Psalm 147 praises God who rules the stars and cares for the smallest creature: “Who healeth the broken of heart, and bindeth up their bruises. Who telleth the number of the stars: and calleth them all by their names.” Its second half, Lauda Jerusalem, praises God who “filleth thee with the fat of corn” and sends his word to the earth, and the Church sings it on Corpus Christi. In the Douay-Rheims it appears as two psalms, 146 and 147. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 147 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
Praise ye the Lord, because psalm is good: to our God be joyful and comely praise.
The Lord buildeth up Jerusalem: he will gather together the dispersed of Israel.
Who healeth the broken of heart, and bindeth up their bruises.
Who telleth the number of the stars: and calleth them all by their names.
Great is our Lord, and great is his power: and of his wisdom there is no number.
The Lord lifteth up the meek, and bringeth the wicked down even to the ground.
Sing ye to the Lord with praise: sing to our God upon the harp.
Who covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth. Who maketh grass to grow on the mountains, and herbs for the service of men.
Who giveth to beasts their food: and to the young ravens that call upon him.
He shall not delight in the strength of the horse: nor take pleasure in the legs of a man.
The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him: and in them that hope in his mercy.
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem: praise thy God, O Sion.
Because he hath strengthened the bolts of thy gates, he hath blessed thy children within thee.
Who hath placed peace in thy borders: and filleth thee with the fat of corn.
Who sendeth forth his speech to the earth: his word runneth swiftly.
Who giveth snow like wool: scattereth mists like ashes.
He sendeth his crystal like morsels: who shall stand before the face of his cold?
He shall send out his word, and shall melt them: his wind shall blow, and the waters shall run.
Who declareth his word to Jacob: his justices and his judgments to Israel.
He hath not done in like manner to every nation: and his judgments he hath not made manifest to them. Alleluia.
Psalm 147 or Psalm 146?
Psalm 147 is a special case. The Greek and Latin Bibles, and so the Douay-Rheims, divide it into two psalms: Psalm 146 (verses 1–11 of the Hebrew Psalm 147) and Psalm 147 (verses 12–20), which begins Lauda, Jerusalem, Dominum, “Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem.” Both parts are given above. See how many psalms are there?
What the psalm means
- The God of the brokenhearted: the same God who numbers the stars heals wounded hearts.
- Care for all creatures: he gives food to the beasts “and to the young ravens that call upon him.”
- What pleases God: not strength or speed, but “them that fear him… and them that hope in his mercy.”
- The finest wheat: “filleth thee with the fat of corn,” which the Church applies to the Eucharist, the Bread of Life.
- The swift word of God: snow, frost and thaw obey his word, and he has revealed his word to his people.
How the Church uses Psalm 147
- On Corpus Christi (Year A): “Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.” See Corpus Christi.
- On the Second Sunday after Christmas: “The Word of God became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
- On the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B): “Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.”
- In the traditional Vespers of Our Lady, Lauda Jerusalem was the last of the five psalms.
A prayer with Psalm 147
Written for this page:
Lord, you count the stars and call each one by name.
Heal my broken heart and bind up my wounds.
Thank you for feeding your people with the finest wheat, the Bread of Life,
and for sending your Word to dwell among us. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Where is “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds”?
Psalm 147:3 in modern Bibles (146:3 in the Douay-Rheims).
Why is Psalm 147 two psalms in the Douay-Rheims?
The Greek and Latin Bibles divided it into Psalms 146 and 147, while the Hebrew keeps it as one psalm.
More psalms and prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalms 146–147 (147), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.