Psalm 51

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Bream of the English canon Roger Lupton († 1540) in the Eton College Chapel . The incipit of the psalm can be read on the scroll .

The 51st psalm (according to Greek counting the 50th) belongs to the series of seven penitential psalms . After its incipit in the Latin Vulgate ( Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam , "God, be gracious to me for your grace, redeem my iniquities according to your rich mercy") the psalm is also briefly referred to in the liturgical context as Miserere .

Interpretation history

The oldest Christian interpretation of the 51st Psalm can be found in the Enarrationes in Psalmos by Augustine of Hippo . He considers the psalm to be an example for all Christians. Cassiodorus , for example, interpreted the psalm in the sense of medieval Catholic penance . For Martin Luther , the 51st Psalm plays a central role - it refers to it again and again in his Dictata super Psalterium .

liturgy

In the Roman Book of Hours, the psalm has been used since the introduction of the four-week psalter when the prayer of the hours was reformed by the apostolic constitution Laudis canticum Pope Paul VI dated November 1, 1970, its place as the first psalm in Friday lauds .

In both the Catholic and the Protestant liturgy of the times of day, verse 17 is used in the entrance to the Matins . In the Jewish liturgy, the same verse introduces the eighteen daily supplication . There it says:

"Lord, open my lips that my mouth may proclaim your glory [...]"

In the Roman rite , verses 9 and 1 appear in the antiphon to Asperges :

"Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor. Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. "

The prayers that the priest said in preparation for Holy Mass, which have arisen since the early Middle Ages, began with the prayers of Psalm 51, supplemented by versicles and orations , followed by prayers for washing hands and prayers for dressing .

reception

Famous settings come from Orlando di Lasso , Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina , ETA Hoffmann and Gregorio Allegri . The latter, Allegri's double-choir Miserere , became famous not least because Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was able to write down its (nine-part) score, which was kept secret by the Vatican , from memory in 1770 after only listening to the work once.

The text of the Protestant chant Erbarm dich mein o Herre Gott is a German adaptation of the psalm by Erhard Hegenwald from 1524. The song itself was the template for compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach , among others (e.g. Tilge, Höchster, Meine Sünden , BWV 1083, an adaptation of Pergolesi's Stabat mater ), Heinrich Schütz ( Becker Psalter : Mercy, dear Lord , SWV 148) and Heinrich Scheidemann .

literature

  • Jack E. Brush: Knowledge of God and Self-Knowledge: Luther's Understanding of the 51st Psalm. 1997, ISBN 3-16-146626-8 .

Web links

Commons : Psalm 51  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Sacramentary of Amiens (9th century), depicted by Josef Andreas Jungmann : Missarum Sollemnia. A genetic explanation of the Roman mass. Volume 1. 5th edition. Herder Verlag, Vienna, Freiburg, Basel, 1962, pp. 162f., Especially note 15.