What does Psalms Chapter 113 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The two repeated-number sections remain one admitted chapter. Idol faculties and requested maker likeness retain exact distinctions. Past hope and blessing differ from requested added blessings and the living speakers’ praise.

Chapter breakdown

In exitu Israel is the incipit. The heading describes deliverance's power and idol vanity and says Hebrews divide this into two psalms. Alleluia precedes two sections with repeated verse numbering, preserved as one admitted chapter. Israel left Egypt and Jacob's house a barbarous people, Judea became sanctuary and Israel dominion. Sea saw and fled, Jordan turned back and mountains and hills skipped like rams and flock's lambs. Questions address those movements, followed by earth moved before Jacob's God, who turned rock into pools and stony hill into fountains. Red Sea is not explicitly named here.

The second section asks glory to God's name, not to us, for mercy and truth lest Gentiles ask where God is; it does not certify that taunt already occurred. God is in heaven and has done His will. Silver/gold idols are handworks with mouths that do not speak, eyes not seeing, ears not hearing, noses not smelling, hands not feeling, feet not walking and throats not crying. The request is let makers and trusters become like them, rather than a completed proof of their death.

Israel's house, Aaron's house and God-fearers have hoped, with God helper and protector, not a new threefold imperative. He has remembered and blessed Israel, Aaron and fearers little and great. Blessings upon hearers and children are requested and blessing pronounced from heaven/earth maker. Heaven of heaven is His and earth given to human children. Dead and hell-descenders shall not praise, while living speakers bless now forever. No explanatory limitation to earthly worship or new underworld doctrine is added to resolve that difficult wording.

The story inside

Opening: The two repeated-number sections remain one admitted chapter. Development: Idol faculties and requested maker likeness retain exact distinctions. Conclusion: Past hope and blessing differ from requested added blessings and the living speakers’ praise.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The two repeated-number sections remain one admitted chapter.
2
Idol faculties and requested maker likeness retain exact distinctions.
3
Past hope and blessing differ from requested added blessings and the living speakers’ praise.

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 65074–65084
In exitu Israel. God hath shewn his power in delivering his people: idols are vain. The Hebrews divide this into two psalms. Alleluia. 113:1. When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a barbarous people: 113:2. Judea was made his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.
Lines 65086–65101
113:3. The sea saw and fled: Jordan was turned back. 113:4. The mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like the lambs of the flock. 113:5. What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou didst flee: and thou, O Jordan, that thou wast turned back? 113:6. Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams, and ye hills, like lambs of the flock? 113:7. At the presence of the Lord the earth was moved, at the presence of the God of Jacob: 113:8. Who turned the rock into pools of water, and the stony hill into fountains of waters.
Lines 65111–65122
113:4. The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold, the works of the hands of men. 113:5. They have mouths and speak not: they have eyes and see not. 113:6. They have ears and hear not: they have noses and smell not. 113:7. They have hands and feel not: they have feet and walk not: neither shall they cry out through their throat. 113:8. Let them that make them become like unto them: and all such as trust in them.
Lines 65124–65136
113:9. The house of Israel hath hoped in the Lord: he is their helper and their protector. 113:10. The house of Aaron hath hoped in the Lord: he is their helper and their protector. 113:11. They that fear the Lord have hoped in the Lord: he is their helper and their protector. 113:12. The Lord hath been mindful of us, and hath blessed us. He hath blessed the house of Israel: he hath blessed the house of Aaron. 113:13. He hath blessed all that fear the Lord, both little and great.
Lines 65143–65150
113:16. The heaven of heaven is the Lord’s: but the earth he has given to the children of men. 113:17. The dead shall not praise thee, O Lord: nor any of them that go down to hell. 113:18. But we that live bless the Lord: from this time now and for ever.