What does Psalms Chapter 137 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Future praise responds to past hearing. Strength and kings’ praise remain requested or future. Conditional quickening and past saving precede a final request.

Chapter breakdown

Confitebor tibi is the incipit with thanksgiving heading; the first verse is for David himself. He will praise wholeheartedly because God heard his mouth, will sing in angels’ sight, worship toward the holy temple and glorify the name for mercy, truth and magnification above all. Future worship is not an observed prostration.

Whenever he shall call he asks hearing and says strength shall multiply in his soul. He asks all earthly kings to glory because they heard mouth’s words and to sing the Lord’s ways because glory is great. These requests are not fulfilled conversion. The high Lord looks on low and knows high afar off; no new definition of spiritual versus social lowliness is supplied.

If he shall walk in tribulation, God will quicken; God has stretched hand against enemy wrath and right hand has saved. Future conditional life and past help remain distinct. The Lord will repay for him, mercy lasts forever and he asks God not to despise handworks. This is not a universal promise of immediate emotional strengthening or perfected future work.

The story inside

Opening: Future praise responds to past hearing. Development: Strength and kings’ praise remain requested or future. Conclusion: Conditional quickening and past saving precede a final request.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Future praise responds to past hearing.
2
Strength and kings’ praise remain requested or future.
3
Conditional quickening and past saving precede a final request.

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 66560–66561
I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: for thou hast heard the words of my mouth.
Lines 66564–66565
I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name.
Lines 66568–66569
In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me: thou shalt multiply strength in my soul.
Lines 66577–66578
For the Lord is high, and looketh on the low: and the high he knoweth afar off.
Lines 66580–66582
If I shall walk in the midst of tribulation, thou wilt quicken me: and thou hast stretched forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies: and thy right hand hath saved me.
Lines 66584–66585
The Lord will repay for me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: O despise not the works of thy hands.