Psalm 15: Lord, who may dwell within Your house

This contemporary, literal translation of a meditative psalm, joined to an old psalm tune, reminds us of the ethical dimension of worship.

This and the preceding psalm, like Psalms 1 and 2, form a contrasting pair. The wicked are characterized by arrogant irreverence and pitiless violent extortion; but those who seek God will show active concern for doing right and doing good to his neighbor; while his attitudes, words, and actions are shaped by reverence toward God. Rather than greedy treachery, he is faithful at his own expense.

This version closely follows the psalm as translated in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer,¹ in keeping with its intention². In comparision with the BCP, it is easy to see which words have been chosen for the sake of the rhymes. This is perhaps unfair, since it simply indicates how closely the version otherwise follows the word choice and order of the original.

This text is used by permission, according to the generous provisions of the publisher's copyright notice.²

"Cheshire": Este's Psalter, 1592; alt.

In 1592, Thomas Este printed an edition of the English Psalter. Most of the tunes, including this one for Psalm 146, were published anonymously, but all were "newly written or harmonized by some of the most eminent composers of the time³."

This tune seems a strange choice for Psalm 146: evidently a rather different concept of music for joyful praise was current in the sixteenth century. But its minor mode and somber mood are well suited to a contemplative psalm; Webber recommended it for this text, and was followed by the 1990 Presbyterian Hymnal.

Use:

Sometimes we tend to thoughtlessly follow the tent-evangelist tradition of singing most of our songs "at the unwashed multitude" rather than "toward God." This psalm is unmistakeably "with grace toward God;" but it also reminds the thoughtful worshipper of his own responsibility. It would be a worthy addition to our short supply of introspective songs of encouragement and duty.⁶ Consider singing before closing, before sermon or Bible class, at opening of service, or after the Lord's Supper. It could well be followed by Lyte's O that the Lord's salvation, as an appeal for help living up to the revealed standard.

Notes:

¹See the discussion under English Psalters.
²See the discussion of Webber's A New Metrical Psalter, with its generous copyright provisions; also his Psalm 19b.
³This was not an idle boast. With such men as William Byrd, John Dowland, Thomas Tallis, Orlando Gibbons, and John Farmer active, this was one of the high points of English musical culture. These all composed or arranged psalm tunes (as well as writing madrigals).
⁶E.g., Wesley's A charge to keep I have and Watts' Am I a soldier of the cross: excellent songs, for which, to our shame, we do not seem to feel a frequent need.

Copyright © 2002,2003,2004, Stephen Hutcheson
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Psalms in Our Time