Sing a New Psalm:
Communicating with God Through
the Prayers of the Church
Volume I: Lauds & Vespers
Lesson 11 God Will Ransom My Soul
Psalm 49 and Psalm 72
Thursday Vespers (Week I)
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
next lesson: Have Mercy on Me, O God
This material coordinates with Lesson 11, “God Will Ransom My Soul,” on pages 48–51 in Sing a New 
Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. Our Catholic Bible study is based on The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, a psalms translation 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 in other translations may differ. This translation is being added to all English-language Liturgy of the Hours books used in the United States.
“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 in-depth study of the psalms
We invite groups and individuals to check out the sample Introduction and Lesson 1 from this 28-
lesson Turning to 
God’s Word Catholic Bible study. Our online study pages include additional questions, commentary, and prayers based on the psalm texts. Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers has been granted an imprimatur. A digital version of can be purchased from our website shop. Volume II covers psalms prayed at Vigils, Day Prayer, and Compline. 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.
about the psalms in this lesson**
During Ordinary Time, the monks at Conception Abbey pray the following psalms for Thursday Vespers Week I: Psalm 49, wisdom poetry written by one or more descendants of Korah (the sixteenth chapter in the book of Numbers records that the Levite Korah was killed by God for leading an unsuccessful revolt against Moses and Aaron; his sons, who did not participate in the revolt, were spared), and Psalm 72, a royal psalm composed by Solomon.
who are the sons of Korah?
The superscript to Psalm 49 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 49 in this lesson, other psalms in Volume I attributed to descendants of Korah include Psalm 42 (in Lesson 6 A Soul Athirst for the Living God), Psalm 45 (in Lesson 9 An Overflowing Heart), Psalm 47 and Psalm 48 (both in Lesson 8 Seeing in God’s Light), Psalm 84 and Psalm 85 (both in Lesson 20 The LORD God Is a Sun & a Shield), and Psalm 87 (in Lesson 18 What God Is As Great As Our God?). In addition, Psalm 44, Psalm 46 and Psalm 88 are covered in Volume II and also are attributed to descendants of Korah.
a passage omitted from Liturgy of the Hours books
A difficulty for Christians who wish to incorporate the psalms into their prayers is that in some of these 
ancient hymns the Psalmists blatantly curse their enemies and ask the LORD to deal harshly with those enemies. This is disturbing enough that the editors compiling the four-week Liturgy of the Hours books chose to leave out a few problematic verses. Omitted from psalms for this lesson (Thursday Vespers Week I prayed by the monks at Conception Abbey) is Psalm 72:20. Consider why the editors of Liturgy of the Hours books might have felt that this verse shouldn’t be included. Do you think they made the right call?
all omissions are noted in this study
Omissions in the four-week Liturgy of the Hours books are addressed in Volume I and Volume II. For a complete list, click on this link, which includes a comparison of the two-week cursus (schedule) used at Conception Abbey and in both volumes of our study with the four-week Roman cursus followed by current Liturgy of the Hours books.
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 “Glory” on page 23 and “Doxology” on page 71 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The psalms contain five doxologies (short hymns of praise). Three are covered in Volume I— Psalm 72:18–19 in this lesson, 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. Psalm 150:1–6 serves as a closing doxology for all 150 psalms. The remaining two doxologies are covered in Volume II—Psalm 89:53 (Psalm 89:52 in Revised Standard Version Catholic Editions) in Lesson 13 Praise the LORD Who Rides on the Heavens and Psalm 106:48 in Lesson 21 Out of Zion, God Is Shining Forth.
here’s a question: what do you think that your soul is worth?
Lesson 11, “God Will Ransom My Soul,” focuses on psalms appropriate to pray at Vespers (Evening Prayer). The illustration created 
by Turning to God’s Word co-founder Tami Palladino suggests the time of day in two ways—through the darkening sky at dusk, and through a cemetery setting that points toward the evening of life. The son or sons of Korah who composed the meditations on death in Psalm 49 apparently intended to push his audience to ask what their own lives might be worth. This is a question Christians shouldn’t avoid. How can men and women benefit in the here-and-now from remembering our mortality? When during the liturgical year does the Church focus on the idea that death is inevitable? Click on Tami’s illustration to enlarge it. The illustration also is printed on page 49 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers.
how much is too much?
The accumulation of wealth can be a major impediment to spiritual growth, and often is complicated by humanity’s inability to determine how many riches are too many. Consider how much wealth you think is essential in life.
read the Catechism—men & women differ from animals
Paragraph 1951 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church includes this quote from the early Christian writer Tertullian, who died in the middle of the 2nd century:
1951 Alone among all animate beings, man can boast of having been counted worthy to receive a law from God: as an animal endowed with reason, capable of understanding and discernment, he is to govern his conduct by using his freedom and reason, in obedience to the One who has entrusted everything to him.
WHAT DO YOU THINK about discerning true value?
The psalms chosen for Thursday Vespers Week I lead readers to think about what they value most. Discernment is a somewhat trendy term, and it’s not unusual to hear Christians speaking about their need to discern this or that when what they really mean to say is that they intend to stall in order to avoid having to make a tough decision.
? What spiritual resources do you think are necessary to gain wisdom and understanding prior to making a crucial decision?
? How do you determine what guidance God is giving you?
? What role does the virtue of obedience play in your discernment process?
? What can you do to guarantee that you have an open mind to hear what God may be saying to you?
ex libris—two books about spiritual direction
Two of the best books we’ve recently come across that discuss the practical ins and outs of 
discernment are Spiritual Passages by Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R., and Seeking Spiritual Direction by Thomas Dubay, S.M. Both authors have written other excellent books as well, but people interested in learning more about spiritual direction may find these two titles particularly insightful. At ex libris—main bookshelf, you can read excerpts from both of these books and also learn more about these and other works related to Catholic Bible study.
the popes inspire us—a stern meditation on death
“Corruptible Creatures” on page 48 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers is from an audience with Pope St. John Paul II. In Psalm 49, the Holy Father sees a realistic and stern meditation on death, and he goes on to cite another Old Testament passage to support his view that ignoring the inevitability of our own death is both useless and inappropriate.
ransom—you could look it up in our archives
Ransom in the Old Testament appears in connection with animal sacrifice. To learn what’s significant about Jesus’ appropriation of this word, 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. More about ransom can be found in paragraph 1741 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
1741 Liberation and salvation. By his glorious Cross Christ has won salvation for all men. He redeemed them from the sin that held them in bondage. “For freedom Christ has set us free.” In him we have communion with the “truth that makes us free.” The Holy Spirit has been given to us and, as the Apostle teaches, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Already we glory in the “liberty of the children of God.”
Q&A—Old Testament desert dwellers & Lebanon as a biblical image
Two questions related to this lesson are concerned with geography in and around the land of Canaan settled by the descendants of Jacob.
Q1: Who are the desert dwellers in Psalm 72:9? [Editor’s note: Not all translations have “desert dwellers”; some refer to “the king’s foes” instead; but The Abbey Psalms and Canticles as well as The Revised Grail Psalms specify “desert dwellers.”]
A1: Although “desert dwellers” sometimes refers to the Israelites themselves, especially to their patriarchal ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it’s clear from the context in Psalm 72 that these “desert dwellers” are enemies of the Israelites, something that is more apparent in translations that refer to “the king’s foes” instead of “desert dwellers.” It’s less clear whether Solomon is writing about a particular group of people or using the term to refer to all of the neighboring nations who worship other gods. Looking at the term from a spiritual point of view, however, both translations could describe people lacking access to life-giving water—literally lacking access to water to drink but also spiritual
access to the water of life that Jesus mentions in the fourth chapter in the Gospel According to John. You can learn more in Lesson 5 There Came a Woman of Samaria in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study, The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth. In a Christian sense, “desert dwellers” might be seen as any people in a state of spiritual dryness and aridity. In the context of Psalm 72, we might assume that such people are in a state of spiritual need because they’ve refused to ask for or to accept the life-giving water offered by Jesus. That’s just one interpretation. There certainly are other ways of looking at it.
Q2: What’s meant by “its fruits rustle like Lebanon” in Psalm 72:16? [Editor’s note: Both The Abbey Psalms and Canticles and The Revised Grail Psalms specify “its fruits rustle like Lebanon.”]
A2: The image of “fruits that rustle like Lebanon” is a reference to the abundance of Lebanon, which is a common theme in the Old Testament. The beloved one in the Song of Songs comes from Lebanon. The cedars of Lebanon also were famous and were used to build the Temple at Jerusalem. Because Lebanon was so lush, there was abundant growth with lots of fruits and other vegetation. Due to Lebanon’s location by the sea, winds moving inland rustle through the trees. In this verse, Solomon is using the image of Lebanon poetically to help his audience call to mind the abundance God can provide.
a translation difference: more changes related to Sheol
In The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation of Psalm 49:10 (Psalm 49:9 in Revised Standard Version Catholic editions), the Psalmist, identified as one or more of the descendants of Korah, writes that no one can avoid “going down to the pit.” The Revised Grail Psalms substitutes “coming to the grave.” A related change can be seen in The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation of Psalm 49:15 (Psalm 49:14 in Revised Standard Version Catholic editions), which twice substitutes “Sheol” for “the grave,” and in The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation of Psalm 49:16 (Psalm 49:15 in Revised Standard Version Catholic editions), which substitutes “Sheol” for “hell.” Think about why editors at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) might prefer the word “Sheol.” (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]).
another translation difference: the honor of man vs. in his riches
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translations of both Psalm 49:13 and Psalm 49:21, (Psalm 49:12 and Psalm 49:20, respectively, in Revised Standard Version Catholic editions) render the verse as “The honor of man does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse as “In his riches, man cannot discern; he is like the beasts that are destroyed.” Although there appears to be little difference in meaning between “perish” and “destruction,” there seems to be a significant difference between “The honor of man does not endure” and “In his riches, man cannot endure”—not to mention between endurance and discernment. Consider how the two ideas are differentiated. Which translation do you prefer?
a translation difference that introduces a grammar problem
Because the speaker in the opening clause of Psalm 49:19 (Psalm 49:18 in Revised Standard Version Catholic editions) is not identified, The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation of Psalm 49:19–20 (Psalm 49:18–19 in Revised Standard Version Catholic editions) requires a translation to match—one that uses “he” and not “you.” It appears that the USCCB editors unintentionally introduced this grammatical error in an attempt to include more inclusive language in The Abbey Psalms and Canticles. Although in English the pronoun “he” conventionally has been used to refer to men or women, it currently is being replaced in many instances by variations of “they,” traditionally a plural pronoun despite its recent adoption for use in the singular.
another translation difference: bear peace in uprightness vs. justice
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translation of Psalm 72:3 states that the mountains and hills “bear peace in uprightness“; The Revised Grail Psalms translates the mountains and hills bringing forth “justice.” Which translation do you prefer, and why?
two more translation differences in one verse
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles translates Psalm 72:12: “For he shall rescue the needy when they cry, the poor who have no one to help“; The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verse: “For he shall save the needy when they cry, the poor, and those who are helpless.” Consider whether the words “rescue” and “save” mean the same thing. What about the phrases “the poor who have no one to help” and “those who are helpless”? Which translation do you prefer?
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 I: Lauds & Vespers, 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 49 and Psalm 72 in this lesson.
don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. 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
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. 
This listing includes 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 many words in this lesson’s primary biblical texts. A close 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 month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
close with a psalms-based prayer for Thursday Vespers 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.
O God, you rule over all things and judge what happens on earth.
Teach us to avoid condemning others
as we attempt to discern between right and wrong
so that we may follow your path of righteousness
all the days that you have given us.
We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ,
who will come to judge the living and the dead. Amen.
Lesson 12 Have Mercy on Me, O God, Friday Lauds (Week I)—Psalm 51, Psalm 117, and Psalm 146
Lesson 10 Awake, My Soul! Thursday Lauds (Week I)—Psalm 57, Psalm 80, and Psalm 81
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 I: Lauds & Vespers. 
More information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found on this website at start a Bible study, and Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions or discuss concerns. Contact us to start this or one of our other studies or to 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 different 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 I: Lauds & Vespers 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 varies for some passages in this Bible study. 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.