱדֽוֹם׃ | Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will lead me unto Edom? |
| 12 | הֲלֹֽא־אֱלֹהִ֥ים זְנַחְתָּ֑נוּ וְֽלֹא־תֵצֵ֥א אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים בְּצִבְאֹתֵֽינוּ׃ | Hast not Thou cast us off, O God? And Thou goest not forth, O God, with our hosts? |
| 13 | הָבָה־לָּ֣נוּ עֶזְרָ֣ת מִצָּ֑ר וְ֝שָׁ֗וְא תְּשׁוּעַ֥ת אָדָֽם׃ | Give us help against the adversary; For vain is the help of man |
| 14 | בֵּאלֹהִ֥ים נַעֲשֶׂה־חָ֑יִל וְ֝ה֗וּא יָב֥וּס צָרֵֽינוּ׃ | Through God we shall do valiantly; For He it is that will tread down our adversaries. |
Psalm 108 contains numerous verses which appear in other psalms. Verses 1–5 are similar to Psalm 57:7–11, with slight variation, while verses 7–13 are similar to Psalm 60:5–12. William Barrick considers this psalm to be the "borrower".[4][5] John Paul II said that the fusion of Psalms 57 and 60 with Psalm 108 shows that "Israel, already in the Old Testament, was re-using and bringing up-to-date the Word of God revealed".[6]
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".[7]
Matthew Henry calls it "an assurance of God's answer and salvation".[8]
The Midrash 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".[10]
This is one of the psalms for which St. Benedict of Nursia did not specify the use, in the Rule of St. Benedict of 530AD. However, Psalm 108 was traditionally performed by his order for matins of Saturday,[12] or according to another document of the founder or according to one of his successors, so that all 150 psalms are executed each Week.[13]
In the Liturgy of Hours, Psalm 108 is read to the Office of Lauds of Wednesday of the fourth week.[14]
Psalm 108 has been set to music in the Anglican "Hymnal 1982", The United Methodist Hymnal, Psalter Hymnal (Gray) and the Baptist Hymnal (1991 version).
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the twenty-second day of the month,[15] as well as at Evensong on Ascension Day.[16]
Heinrich Schütz composed a four-part setting to a metric German text, "Mit rechtem Ernst und fröhlichm Mut", SVW 206, for the 1628 Becker Psalter. Marc-Antoine Charpentier set it around 1680 in Latin, Paratum cor meum Deus, H.183, for three voices and continuo.
