Psalm 84 Catholic: How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place

Psalm 84, “How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord,” is the song of a pilgrim in love with God’s house. Even the sparrow finds a home near God’s altars, and the psalmist declares, “better is one day in thy courts above thousands.” In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 83. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.

Psalm 84 in the Douay-Rheims Bible

Unto the end, for the winepresses, a psalm for the sons of Core.
How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!
My soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God.
For the sparrow hath found herself a house, and the turtle a nest for herself where she may lay her young ones: Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my king and my God.
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, O Lord: they shall praise thee for ever and ever.
Blessed is the man whose help is from thee: in his heart he hath disposed to ascend by steps,
In the vale of tears, in the place which he hath set.
For the lawgiver shall give a blessing, they shall go from virtue to virtue: the God of gods shall be seen in Sion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob.
Behold, O God our protector: and look on the face of thy Christ.
For better is one day in thy courts above thousands. I have chosen to be an abject in the house of my God, rather than to dwell in the tabernacles of sinners.
For God loveth mercy and truth: the Lord will give grace and glory.
He will not deprive of good things them that walk in innocence: O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

Psalm 84 or Psalm 83?

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 83 is Psalm 84 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Quam dilecta tabernacula tua, Domine virtutum. See how many psalms are there?

What the psalm means

Longing for God’s house: for Christians, the house of God is the church where Christ is present in the Eucharist, and finally heaven.
The sparrow and the swallow: even the smallest creature finds a home near God’s altar; so can we.
Pilgrims in the “vale of tears”: life on earth is a journey, but those whose strength is in God “shall go from virtue to virtue.” The phrase “valley of tears” in the Hail Holy Queen echoes this verse.
“Better is one day in thy courts above thousands”: a single day with God is worth more than a lifetime without him.
Grace and glory: “the Lord will give grace and glory. He will not deprive of good things them that walk in innocence.”

How the Church uses Psalm 84

On the Feast of the Holy Family (Year C), with the response “Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.” See the Feast of the Holy Family.
At the dedication of a church and on its anniversary.
Before Mass or Eucharistic adoration, as a prayer of longing for God’s presence. See Eucharistic adoration prayers.
In music, Brahms set it in his German Requiem: “How lovely are thy dwellings.”

A prayer with Psalm 84

Written for this page:

Lord of hosts, how lovely is your dwelling place!
My soul longs for you, and my heart rejoices in the living God.
Give me strength on my pilgrimage through this valley of tears,
until I come to dwell in your house and praise you for ever. Amen.

Frequently asked questions

Where is “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere”?

Psalm 84:11 in the New American Bible (84:10 in some Bibles, and 83:11 in the Douay-Rheims).

What is the “vale of tears”?

In the Latin and Douay text, the pilgrims pass through a “vale of tears” on their way to God. The image of earthly life as a valley of tears passed into the Hail Holy Queen.

More psalms and prayers

Texts and sources

Scripture: Psalm 83 (84), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
The prayer was written for this page.