Super Psalmo 42 Psalm 42 Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause ^42:1 Psalmus David. Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta: ab homine iniquo et doloso erue me. ^42:2 Quia tu es, Deus, fortitudo mea: quare me repulisti? Et quare tristis incedo, dum affligit me inimicus? ^42:1 A psalm for David. Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy; deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man. ^42:2 For you are God, my strength; why have you cast me off? and why do I go sorrowful while the enemy afflicts me? ^42:3 Emitte lucem tuam et veritatem tuam: ipsa me deduxerunt, et adduxerunt in montem sanctum tuum, et in tabernacula tua. ^42:4 Et introibo ad altare Dei, ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam. ^42:5 Confitebor tibi in cithara, Deus, Deus meus. Quare tristis es, anima mea? Et quare conturbas me? ^42:6 Spera in Deo, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi, salutare vultus mei, et Deus meus. ^42:3 Send forth your light and your truth: they have conducted me, and brought me unto your holy hill, and into your tabernacles. ^42:4 And I will go in to the altar of God, to God who gives joy to my youth. ^42:5 To you, O God my God, I will give praise upon the harp. Why are you sad, O my soul? And why do you disquiet me? ^42:6 Hope in God, for I will still give praise to him: the salvation of my countenance, and my God. 438. In praecedenti psalmo David narravit suum desiderium; nunc autem adhibet orationem ad implendum desiderium. 438. In the previous psalm, David described his desire. Now, he adds a prayer for the fulfillment of his desire. Et primo ponit orationem; And he gives the prayer first; secundo effectum ejus, ibi, quare tristis es. second, its effect, at why do I go sorrowful. Circa primum duo facit. In regard to the first, he does two things. Primo proponit orationem in generali; He proposes prayer in general first; secundo in speciali, ibi, ab homine iniquo. second, in particular, at deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man. Et primo petit judicium; And first he asks for judgment; secundo judicii effectum. second, for the effect of judgment. Petit ergo, judica me Deus. Therefore, he asks, judge me, O God. Sed videtur praesumptionis esse: quia ipse dicit, non intres in judicium et cetera. Ps. 142. But this petition seems to stem from presumption, because he himself says elsewhere, enter not into judgment (Ps 142:2). Respondeo. Dicendum, quod est duplex judicium: scilicet severitatis, et misericordiae seu aequitatis. I respond that there are two types of judgment: that of severity and that of mercy or equity. Primum est, quando attenditur solum res et non conditio; et hoc est timendum. De hoc dicit Psalm 142: non intres in judicium et cetera quia justitiae nostrae nihil sunt in conspectu Dei, ut dicitur Isa. 64. Et hoc judicium est sine misericordia, ut dicitur Jacob. 2. The first occurs when only the matter is given attention, and not the circumstances. And this is to be feared. About this, the psalm says, enter not into judgment (Ps 142:2), because our justice is nothing in the sight of God (Isa 64:6). And this judgment is without mercy (Jas 2:13). Secundum est, quando consideratur non solum natura rei, sed conditio personae. Ps. 102: misertus est dominus timentibus se, quoniam ipse cognovit figmentum nostrum. Et hoc petit. The second judgment is when not only the nature of the thing is considered but the condition of the person. The Lord has compassion on those who fear him, for he knows our frame (Ps 102:13–14). And he asks for this kind of judgment. Vel aliter. Or it can be understood in another way. Est duplex judicium: There are two types of judgment: scilicet discussionis, cum merita discutiuntur: et hoc non petit hic, quia discussio est timenda Job 9: verebar omnia opera mea, sciens quod non parces delinquenti. the judgment of examination, when merits are examined, and here he does not ask for this, since examination is to be feared. I feared all my works, knowing that you did not spare the offender (Job 9:28). Aliud est discretionis, scilicet separationis a malis: et hoc petit; et ideo subdit, et discerne causam meam. The other type of judgment is that of distinction, namely, of separation from the evil people, and he asks for this, and so he adds, and distinguish my cause. Et hoc refertur ad praesentem statum: et sic petimus discerni a malis, etsi non loco, saltem causa. Multa enim sunt communia nobis et eis: quia locus est eventus fortunae, sed causa non, quia eisdem rebus aliter utuntur boni et aliter mali: quia in adversis boni rutilant per patientiam, mali vero fumant per impatientiam. And this belongs to the present state, and so we ask to be set apart from evil people, if not in place, at least in regard to our plea. There is much in common between us and them, since place is an outcome of chance, but our plea is not, since the good use things in one way and the evil use the same things in another way. In troubles the good radiate by their patience, but the evil reek by their impatience. Si vero ad futurum judicium referamus, petimus distingui: quia causa malorum judicabitur ad condemnationem, bonorum ad salutem. If we apply this to the future judgment, we ask to be distinguished, since the cause of the evil will be judged unto condemnation, but of the good unto salvation. In speciali autem petit judicari quantum ad duo: In particular, he asks to be judged in two respects: videlicet quantum ad liberationem a malo, in regard to deliverance from evil et quantum ad promotionem in bono. and furtherance in the good. Petit ergo liberari a malo, vel praesenti vel futuro; unde dicit, ab homine iniquo et doloso erue me. Homo iniquus dicitur diabolus. Matth. 13: inimicus homo hoc fecit. Vel alius homo seductor, sive injustus quicumque. Et dicitur iniquus ille qui injustitiam intendit aperte: dolosus vero propter occultam fraudulentiam. Prov. 12: dolus in corde cogitantium mala. Therefore, he asks to be delivered from evil, either present or future, so he says, deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man. The devil is called an “unjust man.” An enemy has done this (Matt 13:28). Or this could mean another devious human being, or anyone unjust. And he is called evil who openly intends injustice, but deceitful on account of hidden crime. Deceit is in the heart of those who think evil things (Prov 12:20). Ab his ergo liberatur quis dupliciter. A person is delivered from these in two ways. Uno modo, ut non seducatur occulta dolositate. In one way, such that he is not seduced by hidden deceitfulness. Alio modo, ut non opprimatur adversitate, quia tu es Deus meus. Another way is that he is not crushed by troubles: for you are my God. Hic ponitur ratio liberationis; et est duplex: Here he gives the reason for his deliverance, and it is twofold, una ex parte Dei qui potest; unde dicit, tu es fortitudo mea. Isa. 12: fortitudo mea et laus mea dominus. Et dicitur fortitudo nostra effective, quia ab ipso est. Isa. 40: qui dat lasso virtutem, et his qui non sunt fortitudinem et robur multiplicat. first, on the part of God, who has the power to deliver: you are God my strength. The Lord is my strength, and my praise (Isa 12:2). And he is called our strength causatively, since it comes from him. It is he who gives strength to the weary, and increases fortitude and might to those who are not (Isa 40:29). Alia ratio est ex parte sua, scilicet malorum quae patitur. Quaedam mala patimur secundum opinionem, quia cum sumus in adversitatibus, videmur repulsi a Deo; unde dicit, quare me repulisti? Sed non repellet dominus plebem suam, Ps. 94. Et sic est tantum opinatum malum hoc. The second reason for his deliverance is on his own part, namely, the evils which he is undergoing. We suffer certain evils in our own mind, since when we are in the midst of troubles, we seem to have been cast off by God, so he says, why have you cast me off? But the Lord will not cast off his people (Ps 93:14). And so it is only an evil in our minds. Aliud est verum; unde sequitur, quare tristis incedo? Tristis scilicet vel tristitia saeculi, quae mortem operatur: et sic est sensus: quare tristis incedo, scilicet temporaliter, dum affligit me inimicus, homo malus, temporaliter. Another is real, so he says, why do I go sorrowful? He goes sorrowful, or with the sadness of the world which causes death, and so this is the meaning: why do I go sorrowful, that is, for a time, while the enemy, an evil man, afflicts me for a time. Vel, tristis incedo, tristitia bona quae operatur poenitentiam in salutem. Et sic est sensus, quare tristis incedo, tantum; quia etiam laetitia adjungenda est poenitentiae. Or, he goes sorrowful with a good sadness, which causes penitence for salvation. And the sense is: why do I go only sorrowful, since joy should also be connected to penitence. 439. Emitte. Hic ponit promotionem in bono. 439. Send forth your light and your truth. Here he describes furtherance in the good.