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Psalms

Chapter 47 · Douay–Rheims / Challoner

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Chapter XLVII · Location 47 of 150

Chapter 47 · Open to read

From Psalms · Douay–Rheims / Challoner (1749–1752)

What does Psalms Chapter 47 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The psalm praises God in His city and promises protection. Assembled kings’ trembling precedes future Tharsis ship-breaking. Temple mercy leads to commands about Sion and remembrance for another generation.

Chapter breakdown

The Latin incipit is Magnus Dominus. The separate heading praises God's establishment of His church. The inscription is a psalm of a canticle for Core's sons on the week's second day. The Lord is greatly praised in God's city and holy mountain, with earth's joy in Sion founded on the north's sides, the great king's city. God shall be known in her houses when He protects her.

Earth's kings assembled, saw, wondered, were troubled and moved. Trembling and pains like a woman in labor took them. A vehement wind shall break Tharsis's ships: the psalm does not name an east wind or say a hostile coalition's ships were already destroyed. The speakers say what they heard they saw in God's city, founded forever, and mercy was received in His temple.

Praise reaches earth's ends according to God's name, His right hand full of justice. The speaker wishes Sion's joy and Juda's daughters' gladness for judgments, commands surrounding Sion and telling her towers, setting hearts on strength and distributing houses to relate in another generation. The admitted phrase concerning houses is not silently replaced with inspecting palaces. God is their God eternally and shall rule forever. No assault, refusal to retaliate or universal civic invincibility is independently established.

The story inside

Opening: The psalm praises God in His city and promises protection. Development: Assembled kings’ trembling precedes future Tharsis ship-breaking. Conclusion: Temple mercy leads to commands about Sion and remembrance for another generation.

Lessons worth keeping

  1. 1
    The psalm praises God in His city and promises protection.
  2. 2
    Assembled kings’ trembling precedes future Tharsis ship-breaking.
  3. 3
    Temple mercy leads to commands about Sion and remembrance for another generation.

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.

  1. Lines 60456–60457

    Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.
  2. Lines 60470–60471

    Trembling took hold of them. There were pains as of a woman in labour.
  3. Lines 60476–60477

    As we have heard, so have we seen, in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God hath founded it for ever.
  4. Lines 60479–60479

    We have received thy mercy, O God, in the midst of thy temple.
  5. Lines 60489–60490

    Set your hearts on her strength; and distribute her houses, that ye may relate it in another generation.
  6. Lines 60492–60493

    For this is God, our God unto eternity, and for ever and ever: he shall rule us for evermore.

Location: chapter 47 of 150 · 31%

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