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Psalm 131

Psalm 131^[a]

Childlike Trust in God

¹A song of ascents. Of David.

O Lord, my heart^[b] is not proud,
    nor are my eyes raised too high.
I do not concern myself with great affairs
    or with things too sublime for me.
²Rather, I have stilled and calmed my soul,^[c]
    hushed it like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child held in its mother’s arms,
    so is my soul within me.
³O Israel, put your hope in the Lord
    both now and forevermore.^[d]

Footnotes

Psalm 131:1 Certainly the Prophets dared to state that God was like a mother for his people (see Isa 66:12f; Hos 11:4). But here is a man who has not fled from the experience of life; he lays bare the depth of his heart: the soul of a child before God. This psalm strikes us with great freshness and simplicity, and it is the most moving and evangelical of the psalms. A believer of the Old Testament has discovered the voice of spiritual childhood: “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3).
We can pray this psalm with the awareness that after practicing abandonment to God’s hands, Jesus offers it as an ideal for us also, for like him we are children of the heavenly Father: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29). We must flee from all desire to go beyond God and his help (see Mt 23:11; Jas 4:6f; 1 Pet 5:5f). The Father alone can make our labors fruitful through Christ (see Jn 15:1-17; 1 Cor 3:5-8); without Christ we can do nothing (see Jn 15:5).
Psalm 131:1 Heart: see note on Ps 4:8. The psalmist has completely submitted himself to God in all humility (see Mic 6:8). He is not like the proud who rely only on themselves (see note on Ps 31:24). He knows that true holiness begins in a heart bereft of pride (see Prov 18:12), with eyes that do not envy (see Pss 18:28; 101:5; Prov 16:5), and a manner of life that is not presumptuous, not preoccupied with great things (see Jer 45:5) and achievements that are too sublime, i.e., too difficult or arduous, beyond one’s powers (see Deut 17:8; 30:11).
Psalm 131:2 Soul: see note on Ps 6:4. The psalmist keeps a guard over his desires. He is like a weaned child, who no longer frets for what it used to find indispensable and walks trustingly by its mother or lies peacefully in its mother’s arms.
Psalm 131:3 Likewise all Israel, all God’s people, must hope only in the Lord. Weaned away from insubstantial ambitions, we must hanker for the sole solid fare: “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me, and to accomplish his work” (Jn 4:34).

Psalm 138-139

Psalm 138^[a]

Thanksgiving for God’s Favor

¹Of David.

I offer you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;^[b]
    before the “gods” I sing your praise.
²I bow down toward your holy temple
    and I praise your name^[c]
    for your kindness and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.
³On the day I cried out, you answered me
    and granted strength to my spirit.
⁴^[d]All the kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord,
    when they hear the words of your mouth.
⁵They will sing of the ways of the Lord:
    “How great is the Lord’s glory!”
⁶For though the Lord is exalted, he cares for the lowly,^[e]
    but he remains far distant from the proud.
⁷Although I walk in the midst of hostility,
    you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and with your right hand^[f] you deliver me.
⁸The Lord will fulfill his plan for me.
    Your kindness, O Lord, endures forever;
    do not forsake the work of your hands.^[g]

Psalm 139^[h]

God’s Infinite Knowledge and Universal Power

¹For the director.^[i] A psalm of David.

^[j]O Lord, you have examined me
    and you know me.
²You know when I sit and when I stand;^[k]
    you perceive my thoughts from a distance.
³You mark when I go out and when I lie down;
    all my ways are open to you.
⁴A word is not even on my tongue
    and you, O Lord, are completely aware of it.
⁵You enfold me from in front and from behind,
    and you place your hand upon me.^[l]
⁶Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension,
    far too sublime for me to attain.
⁷^[m]Where can I go to hide from your spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸If I ascend to the heavens, you are there;
    if I take my rest in the netherworld, you are also there.
⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn^[n]
    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
¹⁰even there your hand will guide me,
    and your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹^[o]If I say, “Surely the darkness will conceal me
    and the day around me will turn to night,”
¹²even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is as bright as the day,
    for to you darkness and light are the same.
¹³^[p]You created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I praise you because I am wonderfully made;
    awesome are your works,
    as I know very well.
¹⁵My body was not hidden from you
    when I was being made in secret.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
    you saw me in the womb.^[q]
¹⁶^[r]The sum total of my days
    were all recorded in your book.^[s]
My life was fashioned
    before it had come into being.
¹⁷How precious to me are your designs, O God!
    How vast in number they are!
¹⁸If I were to attempt to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,^[t]
    I am still with you.
¹⁹^[u]If only you would slay the wicked, O God,
    and the bloodthirsty would leave me!^[v]
²⁰They blaspheme your name
    and treacherously rise up against you.^[w]
²¹Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord,
    and loathe those who rise up against you?
²²My hatred for them is unlimited;
    I regard them as my personal enemies.
²³Examine me, O God, and know my heart;^[x]
    test me and understand my thoughts.
²⁴See if I follow an evil way,
    and guide me on the way to eternity.

Footnotes

Psalm 138:1 This psalm begins a collection of eight Davidic psalms (Pss 138–145). The believer, representing the people of Israel, knows from experience the God who saves the human race from its distress. He does not want to keep this conviction for himself but to share it with all peoples, all human beings. A deep faith in a universal plan of the Lord illumines this beautiful thanksgiving prayer.
We can pray this psalm keeping in mind the various victories that God empowers his Church to achieve against her material and spiritual enemies. These enable us to bless our Savior and to indicate the praise offered to him by earthly powers who witness and suffer under these victories.
Psalm 138:1 The psalmist stresses that praise belongs to the Lord alone and not to the gods of the nations, whose kings will have to submit to the Lord. After the word “heart” the Greek adds another line: “for you have heard the words of my mouth,” which is not in the Hebrew; it seems to have been a variant of verse 4b accidently inserted here. Heart: see note on Ps 4:8. Gods: the Hebrew is elohim, which is the word for “God,” “gods,” and sometimes “godlike beings,” such as the angels. The Septuagint and Vulgate have “angels” (see Ps 8:6); other versions, “kings” or “judges.”
Psalm 138:2 Name: see note on Ps 5:12. Kindness: see note on Ps 6:5. Your word: i.e., God’s promise. By his faithfulness to his promise, God has made his name renowned.
Psalm 138:4 The psalmist prays that the nations, together with their gods and kings, will also pay homage to the Lord (see note on Ps 9:2). For the words and ways of the Lord reveal how great is his glory (see Ps 57:6; Isa 40:5; 60:1).
Psalm 138:6 The Lord lifts up the lowly (see note on Ps 113:7-9; Lk 1:48, 52) and puts down the proud (see notes on Pss 31:24; 131:1; see also Ps 101:5).
Psalm 138:7 The psalmist describes the Lord extending his hand to offer help while passing judgment on those who cause his adversity (see Ps 144:7; Ex 3:20; 9:15). Right hand: symbol of strength (see Pss 60:7; 139:10).
Psalm 138:8 The Lord has loving concern for his people and creation (see Pss 90:16; 92:6; 143:5; Isa 60:21; 64:8) and has a purpose for them (see note on Ps 57:3).
Psalm 139:1 This psalm is one of the pearls of the Psalter in its literary beauty and profound doctrine: the complete knowledge that God has about each person. The human heart is transparent to God’s look; he knows the most secret and most unknown movements of our souls. Feeling the hand of God on himself provoked sadness and anxiety in Job (see Job 23–24; Jer 15:6f), but in the psalmist, it instills serenity and abandonment. He no longer asks God to turn away his face but to lead him on the path of fidelity. The psalmist awakens to God; the one whom he thought he had to seek out is already there, present in him as his source of life, more present to him than he is to himself.
We can pray this psalm to remind ourselves of the complete knowledge that Jesus has of us (see Jn 10:14f). For he is our Creator and Savior (see Col 1:16f; Heb 1:1f), who restores the supernatural world and re-creates each of his disciples, making new creatures of them to his own image (see Eph 2:10; Col 3:11).
Psalm 139:1 For the director: these words are thought to be a musical or liturgical notation.
Psalm 139:1 God is all-seeing and all-knowing. His knowledge is not sterile but personal and active, discriminating in favor of those who are faithful to the Lord.
Psalm 139:2 You know when I sit and when I stand: a Hebrew idiom that, when combined with the parallel “go out and lie down” (or “go out and come in”: see Isa 37:28), signifies: “in all that I do.”
Psalm 139:5 Place your hand upon me: a gesture performed by the judge or the witness (see Job 9:33). It expresses God’s absolute mastery over human beings (see Ex 33:22; Rev 1:17).
Psalm 139:7 God is all-present; he is everywhere to protect his children. He perceives all things in all places and there is no escaping him. The same images and teaching are found in Am 9:2f. See also Job 11:8; 23:8f; Prov 15:11; Isa 7:11; Jer 23:24; Jon 1:3.
Psalm 139:9 Rise on the wings of the dawn: go to the most distant extremities of the east. Settle at the farthest limits of the sea: the uttermost bounds of the west.
Psalm 139:11 There is only light with God, and his light brightens up the darkness. For to you darkness and light are the same: some consider this line to be a gloss.
Psalm 139:13 God not only sees all and penetrates the inaccessible, but he is completely operative there, creating people and providing a purpose for all.
Psalm 139:15 God knows all human beings intimately.
Psalm 139:16 The text of these verses is obscure in several places.
Psalm 139:16 [They] were all recorded in your book: an image familiar to the Prophets (see Neh 13:14; Dan 7:10; Mal 3:16) as well as the psalmists (see Pss 69:29; 109:13), which was reprised in the Dies Irae (the Sequence formerly used at Masses for the Dead): Liber scriptus proferetur, in quo totum continetur: “Lo, the book exactly worded, in which all has been recorded.” See note on Ps 56:9.
Psalm 139:18 When I awake: in this context, these words may express a glimpse of the resurrection on the part of the psalmist, as in Ps 17:15 (see note there).
Psalm 139:19 God is all-holy and opposes the wicked, whom he punishes for their wrongdoing. He leads the psalmist and the righteous in the way of God (the way to eternity: see Pss 1:6; 5:9; 73:18; 143:10; and note on 16:9-11) and not in the way of idolaters (the evil way: see Ps 16:4; Isa 48:5).
Psalm 139:19 See notes on Pss 5:11; 35.
Psalm 139:20 And . . . against you: the Hebrew is uncertain here.
Psalm 139:23 Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.

Psalm 143-145

Psalm 143^[a]

Prayer of a Penitent in Distress

¹^[b]A psalm of David.

O Lord, hear my prayer,
    incline your ear to my supplications.
In your faithfulness respond to me
    with your righteousness.
²Do not subject your servant to your judgment,
    for no one living is righteous before you.^[c]
³^[d]An enemy has stalked me unrelentingly
    and crushed me into the ground;
he has left me to live in darkness^[e]
    like those long dead.
⁴My spirit is faint within me,
    and my heart^[f] has succumbed to fear.
⁵I remember the days of old,
    reflecting on all your actions
    and meditating on the works of your hands.^[g]
⁶I stretch out my hands^[h] to you;
    my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah
⁷^[i]Answer me quickly, O Lord,
    for my spirit grows faint.
Do not hide your face from me
    or I will be like those who go down to the pit.^[j]
⁸At dawn^[k] let me experience your kindness,
    for in you I place my trust.
Show me the path I must walk,
    for to you I lift up my soul.
⁹Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord,
    for in you I seek refuge.
¹⁰Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God.^[l]
Let your gracious Spirit lead me
    along a level path.
¹¹For your name’s sake,^[m] O Lord, preserve my life;
    in your righteousness deliver me from distress.
¹²In your kindness, destroy my enemies,
    and annihilate all those who oppress me,
    for I am your servant.^[n]

Psalm 144^[o]

Prayer for Victory and Peace

¹^[p]Of David.

Blessed be the Lord,^[q] my Rock,
    who trains my hands for war
    and my fingers for battle.
²You are my safeguard^[r] and my fortress,
    my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield in whom I take refuge,
    the one who subdues nations under me.
³O Lord, what is man that you care for him,
    or the son of man that you think of him?^[s]
⁴Man is nothing more than a breath;
    his days are like a fleeting shadow.^[t]
⁵^[u]Part the heavens, O Lord, and descend;
    touch the mountains so that they smoke.^[v]
⁶Flash forth lightning bolts and scatter my foes;
    rout them with your arrows.^[w]
⁷Reach forth your hand^[x] from on high;
    deliver me and rescue me
from the mighty waters
    and from the power of foreign foes
⁸whose mouths utter lies^[y]
    and whose right hands are raised to swear to untruths.
⁹^[z]I will sing a new song to you, my God;
    on a ten-stringed lyre I will play music for you.^[aa]
¹⁰You grant victory to kings
    and deliverance to your servant David from the cruel sword.^[ab]
¹¹Deliver me and rescue me
    from the hands of foreign foes
whose mouths utter lies
    and whose right hands are raised to swear to untruths.^[ac]
¹²^[ad]May our sons in their youth
    be like carefully nurtured plants,
and may our daughters be like pillars
    designed to adorn a palace.^[ae]
¹³May our barns be filled
    with every kind of crop.
May our sheep increase by thousands,
    by tens of thousands in our fields,^[af]
¹⁴    and may our cattle be well fed.^[ag]
May there be no breach in our walls,
    no going into exile,
    no cries of distress in our streets.
¹⁵Blessed are the people for whom this is true;
    blessed^[ah] are the people whose God is the Lord.

Psalm 145^[ai]

Praise of the Divine Majesty

¹^[aj]Praise. Of David.

I will extol you, my God and King;
    I will bless your name^[ak] forever and ever.
²Every day I will bless you
    and praise your name forever and ever.^[al]
³^[am]Great is the Lord and worthy of the highest praise;
    no one can even begin to comprehend his greatness.^[an]
⁴Each generation will praise your works^[ao] to the next
    and proclaim your mighty deeds.
⁵People will proclaim the glorious splendor of your majesty,
    and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
⁶They will speak of the power of your awesome deeds,
    and I will relate your greatness.
⁷They will celebrate your abundant goodness
    and sing joyfully of your saving justice.
⁸^[ap]The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in kindness.^[aq]
⁹The Lord is good to all,
    showing compassion to every creature.
¹⁰All your creatures praise you,^[ar] O Lord,
    and all your saints bless you.
¹¹They relate the glory of your kingdom
    and tell of all your power.^[as]
¹²They make known to all people your mighty deeds
    and the glorious majesty of your kingdom.
¹³Your kingdom will last forever,
    and your dominion will endure throughout all generations.^[at]
^[au]The Lord is faithful in all his promises
    and kind^[av] in all his deeds.
¹⁴The Lord supports all those who are falling
    and raises up all who are bowed down.^[aw]
¹⁵The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
    and you give them their food at the right time.
¹⁶You open your hand
    and satisfy the needs of every living creature.^[ax]
¹⁷^[ay]The Lord is righteous in all his ways
    and merciful in everything he does.^[az]
¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call out to him,
    to all who call out to him sincerely.^[ba]
¹⁹He satisfies the desires of all who fear him;
    he hears their cry and saves them.^[bb]
²⁰The Lord watches over all who love him,
    but he will completely destroy all the wicked.^[bc]
²¹May my mouth declare the praise of the Lord,
    and may every creature^[bd] bless his holy name
    forever and ever.

Footnotes

Psalm 143:1 This is the seventh and last of the Penitential Psalms (Pss 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143), probably because of verse 2, with its admission of universal guilt, the only reference to sin and forgiveness in it. Throughout the Psalter, amid praise and joy, there is the lament of the poor person who is dependent on God for everything. Here is the last pressing supplication of the sufferer who cannot despair of God, of his love and his righteousness. The true Israel, the community of the poor of the Lord, understood it even unto suffering. As Paul indicates (Rom 3:20ff), no one merits to be delivered from evil, not even the person who observes the law; one can only rely on the Lord’s unfailing love for human beings. Those who truly pray will experience the Lord’s deliverance.
There are many occasions on which we, too, can pray this simple and ardent psalm to implore divine aid. The demons and all those whom they incite never cease to threaten us, either in our material sustenance or in our physical and spiritual life.
Psalm 143:1 The psalmist cries out to God to have mercy because of his faithfulness and righteousness, for he knows that God’s judgment could find him guilty of sin and condemn him to remain afflicted (see 130:3).
Psalm 143:2 For no one living is righteous before you: this text is used in Rom 3:20 (see Pss 51:7; 130:3; Job 9:2; 14:3f; 15:14; Eccl 7:20).
Psalm 143:3 The psalmist sketches the distress he suffers and is encouraged by the memory of God’s past acts of deliverance.
Psalm 143:3 The same images are found in Ps 7:6; Lam 3:6; Mic 7:8. Darkness: see note on Ps 27:1.
Psalm 143:4 Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
Psalm 143:5 See Pss 42:5; 77:6, 12f.
Psalm 143:6 Stretch out my hands: in supplication (see Pss 44:21; 88:10; Ex 9:29). Soul: see note on Ps 6:4. Thirsts for you: see Ps 63:2.
Psalm 143:7 The psalmist here appends a mosaic of prayers for deliverance, guidance, and commitment to the Lord.
Psalm 143:7 See similar phrases in Pss 10:1; 28:1; 69:18; 84:3; 88:5; 102:3; 141:1.
Psalm 143:8 At dawn: see notes on Pss 57; 57:9; see also Pss 17:15; 90:14; 101:8; 108:3. Kindness: see note on Ps 6:5. I lift up my soul: see Pss 25:1; 27:8; 32:6; 33:22; 86:4.
Psalm 143:10 Teach me . . . my God: see Pss 25:4f; 118:28. Spirit: the divine Spirit was regarded as a force and not yet as a person (see Ps 51:13; Neh 9:20; Ezek 36:27). Lead . . . path: see note on Ps 26:12 (see also Pss 27:11; 139:24).
Psalm 143:11 For your name’s sake: see Ps 25:11. Deliver me from distress: see Pss 31:5; 119:25, 88; 142:8.
Psalm 143:12 The psalmist calls upon the Lord to deal righteously with his adversaries, reflecting a hope that is expressed in the imprecatory psalms (see notes on Pss 5:11; 35; see also Ps 54:5). Kindness: see note on Ps 6:5.
Psalm 144:1 This psalm combines two compositions that are quite different in rhythm and tone. The first is suited to a royal liturgy and is drawn largely from Ps 18, a canticle of the king’s victories. The second part was originally a kind of fine painting to illustrate a time of prosperity. By the time of the final redaction of the psalm, the monarchy had disappeared, and the two compositions were combined into a hymn of the Messianic Hope.
A new David will come, the true Messiah upon whom will rest the blessing of God for the benefit of the whole community. He will inaugurate an era of happiness and peace. The ancient images are nothing more than starting points, giving color and life to this prayer of expectation. The essential point is to preserve the hope of a humanity finally filled with the joy of God. It is in this vein that we can pray it with Christ in mind.
Psalm 144:1 In jubilant language the psalmist praises God as the Redeemer-King who cares for him and watches over him, because he has the inherent weakness of all humans and is in need of help.
Psalm 144:1 Blessed be the Lord: the psalm begins with the prayer of David in 1 Chr 29:10 and the prayers in Tob 3:11; 8:5, 15; 13:1 (see Dan 3:26; Lk 1:68; Eph 1:3). My Rock . . . for battle: see Ps 18:35, 47.
Psalm 144:2 This verse reflects Ps 18:3, 48. My safeguard: literally, “my unfailing kindness” (see note on Ps 6:5).
Psalm 144:3 This verse reflects Ps 8:5.
Psalm 144:4 This verse is close to Ps 39:6-7 (see also Job 14:2).
Psalm 144:5 The psalmist calls upon God to become involved and deliver him, to come as the Divine Warrior as he did at Sinai. There he came accompanied by volcanic eruption, thunder, and lightning to save his people (see Ex 19:11, 18f).
Psalm 144:5 This verse takes up Pss 18:10; 104:32. It also reveals the anxious expectation of Israel, the prey of persecutors, and the hope of a divine intervention.
Psalm 144:6 See Ps 18:15. Arrows: i.e., the Lord’s lightning that serves to rout the enemies and take away their power.
Psalm 144:7 See Ps 18:17, 46. Hand: symbolic of the Lord’s power (see Ps 18:17), which is capable of rescuing the psalmist out of the mighty waters into which he is sinking, i.e., out of the clutches of foreigners. For the Lord, who has subdued the stormy seas (see Ps 65:8; Gen 1:2), can certainly overpower stormy foreign foes (see Isa 56:6; 61:5).
Psalm 144:8 The enemies are completely opposed to the law of God and filled with lies, deceit, and wickedness. Mouths utter lies: see note on Ps 5:10. Right hands are raised to swear to untruths: see Ezr 10:19; see also Ps 106:26; Ex 6:8; Deut 32:40.
Psalm 144:9 The psalmist makes a vow to praise the Lord for the expected victory.
Psalm 144:9 This verse is close to Ps 33:2f (see Pss 40:4; 98:1; 149:1).
Psalm 144:10 This verse takes up the conclusion of Ps 18. “My servant David” became a Messianic title (see Jer 33:21; Ezek 34:23ff; 37:24); it is found again in Pss 78:70; 89:4, 21.
Psalm 144:11 The psalmist repeats the prayer in verses 7-8, probably as an introduction to verses 12-15.
Psalm 144:12 The psalmist prays for the people, asking the Lord to bless their children, their lives, and their livelihoods. When the enemies are defeated, the rule of the Lord will reach its height and the Messianic blessings will pour in upon his people and upon the land. The blessings are described in terms that are understandable to a people whose main occupation was agriculture and cattle raising. Even the fortified cities will receive a Messianic blessing, that of invincibility.
Psalm 144:12 The Hebrew text of this verse is obscure and its meaning uncertain. It may refer to the great strength of the sons and the physical beauty of the daughters.
Psalm 144:13 Material abundance is a gift of God (see Lev 26:5; Deut 7:13).
Psalm 144:14 May our cattle be well fed: other possible translations are: “may our oxen be heavy with flesh,” or “may our oxen be heavy with young,” or “may our chieftains be firmly established.”
Psalm 144:15 Blessed are the people who experience the Lord’s ability to save, protect, and bless. Blessed: see note on Ps 1:1.
Psalm 145:1 This psalm is a hymn to God, the Great King. It is not original, for the psalmist strings together his verses in the order of the alphabet and takes the passages from several other psalms. The cantors of Israel were not reluctant to dip into the common treasury of sacred chant to celebrate God’s praise with the same words and phrases. But the repetition of certain terms also enables one to express the ardor of a conviction. By means of the words kingdom, power, majesty, name, works, mighty deeds, righteousness, faithfulness, compassion, love, and truth, the psalm exalts above all the God of the covenant. It then proclaims his benevolence that is manifested in the help, subsistence, and salvation accorded in some manner to all who invoke him. Thus, the cantor acknowledges God’s presence in the world, in history, and in life.
We can pray this psalm to bless, praise, and extol the heavenly Father in his perfections and prodigious works. But we can also recite it in honor of Christ, who shares fully in the perfections (see Col 1:15, 19; Heb 1:3) and works of his Father (see Jn 5:19).
Psalm 145:1 The psalmist calls for praise of God, the Great King. This praise is to be given unceasingly and forever.
Psalm 145:1 See Pss 30:2; 44:5; 71:14. Bless your name: see note on Ps 5:12.
Psalm 145:2 See Pss 34:2; 68:20; 71:14; 146:2. This verse has been incorporated into the Te Deum, the great prayer of Christian praise to the Trinity.
Psalm 145:3 The psalmist specifies the reason for praising God: his mighty deeds, which reveal his greatness and goodness. The same two themes are combined in Pss 86:10, 17; 135:3, 5.
Psalm 145:3 See Pss 48:2; 96:3f; Job 36:26.
Psalm 145:4 See Pss 71:17; 78:4; Isa 38:19. Salvation history is transmitted from generation to generation by the proclamation of God’s mighty deeds and wonderful works (see Ps 22:31f). Your works: of creation, providence, and redemption.
Psalm 145:8 Now the psalmist moves to praise God because of his divine attributes, e.g., compassion and love. These attributes lead all his works, including the saints, to give him thanks for the expressions of his glory, power, and kingdom.
Psalm 145:8 See Pss 86:15; 103:8, 13; Ex 34:6f; Num 14:18; Wis 1:13f; Isa 63:7.
Psalm 145:10 All your creatures praise you: see note on Ps 65:14. Saints: see notes on Pss 4:4; 34:10.
Psalm 145:11 See 93:1; 1 Chr 29:11.
Psalm 145:13 Text cited in Dan 3:100; 4:31, and applied to Christ the King. See Ps 102:13; Tob 13:6ff; Dan 7:14; 1 Tim 1:17; Rev 11:15.
Psalm 145:13 The psalmist calls for praise of God because of the Lord’s faithfulness to the covenant. The first two lines (v. 13c) are not in the Hebrew; they are in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Septuagint.
Psalm 145:13 Kind: see note on Ps 6:5.
Psalm 145:14 See Pss 94:18; 146:8.
Psalm 145:16 See Ps 104:27f; Mt 6:25-34.
Psalm 145:17 The psalmist calls upon all creatures to praise God for his righteous acts—acts of restoration, redemption, and vindication.
Psalm 145:17 See Deut 32:4.
Psalm 145:18 See Deut 4:7; Isa 55:6; 58:9; Jer 29:13.
Psalm 145:19 See Pss 20:4; 34:18; 85:10.
Psalm 145:20 See Pss 34:18; 91:14; 104:35; 139:19; Jdg 5:31.
Psalm 145:21 Every creature: literally, “all flesh.”

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

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Psalm 131[a]

Childlike Trust in God

Footnotes

Psalm 138[a]

Thanksgiving for God’s Favor

Psalm 139[h]

God’s Infinite Knowledge and Universal Power

Footnotes

Psalm 143[a]

Prayer of a Penitent in Distress

Psalm 144[o]

Prayer for Victory and Peace

Psalm 145[ai]

Praise of the Divine Majesty

Footnotes

Psalm 131^[a]

Psalm 138^[a]

Psalm 139^[h]

Psalm 143^[a]

Psalm 144^[o]

Psalm 145^[ai]