What does Psalms Chapter 131 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

David’s meekness and vow lead to tabernacle requests. The oath retains the children’s covenant condition. Sion’s future blessings differ from prepared lamp and past choice.

Chapter breakdown

Memento, Domine is the incipit; the heading calls for fulfillment of the promise to David and the inscription a gradual canticle. The speaker asks remembrance of David and all meekness and recalls his oath to Jacob’s God. The vow names entering house tabernacle, going to bed, eye sleep, eyelid slumber and rest to temples until finding the Lord a place and Jacob’s God a tabernacle. Palace, actual neglect and already completed deprivation are not invented.

We heard in Ephrata and found in wood fields. The separate note interprets youthful Bethlehem/Ephrata hearing of tabernacle and ark, devout desire and finding at Cariathiarim, city of woods, where it remained until Jerusalem removal, referring to 1 Paralipomenon 13. A festive transfer is not added from that outside reference. The speakers will enter tabernacle and adore where feet stood, ask the Lord and sanctified ark to rise to rest, priests clothed with justice and saints rejoicing, and anointed face not turned away for David’s sake.

The Lord swore truth not voided to David: fruit of womb will be set on throne. If children keep covenant and testimonies He shall teach, their children shall sit forever. This condition remains explicit; the oath is not certified as causal payment for the earlier vow.

The Lord chose Sion for dwelling and declares forever rest and future dwelling. He will bless her widow, satisfy poor with bread, clothe priests with salvation and give saints exceeding joy. There He will bring David a horn; He has prepared an anointed lamp. He will clothe enemies with confusion and His sanctification shall flourish upon the anointed. Prepared lamp is not unquenchable flame and sanctification is not silently changed to a crown; future benefits are not reported as already delivered.

The story inside

Opening: David’s meekness and vow lead to tabernacle requests. Development: The oath retains the children’s covenant condition. Conclusion: Sion’s future blessings differ from prepared lamp and past choice.

Lessons worth keeping

1
David’s meekness and vow lead to tabernacle requests.
2
The oath retains the children’s covenant condition.
3
Sion’s future blessings differ from prepared lamp and past choice.

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 66268–66278
131:1. O Lord, remember David, and all his meekness. 131:2. How he swore to the Lord, he vowed a vow to the God of Jacob: 131:3. If I shall enter into the tabernacle of my house: if I shall go up into the bed wherein I lie: 131:4. If I shall give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids, 131:5. Or rest to my temples: until I find out a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
Lines 66280–66287
131:6. Behold we have heard of it in Ephrata: we have found it in the fields of the wood. We have heard of it in Ephrata.... When I was young, and lived in Bethlehem, otherwise called Ephrata, I heard of God’s tabernacle and ark, and had a devout desire of seeking it; and accordingly I found it at Cariathiarim, the city of the woods: where it was till it was removed to Jerusalem. See 1 Par. 13.
Lines 66292–66299
131:8. Arise, O Lord, into thy resting place: thou and the ark, which thou hast sanctified. 131:9. Let thy priests be clothed with justice: and let thy saints rejoice. 131:10. For thy servant David’s sake, turn not away the face of thy anointed.
Lines 66301–66306
131:11. The Lord hath sworn truth to David, and he will not make it void: of the fruit of thy womb I will set upon thy throne. 131:12. If thy children will keep my covenant, and these my testimonies which I shall teach them: Their children also for evermore shall sit upon thy throne.
Lines 66308–66324
131:13. For the Lord hath chosen Sion: he hath chosen it for his dwelling. 131:14. This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it. 131:15. Blessing I will bless her widow: I will satisfy her poor with bread. 131:16. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall rejoice with exceeding great joy. 131:17. There will I bring forth a horn to David: I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. 131:18. His enemies I will clothe with confusion: but upon him shall my sanctification flourish.