Sing a New Psalm:
Communicating with God Through
the Prayers of the Church
Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline
Lesson 9 From the Grave, Who Can Give You Praise?
Invitatory: Psalm 100 (RSVCE)
Psalm 6 (RSVCE), Psalm 7 (RSVCE), and Psalm 18 (RSVCE)
Thursday Vigils (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: In the Shelter of God’s Wings
This material coordinates with Lesson 9—”From the Grave, Who Can Give You Praise?”—on pages 36–39 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, an English 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 now owned 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**
Three out of the four psalms prayed for Thursday Vigils Week I at Conception Abbey were composed by David. Two—Psalm 6 and Psalm 7—are classified as individual or personal laments; the third—Psalm 18—is classified as a royal psalm. Psalm 100 (the Invitatory) is considered a hymn of thanksgiving; scholars have not identified its author.
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 6 and Psalm 7 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 the word holds in Psalm 6 and Psalm 7. 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.
Psalm 100 (the Invitatory) is one of 19 psalms classified as a hymn
In addition to Psalm 100 (the Invitatory) in this lesson, the other 18 psalms classified as hymns are: Psalm 8, Psalm 19, Psalm 29, Psalm 33, Psalm 103, Psalm 104, Psalm 111, Psalm 113, Psalm 114, Psalm 117, Psalm 135, Psalm 136, Psalm 145, Psalm 146, Psalm 147, Psalm 148, Psalm 149, and Psalm 150.
Psalm 18 is classified as a royal psalm
The 10 psalms classified as royal are considered by scholars to point toward Jesus as the Messiah. In addition to Psalm 18 in this lesson, the other nine are: Psalm 2, Psalm 20, Psalm 21, Psalm 45, Psalm 72, Psalm 101, Psalm 110, Psalm 132, and Psalm 144.
what’s the difference between a royal psalm & a psalm honoring Zion?
It can be easy to confuse royal psalms with those that honor Zion. Christians view royal psalms, such as Psalm 18, as pointing in some way to Jesus as the Messiah, while psalms that honor Zion focus on God’s choice of Mount Zion and Jerusalem as his earthly base of operations. In addition to Psalm 18, nine other royal or messianic psalms include Psalm 2, Psalm 20, Psalm 21, Psalm 45, Psalm 72, Psalm 101, Psalm 110, Psalm 132, and Psalm 144. The six psalms thought to honor Zion are Psalm 46, Psalm 48, 
Psalm 76, Psalm 84, Psalm 87 and Psalm 122.
? What evidence of Jesus can you see in Psalm 18?
? Consider how the title of this lesson might point toward Jesus as Messiah?
don’t let Cush confuse you
The Cush named in the superscript for Psalm 7 shouldn’t to be confused with a man of the same name who’s listed in the book of Genesis 10:6 as one of the sons of Ham and a grandson of Noah. The superscript to Psalm 7 contains the only biblical mention of the second Cush, who was from the tribe of Benjamin. There is speculation that he was a supporter of his relative Saul in the ongoing conflict between Saul and David. Their disputes are recounted in detail from the eighteenth chapter in the First Book of Samuel through the fourth chapter in the Second Book of Samuel.
Cush clearly considered David his enemy, and he also may have unjustly accused David of wrongdoing in taking the kingdom from Saul. The First Book of Samuel 16:1–13 describes God as the one who told 
Samuel to anoint David as king in Saul’s place. The fifteenth chapter in the First Book of Samuel explains that this was due to Saul’s refusal to obey the prophet Samuel, who spoke for God. You can learn more about the background between Saul and David in our in-depth Catholic Bible study The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon foreshadow Christ the King.
David insists that he’s blameless
In Psalm 7 and throughout Psalm 18, David proclaims his innocence.
? Consider whether David really is blameless in everything he’s done. What does he write in Psalm 18:26, Psalm 18:31, and Psalm 18:33 (Psalm 18:25, Psalm 18:30, and Psalm 18:32 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions) that suggests he isn’t taking full credit for his innocence?
? Think about what gives David the confidence to believe that he is indeed innocent from the LORD’s perspective?
? Why do you think it is that David describes so many of the LORD’s actions on his behalf in the past tense?
what do you think it means to be blameless?
In Psalm 18, David makes a point of stressing God’s blamelessness. This is reminiscent of the book of Genesis 17:1, in which God sets forth the terms of his covenant with Abram (Abraham): “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.”
? Consider what it means to be blameless before God.
? Why do you think it is that God now asks that Abram be blameless?
? Is there any biblical evidence to support the idea that Abram hasn’t been behaving in a blameless manner before this point in his life?
? Thinking about the inherent difficulties involved in being blameless before God, why do you suppose that God asks this of Abram?
? Do you think that God continues to desire blamelessness from the people who enter into covenant with him?
? What might be the most common problem standing in the way of present-day Christians being blameless before God?
? What are some of the barriers standing in the way of you being blameless before God?
? What can you do today to eliminate or lessen the effect of those barriers?
rock—you could look it up in our archives
In Psalm 18:3 (Psalm 18:2 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions), David describes God as a rock. To learn more about Peter being renamed Rock by Jesus, 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 Matthew says about Peter as the Rock
The following commentary is from Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps regarding Peter’s renaming by Jesus. The Aramaic name Cephas probably is the actual name that Jesus gave Simon. The early evangelists saw the importance of the meaning of that name and not the word itself, so they translated it into Peter in the Gospels. That’s how the Church used the name moving forward. Because of that, we know him by the Greek name Peter, but his disciples probably called him Cephas.
In the Gospel According to Matthew 16:13–23, Simon proclaims Jesus the Son of God, and Jesus in turn renames Simon as Peter or Rock. Typically in the Bible, a renaming is a deeply serious matter of profound significance regarding who that person is intended to become.
The name Peter comes from the Greek word πέτρα (petra), which means “rock.” It’s worth noting that the root word is feminine and it’s adjusted to be masculine as Peter’s name, a phenomenon not often seen in English. There is no record of the word “rock” being used as a name prior to Christian times. In the Gospel According to John 1:42, Jesus renames Simon Cephas, which comes from an Aramaic word that the Fourth Gospel explains also means “rock.” In the Gospel According to Matthew 4:18, Peter is identified as “Simon, who is called Peter.” Simon is a common Hebrew name that derives from a word that means “listen.”
? It’s clearly a deeply important event in multiple languages that Peter be named rock. Why do you think that we continue to call him Peter in English?
? How would it change your view of Peter if we did refer to him as Rock?
? How do you think the Church as a rock supports present-day Christians?
? What connection can be made between God being identified as a rock by David in Psalm 18, and Peter being considered the rock upon which the Church was built?
two translation differences: Sheol vs. the grave
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 6:6 (Psalm 6:5 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “For in death there is no remembrance of you; who can give you praise from Sheol?” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passage: “For in death there is no remembrance of you; from the grave, who can give you praise?” In similar fashion, The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 18:6 (Psalm 18:5 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions) using the word “Sheol,” while The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passage substituting the words “the grave.” What is your understanding of the difference between “Sheol” and “the grave”? Why might editors at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have suggested this change? (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].)
a translation difference: they have grown weak vs. I have grown old
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 6:8 (Psalm 6:7 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “My eyes waste away with grief; they have grown weak surrounded by all my foes.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passage: “My eyes waste away with grief; I have grown old surrounded by all my foes.” Consider which of these translations present-day readers might find it easier to understand. Why might USCCB editors have suggested this change?
an ongoing translation difference: righteous vs. just
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 7:4–5 (Psalm 7:3–4 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “If I have done this, O LORD, my God, if there is wrong on my hands, if I have paid back evil for good, or plundered my foe without cause….” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passage: “”If I have done this, O LORD, my God, if I have paid back evil for good, I who saved my unjust oppressor….” It’s possible that at least part of this change was to avoid using the word “unjust,” since most—but by no means all—uses of “just” or “justice” in The Revised Grail Psalms appear to have been changed to “righteous” or “righteousness” in The Abbey Psalms and Canticles. What might have motivated the USCCB to insist on these changes?
a translation difference that doesn’t appear to make a difference
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 7:7 (Psalm 7:6 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “O LORD, rise up in your anger; be exalted against the fury of my foes. Awake for me the justice you ordered.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passage: “O LORD, rise up in your anger; be exalted against the fury of my foes. Awake, my God, to enact the justice you ordered.” Which translation seems less awkward? Consider why USCCB editors didn’t ask that the word “justice” be changed in this instance.
five translation changes involving righteousness vs justice
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 7:10 (twice), Psalm 7:18, Psalm 18:21, and Psalm 18;25 (Psalm 7:9 [twice], Psalm 7:17, Psalm 18:20, and Psalm 18:24, respectively, in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions) using the word “righteousness” or one of its derivatives. The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passages using the word “justice” or one of its derivatives. Why might the USCCB editors have thought it advisable to make this change? Which translation do you prefer, and why?
an easy translation deletion
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 18:4 (Psalm 18:3 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “I cry out, ‘O praised be the LORD!’ and see, I am saved from my foes.” The Revised Grail Psalms deletes the ‘O‘ from the same passage. This translation change appears to make little difference in the meaning of the psalm.
one final translation difference: crush the foe vs. break through a barrier
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 18:30 (Psalm 18:29 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions): “With you I can crush the foe, with my God I can scale a wall.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same passage: “With you I can break through a barrier, with my God I can scale a wall.” Which translation do you prefer, and why?
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 7, Psalm 18, and Psalm 100 (the Invitatory) in this lesson.
Psalm 6:3—paragraph 1502
Psalm 6:6—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 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 100, the Invitatory (NIV)
Psalm 6 (NIV)
Psalm 7 (NIV)
Psalm 18 (NIV)
close with a psalms-based prayer for Thursday Vigils (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.
You, O Lord, somehow manage to combine justice and mercy.
Help us to remember our flawed human nature,
and to respond in love to the mercy you offer.
Teach us to treasure your merciful love,
and help us to share that love and mercy with others.
We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus,
who opened the possibility of eternal life to all men and women. Amen.
Lesson 10 In the Shelter of God’s Wings, Thursday Day Prayer (Week I)—Psalm 58, Psalm 61, and Psalm 64
Lesson 8 O That I Had Wings Like a Dove! Wednesday Day Prayer (Week I)—Psalm 54 and Psalm 55
you also may like our study of the book of Genesis
The first seven lessons of In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis, a 28-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, provide an in-depth look at the very earliest biblical history—including the two accounts of Creation, events surrounding the Fall of Adam and Eve, the relationship between Cain and Abel, and the baptismal foreshadowing present in the account of Noah and the Flood. Remaining lessons look at lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. 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.