Bellarmine on Psalm 2 : Theme and Verse 1

 Subject matter

This psalm has no title but is attributed to David in Acts IV. Several commentators consider this is not the second Psalm but actually forms part of the first, and indeed in Acts XIII and certain Codices the Psalm is cited under the name first Psalm; but the greater number and better of the Codices have: as in the second Psalm is written, and this harmonises with the Greek edition τὡι δευτερὡι. The whole of this Psalm is a most plain prophecy of the kingdom of Christ and is explained by the Apostles in Acts IV and XIII, and in Hebrews I and V, so that they err greatly who would try to prove this Psalm is to be explained in the literal sense as being about David.

Verse 1

Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things?

Quare fremuerunt gentes, et populi meditati sunt inania?

David, with a spiritual foreknowledge of the coming of the Messiah, and of the many persecutions that would be waged against Him, and of the coming of His most happy reign, begins with a reproof of the persecutors; and the meaning is that in vain did the Gentiles and the Hebrews, whether the Princes or the people, rage with indignation against the Messiah, and seek to find a reason for obstructing His kingdom.  In Hebrew, the first verb is in the past tense, and the second in the future: but because the speech is about the same thing, the Septuagint Translators rendered each verb in the past tense, but Saint Jerome rendered each in the future tense.  And yet the sentence remains true, either way; for the thing itself was in the future, but for the Prophet it was as though past, since he discerned it as a past event.  Yet the Septuagint and Vulgate version is absolutely to be preferred, firstly, because we read the past tense in Acts IV, fremuerunt / did rage and meditati sunt / did meditate;[1] secondly, because reason requires that the meaning of the first verb should regulate the meaning of the second, and not contradict it. By the noun gentes (in Why have the Gentiles raged?) is to be understood the Gentiles. For thus did the Apostles in Acts IV understand it and the Hebrew word goym is in the Scriptures generally taken to 

mean Gentiles or Nations. On the other hand, in the sentence “And the people devised vain things,” “the people” are to be understood as the Hebrews, as appears in Acts IV. The words are correctly to be referred firstly to the Gentiles and to the Hebrew people. For the Gentiles are said to have raged, like beasts lacking reason, and the Hebrews devised vain things, because they took counsel with one another how they might do away with Jesus.

[1] Who, by the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of our father David, thy servant, hast said: Why did the Gentiles rage, and the people meditate vain things? qui Spiritu Sancto per os patris nostri David, pueri tui, dixisti : Quare fremuerunt gentes, et populi meditati sunt inania? [Acts IV, 25]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm 1 : Verse 7 (conclusion)

Verse 7

For the Lord knoweth the way of the just: and the way of the wicked shall perish.

quoniam novit Dominus viam justorum; et iter impiorum peribit.

He offers a reason why the wicked will not receive the glory of the just at the judgement : namely, since the way of the just is approved by God, who cannot be deceived, and it leads to the city of God, but he way of the wicked is not approved by God, and those who walk it labour in vain, for they will never arrive (in  the city of God). That word knoweth is to be read as referring tot he knowledge of approval; and when it is said that “ the Lord knoweth the way of the just,” we are assured that they who follow this path have certainty of true happiness. The words “ the way of the wicked shall perish,” mean that their journey will be made in vain, because their path does not lead to the chosen place. Accordingly, in this text the word way is not to be read as 

referring to a physical route, on which we journey, but to the journey in itself, as we have said. By journey however is to be understood the whole course of a life, studies, works, struggles, all of which are of no avail to the wicked. This psalm can be applied to all the Saints, but most especially , by way of 

antonomasia,[1] to Christ, who (alone) among all men and Angels did not deviate from the law of God, but fulfilled the law perfectly,even unto death. Like a tree which is planted near the waters of a stream, having a soul conjoined hypostatically with the living fount, which is the Word of God, the fount of Wisdom in the heavens, He is crowned with glory and honour, and puts forth wondrous fruits, and leads them to ripeness, for He calls the elect, justifies them and magnifies them.

[1] The substitution of an epithet or title for a proper name. Also: the substituted epithet itself. The use of the proper name of a particular individual as a generic term to denote others who belong to an implied type; an instance of this. OED.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm 1 : Verse 6

Verse 6

Therefore the wicked shall not rise again in judgment: nor sinners in the council of the just.

Ideo non resurgent impii in judicio, neque peccatores in concilio justorum

The Prophet therefore says here that a difference will be made clear at the Last Judgement between the just and the wicked. For at this time it seems that all are mixed together. He therefore says: “Therefore the wicked shall not rise again in (the) judgment of the just.” For the “words of the just” apply to both clauses in the verse, both to in judicio and in concilio. This gives us : “The wicked shall not rise again in (the) judgment of the just” and “nor 

sinners in the council of the just.” This puts an end to the question raised by several commentators: why the Prophet should have said: “The wicked shall not rise again in judgment.” David, however, elegantly joins the last part of the Psalm to the first; just as he said at the beginning that the just did not walk in the counsel of the wicked and did not sit in their assembly : now he says the wicked will not rise again at the last day in judgement or in the council of the just.  The meaning here is therefore : “Therefore the wicked shall not rise again in judgment of the just,” that is, the judgement of the just will be far distant from that of the wicked. This explains the words that follow : “nor sinners in the council of the just,” that is, when the wicked rise again, it will not be in the assembly and fellowship of the just, but they will be judged in hell along with the company of the damned. In the phrase in consilio justorum, the word consilium can be read as referring to the place of counsel and thus it will mean the same as the word concilio /council. Non resurgent / shall not rise again can also be translated from the Hebrew as non stabunt or non consistent / they will not stand, so the sense here will then be that when the just, in judgement and in the assembly of the just, will be seated as the Saints with Christ as judges of the world, then the sinners will not stand but will fall. “The just, however, shall stand with great constancy against those that have afflicted them.”[1]

[1] Then shall the just stand with great constancy against those that have afflicted them, and taken away their labours. Tunc stabunt justi in magna constantia adversus eos qui se angustiaverunt, et qui abstulerunt labores eorum. [Wisdom v 1]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm 1 : Verse 5

Verse 5

Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth.

Non sic impii, non sic; sed tamquam pulvis quem projicit ventus a facie terræ.

From a comparison with the misery of the wicked, the Prophet confirms the happiness of the just. Lest anyone might think those benefits are shared with others and come from purely natural causes, and are not chiefly from the providence of God, he adds : “Not so the wicked,”that is, they will not receive this lot but something very different. Indeed, the Prophet describes the misery of the wicked in a most elegant manner, and he contrasts it with the happiness of the just. From the abundance of divine grace, the just burst forth in greenery and bear fruit, and they never lose their verdant quality or the fruit of their labour. In contrast, the wicked, destitute of that grace, are like the lightest of dust, arid, sterile and  leaving no trace  when blown by the wind; and not only do they lose all glory, wealth and pleasure, but they also perish for all eternity.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Bellarmine on Psalm 1 : Verses 3 & 4

Verses 3 & 4

And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper.

Et erit tamquam lignum quod plantatum est secus decursus aquarum, quod fructum suum dabit in tempore suo : et folium ejus non defluet; et omnia quæcumque faciet prosperabuntur.

The Prophet has declared who is to be called truly just : now he declares that such a just person is blessed, with hope in this world or in what is to come. This is summed up in a similitude of a tree which, planted on the bank of a river, has everything needed to make a tree perfectly happy. For some trees produce only leaves, and do not retain them for long; others produce leaves and retain them for a long time but their fruit either comes too early or too late; finally, others produce fruit in their time and are always clothed in leaves, but do not bring all their fruit to maturity : therefore only hose trees are perfect in every way that produce fruit if they always retain their leaves and produce their fruit matured at all times. Such trees are the pines, the palms, the olive trees, to which the Scriptures are in various places wont to compare just men. He therefore says here that just men are to similar to these most fortunate of trees. For the just,“rooted and founded in charity,”as the Apostle says,[1] are through friendship close to the living fount, whence they 

always may draw a flow of grace; and they bring forth good works at an opportune time, and all things co-operate with them to good, and they always blossom in glory and honour. For although they may at times be despised by the carnal, yet by the angels, and what is more, by God Himself, they are honoured. This indeed is in this world; but they bring forth fruit in their time, because they produce fruits to be received in a fitting time, that is, after death; the wicked look for this before their time, they seek happiness in this life, and thus they lose it in this time and in eternity. And they always retain their leaves because they accept, according to the words of the Apostle Peter: “a never fading crown of glory;”[2] and “The just shall be in everlasting remembrance.”[3] Finally, “whatsoever he shall do shall prosper,” because all his works, even a cup of cold water given in the name of disciple, will receive a full and perfect reward.

[1] Ephesians iii 17.

[2]  And when the prince of pastors shall appear, you shall receive a never fading crown of glory. Et cum apparuerit princeps pastorum, percipietis immarcescibilem gloriae coronam. [I Pet. v 4]

[3] The just shall be in everlasting remembrance: he shall not fear the evil hearing. His heart is ready to hope in the Lord: In memoria aeterna erit justus; ab auditione mala non timebit. Paratum cor ejus sperare in Domino. [Psalm CXI 7]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.