Thomas Aquinas, on Ps 54:15

“Who didst take sweetmeats together with me: in the house of God we walked with consent.”

“"Let death come upon them." Here he asks that a just punishment be applied to them. And first he asks that punishment be inflicted. Second, he shows the guilt, at "Because there are iniquities." Concerning the first, it should be known that here is referred to the history found in Num. 16, when Dathan and Abiram made a sedition. Moses had the others withdraw from them and said that the Lord would do a new thing, so that the earth would open, etc.; and immediately the earth opened and swallowed them. He says, therefore, alluding to that history: "Let death come upon them"; as if to say: let punishment come upon them, because they commit a new guilt by persecuting a friend, that is, Christ. This can be understood in two ways. In one way, so that one clause determines the other; as if to say: let death come upon them, and such a death that they descend into hell. Or they are two punishments: one of death and the other of descent into hell. For there Dathan and Abiram, who were leaders, were punished differently, because they were swallowed up; while others were killed by fire in the camp. Regarding the lesser, therefore, he says, "Let death come upon them." Regarding the greater, "and let them descend into hell." And in these is designated the twofold punishment that the Psalmist does not wish for but pronounces. One that they will suffer in hell after this life; the other that they suffer here in this life. After this life they suffer the death of eternal damnation. Rom. 6: "The wages of sin is death." Ps. (33): "The death of sinners is most wretched." But in this life they descend into hell, that is, into the whirlpool of vices. Prov. 18: "The wicked man, when he comes into the depths," etc. Or "let them descend living," after this life, that is, let them descend with the attachment they have, which is their life, into hell. Or if it is said optatively, then it is explained thus: "death," namely of justice, by which one dies interiorly to sin. Col. 3: "You are dead, and your life," etc. "Let them descend living," with the life of justice, into hell through consideration, according to Is. 38: "In the midst of my days I will go to the gates of hell." And those who thus descend living through the consideration of punishments so as to escape them will not descend dying. Sir. 7: "Remember your last end," etc.”

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