Super Psalmo 1
Psalm 1
Beatus vir
Blessed is the man
1:1 Beatus vir qui non abiit in consilio impiorum, et in via peccatorum non stetit, et in cathedra pestilentiae non sedit; 1:2 Sed in lege domini voluntas ejus, et in lege ejus meditabitur die ac nocte.
1:1 Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence. 1:2 But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night.
1:3a Et erit tamquam lignum quod plantatum est secus decursus aquarum, quod fructum suum dabit in tempore suo: et folium ejus non defluet.
1:3a And he shall be like a tree which is planted near running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off:
1:3b Et omnia quaecumque faciet prosperabuntur. 1:4 Non sic impii, non sic; sed tamquam pulvis quem projicit ventus a facie terrae. 1:5 Ideo non resurgent impii in judicio, neque peccatores in concilio justorum. 1:6 Quoniam novit dominus viam justorum; et iter impiorum peribit.
1:3b and all that he shall do shall prosper. 1:4 Not so the wicked, not so, but they are like the dust, which the wind drives from the face of the earth. 1:5 Therefore, the wicked shall not rise again in judgment, nor sinners in the council of the just. 1:6 For the Lord knows the way of the just, and the way of the wicked shall perish.
1. Hic psalmus distinguitur contra totum opus: non enim habet titulum, sed est quasi titulus totius operis. Sed et David Psalmos composuit per modum orantis, qui non servat unum modum, sed secundum diversas affectiones et motus orantis se habet. Hic ergo primus psalmus exprimit affectum hominis elevantis oculos ad totum statum mundi, et considerantis quomodo quidam proficiunt, quidam deficiunt. Et inter beatos Christus fuit primus; inter malos Adam.
1. This psalm is distinct from the rest of the work, for it does not have a title, but is itself a sort of title to the whole work. And David composed the Psalms in the manner of one praying, who does not keep to one style, but follows his various feelings and movements. Therefore, this first psalm expresses the feeling of a man lifting up his eyes to the whole state of the world and considering how some succeed and some fall short. And Christ was first among the blessed, Adam among the evil.
Sed notandum: quod in uno omnes conveniunt, et in duobus differunt. Conveniunt in beatitudine, quam omnes quaerunt; differunt autem in processu ad beatitudinem, et in eventu hujus: quia quidam perveniunt, et quidam non.
And it should be noted that all, blessed and evil alike, are of accord in one thing, and differ in two. They are of accord in happiness, which all seek, but they differ in their advance toward happiness and in their outcome, since some reach it, and some do not.
Dividitur ergo psalmus iste in partes duas.
Therefore, this psalm is divided into two parts.
In prima describitur processus omnium ad beatitudinem.
The first describes the advance of all toward happiness;
In secunda eventus, ibi, et erit tamquam lignum quod plantatum est secus decursus.
the second, the outcome: he shall be like a tree which is planted near running waters.
Circa primum duo facit.
Within the first part, he discusses two things:
Primo tangitur processus malorum;
first, the advance of evil people;
secundo bonorum, sed in lege domini voluntas ejus et cetera.
second, of good people: but his will is in the law of the Lord.
In processu malorum tria consideranda sunt.
Regarding the advance of evil people, three things are to be considered.
Primo deliberatio de peccato, et hoc in cogitatione;
First, deliberation about sin, and this is in thought;
secundo consensus et executio;
second, consent and execution;
tertio inductio aliorum ad simile; et hoc est pessimum.
third, leading others to act similarly; and this is the worst.
Et ideo primo ponit consilium malorum, ibi, beatus vir et cetera. Dicit autem qui non abiit; quia quamdiu homo deliberat, est in eundo.
And so he first presents the counsel of the evil: blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly. He says, who has not walked, since even when a man is deliberating, he is in the process of going.
Secundo ponit consensum et executionem dicens: et in via peccatorum, id est in operatione. Prover. 4: via impiorum tenebrosa, nesciunt ubi corruant. Non stetit, scilicet consentiendo et operando. Dicit autem impiorum, quia impietas est peccatum contra Deum, et peccatorum contra proximum,
Second, he presents consent and execution, saying, in the way of sinners, that is, in action. The way of the ungodly is darkness; they know not when they fail (Prov 4:19). Nor stood, namely by consenting and acting. He says, of the ungodly, since impiety is a sin against God, and of sinners, since it is a sin against a neighbor.
et in cathedra, ecce tertium, id est inducere alios ad peccandum. In cathedra ergo quasi magister, et alios docens peccare: et ideo dicit pestilentiae, quia pestilentia est morbus infectivus. Prov. 29: homines pestilentes dissipant civitatem. Qui ergo sic vadit, non est beatus, sed qui contrario modo.
In the chair, that is, inducing others to sin—here is the third element in the advance of evil people. In the chair means teaching others to sin as a master, and so he says it is of pestilence, since a pestilence is an infectious disease. Pestilent men bring a city to ruin (Prov 29:8). Therefore, he who goes like this is not blessed, but he who goes in the opposite way.
Beatitudo autem hominis in Deo est. Psalm. 143: beatus populus cujus est dominus Deus ejus et cetera. Est ergo processus rectus ad beatitudinem primo, ut subdamus nos Deo: et hoc dupliciter.
Now the happiness of man is in God. Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord (Ps 143:15). Therefore, first in this psalm is the straight way to happiness, that we may submit ourselves to God, and this way is twofold.
Primo per voluntatem, obediendo mandatis ejus; et ideo dicit: sed in lege domini; et hoc specialiter pertinet ad Christum. Joan. 8: descendi de caelo non ut faciam voluntatem meam, sed voluntatem ejus qui misit me. Convenit similiter et cuilibet justo. Et dicit in lege per dilectionem, non sub lege per timorem. 1 Timoth. 1: justo non est lex posita.
First, through the will, by obeying his commands, and so he says, but in the law of the Lord, and this pertains in a special way to Christ. I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me (John 6:38). It is similarly appropriate to each just person. And he says in the law through love, not “under” the law through fear. The law is not made for the just (1 Tim 1:9).
Secundo per intellectum jugiter meditando; et ideo dicit, in lege ejus meditabitur die ac nocte, id est continue, vel certis horis diei et noctis, vel in prosperis et adversis.
The second aspect of submitting ourselves to God is through the intellect, by meditating continually, and so he says, on his law he shall meditate day and night, that is, continually, be it at certain hours both of the day and of the night or in both prosperity and adversity.
2. Describitur in hac parte felicitatis eventus:
2. This second part of the psalm describes the outcome of blessedness,
et primo ponit diversitatem ejus;
and he first discusses its diversity;
secundo assignat rationem, ibi, quoniam novit dominus et cetera.
second, he indicates its cause: for the Lord knows the way of the just.
Circa primum duo facit. Primo ponit eventum bonorum;
Regarding the diversity of outcomes, he presents first the outcome of the good;
secundo malorum, ibi, non sic impii et cetera.
second, of the evil, at not so the wicked.
Circa eventum bonorum utitur similitudine:
He uses an image to describe the outcome of the good;
et primo proponit eam;
and first, he proposes the image;
secundo adaptat, ibi, et omnia quaecumque faciet et cetera.
second, he applies it: and all that he shall do shall prosper.
Similitudo namque sumitur a ligno: in quo tria considerantur, scilicet plantatio, fructificatio, et conservatio.
For the image is taken from a tree, which involves three aspects: namely, its planting, its bearing fruit, and its continuation.
Ad plantationem vero necessaria est terra humectata ab aquis, alias aresceret; et ideo dicit: quod plantatum est secus decursus aquarum, id est juxta fluenta gratiarum. Joan. 7 cap.: qui credit in me, flumina de ventre ejus fluent aquae vivae.
For planting, it is necessary that the earth be moistened by water; otherwise, it will dry up. And so it is said, which is planted near running waters, that is, near the waters of grace. He who believes in me . . . from within him shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38).
Et qui juxta hanc aquam radices habuerit, fructificabit bona opera faciendo; et hoc est quod sequitur, quod fructum suum dabit. Gal. 5: fructus autem spiritus est caritas, gaudium, pax, patientia, longanimitas, bonitas, benignitas et cetera.
And he who plants his roots near these waters will be fruitful in doing good works, and this is what follows: which shall bring forth its fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, long suffering, goodness, benignity (Gal 5:22).
In tempore suo, scilicet modo quando est tempus operandi. Gal. ult.: dum tempus habemus, operemur bonum ad omnes.
In due season, that is, when it is the time for working: while we have time, let us work good to all (Gal 6:10).
Sed nec arescit, immo conservatur. Quaedam arbores conservantur in substantia, sed non in foliis: quaedam etiam in foliis conservantur, sic et justi: unde ait, et folium ejus non defluet, id est nec in minimis operibus et exterioribus deseruntur a Deo. Prov. 11: justi autem quasi virens folium germinabunt.
He does not wither, but rather is preserved. Some trees are preserved in their main body, but not in their leaves, while some are preserved also in their leaves, as it is with the just, and so he says, his leaf shall not fall off, that is, he will not be deserted by God in the smallest of exterior works. The just shall spring up like a green leaf (Prov 11:28).