Thomas Aquinas

Above, the Psalmist reproached the deceitfulness of his enemies; here he sets forth their malice. The title is, Unto the end, a Psalm of David. And concerning this he does two things. First, he manifests their malice. Second, he sets down the hope of his deliverance from them, at the place, Shall they not know, etc. And concerning the first he does two things. First, he sets forth their malice. Second, he confirms that this malice is present in them, at the place, The Lord from heaven, etc. The first is divided into two. First, he sets forth the root of their malice. Second, the progress of their malice, at, They are corrupted, etc., as it is said in Ecclesiasticus 10: the beginning of all sin is pride, and the beginning of a man's pride is to apostatize from God. That a man, therefore, does not have God in his heart is the beginning of malice; and therefore he says, The fool said in his heart, There is no God: Wisdom 1: into a malevolent soul wisdom shall not enter, nor dwell in a body subject to sins.

But can he indeed say this? To say in the heart is to think. But can he indeed think that God does not exist? Anselm says that no one can. Likewise Damascene: the knowledge of God is naturally implanted in all; no one can think that what is naturally known does not exist. But it must be known that we can speak of the knowledge of God in two ways: namely, according to itself, or with respect to us. If in the first way, then without doubt it cannot be thought that he does not exist; for no proposition whose predicate is included in the definition of the subject can be thought false by its very nature. It must be noted, however, that being is otherwise in God than in other things; for the being of God is his substance. Therefore whoever speaks of God according to himself speaks of his very being; and therefore, according to himself, it cannot be thought that he does not exist. And the saying of Damascene is thus resolved: because what is naturally implanted is known indeterminately — namely, that God exists, but not what he is; the latter is had through faith. God (Deus) is said to come from Theos, which is to burn up all malice.

Someone, then, says that there is no God when he thinks that he is not omnipotent, and that he has no care for human affairs: Job 21: Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? This can be referred to the Jews, who say that Christ is a mere man, not God. John 10: Thou, being a man, makest thyself God. These Jews, not believing in him who was promised in the Law, say, There is no God — namely, this one who preaches to us. And he called him a fool, because they were unwilling to receive the wisdom of God, having the eyes of their mind blinded; Psalm 81: They have not known nor understood. Wisdom 2: For their own malice hath blinded them.

Or here the sinner is reproved. First, for the sin of the heart in consent, at, The fool said. Second, for the sin of deed, at, They are corrupted. Third, for the sin of habit, at, And they are become abominable. First he calls the sinner a fool, because he does not have wisdom, as has been said, etc. Likewise, because spiritual things do not taste sweet to him; 1 Corinthians 2: The sensual man perceiveth not the things that are of God.

Next the progress of malice is set down: They are corrupted and become abominable. As the two parts of justice are to do good and to avoid evil, so the two parts of injustice are to do evil and to avoid good. And first he sets down the first part; second, the second. Concerning the first he sets down two things: first, the perversity of vices; second, their abomination. In bodies, corruption follows upon the exhalation of the natural heat, expelled by an extraneous heat. For the natural heat of the soul is the love of God. When, therefore, an extraneous love of concupiscence and of other sins creeps in, God withdraws. And therefore, when he had said, There is no God, he immediately adds, They are corrupted: Jeremiah 5: They have denied God, and said, It is not he — namely, he who condemns sinners and rewards the just: Ecclesiasticus 21: The heart of a fool — that is, of a sinner — is like a broken vessel. They are corrupted, therefore — sinners, through evil act: John 3: for their works were evil; because after they lose, through consent, the gratuitous goods, their natural goods are corrupted in them; and therefore punishment follows upon them: Psalm 96: A fire shall go before him, and shall burn his enemies round about.

Likewise, when a body putrefies, it is rendered abominable. So the soul of a man, as long as the love of God is in it, is acceptable to God; but when it is corrupted through sin, it becomes abominable. That is abominable which human appetite shuns; and therefore he says, And they are become abominable — namely, to God and to men, sinners through the habit of sinning: Jeremiah 2: How exceedingly base art thou become, repeating thy ways! Hosea 9: They are alienated in confusion, and are become abominable, like the things which they loved. And he said, in their pursuits, because through these they arrive at abominable things. Or, they do it studiously, according to Jerome. For God abominates the studied will to sin more than the sin itself: Job 34: As it were on purpose they have revolted from him, and would not understand his ways. Another text has: they corrupt and have abominated pursuit — namely, of wisdom and discipline: Proverbs 1: They hated instruction, and received not the fear of the Lord: Ezekiel 8: Thou shalt see still greater abominations.

Next he treats of the avoidance of good. There is none that doth good, because there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not, Ecclesiastes 7. Even to one — that is, to Christ — for he alone had neither contracted sin nor committed sin. The Blessed Virgin had contracted sin: Ecclesiastes 7: I have found one man of a thousand; a woman among them all I have not found. Or, even to one, because there is not even one who does good perfectly. This is true, on the supposition of what they said: There is no God, and, They are corrupted.

The Lord. Here, first, he confirms the fault; second, he explains it, at, Their throat is an open sepulchre. Sin is confirmed through iniquity; and therefore here he sets down God's inquiry, saying: You say that there is no God; but this is false, because the Lord looked down from heaven upon the sons of men: Proverbs 16: All the ways of a man are open to his eyes. The Lord the Father, therefore, looked down by sending his Son from heaven, that is, from the bosom of his own loving-kindness: Isaiah, last chapter: Heaven is my throne. Or, from heaven, that is, Christ, through whom he will judge sinners. Or otherwise. Some say that God does not know singular and changeable things, because he is immaterial and simple and eternal, and so he does not know according to the motions of things and according to the manner of their knowability. The answer is: on the contrary, he does; because he knows material things immaterially, as Dionysius concludes. And thus the intellect too knows in this way; and therefore he says, from heaven, that is, from the height of his dignity and nature.

He looked down upon the sons of men. And by his antecedent will, by which he wills all to be saved, he wishes to find in us that which pertains to salvation — namely, that we know God through the intellect, and love him through the affection, and desire him. And therefore he says, to see, that is, to make it to be seen, since he himself always sees. If there be any that understandeth — through the intellect: Deuteronomy 32: O that they would be wise and would understand, etc. Or that seeketh God — through the affection. What will he find, when he has sought here? The contrary: for all have gone aside; and he sets down three things — namely, a turning away from God, useless operation, and a cessation from good. He says, therefore, All have gone aside — namely, from God: Deuteronomy 21: I know that after my death you will act wickedly, and will turn aside from the way which I have commanded you: Hosea 4: There is no truth, and there is no knowledge, and there is no mercy of God in the land: Jeremiah 8: No man speaketh what is good, there is none that doth penance for his sin. Likewise, from the fact that one turns away from God, he becomes useless; for that is useless which does not attain to that for which it was made. But man was made to enjoy God: Wisdom 4: the many-branching multitude of the wicked shall not be profitable. Hence he says: They are become unprofitable together. Likewise they cease from good, for there is none that doth good, etc. This has already been expounded.

Their throat is an open sepulchre. Jerome says that the Apostle makes use of the testimony of these verses, Their throat is an open sepulchre, etc.; and it is found elsewhere in Sacred Scripture, Romans 3, where he says that he took one part from Isaiah 59, another from other parts of the Psalter, and not from this Psalm alone — since he himself was a Hebrew, and knew that this was not found in the Hebrew; it is found, however, in the common (vulgate) edition, which the common people use, or which is not attributed to any certain person. From an open sepulchre a stench exhales; and therefore, above, the Psalmist confirmed the malice, or fault, of his enemies; here, however, he explains it. And concerning this he does two things: first, he shows how sinners are useless to others; second, how they are useless to themselves, at, Destruction and unhappiness. Concerning the first he sets forth two things: first, how they harm others by word; second, how by deed, at, Their feet are swift, etc. Concerning the first he does two things: first, he sets down the readiness of the mouth to harm; second, the manner of harming, at, With their tongues they have dealt deceitfully.

He says, therefore: Their throat is an open sepulchre. Now such a thing is prepared for nothing else than to receive corpses; so the mouth of him who is always prepared to put to death through detraction is an open sepulchre. Apocalypse 9: out of their mouths proceeded fire, and smoke, and brimstone. Or note their voracity, because the throat serves also for eating. But sometimes one harms by guile, sometimes by malice, and sometimes by injury. And first he sets down the guile which they have on the tongue. With their tongues — speaking smoothly outwardly: Jeremiah 9: their tongue is a piercing arrow, it hath spoken deceit; second, the guile in the heart: the venom of asps is under their lips. Hidden venom is deadly, but the venom of asps is incurable, and cannot be charmed away: Psalm 57: like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ears, etc. Its venom kills while one is asleep: Jeremiah 5: There are found among my people wicked men that lie in wait, as fowlers setting snares to catch men. In the same place: as a snare full of birds, so their houses are full of guile — like fowlers who by a sweet sound draw the birds into the snare. In which is designated cruelty, and obstinacy, and malice: cruelty, because they strive to kill; obstinacy, because hatred is always in their heart; and therefore he says, venom, etc.

Whose mouth is full of cursing. Here he shows how they harm openly, namely, through words of detraction; and bitterness, that is, bitter words: Leviticus 19: Thou shalt not curse the deaf. Or, when he speaks words against God, provocative to injury or wrath: Isaiah 5: his roaring shall be like a lion's, swift. Here he shows how they harm by deed: to shed blood: Proverbs 1: their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

Destruction. Here he shows how they are harmful to themselves. A man harms himself in two ways: namely, by losing the good that he has, and by falling short of that which he hopes for. He says, therefore: Destruction is in their ways, because the good that they have is worn away; and unhappiness, because they do not arrive at the hoped-for good, namely happiness: Isaiah 39: Destruction and wasting are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known; there is no judgment in their steps. Or, destruction in this world; unhappiness after death, which is opposed to happiness: Job 21: the wicked man is kept unto the day of destruction, and he shall be brought to the day of wrath. This comes about from one thing which is against the love of neighbor, namely, that they have not known the way of peace — that is, what it is. Or, they have not known the way of peace — namely, Christ, because his ways are ways of peace: Proverbs 3: her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceable. They have not known him, because by sinning they killed Christ himself. The other is against the love of God; hence he says, There is no fear of God before their eyes: and from this they sin, because, as it is said in Proverbs 17, by the fear of the Lord every man departs from evil. Since, therefore, they do not have this, they are therefore an open sepulchre.

Shall they not know. Here he treats of the hope of deliverance. And first he shows that the wicked do not have hope, in that: shall they not know. Second, he shows what this hope is, at, Who shall give out of Sion. Concerning the first he does two things: first, he shows that they will not know this hope; second, he sets down a sign, at, the counsel of the poor man. First he raises a question, and interposes within it the fault of the wicked, and speaks thus. I say that they are an open sepulchre, and that there is no God in their heart: but shall they indeed know that the Lord is in the just generation? As if he were to say: this they ought to know, and that the Lord is in it: Jeremiah 14: Thou art among us, O Lord, and thy holy name, etc. Psalm 21: But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel. The Lord, therefore, is in it as in a temple. And all that work iniquity — namely, with respect to God; and devour my people as they eat bread — with respect to their neighbors, whom they devour by taking away their goods: Zechariah 11: let every one devour the flesh of his neighbor: Micah 3: they have eaten the flesh of my people, and have flayed their skin from off them: Ecclesiasticus 24: the bread of the needy is the life of the poor; he that defraudeth him is a man of blood.

They have not called upon God — that is, they have no hope in God: Isaiah 59: they have not called upon God. And it follows from this that they have no security; therefore he says: there they trembled, etc. Proverbs 28: the wicked man fleeth when no man pursueth: Job 15: the sound of dread is always in his ears, and when there is peace, he always suspects treachery. But they who call upon God are saved: Joel 2: all that shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved: Proverbs 18: the name of the Lord is a most strong tower. Such men, therefore, will not know that the Lord is in the just generation. And he shows that they will not, by a sign; for you have confounded the counsel of the poor man — that is, you have reckoned it a thing to be put to shame, and you have blasphemed it, so far as lies in you: and this is the counsel of the poor man, that he should know that the Lord is his hope: Psalm 21: he hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him, let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him. Matthew 27. Who says: If thou wilt be perfect, etc. Likewise 19. This counsel the rich always despise: Proverbs 1: you have despised all my counsel, and neglected my reproofs. And why? Because the Lord is his hope; for they have nothing in the world in which to hope except in God, who is the hope of the saints.

All the ancients awaited this: Genesis 49: the sceptre shall not be taken away from Judah, etc. But this was awaited out of Sion, that is, from the Jews: John 4: salvation is of the Jews. But when? The answer: we shall have this when the Lord shall have turned away the captivity of his people, who are in the captivity of sin and the prison of Hell: Isaiah 49: surely the captivity shall be taken away from the strong, and that which was taken by the mighty shall be delivered. And then Jacob shall rejoice — that is, the people of God inwardly — and Israel shall exult outwardly.