Fathers

Psalms 144

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Blessed be Yahweh, my rock, who teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to battle: my loving kindness, my fortress, my high tower, my deliverer, my shield, and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me. Yahweh, what is man, that you care for him? Or the son of man, that you think of him? Man is like a breath. His days are like a shadow that passes away. Part your heavens, Yahweh, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke. Throw out lightning, and scatter them. Send out your arrows, and rout them. Stretch out your hand from above, rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, out of the hands of foreigners, whose mouths speak deceit, whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. I will sing a new song to you, God. On a ten-stringed lyre, I will sing praises to you. You are he who gives salvation to kings, who rescues David, his servant, from the deadly sword. Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hands of foreigners, whose mouths speak deceit, whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. Then our sons will be like well-nurtured plants, our daughters like pillars carved to adorn a palace. Our barns are full, filled with all kinds of provision. Our sheep produce thousands and ten thousands in our fields. Our oxen will pull heavy loads. There is no breaking in, and no going away, and no outcry in our streets. Happy are the people who are in such a situation. Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh.

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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 ↗