Psalm 101

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Psalm 101 is the 101st psalm in the Book of Psalms. In the King James Version it begins, “I will sing of mercy and judgment.” In other Bible traditions it’s numbered differently: Psalm 100 in the Greek Septuagint, and it is called “Misericordiam et iudicium cantabo” in Latin.

Traditionally, it is attributed to David. The psalm warns the wicked and describes the blessings awaiting the righteous. It has long been used in Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant worship.

Commentator Matthew Henry saw it as a pattern for both good rulers and good heads of families, suggesting that if leaders and households act rightly, society as a whole can improve. Since the Middle Ages, Psalm 101 has been read or sung at specific times in monastic and liturgical practice: it was used at matins on Friday under the Rule of St. Benedict, and in the Liturgy of the Hours it is said at Lauds on Tuesday of the fourth week. In the Church of England’s prayer tradition, it is often recited or sung at Evensong on the 19th day of each month. The Coptic Church includes it in the None hour.

Music and text: the German composer Heinrich Schütz created a metrical paraphrase of Psalm 101 for the Becker Psalter, published in 1628. The Hebrew, Greek, and English versions can differ slightly in wording and numbering, so translations may vary a little between editions.