Commentary on the Psalms (In Psalmos Davidis Expositio)

Having set forth tribulation and the divine help, here the Psalmist commends the power of the one who helps. The title is not new in the Hebrew; but in the Latin there is added "on the first of the sabbath." Here it must be known that, as is said in Exodus 20: "Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day," etc., this is the third commandment. For in six days God made heaven and earth and all things that are in them, and on the seventh he rested; so we too ought, out of reverence, to rest on the seventh day. Hence all the days of the week are called "sabbath," just as the Lord's day is called "the first of the sabbath." Matthew, last chapter: "And in the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week." And thereafter the whole week is called "sabbath." Luke 18: "I fast twice in the sabbath"; hence this Psalm, "on the first of the sabbath," commemorates those things which pertain to the first day of the week, that is, to the Lord's day. On which three things were done: namely the creation of the world, the production of light, and the resurrection of Christ, as is found in the Gospel, Matthew 28. Of these, therefore, the Psalmist treats: namely of the power of the one creating, and the glory of the one rising again; and perhaps this Psalm used to be sung on the first of the sabbath, but it seems to be disjointed. Nevertheless it must be known that in the time of David, God was worshipped only in Judea; and David, considering that God is the God of the whole earth, and seeing in a prophetic spirit that it would come to pass that he would be worshipped in the whole world, made this Psalm; and of this he treats here.

This Psalm, therefore, is divided into three parts. In the first he sets forth his universal dominion; in the second he sets forth, or shows, the manner in which men approach God, at the words "who shall ascend"; in the third he foretells the future worship of God through the whole world, at the words "lift up." Concerning the first he does two things. First he shows that God's dominion is universal; secondly he sets down a sign or cause, at "because he hath founded it upon the seas." Or thus: in this Psalm he treats of three things. First, of creation; secondly, of illumination, at "who shall ascend"; thirdly, of the resurrection, at "lift up," or of the glorification of the one rising again. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the power of the Creator; secondly he adds the reason, at "because he hath founded it upon the seas."

Now it must be known that "earth" can be considered in two ways: either as it is one element, or as it is the dwelling-place of men; and in both ways it is under the divine dominion. In the first way there were some who did not extend divine providence to corruptible things, but only to the heavens. Job 22: "The clouds are his covert; he walketh about the poles of heaven, and doth not consider our things." Ezekiel 9: "He hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord doth not see." The Psalm says, as it were, "you lie"; because "the earth is the Lord's," namely the very element over which he has dominion; or "earth," that is, the Church, which is the good earth that yields much fruit. Isaiah 40: "Who hath weighed with three fingers the bulk of the earth, and hath weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?" But he adds, "and the fullness thereof." Genesis 1: "the earth was void and empty," etc., because it was not full of trees and other things that pertain to the adornment of the earth, such as plants and grasses. Or, "the fullness of the earth," that is, the fullness of the graces of the Church. And this is Christ, who brought the whole fullness of graces in himself. Ecclesiasticus 15: "thy face is full of graces." 1 John 1: "of his fullness we have all received."

In the second way also the world is said to be God's, that is, our habitable earth. "And all they that dwell therein," that is, all its inhabitants. Psalm 9: "he shall judge the world in equity, and the people in justice." Isaiah 45: "I have not created it (namely the earth) in vain: I formed it to be inhabited." The center is the lowest place in the world, toward which the earth tends by its own weight and all other things yield to it; and Psalm 103 says: "who hath founded the earth upon its own stability," because by weight it tends thither; "and upon nothing," because nothing underlies it; and Isaiah 40 says: "he weighed with three fingers the bulk of the earth," by coldness and the continuity of its parts. But because the earth is an element, and out of it together with the other elements a mixed body is made; and the earth is dry and cold, so that neither by motion nor by flow is one part continuous with another, it needs the moisture of water to contain and to hold it together, and thus it is founded, or made firm, upon the waters; and because in every part of the earth there is, as it were, a generation of waters, the whole earth can almost be said to be founded upon water; for which reason he says, "he hath founded it upon the seas." Or, just as a foundation holds together a building, so water holds together the earth, lest it fall apart. The discontinuity of the earth also causes the water, which is liquid and heavy, to flow as it were through the whole earth. Likewise by "the world" is signified the Church and all who dwell in it, namely the faithful; and we are all Christ's: and whether we live, or whether we die, we are the Lord's, as the Apostle says, Romans 14.

Next he gives the reason for what was said above, namely, "because he hath founded it upon the seas"; as if he were to say: that belongs to the craftsman, which the craftsman himself makes. But God made the earth and the things that are in the earth. Therefore the earth and its fullness are his. But some say that there is no providence of God in earthly things. But against this, the arrangement of the waters in relation to the earth is a sign of great providence, because the lighter elements ought to be above the heavier. Likewise, therefore, as air surrounds water, so water ought to surround the earth. And the philosophers assign many causes for this. But the cause is divine providence, that there might be there a dwelling-place for men and animals; hence Moses, at the beginning, when he set down the creation of things, set down the earth first as formless; hence, "the earth was void," that is, formless, "and empty" of trees; and therefore he set it down as surrounded or covered by water, and "darkness," that is, the waters, "were upon the face of the deep," that is, upon the earth, and "the spirit of the Lord," that is, the air, "moved over the waters." Or "the earth was void," that is, invisible on account of the waters; hence it follows, "let the waters be gathered together," etc., "and let the dry land appear"; as if he were to say: because the earth is first according to the order of the elements, it was brought about by divine providence that it should be above the waters, so that men and animals might be able to live upon it, and that the waters might nonetheless occupy the earth as far as the seas extend; hence he says, "he hath founded it upon the seas," that is, "beside," as elsewhere. Psalm 136: "Upon the rivers of Babylon" (that is, beside the river of Babylon) "there we sat," etc. "He hath founded," that is, he made it firm, so that the sea might not occupy it: Job 38: "I set doors and bars to the sea, and said, hitherto thou shalt come, and shalt go no further, and here thou shalt break thy swelling waves": Jeremiah 5: "who hath set the sand a bound for the sea, an everlasting ordinance which it shall not pass." "And upon the rivers he hath prepared it," that is, beside the rivers; and he says "prepared," not "founded," because for a preparation it is required that it be watered by a river; Psalm 64: "the river of God is filled with water: thou hast prepared their food, for so is the preparation thereof: fill up plentifully the streams thereof," etc. Or the Church is "founded upon the seas," that is, upon tribulations: Psalm 92: "wonderful are the surges of the sea." And "upon the rivers," that is, the persecutions by which the Church has been prepared unto the crowns of the martyrs. Or "upon the seas," that is, bitternesses; and yet its consolation is prepared by the rivers of consolations: Psalm 45: "the stream of the river maketh joyful," etc.

"Who shall ascend?" As if he were to say: he is great, and how shall one approach him? Ecclesiastes 2: "who is the man that can follow the king, his maker?" And therefore he teaches the manner of arriving; hence concerning this he does two things. First he sets down the question. Secondly the response, at "the innocent in hands." In the question he asks two things: namely concerning the way or the motion, "who shall ascend"; and concerning the terminus, "or who shall stand." "Mountain" here signifies the height of divine justice or majesty: Psalm 35: "thy justice is as the mountains of God." The mountain, therefore, is the height of the divine majesty, or the sublimity of Christ, who is called a mountain; Isaiah 2: "in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of mountains, and it shall be exalted," etc. Who then shall ascend so far as to arrive at Christ and God? Holy men, who dispose ascents in their heart, shall ascend, as the Psalmist says. Likewise: who will be able to stand there, where he himself is who is the holy place, the place of glory? Jeremiah 17: "the place of our sanctification, the expectation of Israel." Exodus 3: "the place whereon thou standest is holy ground"; as if he were to say: who shall be made stable there? But elsewhere, in Psalm 121, he says that it is so: "our feet were standing in thy courts, O Jerusalem." Hence the response follows next.

"The innocent." And first he shows this in general. Secondly in particular, at "this is the generation." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth the merit. Secondly the reward, at "he shall receive." In the merit there is one thing that pertains to the innocence of deed; hence he says, "innocent in hands": Job 22: "the innocent shall be saved; yea, he shall be saved by the cleanness of his hands." Psalm 25: "I have walked in my innocence." Another pertains to purity of heart: and as to this he sets down that the heart be kept pure from interior concupiscences; hence he says, "and clean of heart": Matthew 5: "blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God." Likewise, from all cupidity for temporal things: "who hath not taken his soul in vain," that is, who has not poured it out upon vain things, or who does not vainly glory over his virtues, or who does not allow his sensuality to arrive at consent to sin. Jerome has, "who do not lift themselves up in vain," because from cleanness of heart some grow proud: Psalm 130: "Lord, my heart is not exalted." Likewise it pertains to the truth of the mouth; hence it follows, "nor hath he sworn deceitfully to his neighbor": Zechariah 8: "love not a false oath."

"He shall receive." Here he sets down the reward. Now the reward consists in two things: namely in the obtaining of goods: "he shall receive a blessing" here, that is, goods from God: Proverbs 10: "the blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the just." 1 Peter 3: "unto this you are called, that by inheritance you may possess a blessing." Likewise in liberation from evils: hence he says, "and mercy from God his saviour," who delivers from misery. Or otherwise: he who is innocent in hands can approach; because he can be innocent, on account of the fact that he will receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy, because he avoids sins; Romans 6: "it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." Next he shows this manner in general: "this is the generation of them that seek the Lord"; as if he were to say: in general there are many such; and these are the whole generation of those seeking God who are innocent, etc. Hence Scripture speaks of the good as of one generation: Matthew 24: "this generation shall not pass," namely of the good, etc. And he describes it by two things: namely by its pursuit, because it seeks nothing but God; hence he says, "of them that seek God," even in this life: Isaiah 55: "seek ye the Lord while he may be found." To what end? That it may arrive at the vision of him; hence it follows, "of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob": Genesis 32: "I have seen the Lord face to face, and my soul has been saved."

"Lift up." This is the third part of the Psalm, in which he foretells how it would come to pass that God would be worshipped in the whole world, as the literal sense explains. God is said to dwell in man through faith: Ephesians 3: "that Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts"; and through charity: John 4: "he that abideth in charity abideth in God, and God in him." Likewise, he is said "to enter" who begins to be where before he was not. Then, therefore, God enters into us, when we begin to have faith concerning him. Formerly the whole world did not have faith in God; and this came about on account of a twofold impediment: namely on account of the statutes of princes, and on account of ancient custom. The first came about because individual cities set up for themselves laws concerning idolatry, and established special gods; and this worship was, as it were, inveterate; the demons also procured this. Likewise the angels were worshipped, whom they called "the host of heaven"; and these impediments were gates or doors which, being closed, prevent the entrance into a house.

Now he does three things. First he foretells that which is to come. Secondly he sets forth the question. Thirdly he adds the response. He says therefore, "O princes" — that is, O evil men, or O demons — "lift up your gates," that is, remove the impediments which you set up so that men may not approach God. Jerome has "elevate," as if he were to say, "remove," etc. Psalm 9: "thou hast lifted me up from the gates of death, that I may declare all thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Sion." "And you, eternal gates," that is, the eternal and ancient impediment: "be lifted up," that is, be removed: Psalm 75: "thou enlightenest wonderfully from the everlasting mountains"; as if he were to say, you ancient impediments, remove yourselves from the hearts of men; and then he who is the king of glory will enter into the world through faith and charity and worship. Or it can be said that there are two kinds of gates: some which are evil, which close off the approach to life; others good, by which the way of life is opened. Psalm 117: "open ye the ways of life," that is, of justice, etc. The evil gates are sins; the good, however, are the virtues. He says therefore, "O princes, lift up your gates," that is, open them, and remove sins; and acquire "eternal ones," that is, eternal gifts from the eternal God: "be lifted up" in your hearts, and the king of glory will enter.

He speaks prophetically, because from the beginning not all believed at once, but doubted; as if they were to say: whom do we wish to believe, and whom do we wish to obey? Is it perhaps the God of the Jews? Exodus 5: "I know not the Lord, and Israel I will not let go." And therefore he shows this when he says, "Who is this king of glory?" And he answers, "the Lord who is strong and mighty." Someone appears glorious as a king from three things. Because he acquires great things first through strength; hence he says, "strong": Proverbs 12: "the strongest hand shall bear rule." Job 9: "if strength be demanded, he is most strong." Secondly, on account of power; and this he shows when he says, "the Lord mighty," because he is most powerful to rule: Job 36: "God casteth not away the mighty." Daniel 7: "his power is an everlasting power," etc. Thirdly, that he be a good warrior; hence he says: "the Lord mighty in battle," by which against death and the devil he conquered in all things: Apocalypse 5: "the lion of the tribe of Juda hath overcome." Or, strong in his own nature, mighty in jurisdiction over his own, and mighty against adversaries.

As to what he says a second time, "lift up," etc., it can be said that this is a repetition; and this so that the hearers should not be in doubt as to who this mighty one is. Or, the former refers to the princes, that is, to the demons; but what he says here refers to the good angels, who also, by their dignity — though not by their own pursuit — were formerly worshipped by men, who used to worship them: 4 Kings 17: "they worshipped all the host of heaven"; as if he were to say: remove the impediments on account of which men worship you. And therefore here he says, "the Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory."

In the Gloss, however, there is another exposition. Christ descended to the netherworld and ascended into heaven; and he foretells these two things here. And first he admonishes those in the netherworld to open; hence he says, "lift up," etc. "O infernal princes, open your gates: and be lifted up," etc. "And the king of glory shall enter in." But when the demons would ask, "Who is this king of glory?", he answers: he who was strong and mighty in battle, against you. Secondly he admonishes — speaking over us — the citizens: "open the gates" of Paradise. Hence Christ, answering as it were with the voice of a herald, and taking his part, directing his voice to heaven, says: O heavenly princes, "lift up" — that is, open — "your gates," etc. "And he shall enter in," etc. And to them asking, he says: "the Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory."

Now it must be known, as Dionysius says, that this is not to be understood as though the angels were ignorant of the mystery of the Incarnation; but, marveling, they said, "Who is this king of glory?" because the glory of Christ surpasses all knowledge. For sometimes Christ himself teaches concerning himself through Scripture, as is said in Isaiah 63: "I, that speak justice," etc. Here, however, it is not he himself, but others concerning him, namely the angels, who answer, "the Lord of hosts," etc.; because some angels receive illumination immediately from God, as is said in Isaiah 6: "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and elevated, and it was full," etc. Others receive it from those, as the middle and lowest ranks; and to these here the answer is given by the other angels.