Psalm 106:24-46 chanted in the Sarum Use by Sarah James

Themes: God is praised for his manifold mercies. The prophet prays for himself, recapitulates the history of the Hebrew people and God's mercies toward them, their rebellions, judgments and the afflictions that their transgressions brought upon them, God's mercy notwithstanding, and prayer for their restoration. Just as a part of the preceding psalm is found in 1 Chronicles 16, so the first and two last verses of the present psalm are found in the same place, (I Chronicles 16:34-36). And yet it is supposed by eminent commentators to be a prayer of the captives in Babylon, who acknowledge the mercies of God, confess their own sins, and those of their forefathers, and implore the Lord to gather them from among the heathen, and restore them to their own country. None of the versions except the Syriac has any title, except Hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord, the word with which the original commences. The Syriac gives us a sort of table of its contents; or rather shows us the subjects to which it may be applied, and the uses we should make of it. After stating that it has no title, it says, "It calls upon men to observe the Divine precepts, and teaches us that the more the Jews transgressed, the more we should fear. That we should not talk together in the church, nor ever contend with our brethren on any account; and especially when we assist in the celebration of the divine mysteries and in prayer: and that when we sin we should repent." (From the Adam Clarke Commentary, 1831)

In Judaism: This psalm is recited on the second day of Passover in some traditions, and verse 2 is the final verse of Anim Zemirot (a holiday liturgical poem in others). Verse 45 is found in the Mussaf Amidah (Standing Prayer) on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). Verse 47 is the third verse of the long Tachanun recited in the morning and evening prayers on Mondays and Thursdays, and is also a part of Baruch Hashem L'Olam during Maariv, which is the night prayer. (Wikipedia)

In Christianity: In the first chapter of the gospel of Luke, Zacharias recites three verses from Psalm 106 after the birth of his son, John the Baptist: “That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us” (Ps. 106:10); “To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant” (Ps. 106:45); and “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people” (Psalm 106:46).

Nine hundred years ago, the Cathedral of Salisbury, England developed a unique form of chant and liturgy known as the “Use of Salisbury,” or “Sarum Use.” Differences from the Roman rite are both melodic (more florid in the Sarum) and textual (Elizabethan English rather than Latin). The best repository of Sarum Use tones is the St. Dunstan's Plainsong Psalter, from which Sarah has sung this psalm. Additional resources on Sarum Use plainsong at https://canticasacra.org.

“Moses on Mount Sinai,” an oil on canvas (1895-1900) by Jean-Léon Gérôme is made available at Wikimedia Commons where it is represented as a two-dimensional work of art that is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer.