Super Psalmo 50
Psalm 50
Miserere mei, Deus
Have mercy on me, O God
50:1 In finem. Psalmus David, 50:2 cum venit ad eum Nathan propheta, quando intravit ad Bethsabee. 50:3 Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam; et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, dele iniquitatem meam. 50:4 Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea, et a peccato meo munda me.
50:1 Unto the end, a psalm of David, 50:2 when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba. 50:3 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy; and according to the multitude of your tender mercies blot out my iniquity. 50:4 Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
50:5 Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco, et peccatum meum contra me est semper. 50:6 Tibi soli peccavi, et malum coram te feci; ut justificeris in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum judicaris.
50:5 For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always against me. 50:6 To you only have I sinned, and have done evil before you, that you may be justified in your words and may overcome when you are judged.
50:7 Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum, et in peccatis concepit me mater mea. 50:8a Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti;
50:7 For behold, I was conceived in iniquities and in sins did my mother conceive me. 50:8 For behold you have loved truth;
50:8b incerta et occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi. 50:9 Asperges me hyssopo, et mundabor; lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.
50:8b the uncertain and hidden things of your wisdom you have made manifest to me. 50:9 You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; you will wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow.
50:10 Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam, et exsultabunt ossa humiliata.
50:10 To my hearing you will give joy and gladness and the bones that have been humbled will rejoice.
50:11 Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis, et omnes iniquitates meas dele. 50:12 Cor mundum crea in me, Deus, et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis. 50:13 Ne projicias me a facie tua, et Spiritum Sanctum tuum ne auferas a me. 50:14 Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui, et spiritu principali confirma me.
50:11 Turn away your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 50:12 Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within my innermost being. 50:13 Cast me not away from your face and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 50:14 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.
50:15 Docebo iniquos vias tuas, et impii ad te convertentur. 50:16 Libera me de sanguinibus, Deus, Deus salutis meae, et exsultabit lingua mea justitiam tuam. 50:17 Domine, labia mea aperies, et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam.
50:15 I will teach the unjust your ways and the wicked shall be converted to you. 50:16 Deliver me from blood, O God, God of my salvation, and my tongue will extol your justice. 50:17 O Lord, you will open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
50:18 Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium, dedissem utique; holocaustis non delectaberis. 50:19 Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus; cor contritum et humiliatum, Deus, non despicies.
50:18 For if you had desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it; with burnt offerings you will not be delighted. 50:19 A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit; a contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not despise.
50:20 Benigne fac, Domine, in bona voluntate tua Sion, ut aedificentur muri Jerusalem. 50:21 Tunc acceptabis sacrificium justitiae, oblationes et holocausta; tunc imponent super altare tuum vitulos.
50:20 Deal favorably, O Lord, in your good will with Zion, that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up. 50:21 Then you will accept the sacrifice of justice, offerings and holocausts; then will they lay calves upon your altar.
501. In praecedentibus psalmis hujus decadis videtur psalmista egisse de his quae pertinent ad statum regni, cujus gloriam descripsit, et alios ad eam invitavit; nunc autem quia gloria hujus regni impedita est per peccatum, agit de abolitione peccati.
501. In the preceding psalms of this group of ten, the psalmist seemed to treat of those things that pertain to the state of the kingdom, whose glory he described, and to which he invited others; but now, because the glory of this kingdom is obscured by sin, he treats of the destruction of sin.
Ubi duo consideranda sunt.
In regard to this, two points should be considered.
Primum, quod in ordine Psalmorum hic psalmus est quinquagesimus, et hic est numerus jubilaeus, ut dicitur Levit. 27, in quo fiebat remissio omnium debitorum. Unde congruit hic numerus huic psalmo, in quo agit de plena remissione peccatorum.
First is the fact that in the order of the Psalms, this is the fiftieth, the number of jubilee, as Leviticus 27 says, in which there was remission of all debts. Thus the number 50 fits this psalm, a psalm that treats of the complete remission of sins.
Similiter quantum ad poenitentiales iste ponitur quartus, et convenienter: nam primus pertinet ad cordis contritionem: unde dicit, Ps. 6: lavabo per singulas noctes et cetera.
Similarly, in the penitential psalms, this one is the fourth, and it is fitting, because the first pertains to contrition of heart: every night I will wash my bed: I will water my couch with my tears (Ps 6:7).
Secundus pertinet ad oris confessionem, Ps. 31: dixi confitebor et cetera.
The second pertains to the confession of the mouth: I said I will confess against myself (Ps 31:5).
Tertius pertinet ad satisfactionem; unde dicit, Ps. 37: afflictus sum et cetera.
The third pertains to satisfaction: I am afflicted and humbled (Ps 37:9).
Hic autem quartus pertinet ad effectum poenitentiae. In quo ostenditur quomodo poenitentia restaurat hominem ad perfectum: et ideo inter omnes alios psalmus iste magis frequentatur in Ecclesia, quia iste solum implorat misericordiam, et sic impetrat veniam; et hoc facile est, et cuilibet potest competere.
This fourth pertains to the effect of repentance: in it is laid out how repentance restores a man to perfection, and thus among all the psalms this one is most often returned to by the Church, because only this one implores mercy, and thus begs pardon; and this is easy to do and can be suitably done by anyone.
In aliis autem sex psalmis poenitentialibus sunt quaedam gravia, sicut, Ps. 6: lavabo per singulas noctes lectum meum. Et Ps. 101: et cinerem tamquam panem manducabam et cetera, quae non possunt cuilibet competere.
But in the other six penitential psalms there are some difficult things, such as every night I will wash my bed (Ps 6:7), and I ate ashes like bread (Ps 101:10), which not everyone can suitably do.
Titulus talis est, psalmus David quando venit ad eum Nathan propheta cum intravit ad Bersabee.
The title of this psalm is a psalm of David when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Haec historia habetur expresse 2 Reg. 11 et 12 cap. quando David erat in prosperitate, vidit mulierem lavantem se, et concupivit eam, et adulteravit, et fecit occidere virum ejus. Et hoc displicuit Deo, et missus est ad eum Nathan propheta, et reduxit eum in detestationem sui peccati, sub similitudine ovis perditae. Et David dixit, peccavi domino. Et dimissum est ei peccatum. Et haec est materia hujus psalmi, scilicet dimissio peccati.
This story is contained in detail in 2 Samuel 11 and 12, when David was in good fortune, saw a woman washing herself, lusted after her, and committed adultery, and had her husband killed. And this displeased God, and Nathan the prophet was sent to him, and guided him to detest his sin, through the parable of the lost sheep. And David said, I have sinned against the Lord (2 Sam 12:13). And his sin was forgiven. And this is the subject matter of this psalm, namely, the forgiveness of sin.
Sed sciendum est in titulo hujus psalmi, quod David in aliis psalmis loquitur de aliis; sicut ibi, Ps. 21: Deus Deus meus, loquitur praenuntians passionem Christi; et sic in diversis psalmis loquitur de diversis; sed istum psalmum propter se ipsum fecit.
But it should be known that in the title of this psalm is material that David said in other psalms about other things: O God, my God, look upon me (Ps 21:2), where he speaks foretelling the Passion of Christ, and similarly in different psalms he speaks about different things, but he created this psalm for his own sake.
In quo ostendit culpam quam fecit mundo manifestam, et similiter veniam; et sic impletur illud quod dominus dixit, 2 Reg. 12: tu fecisti hoc in occulto; et ego faciam illud manifestum.
In it he lays out his guilt, which he made manifest to the world, and at the same time pardon, and thus is fulfilled what the Lord said, you did this in secret; and I will make it manifest (2 Sam 12:12).
Ratio autem hujus manifestationis est divina misericordia; nam utilis est justis haec manifestatio, ut non praesumant de sua justitia; quia si David post tot victorias, post donum Spiritus Sancti, post tantam familiaritatem cum Deo et prophetiam peccavit, quantum debemus cavere nos, qui fragiles et peccatores sumus? 1 Cor. 10: qui se existimat stare, videat ne cadat.
The reason for this manifestation is the divine mercy; for this manifestation is helpful for the just, so that they may not presume on their justice, for if David, after so many victories, after the gift of the Holy Spirit, after such familiarity with God and after prophecy—if he sinned, how much must we be wary, who are frail and sinners? He who thinks himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall (1 Cor 10:12).
Item utilis est peccatoribus, ut non desperent. Prov. 24: si desperaveris lapsus, in die angustiae imminuetur fortitudo tua; nam David post homicidium et adulterium recuperavit gratiam prophetiae.
It is also helpful for sinners so that they do not despair. If you lose hope being weary in the day of distress, your strength shall be diminished (Prov 24:10). For David, after murder and adultery, regained the grace of prophecy.
Notandus est autem modus loquendi in titulo: quando venit: ubi designat veniam, de qua agitur in psalmo, quia per eum audivit eum dominus, et transtulit peccatum illius; sed cum dicit, quando intravit ad Bersabee, designatur culpa.
But the manner of speaking in the title should be noted: when he came designates the pardon about which the psalm speaks, because through Nathan the Lord heard David and took away his sin. But when he says, and went in to Bathsheba, the wrongdoing is designated.
Ubi duo ostensa sunt.
Two points should be mentioned.
Primum, quod nominat culpam cum dicit, et intravit; Ps. 11: eloquia domini eloquia casta.
First, that he names the wrongdoing when he says, and he went in. As Psalm 11:7 says, the words of the Lord are pure words.
Item cum commisisset duo peccata, scilicet adulterium et homicidium, Scriptura nominavit adulterium tantum.
Second, although he committed two sins, namely, adultery and murder, Scripture names only the adultery.
Et hoc propter duo.
And this is for two reasons.
Primo, ut designet quod in scrutandis et publicandis peccatis aliorum non simus prompti, sed valde parci. Proverb. 24: ne insidieris ut quaeras impietatem in domo justi; et hoc signatur Matth. 25, ubi dominus merita bonorum enumerat diligenter, demerita malorum transiit.
First, to show that we should not be eager to examine and publicize the sins of others but extremely cautious. Do not lie in wait, nor seek after wickedness in the house of the just (Prov 24:15). And Matthew 25 indicates this where the Lord carefully enumerates the merits of good men but passes over the failings of the wicked.
Item adnotandum, quod quando quis facit duo peccata, et unum facit propter aliud, unum transit in speciem alterius: sicut qui committit furtum ut fornicetur, dicitur potius fornicator. Dividitur autem iste
It should also be noted that when someone commits two sins, one because of the other, the first passes over into the species of the second—for example, if someone commits robbery in order to fornicate, he is said to be a fornicator, rather than a robber.
Psalmus in duas partes.
This psalm is divided into two parts.
Primo enim implorat misericordiam;
The first begs mercy;
secundo promittit emendam, ibi, docebo iniquos.
the second promises correction, at I will teach the unjust your ways.
Circa primum duo facit.
Regarding the first, he makes two points.