Bellarmine on Psalm 94 : Verses 5 & 6

Verse 5

For the sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.

quoniam ipsius est mare, et ipse fecit illud, et siccam manus ejus formaverunt.

The third reason is that our God is Lord not only of the land but also of the sea, for He surrounded it with dry sand in which it is held as if in a container. It is therefore right that men, who derive great benefits from the sea, should give thanks and praise to Him.

Verse 6

Come let us adore and fall down: and weep before the Lord that made us.

Venite, adoremus, et procidamus, et ploremus ante Dominum qui fecit nos;

The fourth reason is because the same Lord not only made the land and the seas, but He also made us men; now, we men offend our maker by our sins. “Come,” the Prophet says, “let us adore and fall down: and weep,” lamenting our ingratitude and our sins “before the Lord that made us,” and for this reason in all justice He is our Lord, and we owe Him every obedience. From the Hebrew, St. Jerome’s translation is genua flectamus / let us bend our knees, instead of what we have, ploremus / let us weep. But all the Greek and Latin codices have ploremus / let us weep, and this is how all the old exegetes read and translate it;

nor is it likely that the prophet would have said let us bend our knees after he had (already) said let us adore and fall down; for the Hebrew for adorare / to adore means  prosterni /to prostrate oneself and succumbere / to fall down, which is explained by the following word, procidamus / let us fall down. For it is more to fall down and to prostrate the whole body than to bend the knee. And so it is probable that the Septuagint translators were working from the true Hebrew text which means ploremus / let us weep; but with the passage of time one letter was inserted in the Hebrew which meant it was translated as genua flectamus / let us bend our knees. It is no way credible that the Septuagint translators, men most learned, would have translated it as ploremus / let us weep, if they had not read it thus, as we now read it in the Hebrew codices.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm 94 : Verse 4

Verse 4

For in his hand are all the ends of the earth: and the heights of the mountains are his.

quia in manu ejus sunt omnes fines terrae, et altitudines montium ipsius sunt;

The second of the (five) reasons is that the Lord has in His power the whole world, in its length, its breadth and its height; hence all who inhabit the earth are subject to Him and owe Him a sacrifice of praise. “For,” he says, “in his hand,” that is, in His power, “are all the ends of the earth,” that is, the whole of the world, even to its uttermost limits. “And the heights of the mountains are his,” that is, not

only the length and the breadth but also the height, as far as the tops of the highest mountains, are subject to His authority. In an ancient codex, from which this Psalm is read commonly throughout the Church, the following line is placed before this verse: “For the Lord will not cast off his people,”[1] and these words are read and explained by Sts. Jerome and Augustine in Commentario Psalmorum. But these words are not found in the Hebrew and Greek codices, or in the Latin Vulgate edition, and in this text they seem indeed to be unnecessary; but they are found in the previous Psalm (xciii) and they have been transplanted here; it is not possible to doubt they are most true. In the same antique codex may be read: “and he beholdeth the heights of the mountains,” instead of “and the heights of the mountains are his.” But in the Greek and the Hebrew it has the mountains are his and the Fathers read it in this way. Besides, this reading: “and he beholdeth the heights of the mountains,” means nothing other than that the Lord is higher than the highest mountain, so that He can easily look upon those things that are at the top of the highest mountains, whither no man has ever penetrated. In Hebrew, instead of the ends of the earth, it has investigations of the earth, from a word which means to investigate, and to search. From this, some a reference to the deep caverns of the earth, in contrast to the heights of the mountains, so that the sense is: In God’s hand are both the deepest and the highest parts of the earth. St. Jerome translates it as: In whose hand are the foundations of the earth, and the heights of the mountains are His, with which reading the Greek and Latin may be harmonised if by fines terrae / ends of the earth we understand the ends as referring to depth and not to length or breadth; but either meaning is true.

[1] For the Lord will not cast off his people: neither will he forsake his own inheritance. Quia non repellet Dominus plebem suam, et haereditatem suam non derelinquet : [Ps. xciii. 14]. 6]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm 94 : Verse 3

Verse 3

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

quoniam Deus magnus Dominus, et rex magnus super omnes deos;

He offers five reasons why God should be praised by us. The first is because our Lord is a great God above all other Gods, and a great king above all other kings, whom some are wont to call gods. In this text, the Hebrew  has a word for Dominus / Lord which has four letters and which is proper to the true God; and so the adjective magnus / great should not be linked to Dominus / Lord but to God, as we have said. Furthermore, by gods are to be understood in the first place false gods, that is, demons, which among the Gentiles usurp the worship of the true God, as is said in Psalm xcv : “For all the gods of the Gentiles are devils.”[1] Secondly, by gods are to be understood the kings and judges of the earth, of who it is said in Psalm lxxxi : “I have said: You are gods.”[1] In Greek, it reads super omnem terram / above all the earth ; and this reading is followed by Theodoret and Euthymius; but in Hebrew it has super omnes deos / above all gods, and St. Jerome and St. Augustine read it in the same way; the Greek is probably a corruption.

[1] For all the gods of the Gentiles are devils: but the Lord made the heavens. quoniam omnes dii gentium daemonia; Dominus autem caelos fecit. [Ps. Xcv. 5]

[2] I have said: You are gods and all of you the sons of the most High. Ego dixi : Dii estis, et filii Excelsi omnes. [Ps. lxxxi. 6]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm 94 : Verse 2

Verse 2

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; and make a joyful noise to him with psalms.

praeoccupemus faciem ejus in confessione, et in psalmis jubilemus ei :

This verse may be understood in two ways. According to the first, the prophet is telling us to present ourselves early in the morning before the Lord to offer Him our praise, as though he were to say: before others arise, let us be the first to appear in the presence of the Lord, and this is altogether fitting for the hour (matins) at which we sing this Psalm in the Church. According to the second way (of understanding the verse), we are to join a confession of our own wretchedness with an acknowledgement of God’s mercy, so that the sense is: “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,” that is, before God comes to judgement, and exacts full retribution, let us anticipate (prevent[1]) Him by confessing our sins, or, let us prevent His wrath (the word facies / face, or  presence) can mean wrath in Hebrew),and before He is angered, let us confess our sins; “and (at the same time) make a joyful noise to him with psalms,” extolling His mercy with loud voices. It seems this second interpretation is more in keeping with the mind of the Fathers, St. Jerome, St. Augustine, Theodoret and Euthymius in his Comment. Psalm., and St. Gregory Nazianzus in his oration De Plaga grandinis.

[1] To prevent: a. transitive. To act before or more quickly than (a person or agent); to anticipate in action; to act in advance of. Obsolete.OED.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm 94 : Title, theme and Verse 1

Title and subject matter

Titulum et argumentum

Praise in a canticle by David himself.

Laus cantici ipsi David.

↑Why is this Psalm sung at the beginning of the office of matins?

In the Hebrew codex there is no title : but either it was left out or the Septuagint translators added this title so as to show the theme of this Psalm is praise of God, by the voice and not sung with musical instruments. Theodoretus thinks the Psalm was composed by David in the person of the king Josias, who foresaw the cleansing of the temple and the altar, the idolatrous cults being removed, and the idolatrous priests themselves being killed; but it is not necessary to have recourse to Josias : for the Psalm can be applied to every age, every place and all the faithful, both Jews and Christians. For it contains an invitation to praise God in the heart, and with words and deeds. For this reason the catholic Church rightly chose this Psalm for the beginning of the nocturnal psalmody (the office of matins) which, as it is very long, was wanting in this preparation and exhortation.

Verse 1

Come let us praise the Lord with joy: let us joyfully sing to God our saviour.

Venite, exsultemus Domino; jubilemus Deo salutari nostro;

An invitation and exhortation to praise God. The word venite / come is an exhortation and encouragement to join hearts and voices in praising God, just as in Gen. xi.[1] there is an exhortation and encouragement to join determination with effort in building a city and a tower. “Come, let us make brick:”[2] and in the same place : “Come, let us make a city;”[3] and in the same place, the Lord says : “ Come ye, therefore, let us go down, and there confound their tongue.”[4] “ let us praise the

Lord;” He invites (them) first to exultation in the spirit, next to give voice to their jubilation : for we do not rightly give voice to jubilation unless our hearts and minds have first been raised up to God through interior joy and admiration. Hence it is written of the Lord in Luke x: “He rejoiced in the Holy Ghost, and said: I confess to thee, O Father;”[5] and the Lord’s mother said of herself: “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced (in God my Saviour).[6] He therefore says : “Come let us praise the Lord with joy: let us

joyfully sing to God our Saviour,” that is, all together as one, let us exult in the sight of the Lord, rejoicing on account of gladness, and let us sing joyfully to God, who is our salvation. St. Augustine understands jubilatio to refer to the voice of gladness, the meaning of which cannot be expressed. But the Hebrew word signifies rather a great shout, but a shout (which is) joyful; the shout is great because, in this context, it signifies a great love rather than a great noise.

[1] Chapter xi treats of : The tower of Babel. The confusion of tongues. The genealogy of Sem down to Abram.

[2] And each one said to his neighbour: Come, let us make brick, and bake them with fire. And they had brick instead of stones, and slime instead of mortar. Dixitque alter ad proximum suum : Venite, faciamus lateres, et coquamus eos igni. Habueruntque lateres pro saxis, et bitumen pro caemento : [Gen. xi. 3]

[3] And they said: Come, let us make a city and a tower, the top whereof may reach to heaven: and let us make our name famous before we be scattered abroad into all lands. et dixerunt : Venite, faciamus nobis civitatem et turrim, cujus culmen pertingat ad caelum : et celebremus nomen nostrum antequam dividamur in universas terras. [Gen. xi. 4]

[4] Come ye, therefore, let us go down, and there confound their tongue, that they may not understand one another's speech. Venite igitur, descendamus, et confundamus ibi linguam eorum, ut non audiat unusquisque vocem proximi sui. [Gen. xi. 7]

[5] In that same hour, he rejoiced in the Holy Ghost, and said: I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones. Yea, Father, for so it hath seemed good in thy sight. In ipsa hora exsultavit Spiritu Sancto, et dixit : Confiteor tibi Pater, Domine caeli et terrae, quod abscondisti haec a sapientibus et prudentibus, et revelasti ea parvulis. Etiam Pater : quoniam sic placuit ante te. [Luc. x. 21]

[6] And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.  Et ait Maria : Magnificat anima mea Dominum :  et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo. [Luc. 1. 46-7]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm XCII: Verse 7 (conclusion)

Verse 7

Thy testimonies are become exceedingly credible: holiness becometh thy house, O Lord, unto length of days.

Testimonia tua credibilia facta sunt nimis; domum tuam decet sanctitudo, Domine, in longitudinem dierum.

Inasmuch as this relates to the first sense, the Prophet gives answer to a tacit objection which could be made : whence have we knowledge of what is said of the foundation of the earth, of the abyss of the waters and of the confinement of the water in lower places, for which things no witness was present since they preceded the creation of all men. The Prophet replies that he had this from the testimony of God, who revealed it to His servant Moses : and that this testimony was highly credible  because Moses, through many signs, miracles and other ways, had shown himself to be a faithful servant of God and a true Prophet. The same may be said about the second sense : for the testimonies of Christ, conveyed to us through the Apostles, are made so credible, firstly, because of the signs and miracles of Christ and the Apostles; secondly, because we see fulfilled what had been predicted;  thirdly, because of other reasons without end which make the Christian faith so greatly credible that no-one, having heard the preachers, can not believe them, without appearing extremely rash. From which the Prophet concludes that the house of God, that is the Church of God, in which such testimonies are contained and preached, ought to be kept holy and inviolate even to the consummation of the world. “Holiness,” he says, “becometh thy house,” that is, it is becoming that everyone should venerate her as holy; it is also becoming that those who are in her should be holy, and respond in holy ways to the holiness of Thy testimonies, and finally it is becoming that she should be kept by Thee inviolate and holy unto length of days, “so that the gates of hell shall not prevail against her.”[1]

[1] And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Et ego dico tibi, quia tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam, et portae inferi non praevalebunt adversus eam. [Matth. xvi. 18]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm XCII: Verses 4-6

 Verses 4-6

The floods have lifted up, O Lord: the floods have lifted up their voice. The floods have lifted up their waves, With the noise of many waters. Wonderful are the surges of the sea: wonderful is the Lord on high.

Elevaverunt flumina, Domine, elevaverunt flumina vocem suam, elevaverunt flumina fluctus suos, a vocibus aquarum multarum. Mirabiles elationes maris; mirabilis in altis Dominus.

If they are referred to the creation, as they should be according top the first sense, all these things signify the manner in which God made the earth inhabitable, so that it might be the fixed seat of the 

human race. For in the beginning of the creation, waters covered the whole earth, and by a great movement the inundations of waters were lifted up; but God, being more elevated and higher, and infinitely more powerful, rebuked and restrained the waters, and He shut them up in caverns of the earth, and He ordered them not to return to cover the land. This is said more clearly in Psalm ciii : “ Who hast founded the earth upon its own bases: it shall not be moved for ever and ever. The deep like a garment is its clothing: above the mountains shall the waters stand,” that is, in the beginning the earth was so formed that an abyss of waters covered it everywhere, so that the waters stood over the mountains themselves.  “At thy rebuke they shall flee: at the voice of thy thunder they shall fear,” that is, but Thou, omnipotent God, didst rebuke the waters, and with the thundering of Thy command Thou didst trouble them so that they fled and hid themselves in the depths of the earth.  The

mountains ascend, and the plains descend into the place which thou hast founded for them. “Thou hast set a bound which they shall not pass over; neither shall they return to cover the earth[1] The same description is found in the Book of Job, chapter xxxviii,but here the Prophet has condensed all these things in the following words: “Wonderful are the surges of the sea: wonderful is the Lord on high,” that is, all the waters of the sea, and every abyss of the waters, with a great roaring were lifted up over the land : but God most wonderful, dwelling in the heights, and more elevated (than all things) in every height, confined the waters and made the earth inhabitable. But according to the second interpretation, in this place is described the magnitude of the persecutions by

the Jews and Pagans against the kingdom of Christ beginning at His resurrection, and Christ’s victory over all His enemies. “The floods,” he says, “have lifted up their voice(s) and their waves.” By the floods I understand the persecutions by the Jews, who immediately began to lift up their voices against the Gospel, and to contradict it everywhere. “Wonderful are the surges of the sea,” that is, but the Lord, dwelling in the heights, appears more wonderful, for he has brought back victory against all the persecutors and the recalcitrant, and He has extended His kingdom over all lands. By flumina / the floods, St. Augustine understands the Apostles, who, filled with the Holy Spirit, inundated the world like so many celestial floods, and full freely lifted up their voices. By maris elationes / the surges of the sea, he understands the persecutions of the faithful; for just as when rivers flow into the sea, the entry of the fresh water makes the salt water swell and roar : so too in the same way, on encountering the preaching of the Apostles which was doctrine contrary to their customs, the infidels began rise up and to roar. Either interpretation of this text is excellent.

[1] Who hast founded the earth upon its own bases: it shall not be moved for ever and ever. The deep like a garment is its clothing: above the mountains shall the waters stand. At thy rebuke they shall flee: at the voice of thy thunder they shall fear. The mountains ascend, and the plains descend into the place which thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound which they shall not pass over; neither shall they return to cover the earth.  Qui fundasti terram super stabilitatem suam, non inclinabitur in saeculum saeculi. Abyssus sicut vestimentum amictus ejus; super montes stabunt aquae. Ab increpatione tua fugient, a voce tonitrui tui formidabunt.  Ascendunt montes, et descendunt campi in locum quem fundasti eis. Terminum posuisti quem non transgredientur; neque convertentur operire terram.  [Ps. ciii. 5-9]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm XCII: Verse 3

Verse 3

Thy throne is prepared from of old: thou art from everlasting.

Parata sedes tua ex tunc; a saeculo tu es.

Although, he says, the “throne” of Thy kingdom “is prepared from of old,” that is, from the creation of things, or from the resurrection : Thou, however, didst not begin then but “from everlasting,” Thou “art” from eternity without beginning. This word “art” does not signify the simple existence of divine nature but the fullness of being, in which all things are contained : for before He created the world, God was not poor or lacking in something; nor was He made any richer or wealthier after He created the world. For God created the world not so that He might grow richer but so that he might share His goods with us. Accordingly, He created the world not through force of necessity but moved by love and mercy; and by this same love and mercy He restored the world. “ For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.”[1]

[1] For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting. Sic enim Deus dilexit mundum, ut Filium suum unigenitum daret : ut omnis qui credit in eum, non pereat, sed habeat vitam aeternam. [Ioann. iii. 16]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm XCII: Verse 2

Verse 2

For he hath established the world which shall not be moved.

Etenim firmavit orbem terrae, qui non commovebitur.

God began to reign from the beginning of the world, because then He established the orb of the earth[1] from the deepest foundations; and He established and made it stable so that it cannot be moved, and through this He provided a fixed home for men, who are under duty to acknowledge God as (their)

king and to serve Him. Christ, too, by His passion and resurrection, established and made solid, in the one and perfectly true religion and faith, the orb of the earth which was troubled by the various tumults of demons, while some men served other gods.

[1] orbis , is, m.: a circle, ring; orb, disk earth; world (imagined as a disc containing land surrounded by Ocean, cf. Pangaia, or the earth before the cataclysm of the Flood); earth, world (imagined as a globe); the whole world, all the world’s inhabitants; the fixed earth and the orbiting universe; orb (as symbol of royal power).

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm XCII: Verse 1

Verse 1

The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty: the Lord is clothed with strength, and hath girded himself.

Dominus regnavit, decorem indutus est : indutus est Dominus fortitudinem, et praecinxit se.

This beginning of the Psalm may rightly be applied to either the creation or to the redemption; it is not unknown for sentences of the divine Scriptures to have several literal meanings. “The Lord hath reigned,” is the same as if he were to have said : the Lord has acquired His kingdom, He has begun to reign. “He is clothed with beauty,” that is to say, with regal glory and majesty. “The Lord is clothed with strength,” that is, He has not only obtained (His kingdom with) glory, but with the power and strength necessary for majesty in a king. “And hath girded himself,” that is, He has girded Himself in preparation for ruling and governing. If these words are referred to the creation, God may be said to have begun His reign when He created the world since then, for the first time, He had subjects; if they are referred to the restoration, Christ obtained His kingdom at His resurrection, and then He was clothed with the beauty of His (now) glorious body; and He was also clothed with strength, because all power was given to Him in heaven and in earth,[1] so that henceforth He was subject to no creature but He had all things under his feet.[1] Finally, He hath girded Himself unto the extending of His kingdom through the preaching of the Apostles, even unto the ends of the earth.

[1] And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Et accedens Jesus locutus est eis, dicens : Data est mihi omnis potestas in caelo et in terra : [Matt. xxviii. 18] 

[2] And he hath subjected all things under his feet, and hath made him head over all the church, Et omnia subjecit sub pedibus ejus : et ipsum dedit caput supra omnem ecclesiam. [Ephes. i. 22]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm XCII: Title & theme

Title and subject matter

Titulum et argumentum

Praise in the way of a canticle, for David himself, on the day before the sabbath, when the earth was founded.

Laus cantici ipsi David, in die ante sabbatum, quando fundata est terra.

The title of this Psalm is not found in the Hebrew codices but only in the Latin and Greek, and not in all of those. It seems that whoever added the title wanted the Psalm to be chanted on the sixth day, which is the day before the Sabbath, when in this Psalm it is said that the earth was established (founded), or, as other codices have it, was inhabited; which is properly said to have happened on the sixth day. On this day man was made lord of the earth and for this reason the earth was first founded, which was created on account of man. On this day not only man but also all the other creatures who dwell on the earth were created; and so on this day the earth began first to be inhabited. On this same day, through Christ’s passion and death, the earth was renewed, restored and stabilised in Christ’s kingdom, with His defeat of and triumph over the prince of this world, as is written: “ Now is the judgment of the world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself.”[1] Moreover, the Christian Church is wont to sing this Psalm at dawn on the Lord’s day at Lauds, since even if Christ acquired the kingdom through His passion and laid the foundations of the new earth on the sixth day, yet He took possession of the kingdom when He rose (from the dead), and then “He put on beauty and strength,” as we believe happened at dawn on the Lord’s day.

[1] Justice and judgment are the preparation of thy throne. Mercy and truth shall go before thy face: Justitia et judicium præparatio sedis tuae; misericordia et veritas præcedent faciem tuam. [Ps. lxxxviii. 15]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm LXXXVI: Verse 7

Verse 7

The dwelling in thee is as it were of all rejoicing.

Sicut laetantium omnium habitatio est in te.

This is the conclusion of the Psalm which draws together the supreme happiness of all the inhabitants of that city whose foundations are described from the beginning of the Psalm. For this is the happiness proper to the holy city of Jerusalem, that in her is found none who is miserable, none who mourns and none who is sad : since “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes,” Apoc. xxi.;[1] and although these things are to be fulfilled in the heavenly Jerusalem, yet, even in the Church militant, tall those who are described as citizens of heaven do rejoice in hope; and the Saviour says to them: “and your joy no man shall take from you.” John xvi;[2] and the Apostle says in Philipp. iv: “Rejoice (in the Lord) always;[3] and, truly, if the servants

of God rejoice even in tribulation, when can they be sad? St. Augustine notes that it does not say “lætantium / of (those) rejoicing,” but “quasi lætantium / as it were of (those) rejoicing,” lest we should think the joy in (our) heavenly home is such as we see in the children of this world, who rejoice in the acquisition of gold and silver, or in carnal pleasures, or other similar things. The dwelling in the heavenly Jerusalem will be like a banquet or wedding feast, joyfully celebrated with gladness, music and songs; but it will not be from the same cause of joy, here and there, as if he were to say : the dwelling will not be of dancers and people drinking; nor will it be the dwelling of those rejoicing at a wedding feast, but that of a dwelling like those rejoicing at a wedding feast/ 

From the Hebrew, St. Jerome translates this as: And singers, as singing in chorus, all my fountains are in thee. But, as we said above, the Septuagint translators had codices which were more correct, and the word vesarim which St. Jerome reads in this last verse and translates as and singers, are read in the previous verse as et principum / and of princes; for the Hebrew word, if read with a point in the right-hand of the first letter, means cantores / singers, from a Hebrew word; if it is read with the point on the left, it means principes / princes, and this is how the Septuagint translators read it. The phrase, quasi in choris / as if in choirs, can also be correctly translated sicut tripudantium / as of (those) dancing, or of (those) rejoicing, as we have seen.  Finally, the phrase omnes fontes mei in te / all my fountains (are) in thee, does not cause a difficulty unless by reason of the two words fontes mei / my fountains; but the Hebrew for fontes mei is read by the Septuagint translators as mahoni, with a paragogic[4] iod, meaning dwelling; the Septuagint translators were not so inexpert as to put dwelling for fountains, unless they had read a word which could be translated thus. Now although the true reading is what our Latin translator took from the Septuagint, it also has that true meaning which St. Jerome translated from the Hebrew. For truly, all the blessed in heaven are like choirs singing praise to God, since all the fountains of divine blessings are found in the heavenly Jerusalem.

[1] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away. et absterget Deus omnem lacrimam ab oculis eorum : et mors ultra non erit, neque luctus, neque clamor, neque dolor erit ultra, quia prima abierunt. [Apoc. Xxi. 4]

[2] So also you now indeed have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice; and your joy no man shall take from you. Et vos igitur nunc quidem tristitiam habetis, iterum autem videbo vos, et gaudebit cor vestrum : et gaudium vestrum nemo tollet a vobis. [John xvi. 22]

[3] Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice. Gaudete in Domino semper : iterum dico gaudete. [Philipp. iv. 4]

[4] A letter or syllable added to a word; = paragoge n. 1a. Obsolete. rare.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

 

Bellarmine on Psalm LXXXVI: Verse 6

Verse 6

The Lord shall tell in his writings of peoples and of princes, of them that have been in her.

Dominus narrabit in scripturis populorum et principum, horum qui fuerunt in ea.

He replies to the question in which he said: “Will anyone say to Sion?” The prophet declares the Lord Himself will say this; moreover He will write it for an everlasting memory in the book in which He writes down the people and princes who through a new birth have been in the city. “The Lord,” he says, “shall tell,” that is, he will announce that a man has been born in Sion who is Himself the 

founder of Sion; “He shall tell in his writings of peoples and of princes, of them that have been in her,” that is, he will tell this in those writings of the peoples and princes reborn in that city : for the head of all these is that man who is also the founder of Sion, and for this reason He will be at the head of the book. Moreover, the publication of this book will come to pass in the day of judgement : for then will be opened the books, and another book, which is the book of life, as it says in Apoc. xx., which is referred to in Luke x. : “But rejoice in this, that your names are written in heaven.”[1] By principes / princes, St. Augustine understands the Apostles, whom God established as princes over all the earth. Concerning vocabulary, in Hebrew it has ispor for narrabit / shall tell, which St. Jerome translates as 

numerabit / shall number. The word can mean either narrare / to tell or numerare / to number; and each meaning can apply here : for in the book of life are told the deeds of the elect, and the number of them is described. For the Latin in scripturis / in his writings,  Greek has ἕν γραφᾖ /in scriptura / in (his) writing, but the number does not change the sense. In Hebrew, it has in scribendo populos, that is, He will tell, or He will number, while He writes the peoples ; hence we expound the words of the Latin Vulgate edition : in the writings of the peoples, that is, in the writings, in which the peoples are written, or the names of the peoples : for one edition explains the other. The words et principum / and of princes are transposed in Hebrew after the words: “of them that have been in her;” whereas, among the Hebrews the following verse begins with these words:  et principum / and of princes. But we ought to follow the reading of the Septuagint translators, who had the more accurate books : for this revision seems to be due to the negligence of copyists and obscures the whole meaning. The words of them that have been in her, are in the singular in Hebrew, hic natus est in ea / each one born in her, but the sense is the same : when describing the peoples and princes, the Lord shall tell of each one who has been born in her.

[1] But yet rejoice not in this, that spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice in this, that your names are written in heaven. Verumtamen in hoc nolite gaudere quia spiritus vobis subjiciuntur : gaudete autem, quod nomina vestra scripta sunt in caelis. [Luc. x. 20]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm LXXXVI: Verse 5

Verse 5

Shall not Sion say: This man and that man is born in her? and the Highest himself hath founded her.

Numquid Sion dicet : Homo et homo natus est in ea, et ipse fundavit eam Altissimus?

The Prophet adds the chief praise of the holy city, that He was born in the city who, as the Most High, “founded her,” the Son of God. From this, the most glorious of all the things that may be said of her is that He who is her founder according to His divine nature, chose to be her citizen, according to His human nature. This understanding of the text is that of the Holy Fathers Jerome and Augustine, and after them, the Greek doctors Theodoretus and Euthymius, and before them, Tertullian, the most ancient of the Latin doctors, in his book adversus Praxeam.

“Shall not this man say to Sion:” that is, is it possible that anyone might say to Sion something so new and so wondrous, and unheard of through the ages :  “and a man is born in her, and the Highest himself hath founded her,” that is, will anyone indicate to Sion herself, “that a man is born in her,” and He Himself founded her, because He is “the Most High?” Not a few of the Jews tried to obscure this evident prophecy. But we. with the holy Fathers, have greater faith than all the Jews. Regarding the word numquid / (expecting answer no), in Hebrew it reads as et / and, but perhaps the Hebrew was corrupted by a scribe’s error, and he, which means numquid, should be read instead of vau. Even if the particle et / and remains, the sense is the same, if taken in an interrogative mode : For And will anyone say to Sion? is the same as Surely no-one will say to

Sion? In the Greek text, it does not have numquid or et, but mater / mother, and this is how St. Augustine reads it : Shall anyone say to mother Sion. But blessed Jerome in his commentary explicitly states the Greek text is corrupt, and the Septuagint translation was μητὶ, which is numquid, but a letter ρ was added by an inexperienced scribe, making μήτηρ. The word Sion is in the dative case, as is known from the Hebrew article, and the verb will say is masculine in Hebrew, and Sion is feminine. Accordingly, a man will say to Sion, and Sion herself will not speak. The word dicet / will say is in Hebrew ieamur, which is dicetur / will be said; but removing the points, the same letters read as iemar, which means dicet / will say, and the Septuagint translators read it this way. The phrase homo et homo is interpreted by the Rabbis and their followers so that the sense is many men. But in the Hebrew and Greek text, the first homo is conjugated with the verb dicet, so that the sense is: A man/man will say to Sion; the second homo is conjugated with the verb natus est / is born, and this is the true interpunction and reading; nor should we, on account of the Rabbis’ glosses, pervert the text and abandon the Fathers’ exposition. The word Et / and, when it says “And that man is born in her,” can be read as quia / because, as it is frequently in the Scriptures. If anyone asks how Christ can be said to be born in Sion when it states He was born in Bethlehem, we shall reply that, in this context, Sion signifies the Church, or God’s people; Christ was born according to His humanity in God’s people, or in the Church, which began in Abel; according to His divinity, He is the founder of this Church. We might properly add that Christ may be said to be born in Sion by reason of His ancestors, David, Solomon and others, who set their throne in Sion.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm LXXXVI: Verses 3 & 4

Verses 3 & 4

I will be mindful of Rahab and of Babylon knowing me. Behold the foreigners, and Tyre, and the people of the Ethiopians, these were there.

Memor ero Rahab et Babylonis, scientium me; ecce alienigenae, et Tyrus, et populus Aethiopum, hi fuerunt illic.

The prophet now praises the holy city for the number and variety of nations who have come to live there; for not only are Jews, as in the old Testament, present in Jerusalem; but all nations were toi inhabit the Catholic Church, which is the true Jerusalem, praised in this Psalm. He mentions by name Rahab, Babylon, Palestinians, Tyre and Ethiopians, which were nations of the gentiles, but known to the Jews. By Rahab, the ancient writers Jerome, Augustine, Theodoretus, Enthymius and others, understand as referring to that harlot called Rahab, who saved the spies Joshua sent to Jericho, as is recorded for us in Josue ii. More recent commentators rightly refer that harlot to Rachab, in the Hebrew and Greek versions, which has an aspiration : by Raab  they understand 

Egypt, or the king of Egypt; for the Hebrew word means proud, and it is translated thus in Ps. lxxxviii and in Isai. li., and in each text the writers understand the word proud to refer to Egypt. The sense will therefore be : “I will be mindful of Rahab and of Babylon knowing me,” that is, I, God, the founder of the city of Jerusalem, in calling and enrolling the chosen citizens of Jerusalem, I shall remember not only the Jews but also the Egyptians and the Babylonians, who know me by way of faith and religious worship.  “For behold the foreigners,” that is, the Palestinians, “and Tyre,” that is, the people of Tyre, “and the people of the Ethiopians, these were there,” that is, these people too, calling to me and coming to me, will be in the holy city of Jerusalem. He uses the præterite tense for the future, after the usage of Prophets. In Hebrew, instead of scientium me / (of) knowing me, it has scientibus me / to those knowing me, and the Greek has the same. But the

Hebrew article here takes not only the dative but also the genitive and the accusative, as grammarians teach. Quære if we wish to follow the Greek, it will not be translated as : I will be mindful of Rahab and of Babylon, but : I will remember Raab and Babylon, knowing me, that is, faithful to me. But because the Latin translator interprets, as he is allowed,  I will be mindful of Rahab and of Babylon, he rightly adds, knowing me, and this is the ancient reading of the Latin writers, as is clear from St. Jerome’s Commentary on this Psalm. The words these were there are rendered in Hebrew as he was born there. The Greek has the plural, these were born there, and the sense is the same, each one of them was born there. The Latin interpretation must be explained as follows, these were there, that is, all these peoples were numbered, whether in Jerusalem through a new generation  : for through ancient generation they were citizens of Egypt, or Babylon, or Tyre, or Palestine, or Ethiopia; but through a new generation, they are reborn from God through Christ, and they will all be citizens of that one holy city Jerusalem, “Where there is neither Gentile nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian nor Scythian, bond nor free. But Christ is all, and in all.”[1]

[1] Where there is neither Gentile nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian nor Scythian, bond nor free. But Christ is all, and in all. ubi non est gentilis et Judaeus, circumcisio et praeputium, Barbarus et Scytha, servus et liber : sed omnia, et in omnibus Christus. [Coloss. iii. 11]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm LXXXVI: Verse 2

Verse 2

Glorious things are said of thee, O city of God.

Gloriosa dicta sunt de te, civitas Dei!

Intoxicated with the spirit, and admiring the city’s excellence, just as the prophet began abruptly with the words : “The foundations thereof, etc.,” so he changes with no delay his manner of speaking and and addresses the city, saying: “Glorious things are said of thee, O city of God,” that is: do not wonder, O holy city, if I began to speak somewhat abruptly, for I am overwhelmed by the number of your praises ; for many are glorious, magnificent and outstanding things told me of you by the Holy Spirit. Indeed, who could keep to any order in telling the praises of this city, where God will be all things to all men, and where those good things will be saved for the chosen, “which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man.”[1] [2] Now although these glorious things are said, strictly speaking, about the city of God, which is in heaven, and in a certain manner about that city which is spread on earth throughout the whole world : yet “glorious things are said” also about the earthly Jerusalem, as a type of the Church, a royal and sacerdotal city; for in her were kept the temple of the Lord, the ark of the covenant, and many other things;  and what is greatest of all, it was there that the King of Angels and the Lord of all things taught, performed miracles, and having worked the redemption of the human race there, rose from His tomb, sent the Holy Spirit from heaven, and laid the foundations of His Church, to endure forever.

[1] From the beginning of the world they have not heard, nor perceived with the ears: the eye hath not seen, O God, besides thee, what things thou hast prepared for them that wait for thee. A saeculo non audierunt, neque auribus perceperunt; oculus non vidit, Deus, absque te, quae praeparasti exspectantibus te. [Isai. lxiv. 4]

[2] But, as it is written: That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him. Sed sicut scriptum est : Quod oculus non vidit, nec auris audivit, nec in cor hominis ascendit, quae præparavit Deus iis qui diligunt illum : [I Cor. ii. 9]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm LXXXVI: Verse 1

Verse 1

The foundations thereof are in the holy mountains: The Lord loveth the gates of Sion above all the tabernacles of Jacob.

Fundamenta ejus in montibus sanctis; diligit Dominus portas Sion super omnia tabernacula Jacob.

The Prophet begins by praising the city of Jerusalem from her foundations, which are the holy mountains; but before we continue, a question needs to be answered that can immediately occur to anyone : what does the pronoun eius / thereof mean? For it does not seem to refer to Jerusalem or Sion, firstly because the city was not previously called Jerusalem or Sion,; and secondly, because the Greek and Hebrew words for eius are masculine in gender, whereas Jerusalem and Sion are feminine. I answer that the pronoun eius must be referred to the noun which is understood (implied), namely civitatis / of the city; for, although the noun civitas / city is  usually feminine, it has  a masculine style ending; for it is 

said as hir, and in the plural, hirim, and there are not wanting learned men  who would have this as a masculine noun. Besides, there are many nouns found that are conjugated (declined) with words of different genders, as we show in the Institutionibus linguae hebraicæ, p. iv, chapter iv; and so it may be that a masculine pronoun, unusually, may refer to  a feminine noun; for this is not so rare in the Hebrew language as in Greek and Latin. And so the sense is: “The foundations thereof,” of the city, which I see in my mind’s eye, and whose praises I begin to sing, are “ in the holy mountains.” But the Prophet has omitted the name of the city and has said : “The foundations thereof,” so that he may show he is extending his interior admiration into exterior words : for, 

contemplating and admiring the greatness and the beauty of the new city, descending from heaven, he bursts out with those words: “The foundations thereof are in the holy mountains.” Some relate this word eius to Christ;  but this is not convincing because, although Christ might be said to depend upon foundations, yet all foundations do themselves depend upon Him, who is, as St. Augustine rightly teaches : the foundation of foundations, just as He is Shepherd of shepherds, and the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. See Ephes. ii., “ In whom all the building, being framed together, groweth up into an holy temple in the Lord.”[1] Much less convincing is what the Rabbis say, that the eius refers to the Psalm, and should be joined to the first part of this verse with the title, as follows: “A canticle of the Psalm. The foundations thereof are in the holy mountains;” but this distinction and this interpunctuation are much later, and for this reason less confidence can be placed in them. Indeed, by the word foundations, according to various considerations, we should accept various things. If we think about those men who first came 

to the Church, and first started to spread the Church, the foundations are the twelve Apostles, as it says in the Apocalypse : “ And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them, the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”[2]  If we were to consider doctrine, on which the faith of the Church is founded, the foundations are the Apostles and the Prophets, who were the immediate ministers of the word of God, and the Apostle speaks of these in Ephesians ii. : “Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.”[3]  Finally, if we consider ecclesiastical authority and power, according to which the foundation is to the house as the head is to the body, the foundations are Christ and Peter : Christ is the primary foundation and Peter the secondary. The Apostle says of Christ in I Cor. iii. “For other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus.”[4] Christ says of Peter in Matth. xvi. : “Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church.”[5] These are therefore the holy mountains, on which is founded the city of God : they are called mountains on account of their height and their pre-eminence; 

they are holy not because of being high through the elevation of pride, but through being elevated in sanctity, wisdom and authority. Nor is it to be objected that Christ is called the cornerstone surmounting the building, see Psalm cxvii. : “The stone which the builders rejected; the same is become the head of the corner;”[6] and in Ephesians ii. : “Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone : ”[7] for the corner stone has two positions, one in the foundations and the other high up, both connecting two walls; but although in a physical building the corner stone in the foundation cannot be the one supported by the whole building : yet in the spiritual fabric, one and the same stone, that is, one and the same Prelate, supports and bears by his authority the whole structure, and he at the same time presides over and is supported through obedience by the whole building, that is, by all the living stones : these two offices are found principally in Christ, who is supremely the head and Prince of the whole Church ; but they also apply to the supreme Pontiff, as Christ’s Vicar general; and in many ways to all other prelates, in respect of 

those over whom they preside : for all Prelates should bear and be borne, they should bear with the infirmities of those in their charge and be borne by them, while they command or reprove. Another praise of the city of God is drawn from its gates : “The Lord,” says the Prophet, “loveth the gates of Sion above all the tabernacles of Jacob.” He had said that the city of God was founded on holy mountains, and for this reason could not fall, as often happens with buildings built on sand : he now adds that, not only can it never fall, but it cannot be captured by enemies, because it is equipped with strongly fortified gates, of which it is said in Psalm cxlvii: “Because he hath strengthened the bolts of thy gates.”[8] “The Lord loveth the gates of Sion,” that is, God loves Sion because of her immensely strong gates, which make her impregnable ; “above all the tabernacles of Jacob,” that is, more than any of Jacob’s tabernacles, for even though they were beautiful, and laid out with a wondrous design, when the Hebrews were journeying from Egypt to the promised land, yet they had neither foundations nor gates, and for this reason they were temporary and liable to change. By these

words are signified the stability and firmness of the Church, against which the gates of hell will not prevail, and especially when it shall arrive in the heavenly home, for which the Patriarchs sighed,  and of which the Apostle says in Hebrews xi. : “For they (he) looked for a city that hath foundations; whose builder and maker is God.”[9]  In the Apocalypse, chapter xxi., it says : “ there are twelve gates in (the walls of) the new city of Jerusalem, and written thereon are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.”[10] The twelve gates are commonly understood by interpreters of this text, including St. Augustine in his explanation of this Psalm, the twelve Apostles, because by their perfectly sound and true teaching  we all enter into the Church of God : it is no objection that Paul calls the twelve Apostles twelve foundation stones  of the same city : for the Apostles are both gates and foundation stones, gates through their preaching and foundation stones through the support they give. Nor is it an objection that Christ says in John x: “I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved.”[11] For Christ is the gate by reason of merit,  indeed it is through his merit that we all enter and are saved. Besides, there is one gate to this city and there are twelve, in the same way that there is one foundation and twelve foundations. For Christ was in the Apostles and spoke through the Apostles, as the Apostle sas in the last chapter of II Cor. : “Do you seek a proof of Christ that speaketh in me?”[12] And so, when we enter through the Apostles, we enter through Christ, because the Apostles did not preach of themselves, but they preached Christ; and when we are founded upon the Apostles, and are built up on them, we are founded on Christ,

and are built on Him. The fact that the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates signifies that the first to enter into the Church, through the preaching of the Apostles, were children of Israel, from whom the Apostles themselves came; afterwards, the fullness of the gentiles entered in : for, in chapter v of the Apocalypse, where it describes the elect and those to be saved, in the first place are numbered twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel; next is added: “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues.”[13]

[1] In whom all the building, being framed together, groweth up into an holy temple in the Lord. in quo omnis aedificatio constructa crescit in templum sanctum in Domino. [Ephes. ii. 21]

[2] And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them, the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Et murus civitatis habens fundamenta duodecim, et in ipsis duodecim nomina duodecim apostolorum Agni. [Apoc. xxi. 14]

[3] Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone: superaedificati super fundamentum apostolorum, et prophetarum, ipso summo angulari lapide Christo Jesu : [Ephes. ii. 20]

[4] For other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus. Fundamentum enim aliud nemo potest ponere præter id quod positum est, quod est Christus Jesus. [I Cor. iii. 11]

[5] And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Et ego dico tibi, quia tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam, et portae inferi non praevalebunt adversus eam. [Matth. xvi. 18]

[6] The stone which the builders rejected; the same is become the head of the corner. Lapidem quem reprobaverunt aedificantes, hic factus est in caput anguli. [Ps. cxvii. 22]

[7] Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone: superaedificati super fundamentum apostolorum, et prophetarum, ipso summo angulari lapide Christo Jesu : [Ephes. ii. 20]

[8] Because he hath strengthened the bolts of thy gates, he hath blessed thy children within thee. Quoniam confortavit seras portarum tuarum, benedixit filiis tuis in te. [Ps. cxlvii. 2]

[9] For he looked for a city that hath foundations; whose builder and maker is God. Exspectabat enim fundamenta habentem civitatem : cujus artifex et conditor Deus. [Hebr. xi. 10]

[10] And it had a wall great and high, having twelve gates, and in the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Et habebat murum magnum, et altum, habentem portas duodecim : et in portis angelos duodecim, et nomina inscripta, quae sunt nomina duodecim tribuum filiorum Israel : [Apoc. xxi. 12]

[11] I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved: and he shall go in, and go out, and shall find pastures. Ego sum ostium. Per me si quis introierit, salvabitur : et ingredietur, et egredietur, et pascua inveniet. [John x. 9]

[12] Do you seek a proof of Christ that speaketh in me, who towards you is not weak, but is mighty in you? An experimentum quaeritis ejus, qui in me loquitur Christus, qui in vobis non infirmatur, sed potens est in vobis? [II Cor. Xiii. 3]

[13] After this I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands: Post haec vidi turbam magnam, quam dinumerare nemo poterat, ex omnibus gentibus, et tribubus, et populis, et linguis : stantes ante thronum, et in conspectu Agni, amicti stolis albis, et palmae in manibus eorum : [Apoc. vii. 9]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.