Morning Prayer today (Psalter, Monday, week II) included one of my top favorite psalms, 42. Usually my nature-loving little heart gets off on the deer that years for running streams, or else on "deep is calling on deep...your billows and all your waves swept over me" since this is such a mighty image of how confused and helpless and overpowered we can feel in the midst of suffering, even when we are fully aware that God's will is always done.
But today,the verse that jumped out was #8, because of its different translations. Our USA breviary (Grail Psalms) says, by day the Lord will send his loving kindness; by night I will sing to him, praise the God of my life.
While my African breviary (Revised Grail Psalms, which is eventually what we'll get when a revised American breviary is approved), has by day the Lord decrees his merciful love; by night his song is with me, prayer to the God of my life. The Revised Standard Version and the Douay-Rheims also go with "his song". Commentator notes in the Navarre Bible says that either interpretation of the Hebrew is possible.
My decidedly non-scholarly preference is "his song". This speaks to me of our beloved Divine Office, wherein we pray the psalms,which is God's word in inspired songs. As the Church tells us, Christ prays in us and we pray in Him in this eternal hymn of praise to the Father that is the Liturgy of the Hours.
Are you a Psalm 42 fan? Share your thoughts on a favorite verse or this psalm as a whole.
