Quarto gratiarum actio et laus; unde dicit, et dicant semper, magnificetur dominus et cetera. Isa. 12: exulta et lauda habitatio Sion, quia magnus in medio tui sanctus Israel.
Fourth is thanksgiving and praise, so he says, and let them say always, “The Lord be magnified.” Rejoice and praise, O you habitation of Zion, for great is he who is in the midst of you, the Holy One of Israel (Isa 12:6).
422. Ego autem. Hic ponitur causa petitionis.
422. But I am a beggar and poor. Here he notes the cause of his petition.
Et primo proponit indigentiam;
First, he puts forward his own weakness;
secundo ponitur auxilium Dei contra eam.
second, he puts the help of God against it.
Dicit ergo, peto haec omnia: quia per me non possum aliquid facere, quia mendicus sum.
Therefore, he says, “I ask for all this, since I cannot do anything by myself, since I am a beggar.”
Et potest dupliciter legi.
And this can be read in two ways.
Uno modo ad litteram de Christo in persona sua, qui in hoc mundo vivens, et mendicus et pauper fuit. 2 Cor. 8: scitis gratiam domini nostri Jesu Christi, qui cum esset dives, egenus factus est pro nobis, ut ipsius inopia divites essetis. Mendicus dicitur qui ab alio quaerit victum; pauper vero, qui sibi non sufficit. Et haec duo dicuntur de Christo. Luc. 9: Filius hominis non habet ubi caput suum reclinet.
In one way it is said literally about Christ in his own person, he who lived in this world and was poor and a beggar. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich he became poor for your sakes, that through his poverty you might be rich (2 Cor 8:9). He is called a beggar who seeks sustenance from another; he is poor who does not have enough to satisfy himself. And these can both be said about Christ. The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head (Luke 9:58).
Vel spiritualiter necesse habeo mendicare a Deo auxilium gratiae, et pauper sum, quia non sufficiunt mihi haec quae habeo. Et ideo quia hoc recognosco, dominus solicitus est mei. Et quia indigeo, tu domine esto adjutor meus. Et propter periculum, ne tardaveris. Matth. 15: domine adjuva me.
Or, I find it spiritually necessary to beg from God the help of grace, and I am poor, since the things which I have are not sufficient for me. And so, because I recognize this, the Lord is careful for me. And because I am in need, you are my helper and my protector. And because of the danger, do not delay. Lord, help me (Matt 15:25).
Super Psalmo 40
Psalm 40
Beatus qui intelligit
Blessed is he who understands
40:1 In finem. Psalmus ipsi David. 40:2 Beatus qui intelligit super egenum et pauperem: in die mala liberabit eum Dominus.
40:1 Unto the end, a psalm for David himself. 40:2 Blessed is he who understands concerning the needy and the poor; the Lord will deliver him in the evil day.
40:3 Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum ejus.
40:3 The Lord preserve him and give him life, and make him blessed upon the land, and deliver him not up to the soul of his enemies.
40:4 Dominus opem ferat illi super lectum doloris ejus; universum stratum ejus versasti in infirmitate ejus. 40:5 Ego dixi: ‘Domine, miserere mei; sana animam meam, quia peccavi tibi.’
40:4 The Lord help him on his bed of sorrow: you have turned all his couch in his sickness. 40:5 I said, “O Lord, be merciful to me. Heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.”
40:6 Inimici mei dixerunt mala mihi: Quando morietur, et peribit nomen ejus? 40:7 Et si ingrediebatur ut videret, vana loquebatur; cor ejus congregavit iniquitatem sibi. Egrediebatur foras et loquebatur in idipsum.
40:6 My enemies have spoken evils against me: when shall he die and his name perish? 40:7 And if he came in to see me, he spoke vain things. His heart gathered together iniquity to itself. He went out and spoke to the same purpose.
40:8 Adversum me susurrabant omnes inimici mei; adversum me cogitabant mala mihi. 40:9 Verbum iniquum constituerunt adversum me: Numquid qui dormit non adjiciet ut resurgat?
40:8 All my enemies whispered together against me; they devised evils for me. 40:9 They determined against me an unjust word: shall he who sleeps rise again no more?
40:10 Etenim homo pacis meae in quo speravi, qui edebat panes meos, magnificavit super me supplantationem.
40:10 For even the man of peace, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has greatly supplanted me.
40:11 Tu autem, Domine, miserere mei, et resuscita me; et retribuam eis.
40:11 But you, O Lord, have mercy on me, and raise me up again. And I will requite them.
40:12 In hoc cognovi quoniam voluisti me, quoniam non gaudebit inimicus meus super me. 40:13 Me autem propter innocentiam suscepisti; et confirmasti me in conspectu tuo in aeternum.
40:12 By this I know that you have had a good will for me, because my enemy shall not rejoice over me. 40:13 But you have upheld me by reason of my innocence, and have established me in your sight forever.
40:14 Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel a saeculo et usque in saeculum. Fiat, fiat.
40:14 Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel from eternity to eternity. So be it, so be it.
423. In praecedenti psalmo psalmista ostendit fiduciam, quantum ad Deum; hic autem petit a Deo misericordiam firmantem.
423. In the preceding psalm, the psalmist showed his trust in God. Now here he asks for a sustaining mercy from God.
Titulus, in finem psalmus David.
The title is unto the end, a psalm for David.
Hic titulus manifestus est jam supra, quia scilicet iste psalmus quem fecit David, ducit nos in finem, id est in Christum: quia agit de passione ejus, quantum ad quaedam.
This title was already clear above, since this psalm written by David leads us to the end, that is, to Christ, since it treats his Passion in regard to certain elements.
Dicitur tamen in glossa, quod secundum Hieronymum in originali ejus est titulus, intellectus filiis Core; et est novus titulus in titulis Psalmorum.
Nevertheless, the gloss says that according to Jerome, in the original the title is understanding for the sons of Korah, and this is a new title among the titles of the Psalms.
Est ergo sciendum quod, sicut legitur Num. 16, quando Dathan et Abiron fecerunt schisma contra Moysen pro principatu populi, tunc Core insurrexit contra Aaron pro principatu sacerdotii, et tunc ipse crematus est: non tamen omnes de familia sua in hoc consenserunt, et ideo isti remanserunt, qui non consenserunt ex eis, unde tempore David inter cantores istis data fuerunt ministeria. Et intelligitur, quod iste psalmus in diebus illis ordinatus fuit ad cantandum.
And therefore it should be known that, as is written in Numbers 16, when Dathan and Abiram created a schism against Moses for the leadership of the people, Korah then rose up against Aaron for the leadership of the priesthood, and then he was burnt up. Nevertheless, not all of his family consented to this, and these individuals remained, so in David’s time they were given ministries among the singers. And it should be understood that this psalm was ordained to be sung on those days.
Sed notandum quod in quibus dicitur, intellectus filiis Core, et dicitur secundum litteram in omnibus in quibus ponitur intellectus, datur intelligi quod per illum psalmum populus incitatur ad intelligendum divina beneficia, vel aliqua secreta, sicut illud, Ps. 93: intelligite insipientes. Et ibi, Ps. 77, attendite popule et cetera.
It should be noted that the phrase understanding for the sons of Korah is equally said about all who have understanding, and it means that through this psalm the people are stirred up to understand the divine favors, or other secrets, just as in Psalm 93: understand, you senseless among the people (Ps 93:8). And here: attend, O my people (Ps 77:1).
Mystice Core interpretatur Calvaria, et Christus crucifixus in loco Calvariae; et ideo psalmus iste attribuitur filiis passionis, id est crucis Christi. Et isti sunt qui carnem suam crucifixerunt, ut dicitur Gal. 5.
Mystically, Korah means Calvary, and Christ was crucified on Calvary, and so this psalm is attributed to the sons of the Passion, that is, of the Cross of Christ. And these are those who have crucified their flesh (Gal 5:24).
Intentio psalmistae est, quod petit misericordiam divinam.
The intention of the psalmist is to ask for the divine mercy.
Dividitur ergo psalmus iste in partes duas.
Therefore, this psalm is divided into two parts.
In prima petit divinam misericordiam in generali;
In the first, he asks for the divine mercy in general;
in secunda in speciali, ibi, tu autem domine.
in the second, in particular, at but you, O Lord.
Circa primum duo facit.
Regarding the first, he makes two points.
Primo petit misericordiam;
First, he asks for mercy;
secundo inducit necessitatem misericordiae petendae, ibi, inimici mei.
second, he brings in the need to ask for mercy, at my enemies.
Circa primum duo facit.
Regarding the first of these, he makes two points.
Primo ostendit quibus debetur misericordia;
First, he shows to whom mercy is owed;
secundo sentiens in se quod meretur misericordia, petit eam, ibi, ego dixi, quia Matth. 5: beati misericordes, quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur.
second, feeling within himself that he merits mercy, he asks for it: I said, since blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Matt 5:7).