Bellarmine on Psalm LXII: Verses 9-10 (conclusion)

Verse 9

But they have sought my soul in vain, they shall go into the lower parts of the earth: They shall be delivered into the hands of the sword, they shall be the portions of foxes.

Ipsi vero in vanum quaesierunt animam meam : introibunt in inferiora terrae; tradentur in manus gladii; partes vulpium erunt.

In the last two verses (of the Psalm), the prophet foretells the final destruction and extermination of those men who persecute the just, and the everlasting blessedness and happiness of the just. “But they,” namely those wicked persecutors, “have sought my soul in vain:” for the wicked persecute the just so that they alone may securely possess the earth, and enjoy earthly delights and power; but they labour in vain : for they will not possess the earth but will be swallowed up by the earth; and once swallowed up by the earth, and 

assigned to hell, there they will not enjoy delights or power but will be given up to perpetual torments and made subject to demons, as though to the cruellest wolves and foxes. “They have sought my soul in vain,” that is, in vain have they tried to take my life and to kill me. This may be said of the righteous man, or of Christ in relation to Himself and His members. “They shall go into the lower parts of the earth;” behold why they laboured in vain, for their aim was to possess the earth completely; but they will be cast down beneath the earth, into the heart of the earth, they will be compelled to dwell perpetually in hell. “They shall be delivered into the hands of the sword,” that is, they will enjoy no peace in hell, much less the delights of the earth; but “they shall be delivered into the hands of the sword,” that is, into the hands of (their) tormentors: for the tortures, as instruments of punishment of the God, the supreme and wrathful judge, will torment the wretched without ceasing. “They shall be the portions of foxes,” that is, they will no longer wield extensive power over the just but will themselves be subjected to the unjust demons, as being their portion and inheritance. Now these particular demons are called foxes rather than wolves or lions because they trap and enslave sinners more by a fox’s cunning than by a lion’s strength. In Hebrew, it says: They have sought to kill my soul instead of the version we have, But they have sought my soul in vain. But it is easy to see which our Translators followed. For the Hebrew word lesoah, if read with other marks, and if the last letter is removed, becomes lesave, in vain, which the Septuagint translators put in their codices.

Verse 10

But the king shall rejoice in God, all they shall be praised that swear by him: because the mouth is stopped of them that speak wicked things.

Rex vero laetabitur in Deo; laudabuntur omnes qui jurant in eo, quia obstructum est os loquentium iniqua.

Behold how the wicked have laboured utterly in vain : for not only will they not attain the good things they desired, but they will also be unable to take away the good things from the just. For Christ, their king, of whom the Jews said: “ Away with him; away with him; crucify him,”[1] and whose name the pagans with all their power strove to eradicate, and against which all the pagans spoke, will live 

and reign for ever, “ shall rejoice in God,” being seated in glory at the right hand of the Father; and “all they shall be praised (in the day of judgement) that swear by him,” namely, those who, despite persecutions, religiously worship Him as the true God, and swear by His name, or swear obedient fidelity to Him. “They shall be praised,” I say, (namely) all Christ’s faithful, “because the mouth is stopped of them that speak wicked things,” that is, in the last day, the mouth of all the wicked shall be stopped; then the truth will be made manifest, and no-one will be able to contradict it, for the wicked will say, as it is written in Wisdom, chapter v.: 

“Therefore we have erred from the way of truth,”[2] and : “they, whom we had some time in derision, and for a parable of reproach.[3] We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end without honour. Behold how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among
the saints.”[4] The just therefore will be praised by their enemies, when the truth, revealed by divine judgement, will stop up everyone’s mouth who now, blaspheming, cursing, calumniating and lying, doth “speak wicked things.” Some refer these two verses to David, and others to Christ. For Saul, and David’s other enemies, who desired to kill him so as to reign securely, “labour in vain : ”[5]  for they were destroyed and David reigned gloriously. Likewise, the Jews who conspired to kill Christ, lest “the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation,”[6] did not want to have the Lamb as their king, and had (instead) a fox and a lion at the same time : for the Romans overthrew their city and took away their kingdom; they were altogether destroyed and Christ rose (from the dead) came to reign in the greatest glory, “and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”[7] We have however, following St. Augustine, have interpreted the lines as being about the just in general, and their head and king, Christ, so as to relate the teaching and consolation of the Scriptures as widely as possible.

[1] But they cried out: Away with him; away with him; crucify him. Pilate saith to them: Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered: We have no king but Caesar. Illi autem clamabant : Tolle, tolle, crucifige eum. Dicit eis Pilatus : Regem vestrum crucifigam? Responderunt pontifices : Non habemus regem, nisi Caesarem. [Ioann. Xix. 15]

[2] Therefore we have erred from the way of truth, and the light of justice hath not shined unto us, and the sun of understanding hath not risen upon us. Ergo erravimus a via veritatis, et justitiae lumen non luxit nobis, et sol intelligentiae non est ortus nobis. [Sap. v. 6]

[3] Saying within themselves, repenting, and groaning for anguish of spirit: These are they, whom we had some time in derision, and for a parable of reproach. dicentes intra se, pœnitentiam agentes, et prae angustia spiritus gementes : Hi sunt quos habuimus aliquando in derisum, et in similitudinem improperii. [Sap. v. 3]

[4] We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end without honour. Behold how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints. Nos insensati, vitam illorum aestimabamus insaniam, et finem illorum sine honore;  ecce quomodo computati sunt inter filios Dei, et inter sanctos sors illorum est. [Sap. v. 4-5]

[5] Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Unless the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain that keepeth it. Canticum graduum Salomonis. Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum, in vanum laboraverunt qui aedificant eam. Nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem, frustra vigilat qui custodit eam. [Ps. Cxxvi. 1]

[6] If we let him alone so, all will believe in him; and the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation. Si dimittimus eum sic, omnes credent in eum, et venient Romani, et tollent nostrum locum, et gentem. [Ioann. xi. 48]

[7] And of his kingdom there shall be no end. et regni ejus non erit finis. [Luc. i. 33]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.