Commentary on the Psalms (In Psalmos Davidis Expositio)

In other Psalms the Psalmist recalled the confidence he has in God; but here, as one delivered, he gives thanks. And first are set down the Psalms pertaining to the giving of thanks. Second he recalls the benefits bestowed, at the words, "In you, Lord, have I hoped." Concerning the first he does two things. First he invites others to acts of thanksgiving. Second he himself gives thanks, at the words, "I will extol you." The title is, "A Psalm of David at the completion of the tabernacle": and note the history in 1 Kings 4, where the sons of Israel in the time of Eli fought against the Philistines, and the ark of God was captured, and it was in that land six months, and at length, because of the plague, they sent it back to Gabaa; and when Saul had died, David took it, and carried it to Jerusalem, and made a tabernacle for it, and danced before it, as is recorded in 2 Kings 6; and it seems this Psalm was composed at that time. Mystically, by the tabernacle is signified the holy Church: Revelation 21, "Behold the tabernacle of God with men." This tabernacle, that is, the Church, was snatched from the hands of the Philistines, that is, of the demons; and the things said in this Psalm pertain to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, through which this tabernacle is brought to completion. It is therefore divided into two parts. In the first he invites others to offer to God through the giving of thanks. Second he recalls the benefits, at the words, "The voice of the Lord is upon the waters." Concerning the first he does three things. First he shows to whom offering should be made. Second, who should offer. Third, what they ought to offer. He says therefore, "Bring." But to whom? "To the Lord," to him alone, not to another: Exodus 22. That offering is owed to God alone is said in 1 Chronicles, last chapter: "All things are yours; and what we have received from your hand, we have given to you." Who ought to offer he shows: "sons of God": Ecclesiasticus 34, "The Most High does not approve the gifts of the unjust"; Genesis 4, "God had regard first for Abel, and afterward for his gifts," because man ought first to please God, and afterward make an offering to him; and therefore he says, "sons of God," through faith: John 1, "But as many as received him, he gave them power to become sons of God, to those who believe in his name." Likewise through charity: 1 John 3, "See what manner of charity God has given us," and so on. Through good works: Romans 8, "Those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."

"Bring." Here he shows what ought to be offered. And first he sets down the bodily sacrifice. Second, the spiritual, at the words, "Bring to the Lord glory." Offering used to be made from three kinds of animals: namely oxen, goats, and rams; and beyond the other animals the lamb was the most customary sacrifice. Hence Exodus 29 says that every morning and evening one lamb was immolated, because Christ was most especially and most expressly prefigured by the lamb: John 1, "Behold the Lamb of God." And therefore he says, "Bring to the Lord the sons of rams," that is, lambs. Mystically the rams are the leaders of the flock, that is, the apostles: Psalm 46, "The princes of the peoples are gathered together." Their sons are the faithful: 1 Corinthians 4, "In Christ Jesus, through the Gospel, I have begotten you." "Bring," therefore, yourselves to God, you who are the sons of rams.

"Bring." Consequently he sets down the spiritual sacrifice. And first he sets it down itself. Second he makes it manifest, at the words, "Bring to the Lord glory to his name." It is to be noted that the Lord willed these things to be offered to him not for his own sake, since he himself said, "Shall I eat the flesh of bulls," and so on, but so that we might know him as the beginning of all our goods, and the end to which all things are to be referred; and therefore it is lawful for no one to offer sacrifice except to God. For God is the end, and we can add nothing to him; and therefore we ought to glorify him, so that whatever we do, we do for his glory: 1 Corinthians 10, "Do all things for the glory of God." Likewise God is the beginning, and therefore we owe him honor. Malachi 1, "If I am the Lord, where is my honor?" And therefore he says, "Bring to the Lord glory and honor." 1 Timothy 1, "To God alone be honor and glory." "Adore the Lord." Here he makes manifest the spiritual sacrifice. And first he shows how we ought to give him glory. Second, how we ought to give him honor. He says therefore that God himself is glorious, and therefore we ought to render him glory; hence he says, "Bring to the Lord glory to his name." He is in himself glorious; but his name ought to be glorious in us, that is, that in our knowledge it may be glorious. And insofar as he is glorious and manifest in us, we ought to give him honor; and therefore he says, "Adore the Lord in his holy court," that is, in this Church, which is like a heavenly court. Or "in the court," that is, in the mind: John 4, "the true adorers," and so on.

"The voice of the Lord is upon the waters," and so on. Here he sets down the divine benefits. And first the past ones. Second the future ones, at the words, "The Lord sits above the flood," and so on. Concerning the first he does two things. First he enumerates the benefits bestowed. Second he concludes the giving of thanks, at the words, "and in his temple." The benefits bestowed can be expounded figuratively and mystically. Figuratively indeed; and thus in the first part he sets down two benefits bestowed: namely at the going out, and second, after the going out, at the words, "the voice of the Lord that breaks." And first he recalls the benefit of the leading out from Egypt. Second he makes it manifest. He says therefore: "the voice," that is, the command, "of the Lord," was "upon the waters," of the sea divided, as is said in Exodus 14. And he magnifies this in three ways. First on the part of authority. "The God of majesty," who indeed is majesty itself: Isaiah 6, "the whole earth was full of his majesty." "Has thundered," because when Moses had lifted up his hands, a wind blew. And this blast he calls "has thundered," because thunder arises from the disturbance of the winds. Likewise on the part of the matter: because he dried up not small waters, but many, namely of the sea: Isaiah 41, "Have you not dried up the sea?" Wisdom 10, "he brought them through very great water." Likewise on the part of the effect, from the fact that there was great power in this, that he cast down the enemies: Exodus 15, "Your right hand, O Lord, has struck the enemy"; on account of which it is said, "the voice of the Lord in power." Likewise another effect is of magnificence; hence he says, "the voice of the Lord in magnificence," because he made them pass through the dry sea; hence it follows in the same place, namely Exodus 15, "magnificent in holiness, terrible and praiseworthy," and so on. "The voice of the Lord that breaks the cedars, and the Lord will break," and so on.

Consequently he recalls the benefits bestowed after the crossing. And this can be understood in two ways. First, by removal from evil. Second, by the conferring of goods, at the words, "the voice of the Lord that shakes." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the benefit. Second, the ease of conferring the benefit, at the words, "and he will crush." He says therefore: "the voice of the Lord that breaks the cedars." Cedars are great men: and it signifies the Amorites, who were great and strong: Amos 2, "I exterminated the Amorite before his face, whose height was the height of the cedars, and he was strong as an oak." Likewise, in the whole land which had been promised to them, there were Amorites and other nations, which could not be exterminated and subjugated until the time of David. All the Amorites still dwelt around Lebanon, as is said in Joshua 15. And therefore he says, "the Lord will break the cedars of Lebanon," that is, the Amorites, who still dwelt there, "and he will crush them as the calf of Lebanon, and Sirion as the son of unicorns." The Hebrews have it thus: "and he will crush them as the calf of Lebanon, and Sirion like the son of buffaloes." And the literal sense is this: because there is a difference between buffaloes and oxen, since buffaloes are nourished in marshes, but oxen in mountains. For on Mount Lebanon there were many pastures in which great cedars grew. Likewise there were calves there, and oxen. He says, therefore, that it will be as easy for God to crush the cedars of Lebanon as if he were to crush a calf of Sirion. Sirion is a certain place: Isaiah 35, "the beauty of Carmel and Sirion." This place is watery, where buffaloes graze; as if to say, he will crush even Sirion as the son of a buffalo, or a calf. Mystically, "the voice of the Lord is upon the waters" hints at a twofold benefit, namely of conversion and of the gifts which are given to those converted. "The voice of the Lord in power." According to the mystery this can be expounded in two ways. In one way, so that it be referred to the preaching of Christ; and thus it deals with the conversion of the Jews and of the Gentiles: of the Jews, when he says, "upon the waters." Men are likened to waters: because just as waters flow and do not return, so do men, 2 Kings 14. Hence the voice, that is, the preaching, of the Lord is said to be upon the waters, that is, upon the people of the Jews, because from the doctrine of God not yet incarnate, but awaited, the Jews were converted to God. Concerning the conversion of the Gentiles it follows when he says, "the God of majesty has thundered." Thunder is formed in a cloud, in which is signified the incarnation itself, which is like a cloud; Isaiah 19, "Behold the Lord ascends upon a light cloud." "The God of majesty," therefore, "has thundered," that is, the Omnipotent has thundered through preaching from the cloud of his flesh: Job 37, "he will thunder with his voice wonderfully." And he says, "upon many waters," because the voice of the incarnate Lord was not only upon the Jews, but upon the Gentiles: Isaiah 49, "I have given you as a light to the Gentiles," and so on. Or, "upon the waters," of Baptism; hence from the time when Christ was baptized, this Psalm is sung, "the voice of the Lord in power." Above, the Psalmist according to the mystical understanding touched upon the mystery of the conversion of the Jews and of the Gentiles; here, however, he sets down the benefit of temporal gifts: and concerning this he does three things. First he sets forth the spiritual gifts. Second he sets down the uprooting of vices which follows from them, at the words, "the voice of the Lord that breaks." Third, the advancement or promotion to goods, at the words, "the voice of the Lord that prepares." In spiritual gifts there is this difference, that to some spiritual gifts are given for those things which are common and are to be done, and are of the necessity of salvation; to others, for certain arduous things, such as the working of miracles, and the like. As to the first he says, "the voice of the Lord in power," that is, from the command of the Lord power is given to fulfill the precepts. As to the second he says, "the voice of the Lord in magnificence," that is, from the command of the Lord power is given to his saints to do great things: Psalm 67, "his magnificence is over Israel." The Gloss adapts these to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And the first, namely the conversion of the faithful, to the gift of fear, which comes about by divine power, to which it belongs to admit fears. Magnificence pertains to the gift of knowledge, because it belongs to knowledge to do great things: Ecclesiasticus 25, "How great is he who has found wisdom." "The voice of the Lord that breaks." Here he treats of the exclusion of vices, and touches first the vice of pride. Second, of concupiscence, at the words, "the voice of the Lord that cuts off the flame of fire." Third, the vice of unbelief or contempt, at the words, "the voice of the Lord that shakes the desert." He shows therefore first the exclusion of pride. Hence it is to be noted that just as firs are great, so also are cedars; and therefore pride is signified by them. He says therefore, "the voice of the Lord that breaks the cedars," that is, the power of divine command over all the proud: Isaiah 14, "Your pride has been brought down to hell"; "and he will crush the cedars of Lebanon," that is, the voice of the Lord, by crushing with his power those very arrogant and proud men: because all kings were through this converted to Christ; and finally over the cedars of Lebanon, because the greater ones among the Jews were converted, as in the case of Nicodemus, John 3.

Likewise, "and he will crush them as a calf." Here is set down the perfection of conversion. Mount Lebanon is very rich in pasture, and the priests, because of the abundance of the victim, used to pasture oxen there; and therefore, "he will crush them as the calf of Lebanon," that is, he will humble them like a calf of Lebanon, namely so that they may offer themselves as a sacrifice, just as a calf is offered which is nourished on Mount Lebanon. And this is evident, because many great men exposed themselves to martyrdom for Christ: Matthew 22, "my bulls and my fatlings have been killed." "And the beloved as the son of unicorns." This can be read in two ways. First, so as to signify the authority of the crushing; as if to say, the beloved will do these things. And according to this, "beloved" is put in the singular, as having authority. "This is my son," and so on, Matthew 3. And he will do these things "as the son of unicorns," that is, the son of the Jews, because the mystery of the incarnation wrought these things; and the Jews are called unicorns, insofar as they glory in the worship of one God. Or he is called a unicorn, because according to the eternal generation he is without a mother, and according to the temporal generation he was a son without a father. Otherwise, "the beloved," etc., that is, Christ, will suffer as an example of this crushing, will give an example to others of suffering: 1 Peter 2, "Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps." And he will suffer not insofar as he is God, but insofar as he is the son of the unicorns of the Jews. Let us return, therefore, to the literal sense.

"The voice of the Lord that cuts off the flame." Here he recalls the benefit by which they were freed from an evil divinely inflicted. Numbers 11 says that, because of the murmuring of the people, fire invaded part of the camp, and at the raising of the hand of Moses the fire was extinguished; and this is what he says, "the voice," that is, the command, "of the Lord that cuts off," that is, destroys, "the flame of fire." Consequently he recalls the benefits which advance in good. And he sets down three. First the benefit of the multiplication of the people. Second, of the nourishing of the little ones. Third, of the leading through the desert. Jerome's text has, "the voice of the Lord that brings the desert to birth." Thus it is read in Joshua. None of those who went out from Egypt, and came into the desert, entered the land of promise, except Joshua and Caleb, as is clear in Numbers 14. But all who entered it were born in the desert. And therefore he recalls this benefit, that the people were not extinguished; hence he says, "the voice of the Lord that brings to birth," that is, that causes to be brought to birth, and especially the desert of Cades: because as far as the intention of Moses was concerned, they were to enter the land of promise as soon as they went out from Egypt, and come to Cades. Hence they sent spies, and those men dissuaded them and were afraid to enter; and on account of that sin all died. And because from that point they were denied entry, therefore in this desert all died. Or according to our text, "the voice of the Lord that shakes the desert," that is, moving it to generation through the desert of Cades. "The voice of the Lord that prepares the stags." Jerome has, "that acts as midwife to the stags." The Hebrew has, "that prepares the mules." Stags remain in deserts. And because the sons of Israel were forty years in the desert, they are therefore called stags: Psalm 17, "He has set my feet like the feet of stags," because the women had the opportunity of giving birth and of nourishing their young. "And he will reveal the thick places," or the forests, because he furnished them a leader by a pillar of fire by night and of cloud by day: Psalm 135, "he led his people through through the desert." Mystically, in that he says, "the voice of the Lord that breaks," he signifies the gift of fortitude. And here he sets down the exclusion of the sin of concupiscence, when he says, "the voice of the Lord that cuts off the flame of fire," namely, of concupiscence: Wisdom 6, "the concupiscence of wisdom will lead to the everlasting fire." And this nourishes other evils, concerning which 1 John 2, "All that is in the world is either the concupiscence of the eyes," and so on. And this it consumes: Job 31, "it is a fire devouring even to destruction." Basil expounds it thus: "The voice of the Lord that cuts off," etc., because on the day of judgment, by divine power, the fire will be divided, because there will be burning without light in the fire that enfolds the reprobate. A fire shining without burning will be for the glory of the elect. And this that he says pertains to the gift of counsel. "The voice of the Lord that shakes the desert." Here he sets down the exclusion of a twofold unbelief: namely of the Gentiles and of the Jews. As to the first he says, "the voice of the Lord that shakes the desert," that is, he moved the Gentiles to the faith, converting them to it: Isaiah 54, "many are the children of the desolate one" (that is, of the Gentile people), "more than of her that has a husband" (that is, of the synagogue). As to the second he says, "the desert of Cades," which is interpreted "the holy place of the law": because the Jews, sanctified by the lawgiver, will be converted at the end of the world: Isaiah 1, "our land is desolate," and so on. And this pertains to the gift of understanding. Consequently he recalls the benefit which pertains to advancement in goods. And first he sets down the bestowal of wisdom. Second, its act. He says therefore, "the voice of the Lord that prepares the stags," that is, the holy and perfect men: because just as stags repel poisonous things, so the saints repel every sin; and just as stags walk through thorns without injury, so the saints walk through the vanity of the world without delight in it. Genesis, second-to-last chapter, "Naphtali is a stag let loose, giving words of beauty." And these are prepared by God, not by themselves; and God himself "will reveal" to them "the thick places," that is, the things which are hidden from others: Matthew 11, "you have revealed these things to little ones." And this pertains to the gift of wisdom. Consequently he concludes the giving of thanks for the aforesaid benefits, saying, "in his temple all will speak his glory": Psalm 148, "young men and maidens, old men with the young, let them praise the name of the Lord." Another text has, "everyone will speak or will tell of his glory." It is true that each one has common gifts, and also special ones. And for this special gift each one will tell of his glory: Ecclesiasticus, last chapter, "to him who gives me justice, I will give glory."

"The Lord." Here he treats of the benefits hoped for. And first he recalls the power of the benefactor. Second he sets down the benefits hoped for, at the words, "the Lord will give strength to his people." In the Hebrew it is had, "the Lord sat above the flood," and this has a plain sense; as if to say: it is true that he did this to the people of Israel. Was he not perhaps of the same power at some other time? Indeed, from the beginning of the world his judgments have been manifest. And he recalls one manifest judgment, that because of the sin of men he brought on the flood. "And the Lord will sit as king forever," judging, namely, the peoples in equity. Jerome has, "the Lord inhabits the flood," or causes it to be inhabited. When the flood was overflowing, the earth was emptied of its inhabitants. Afterward again, he causes the earth to be inhabited, which had then been scattered through the multiplication of men. Mystically this can be read in three ways. In one way, so that "the flood" stands as it were an accusative appended to this infinitive, "to inhabit": because in Noah's ark those alone inhabited the flood; and thus by Noah's ark is signified the Church, and the saints who are in it inhabit securely the flood of tribulations. In another way, conversely, as if, the flood inhabits in his temple. The flood is the world, and the carnal men of the world: Nahum 1, "in the passing flood he will make an end." This flood, therefore, he will cause to inhabit in his temple, when they are converted, "and the king will sit forever," as was expounded above. In another way, the flood inhabits, that is, the baptismal waters, which he himself inhabits through the effect of grace. Consequently he recalls the benefits hoped for. And first those pertaining to progress. Second, to the end. As to the first he says, "the Lord will give strength to his people," by which they may be able to advance: Isaiah 40, "who gives strength to the fallen, and fortitude to those who had none," and so on. As to the second he says, "the Lord will bless his people in peace": Isaiah 32, "my people will sit in the beauty of peace, in tabernacles of confidence, in wealthy rest."