Bellarmine's Preface : Part 3 (Division & Order)

Now, concerning the division and order of the Psalter, the Psalms are divided by the Hebrews into five books, as St. Jerome testifies firstly, in his Prologo Galeato and again in his letter To Sophronius, cited above; wherever at the end of a Psalm is written ; “Amen, Amen,” there they reckon is the end of a book; Now “Amen, Amen” is written at the end of Psalms XL, LXXI, LXXXVIII and CV, and they add to these four books a fifth incorporating Psalms CVI to CL. But this tradition of the Hebrews is not in conformity with the sacred Scriptures, and so it is refuted by St. Jerome in his letter To Sophronius which we noted above, and by St. Hilary in his Prologue to the Psalms. The title of the Psalter both in the Hebrew Bible and in the Septuagint edition is The Book of Hymns. In Luke xx, the Lord Himself speaks, saying : “And David himself saith in the book of Psalms: The Lord said to my Lord;”[1] and in Acts I St. Peter speaks, saying : “For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let their habitation become desolate,”[2] etc. The order of the Psalms does not follow the time at which they were written.

Suffice it to say that Psalm III was written when David was fleeing persecution by his son, Absalon; yet Psalm L had been written much earlier, to wit, when David was rebuked by Nathan for his crime of adultery and murder; and Psalm CXLI had been written earlier still, at a time when it is certain that David was hiding in a cave on account of his fear of king Saul; and Psalm CXLIII had been written far earlier, to wit, when David fought with the giant Goliath; finally, it is probable, almost certain, that Psalm LXXI is the last of all in the order of time, since it was written at the beginning of the reign of king Solomon, and after this psalm is added : “The praises of David, the son of Jesse, are ended;”[3] and yet we see this Psalm set not at the end but almost in the middle. Why the Psalms are arranged in the order we now have is not easy to understand. The opinion, however, is not to be rejected of those who say the first fifty psalms, ending with the Miserere mei, Deus,[4] pertain to penitents or neophytes; the next fifty, which finish with the Psalm Misericordiam et judicium cantabo tibi, Domine,[5] pertain to the just who are proficient; and the last fifty, brought to a conclusion by the Psalm Laudate Dominum in sanctis eius,[6] pertain to the men of the highest accomplishment and perfection : it was either Esdras who arranged the Psalms thus, as St. Athanasius in his Synopsis seems to think; or the Septuagint translators, as St. Hilary teaches in his Prologue to the Psalms.

[1] And David himself saith in the book of Psalms: The Lord said to my Lord, sit thou on my right hand; et ipse David dicit in libro Psalmorum : Dixit Dominus Domino meo : sede a dextris meis. {Luke XX 42]

[2] For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein. And his bishopric let another take. Scriptum est enim in libro Psalmorum : Fiat commoratio eorum deserta, et non sit qui inhabitet in ea : et episcopatum ejus accipiat alter. [Acts I 20]

[3] The praises of David, the son of Jesse, are ended. Defecerunt laudes David, filii Jesse. [Psalm LXXI 20] 

[4] Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity. Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam; et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, dele iniquitatem meam. [Psalm L]

[5] A psalm for David himself. Mercy and judgment I will sing to thee, O Lord: I will sing. Psalmus ipsi David. Misericordiam et judicium cantabo tibi, Domine; psallam. [Psalm C 1]

[6] Praise ye the Lord in his holy places: praise ye him in the firmament of his power. Alleluja. Laudate Dominum in sanctis ejus; laudate eum in firmamento virtutis ejus. {Psalm CL 1]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.