Commentary on the Psalms (In Psalmos Davidis Expositio)

The preceding Psalm showed the effort of the adversaries; here, against their effort, he implores divine help. And this Psalm is composed in the manner of a prayer. In this Psalm we can lay down the foundation of the history, and afterward set forth the allegorical sense, and further the moral sense.

The historical sense is clear from the title, which is, "when he fled from the face of Absalom his son." As is found in 2 Kings 15, Absalom the son of David, pursuing his father, sought to kill him; David yielded to him, going out from Jerusalem with his men with bare feet. He understood this to befall him on account of the sin of homicide and adultery, just as the prophet Nathan had foretold to him: 2 Kings 12: "The sword shall not depart from your house forever, because you have despised me." But while Absalom was pursuing David, the army of David turned against him; and Absalom, carried by the impetus of his mule, was brought under a branching oak, where, the branches entwining his neck, and there hanging with his head caught, he was slain by Joab, the commander of David's army. When he had died, David, restored to the kingdom, reigned in peace. Against this persecution, therefore, is this Psalm, "Lord, why..." and so forth.

Yet by this was prefigured the persecution which Christ suffered from his son Judas, John 13: "Little children, yet a little while I am with you." And again Matthew 9: "Can the children of the bridegroom mourn..." and so forth. From this Judas Christ fled, when, at his departure, with the other apostles he withdrew to the Mount of Olives as the passion drew near. And just as David showed peace to his wicked son, when he charged the people going to war: "Spare the boy Absalom," and when he had been slain, said, "Who will grant me that I might die for you, my son Absalom," etc., so Christ did to Judas the betrayer, as is clear at the banquet and in the kiss; for which reason Absalom is fittingly called "the peace of the father." For "Abba" in Hebrew is interpreted in Latin as "father." "Salon," however, means "peace." And Judas himself betrayed Christ with the utterance of peace. And just as Absalom, so also Judas perished by hanging. When he had died, Christ reigned in peace, because he rose again in glory; and this can be referred to all the tribulations of the Church.

It can also be read morally, against the tribulations which one suffers from enemies, whether temporal or spiritual. And therefore the affection of a man imploring is expressed. Concerning this, therefore, he does two things. First he sets forth beforehand the effort of the adversaries, or explains to God his torment. Second he confesses that divine help is present to him, "But you, O Lord," etc.

Now he sets forth the persecution, as to the number of those doing harm: "they are multiplied," namely nations, peoples, kings, and princes. And not only these, who are outsiders, but even his son: Psalm 39: "They are multiplied over my head," etc. And as to the motive for doing harm, that it is without cause. Hence: "why": 1 Kings 10 and 26: "What have I done, or what evil is in my hand?" And as to the manifold torment, that they vex in many ways by afflicting. Hence: "they afflict." A tribulus is a pricking plant: Genesis 3: "It shall bring forth to you thorns and thistles." Those, therefore, afflict who prick. But they pricked Christ by buffeting, scourging, spitting upon, mocking him, and threatening him with death.

And this is what he says: "many rise up," namely in deeds. For Absalom wished to kill David, as is clear in the counsel of Hushai, 2 Kings 17. Likewise also Judas handed over Christ to death. Again, they afflict with words, by detraction, or by putting forth falsehoods: hence "many say," etc., against that which is said in Psalm 36: "But the salvation of the just is from the Lord." For if the wicked considered this, they would not easily rise up against the just; but because they do not believe this, or because they despise the power of God or the justice of man, therefore they say by mouth and by deed, "There is no salvation for him," etc., that is, in him whom he worships and makes a God for himself. This the persecutors also said of Christ: for if they had hoped that he would rise again, neither would Judas have betrayed him, nor would they have killed him. And the sense is: he will not save him, nor is he the Son of God; hence they said, Matthew 27: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross"; and further on, "If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him."

"But you." This is the second part. Where he shows that help has been prepared for him by God. And concerning this he does two things. First he shows that divine help is present to him specially. Second, that it is present generally to all, at the place, "Salvation is of the Lord." And concerning the first he sets forth three things. First, the divine help. Second, the experience of the help, at "with my voice." Third, the conception of security, at "I will not fear."

He says therefore, "But you, O Lord"; as if to say: these rise up to make war, but you take me up to protect me. And this is better according to the letter of Jerome, which says: "my shield is round about me," as if defending me like a shield. Likewise, he not only preserves in life against those wishing to destroy him, but also in glory against those who defame; hence he says "my glory": 2 Corinthians 10: "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord"; Jeremiah 9: "In this let him glory who glories, to know and understand me." And not only do you stand by me against those who defame me, but you also make me prevail against those who oppress me; hence he adds: "lifting up my head": Psalm 26: "And now I have lifted up my head over my enemies."

These things can be referred to Christ, who was conceived according to human nature in the incarnation, since "the Word was made flesh," John 1. Isaiah 42: "Behold my servant, I will uphold him; my elect, in whom my soul is well pleased": Psalm 64: "Blessed is he whom you have chosen and taken to yourself." Likewise he was glorious in the resurrection: John 17: "Glorify me, you, Father." Likewise exalted in the ascension: Philippians 2: "Wherefore God also," etc.

Then when he says, "with my voice," he shows the experience of the help. And he sets forth three things: namely the prayer, at "with my voice"; second the being heard, at "and he heard me"; third he shows in what he was heard, where he says: "I have slept," etc.

Concerning the first he touches on two things which ought to be in prayer: for it ought to be attentive. And therefore he says: "with my voice," namely of the heart, which sounds to God, by which Moses, silent in mouth, cried out to the Lord in his heart: Exodus 14: "The Lord said: Why do you cry to me," etc. By this voice also, crying out, Susanna was heard; Daniel 13: "who, weeping, looked up to heaven, for her heart had confidence in the Lord," etc. 1 Kings 1: "Moreover Hannah spoke in her heart," etc. 1 Corinthians 14: "I will pray with the spirit, I will pray also with the mind." And therefore he says "my." For a voice, when it does not proceed from the heart, is not "mine."

Likewise it ought to be right; for then it is right, when it tends where it ought: and therefore he says, "to the Lord," where help is: 2 Chronicles 20: "When we do not know what we ought to do, this only remains to us, that we direct our eyes to you": Psalm 120: "My help is from the Lord." Likewise it ought to be devout: hence he added, "I have cried out"; for prayer is called "clamorous" on account of the greatness of feeling: Psalm 10: "Let my cry come to you," etc. Hebrews 5: "with a strong cry and tears," etc.

Then the being heard is set down, when he says: "and he heard me from the mountain," that is, from the sublimity of the divine majesty, which is inaccessible: Psalm 23, "Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord," that is, to his omnipotence; or from the height of his justice, because it is incomprehensible: Psalm 35: "Your judgments are a great abyss"; or from the holy mountain, that is, from me who was a holy mountain, concerning which Isaiah 2: "And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared," etc.

There follows, "I have slept." Where he shows in what he was heard. "Because I have risen." Now there is a difference between one who is dead and one who is asleep: for the dead does not rise again: Job 14: "Do you think that a dead man shall live again?"; but one asleep does rise: Psalm 40: "Shall not he who sleeps rise again?" Thus, therefore, when the tribulation is so great that a man does not return to his former state, it is called death. But when one afflicted, or tempted, falls into sin and rises again, it is called sleeping.

Thus David, as it were, slept, because he was freed from his son and from sin. Now he is said to "sleep" as it were a little; but to be "sunk in slumber" as it were much: hence another text says, "I took sleep," that is, I slept deeply. Thus Christ is said to have slept, because he offered himself willingly to the passion; and because he was sunk in slumber, death followed. Hence from sleeping he passed over into deep sleep. This deep sleep is signified in the deep sleep of Adam. Genesis 2: "The Lord cast a deep sleep upon Adam," etc., because from the side of Christ, dead on the cross, the Church was formed.

He says therefore, "and I have risen up," namely by his own power: John 10: "I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it up again." And this is because "the Lord has upheld me." Another text has, "sustained." For he had the power of the divinity, that he should rise. Psalm 36: "When the just man falls, he shall not be bruised, because the Lord puts his hand under him."

Then when he says, "I will not fear," the confidence of security is set down: as if to say, since I have thus been heard, I will not fear, etc. Below, Psalm 26: "If armies should stand together against me," etc. In which it is signified that the Church of Christ cannot be entirely brought down. To Christ also, after the resurrection, the multitude of the people, which stood about him crucified, could do no harm at all: for "Christ, rising from the dead, dies now no more," Romans 6. And whence he has this confidence, he shows when he says, "Arise," namely, manifest your power by making me rise from death; and this is, "save me," etc.

"For you have struck," etc. Above he had said two things: that they afflict him: "Lord, why are they multiplied who afflict me"; and against these he says: "for you have struck"; likewise they defamed him: "there is no salvation for him," etc.; and against these, "the teeth of sinners," that is, you have brought their cursing words to nothing; Job 19: "I was breaking the jaws of the wicked," etc. The text of Jerome has, "you have struck the jaws and the teeth"; as if to say: you have struck so strongly that the teeth were broken. Absalom was the jaw, but the teeth those adhering to him. Hence, Absalom being destroyed, the others were broken.

Finally, when he says, "of the Lord," he shows that divine help belongs to the whole people. And first as to preservation from evil; and therefore he says, "salvation is of the Lord." And therefore prayer ought to be directed to God. Second, as to the multiplication of goods; and therefore he says: "upon your people your blessing," that is, upon the people who hope in you and from you, and not in another, is your blessing. The blessing of the Lord always implies the multiplication of goods: Proverbs 10: "The blessing of the Lord makes rich."

This Psalm can, however, be read otherwise according to the Gloss, namely that the whole Christ speaks this, that is, the Church and its head, set amid the storms of persecutions. Or this Psalm can be read morally in the person of each and every believer, who is assailed by vices and desires. And according to this, by David is understood any believer whatsoever, by Absalom the vices and carnal concupiscences, as is clear in the Gloss.