Psalm 145

Psalms 145: Syllables: 406; Longest recitation: 9; Tenor: A 25.12%;
Ornament density: 7.9%; Average phrase length: 9.

In this psalm you can see that we begin with a tricolon 1-2-4-1 and end with a 1-2-1 bi-colon. These are the only two verses in the psalm with an ole veyored (a cadence on the supertonic).

Nine verses, 4 to 7, 11, 15, 16, 18, and 20 are all without ornaments. The remaining verses except verse 20 have the usual combinations of revia and geresh. Verse 13, the Mem verse, drops to the tonic after the cadence on the supertonic. It was a suspicious drop but the same melody is in the Aleppo codex also.

As for the rarer ornaments, verse 3 has a zarqa. Zarqa and its offset tsinnor occur in 416 verses, fewer than 10% of the 4,465 verses of the poetry books. Verse 13 includes a pazer. The pazer is part of my reconstruction from the Septuagint of the missing N verse. Pazer occurs only in 90 verses, 2% of the poetry verses. In contrast revia and geresh occur in more than 76% of the poetry verses.

Psalm 145 is the celebration of psalm 144, as Psalms 9 and 10 are the celebration of Psalm 8. Psalms 8 and 144 are related through the question they share, and they are the only two psalms to mention fingers. The contrast is instructive. In psalm 8 the fingers of God made the heavens and the earth that the psalmist observes. In psalm 143, the fingers of the psalmist learn war. We might ask what battles are we fighting and how well trained are we? The content of the battle looks like praise and thanksgiving to me. We are all handling a lot of conflict these days. How do we respond?

1 A praise of David. I will exalt you my God the king, and I will bless your name forever and ever. (1-2-4-1)
א תהל֗ה לד֫ו֥ד ארוממך֣ אלוה֣י המ֑לך ואברכ֥ה ש֝מך֗ לעול֥ם ועֽד	6 10 12		a thilh ldvid arommç alohii hmlç vabrch wmç lyolm vyd
2 Bless you I will in every day, and I will praise your name forever and ever. (1-4-1)
ב בכל־י֥ום אברכ֑ך ואהלל֥ה ש֝מך֗ לעול֥ם ועֽד	8 11		b bcl-iom abrcç vahllh wmç lyolm vyd
3 ♪~ Great is Yahweh and much to be praised, and his greatness is beyond examining. (~1-4-1)
ג ג֘ד֤ול יהו֣ה ומהל֣ל מא֑ד ו֝לגדלת֗ו א֣ין חֽקר	9 8		g gdol ihvh umhull maod vlgdulto ain kqr
4 ♪B Down through the generations the commendation of your deeds, and your valour will be conspicuous. (B-1-4-1)
ד ד֣ור ל֭דור ישב֣ח מעש֑יך וגב֖ורת֣יך יגֽידו	10 8		d dor ldor iwbk mywiç ugburotiç igidu
5 ♪g Honour, glory, your splendour, and the words of your wonders I ponder. (g-1-4-1)
ה ה֭דר כב֣וד הוד֑ך ודבר֖י נפלאות֣יך אשֽיחה	7 11		h hdr cbod hodç vdbri nplaotiç awikh
6 Vocal they will be of strength and your fearfulness, and I will recount your greatness. (1-4-1)
ו ועז֣וז נוראת֣יך יאמ֑רו וגדולתך֥ אספרֽנה	10 8		v vyzuz noraotiç iamru ugdultç asprnh
7 ♪B Zealous in the memory of your abundant goodness, they will shout aloud of your righteousness. (B-1-4-1)
ז ז֣כר רב־טובך֣ יב֑יעו וצדקתך֥ ירנֽנו	8 8		z zcr rb-Tubç ibiyu vxdqtç irnnu
8 How gracious and compassionate is Yahweh, slow to anger and of great kindness. (1-4-1)
ח חנ֣ון ורח֣ום יהו֑ה א֥רך א֝פ֗ים וגדל־חֽסד	7 8		k knun vrkum ihvh arç apiim ugdol-ksd
9 To all Yahweh is good, and his compassion is over all he has made. (1-4-1)
ט טוב־יהו֥ה לכ֑ל ו֝רחמ֗יו על־כל־מעשֽיו	5 9		T Tob-ihvh lcol vrkmiv yl-cl-mywiv
10 Yahweh, all you have made will give you thanks, and those under your mercy will bless you. (1-4-1)
י יוד֣וך י֭הוה כל־מעש֑יך ו֝חסיד֗יך יברכֽוכה	10 10		i ioduç ihvh cl-mywiç vksidiç ibrcuç
11 Kingdom glory will be their talk, and of your valour they will speak. (1-4-1)
יא כב֣וד מלכותך֣ יאמ֑רו וגבורתך֥ ידבֽרו	8 8		ia cbod mlcutç iamru ugburtç idbru
12 Letting his valour be known to the children of the human, and the glorious honour of his reign. (1-4-1)
יב להוד֤יע לבנ֣י ה֭אדם גבורת֑יו ו֝כב֗וד הד֣ר מלכותֽו	13 7		ib lhodiy lbni hadm gburotiv ucbod hdr mlcuto
13 Making your reign a reign for every era, and your governance in all generations. Note that faithful is Yahweh in his words, and merciful in all his deeds. (1-4-1)
יג מֽלכותך֗ מלכ֥ות כל־עלמ֑ים ו֝מֽמשלתך֗ בכל־ד֥ור ודֽור נאמ֗ן יהו֣ה בדבר֑יו וחס֝יד בכו֗ל מעשֽיו	9 10 8 8		ig mlcutç mlcut cl-yolmim ummwltç bcl-dor vdor namn ihvh bdbriv vksid bcol mywiv
14 Supports Yahweh all the fallen, and he uplifts all the disturbed. (1-4-1)
יד סומ֣ך י֭הוה לכל־הנפל֑ים ו֝זוק֗ף לכל־הכפופֽים	9 8		id somç ihvh lcl-hnoplim vzoqf lcl-hcpupim
15 Eyes all rely on you, and you yourself give them their food in its time. (1-4-1)
טו עֽיני־כ֭ל אל֣יך ישב֑רו ואת֤ה נֽותן־לה֖ם את־אכל֣ם בעתֽו	10 13		Tv yini-col aliç iwbru vath notn-lhm at-aoclm byito
16 Perfect, you open your hand, satisfying acceptance of all that lives. (1-4-1)
טז פות֥ח את־יד֑ך ומשב֖יע לכל־ח֣י רצֽון	7 9		Tz potk at-idç umwbiy lcl-ki rxon
17 So righteous is Yahweh in all his ways, and merciful in all his deeds. (1-4-1)
יז צד֣יק י֭הוה בכל־דרכ֑יו ו֝חס֗יד בכל־מעשֽיו	9 8		iz xdiq ihvh bcl-drciv vksid bcl-mywiv
18 Quick is Yahweh to all calling him, to all who call him in truth. (1-4-1)
יח קר֣וב י֭הוה לכל־קרא֑יו לכ֤ל אש֖ר יקרא֣הו באמֽת	8 11		ik qrob ihvh lcl-qoraiv lcol awr iqrauhu bamt
19 Reasoned acceptance he will make for those who fear him, and he will hear their cry and will save them. (1-4-1)
יט רצון־ירא֥יו יעש֑ה וֽאת־שועת֥ם י֝שמ֗ע ויושיעֽם	8 11		iT rxon-iraiv iywh vat-wvvytm iwmy viowiym
20 Shelters Yahweh all loving him, and all the wicked he will exterminate. (1-4-1)
כ שומ֣ר י֭הוה את־כל־אהב֑יו וא֖ת כל־הרשע֣ים ישמֽיד	9 8		c womr ihvh at-cl-aohbiv vat cl-hrwyim iwmid
21 To the praise of Yahweh my mouth will speak, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. (1-2-1)
כא תהל֥ת יהו֗ה יֽדב֫ר־פ֥י ויבר֣ך כל־ב֭שר ש֥ם קדש֗ו לעול֥ם ועֽד	9 14		ca thilt ihvh idbr-pi vibrç cl-bwr wm qodwo lyolm vyd

The music in these posts is derived from the accents in the Hebrew Bible. Introductions - letters, music, text and music, and terminology, are here.