Sing a New Psalm:
Communicating with God Through
the Prayers of the Church
Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline
Lesson 21 Out of Zion, God Is Shining Forth
Invitatory: Psalm 24 (RSVCE)
Psalm 50 (RSVCE), Psalm 73 (RSVCE), and Psalm 106 (RSVCE)
Wednesday Vigils (Week II)
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: It Was Your Hands That Shaped Me
This material coordinates with Lesson 21, “Out of Zion, God Is Shining Forth,” on pages 78–81 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**
Two of the four psalms prayed for Wednesday Vigils Week II at Conception Abbey—Psalm 24 (the Invitatory) and Psalm 106—are attributed to David. Psalm 24 (the Invitatory) is classified as miscellaneous and generally is considered to be a processional. Psalm 106 is classified as a communal lament. The other two psalms prayed at Wednesday Vigils Week II at Conception Abbey are attributed to Asaph. Because scholars have found Psalm 50 difficult to classify, it’s considered “miscellaneous.” Psalm 73, also attributed to Asaph, is classified as wisdom poetry.
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.
there are a dozen ‘miscellaneous’ psalms
Some of the psalms exhibit a number of themes, making it difficult for scholars to classify them under a single category. All told, there are a dozen such psalms, which are classified as “miscellaneous.” They include Psalm 24 (the Invitatory) and Psalm 50 in this lesson, as well as Psalm 15, Psalm 78, Psalm 81, Psalm 82, Psalm 95, Psalm 105, Psalm 108, Psalm 133, Psalm 134, and Psalm 139.
Psalm 73 is classified as wisdom poetry
Although there is some debate about which books of Scripture are considered books of wisdom, there is more or less agreement among scholars about the eight psalms classified as wisdom poetry, including Psalm 73 in this lesson. The other seven are: Psalm 1, Psalm 37, Psalm 49, Psalm 112, Psalm 119, Psalm 127, and Psalm 128.
the largest number of psalms are laments
Forty-three of the psalms are classified as individual laments. The word “lament” means “a passionate expression of regret.” An additional 18 psalms are classified as communal laments, including Psalm 106 in this lesson. This 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 106. 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.
doxology is a word that indicates praise of God
Related to the word for “glory,” the word “doxology” also is related to the English word for “orthodoxy.” You can learn more by reading the vocabulary boxes “Doxology” on page 53 and “Glory” on page 108 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline. The psalms contain five doxologies (short hymns of praise), two of which are covered in Volume II—Psalm 106:48 in this lesson and Psalm 89:53 (Psalm 89:52 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions) in Lesson 13 Praise the LORD Who Rides on the Heavens. The remaining three are found in Psalm 72:18–19 in Lesson 11 God Will Ransom My Soul, Psalm 41:14 (Psalm 41:13 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions) in Lesson 13 Our Help Is in the Name of the LORD, and Psalm 150:1–6 in Lesson 16 His Mercy Endures Forever—all three in Volume I. Psalm 150:1–6 serves as a closing doxology for all 150 psalms.
who was Asaph?
Asaph was a Levite appointed chief musician after David moved the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. Asaph played the cymbal and also was a prophet. Asaph founded a prominent guild of temple singers called the “sons of Asaph,” whose members continued musical worship for generations. Asaph or members of the sons of Asaph are credited with composing Psalm 50 and Psalms 73–83. In Psalm 73, wisdom poetry attributed to Asaph, the Psalmist expresses his own faith in God while also voicing alarm at the earthly rewards apparent in the lives of proud and wicked people.
pride dwells in the human heart
In The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation of Psalm 131, the heart is identified as the primary location of pride, and David claims that his own heart is not burdened by pride. Asaph, after confessing to having a bad attitude toward the proud, seems to be making a similar claim about himself in Psalm 73. At the center of many of the psalms is the idea that no community, whatever its size, can function well if its members are ruled by pride. In our culture we tend to think of the heart as the source of love, but with so many false ideas about romantic love fighting for our attention, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that love and pride cannot coexist in the same human heart.
Authorship of many of the psalms traditionally is attributed to David. Psalm 131 seems to take on special meaning when viewed in the light of the biblical description of David found in Paul’s preaching recorded in Acts of the Apostles 13:22: “And when [God] had removed [Saul], he raised up David to be their king; of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David, the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’”
pride is a deadly (mortal) sin
The Church has identified seven sins as deadly (also called capital sins or mortal sins because they are capable of blocking our access to eternal life). They are pride, anger, lust, envy, gluttony, avarice (greed), and sloth. The term “pale gas” serves as an easy mnemonic device to help recall them. Pride often is considered to be the sin behind all other sins, but it’s complicated. Pride in a job well done is not considered a sin, but the kind of pride that puts our attitude toward ourselves ahead of God is problematic.
covenant—you could look it up in our archives
In Psalm 106:45, God is credited with remembering his covenant even though his people have repeatedly disappointed the LORD by failing to keep his commandments. To learn more about the relationship between covenant and the Eucharist, 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.
a covenant is a binding agreement
What we know from context in the Old Testament is that this word “covenant” frequently is used to describe an agreement between God and his people in which God commits himself to do certain things for his people if they will in turn follow certain rules. The word “covenant” can refer to a legal agreement or even a will.
? Why do you think the readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ primarily are concerned with covenant?
? What was agreed upon between God and humanity that’s realized in the Eucharist?
? What does the covenant with God require of men and women?
read the Catechism—a collection of prayers
Paragraph 2587 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church provides insight into the meaning of many of the psalms, since the Psalter is the book of the Old Testament most closely associated with prayer.
2587 The Psalter is the book in which The Word of God becomes man’s prayer. In other books of the Old Testament, “the words proclaim [God’s] works and bring to light the mystery they contain.” The words of the Psalmist, sung for God, both express and acclaim the Lord’s saving works; the same Spirit inspires both God’s work and man’s response. Christ will unite the two. In him, the psalms continue to teach us how to pray.
a translation difference: faithful vs. holy
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 50:5: “Gather my faithful ones to me, who made covenant with me by sacrifice.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “Gather my holy ones to me, who made covenant with me by sacrifice.” What is the difference between the words “faithful” and “holy”? Consider whether one translation strikes you as better than the other. (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].)
two translation differences in one verse
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 50:6: “The heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is the judge.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “The heavens proclaim his justice, for he, God, is the judge.” Reflect on how these changes might affect the meaning of Psalm 50.
two more translation differences in one verse
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 73:2: “As for me, my feet came close to stumbling; my steps had almost slipped …” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: As for me, I came close to stumbling; my feet had almost slipped …” It’s difficult to see any serious difference that this translation change may be addressing.
a translation difference: flesh vs. body
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 73:26: “My flesh and my heart waste away; God is the strength of my heart; my portion forever.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “My body and my heart waste away; God is the strength of my heart; my portion forever.” What might be a difference between the words “flesh” and “body”? Which translation do you prefer, and why?
a translation difference: put an end to vs. destroy
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 73:27: “Surely, those who are far from you perish; you put an end to all those who are unfaithful.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “Surely, those who are far from you perish; you destroy all those who are unfaithful.” What might be a difference between the words “put an end to” and “destroy”? Can you suggest a reason the editors at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) wanted to make this change?
two translation differences: good vs. happy; refuge vs. hope
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 73:28: “For me to be near God is good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge.…” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passage: “To be near God is my happiness; I have my hope in the Lord GOD.…” What do you think might have motivated these translation changes?
a translation difference: what is lifeless vs. lifeless gods
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 106:28: “They bowed before the Baal of Peor, ate offerings made to what is lifeless.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “They bowed before the Baal of Peor, ate offerings made to lifeless gods.” Can you suggest a reason the USCCB editors wanted to make this change?
a translation difference: put an end to vs. destroy
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 106:40: “Then the LORD’s anger blazed against his people; he was filled with horror at his heritage.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “Then God’s anger blazed against his people; he was filled with horror at his heritage.” This change probably reflects a different word being used for the divinity in the manuscript the translators were using.
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 73 in this lesson.
Psalm 24:6 (the Invitatory)—paragraph 2582
Psalm 24:7–10 (the Invitatory)—paragraph 559
Psalm 24:8–10 (the Invitatory)—paragraph 269
Psalm 24:9–10 (the Invitatory)—paragraph 2628
Psalm 50:4–10—paragraph 713
Psalm 106:23—paragraph 2577
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).
Psalm 24, the Invitatory (NIV)
Psalm 50 (NIV)
Psalm 73 (NIV)
Psalm 106 (NIV)
close with a psalms-based prayer for Wednesday Vigils (Week II)
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.
O God, despite your awesome power,
you remain immune to pride.
Show us a true view of ourselves
in relation to you and to others
and help us to avoid all sin that
has its beginning in pride.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
whose power was exceeded only by his humility. Amen.
Lesson 22 It Was Your Hands That Shaped Me, Wednesday Day Prayer (Week II)—Psalm 119:73–80, Psalm 119:81–88, and Psalm 119:89–96
Lesson 20 Your Statutes Have Become My Song, Tuesday Day Prayer (Week II)—Psalm 119:49–56, Psalm 119:57–64, and Psalm 119:65–72
you also may like our two-part study of the prophets
Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided examines the prophets in historical context using the First and Second Books of the Kings and other Old Testament passages written before the Babylonian Exile. Volume II: Restoration & Redemption looks at the post-exilic prophets. This 51-lesson Catholic Bible study builds on The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. Click on these links to view a lesson from Volume I and another from Volume II.
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.