Psalm 132 Text

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Listen & Read: Psalm 132

Read along and listen to our audio recordings for Psalm 132. Choose between simple, unaffected audio recordings (in Hebrew or English), or a dramatized reading that takes into account our emotional, discourse, and poetic analyses. You can also choose between a text-only view, or a view overlaid with our summary At-a-Glance, Expanded Paraphrase, or Participant Analysis tracking.

Simple Reading (Hebrew)
Forthcoming. 		Simple Reading (English)
Forthcoming.
Dramatic Reading (Hebrew)
Forthcoming. 		Dramatic Reading (English)
Forthcoming.

Text Only (Hebrew and English) The text below is divided according to the psalm's poetic lines. For additional information, see our Poetic Structure layer.

Text (Hebrew) Verse Text (CBC)
שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת 1a The Song of Ascents.
זְכוֹר־יְהוָ֥ה לְדָוִ֑ד 1b Remember, YHWH, for David’s sake,
אֵ֝ת כָּל־עֻנּוֹתֽוֹ׃ 1c everything that he endured,
אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִ֭שְׁבַּע לַיהוָ֑ה 2a he who swore to YHWH
נָ֝דַ֗ר לַאֲבִ֥יר יַעֲקֹֽב׃ 2b (who) vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
אִם־אָ֭בֹא בְּאֹ֣הֶל בֵּיתִ֑י 3a "I will not go into the dwelling place which is my house,
אִם־אֶ֝עֱלֶ֗ה עַל־עֶ֥רֶשׂ יְצוּעָֽי׃ 3b or go up onto the bed which is my couch,
אִם־אֶתֵּ֣ן שְׁנַ֣ת לְעֵינָ֑י 4a or give sleep to my eyes
לְֽעַפְעַפַּ֥י תְּנוּמָֽה׃ 4b or slumber to my eyelids,
עַד־אֶמְצָ֣א מָ֭קוֹם לַיהוָ֑ה 5a before I find a place for YHWH,
מִ֝שְׁכָּנ֗וֹת לַאֲבִ֥יר יַעֲקֹֽב׃ 5b a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob."
הִנֵּֽה־שְׁמַֽעֲנ֥וּהָ בְאֶפְרָ֑תָה 6a Look! We heard about it in Ephrathah;
מְ֝צָאנ֗וּהָ בִּשְׂדֵי־יָֽעַר׃ 6b we found it in the fields of Jaar:
נָב֥וֹאָה לְמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֑יו 7a "Let us go to his dwelling place,
נִ֝שְׁתַּחֲוֶ֗ה לַהֲדֹ֥ם רַגְלָֽיו׃ 7b let us bow down toward his footstool!
קוּמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה לִמְנוּחָתֶ֑ךָ 8a Set out, YHWH, to your resting place,
אַ֝תָּ֗ה וַאֲר֥וֹן עֻזֶּֽךָ׃ 8b you and your strong ark!
כֹּהֲנֶ֥יךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־צֶ֑דֶק 9a May your priests be clothed with righteousness,
וַחֲסִידֶ֥יךָ יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃ 9b and may your faithful ones sing for joy!"
בַּ֭עֲבוּר דָּוִ֣ד עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ 10a For the sake of David, your servant,
אַל־תָּ֝שֵׁ֗ב פְּנֵ֣י מְשִׁיחֶֽךָ׃ 10b do not refuse your anointed one.
נִשְׁבַּֽע־יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לְדָוִ֡ד אֱמֶת֮ 11a YHWH swore to David (in) sincerity;
לֹֽא־יָשׁ֪וּב מִ֫מֶּ֥נָּה 11b he will not turn back from it:
מִפְּרִ֥י בִטְנְךָ֑ 11c "(Someone) from your offspring,
אָ֝שִׁ֗ית לְכִסֵּא־לָֽךְ׃ 11d I will place on your throne.
אִֽם־יִשְׁמְר֬וּ בָנֶ֨יךָ ׀ בְּרִיתִי֮ 12a If your descendants keep my covenant
וְעֵדֹתִ֥י ז֗וֹ אֲלַ֫מְּדֵ֥ם 12b and my laws that I will teach them,
גַּם־בְּנֵיהֶ֥ם עֲדֵי־ע֑ד 12c then their descendants will also forever
יֵ֝שְׁב֗וּ לְכִסֵּא־לָֽךְ׃ 12d sit on your throne."
כִּֽי־בָחַ֣ר יְהוָ֣ה בְּצִיּ֑וֹן 13a For YHWH had chosen Zion;
אִ֝וָּ֗הּ לְמוֹשָׁ֥ב לֽוֹ׃ 13b he had desired her as his dwelling place:
זֹאת־מְנוּחָתִ֥י עֲדֵי־ע֑ד 14a "This is my resting place forever;
פֹּֽה־אֵ֝שֵׁ֗ב כִּ֣י אִוִּתִֽיהָ׃ 14b here I will dwell, because I have desired her.
צֵ֭ידָהּ בָּרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָרֵ֑ךְ 15a I will richly bless her provisions;
אֶ֝בְיוֹנֶ֗יהָ אַשְׂבִּ֥יעַֽ לָֽחֶם׃ 15b her poor (people) I will satisfy with food.
וְֽ֭כֹהֲנֶיהָ אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ יֶ֑שַׁע 16a And her priests I will clothe with salvation,
וַ֝חֲסִידֶ֗יהָ רַנֵּ֥ן יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃ 16b and her faithful ones will sing exuberantly for joy.
שָׁ֤ם אַצְמִ֣יחַ קֶ֣רֶן לְדָוִ֑ד 17a There I will cause a horn to grow for David;
עָרַ֥כְתִּי נֵ֝֗ר לִמְשִׁיחִֽי׃ 17b I have put in place a lamp for my anointed one.
א֭וֹיְבָיו אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ בֹּ֑שֶׁת 18a His enemies I will clothe with shame,
וְ֝עָלָ֗יו יָצִ֥יץ נִזְרֽוֹ׃ 18b but his crown will flourish on him."

Structure Overlay Below, the text has been overlaid with our summary structural analysis. For details on the structure, see the Structure At-a-Glance here.

Text (Hebrew) Verse Text (CBC)
שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת 1a The Song of Ascents.
זְכוֹר־יְהוָ֥ה לְדָוִ֑ד 1b Remember, YHWH, for David’s sake,
אֵ֝ת כָּל־עֻנּוֹתֽוֹ׃ 1c everything that he endured,
אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִ֭שְׁבַּע לַיהוָ֑ה 2a he who swore to YHWH
נָ֝דַ֗ר לַאֲבִ֥יר יַעֲקֹֽב׃ 2b (who) vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
אִם־אָ֭בֹא בְּאֹ֣הֶל בֵּיתִ֑י 3a "I will not go into the dwelling place which is my house,
אִם־אֶ֝עֱלֶ֗ה עַל־עֶ֥רֶשׂ יְצוּעָֽי׃ 3b or go up onto the bed which is my couch,
אִם־אֶתֵּ֣ן שְׁנַ֣ת לְעֵינָ֑י 4a or give sleep to my eyes
לְֽעַפְעַפַּ֥י תְּנוּמָֽה׃ 4b or slumber to my eyelids,
עַד־אֶמְצָ֣א מָ֭קוֹם לַיהוָ֑ה 5a before I find a place for YHWH,
מִ֝שְׁכָּנ֗וֹת לַאֲבִ֥יר יַעֲקֹֽב׃ 5b a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob."
הִנֵּֽה־שְׁמַֽעֲנ֥וּהָ בְאֶפְרָ֑תָה 6a Look! We heard about it in Ephrathah;
מְ֝צָאנ֗וּהָ בִּשְׂדֵי־יָֽעַר׃ 6b we found it in the fields of Jaar:
נָב֥וֹאָה לְמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֑יו 7a "Let us go to his dwelling place,
נִ֝שְׁתַּחֲוֶ֗ה לַהֲדֹ֥ם רַגְלָֽיו׃ 7b let us bow down toward his footstool!
קוּמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה לִמְנוּחָתֶ֑ךָ 8a Set out, YHWH, to your resting place,
אַ֝תָּ֗ה וַאֲר֥וֹן עֻזֶּֽךָ׃ 8b you and your strong ark!
כֹּהֲנֶ֥יךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־צֶ֑דֶק 9a May your priests be clothed with righteousness,
וַחֲסִידֶ֥יךָ יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃ 9b and may your faithful ones sing for joy!"
בַּ֭עֲבוּר דָּוִ֣ד עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ 10a For the sake of David, your servant,
אַל־תָּ֝שֵׁ֗ב פְּנֵ֣י מְשִׁיחֶֽךָ׃ 10b do not refuse your anointed one.
נִשְׁבַּֽע־יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לְדָוִ֡ד אֱמֶת֮ 11a YHWH swore to David (in) sincerity;
לֹֽא־יָשׁ֪וּב מִ֫מֶּ֥נָּה 11b he will not turn back from it:
מִפְּרִ֥י בִטְנְךָ֑ 11c "(Someone) from your offspring,
אָ֝שִׁ֗ית לְכִסֵּא־לָֽךְ׃ 11d I will place on your throne.
אִֽם־יִשְׁמְר֬וּ בָנֶ֨יךָ ׀ בְּרִיתִי֮ 12a If your descendants keep my covenant
וְעֵדֹתִ֥י ז֗וֹ אֲלַ֫מְּדֵ֥ם 12b and my laws that I will teach them,
גַּם־בְּנֵיהֶ֥ם עֲדֵי־ע֑ד 12c then their descendants will also forever
יֵ֝שְׁב֗וּ לְכִסֵּא־לָֽךְ׃ 12d sit on your throne."
כִּֽי־בָחַ֣ר יְהוָ֣ה בְּצִיּ֑וֹן 13a For YHWH had chosen Zion;
אִ֝וָּ֗הּ לְמוֹשָׁ֥ב לֽוֹ׃ 13b he had desired her as his dwelling place:
זֹאת־מְנוּחָתִ֥י עֲדֵי־ע֑ד 14a "This is my resting place forever;
פֹּֽה־אֵ֝שֵׁ֗ב כִּ֣י אִוִּתִֽיהָ׃ 14b here I will dwell, because I have desired her.
צֵ֭ידָהּ בָּרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָרֵ֑ךְ 15a I will richly bless her provisions;
אֶ֝בְיוֹנֶ֗יהָ אַשְׂבִּ֥יעַֽ לָֽחֶם׃ 15b her poor (people) I will satisfy with food.
וְֽ֭כֹהֲנֶיהָ אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ יֶ֑שַׁע 16a And her priests I will clothe with salvation,
וַ֝חֲסִידֶ֗יהָ רַנֵּ֥ן יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃ 16b and her faithful ones will sing exuberantly for joy.
שָׁ֤ם אַצְמִ֣יחַ קֶ֣רֶן לְדָוִ֑ד 17a There I will cause a horn to grow for David;
עָרַ֥כְתִּי נֵ֝֗ר לִמְשִׁיחִֽי׃ 17b I have put in place a lamp for my anointed one.
א֭וֹיְבָיו אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ בֹּ֑שֶׁת 18a His enemies I will clothe with shame,
וְ֝עָלָ֗יו יָצִ֥יץ נִזְרֽוֹ׃ 18b but his crown will flourish on him."

Expanded paraphrase The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.

Text (Hebrew) Verse Expanded Paraphrase
שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת זְכוֹר־יְהוָ֥ה לְדָוִ֑ד אֵ֝ת כָּל־עֻנּוֹתֽוֹ׃ 1 The Song of Ascents for worshippers going up to the temple in Jerusalem. Remember, YHWH, covenant God of Israel, for the sake of David, the king of Israel, who was in a special covenant relationship with you, everything that he endured as he fulfilled his promise to find a place for the temple of YHWH,
אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִ֭שְׁבַּע לַיהוָ֑ה נָ֝דַ֗ר לַאֲבִ֥יר יַעֲקֹֽב׃ 2 he who swore to YHWH (who) vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
אִם־אָ֭בֹא בְּאֹ֣הֶל בֵּיתִ֑י אִם־אֶ֝עֱלֶ֗ה עַל־עֶ֥רֶשׂ יְצוּעָֽי׃ 3 " I have a royal house, but YHWH doesn't yet have a sacred house. The ark has moved around from place to place for many years, and it's my responsibility as king to ensure that the royal city has a temple for my God. Therefore, I will not go into the dwelling place which is my house, thereby foregoing the royal luxuries I have won by defeating my political enemies, or go up onto the bed which is my couch, thereby foregoing psychological comfort,
אִם־אֶתֵּ֣ן שְׁנַ֣ת לְעֵינָ֑י לְֽעַפְעַפַּ֥י תְּנוּמָֽה׃ 4 or give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, thereby foregoing the complete lack of physical or emotional exertion upon the completion of a task,
עַד־אֶמְצָ֣א מָ֭קוֹם לַיהוָ֑ה מִ֝שְׁכָּנ֗וֹת לַאֲבִ֥יר יַעֲקֹֽב׃ 5 before I find a special place for YHWH to take up residence with his people, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob in accordance with YHWH's promise to give us rest from our enemies and choose a place for his name to dwell."
הִנֵּֽה־שְׁמַֽעֲנ֥וּהָ בְאֶפְרָ֑תָה 6 Look! We the people of Israel heard about it, the ark, in Ephrathah David's hometown where he spoke of his plans to find its permanent home; we found it, the ark, in the fields of Jaar the place where the ark was kept for about twenty years after it was returned by the Philistines:
נָב֥וֹאָה לְמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֑יו נִ֝שְׁתַּחֲוֶ֗ה לַהֲדֹ֥ם רַגְלָֽיו׃ 7 When the Israelites celebrated the bringing of the ark to Zion, they said,"Let us go to his dwelling place which has now been established, let us bow down toward the ark, which is his footstool of his invisible throne in reverence to him!
קוּמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה לִמְנוּחָתֶ֑ךָ אַ֝תָּ֗ה וַאֲר֥וֹן עֻזֶּֽךָ׃ 8 Set out, YHWH, to your permanent resting place in Zion, the City of David, you and your strong ark!
כֹּהֲנֶ֥יךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־צֶ֑דֶק וַחֲסִידֶ֥יךָ יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃ 9 May your priests who minister in your resting place, the temple be clothed with righteousness, and may your faithful ones including the priests, but also all who have kept covenant with you sing for joy!"
בַּ֭עֲבוּר דָּוִ֣ד עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ אַל־תָּ֝שֵׁ֗ב פְּנֵ֣י מְשִׁיחֶֽךָ׃ 10 For the sake of David, who, by fulfilling his promise to find you a dwelling place has earned the right to be called your servant, do not rebuff your anointed one, the descendent of David who is in trouble.
נִשְׁבַּֽע־יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לְדָוִ֡ד אֱמֶת֮ לֹֽא־יָשׁ֪וּב מִ֫מֶּ֥נָּה מִפְּרִ֥י בִטְנְךָ֑ אָ֝שִׁ֗ית לְכִסֵּא־לָֽךְ׃ 11 YHWH swore to David (in) sincerity; he will not turn back from it, his oath: "(Someone) from your offspring, I will place on your throne to rule after you and continue your royalty dynasty.
וְעֵדֹתִ֥י ז֗וֹ אֲלַ֫מְּדֵ֥ם גַּם־בְּנֵיהֶ֥ם עֲדֵי־ע֑ד יֵ֝שְׁב֗וּ לְכִסֵּא־לָֽךְ׃ 12 If your descendants keep my covenant and my laws that I will teach them, then their descendants will also forever sit on your throne." The current Davidic king has kept YHWH's covenant, so if YHWH is faithful to his promise to David, then he will heed the call of the current king.
כִּֽי־בָחַ֣ר יְהוָ֣ה בְּצִיּ֑וֹן אִ֝וָּ֗הּ לְמוֹשָׁ֥ב לֽוֹ׃ 13 For YHWH had chosen Zion David's city; he had desired her as his dwelling place, as the place where he will put his name, as spoken of in Deuteronomy:
זֹאת־מְנוּחָתִ֥י עֲדֵי־ע֑ד 14 "This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, because I have desired her.
צֵ֭ידָהּ בָּרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָרֵ֑ךְ 15 I will richly bless her provisions; her poor (people) I will satisfy with food since my presence brings blessing to those who honour me, as when Obed-edom cared for the ark.
וְֽ֭כֹהֲנֶיהָ אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ יֶ֑שַׁע 16 And her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her faithful ones who have kept covenant with me will sing exuberantly for joy, in fulfilment of Israel's blessing of the temple servants at the time the ark was brought to Jerusalem.
שָׁ֤ם אַצְמִ֣יחַ קֶ֣רֶן לְדָוִ֑ד עָרַ֥כְתִּי נֵ֝֗ר לִמְשִׁיחִֽי׃ 17 There I will cause a powerful horn of royal authority to grow for David; I have put in place a lamp of continued dynastic lineage for my anointed one, thereby ensuring that David's royal dynasty continues.
א֭וֹיְבָיו אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ בֹּ֑שֶׁת וְ֝עָלָ֗יו יָצִ֥יץ נִזְרֽוֹ׃ 18 His enemies I will clothe with shame because I will protect and defend the honour of my anointed king, but his crown of honour and glory will flourish on him, showing his legitimate royal authority."

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This resource is forthcoming.