The seven penitential psalms are Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130 and 143, prayers of sorrow for sin and trust in God’s mercy that Christians have prayed together for more than fourteen centuries. In the Douay-Rheims and other older Catholic Bibles they are numbered 6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129 and 142. Below are the list with their Latin titles, what each one says, their history, and how to pray them in Lent, on Fridays, or before confession.
The list
| Modern numbering | Douay-Rheims and Latin | Latin title | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 6 | Psalm 6 | Domine, ne in furore tuo |
| 2 | Psalm 32 | Psalm 31 | Beati quorum remissae sunt |
| 3 | Psalm 38 | Psalm 37 | Domine, ne in furore tuo |
| 4 | Psalm 51 | Psalm 50 | Miserere mei, Deus |
| 5 | Psalm 102 | Psalm 101 | Domine, exaudi orationem meam |
| 6 | Psalm 130 | Psalm 129 | De profundis |
| 7 | Psalm 143 | Psalm 142 | Domine, exaudi orationem meam |
For why the numbers differ, see how many psalms are there?
What each psalm says
- Psalm 6: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me.” A sick and sorrowful sinner begs for mercy and is heard.
- Psalm 32: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven.” The joy of confessing sin and being forgiven.
- Psalm 38: “Forsake me not, O Lord my God.” The weight of sin, loneliness, and trust that God will not abandon us.
- Psalm 51, the Miserere: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy… Create a clean heart in me.” The greatest prayer of repentance.
- Psalm 102: “Hear, O Lord, my prayer: and let my cry come to thee.” Our life is fleeting, but God is eternal and merciful.
- Psalm 130, De Profundis: “Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord.” Hope in God’s mercy and forgiveness, also prayed for the dead.
- Psalm 143: “Enter not into judgment with thy servant… Teach me to do thy will.” A plea for mercy and guidance.
History
Christians recognized these psalms as prayers of repentance very early. The sixth-century Roman writer Cassiodorus grouped them together in his commentary on the psalms, and the name “penitential psalms” stuck. Earlier still, St. Augustine, on his deathbed in 430, asked for the penitential psalms of David to be copied out and placed on the wall by his bed, so that he could read them and weep, as his biographer Possidius records.
In the Middle Ages the seven psalms, followed by the Litany of the Saints, became a fixed part of the Books of Hours that lay people used for prayer. St. John Fisher, the martyred bishop of Rochester, preached a famous series of sermons on them in 1508, and Orlande de Lassus set all seven to music in the sixteenth century.
How to pray the penitential psalms
- One a day: pray one psalm each day of the week, beginning on Sunday.
- On Fridays, especially in Lent, pray all seven, the day the Lord died for our sins.
- Before confession, as an examination of conscience and a prayer for true sorrow. See how to go to confession.
- With the antiphon: traditionally the psalms begin and end with the antiphon Ne reminiscaris, “Remember not, O Lord, our offences, nor those of our parents,” taken from the prayer of Tobias:
And now, O Lord, think of me, and take not revenge of my sins, neither remember my offenses, nor those of my parents.
- With the Litany of the Saints afterward, as in the old prayer books. See the Litany of the Saints.
A prayer after the penitential psalms
Written for this page:
Lord God, merciful and gracious, I have sinned against you.
Do not remember my offences, but remember me in your mercy.
Create a clean heart in me, teach me to do your will,
and bring me out of the depths into the light of your salvation.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
What are the seven penitential psalms?
Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130 and 143 (6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129 and 142 in the Douay-Rheims).
Why are they called penitential?
Because they express sorrow for sin, a desire for forgiveness, and trust in God’s mercy, the attitudes of penance.
When should the penitential psalms be prayed?
Especially in Lent, on Fridays, and before confession, but they are good prayers whenever we need God’s mercy.
Which is the most famous penitential psalm?
Psalm 51, the Miserere, prayed every Friday in the Liturgy of the Hours and on Ash Wednesday.
More prayers of repentance
- Psalm 106 (We have sinned with our fathers)
- Psalm 51 (Miserere)
- De Profundis (Psalm 130)
- Act of Contrition
- Catholic prayer for forgiveness
- Lent
- Examination of conscience
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Tobias 3:3 and the psalms on each linked page, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- Possidius, Life of St. Augustine, ch. 31.
- The prayer was written for this page.