Thomas Aquinas

"In every work of his he gave praise to the Holy One and to the Most High with a word of glory" (Ecclesiasticus 47). These words are said of David according to the letter; and they are fittingly enough taken up to show the cause of this work. In them is shown a fourfold cause of this work: namely, the matter, the mode or form, the end, and the agent. The matter is universal, because although the individual books of canonical Scripture have their special matters, this book has the general matter of the whole of theology; and this is what Dionysius says in Book 3 of the Celestial Hierarchy: that the sacred Scripture of the divine odes, that is, of the Psalms, intends to sing of all the sacred and divine operations. Hence the matter is signified in what he says: "in every work," because it treats of every work of God. Now the work of God is fourfold: namely, of creation — Genesis 1: "God rested on the seventh day from all his work," and so on; of governance — John 5: "My Father works even until now," and so on; of restoration — John 4: "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, that I may perfect his work"; of glorification — Ecclesiasticus 42: "his work is full of the glory of the Lord." And concerning all these it is treated completely in this teaching. First, of the work of creation: Psalm 8: "I will see your heavens, the works of your fingers." Second, of governance: because all the histories of the Old Testament are touched upon in this book: Psalm 77: "I will open my mouth in parables," and so on. Third, of restoration, both as to the head, namely Christ, and as to all the effects of grace: Psalm 3: "I have slept and taken my sleep," and so on. For all the things that pertain to the faith of the Incarnation are handed down so clearly in this work that it seems almost to be the Gospel, and not prophecy. Fourth is the work of glorification: Psalm 149: "the saints shall exult in glory," and so on. And this is the reason why the Psalter is more frequently used in the Church, because it contains the whole of Scripture. Or, according to the Gloss, in order to give us hope of divine mercy: because although David had sinned, nevertheless he was restored through penance. The matter, therefore, is universal, because it is every work. And because this pertains to Christ — Colossians 1: "in him it pleased that all the fullness of the Godhead should dwell" — therefore the matter of this book is Christ and his members.

The mode or form is found to be manifold in sacred Scripture. Narrative: Ecclesiasticus 42: "did not God make his saints declare all his wonderful works?" And this is found in the historical books. Admonitory and exhortatory and preceptive: to Titus 2: "speak these things, and exhort. Rebuke with all authority." 1 Timothy 2: "this I charge, testifying before God," and so on. This mode is found in the Law, the Prophets, and the books of Solomon. Disputative: and this is in Job and in the Apostle: Job 13: "I desire to dispute with God." Deprecative or laudatory: and this is found in this book, because whatever is said in the other books mentioned by the aforesaid modes is here set forth by way of praise and prayer: below, Psalm 9: "I will give thanks to you, O Lord... I will declare," and so on. And therefore he says, "he gave praise," because he speaks by way of confessing. And from this is taken the reason for the title, which is: "Here begins the Book of Hymns, or of the Soliloquies of the prophet David concerning Christ." A hymn is the praise of God together with song. But a canticle is the exultation of the mind concerning things eternal, held within, breaking forth into voice. He teaches, therefore, that God is to be praised with exultation. A soliloquy is a conversation of a man with God alone, or with himself alone, because this befits one who praises and prays.

The end of this Scripture is prayer, which is the elevation of the mind to God. Damascene, Book 3: "prayer is the ascent of the intellect to God"; Psalm 148 (140): "the lifting up of my hands, an evening sacrifice." But the soul is elevated to God in four ways: namely, to admire the loftiness of his power: Isaiah 40: "lift up your eyes on high, and see who created these things"; Psalm 103: "how wonderful are your works, O Lord"; and this is the elevation of faith. Second, the mind is elevated to strive toward the excellence of eternal beatitude: Job 11: "you shall be able to lift up your face without blemish; you shall be steadfast and shall not fear; you shall also forget your misery, and it shall rise upon you like the noonday brightness"; and this is the elevation of hope. Third, the mind is elevated to cling to the divine goodness and holiness: Isaiah 51: "arise, stand up, Jerusalem," and so on; and this is the elevation of charity. Fourth, the mind is elevated to imitate the divine justice in work: Lamentations 3: "let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens"; and this is the elevation of justice. And this fourfold mode is intimated when he says, "to the Holy One and the Most High," because the last two modes of elevation pertain to what he says, "to the Holy One," and the first two to what he says, "to the Most High." And that this is the end of this Scripture is had in the Psalms. First, concerning the Most High: Psalm 112 (113): "from the rising of the sun," and afterward, "high above all," and so on. Second, concerning the Holy One: Psalm 95 (99): "let them give thanks to your great name, for it is terrible and holy." Therefore Gregory, in Homily 1 on Ezekiel, says that the voice of psalm-singing, if it is done with the intention of the heart, prepares a way to the heart for almighty God through it, so that he may pour into the intent soul either the mysteries of prophecy or the grace of compunction. The end, therefore, is that the soul may be joined to God, as to the Holy and the Most High.

The author of this work, moreover, is signified there, in "the word of glory." Now it must be noted that sacred Scripture is one thing, and the other sciences are another. For the other sciences are set forth by human reason, but this Scripture is set forth through the instinct of divine inspiration: 2 Peter 1: "for prophecy was not brought by the will of man, but inspired by the Holy Spirit they spoke, etc.," and so on. And therefore the tongue of man behaves in sacred Scripture as the tongue of a child speaking words that another supplies: Psalm 44 (45): "my tongue is the pen [of a scribe]"; and 2 Kings 23: "the spirit of the Lord spoke through me, and his word by my tongue." And therefore he says, "in the word of the Lord," or "of glory," which are said through revelation. Hence 3 Kings 20 (22): "strike me, in the word of the Lord," that is, in the divine revelation. And this Scripture can be called "the word of glory" in four ways, because it stands in a fourfold relation to glory: namely, as to the cause from which it flows, because this teaching emanated from the glorious word of God: 2 Peter 1: "a voice coming down in this way from the magnificent glory: this is my beloved Son," and so on. As to its content, because in this book the glory of God is contained, which it announces: Psalm 96 (97): "declare his glory among the nations." As to the mode of its emanation: for glory is the same as brightness/clarity; and the revelation of this prophecy was glorious, because open. For the mode of prophecy is threefold. Through sensible things: Daniel 5: "there appeared fingers, as it were of a man writing... the king watched the joints of the hand that wrote." Through imaginary likenesses, as is clear in the dream of Pharaoh and its interpretation made by Joseph, Genesis 41; Isaiah 6: "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up," and so on. Through the manifestation of the truth itself. And such a mode of prophecy belongs to Daniel, who, by the instinct of the Holy Spirit alone, without any exterior aid, gave forth his prophecy. For the other prophets, as Augustine says, prophesied through certain images of things and coverings of words, that is, through dreams and visions, both deeds and sayings; but this one was taught nakedly concerning the truth. Hence 2 Kings 22 (23), when David said: "the spirit of the Lord spoke," and so on, he immediately added, "as the light of dawn when the sun rises, in the morning without clouds, it shines red." The sun is the Holy Spirit illuminating the hearts of the prophets, who sometimes appears under clouds, sometimes shines to the prophets by the two aforesaid modes, sometimes without clouds, as here. And to this can be brought what is said, 2 Kings 6: "how glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself before the handmaids of his servants, and he was made naked." And because through it he invites us to glory — Psalm 115 (149): "this glory is to all his saints" — it is well prefaced, "how glorious," and so on.

The matter of this work is therefore evident, because it concerns every work of the Lord. The mode, because it is deprecative and laudatory. The end, because it is that, being elevated, we may be joined to the Most High and Holy One. The author, because the Holy Spirit himself is the one revealing this. But before we come to the letter concerning this book, three things must be considered in general. First, concerning the translation of this work. Second, concerning the mode of expounding it. Third, concerning its division.

There are three translations. One from the beginning of the earthly Church, in the time of the apostles, and this had been corrupted by the time of Jerome on account of the copyists. Hence, at the prayers of Pope Damasus, Jerome corrected the Psalter, and this is read in Italy. But because this translation disagreed with the Greek, Jerome again translated, at the prayers of Paula, from the Greek into Latin, and this Pope Damasus caused to be sung in France, and it agrees word for word with the Greek. Afterward a certain Sophronius, disputing at one point with the Jews, when the Jews said that certain things were not so as had been rendered from the second translation of the Psalter, this Sophronius asked Jerome to translate the Psalter from the Hebrew into Latin. Jerome assented to his petition; and this translation agrees entirely with the Hebrew, but it is not sung in any church; it is, however, held by many.

Concerning the mode of expounding it, it must be known that both in the Psalter and in expounding the other prophecies we must avoid one error condemned in the fifth synod. For Theodore of Mopsuestia said that in sacred Scripture and the prophecies nothing is said expressly of Christ, but of certain other things, and that they adapted them to Christ: as that verse, Psalm 21 (22): "they divided my garments among them," and so on, is said not of Christ but literally of David. But this mode was condemned in that Council; and whoever asserts that the Scriptures are to be expounded in this way is a heretic. Blessed Jerome, therefore, on Ezekiel, handed down to us one rule which we shall observe in the Psalms: namely, that they are to be expounded of the things done, as figuring something of Christ or the Church. For as is said in 1 Corinthians 10: "all these things happened to them in figure." Now prophecies are sometimes said of things that existed at that time, but they are not said principally of them, but insofar as they are a figure of things to come; and therefore the Holy Spirit arranged it so that when such things are said, certain things are inserted which exceed the condition of that thing done, so that the mind may be lifted up to the thing figured. Just as in Daniel many things are said of Antiochus in figure of Antichrist — hence certain things are read there which were not fulfilled in him, but will be fulfilled in Antichrist — so also certain things are read concerning the kingdom of David and Solomon which were not to be fulfilled in the reign of such men, but were fulfilled in the kingdom of Christ, in whose figure they were said: as Psalm 71 (72): "God, [give] your judgment," and so on, which is, according to the title, concerning the kingdom of David and Solomon; and it sets down in it something that exceeds his capacity, namely, "justice shall arise in his days, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away"; and again, "he shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends [of the earth]," and so on. This Psalm, therefore, is expounded of the kingdom of Solomon insofar as it is a figure of the kingdom of Christ, in which all the things said there will be fulfilled.

Its division: first, that there are one hundred and fifty Psalms; and this fits the mystery, because this number is composed of 70 and 80. By the 7, from which 70 is named, is signified the course of this present time, which is completed in seven days; by the 8, indeed, from which 80 is named, is signified the state of the future life. For the eighth day, according to the Gloss, is that of those who rise again; and it signifies that in this book are treated the things that pertain to the course of the present life, and to the glory of the future life. Likewise, by seven is signified the Old Testament. For the fathers of the Old Testament served the number seven: for they observed the seventh day, the seventh week, the seventh month, and the seventh year of the seventh decade, which is called the jubilee. By eight, indeed, is signified the New Testament: for we celebrate the eighth day, namely the Lord's day, on account of the solemnity of the Lord's resurrection; and in this book the mysteries of the Old and the New Testament are fulfilled.

A second division is according to certain persons, who said that the Psalter is divided into five books, by five divisions of the Psalms, which are made by "let it be done, let it be done" — and this in the Greek, where the Hebrew has "amen, amen." And in this is noted, according to them, the end of each book: and this is, first, in Psalm 40 (41): "blessed is he who understands"; likewise in Psalm 71 (72): "God, your judgment"; likewise in Psalm 88 (89): "the mercies of the Lord"; likewise in Psalm 106 (107), namely in the second "Give thanks" — and there are five books. But this division is not found among the Hebrews, but it is held as one book. Acts 1: "as it is written in the Book of Psalms" (68): "let their habitation become," and so on. But what he says, "let it be done, let it be done," or "amen, amen," is not to be referred to the end of a book, because in the other books this is put many times, and it is not the end of a book.

A third division is that the Psalms are divided into three groups of fifty; and this division comprehends the threefold state of the faithful people: namely, the state of penance, and to this the first group of fifty is ordered, which ends at "have mercy on me, O God," which is the Psalm of penance. The second, of justice: and this consists in judgment, and ends at Psalm 100 (101): "mercy and judgment." The third concludes with the praise of eternal glory; and therefore it ends: "let every spirit praise the Lord." But concerning the order of the Psalms, it must be known that certain Psalms touch upon histories, but they are not arranged according to the order of the history. For "I will love you, O Lord" pertains to the history of Saul, but "O Lord, why are they multiplied" pertains to the history of Absalom, and this is later; hence they signify something else besides the history alone. The first group of fifty, therefore, pertains to the state of penance, and therefore in it are treated, figuratively, the tribulations and assaults upon David, and his liberation. And so that the division may be made according to the letter: David, existing in his kingdom, prays against a twofold assault or persecution. First, against that which was against the whole people of God: and this in the fifth decade: Psalm 41 (42): "as the hart desires the fountain of waters, so does my soul desire you, God." Now universally the just man is afflicted in his own person in two ways: sometimes by those who persecute him temporally, sometimes by certain persons living unjustly: 2 Peter 2: "they tormented the soul of the just with unjust works"; Psalm 118 (119): "my soul has fainted," and so on. And therefore he first sets down the Psalms pertaining to the first persecution of David, according as it signifies something against Christ and the Church. Second, [he sets down those] pertaining to the second tribulation, in the fourth decade: Psalm 31 (32): "blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven." Likewise, David, existing in his kingdom, suffered a twofold tribulation: for he suffered from particular persons, and from the whole people. First, therefore, are set down the Psalms against a person. Second, the Psalms in which he prays against the second: and this in the third decade, namely "God, God". Now from particular persons he suffered persecution from two: namely from Absalom, and from Saul. And by this is signified the persecution which the saints suffer, either from those of their own household, or from strangers: thus Christ suffered from Judas, and from the Jews. First, therefore, are set down the Psalms against the first. Second, against the second: and this in the second decade: Psalm 11 (12): "save me, O Lord, for the holy one has failed, for truths are diminished from among the children of men." First, then, we must deal with the first decade, in which this Psalm is set at the beginning, namely, "Blessed is the man," and so on.