The Penitential Psalms.

David is depicted giving a Penitential Psalm in this 

1860 woodcut, for “Die Bibel in Bildern”,

by Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld.

Deutsch: Holzschnitt aus "Die Bibel in Bildern".

Français: Gravure en bois pour «Die Bibel in Bildern».

Date: 1860.

Source: Die Bibel in Bildern.

Author: Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794–1872).

(Wikimedia Commons)

Miserere Mei, Deus

(Psalm 50).

Sung by: The Tallis Scholars.

Director of Music: Peter Phillips.

Composed by: Allegri.

Available on YouTube at

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Septem Psalmi Pænitentiales.

Septem psalmi paenitentiales,

cum Litaniis, dicuntur flexis genibus.

Antiphon: Ne reminiscaris.

Psalmus 50.

(Miserere Mei, Deus).

Miserere mei Deus: secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.

Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum: 

dele iniquitatem meam.

Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea:

et a peccato meo munda me.

Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco:

et peccatum meum contra me est semper.

Tibi soli peccavi, et malum coram te feci:

ut iustificeris in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum iudicaris.

Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum:

et in peccatis concepit me mater mea.

Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti:

incerta et occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi.

Asperges me Domine hyssopo, et mundabor:

lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.

Auditui meo dabis gaudium, et laetitiam:

et exultabunt ossa humiliata.

Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis:

et omnes iniquitates meas dele.

Cor mundum crea in me Deus:

et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis.

Ne proicias me a facie tua:

et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me.

Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui:

et spiritu principali confirma me.

Docebo iniquos vias tuas:

et impii ad te convertentur.

Libera me de sanguinibus Deus, Deus salutis meae:

et exultabit lingua mea iustitiam tuam.

Domine labia mea aperies:

et os meum annunciabit laudem tuam.

Quoniam si voluisses, sacrificium dedissem utique:

holocaustis non delectaberis.

Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus:

cor contritum, et humiliatum Deus non despicies.

Benigne fac Domine in bona voluntate tua Sion:

ut aedificentur muri Hierusalem.

Tunc acceptabis sacrificium iustitiae,

oblationes, et holocausta:

tunc inponent super altare tuum vitulos.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.

Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper:

et in saecula saeculorum.

Amen.

Alleluia.

The Seven Penitential Psalms.

are to be said, with The Litanies, kneeling.

Antiphon:

Remember not.

Psalm 50.

(Miserere Mei, Deus).

Miserere. The repentance and confession of David after his sin.

The fourth Penitential Psalm.

[1] Unto the end, a psalm of David,

[2] When Nathan the prophet came to him

after he had sinned with Bethsabee.

[3] Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy.

And according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies

blot out my iniquity.

[4] Wash me yet more from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin.

[5] For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me.

[6] To Thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before Thee;

that Thou mayst be justified in Thy words

and mayst overcome when thou art judged.

[7] For behold I was conceived in iniquities;

and in sins did my mother conceive me.

[8] For behold Thou hast loved truth:

the uncertain and hidden things of Thy wisdom

thou hast made manifest to me.

[9] Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop,

and I shall be cleansed;

Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

[10] To my hearing Thou shalt give joy and gladness:

and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.

[11] Turn away Thy face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities.

[12] Create a clean heart in me, O God:

and renew a right spirit within my bowels.

[13] Cast me not away from Thy face;

and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

[14] Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation,

and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.

[15] I will teach the unjust Thy ways;

and the wicked shall be converted to Thee.

[16] Deliver me from blood, O God, Thou God of my salvation:

and my tongue shall extol Thy justice.

[17] O Lord, Thou wilt open my lips:

and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.

[18] For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice,

I would indeed have given it:

with burnt offerings Thou wilt not be delighted.

[19] A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit:

a contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.

[20] Deal favourably, O Lord, in Thy good will with Sion;

that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.

[21] Then shalt Thou accept the sacrifice of justice,

oblations and whole burnt offerings;

then shall they lay calves upon Thy altar.

Amen.

Alleluia.

Text from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,

unless stated otherwise.

The Penitential Psalms, or Psalms of Confession, so named in Cassiodorus's commentary of the 6th century A.D., are Psalms 6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129, and 142 (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143 in the Hebrew numbering).

Psalm 6 – Domine, ne in furore tuo arguas me. (Pro Octava). (O Lord, rebuke me not in thy indignation. (For the Octave.))

Psalm 31 (32) – Beati quorum remissæ sunt iniquitates. (Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven.)

Psalm 37 (38) – Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me. (in rememorationem de sabbato). (O Lord, rebuke me not in Thy indignation. (For a remembrance of the Sabbath.))

Psalm 50 (51) – Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. (Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy.)

Psalm 101 (102) – Domine, exaudi orationem meam, et clamor meus ad te veniat. (O Lord, hear my Prayer, and let my cry come unto Thee.)

Psalm 129 (130) – De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine. (Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord.)

Psalm 142 (143) – Domine, exaudi orationem meam: auribus percipe obsecrationem meam in veritate tua. (Hear, O Lord, my prayer: give ear to my supplication in thy truth.)

These Psalms are expressive of sorrow for sin. Four were known as “Penitential Psalms” by Saint Augustine of Hippo in the 5th-Century A.D. Psalm 50 (Miserere) was recited at the close of daily Morning Service in the primitive Church.

Translations of The Penitential Psalms were undertaken by some of the greatest poets in Renaissance England, including Sir Thomas Wyatt, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, and Sir Philip Sidney. Before the suppression of The Minor Orders and Tonsure in 1972 by Pope Paul VI, The Seven Penitential Psalms were assigned to new Clerics after having been Tonsured.[1]

Musical Settings.

Perhaps the most famous musical setting of all seven Penitential Psalms is by Orlande de Lassus, with his Psalmi Davidis pœnitentiales of 1584.

There are also settings by Andrea Gabrieli and by Giovanni Croce. The Croce pieces are unique in being settings of Italian sonnet-form translations of The Psalms by Francesco Bembo. These were widely distributed; they were translated into English and published in London as Musica Sacra; and were even translated (back) into Latin and published in Nürnberg as Septem Psalmi pœnitentiales.

William Byrd set all seven Psalms in English versions for three voices in his Songs of Sundrie Natures (1589). Settings of individual Penitential Psalms have been written by many composers.

Well-known settings of The Miserere (Psalm 50/51) include those by Gregorio Allegri and Josquin des Prez; yet another is by Bach. Settings of The De Profundis (Psalm 129/130) include two in The Renaissance Era by Josquin.