Bellarmine on Psalm XXIII: Verse 5

Verse 5

He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Saviour.

Hic accipiet benedictionem a Domino, et misericordiam a Deo salutari suo.

“He,” namely Christ, “shall receive a blessing from the Lord,” that is, superabundant good things for Himself, and “mercy from God his Saviour” for His body, which is the Church, which is called “God his Saviour.” Indeed, life

eternal in the kingdom of heaven through Christ’s justice is mercy for His faithful; for even if the just deserve life everlasting by their merit, their merits themselves are the fruit of God’s mercy and are truly called gifts of God. Whence it says in Psalm cii: “ Who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion;”[1] and in Romans vi: “ For the wages of sin is death. But the grace of God, life everlasting.”[2]  In Greek it has: justice from God his Saviour, and this is how St. Jerome translates it; according to this reading, the whole of this verse properly pertains to Christ. But the Septuagint translates this as mercy, and the translators seem to have considered justice in the Scriptures as once received through goodness, but explicitly through mercy, as in Psalm cxi: “He hath distributed, he hath given to the poor: his justice remaineth for ever and ever.”[3] Whence also it says in Martthew vi: “Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them.”[4]  And soon after, it says: “ But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth.”[5] Ans the Septuagint in this verse respect not so much the word but the thing signified.

[1] Who redeemeth thy life from destruction: who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion. qui redimit de interitu vitam tuam, qui coronat te in misericordia et miserationibus; [Ps. Cii. 4]

[2] For the wages of sin is death. But the grace of God, life everlasting, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Stipendia enim peccati, mors. Gratia autem Dei, vita aeterna, in Christo Jesu Domino nostro. [Rom. vi. 23]

[3] He hath distributed, he hath given to the poor: his justice remaineth for ever and ever: his horn shall be exalted in glory. Dispersit, dedit pauperibus; justitia ejus manet in saeculum saeculi; cornu ejus exaltabitur in gloria. [Ps. Cxi. 9]

[4] Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven. Attendite ne justitiam vestram faciatis coram hominibus, ut videamini ab eis : alioquin mercedem non habebitis apud Patrem vestrum qui in caelis est. [Matt. vi. 1]

[5] But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth. Te autem faciente eleemosynam, nesciat sinistra tua quid faciat dextera tua : [Matt. vi. 3]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.