Psalms
In the samples below, APBA = A Prayer Book for Australia and Anstey = Anstey Psalter.
Psalm 8.1-5
APBA
1 O Lord our Governor:
how glorious is your name in all
the earth!
2 Your majesty above the heavens
is yet recounted:
by the mouths of babes and
sucklings.
3 You have founded a strong
defence against your adversaries:
to quell the enemy and the
avenger.
4 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers:
the moon and the stars which
you have set in order,
5 What are we, that you should be
mindful of us:
what are we, that you should care
for us?
Anstey
For the leader. To music.
A psalm of David.
1 O LORD, our Lord. How majestic is
your name in all the earth:
your splendour fills the heavens.
2 From the mouths of infants you
render strength against your
enemies:
to silence the vengeful foe.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers:
the moon and stars, which you
have set in place
4 What is humanity, that you
remember them?:
who are mortals, that you
consider them?
Points of interest
- APBA has an idiosyncratic verse division, based on Old Testament scholarship of its day, which is now no longer accepted. This changes the interpretation significantly, as in APBA it is the speech of “babes and sucklings” who recount the majesty of God, rather than countering the psalmist’s enemies.
- The word “babes” in 2025 is generally used not in reference to infants, and the word “sucklings” has fallen out of use.
- The word “Governor” has connotations developed over the last fifty years that make it less accurate and appropriate nowadays.
- The Tetragrammaton (‘Yahweh’) is in small caps, LORD, as is the standard nowadays in Bible translation into English.
Psalm 77.14-19
APBA
14 You are the God that works
wonders:
you made known your power
among the nations;
15 By your mighty arm you
redeemed your people:
the children of Jacob and
Joseph.
16 The waters saw you, O God, the
waters saw you and were afraid:
the depths also were troubled.
17 The clouds poured out water,
the heavens spoke:
and your arrows darted forth.
18 The voice of your thunder was
heard in the whirlwind:
your lightnings lit the world,
the earth shuddered and quaked.
19 Your way was in the sea, your
path in the great waters:
and your footsteps were not seen.
Anstey
14 You are the God who does
wonders:
you have declared your
strength among the peoples.
15 By your arm you have redeemed
your people:
the descendants of Jacob and
Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw you, O God, the
waters saw you and seethed:
indeed, the very depths trembled.
17 The clouds poured out rain and
the sky thundered:
your lightning flashed back and
forth.
18 Your thunderclaps roared in the
whirlwind, your lightning bolts
lit up the world:
the earth quaked and shook.
19 Your way went through the
ocean, your path through the
deep waters:
yet your footsteps were unseen.
Points of interest
- The musicality, rhythm, and ease of pronunciation in the Anstey psalter is an improvement on APBA. For example,
o awkward “lightnings lit” is changed to “lightning bolts”;
o three heavy beats of “and your footsteps were not seen” in verse 19 are changed to “yet your footsteps were unseen”.
o There are many such examples in this section of Psalm 77 – try reading them both outloud. - Nowadays we use personal relative pronouns for God, so “that” in APBA is changed to “who”.
- The musical term Selah is included in the translation, though it would still not be read out or sung by congregations.
Psalm 123.1-3
APBA
1 To you I lift up my eyes:
you who are enthroned in the
heavens.
2 As the eyes of servants look to
the hand of their master:
or as the eyes of a maid toward
the hand of her mistress,
3 So our eyes look to the Lord our
God:
until he show us his mercy.
Anstey
A song of pilgrimage. Of David.
1 To you I lift up my eyes:
to you who dwell in the
heavens.
2 As slaves will watch their masters’
hand:
as a woman enslaved watches
her mistress,
3† So we look to the LORD our God:
until he has mercy upon us.
Points of interest
- Inclusion of superscription “A song of pilgrimage. Of David.”
- Translating Hebrew ‘eved as “slave” rather than “servant”, as this is much more accurate.
- Inclusion of † to indicate where verse numbering deviates from the original Hebrew. Many Anglican psalters provide this information in the psalter, but APBA doesn’t.
Music
Chant Sample Compilation
by Richard Black
