CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. VI
Corpus Psalterium Vol. VI cover

Corpus Psalterium · Vol. VI

Psalm CXXXII (132)

Cantillated — Royal Processional

Paul Whitehorn

0:004:36
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Psalm 132 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

A Song of Ascents.

1

Yahweh, remember David and all his affliction,

שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת זְכוֹר־יְהוָ֥ה לְדָוִ֑ד אֵ֝ת כָּל־עֻנּוֹתֽוֹ׃

2

how he swore to Yahweh, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:

אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִ֭שְׁבַּע לַיהוָ֑ה נָ֝דַ֗ר לַאֲבִ֥יר יַעֲקֹֽב׃

3

“Surely I will not come into the structure of my house, nor go up into my bed;

אִם־אָ֭בֹא בְּאֹ֣הֶל בֵּיתִ֑י אִם־אֶ֝עֱלֶ֗ה עַל־עֶ֥רֶשׂ יְצוּעָֽי׃

4

I will not give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids,

אִם־אֶתֵּ֣ן שְׁנַ֣ת לְעֵינָ֑י לְֽעַפְעַפַּ֥י תְּנוּמָֽה׃

5

until I find out a place for Yahweh, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

עַד־אֶמְצָ֣א מָ֭קוֹם לַיהוָ֑ה מִ֝שְׁכָּנ֗וֹת לַאֲבִ֥יר יַעֲקֹֽב׃

6

Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah. We found it in the field of Jaar.

הִנֵּֽה־שְׁמַֽעֲנ֥וּהָ בְאֶפְרָ֑תָה מְ֝צָאנ֗וּהָ בִּשְׂדֵי־יָֽעַר׃

7

“We will go into his dwelling place. We will worship at his footstool.”

נָב֥וֹאָה לְמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֑יו נִ֝שְׁתַּחֲוֶ֗ה לַהֲדֹ֥ם רַגְלָֽיו׃

8

Arise, Yahweh, into your resting place, you, and the ark of your strength.

קוּמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה לִמְנוּחָתֶ֑ךָ אַ֝תָּ֗ה וַאֲר֥וֹן עֻזֶּֽךָ׃

9

Let your priests be clothed with righteousness. Let your saints shout for joy!

כֹּהֲנֶ֥יךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־צֶ֑דֶק וַחֲסִידֶ֥יךָ יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃

10

For your servant David’s sake, don’t turn away the face of your anointed one.

בַּ֭עֲבוּר דָּוִ֣ד עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ אַל־תָּ֝שֵׁ֗ב פְּנֵ֣י מְשִׁיחֶֽךָ׃

11

Yahweh has sworn to David in truth. He will not turn from it: “I will set the fruit of your body on your throne.

נִשְׁבַּֽע־יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לְדָוִ֡ד אֱמֶת֮ לֹֽא־יָשׁ֪וּב מִ֫מֶּ֥נָּה מִפְּרִ֥י בִטְנְךָ֑ אָ֝שִׁ֗ית לְכִסֵּא־לָֽךְ׃

12

If your children will keep my covenant, my testimony that I will teach them, their children also will sit on your throne forever more.”

אִֽם־יִשְׁמְר֬וּ בָנֶ֨יךָ ׀ בְּרִיתִי֮ וְעֵדֹתִ֥י ז֗וֹ אֲלַ֫מְּדֵ֥ם גַּם־בְּנֵיהֶ֥ם עֲדֵי־עַ֑ד יֵ֝שְׁב֗וּ לְכִסֵּא־לָֽךְ׃

13

For Yahweh has chosen Zion. He has desired it for his habitation.

כִּֽי־בָחַ֣ר יְהוָ֣ה בְּצִיּ֑וֹן אִ֝וָּ֗הּ לְמוֹשָׁ֥ב לֽוֹ׃

14

“This is my resting place forever. I will live here, for I have desired it.

זֹאת־מְנוּחָתִ֥י עֲדֵי־עַ֑ד פֹּֽה־אֵ֝שֵׁ֗ב כִּ֣י אִוִּתִֽיהָ׃

15

I will abundantly bless her provision. I will satisfy her poor with bread.

צֵ֭ידָהּ בָּרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָרֵ֑ךְ אֶ֝בְיוֹנֶ֗יהָ אַשְׂבִּ֥יעַֽ לָֽחֶם׃

16

I will also clothe her priests with salvation. Her saints will shout aloud for joy.

וְֽ֭כֹהֲנֶיהָ אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ יֶ֑שַׁע וַ֝חֲסִידֶ֗יהָ רַנֵּ֥ן יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃

17

I will make the horn of David to bud there. I have ordained a lamp for my anointed.

שָׁ֤ם אַצְמִ֣יחַ קֶ֣רֶן לְדָוִ֑ד עָרַ֥כְתִּי נֵ֝֗ר לִמְשִׁיחִֽי׃

18

I will clothe his enemies with shame, but on himself, his crown will shine.”

א֭וֹיְבָיו אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ בֹּ֑שֶׁת וְ֝עָלָ֗יו יָצִ֥יץ נִזְרֽוֹ׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

LORD

don't forget David

all the trouble

he went through

He gave his word to the LORD

he promised

the Strong One of Jacob

No roof over my head

no pillow for my head

no sleep for my eyes

no rest for my eyelids

till I find the LORD a place

a tent for Jacob's Strong One

In Ephrathah

we heard the news

out in the forest fields

we found it

come, we'll go into His tent

we'll kneel down

where His feet rest

Get up, LORD

come to Your rest

You

and the ark that holds Your strength

Dress Your priests

in goodness

and let the ones who love You

sing out loud

For the sake of David

Your servant

don't send Your chosen one away

The LORD gave David His word

and He won't go back on it

A son from your own line

will sit on your throne

if your children hold to My covenant

and the truths I teach

their children too will rule after you

for all time

The LORD picked Zion

He longed to live there

Here I rest

for good

here I stay

because I long for her

I will load her table

with blessing

I will feed her poor

until they're full

I will wrap her priests

in rescue

and her faithful

will sing and sing again

Here a strength will grow

for David

a light is ready

for My chosen king

his enemies

will wear disgrace

but his crown

will blaze

Get up, LORD

come to Your rest

Here I rest

for good

Get up, LORD

come to Your rest

Here I rest

for good

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn