_Ezrahite. Septuagint, &c., " Israelite, " as in the former psalm. The Jews think that Ethan or Eman lived during the Egyptian bondage. But this psalm was rather composed by one of the captives at Babylon who bewails the destruction of the kingdom of Juda, under Sedecias. After he had detailed the p... [ Continue Reading ]
_The. Septuagint and Houbigant, " Thy mercies, Lord." --- Truth. Notwithstanding our distress, I know thou wilt perform thy promises. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_For thou. Hebrew, "I." Yet St. Jerome agrees with the Septuagint, (Berthier) though he is quoted by Calmet as conformable with Aquila, &c., Dixi. --- Heaven and earth shall pass away sooner than God's word. (Haydock) --- If we do not see how his promises are accompanied we must confess our ignoranc... [ Continue Reading ]
_Elect. Abraham, and the whole body of the people to whom the Messias had been promised. David was assured that he should spring from his family, ver. 52. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
Generation. David's posterity occupied the throne for a long time, (Haydock) and subsisted till the coming of Christ; so that if any conqueror of that family had then appeared, the Jews would not have hesitated to admit, that this prediction was fulfilled. It is there misfortune to understand the te... [ Continue Reading ]
_Saints. These alone, (Haydock) the heavens or angels, worthily proclaim thy praises. (Haydock) --- Preachers announce the same in the Church, (St. Augustine) "the communion of saints, " as none are found out of her society. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sons. Angels (Calmet) to God the Son. None is like him. (St. Jerome) --- Lucifer fell by aiming at it. I will be like to the Most High, Isaias xiv. 14._... [ Continue Reading ]
_About. God eclipses every created beauty. (Haydock) --- The angels themselves tremble before him. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Truth. He often praises this attribute, as if to excuse himself for asking, why God had debased the throne of David? (Calmet) --- God cannot be divested of this perfection. (Du Hamel)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Power. Hebrew, "pride." Thou canst raise a storm, or restore a calm. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Proud one. Hebrew Rahab, Egypt or Pharao, Psalm lxxxvi. 4., and Isaias li. 9. (Calmet) He alludes to the plagues inflicted on the Egyptians, &c. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sea. Hebrew, "the right," (Calmet) which here denotes the south, (Psalm cvi. 3.; Menochius) as Hermon may do the east, (Du Hamel) with reference to Thabor, which lies to the west, though this seems unusual. (Calmet) (Berthier) --- The north, &c., more probably refers to the limits of the promised l... [ Continue Reading ]
_Might. Others can make no resistance with all their armies._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Preparation. Hebrew, "basis." --- Face. Like guards. (Menochius) --- He extols the mercy, and still more the fidelity of God. (Calmet) --- Whether he punished, or reward, all tends to promote his glory, and is perfectly just. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jubilation. Hebrew, "how to sound the trumpet," which was the office of priests. They marched near the ark, as it were under the eyes of God. (Calmet) --- Those who consider, and adore the ways of Providence, are blessed, (Worthington) and secure. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Horn. Power and kingdom. (Worthington) --- He speaks like a virtuous Levite, who acknowledges that all good came from the Lord. (Haydock) --- He cannot speak of temporal blessings alone. (Berthier)_... [ Continue Reading ]
PSALM LXXXVIII. (MISERICORDIAS DOMINI.) The perpetuity of the Church of Christ, in consequence of the promises of God: which notwithstanding, God permits her to suffer sometimes most grievous afflictions. _ Israel. The Lord our king, (1 Kings viii. 7.) will protect us, (Haydock) or He will defend... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then, may relate to a distant time, when God chose Israel. (Menochius) --- Saints. Hebrew, "merciful ones." Samuel, or Nathan, Septuagint, Arabic, &c., have "sons." The rest read "saints." (St. Jerome) --- People. As Moses had written, Deuteronomy xvii. 15. (Calmet) --- This regards David, as a fig... [ Continue Reading ]
_Oil. Vatican Septuagint has, "mercy," and is followed by St. Jerome in Ezechiel lv. 3. (Calmet) --- But is a mistake, Greek: eleei being put for Greek: elaio. (Berthier)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Him. The Jews contributed to the glory of Christ, and the redemption of mankind. The enemies of David fell before his feet. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rivers. Of his kingdom there shall be no end, Luke i. 33., and Zacharias ix. 10. (Haydock) --- Every nation shall adore him. David extended his conquests over all Arabia, and from the Pelusium to the Euphrates. (Calmet) --- In this sense, the text may be applied to him, though it belongs more to Ch... [ Continue Reading ]
_Father. We never find that David used this title; (Du Hamel) but Christ did frequently, insomuch that the Jews were convinced, that he claimed the divine nature: though, as man, he called God his support. (Berthier) (Isaias lxiii. 16.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_First-born. Or favourite, Exodus iv. 22., and Jeremias xxxi. 9. What king could be preferred to David for piety, riches, &c.? Yet he was only a feeble type of our Saviour, who surpasses all kings, as much as the reality does a shadow. (Calmet) (Colossians i. 15., Romans viii. 29., and Apocalypse i.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Heaven. This can only be verified in Christ, who rules over all, and gives power to his Church unto the end. The family of David has been confounded with the rest of the nation for nearly 2,000 years. (Calmet) --- The temporal dominion of those princes has ceased in Jechonias, (Du Hamel) like that... [ Continue Reading ]
_And if. God foresaw the prevarications of the Israelites and Christians: But he speaks this to shew their free-will, and that he would treat them as children, (Berthier) and not with the utmost severity, (Calmet) unless they proved obstinate, 2 Kings vii. 14. (Haydock) --- Some shall always continu... [ Continue Reading ]
_From him. David. Many ancient psalters read, "from them." (Calmet) --- God, by degrees, punished the Jews, by depriving them of their kings; though the family of David was preserved, and some share of power remained till Christ's coming. (Berthier)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Holiness. Or by myself, having nothing greater, Hebrews vi. 13. (Calmet) --- I will not. Literally, "if I lie," which is a Hebrew idiom, (Berthier) implying as much. (Worthington) --- I have sworn irrecoverably, once for all. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Witness. Which may refer to the throne, or to the sun, (Calmet) or to the rainbow. (Berthier) (Du Hamel) --- As long as the stars subsist, so long shall his throne be established. (Calmet) --- The Church shines like the sun, and is easily known. (Berthier) --- God, (Eusebius) or Christ, attests the... [ Continue Reading ]
Rejected. In all kingdoms, there are some interruptions, and God did not fail in his promises. He still maintained the sceptre in Juda, though not with the same splendour at all times. (Berthier) --- Angry. Or literally, "hast deferred." Distulisti. (Haydock) --- The Israelites ardently wished for t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Overthrown the covenant, &c. All this seems to relate to the time of the captivity of Babylon, in which, for the sins of the people and their princes, God seemed to have set aside for a while the covenant he made with David. (Challoner) --- Yet he did not in effect, ver. 39. (Haydock) --- Sanctuary... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fear. All this forts can afford no refuge. The country is like an abandoned vineyard. The Assyrians and Chaldeans have ruined it, and the neighbouring nations of Samaria and Edom take possession of it. (Calmet) --- Thou leadest on their armies, and renderest our efforts useless. (Menochius) --- Thi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Cease. The priests are absent; and he cannot be purified in the temple. --- Purification may here denote the royal ornaments. (Pagnin) (Calmet) (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Time. Hebrew, &c., "youth." (St. Jerome) (Haydock) --- Joachim was only seventeen years old when he came to the throne, which he occupied three months. (Amama) --- The four last kings of Juda reigned but a short while, and most of them came to an untimely end. Instead of Greek: chronou, the Roman S... [ Continue Reading ]
_How long. Here the third part, or the prayer of the psalmist, begins. (Calmet) --- Away. Another interrogation might then commence, "shall it be unto the end?" (Haydock) --- In this prayer he foretells that God will regard our weakness, and preserve his Church. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Remember what. Hebrew ani, "I." As this seems odd, Houbigant substitutes, adni, "Lord." (Berthier) --- Substance is. That Christ will assume our nature, (St. Augustine, City of God xvii. 9, 11.) or "how long I shall live." (Montanus) --- Even the world "passes" like a shadow, 1 Corinthians vii. (Am... [ Continue Reading ]
_David. He was a man according to thy own heart, and thy promises to him were absolute. Ethan speaks not of the other kings, or of the people, who might have justly irritated the Lord. He excuses their failings, by the consideration or their mortal and frail nature, ver. 49. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nations. Who continually insult us, and blaspheme thy name. (Haydock) --- This fills me with the most poignant grief. (Calmet) --- Which, &c. Aquila and St. Jerome, "For I have carried in my bosom all the iniquities of peoples." If we should read kul, "voice," for col, "all," which seems useless be... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherewith. Or "because," quod. (Haydock) --- Change. Hebrew also, "the supplanting or retardment." Why does not your Messias come? How are your kings fallen! though God had promised them an eternal kingdom! Boast no more of his power or veracity. This impious language disturbs me. (Calmet) --- They... [ Continue Reading ]
_So be it. Some suppose, that these words were added by the collector of the psalms into five books. (Calmet) --- Here the third ends. (Haydock) --- The psalmist loses not hope, under adversity. (Berthier) --- He begins and finishes with God's praises. (Calmet) --- We beg that all may praise thee, O... [ Continue Reading ]