Bellarmine on Psalm II ; Verse 8

Verse 8

Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.

Postula a me, et dabo tibi gentes hæreditatem tuam, et possessionem tuam terminos terrae.

These words are quite unambiguous, as though God the father were to say : Because Thou, O Christ, art my natural Son, by my power made flesh and raised form the dead, Thou mayest seek from me power over all peoples, as Thine inheritance, and over all the earth even unto its very limits, as an inheritance due to Thee. There are certain points, however, to be noted : firstly, in the Scriptures, the noun inheritance may apply to anything which is possessed by someone as his own, even when it has not been left by a deceased father : for example, God’s people are said to be God’s inheritance, just as God Himself is 

said to be the people’s inheritance. And as an inheritance strictly so called was often divided between brothers, and was generally divided by lot, and then the parts so divided measured by chains, so inheritance may also be represented by the words portion, lot, chain and possession; often tow of these words are used together, as in Psalm XV : “The Lord is the portion of my inheritance,”[1] that is, the Lord is my portion which comes to me through inheritance; and elsewhere, in Deut XXXII : “Jacob the lot of his inheritance,”[2] that is, the people of Israel are the Lord’s inheritance, which he chose for Himself and are 

measured as with a chain and divided from the other inheritances. And so in this text all nations are said to be Christ’s inheritance, because he was made Lord of the whole world, as is explained in the following words: “and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.” Secondly, it is to be noted that these words are to be understood chiefly of the spiritual reign of Christ, that is, the Church spread throughout the whole world, as St. Augustine very frequently teaches. The meaning therefore is that Christ has been constituted king over Sion, that is over the Lord’s people, but this kingdom is not limited by the borders of Judea or Palestine, like the kingdom of David and Solomon; but it is to be extended to include all the gentiles and to cover all the kingdoms of the world, as is written in the prophecy of Daniel, chapter ii. For it is not be denied that Christ’s power extends over all nations, even the infidels : “All power is given to me in heaven and in earth;”[3] and it is he who is constituted judge of the living and the dead, Acts X.

[1] Ps XV 5.

[2] Deut. XXXII 9.

[3] And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Et accedens Jesus locutus est eis, dicens : Data est mihi omnis potestas in caelo et in terra : euntes ergo docete omnes gentes : baptizantes eos in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti: [Matt. xxviii 18-19]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.