Psalm 149


Psalm 149 is the 149th psalm of the Book of Psalms, a hymn as the book's penultimate piece. The first verse of the psalm calls to praise in singing, "Sing a new song unto the Lord". Similar to Psalm 96 and Psalm 98, Psalm 149 calls to praise God in music and dance, because he has chosen his people and helped them to victory. Psalm 149 also calls to be ready to fight.
The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, and Anglican liturgies. It has been set to music often, notably by Antonín Dvořák who set the complete psalm for chorus and orchestra, while Bach chose only the first three verses for his motet Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225. It was paraphrased in hymns.

Background and themes

Psalm 149 shares the first line with Psalm 98, known as Cantate Domino. Both Psalm 149 and 98 call to praise God in music and dance, because he has chosen his people and helped them to victory. Psalm 149 also calls to be ready to fight, with "swords sharpened on both sides in their hands". The end of the psalm has been interpreted differently by commentators. Augustine of Hippo wrote that the phrase of the sword has a "mystical meaning", dividing temporal and eternal things. James L. Mays comments: "There is an eschatological, almost apocalyptic, dimension to the psalm's anticipation of a warfare of the faithful that will settle the conflict of the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of God".
Citing verses 5 and 6, the Talmud says the praises said by the pious on their beds refer to the recital of the Bedtime Shema. The Shema is like a "double-edged sword" that can destroy both inner and outer demons and evil spirits. This image of a double-edged sword also refers to Israel's power of praises of God, which enable them to avenge themselves against the nations that persecuted them when the nations receive their punishment at the end of days.

Text

Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 149:
VerseHebrew
1שִׁ֣ירוּ לַֽ֖יהֹוָה שִׁ֥יר חָדָ֑שׁ תְּ֜הִלָּת֗וֹ בִּקְהַ֥ל חֲסִידִֽים
2יִשְׂמַ֣ח יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל בְּעֹשָׂ֑יו בְּנֵֽי־צִ֜יּ֗וֹן יָ֘גִ֥ילוּ בְּמַלְכָּֽם
3יְהַֽלְל֣וּ שְׁמ֣וֹ בְּמָח֑וֹל בְּתֹ֥ף וְ֜כִנּ֗וֹר יְזַמְּרוּ־לֽוֹ
4כִּֽי־רוֹצֶ֣ה יְהֹוָ֣ה בְּעַמּ֑וֹ יְפָ֘אֵ֥ר עֲ֜נָוִ֗ים בִּֽישׁוּעָֽה
5יַעְלְז֣וּ חֲסִידִ֣ים בְּכָב֑וֹד יְ֜רַֽנְּנ֗וּ עַל־מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָֽם
6רֽוֹמְמ֣וֹת אֵ֖ל בִּגְרוֹנָ֑ם וְחֶ֖רֶב פִּֽיפִיּ֣וֹת בְּיָדָֽם
7לַֽעֲשׂ֣וֹת נְקָמָ֣ה בַגּוֹיִ֑ם תּֽ֜וֹכֵח֗וֹת בַּֽלְאֻמִּֽים
8לֶאְסֹּ֣ר מַלְכֵיהֶ֣ם בְּזִקִּ֑ים וְ֜נִכְבְּדֵיהֶ֗ם בְּכַבְלֵ֥י בַרְזֶֽל
9מִשְׁפָּ֬ט כָּת֗וּב הָדָ֣ר ה֖וּא לְכָל־חֲ֜סִידָ֗יו הַֽלְלוּיָֽהּ

King James Version

  1. Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
  2. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
  3. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
  4. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
  5. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.
  6. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;
  7. To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
  8. To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
  9. To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.

    Uses

Judaism

Psalm 149 is recited in its entirety in the Pesukei D'Zimra section of the daily morning prayer. It is traditionally grouped with Psalms 146, 147, 148, and 150 – the five concluding chapters of the Book of Psalms, which are all recited in their entirety during Pesukei D'Zimra – under the classification of "halleluyah" psalms which express praise of God.
Verse 2 is recited by the creeping creatures in Perek Shira.
Verse 5 is recited after saying Mishnayos for the departed.

Catholic Church

The psalm is one of the Laudate psalms or hymn psalms. With Psalm 148 and Psalm 150, Psalm 149 was recited or sung daily during the solemn service of matins, according to the Rule of St. Benedict.
In the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 149 is used for Sunday Lauds of the Roman rite in the first week. It is also used for feasts and solemnities week. In the Eucharistic liturgy, it is the Saturday after the Epiphany or before January 7 epiphany, and at Easter, the Monday of the sixth week.

Musical settings

With an incipit about singing, the psalm and especially its first line has often been set to music, in various languages. Heinrich Schütz published a composition of its beginning in Latin, "Cantate Domino canticum novum", in 1625 in his Cantiones sacrae as SWV 81, scored for four voices and basso continuo. He set the psalm in German, titled Die heilige Gemeine as part of the Becker Psalter, as SWV 254. Johann Sebastian Bach set the beginning to open his cantata for New Year's Day, Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 190, for 1 January 1724, and composed a motet which uses the first three verses and other texts, Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225, around 1727. Jean-Joseph de Mondonville set the psalm as a motet, one of his nine grand motets, in 1734. Antonín Dvořák set the complete psalm for mixed choir and orchestra, as his Op. 79. Bernard Rose set the psalm in English as Praise ye the Lord for unaccompanied double choir in 1949. Philip James set it for choir in 1956. Raymond Wilding-White set the psalm for two sopranos, violin and viola.
Hymns paraphrasing Psalm 149 or taking inspiration from the psalm include "I sing the mighty power of God", "Let all the world in every corner sing", "Lord of the Dance", "Praise the Lord, sing Hallelujah", "Songs of praise the angels sang", and "We sing the mighty power of God".