The
PS 26 belongs to
Book I of the
Book of PS, composed of a collection of 150 texts arranged by five poetry books. The Book of Psalms, for its
wisdom and
basic principles of human
action, is considered the heart of the Old Testament. Book I encompasses Psalms 1 to 41. The
PS 26 is divided into 12 verses.
The Psalms are
poems-prayers addressed to God, the privileged way to address and speak to Him. These prayers represent
human experiences and
religious conscience. They portray the
commoner with his faults, insecurities, fears, and hopes. Even today, we can identify with the Psalmist and draw inspiration from these texts to
pray and
plead with God when we feel
lost and
anguished or to express our
gratitude for some blessing.
"There are enemies or friends, there is life or death, health or illness, pain or joy and, most of the time, there are no changes or gradations. Words are like stones and poetry like boulders carved by chisel"; "The Psalms are a bit like mountain paths, simple, especially when walking on snow, but they lead to the peaks; they are paths toward the peaks of meeting the Lord." - Carlo Maria Martini, Cardinal of Milan.
Psalm 26 - Prayer of an Innocent
1 of David.
Do me justice, Lord, for I acted with integrity.
I trusted in the Lord, and I will not falter.
2 Examine me, Lord, and put me to the test;
cleanse my kidneys and my heart.
3 For your mercy is before my eyes,
and I let myself be guided by your truth.
4 I
do not associate with false people or associate with traitors.
5 I wouldn't say I like criminal meetings, and I don't sit with the bad guys.
6 I wash my hands in token of innocence, and I will surround your altar, Lord.
7 I want to sing a song of praise
and tell of all your wonders.
8 I love, Lord, the interior of your house,
the place where your glory resides.
9 Do not reap my soul with sinners,
nor my life with bloodthirsty men.
10 For in his hands is nothing but reproach,
and his right hand is full of bribes.
11 But I act with integrity.
Deliver me and pity me.
12 My feet remain in the straight path;
in the assemblies, I will bless the Lord.
Meaning and interpretation
Psalm 26 is a
single prayer of supplication delivered by someone who declares himself a doer of all the
rules of good conduct, according to recognized criteria. In his negative confession of
possible sins he did not commit, we can discover some of the most sensitive points of an Israelite's
morals.
However, the Psalmist is willing to be
examined by God so that the demands of
purity asked of those ready to enter the sanctuary are not deficient.
In ancient tradition, the
kidneys were seen as a location for
feelings and
affections; the
heart was the location of the
mental activity of thoughts and
decisions. They are spaces whose meaning implies and compromises the person's entire activity.
The
Psalms of Supplication are very present in the Book of Psalms. They speak of human frailty and the most basic feelings of your human conditionჴ€”Times of peace and plenty
contrast with war and individual or community destruction. The Psalmist pleads for
God's help and asks him to
end his situation of affliction, ending with the
certainty of having been heard.
In spiritual practice, the supplication and request to God reflect the meaning of
prayer, which is the privileged way to establish contact and
raise the voice to the Divine. In numerous Psalms, supplication seems to be the most immediate motivation and the greatest concern. When turning to God, the speaker / Psalmist finds tenderness, justice, compassion, reconciliation, purification, and peace.
The
narratives and
feelings involved in these prayers are varied and basic; they have affected Humanity over the millennia and are still current. They reflect
multiple interiors, individual and collective experiences, and the relationship between people and people. They address topics such as the deadly threat of disease, persecution, aging, violence, war, betrayal, loneliness, enemy aggression, and how these feelings alter our
consciousness of ourselves, our relationship with others,s, and God.
Situations that prompt supplication can be
bitter and
desperate, but the Psalms generally express a
state of trust and end in
thanksgiving. The Psalmist cries out to God for his help and forgiveness in a profound expression of limitless
trust in divine compassion and justice. Even the cry of the Psalmist is already a fighting speech, change will, of inner transformation, confidence, and hope for a
free future evil, the
suffering, and the
wicked.
The
Psalms of Supplication are classified as individual supplication and collective supplication. Those of
Individual Supplication comprise Psalm 3; 5-7; 13; 17; 22; 26; 27; 28; 31; 35; 39; 42-43; 51; 54-57; 59; 61; 63; 64; 69-71; 88; 102; 109; 120; 130; 140-143. and those of
Collective Supplication Ps 12; 44; 58; 60; 74; 80; 83; 85; 90; 94; 108; 123; 127.
The Book of Psalms
The Joy and Happiness of the Righteous in Communion with God
The Psalms are
prayer-poems addressed to God, the privileged way to address and speak with Him. Depicting the
commoner, with his failures, insecurities, fears, and hopes, we can still identify with the Psalmist and be inspired today in Psalms to make
prayers and
supplications to God in times of trouble or express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
Despite being written in Antiquity, the Psalms still
move,
sensitize,
awaken feelings,
inspire and
enchant. In them, we can identify
anguish and
joy, deeply human feelings, praises, supplications, teachings of reflection on spiritual wisdom, and prophetic words.
Written for
different situations, some Psalms are intimate, revealing the author's relationship with God; others provide guidelines and advice for life; others are compositions for specific liturgical events such as rituals and pilgrimages.
The
Book of Psalms comprises a collection of 150 poetic texts and is divided into five parts, called Psalm Books or Booklets. Each Book closes with short
hymns of praise to God.
The division into five parts was considered to correspond to the five books of Moses, and it is assumed that each passage in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible, called Torah by the Jews) was read in parallel with the corresponding Psalm. Its main forms are
lamentation,
supplication,
praise, and
gratitude.
The Power of Prayer in Dialogue with the Divine
The Psalms elevate our thoughts to the Divine, and
prayer is the
power of the word. Prayer is the language of faith. Any thought, word, or image addressed to God is called
prayer. Through it, we come into contact with our
God within; therefore, it is powerful in
transforming life. Prayer can produce
miracles, turn dreams into reality, and give us hope for
change,
harmony, and
peace with ourselves and the world.
Each Psalm has an
intention that helps us
meditate and
walk with our God. For many theologians, the Book of Psalms has a prophetic or messianic tone as its verses refer to the coming of Christ into the world of men to guide them through the uncertainty and doubts of Human existence.
The
prayer has the power to call the
Spiritual Universe full mode, honest, sincere, conscious, for spiritual self-protection, family protection, and those who are dear to us, to have peace of mind, spiritual and physical, for prosperity and success, to protect health and relationships, to ward off negative energies and, above all, to connect us to something bigger than ourselves, from this,
peace, well-being, hope, and goodness in front of everyone and everything result.
Faith can change our lives. It gives us
tranquility and
spiritual strength to face challenges. It helps us to
meditate on our mission in life and to create a
balanced and healthy environment for ourselves and those we love. When you pray, fill your heart with
love and
determination. The Psalms will guide you toward
peace and
communion with higher energy.
