Thomas Aquinas, on Ps 52:5

“Shall not all the workers of iniquity know, who eat up my people as they eat bread?”

“"Because God has scattered." Here he makes clear the question of how correction takes place, that is, through punishment. And he introduces a twofold punishment, namely interior and exterior. He shows the first when he says, "God has scattered the bones of those who please men," that is, who ultimately desire to please men. By "bones" is understood strength. This strength is either bodily -- and this is consumed by God -- or spiritual -- and this is consumed by sin. These bones are the virtues of good men; hence on the cross the bones of Christ were not broken. But the bones of the thieves were crushed. But he says, "Of those who please men." Is it wrong to please men? It seems not. 1 Cor. 10: "Be without offense," etc. Likewise, "I please all in all things," says the Apostle. It must be said that if someone wishes to please another for the sake of vain glory, that is, to have human glory, this is wrong in those who place their end in this, because such men confidently sin in secret provided they please in public. But sometimes someone wishes to please others in order to draw them to God; and in this way such pleasing is meritorious and good; and it was in this way that the Apostle wished us to please others, and in this way he himself pleased. The contrary is set forth as the exterior punishment: hence he says, "They are confounded," that is, let them be confounded, because their sins are uncovered. Job 20: "The heavens shall reveal his iniquity," because they have deceived, and because they shall lose the temporal things through which they believed they had happiness. Jer. 20: "They shall be greatly confounded." Jer. 17: "Let those who persecute me be confounded." And they shall suffer this "because God has despised them." Those are honored whom God loves. Ps.: "But to me your friends are exceedingly honored," etc. But those whom God has despised are confounded.”

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