Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Psalms 144:9

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

"I will sing a new song unto You, O God" [Psalm 144:9]. "A new song" is of grace; "a new song" is of the new man; "a new song" is of the New Testament. But lest you should think that grace departs from the law, whereas rather by grace the law is fulfilled, "upon a psaltery of ten strings will I sing unto You." Upon the law of ten commandments: therein may I sing to You; therein may I rejoice to You; therein may "I sing to You a new song;" for, "Love is the fulfilling of the law." [Romans 13:10] But they who have not love may carry …

Exposition on Psalm 144 ↗

Jerome

O God, I will sing to you a new song. A new man, a new song. O God, I will sing to you a new song. 'Sing to the Lord a new song.' How beautifully he did not say, I sing, but, I will sing. In the future he made his promise; for in the present he knows there is a battle, not a song. An army never sings, except when it has conquered. Therefore since in the present I fight, I have no leisure to sing. When I shall have conquered, then I will sing. On the ten-stringed psaltery I will make music to you. …

Homily 54, on Psalm 143 ↗

Bonaventure

In the mystery of prophetical revelation, Christ is symbolized through harmonious singing "with a ten-stringed lyre," as in the psalm where David learns how to prophesy.

Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 14 ↗