Commentary on the Psalms (In Psalmos Davidis Expositio)

Having set forth the prayer, the Psalmist here consequently states the confidence conceived from that prayer; and concerning this he does two things. First he sets down the confidence conceived. Second, he prays again that he may not fail in his confidence, at "unto thee, O Lord." The title is, "Unto the end, a Psalm for David, before he was anointed." It must be noted, as the Gloss says at greater length, that David was anointed king three times. First by Samuel, 1 Kings 16, and then he was not yet king, but had the sign of kingship: "Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren," and so on; and then the spirit of the Lord was directed upon David, because from then on he was a prophet, according to Jerome and Josephus. Second, in Hebron, 2 Kings 2: "the men of Judah came, and anointed David king over the house of Judah." Third, after Ishbosheth the son of Saul was slain, he reigned over all Israel, 2 Kings 8; these two anointings were reckoned as one, because both were for the actual attaining of the dignity of the kingdom. In the first he suffered persecution from Saul, but after the second and third he reigned in peace. But one might object concerning Absalom. The answer is that he did not suffer persecution from foreigners, but from Absalom and Ziba; and therefore he made this Psalm before the second anointing. It seems better, however, that the two anointings be referred to Christ in the New Testament, namely of king and of priest. And Christ was anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit: Psalm 44: "God hath anointed thee," etc., as king and priest. And this anointing is derived even unto us: Psalm 132: "Like the ointment on the head, that ran down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron"; John 1: "of his fulness we have all received." First, then, we are anointed with the priestly anointing as a figure of the future kingdom, for we shall be kings and free. And because as yet we suffer enemies, afterward we shall be anointed twofold with actual glory, namely with the robe of glory of soul and body. Christ, however, was first anointed with the anointing of grace, afterward of glory. This Psalm, then, is divided into three parts. In the first he sets down the confidence conceived concerning God. In the second he shows the desire conceived from that confidence, at "one thing I have asked." Third he sets down the fulfilment of the desire, at "hear, O Lord." Concerning the first he does three things. First he recalls the benefits bestowed on him by God, on account of which he does not fear but is secure. Second he recalls the hindrances prepared by God against his enemies, at "whilst the evil draw near." Third he shows the confidence he has from God, at "if armies in camp should stand together." Now it must be noted that one is sometimes stirred to fear from an interior cause, sometimes from an exterior cause. First, then, he sets down help against the first cause. Second, against the second, at "the Lord is the protector." Now there is a twofold intrinsic cause of fear, ignorance and weakness; hence in darkness there is more reason to fear. The second cause of fear is weakness; and against these there is a remedy from God. Against the first there is illumination; hence he says, "the Lord is my light," Micah 8: "when I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light." Against the second there is salvation; hence follows, "and my salvation," Psalm 61: "in God is my salvation and my glory; he is the God of my help, and my hope is in God." And therefore he shows his confidence: "whom shall I fear," thus illumined? Isaiah 51: "who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a mortal man, and of the son of man who shall wither away like grass?" Romans 8: "God that justifieth, who is he that shall condemn? And if God be for us, who is against us?" The extrinsic cause is man, who is adverse; but even so there is no need to fear, because the Lord sets himself as a shield; hence he says, "the Lord is the protector of my life," Genesis 15: "I am thy protector, and thy reward exceeding great." And therefore he says, "of whom shall I be afraid?" Of whom, if taken as masculine, then the sense is "of whom," namely of what man. If taken as neuter, "of what thing." And so nothing is to be feared, neither man nor any thing.

"Whilst the evil draw near against me." And because it might be said that God is the illuminator even of enemies, therefore removing this he says that God withstands them. And first he tells their endeavor. Second he sets down the hindrance that comes upon them, at "they themselves have been weakened," etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets forth their presumptuous insult. Second, their perverse act. Third, their malignant effect. As to the first he says, "whilst the evil draw near against me," that is, having the intention of harming, "against me," that is, preferring themselves to me: Lamentations 1: "her enemies are become her chief, her enemies are enriched: because the Lord hath spoken against her for the multitude of her iniquities: her little ones are led into captivity, even before the face," etc. As to the second, namely that they may grievously afflict, "to eat my flesh," that is, my carnal life: Proverbs 1: "let us swallow him up, like hell, alive and whole"; Micah 3: "who have eaten the flesh of my people, and have flayed their skin from off them." Or "that" may be taken consecutively, so that the sense is: "let them eat my flesh," that is, my carnalities; because when the wicked persecute the good, the wicked themselves, that is, the persecutors, intend one thing, namely bodily injury, and according to this is the first exposition; God, permitting this, intends another thing, namely purgation from all carnality, and thus is the second exposition. And in this way the Apostle says, Galatians 5: "they that are Christ's have crucified their flesh, with the vices and concupiscences." As to the third he says, "my enemies that trouble me," Psalm 12: "they that trouble me will rejoice when I am moved." "They themselves have been weakened," because they were not able to fulfil their purpose, "and have fallen," because they were overcome and swallowed up: Jeremiah 20: "the Lord is with me as a strong warrior: therefore they that persecute me shall fall, and shall be weak."

"If armies in camp should stand together." A man ought to have security in two things. First, in the preparation of evils. Second, in their onset, at "I will arise." He says therefore: the Lord is thus my light, because my enemies fall before me. The Gloss: "if armies in camp should stand together against me"; camps are where soldiers have taken their stand; "my heart shall not fear." As long as a man is in camp, he does not fight, but arranges and takes counsel for fighting. By "camps" are understood the counsels and conspiracies of the wicked against someone. 4 Kings 19: "the angel of the Lord struck the camp of the Assyrians"; Exodus 14: "it came to pass in the morning watch, and behold the Lord went up over the camp, and struck [it]." "My heart shall not fear, because the Lord is with me": Job 17: "lay down now, and put me by thee, and let any man's hand fight against me." "But if a battle should rise up against me," that is, if now they invade me, and fight against me, however many they be: "in this will I be confident," because, as it is said 1 Maccabees 3: "the success of war is not in the multitude of the army, but strength cometh from heaven." For it is the custom of friends to help friends when they are attacked by enemies: Psalm 93: "thy comforts have rejoiced my soul."

"One thing I have asked." Above, the Psalmist set down the confidence conceived from prayer; here, however, he sets down the desire that arises from this confidence; and concerning this he does two things. First he sets forth the desire. Second he assigns the cause of the desire, at "for he hath hidden me." Concerning the first he does three things. First he describes the quality of the desire. Second, the very thing desired, at "that I may dwell." Third, the intention of the end, at "that I may see the will." The quality of the desire, then, consists in two things, namely in unity and in solicitude; and both pertain to the perfection of desire. For the perfection of desire depends upon the perfection of its cause, namely of love, which, when it is perfect, first gathers together into one all the powers, and moves them toward the beloved. For it is, according to Augustine, "the weight of the lover." Now a heavy thing tends toward one place without wavering, but not so if the thing is not properly weighty; but divine love makes the whole man tend toward God without wavering: Psalm 72: "for what have I in heaven? and besides thee what do I desire upon earth?" Gregory: "the force of love multiplies the zeal of inquiry." This Anna the prophetess did, who departed not from the temple, by fastings and prayers serving night and day. And therefore it is said, Luke 10: "but one thing is necessary"; hence he says, "one thing I have asked," that is, one thing, or one petition. 3 Kings 2: "I ask one small petition of thee, do not put me to confusion." Second, it urges, since love is like a goad and a fire: Song of Songs 8: "the lamps thereof are lamps of fire"; 2 Corinthians 5: "the charity of God presseth us." Hence he says, "this will I seek after": Isaiah 21: "if you seek, seek"; Matthew 7: "seek, and you shall find." Consequently the thing asked is set down; hence he says, "that I may dwell in the house of the Lord." The house of the Lord is twofold, spiritual, and there is a third which is material, namely the Church, in which to dwell is salutary: Genesis 28: "this is no other but the house of God, and the gate of heaven"; for in it man's mind is roused to devotion. The spiritual house of God is the Church militant: 1 Timothy 3: "that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." The other is the Church triumphant: 2 Corinthians 5: "if our earthly house of this habitation be dissolved, that we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in heaven." This, then, can be understood of both, since this house is the way to that one, and its gate. Psalm 117: "this is the gate of the Lord, the just shall enter into it." And therefore it is to be desired to dwell in this house, namely the Church. And this "all the days of my life," that is, even to the end: Psalm 131: "this is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it." Now a man dwells in the house of God through faith and charity and conformity of good works: Psalm 67: "who maketh men of one manner to dwell in a house." And it is praiseworthy that one dwell always in it, and be not separated from it. Now a man is separated from the Church by sin, by excommunication, and by schism or heresy. Whoever, then, dwells in it, that is, in this Church, unto the end, shall dwell in that other in perpetuity: Psalm 83: "blessed are they that dwell in thy house, O Lord."

Here consequently the intention is set down, namely, "that I may see," etc. And he sets down two things: that "I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple." Another reading has "that I may continue to dwell." Jerome has, "and may see the beauty of the Lord." "That" indicates the reward, according to Augustine: John 17: "this is eternal life, that they may know," etc. There are three things desirable in that vision, which by nature man desires to see. First, beautiful things. The highest beauty is in God himself, because beauty consists in comeliness of form, and God is the very Form informing all things; therefore he says, according to one reading, "that I may see the delights of the Lord": Wisdom 13: "if they, being delighted, took these for gods, let them know how much the Lord of them is more beautiful than these, for the first author of beauty made all those things." Second, delightful things, and to flee sadness; and therefore a second reading has, "that I may contemplate the delights of the Lord," that is, the goodness of God, in which is the highest delight: Psalm 15: "delights at thy right hand even to the end." Third, the ordering of things. Hence it is very delightful to know the science of all things that are in the world; and therefore to see the disposition of divine providence is most delightful. And therefore he says, "that I may see the will of the Lord," that is, the plan willed and disposed by God: Romans 12: "that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God." This, however, we have in this life imperfectly and through faith; but in the future house we shall have it perfectly, where the saints contemplate God face to face: 2 Corinthians 3: "but we, with open face beholding the glory of the Lord," etc. The saints, then, who are in the fatherland, direct their contemplation upon God himself, and also upon those things which are ordered toward God himself; and therefore he says, "that I may visit his temple," that is, frequently see his temple, that is, the humanity of Christ: John 2: "but he spoke of the temple of his body." Or, "may visit," that is, may see the very ordination of the Church: 1 Corinthians 3: "the temple of God is holy, which you are." Likewise the disposition of the whole world; therefore in the Hebrew Psalm it is had, "and at dawn," that is, at dawn that I may remain: Psalm 5: "in the morning I will stand before thee."

"For." Here is assigned the reason for the desire to dwell in the house of God; as if he were to say: why do you ask so greatly to dwell in the house of God? The reason is from benefits received; and concerning this he does two things. For first he sets down the benefits themselves. Second he adds the recompense, at "I have gone round." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the benefit of protection from evil. Second, the benefit of promotion in good, at "on a rock thou hast exalted me." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth the benefit. Second he shows its necessity, at "in the day of evils." He says therefore: why do you ask to dwell in the house of the Lord? Because, namely, "he hath hidden me in his tabernacle." And according to the literal sense, 1 Kings 24, when David fled to the safer places of Engaddi and hid himself there. Hence he speaks in the person of one fleeing and lying hidden in some place. According to the letter: the tabernacle was the place in which those praying were protected by divine help, and especially in the holy of holies, where the propitiatory was, and thus they called the tabernacle the very defense of God, just as it is said in Psalm 90: "he will overshadow thee with his shoulders, and under his wings thou shalt trust," etc.; Deuteronomy 32: "he spread his wings, and hath taken them and carried them on his shoulders." But mystically the tabernacle can be said to be the assumed humanity, or the flesh of Christ, in which he hides us through faith and hope: Colossians 3: "your life is hid in God." Or otherwise, the tabernacle is called the whole disposition of the Church; and in each of these the just man is hidden, because in this tabernacle certain things lie hidden under things manifest: the hidden things are the invisible and spiritual things where the good dwell. The wicked, however, dwell in exterior things: Isaiah 4: "there shall be a tabernacle for a shade in the daytime from the heat." But what did this hiding confer? Indeed it was necessary for me, "in the day of evils," or of all those evils which then threatened. And it is like this: because when enemies, or tribulation, threaten, only those are saved who are found within the city; so in tribulation those perish who have their affection set upon these exterior things, because when tribulation occurs such men are moved concerning these things. God himself, then, hides, or Christ, or the mind of the just man: Matthew 6: "thy father who seeth in secret will repay thee."

"On a rock." Here he sets forth another benefit, of promotion in good; and it is twofold. One of exaltation as regards himself. The second as regards his enemies, at "and now he hath exalted my head." He says therefore, "on a rock thou hast exalted me." According to the letter this alludes to the things that were done concerning him, because when he suffered persecution he went through pathless rocks, 1 Kings 24; "but when he escaped, then my heart was exalted over my enemies." But mystically it is expounded, "on a rock he hath exalted me," that is, in Christ; 1 Corinthians 10: "and the rock was Christ." Or, "on the rock," that is, in God: 2 Kings 22: "the Lord is my rock"; Psalm 60: "when my heart was in anguish, thou hast exalted me upon a rock." And now already he has exalted; as if to say, this I did in hope, but now in reality. "Thou hast exalted my head," that is, my mind, "above my enemies," that is, above all my appetites: Genesis 4: "and thy desire shall be under thee."

"I have gone round." Here is set down the recompense of the benefit; and he sets down two things. First, sacrifice, "and have offered up." Second, canticle. According to Jerome it is joined with what precedes, "above my enemies, and they are round about us." "I have gone round," that is, I stood about offering devout prayers for them: Psalm 108: "instead of loving me, they detracted me," etc.; Ecclesiasticus 50: "and he himself standing near the altar," etc. Likewise it is the part of a vigorous soldier to go around and protect the camp, as is said of Judas 1 Maccabees 3: "he protected the camp with his sword"; hence "I have gone round," that is, I have protected. Or this "going round" refers to contemplation. A circle has two properties peculiar to it among other figures. One, that it is more capacious than others. The other is that it is wholly uniform without angle, and this befits contemplation. First as to capacity, because one is then said to go round in contemplating, when he contemplates all things that are to be considered; hence he says, "I have gone round," that is, I have considered all thy gifts and the benefits of the Church. Blessed Dionysius set down a threefold motion, namely circular, straight, and oblique. By a straight motion something is always moved unevenly, because it always has a different distance; and therefore in contemplating, the motion is straight when one is moved from one thing to another by considering the process of things. By a circular motion one is moved in contemplating, when the conception of the soul is uniform; and it is then called circular, namely when it calls the soul back from things. And first it is gathered together in itself, afterward it is united to spiritual things, and afterward it ascends into the contemplation of the one God. The oblique motion is composed of both, when one proceeds from the consideration of creatures, but orders this toward the consideration of God. And therefore he says, "I have gone round," as to uniformity: Ezekiel 1: "this was the appearance of the brightness round about." "And have offered up." Now there is a twofold sacrifice: namely interior, whereby a man gives his soul to God. Psalm 50: "a sacrifice to God" (namely acceptable to God) "is an afflicted spirit." And every exterior sacrifice is ordered to represent that; hence Augustine says, "when you offer this exterior thing, it is that you may represent your soul to God." But because every representation is made through certain signs, among which words hold the primacy, therefore among sacrifices the sacrifice of praise seems to hold preeminence: Psalm 49: "the sacrifice of praise shall honor me"; hence he says, "I have offered up in his tabernacle a sacrifice" not of cattle, but rather "a sacrifice of jubilation," that is, of divine praise. And with this shouting, "I will sing" to thee, namely a canticle and gladness of mind and rectitude of work: Psalm 107: "my heart is ready. I will sing"; as if to say, I have a heart ready to serve thee, with gladness of mind: Psalm 99: "serve ye the Lord with gladness."

"Hear." Above, the Psalmist set down his desire; here he breaks forth to ask for the thing desired; and concerning this he does three things. First he asks to be heard. Second he sets forth the petition, at "my heart hath said to thee." Third he shows the confidence he has of being heard, at "I believe to see the good things of the Lord." To this end, that he be heard, he brings forward two reasons. One from his own devotion. The other from his own misery. Devotion is the cause that someone be heard by God. Devotion is the cry of the heart which rouses God to hear. And therefore he says, "hear," because I have cried out not exteriorly but interiorly: James 5: "their cry hath entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth." Likewise our misery provokes to being heard: Exodus 3: "seeing I have seen the affliction of my people, and I am come down to deliver them"; hence he says, "have mercy on me, and hear me"; as if to say, I know myself to be wretched and know my wretchedness, hence it is thine to have mercy: Judith 9: "hear me a wretched suppliant."

"To thee." Here he sets down the petitions. And first he asks for the sight of the divine face. Second, divine help, at "thou art my helper." Third, direction of his way, at "set me a law, O Lord." Concerning the first he shows that he has a great desire for the thing asked, and an inward, and anxious, and assiduous one. Inward, because "my heart hath said to thee." Sometimes a man asks something with his mouth, but his heart is turned to other things: Matthew 7: "not every one that saith to me, Lord," etc.; Isaiah 29: "this people honoreth me with their lips," etc. But when the petition is from the inward desire of the heart, then it is acceptable to God, but then it is not the mouth alone, indeed the heart, that asks: 2 Kings 7: "thy servant hath found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee"; Psalm 118: "I cried with my whole heart." He says that this desire is anxious and just when he says: "my face hath sought thee," etc. It sometimes happens that a desire is inward and quiet and does not seek much; but when it is anxious, then it truly seeks; hence he says, "my face hath sought thee," that is, it has sought thee frequently and diligently. And this also shows a just desire, because an image is not made perfect unless it attains to the exemplar to which it was made; hence he says, "my face hath sought thee." The face of man is interior, in which is the interior sight, that is, the soul or rational mind, and this, namely my face, which was made to thy image, has sought thee. Hence it cannot be reformed and made perfect unless it be joined to thee, O Lord. Hence, just as any thing seeks its perfection, so our mind seeks God. And he shows that it is assiduous, because "I will seek," that is, I will seek again and again: Isaiah 21: "if you seek, seek"; Matthew 7: "seek, and you shall find." This is proper to one who loves, to seek often the thing beloved. And what he seeks he shows when he says, "thy face, O Lord, will I still seek." This Moses asked, Exodus 33: "shew me thy face." And the Lord did not show it at once, but said, "I will shew thee all good": Luke 10: "blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see." And therefore David was not outside hope, but still sought; hence elsewhere he says, "show us thy face," etc.; Job 33: "he shall pray to God, and he will be gracious to him, and he shall see his face with joy."

"Turn not away." Here he sets forth a threefold petition. And first he asks not to be defrauded of the thing desired. Second he asks that the cause be removed by which he might be defrauded. Third he asks to be directed in the way, at "set me a law." He says therefore, "thy face, O Lord, I will still seek." And I ask, "turn not away thy face from me"; as if to say, just as a man turns away from another man, when he does not wish to hear him. But it is otherwise in God than in man. For a man, in turning away his face, is changed. God himself, however, is unchangeable; but he is said to turn away his face insofar as we are turned away and changed. And this is because a certain veil is made in our heart, by which we are rendered unfit to see his face. And therefore the reading of Jerome has, "hide not"; Isaiah 8: "I will wait for the Lord who hideth his face from the house of Jacob." The cause of this turning away, however, is the wrath of God as punishment for sin. And this turning away is the greatest of punishments; and this is what he says, "and decline not in thy wrath from thy servant," that is, be not angry with me in this, that thou turn away thy face from me. And he says "in wrath," because sometimes he declines in mercy, namely when he does not look upon sins: Psalm 50: "turn away thy face from my sins." Sometimes he declines in providence, namely when he permits someone to fall so that he may rise more strongly, because "to them that love God, all things work together unto good," Romans 8.

"A helper." Here he asks for divine help in doing, before he comes to the face, lest he be hindered from the vision of the face. And first he sets down the petition. Second, the reason for what he has said, at "for my father." He asks, therefore, divine help, saying, I ask to see thy face, but I cannot arrive at this of myself: therefore, "be thou my helper," that I may arrive at this: Psalm 120: "my help is from the Lord." But as to the surface, this reading does not seem correct, because it seems better to say, "thou art my helper," and thus it is had in the Hebrew, namely, thou hast been my help. And according to this he recalls a benefit; as if to say, thou hast been my helper. Do not, then, from now on, "leave me." And he asks two things to be removed, namely abandonment itself and interior contempt; for if a man is left to himself, he perishes. Hosea 13: "thy destruction, O Israel, is from thyself." Now one abandons another because he despises him. And God despises us, because we are frail by nature and corrupted by fault; and therefore he says, "neither do thou despise me, O God." And why is this? Because thou hast created me, and art "my salvation," that is, thou hast saved me. Now no one despises his own works: Psalm 137: "despise not the works of thy hands." Consequently the reason for what has been said is set down; hence it follows, "for my father and my mother have left me, but the Lord hath taken me up"; as if to say: because I have found thee a helper when all other things fail, "do not despise me." And thus first he sets down the defect of human help. Second he sets down divine help. This text is read in two ways. In one way, of David according to the letter, as is had in the history, 1 Kings 16: when David was anointed, Jesse presented his elder sons; but the Lord chose David, because Samuel asked for him. Or it can be read in the person of the just man, because to the letter, for one hoping in the Lord, all human help fails: Job 19: "my kinsmen have forsaken me: and they that knew me, have forgotten me"; Ecclesiasticus 51: "I looked about for the help of men, and there was none." But the Lord took this one up, and takes up, into his care, and this is better: Psalm 64: "blessed is he whom thou hast chosen and taken to thee," etc. Mystically, however, "my father," that is, Adam, and "my mother," that is, Eve, "have left me," that is, have exposed me to abandonment through sin. Or, "my father," that is, the devil, because he was my father in the state of sin: "hath left me," because he has no power over me; "my mother," Babylon, "have left me," that is, have despised me. And this because "the Lord hath taken me up."

"A law." Above, the Psalmist set down two petitions: the first was concerning the sight of the divine face; the second, concerning the help of divine protection; here, however, he sets down another petition, concerning the direction of his way; and concerning this he does two things. First he sets down the petition. Second he shows its necessity, at "because of my enemies." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the petition for the law. Second he asks direction in the things that are of the law, at "and guide me." He had said above, "one thing," etc.; and what this was, he explained, namely, to see thy face. And because one arrives at this vision, since it is arduous, by a certain arduous way, by which no one goes without the help of God, he asks that this be granted: Psalm 83: "blessed is the man whose help is from thee: for they shall go from virtue to virtue." But because he who goes by an unknown way needs a guide, he asks for one, saying, "set me a law, O Lord, in thy way"; as if to say: it is impending upon me to ascend by a way, in which I ask that thou set me a law. Law is the rule of things to be done. On this way one proceeds through acts of the virtues; and therefore a law is necessary, which is the rule of human acts; as if to say: give me a rule as to how I should walk. Jerome has it thus, "the Lord hath enlightened my way"; Proverbs 6: "the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light." To give a law is to enlighten. But sometimes one knows in general what is to be done, but does not know it in particular, especially on account of seducers. And against this he asks, saying, "guide me in the right path"; Isaiah 26: "the path of the just is right, the path of the just is right to walk in." And this, "because of my enemies." This is the reason why I ask to be guided in the right path. Because he who knows the way, and the way is right, walks securely if he does not meet an adversary; but when he meets his enemy or adversary, he needs protection and direction: Psalm 141: "in this way wherein I walked, they have hidden a snare for me." These our enemies are the concupiscences of the flesh, evil desires, demons, wicked men, or sinners, who obstruct the way of going to God.

"Deliver me not up." Here he expounds what has been said; and he says two things. First he asks to be freed from the danger of enemies. Second he shows that he has enemies, at "because unjust witnesses have risen up." He says therefore: "deliver me not up to the will of them that trouble me"; as if to say: thus I ask to be guided in the way, that I may not fall into the power of my enemies. And he does not say "into the hands," but "into the souls," that is, into the wills. But it happens that the saints are given up into the hands of enemies, because "the earth is given into the hand of the wicked," as is said Job 9. But not into the souls, because it is their will that they be dragged into evil, but God does not permit this: Ecclesiasticus 18: "if thou give to thy soul her desires, she will make thee a joy to thy enemies." "Because unjust witnesses have risen up." Here he shows that he has enemies. And first he sets down their endeavor. Second, their failure. I say, "because of my enemies," and this, "because unjust witnesses have risen up against me." These words are expounded in three ways: historically, allegorically, and morally. Historically, because, according to the letter, certain wicked witnesses spoke falsely against David, namely Doeg the Edomite, who accused the priest and David, and others. Allegorically, of Christ, against whom unjust witnesses accusing him rose up: Matthew 26: "at the last there came," etc. Morally, because against every just man there are sometimes false witnesses, who are false teachers, endeavoring by their teaching to turn others aside from the right way: Isaiah 5: "woe to you that call evil good, and good evil." Likewise flatterers are called false witnesses: Isaiah 3: "O my people, they that call thee blessed, the same deceive thee"; Proverbs 19: "a false witness shall not be unpunished. And hath spoken lies," etc. Here he sets down their failure. These words, as they are set down here, can be understood in three ways. In one way thus: someone is said to speak to himself, when he alone understands his words; but when he speaks to others, this is not so: 1 Corinthians 14: "he that speaketh in a tongue, speaketh to himself and to God, not to men"; and thus is the sense: they are false witnesses, and they speak a lie, and persuade; but their iniquity hath lied to itself; as if to say, not to me, because I do not consent to them. Or, "iniquity hath lied to itself," that is, to its own damage; because from the lie which they themselves intended, they incurred evil: Ecclesiasticus 27: "he that setteth a snare for another, shall perish in it." Or "hath lied," etc., because they did not arrive at the effect of what they proposed to do to me and to other just men: Job 5: "he... disappointeth the designs of the malignant." Jerome has, "openly," etc., that is, they have spoken openly against me.

"I believe to see." Here he sets down the hope of being heard. And first he sets down the hope which he himself has. Second he exhorts others to the same, at "expect the Lord." His petition was that he might see God; and therefore he says, "I believe," that is, I have a firm confidence, "to see the good things of the Lord," that is, to see God face to face: Job 19: "I know that my Redeemer liveth," etc., "and in my flesh I shall see God"; hence he does not say, to see the Lord, but the good things of the Lord, which can be understood in two ways. Either the good things of the Lord, that is, from the Lord, and thus it is not taken here. Or good things, that is, the things which are in the Lord, and in this way it is taken here; for all these things are in him as in their first fount, and are the same as he himself: Wisdom 7: "now all good things came to me together with her," etc. And where? "In the land of the living." The vision of God is eternal life, as is said John 17; this land is of those who are dying; because just as the earth is passive with respect to the heaven that fructifies it, so the life of the blessed is perfected immediately by God.

"Expect." Here he induces others to expectation, when he says, "expect the Lord": Isaiah 30: "blessed are all they that wait for him." And while you wait, have confidence in your work; hence he says, "do manfully," namely inwardly and outwardly: Isaiah 35: "strengthen ye the feeble hands." And this he sets forth beforehand, because "he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved." Hence, "let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord," namely doing whatever good things, even if they seem adverse: Ecclesiasticus 2: "woe to them that have lost patience, and that have forsaken the right ways, and have gone aside into crooked ways." Or, "sustain the Lord," that is, wait for the Lord. And then he repeats it for greater certainty.