Bellarmine on Psalm XVIII: Title, theme and Verses 1-3

Title and subject matter

Titulum et argumentum

Unto the end. A psalm for David.

In finem. Psalmus David.

There is nothing to be learned from the title. The theme of the Psalm is praise of the divine law. The Prophet compares the divine law to a heavenly body, compared to which, nothing in the physical world seems to be more beautiful, more useful and more powerful. The Psalm may be also be explained in terms of Christ and the Apostles, as St. Augustine does.

Verse 1

The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands.

Caeli enarrant gloriam Dei, et opera manuum ejus annuntiat firmamentum.

Being about to compare the law (of God) with the heavens, he says that the majesty of the heavens is so great that there shines forth therefrom the glory of God, who made the heavens. “The heavens shew forth the glory of God,” that is, coming before the other works of God, all of which offer praise to the artificer, the heavens by their magnitude and beauty do make manifest the glory of God. “And the firmament declareth the work of his hands:”  this repeats the same idea in other words. For in this text the heavens and the firmament signify the same thing, namely, the whole of the heavens in which are located the stars and the very sun and moon. For in chapter I. Of Genesis, it says: “ God called the firmament, Heaven,”[1] and in it He placed the sun, the moon and the stars. It carries of no import whether we say heaven or heavens; for with the Hebrews the noun was a noun of multitude and takes a verb in the plural. But translators write heaven in the singular or heavens as a noun of multitude. The firmament, in which according to the manner of speaking in the holy Scriptures, are all the celestial lights, “declareth,” and declareth to men “the works of God’s hands,” that is, the primary and noblest of God’s works, from which may be seen the immense glory of the Creator.

[1] And God called the firmament, Heaven; and the evening and morning were the second day. Vocavitque Deus firmamentum, Caelum : et factum est vespere et mane, dies secundus. [Gen. I.8]

Verse 2

Day to day uttereth speech, and night to night sheweth knowledge.

Dies diei eructat verbum, et nox nocti indicat scientiam.

The message is wholly admirable, that the heavens shew forth the glory of God. This is shown in a threefold manner. Firstly, the heavens announce it without ceasing; secondly, because they announce it in the words of all languages; thirdly, because they announce it to the whole earth. In this verse, it is declared that the announcement is unceasing; and because the heavens announce by day and by night, and from day to day may be seen the sun’s beauty and by night the beauty of the stars; and because the days and nights do not endure but work to replace each other, the Prophet introduces a poetic device: when a day, has accomplished its course and its announcement,

it hands over the work of announcement to the next day; and when a night has accomplished its course, singing its hymn (to the glory of God),it hands over the office of singing to the next night. “Day to day,” he says, “uttereth speech,” that is, when a day ends it hands over to another day the words of divine praise. “And night to night sheweth knowledge,” that is, when a night similarly draws to its end, it “sheweth” or announces to the succeeding night its knowledge unto the praising of God; and so continually, and without any intermission, the days and nights lead the dancing chorus in celebrating God with praises.  

Verse 3

There are no speeches nor languages, where their voices are not heard.

Non sunt loquelae, neque sermones, quorum non audiantur voces eorum.

The Prophet now shows here that the announcement of the heavens is made in all languages, that is, it is understood by all nations, as if the heavens spoke in the languages of all the nations, because everyone sees the beauty and excellence of the heavens, and fromthis they are able to arrive at the knowledge of the beauty and excellence of the Creator. “There are no speeches nor languages,” that is, there are no languages in which “their voices,” (ie, the voices of the heavens), are not heard; that is, there are no languages in which the voices of the heavens do not find expression.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.