Psalm 149
Psalm 149 is the 149th psalm of the Book of Psalms, a hymn as the book's penultimate piece. The first verse of the psalm calls to praise in singing, in English in the King James Version: "Sing a new song unto the Lord". Similar to Psalm 96 and Psalm 98 (Cantate Domino), Psalm 149 calls to praise God in music and dance, because he has chosen his people and helped them to victory. Psalm 149 also calls to be ready to fight. The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. It has  been set to music often, notably by Antonín Dvořák who set the complete psalm for chorus and orchestra, while Bach chose only the first three verses for his motet "Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied", BWV 225. It was paraphrased in hymns. Background and themes. Psalm 149 shares the first line with Psalm 98, known as Cantate Domino. Both Psalm 149 and 98 call to praise God in music and dance, because he has chosen his people and helped them to victory. Psalm 149 also calls to be ready to fight, with "swords sharpened on both sides in their hands . The end of the psalm has been interpreted differently by commentators. Augustine of Hippo wrote that the phrase of the sword has a mystical meaning", dividing temporal and eternal things. James L. Mays comments: "There is an eschatological, almost apocalyptic, dimension to the psalm's anticipation of a warfare of the faithful that will settle the conflict of the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of God". Citing verses 5 and 6, the Talmud ("Berakhot" 5) says the praises said by the pious on their beds refer to the recital of the Bedtime Shema. The Shema is like a  double-edged sword that can destroy both inner and outer demons and evil spirits. This image of a double-edged sword also refers to Israel's power of praises of God, which enable them to avenge themselves against the nations that persecuted them when the nations receive their punishment at the end of days. Text. Hebrew Bible version. Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 149: Uses. Judaism. Psalm 149 is recited in its entirety in the "Pesukei D'Zimra" ("Verses of Praise") section of the daily morning prayer. It is traditionally grouped with Psalms 146, 147, 148, and 150 – the  five concluding chapters of the Book of Psalms, which are all recited in their entirety during "Pesukei D'Zimra" – under the classification of ""halleluyah"" psalms which express praise of God. Verse 2 is recited by the creeping creatures in Perek Shira. Verse 5 is recited after saying Mishnayos for the departed. Catholic Church. The psalm is one of the Laudate psalms or hymn psalms. With Psalm 148 and Psalm 150, Psalm 149 was recited or sung daily during the solemn service of matins, according to the Rule of St. Benedict (530AD). In the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 149 is used  for Sunday Lauds of the Roman rite in the first week. It is also used for feasts and solemnities week. In the Eucharistic liturgy, it is the Saturday after the Epiphany or before January 7 epiphany, and at Easter, the Monday of the sixth week. Musical settings. With an incipit about singing, the psalm and especially its first line has often been set to music, in various languages. Heinrich Schütz published a composition of its beginning in Latin, "Cantate Domino canticum novum", in 1625 in his "Cantiones sacrae" as SWV 81, scored for four voices and basso continuo. He set  the psalm in German, titled "Die heilige Gemeine" (The holy congregation) as part of the Becker Psalter, as SWV 254. Matthäus Apelles von Löwenstern published the hymn "Singt dem Herrn ein neues Lied", a paraphrase of the psalm, in 1644. BWV 411 is Johann Sebastian Bach's four-part setting of Löwenstern's hymn tune. Bach's cantata "Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied", BWV 190, for New Year's Day, and his motet "Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied", BWV 225, composed in the 1720s like the cantata, both open with words taken from the beginning of the psalm . Jean-Joseph de Mondonville set the psalm as a motet, one of his nine grand motets, in 1734. Antonín Dvořák set the complete psalm for mixed choir and orchestra, as his Op. 79. Bernard Rose set the psalm in English as "Praise ye the Lord" for unaccompanied double choir in 1949. Philip James set it for choir in 1956. Raymond Wilding-White set the psalm for two sopranos, violin and viola. English-language hymns paraphrasing Psalm 149, or taking inspiration from it, include "I sing the mighty power of God", "Let all the world in every corner sing", "Lord of  the Dance", "Praise the Lord, sing Hallelujah", "Songs of praise the angels sang", and "We sing the mighty power of God".