Psalm 147

Psalm 147 is one of the last five psalms in the Book of Psalms and, like the others in this group, begins and ends in Hebrew with the word "Hallelujah" ("Praise God"). Thus it is classified as a psalm of praise. Beginning in verse 2, the psalmist presents a series of reasons for praising God, including his continual attention to the city of Jerusalem, to brokenhearted and injured individuals, to the cosmos, and to nature. In the Septuagint, Psalms 145 to 148 are given the title "of Haggai and Zechariah". ==Uses==

Judaism Psalm 147 is an important psalm in Jewish liturgy and is recited in its entirety in Pesukei Dezimra, which is part of the daily morning prayer service in Judaism. It holds a significant place in Jewish worship, emphasizing praise and gratitude to God. Interpretation Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter of Ger (Sefat Emet) offers a unique interpretation of verse 2, which is written in the present tense: "The Lord builds Jerusalem." He teaches that since the destruction of the Holy Temple, each generation actively contributes toward its rebuilding in a cumulative way through its merits. Maimonides draws from verse 2 a timeline for the events following the coming of the Mashiach (Jewish Messiah). First the Mashiach will arrive, then the Holy Temple will be built ("The Lord builds Jerusalem"), and then the ingathering of the exiles will take place ("He gathers together the outcasts of Israel"). The Zohar adds that the Resurrection of the Dead will take place forty years after the return of the exiles. Catholicism Since the Middle Ages, this psalm was recited or sung at the office of Vespers on Saturday, according to the Rule of St. Benedict of 530AD. In the Liturgy of the Hours today, the first part (verses 1–11), numbered as Psalm 146 in the Septuagint and Vulgate, is recited or sung at Lauds on Thursday of the fourth week, and the second part (verses 12–20), numbered as Psalm 147 in the Septuagint and Vulgate, is recited or sung on Friday of the second and fourth week of the four-week cycle of the psalter. In the liturgy of the Mass, the first part (Psalm 146) is sung or read on the fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time of Year B of the three-year Sundays cycle and on the first Saturday in Advent in the two-year weekday cycle, and the second part (Psalm 147) is used on the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ in year A of the Sundays cycle, and on several weekdays. Coptic Orthodox Church In the Agpeya, the Coptic Church's book of hours, this psalm (as two consecutive psalms) is prayed in the office of Compline and the third watch of the Midnight office. Book of Common Prayer In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the thirtieth day of the month. == Musical settings ==

In Catholicism, Lauda Jerusalem, Psalm 147 in the Vulgate numbering, was one of the psalms included in vespers services, and thus set to music often. Settings of German translations of Psalm 147 (Hebrew Bible numbering) were published from the second half of the 16th century. Lauda Jerusalem Dominum In 1610, Monteverdi published his Vespro della Beata Vergine, setting five Latin psalms to music. The last of these, Lauda Jerusalem, is arranged for two choirs of three voices each, soprano, alto and bass, while the tenors sing the cantus firmus. Marc-Antoine Charpentier set 3 "Lauda Jerusalem Dominum", H.158 (1670), H.191 (1684) and H.210 (1690). Michel Richard Delalande set Lauda Jerusalem Dominum for the celebration of daily Mass for King Louis XIV at Versailles. Henry Desmarest, a contemporary of Delalande, wrote a grand motet on this psalm. Jan Dismas Zelenka composed three settings with orchestra, ZWV 102–104, though ZWV 103 is lost. Antonio Vivaldi composed a setting of Lauda Jerusalem as his RV 609, scored for two choirs, each with a solo soprano, four vocal parts and strings. German translations In 1568 Antonio Scandello published the first volume of his , which contained, as fifth item, a four-part setting of "Lobet den Herren, denn er ist sehr freundlich", a German version of Psalm 147. A rhymed translation of the Psalm, "Zu Lob und Ehr mit Freuden singt" (To praise and honour sing with joy), was published in the Becker Psalter (1602), to be sung to the tune of Es woll uns Gott genädig sein (Zahn No. 7247), a text version for which Heinrich Schütz, quarter of a century later, composed an entirely new four-part setting (SWV 252, Zahn No. 7260). Scandello's setting was reprinted in hymnals such as Johann Hermann Schein's 1627 , and Gottfried Vopelius's 1682 Neu Leipziger Gesangbuch, where the German text is attributed to Nikolaus Selnecker. Johann Sebastian Bach based one of his four-part chorales, "Lobet den Herren, denn er ist sehr freundlich", BWV 374, on a hymn tune derived from Scandello's setting. The lyrics of the opening chorus of Bach's 1723 cantata Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn, BWV 119 ("Praise the Lord, Jerusalem"), for the inauguration of a new town council in Leipzig, are a dictum taken from a prose translation of verses 12–14 of Psalm 147. After Scandello's setting, and the hymn tune derived from it in the early 18th century (Zahn No. 975), five more melodies for the "Lobet den Herren, denn er ist sehr freundlich" translation of Psalm 147 were composed and published from the 1730s to the 1830s (Zahn Nos. 976–980). Around 1856, Anton Bruckner set verses 1 to 11 of the Psalm (i.e. the entire Psalm 146 in the Vulgate numbering) as Alleluja! Lobet den Herrn; denn lobsingen ist gut, WAB 37, for soloists, double mixed choir, and orchestra. ==Text==

The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels, alongside the Koine Greek text in the Septuagint and the English translation from the King James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text come from different textual traditions. In the Septuagint, verses 1–11 are counted as Psalm 146, and verses 12–20 are counted as Psalm 147. ==Notes==