Psalm 131


Psalm 131 is the 131st psalm of the Book of Psalms, generally known in English by its first verse, in the King James Version, "Lord, my heart is not haughty". The Book of Psalms is the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and in its Latin translation in the Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 130 in a slightly different numbering system. In Latin, it is known as "Domine non est exaltatum cor meum". The psalm is one of the fifteen Songs of Ascents, and one of three psalms consisting of only three verses. It is attributed to David and is classified among the psalms of confidence.
The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Anglican and Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music often, notably by Heinrich Schütz, and in the final movement of Bernstein's Chichester Psalms.

Background

Psalm 131 is one of the shortest chapters in the Book of Psalms, being one of three psalms with only three verses. The shortest psalm is Psalm 117, with two verses. Psalm 131 is classified among the psalms of confidence.

Themes

notes that this psalm is both by and about David, expressing his humility, his confidence, and his commitment to perform the will of God. The Midrash pairs the phrases in verse 1 with specific events in David's life that he could certainly have bragged about, yet he retained his humility. These events were:
When asked what it means to trust in God, the Vilna Gaon quoted verse 2 of this psalm. He explained that just as a nursing baby that is satiated doesn't worry whether there will be more milk for him when he is hungry again, one who trusts in God does not worry about the future.

Text

Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 131:
VerseHebrew
1בִּגְדֹל֖וֹת וּבְנִפְלָא֣וֹת מִמֶּֽנִּי
2וְדוֹמַ֗מְתִּי נַפְשִׁ֗י כְּ֖גָמֻל עֲלֵ֣י אִמּ֑וֹ כַּגָּמֻ֖ל עָלַ֣י נַפְשִֽׁי
3יַחֵ֣ל יִ֖שְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהֹוָ֑ה מֵֽ֜עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם

King James Version

  1. Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
  2. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.
  3. Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.

    Uses

Judaism

Psalm 131 is one of the 15 Songs of Ascents recited after the Shabbat afternoon prayer in the period between Sukkot and Shabbat HaGadol.

Catholicism

Since the Middle Ages, according to the Rule of St. Benedict, it was traditionally recited or sung at the office of vespers on Tuesday between Psalm 130 and Psalm 132.
Currently, in the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 131 is in the Office of Readings on Saturday of the first week and vespers on Tuesday of the third week. In the liturgy of the Mass, it is recited in the 31st week on Sunday A8, and in the 31st week on Monday in even years and Tuesday in odd years.

Musical settings

composed his great motet for this psalm at the end of the seventeenth century, before 1689, for the offices at the royal chapel of the castle of Versailles. In 1691, the work was revised and improved. Heinrich Schütz set the psalm in German for choir as part of his setting of the Becker Psalter as SWV 236, "Herr, mein Gemüt und Sinn du weißt".
The psalm in Hebrew is the text of the final movement of Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, an extended work for choir and orchestra, with verse 1 of Psalm 133 added.
The English composer David Bednall composed a choral anthem titled "O Lord, I am not haughty" using Psalm 131 that was sung by The Queen's College, Oxford choir on their 2018 recording, The House of the Mind.