Learn to play this 1551 melody at an intermediate level transposed to be played in Em at the 5th fret using a Capo. More transcriptions can be freely found at Psalms101.ca as they are made available.
This was the easiest method I found to play this particular Psalm melody without too much finger gymnastics.
A simple guitar version with notation and tablature of the Magnificat, which get’s it’s name from the opening line of the canticle in Latin: “Magnificat anima mea Dominum,” which translates to “My soul magnifies the Lord”.
The Magnificat is a hymn of praise spoken by Mary, the mother of Jesus, during her visit to her cousin Elizabeth, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke 1:46-55
Melody – Strasbourg, 1539
“Israel’s history has become our history. We are part of the one people of God and the psalms of Jerusalem and Zion are fully ours.
Psalm 48 is not the local history of a little city, but it has significance for the ends of the earth. Indeed, we can appreciate this psalm and all of the Old Testament in a way that the old covenant people could not.
They had the promise; we have the fulfillment. They had the sons of Korah who wrote this psalm; we have Jesus who fulfilled this psalm.
They sang in praise of the earthly Jerusalem; we sing in praise of the heavenly Jerusalem.”
Godfrey, W. Robert. Learning to Love the Psalms (p. 101).
Text: Revelation 22 in metrical verses.
Verses written by
George Ph. van Popta, 2009, ©
Tune: Genevan Psalm 84
From his book “The Glorious Victory An Exposition of Revelation,”
“Psalm 118:17 was the verse that Martin Luther took as a motto for his life: “I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.” It comforted him when his life was threatened and it reminded him of his calling to preach the gospel faithfully.”
“Psalm 118 concludes the Egyptian Hallel with words full of praise and celebration for God’s blessing upon His people. It is above all a psalm of thanksgiving, beginning and ending with the words, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (v. 29).”
“At the end of their last Passover and their first Lord’s Supper, Jesus and His disciples sang together.
We read: “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Matt. 26:30). Since Psalm 118 was the last of the Passover psalms, we can be quite sure that the song Jesus and the disciples sang was Psalm 118. Jesus once again identifies with this psalm. He is the Passover; He is the King; He is the salvation from the house of bondage; He is the sacrifice on the altar. All the great themes of the Old Testament and of this psalm come together in Jesus.”
Godfrey, W. Robert. Learning to Love the Psalms