Psalm 89:6-19
New Catholic Bible
6 [a]Let the heavens[b] praise your wonders, O Lord,
your faithfulness in the assembly of your holy ones.
7 For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
Is there any heavenly being[c] who is like the Lord,
8 a God who is feared in the council of the holy ones,
greater and more awesome than any who stand in his presence?
9 O Lord, God of hosts,[d] who is like you?
Almighty Lord, your faithfulness is never absent.
10 You control the raging sea,
calming its surging waves.
11 You crushed Rahab[e] with a deadly blow;
you scattered your foes with your mighty arm.
12 Yours are the heavens and yours is the earth;
you founded the world[f] and all that is in it.
13 You created the north and the south;[g]
Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
14 Mighty is your arm and strong is your hand;
your right hand is forever raised high.
15 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
kindness and faithfulness go before your face.[h]
16 Blessed[i] are the people who know how to acclaim you, O Lord,
who walk in the light of your countenance.
17 In your name they rejoice all day long,
and they exult in your righteousness.
18 [j]You are the strength in which they glory,
and by your kindness our horn[k] is exalted.
19 For the Lord is our shield,
the Holy One of Israel, our King.
Footnotes
- Psalm 89:6 The psalmist sings of God’s greatness in the secret of heaven where he is surrounded by angels (the holy ones and any heavenly being, vv. 6-7). He declares the power of the One who created the earth and rules the primitive chaos, symbolized by the mythological monster Rahab. The more deeply the believer divines the mystery of God, the more overwhelmed he becomes with joy.
- Psalm 89:6 The heavens: i.e., all beings who are part of God’s heavenly kingdom. Wonders: see note on Ps 9:2. Assembly of your holy ones: the great council in heaven (see Ps 82:1).
- Psalm 89:7 Heavenly being: literally, “son of God” (see note on Ps 29:1).
- Psalm 89:9 Lord, God of hosts: see note on Ps 59:6. Sea: see note on Ps 65:8.
- Psalm 89:11 Rahab: a mythical sea monster that may be another name for Leviathan (see Pss 74:14; 104:26) and is used in the Old Testament primarily as a personification of the primeval chaos. Here it is a symbol of God’s dominance of the sea and all rebellious creatures. You scattered . . . arm: cited in Lk 1:51.
- Psalm 89:12 Heavens . . . earth . . . world: the Lord is the almighty Creator of the heavens and the earth as well as everything in them. He is the benign Ruler of these same areas with a love that extends through them to the Messianic Kingdom, symbolized by David (vv. 4, 21). Thus, he not only created but also redeemed them.
- Psalm 89:13 The north and the south: some believe that the Hebrew words for these two geographical poles (saphon and yamin) are the names of two sacred mountains in northern Syria: Mount Zaphon (see Ps 48:3 and note; Jos 13:27; Jdg 12:1; Isa 14:13) and Mount Amana (see Song 4:8), paralleling the mountains Tabor and Hermon (which also stand for east and west). Tabor: a low mountain in the Valley of Jezreel in northern Israel. Hermon: a tall mountain in Lebanon that marks the southern limit of the Anti-Lebanon range. Joyously praise: see note on Ps 65:14.
- Psalm 89:15 The divine attributes are personified (see Pss 85:11-12; 97:2).
- Psalm 89:16 Blessed: see note on Ps 1:1. How to acclaim you: literally, “the joyful shout.”
- Psalm 89:18 These verses serve as a transition to the great oracle that follows. The Davidic dynasty and the coming of the Messiah-King depend completely on the Lord.
- Psalm 89:18 Horn: symbolizes strong one (see also Ps 18:3, and note, Ps 75:11).
