Psalm 92, “A psalm of a canticle on the sabbath day,” begins “It is good to give praise to the Lord: and to sing to thy name, O most High.” It ends with a beautiful image of the faithful: “The just shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow up like the cedar of Libanus.” In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 91. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 92 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
A psalm of a canticle on the sabbath day.
It is good to give praise to the Lord: and to sing to thy name, O most High.
To shew forth thy mercy in the morning, and thy truth in the night:
Upon an instrument of ten strings, upon the psaltery: with a canticle upon the harp.
For thou hast given me, O Lord, a delight in thy doings: and in the works of thy hands I shall rejoice.
O Lord, how great are thy works! thy thoughts are exceeding deep.
The senseless man shall not know: nor will the fool understand these things.
When the wicked shall spring up as grass: and all the workers of iniquity shall appear: That they may perish for ever and ever:
But thou, O Lord, art most high for evermore.
For behold thy enemies, O Lord, for behold thy enemies shall perish: and all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
But my horn shall be exalted like that of the unicorn: and my old age in plentiful mercy.
My eye also hath looked down upon my enemies: and my ear shall hear of the downfall of the malignant that rise up against me.
The just shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow up like the cedar of Libanus.
They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God.
They shall still increase in a fruitful old age: and shall be well treated,
That they may shew, That the Lord our God is righteous, and there is no iniquity in him.
Psalm 92 or Psalm 91?
The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 91 is Psalm 92 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Bonum est confiteri Domino. See how many psalms are there?
What the psalm means
- Thanks morning and night: “To shew forth thy mercy in the morning, and thy truth in the night.”
- Joy in God’s works: “thou hast given me, O Lord, a delight in thy doings.”
- The folly of the wicked: they spring up like grass but soon wither.
- The just like palm and cedar: rooted in God’s house, they flourish and bear fruit even in old age.
- A day for praise: the psalm for the sabbath reminds Christians that Sunday is the day of thanksgiving.
How the Church uses Psalm 92
- At Mass, for example the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) and the Eighth Sunday (Year C): “Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.”
- In the traditional Missal, “The just shall flourish like the palm tree” was the entrance chant for many feasts of saints. See saint of the day.
- For the elderly: “They shall still increase in a fruitful old age.”
A prayer with Psalm 92
Written for this page:
It is good to give thanks to you, Lord, and to sing to your name, Most High.
I proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.
Plant me in your house, that I may flourish like the palm tree,
and still bear fruit in old age, full of life and praise. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Psalm 92 called the sabbath psalm?
Its title is “A psalm of a canticle on the sabbath day,” and it was sung in the Temple on the sabbath.
Where is “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree”?
Psalm 92:13 (91:13 in the Douay-Rheims: “The just shall flourish like the palm tree”).
More psalms and prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 91 (92), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.