--> Psalm 5 is the fifth psalm of the

Book of Psalms The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of ...

, beginning in English in the

King James Version The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version (AV), is an Early Modern English Bible translations, Early Modern English translation of the Christianity, Christian Bible for the Church of England, wh ...

: "Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation". In Latin, it is known as "Verba mea auribus percipe Domine". The psalm is traditionally attributed to

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

. It reflects how the righteous man prays for deliverance not only for freedom from suffering, but to allow himself to serve God without distraction. The

New King James Version The New King James Version (NKJV) is a translation of the Bible in contemporary English, working as a revision of the King James Version. Published by Thomas Nelson, the complete NKJV was released in 1982. With regard to its textual basis, the ...

entitles it "A Prayer for Guidance". The psalm is a regular part of

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Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music by composers, such as

Heinrich Schütz Heinrich Schütz (; 6 November 1672) was a German early Baroque music, Baroque composer and organ (music), organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach and one of the most important composers of ...

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions inc ...

and

Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

Themes

Folio 46v - David Beseeches God Against Evildoers

Psalm 5 is within the genre of the morning prayer, because the morning was very important in the

religions of the ancient Near East The religions of the ancient Near East were mostly polytheistic, with some examples of monolatry (for example, Yahwism and Atenism). Some scholars believe that the similarities between these religions indicate that the religions are related, a b ...

. Hence verse 4: :''In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.'' The Psalm opens as a

lament A lament or lamentation is a passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form. The grief is most often born of regret, or mourning. Laments can also be expressed in a verbal manner in which participants lament about something ...

, continues with praise, and requests that God punish evildoers. The psalmist describes the throat of the wicked as an open sepulcher. The Psalmist ends (verse 12 or 13) with a blessing extended to all those who trust in God.

Interpretation

The correct translation of the word Hebrew word הַנְּחִילֹ֗ות (in the superscription or verse 1) is unclear; the

NRSV The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is a translation of the Bible in American English. It was first published in 1989 by the National Council of Churches, the NRSV was created by an ecumenical committee of scholars "comprising about thirty ...

and the

Luther Bible The Luther Bible () is a German language Bible translation by the Protestant reformer Martin Luther. A New Testament translation by Luther was first published in September 1522; the completed Bible contained 75 books, including the Old Testament ...

give it as "for flute". The

Septuagint The Septuagint ( ), sometimes referred to as the Greek Old Testament or The Translation of the Seventy (), and abbreviated as LXX, is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Biblical Hebrew. The full Greek ...

Vulgate The Vulgate () is a late-4th-century Bible translations into Latin, Latin translation of the Bible. It is largely the work of Saint Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels used by the Diocese of ...

and some Arabic translations attribute נחל from "inherit" meaning "per ea quae haereditatem consequitur"(vulgate) and κληρονομος (Septuagint). Accordingly, it would be translated into English as "in favor of those who receive the inheritance". Therefore Augustine, Cassiodorus and others interpreted it as "those heirs of God". A thoroughly

Christological In Christianity, Christology is a branch of theology that concerns Jesus. Different denominations have different opinions on questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, and as a messiah what his role would be in the freeing of ...

interpretation can be found in

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

's work, who finds the third verse revealing that the humanization of man happens through the incarnation of

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

. Gerhard Ebeling sees in the Psalm both as complaining (verse 10) and also at the same time as exultation and rejoicing (verse 12).

Context

Psalm 5 uses musical instruments, flutes. Psalm 4 is the first Psalm using a musical instrument, strings or "stringed instruments". A new theme is introduced, the name of God, in verse 11: :''But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.'' This is the first of five psalms (Psalms 5 - 9) all speaking of "the name of God", with nine verses speaking to various aspects, namely Ps 5:11, Ps 6:5, Ps 7:17, Ps 8:1, Ps 8:9, Ps 9:2, Ps 9:5 and Ps 9:10. Various types of flow in the Book of Psalms are explored by various authors such as O. Palmer Robertson. An emphasis of a particular genre of Psalm, the lament. In Ps 5:1 where God is called on to 'listen to my lament'. The most common genre of Psalm in the book of Psalms will be the lament. Laments can be seen to occur more heavily in the first half of the book of Psalms,

Text

The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels, alongside the

Koine Greek Koine Greek (, ), also variously known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek, Septuagint Greek or New Testament Greek, was the koiné language, common supra-regional form of Greek language, Greek spoken and ...

text in the

and the English translation from the

. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and the

Masoretic text The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; ) is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (''Tanakh'') in Rabbinic Judaism. The Masoretic Text defines the Jewish canon and its precise letter-text, with its vocaliz ...

come from different textual traditions.A 1917 translation directly from Hebrew to English by the

Jewish Publication Society The Jewish Publication Society (JPS), originally known as the Jewish Publication Society of America, is the oldest nonprofit, nondenominational publisher of Jewish works in English. Founded in Philadelphia in 1888, by Reform Rabbi Joseph Krauskop ...

can be foun
here
o
here
and an 1844 translation directly from the Septuagint by L. C. L. Brenton can be foun
here
Both translations are in the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

Uses

Judaism

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

, verse 8 of psalm 5 is the second verse from '' Ma Tovu''.

New Testament

Verse 9 is quoted in .

Catholic Church

According to the

Rule of St. Benedict The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' () is a book of precepts written in Latin by Benedict of Nursia, St. Benedict of Nursia (c. AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The spirit of Saint Benedict's Rule is summed up ...

(530 AD),

Psalm 1 Psalm 1 is the first psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in the English King James Version: "Blessed is the man", and forming "an appropriate prologue" to the whole collection according to Alexander Kirkpatrick.Kirkpatrick, A. F. (1906)Cambr ...

Psalm 20 Psalm 20 is the 20th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old T ...

were mainly reserved for office of

Prime A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...

. Since the time of St. Benedict, the Rule of Benedict (530 AD) has used this psalm for the office

Lauds Lauds is a canonical hour of the Divine office. In the Roman Rite Liturgy of the Hours it is one of the major hours, usually held after Matins, in the early morning hours (between 3:00:00 and 5:59:59). Name The name is derived from the three la ...

on Monday (Chapter XIII) In the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 5 is still recited or sung at Lauds on Monday of the first week.

Coptic Orthodox Church

In the

Agpeya The ''Agpeya'' ( Coptic: Ϯⲁⲅⲡⲓⲁ, ) is the Coptic Christian "Prayer Book of the Hours" or breviary, and is equivalent to the Shehimo in the Syriac Orthodox Church (another Oriental Orthodox Christian denomination), as well as the Byzan ...

, the

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book of hours A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...

, this psalm is prayed in the office of

''Book of Common Prayer''

In the Church of England's ''

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the title given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The Book of Common Prayer (1549), fi ...

'', Psalm 5 is appointed to be read on the morning of the first day of the month.Church of England
Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter
as printed by

John Baskerville John Baskerville (baptised 28 January 1707 – 8 January 1775) was an English businessman, in areas including japanning and papier-mâché, but he is best remembered as a printer and type designer. He was also responsible for inventing "wo ...

in 1762, p. 196ff

Music

Caspar cross Hamer (1546) created in 1537 the chorale ''An geystlich Bitlied'' drawn heavily from the Psalms.

composed a setting of a metred version in German, "Herr, hör, was ich will bitten dich", SWV 101, published in 1628 in the ''

Becker Psalter The ''Becker Psalter'' is a German metrical psalter authored by the Leipzig theologian Cornelius Becker and first published by Jakob Apel in Leipzig in 1602 under the title ''Der Psalter Davids Gesangweis''. Several composers set the psalms cont ...

''.

composed a setting of Psalm 5 in English, "Lord, hear the voice" for men's chorus in 1839). In 1911,

dedicated a setting for choir and orchestra, "Intende voci orationis meæ", as an offertory for the coronation of

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

Illuminated Manuscripts

File:Harley ms 603 f003r.jpg, The beginning of Psalm 5 in the

Harley Psalter The Harley Psalter (British Library Harley MS 603) is an illuminated manuscript of the second and third decades of the 11th century, with some later additions. It is a Latin psalter on vellum, measures 380 x 310 mm and was probably produced ...

. File:Psalter of Eleanor of Aquitaine (ca. 1185) - KB 76 F 13, folium 031r.jpg, The beginning of Psalm 5 in the Psalter of Eleanor of Aquitaine. File:096 MS 65 F46 V.jpg, Psalm 5 in the

Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry The (; ), or , is an illuminated manuscript that was created between and 1416. It is a book of hours, which is a Christians, Christian devotional book and a collection of prayers said at canonical hours. The manuscript was created for John, ...

, with miniature of King David beseeching God against evildoers.

Notes

References

External links

* * * in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre * Text of Psalm 5 according to th
1928 Psalter

For the leader; with wind instruments. A psalm of David. / Give ear to my words, O LORD; understand my sighing.
(text and footnotes) United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

(introduction and text) biblestudytools.com
Psalm 5 – A Morning Prayer
enduringword.com
Psalm 5 / Refrain: You, O Lord, will bless the righteous.

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

Psalm 5
at biblegateway.com
Hymns for Psalm 5
hymnary.org

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{{Psalms Texts assigned to David

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