What does Psalms Chapter 115 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Belief, humbled speech and excess precede gratitude. Chalice, invocation and vows before all people are promised. Precious saints’ death and servant bonds remain the stated images.

Chapter breakdown

Credidi is the incipit. The heading says this is joined to the preceding psalm in Hebrew and continues faith and gratitude; Alleluia precedes verses numbered 10–19. The speaker believed and therefore spoke, but was greatly humbled. In his excess he said every man is a liar; this strong attributed statement is not softened to mere human fallibility.

He asks what to render for all the Lord’s benefits and promises to take the chalice of salvation, invoke the Lord’s name and pay vows before all His people. Precious in the Lord’s sight is the death of His saints, not a newly added statement about every trial.

Calling himself the Lord’s servant twice and son of His handmaid, he recalls broken bonds. He promises praise sacrifice, invocation and vows before all people in the Lord’s house courts in Jerusalem. The vows are not debts, and the handmaid description does not establish a devout genealogy. These future acts are not a witnessed completed ceremony.

The story inside

Opening: Belief, humbled speech and excess precede gratitude. Development: Chalice, invocation and vows before all people are promised. Conclusion: Precious saints’ death and servant bonds remain the stated images.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Belief, humbled speech and excess precede gratitude.
2
Chalice, invocation and vows before all people are promised.
3
Precious saints’ death and servant bonds remain the stated images.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 65200–65204
115:12. What shall I render to the Lord, for all the things that he hath rendered to me? 115:13. I will take the chalice of salvation; and I will call upon the name of the Lord.
Lines 65208–65211
115:15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. 115:16. O Lord, for I am thy servant: I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid. Thou hast broken my bonds: