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New American Bible

2002 11 11
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The Wisdom Books
- Psalms
  - Chapter 132

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Chapter 132

^¹ A song of ascents. ^² LORD, remember David and all his anxious care;

^³ How he swore an oath to the LORD, vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:

"I will not enter the house where I live, nor lie on the couch where I sleep;

I will give my eyes no sleep, my eyelids no rest,

Till I find a home for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."

^⁴ "We have heard of it in Ephrathah; we have found it in the fields of Jaar.

Let us enter God's dwelling; let us worship at God's footstool."

"Arise, LORD, come to your resting place, you and your majestic ark.

Your priests will be clothed with justice; your faithful will shout for joy."

For the sake of David your servant, do not reject your anointed.

The LORD swore an oath to David, a pledge never to be broken: "Your own offspring I will set upon your throne.

If your sons observe my covenant, the laws I shall teach them, Their sons, in turn, shall sit forever on your throne."

Yes, the LORD has chosen Zion, desired it for a dwelling:

"This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I desire it.

I will bless Zion with meat; its poor I will fill with bread.

I will clothe its priests with blessing; its faithful shall shout for joy.

^⁵ There I will make a horn sprout for David's line; I will set a lamp for my anointed.

His foes I will clothe with shame, but on him my crown shall gleam."

1 [Psalm 132] A song for a liturgical ceremony in which the ark, the throne of Israel's God, was carried in procession to the temple. The singer asks that David's care for the proper housing of the ark be regarded with favor (⇒ Psalm 132:1-5), and tells how it was brought to Jerusalem (⇒ Psalm 132:6-10). There follows God's promise of favor to the Davidic dynasty (⇒ Psalm 132:11-12) and to Zion (⇒ Psalm 132:13-17). The transfer of the ark to the tent in Jerusalem is described in 2 Sam 6.

2 [1] All his anxious care: to build the temple. Cf ⇒ 2 Sam 7:1-17 and ⇒ 1 Kings 8:17.

3 [2,5] Mighty One of Jacob: one of the titles of Israel's God. Cf ⇒ Genesis 49:24; ⇒ Isaiah 49:26; ⇒ 60:16.

4 [6] Ephrathah: the homeland of David. Cf ⇒ Ruth 4:11. The fields of Jaar: poetic for Kiriath-jearim, a town west of Jerusalem, where the ark remained for several generations. Cf ⇒ 1 Sam 7:1-2 ; ⇒ 2 Sam 6:2; ⇒ 1 Chron 13:5-6.

5 [17] A horn sprout for David's line: the image of the horn, a symbol of strength, is combined with that of a "sprout," a term used for the Davidic descendant (cf ⇒ Jeremiah 23:5; ⇒ 33:15; ⇒ Zechariah 3:8; ⇒ 6:12). Early Christians referred the latter designation to Christ as son of David (⇒ Luke 1:69).

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