Psalm 145: Exaltabo te, Deus meus rex
Psalm 145 chanted in the Sarum Use by Sarah James. Theme: God is praised for his unsearchable greatness, for his majesty and terrible acts, for his goodness and tender mercies to all, for his power and kingdom, for his kindness to the distressed, and for his providence. He hears and answers prayer, and all should praise him. This psalm is attributed to David by the Hebrew and all the versions. It is sometimes called David's "crown jewel of praise." It is the last of the acrostic psalms, which are: 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119 and 145. Being an acrostic, it should contain twenty-two verses, as answering to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet; but the verse between the thirteenth and fourteenth, beginning with the letter נ nun, is lost out of the present Hebrew copies. A translation of the missing verse is found in the Syriac, Septuagint, Vulgate, Ethiopic, Arabic, and Anglo-Saxon. It is an incomparable psalm of praise; and the rabbis have it in such high estimation, that they assert, if a man with sincerity of heart repeat it three times a-day, he shall infallibly enjoy the blessings of the world to come. It does not appear on what particular occasion it was composed; or, indeed, whether there was any occasion but gratitude to God for his ineffable favors to mankind. (From the Adam Clarke Commentary, 1831) In Judaism: This is the only chapter of the Book of Psalms that identifies itself as a תְּהִלָה (tehillah) – which is a “hymn of praise.” The version in the Dead Sea Scrolls instead describes itself as a "prayer" although it does not contain any request. Psalm 145 composes the majority of the Ashrei (a prayer that is recited thrice daily). Verse 13 is found in the repetition to the Amidah (“Standing Prayer,” which is the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy) on Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year). Verse 16 is found in the final paragraph of Birkat Hamazon (Grace after Meals). It is also recited while donning the tefillin (small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah) after the head tefillin is securely in place. (Wikipedia) In Christianity: It is traditional with some Christians to sing an “antiphon” after each verse. The antiphon is a short text that expresses the psalm’s main idea. Interestingly, the Dead Sea Scrolls version of Psalm 145 prescribes this antiphon: "Blessed be YHVH and blessed be His name forever and ever.” The Dead Sea Scrolls also add this tag at the end: "This is for a memorial.” (Wikipedia) Nine hundred years ago, the Cathedral of Salisbury, England developed a unique form of chant and liturgy known as the “Use of Salisbury,” or “Sarum Use.” Differences from the Roman rite are both melodic (more florid in the Sarum) and textual (Elizabethan English rather than Latin). The best repository of Sarum Use tones is the St. Dunstan's Plainsong Psalter, from which Sarah has sung this psalm. Additional resources on Sarum Use plainsong at https://canticasacra.org. “Women Praying in the Porch” is an oil on canvas (1902) by Mieczyslaw Reyzner.
Psalm 145 chanted in the Sarum Use by Sarah James. Theme: God is praised for his unsearchable greatness, for his majesty and terrible acts, for his goodness and tender mercies to all, for his power and kingdom, for his kindness to the distressed, and for his providence. He hears and answers prayer, and all should praise him. This psalm is attributed to David by the Hebrew and all the versions. It is sometimes called David's "crown jewel of praise." It is the last of the acrostic psalms, which are: 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119 and 145. Being an acrostic, it should contain twenty-two verses, as answering to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet; but the verse between the thirteenth and fourteenth, beginning with the letter נ nun, is lost out of the present Hebrew copies. A translation of the missing verse is found in the Syriac, Septuagint, Vulgate, Ethiopic, Arabic, and Anglo-Saxon. It is an incomparable psalm of praise; and the rabbis have it in such high estimation, that they assert, if a man with sincerity of heart repeat it three times a-day, he shall infallibly enjoy the blessings of the world to come. It does not appear on what particular occasion it was composed; or, indeed, whether there was any occasion but gratitude to God for his ineffable favors to mankind. (From the Adam Clarke Commentary, 1831) In Judaism: This is the only chapter of the Book of Psalms that identifies itself as a תְּהִלָה (tehillah) – which is a “hymn of praise.” The version in the Dead Sea Scrolls instead describes itself as a "prayer" although it does not contain any request. Psalm 145 composes the majority of the Ashrei (a prayer that is recited thrice daily). Verse 13 is found in the repetition to the Amidah (“Standing Prayer,” which is the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy) on Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year). Verse 16 is found in the final paragraph of Birkat Hamazon (Grace after Meals). It is also recited while donning the tefillin (small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah) after the head tefillin is securely in place. (Wikipedia) In Christianity: It is traditional with some Christians to sing an “antiphon” after each verse. The antiphon is a short text that expresses the psalm’s main idea. Interestingly, the Dead Sea Scrolls version of Psalm 145 prescribes this antiphon: "Blessed be YHVH and blessed be His name forever and ever.” The Dead Sea Scrolls also add this tag at the end: "This is for a memorial.” (Wikipedia) Nine hundred years ago, the Cathedral of Salisbury, England developed a unique form of chant and liturgy known as the “Use of Salisbury,” or “Sarum Use.” Differences from the Roman rite are both melodic (more florid in the Sarum) and textual (Elizabethan English rather than Latin). The best repository of Sarum Use tones is the St. Dunstan's Plainsong Psalter, from which Sarah has sung this psalm. Additional resources on Sarum Use plainsong at https://canticasacra.org. “Women Praying in the Porch” is an oil on canvas (1902) by Mieczyslaw Reyzner.