Sing a New Psalm:
Communicating with God Through
the Prayers of the Church
Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline
Lesson 14 Give Ear, O LORD, to My Prayer
Psalm 86 (RSVCE) and Psalm 88 (RSVCE)
Saturday Day Prayer (Week I)
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for Volume II of Sing a New Psalm
next lesson: Let Us Ring Out Our Joy to the LORD
This material coordinates with Lesson 14, “Give Ear, O LORD, to My Prayer,” on pages 54–56 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline. Our Catholic Bible study is based on
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, a translation of the psalms prepared by the monks at Conception Abbey in 2010 and first published as The Revised Grail Psalms. The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is a revision of that work, finished in 2020 and published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Wording and numbering of some psalms and verses in other translations may differ. The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is being added to Liturgy of the Hours books used in the United States. While the Turning to God’s Word study book is based on The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation, all online links to the psalms are to the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. A separate copy of The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is needed to read the translation on which the psalms in this study are based.
“Unlike other prayers in sacred Scripture, the prayers contained in the psalms are not inserted into a narrative story that specifies their meaning and function. Instead, the psalms are given to the believer precisely as a text of prayer. Since they are the Word of God, the believer who prays the psalms speaks to God using the very words that God himself has given to us. Thus, in praying the psalms we learn to pray. The psalms are a school of prayer.”—Pope Benedict XVI
welcome to our continuing in-depth study of the psalms
We invite groups and individuals to check out the sample Introduction and Lesson 1 from this 29-
lesson Turning to 
God’s Word Catholic Bible study. Our online study pages include additional questions, commentary, and prayers based on the psalm texts, plus an online glossary. Both Volume I and Volume II of Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church have been granted imprimaturs. A digital version of Volume I: Lauds & Vespers can be purchased from our website shop. Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline is available in hard copy. If you have a Bible-related question or comment, click on one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons on any online study page.
open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words, pray one of the psalms in this lesson, or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:
Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.
think about praying Compline every night
In addition to the sample for this Bible study, Turning to God’s Word is providing a copy of Lesson 29 In Peace I Will Lie Down, which addresses the nightly Compline prayers based on Psalm 91, Psalm 4, and Psalm 134. The monks at Conception Abbey pray these short psalms each evening—Psalm 91 on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday; Psalm 4 and Psalm 134 on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
about the psalms in this lesson**
The two psalms prayed for Saturday Day Prayer Week I at Conception Abbey—Psalm 86 and Psalm 88—are considered individual or personal laments. Psalm 86 is attributed to David. Psalm 88 is thought by most scholars to have been written by one or more of the descendants of Korah, though a few scholars believe that Heman the Ezrahite may have been involved in its composition.
classifying the psalms
The classification of the psalms, though somewhat standardized, retains an arbitrary nature. Some psalms are classified according to form or type; such forms include the hymn, the lament, and the song of thanksgiving. Psalms also may be classified according to subject matter—royal psalms, for instance, portray the political king of the descendants of Jacob as both the representative of God to the community and the representative of the community to God—or they may be classified according to their use; scholars generally think that hymns exalting Zion were part of a ritual reenactment of the great deeds of God in maintaining Mount Zion and Jerusalem as a home base. Turning to God’s Word is indebted to Fr. Felix Just, a Jesuit priest and biblical scholar, for his organized listing of the psalms by classification and author.
the largest number of psalms are laments
Forty-three of the psalms, including Psalm 86 and Psalm 88 in this lesson, are classified as individual laments. The word “lament” means “a passionate expression of regret.” An additional 18 psalms are classified as communal laments, which means they were written to be used by an entire community. Refer to the above-mentioned work of Fr. Felix Just for a complete online listing of psalms classified as individual or communal laments.
what is a lament?
Because the word “lament” as a verb means to wail, moan, or sob in sorrow, when the same word “lament” is used as a noun it means an expression of mourning. It is this meaning that it holds in Psalm 86 and Psalm 88. In addition to the laments in the psalms, Scripture also includes a book called Lamentations (sometimes referred to as the Lamentations of Jeremiah, although many scholars contest the prophet Jeremiah’s authorship of that work). A lament frequently refers to a funeral dirge, elegy, or burial hymn.
who are the sons of Korah?
Psalm 88 associates the sons of Korah with the authorship of this psalm. The book of Exodus 6:24 lists the names of Korah’s sons as Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph, indicating that they followed Moses‘ command to depart from their father’s tent to avoid being destroyed because of Korah’s sin, which was challenging the authority of Moses and Aaron—and ultimately of God. This event is described in the book of Numbers 16:20–26. Various psalms mention the “sons of Korah” as their composers; the term refers to descendants of Korah and not to his literal children. In addition to Psalm 88 in this lesson, other psalms in Volume II attributed to descendants of Korah include Psalm 44 (in Lesson 5 Awake O LORD! Why Do You Sleep?) and Psalm 46 (in Lesson 13 Praise the LORD who rides on the heavens). In addition, Psalm 42, Psalm 45, Psalm 47, Psalm 48, Psalm 49, Psalm 84, Psalm 85, and Psalm 87 are covered in Volume I and also are attributed to descendants of Korah.
who is Heman the Ezrahite?
Most scholars who think that Psalm 88 was composed by Heman believe that Heman was one of the sons or descendants of Korah. At any rate, Heman likely was both a songwriter and musician. A man named Heman is listed as a one of David’s seers in the First Book of the Chronicles 25:5.
prayer—you could look it up in our archives
The psalms chosen for Saturday Day Prayer Week I at Conception Abbey are about prayer. It would be a rare (and possibly delusional) Christian who thought they knew all there is to know about speaking and listening to God. To learn more about prayer, read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.
what Jesus says about prayer
In the beginning of the eleventh chapter of the Gospel According to Luke, Jesus teaches his disciples the Lord’s Prayer (which Catholics often refer to as the “Our Father”) as a remedy for mistakes that people make when they pray.
? 
What do you think praying meant to those with whom Jesus was talking?
? What do you think that it means to Jesus?
? What do you think that Jesus intended the “Our Father” to accomplish for his disciples?
? What effect does praying the “Our Father” have on your own spiritual life?
prayer defines the way we approach God
The Greek word for prayer is προσεύχομαι (proseuchomai), a compound form of the verb εύχομαι (euchomai), which also means “I pray.” The difference between proseuchomai and euchomai comes from the prefix προσ- (pros-). This prefix adds the implication of direction or motion toward to the idea of prayer, so more than simply being a request for a particular desire or outcome, the Greek concept of prayer is about how to address God.
? How do you approach or address God?
? How might the “Our Father” seen in this light inform your relationship with God?
? What advantages do you see to using a formulaic approach to speaking with God?
? What are some disadvantages?
? What can you do to prevent the “Our Father” from becoming a rote recitation of words instead of a heartfelt plea to God?
read the Catechism—prayer that moves the human heart
Paragraph 2588 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains why it is that the psalms have such strong influence thousands of years after they first were composed.
2588 The Psalter’s many forms of prayer take shape both in the liturgy of the Temple and in the human heart. Whether hymns or prayers of lamentation or thanksgiving, whether individual or communal, whether royal chants, songs of pilgrimage or wisdom meditations, the Psalms are a mirror of God’s marvelous deeds in the history of his people, as well as reflections of the human experiences of the Psalmist. Though a given psalm may reflect an event of the past, it still possesses such direct simplicity that it can be prayed in truth by men of all times and conditions.
a translation difference we’ve encountered before
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 86:13: “Your mercy to me has been great; you have saved me from the depths of Sheol.” The Revised Grail Psalms substitutes the words “the grave” for “Sheol” in the same passage. Similar translation changes occur in Psalm 88:4, Psalm 88:5, Psalm 88:6, and Psalm 88:12 (Psalm 88:3, Psalm 88:4, Psalm 88:5, and Psalm 88:11 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions [USCCB]). Consider why the editors at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) might have wanted to specify Sheol, and why might they have chosen to do this only occasionally? What might be the reason for changing Conception Abbey’s original translation of “grave” to the plural “graves”? Which translation do you prefer, and why? (Note that it is not possible to link to either The Abbey Psalms and Canticles or The Revised Grail Psalms; all links on the online pages are to the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE].)
more translation differences related to death
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 88:12–13 (Psalm 88:11–12 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “From the grave, who can tell of your mercy? From the place of perdition, your faithfulness? Will your wonders be known in the dark, in the land of oblivion, your uprightness?” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passage: “Will your mercy be told in the grave, or your faithfulness in the place of perdition? Will your wonders be known in the dark, your justice in the land of oblivion?” Think about what these translation changes indicate to the average reader of Psalm 88. Note that The Abbey Psalms and Canticles substitutes “uprightness” for “justice” as well as rearranging structure of Psalm 88.
the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by passages in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however, including Psalm 86 in this lesson.
Psalm 88:11–13—paragraph 633
ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out 
persons or places mentioned in the biblical text under more than one name or more than one spelling. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun that appears in the biblical text for every lesson in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline.
don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a passage in Scripture, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book. If you want to revisit a particular commentary, you can look that up by title in the topics index. If you want to learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, you can read the online commentaries and watch any accompanying videos by going to the online study directories. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.
ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
You can find links to magisterial documents referred to in Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible studies 
at ex libris—magisterial documents. This page includes a listing of significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.
wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following links are to readings from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, open one of the links and click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV readings provide an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical texts. An online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current three months can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
close with a psalms-based prayer for Saturday Day Prayer (Week I)
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can pray any of the psalms in this lesson, or you can use the following short prayer.
LORD, for some mysterious reason you seem to desire
communication with men and women.
Help us to respect and honor your awesome power and glory
when we turn to speak to you,
and grant us a willingness to hear what you want to say to us.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
who always listened to you and responded by doing your will. Amen.
Lesson 15 Let Us Ring Out Our Joy to the LORD, Sunday Vigils (Week II)—Psalm 95 (the Invitatory), Psalm 34, Psalm 66, and Psalm 104
Lesson 13 Praise the LORD Who Rides on the Heavens, Saturday Vigils (Week I)—Psalm 46 (the Invitatory), Psalm 68 and Psalm 89
you also may like our study of the Letter to the Hebrews (digital only)
Many Christians struggle to understand one of the central mysteries of our faith: how Jesus can be both human and divine at the same time. The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation, an 18-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, offers an in-depth look at the way in which Jesus’ dual nature allows for the salvation of humanity. The Letter to the Hebrews is designed to provide information that will encourage Christians to remain faithful. Click here to view a sample of the first lesson.
start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II. 
Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer
*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—Baruch, Judith, Sirach, Tobit, Wisdom, and First and Second Maccabees—and there are some deuterocanonical passages in the Books of Daniel and Esther. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. Deuterocanonical means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?
**You can learn more about the psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church. The first volume covers psalms prayed at Lauds and Vespers; the second covers psalms prayed at Vigils, Day Prayer, and Compline. Numbering of psalms and verses may vary in other translations.
Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online study pages for Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.
The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” and “didst” in the psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.
Numbering for some passages in this Bible study will vary. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book.