Thomas Aquinas, on Ps 18:10

“The fear of the Lord is holy, enduring for ever and ever: the judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves.”

“"More to be desired." Above, the Psalmist commended the divine law as to its rectitude; here he commends it as to its sweetness and pleasantness. And concerning this he does two things. First, he sets forth its commendation. Second, he proves such a commendation, at "For your servant keeps them." He prefers the law, as to the desire of the soul, to all worldly things. Now in worldly things, exterior riches and bodily pleasures are desired. And the delight of the law of God is above these. As to the first, he says that these things which have been said are "more to be desired than gold": Prov. 8: "Wisdom is better than all the most precious riches, and nothing desirable can compare with it": Ps. 118: "I have loved your commandments above gold," and so on. And he touches on those two things that men desire; hence he says "gold," and pomp, hence "precious stone." Precious stones serve only for appearance; hence "much" can refer either to the stone or to "precious." Likewise, as to the second, he says, "And sweeter than honey and the honeycomb": Ps. 118: "How sweet are your words to my jaws, sweeter than honey to my mouth." He says "honey and honeycomb" with respect to bodily pleasures. Honey is extracted from wax, but the honeycomb is honey and wax together. Bodily pleasures are sometimes manifest, and so it is honey; sometimes they are hidden and sweeter, and so it is the honeycomb: Prov. 9: "Stolen waters are sweeter," and so on. Or, they are preferred to the honeycomb because of the Old Testament, in which the truth is in the figure like honey in the comb; and to honey because of the New Testament, where the truth is manifest. But are spiritual delights more delightful? It must be said that yes, and there is a threefold reason. First, on the part of the good that gives delight, which is a greater good, and from the cause of delight, which is a greater good, therefore more delightful. Second, on the part of the power that delights, because the intellectual power is stronger than the sensory power. Third, from the manner of the delights. Bodily delights consist in becoming and in motion, as in food and other things. But motion is something imperfect, and implies something future and past, because the whole is not had all at once. Spiritual delights, however, are not in motion, because they consist in loving and understanding the good, which is not in motion. But accidentally, those bodily delights are more desired, insofar as some abound in sense but are lacking in intellect. Or, holy men love the precepts of God more than themselves. And the saints are designated by gold and precious stone: 1 Cor. 3: "If anyone builds upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones." Likewise, by honey and honeycomb are signified those who are strangers to worldly things; but the honeycomb signifies those who still take delight in worldly things. And such people, because they are not entirely detached, love themselves more than the precepts; others love the precepts more than themselves.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.