Bellarmine on Psalm 112 : Title, theme & Verse 1

Title and subject matter

Titulus et argumentum

Alleluia

This short and simple Psalm urges worshippers of God to praise Him because He is almighty and, although He is the Most High, yet He does not refuse to turn His gaze upon us, and to bestow on us His numerous blessings.

Verse 1

Praise the Lord, ye children: praise ye the name of the Lord.

Laudate, pueri, Dominum, laudate nomen Domini.

The word children is to be understood as referring to the servants of God, who worship Him soley and unconditionally: for the Greek word παἳδες, and the Latin pueri, are commonly used for servants and children, but the Hebrew word means nothing but servant; and this appears more clearly from the fact that in Hebrew the word Domini / of the Lord, is  in the genitive case: Praise ye, O servants of the Lord, praise ye the name of the Lord. In fact, there is a great affinity between servants and children, so that not unjustly are servants said to be children and children servants, since servants should suffer to be ruled by their masters and children are ruled by their elders; hence Blessed Paul says to the Galatians: “Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a servant.”[1]  We are reminded therefore by the word children that God’s servants should be simple and pure, and respond unhesitatingly to God’s will. “Praise the Lord, ye children: praise ye the name of the Lord,” that is, O all ye who are servants of God, serve ye Him chiefly in this, that you reflect with a pure mind on the greatness of your Lord and that, with all the love of your heart, you praise His name, which is to say His might and His infinite glory. There is a similar exhortation in Psalm CXXXIV: “Praise ye the name of the Lord: O you his servants, praise the Lord.”[2]

[1] Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; Dico autem : quanto tempore haeres parvulus est, nihil differt a servo, cum sit dominus omnium : [Galat. iv. 1]

[2] Praise ye the name of the Lord: O you his servants, praise the Lord: Alleluja. Laudate nomen Dominum; laudate, servi, Dominum : [Ps. CXXXIII. 1]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.