Psalms 39 · The Lantern

I said, I will take heed to my ways: that I offend not in my tongue.

In these events one may understand as fulfilled the prophecy which says: "while the sinner stood against me, I was made dumb and was humbled and kept silent from good things", so that that sinner foretold in these words may be understood to be Caiaphas, who stood against Jesus.

It is a universal custom to be upset when you see your plans at the mercy of sinners, and to be upset also at your own misfortunes, especially when you are badly treated by wrongdoers while conscious of your own virtuous behavior. The general run of people react to such developments by turning to criticism and displeasure with the God of all.

The Psalmist has confessed that he suffered his affliction on account of his sin; here, however, he promises caution for the future. The title is as follows: "Unto the end, a canticle of David, for Idithun." And this is not new, although the title is new, because as is found in the history of 1 Chr.

I will keep my mouth as it were with a bridle: while the ungodly is in my sight.

But since we sin most of all at that time, when the sinner stands against us, instigating and provoking us to send forth from our mouth something such as would hold us guilty in the future judgment, the holy Prophet, describing this, says: "While the sinner stood against me, I was dumb and was humbled and kept silence from good things".

If insults are offered to you or to anyone else, or wrongs done, be immovable, and as far as an answer in retaliation is concerned, be silent "as one that is dumb," always singing in your heart this verse of the psalmist.

"I was dumb." Here he sets forth the danger of caution into which one could fall; on account of which he says: seeing sinners fighting against me, I resolved to be completely silent; hence he says, "I was dumb," that is, I was utterly silent.

I held my tongue, and spake nothing: I kept silence, yea, even from good words; but it was pain and grief to me.

In what follows he still further describes the passion of the one who advances, when he says: "My heart grew hot within me".

A soul entangled in many sins can prepare for itself a certain ointment once it begins to reflect on its behavior, and collects its many and manifold sins, hems them together and crushes them in the mortar of its conscience.

But the remedy of interior charity is applied; and therefore he says: "My heart grew hot within me," that is, the heat of charity was stirred up in my heart. Prov. 6: "Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn?" So it is impossible that a man should hide the words of God when his heart is inflamed with charity. Ps. 119: "Your word is a fire," etc.

My heart was hot within me, and while I was thus musing the fire kindled: and at the last I spake with my tongue;

Lord, let me know mine end, and the number of my days: that I may be certified how long I have to live.

And he adds: "Behold, thou hast set my days as old ones". In the Greek it is written, παλαιστάς, which signifies a measure of four fingers. Wishing therefore to teach us who now in this life lead brief and very few days, he spoke this verse of which we spoke above.

"Behold, thou hast made my days old" (ver. 5). For these days are "waxing old." I long for new days "that never shall wax old," that I may say, "Old things have passed away; behold, things are become new." Already new in hope; then in reality. For though, in hope and in faith, made new already, how much do we even now do after our old nature!

"Behold, you have made my days measurable." Above, the Psalmist mentioned the caution exercised through silence, the danger threatening from silence, and the remedy by which the danger is averted; here, however, he shows the necessity of the aforementioned caution, which is drawn from the misery of the present life. And concerning this he does two things.

Behold, thou hast made my days as it were a span long: and mine age is even as nothing in respect of thee; and verily every man living is altogether vanity.

But this verse seems to me to contain also another mystery: that the life and manner of living in this world is a kind of imaginary thing and an image, while the future one will not be imaginary but true; and this is what is meant, that each person has an image of virtue, yet does not properly and sincerely live in the virtue itself.

The soul is great in that it is capable of eternal things, and upright in that it desires heavenly things: the soul which does not seek or savor the things that are above, but the things that are upon the earth, is plainly not upright, but crooked, even though on account of this it does not cease to be great, remaining as it does even so capable of eternity.

"Surely in an image." Here he shows the misery of the human condition with respect to occupation; and concerning this he does three things. First he shows that there is something in man that ought to resist vanity.

For man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain: he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them.

There follows: "And now what is my expectation? Is it not the Lord?" As Christ is our wisdom, and Christ is righteousness, according to what is written: "Who was made wisdom for us from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption"; so also our expectation, that is, our patience, is Christ.

"And now" [Psalm 39:7]. "And now," saith this Idithun,-looking back on a certain "vain" show, and looking up to a certain Truth, standing midway where he has something beyond him, and something also behind him, having below him the place from which he took his spring, having above him that toward which he has stretched forth;-"And now," when I have "over-leaped" some things, wh…

"And now, what is my expectation," etc. Here he asks God's help against misery. And first he sets forth the confidence from which his prayer proceeds. Second he sets forth his prayer, at "From all my iniquities." Third he asks to be heard, at "Hear." Sometimes a man is in misery; and then either he trusts to be freed by himself, or by another.

And now, Lord, what is my hope: truly my hope is even in thee.

"From all my iniquities deliver me". He necessarily added "from all", so that of course no iniquity may hold and constrain us. But let us consider how God delivers from iniquities. If, repenting for our evil deeds, we turn to God, God, receiving our conversion from us, grants absolution of iniquities according to the measure of the conversion.

"Deliver me from all my transgressions" [Psalm 39:8]. I have "over-leaped" a great deal of ground, a very great deal of ground already; but, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us." I have "over-leaped" a great deal: but still do I "beat my breast," and say, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Thou therefore art "my expec…

"From all." Above, the Psalmist set forth the confidence he had in God when he said, "And now, what is my expectation," etc.; here, however, he sets before God his petition. And concerning this he does three things. First he asks God for the removal of guilt. Second he asks for the removal of punishment. Third he assigns the reason for the conjunction of these petitions.

Deliver me from all mine offences: and make me not a rebuke unto the foolish.

"I was struck dumb and did not open my mouth, because it is you who did it". This too we have already expounded above, when we treated that verse which says: "While the sinner stands against me, I was struck dumb and was humbled and kept silence from good things".

"I became dumb; and I opened not my mouth" [Psalm 39:9]. But it was to guard against "the foolish man," that "I became dumb, and opened not my mouth." For to whom should I tell what is going on within me?

The patience he had, he shows when he says, "I was dumb." A sign of patience is that when words of reproach are brought against a man, he does not return evil for evil, as Christ, 1 Pet. 2: "When he was reviled, he did not revile in return." And therefore he says, "I was dumb and did not open my mouth." And this can be referred to two things.

I became dumb, and opened not my mouth: for it was thy doing.

"Remove your plagues from me; from the strength of your hand I have fainted". What the Latin translators rendered "plagues," in the Greek codices is written "scourges," so that it is: "Remove your scourges from me".

"Remove Your stroke away from me" [Psalm 39:10]. Because it is "Thou that hast made me," let it not be Your pleasure to destroy me utterly; scourge, so that I may be made better, not so that I faint; beat me, so that I may be beaten out to a greater length and breadth, not so that I may be ground to powder.

His second petition is about the removal of punishment. And first he sets forth the petition; second the reason for the petition. He says, "Remove from me your scourges," that is, your chastisements. And this can be explained in two ways.

Take thy plague away from me: I am even consumed by the means of thy heavy hand.

If, then, we turn the discourse back to the nature of that animal, from that aspect by which it unfolds a most subtle work which the eye can scarcely comprehend, the exposition which we explained above will seem apt.

So this is what should concern us, being rescued from sins and attaining reconciliation with you, which results in complete resolution of problems, and not taking pains over other things, which are futile and useless for the painstaker, never bringing one an outcome for the pains or providing one with lasting benefit from the pains.

"On account of iniquity you have corrected man." This is the reason why he proposes a twofold petition: because first the cause is removed, and afterward the effect is removed. Guilt is the cause of chastisements; and therefore he says that man is chastised on account of sin.

When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin, thou makest his beauty to consume away, like as it were a moth fretting a garment: every man therefore is but vanity.

"For I am a sojourner with you, and a pilgrim, as all my fathers". Because I am a pilgrim, I am necessarily also a sojourner, for I am not as you are. For you alone are eternal, and we, as far as is found, have a beginning.

"Hear my prayer, O Lord" (ver. 12). Whereof shall I rejoice? Whereof should I groan? I rejoice on account of what is past, I groan longing for these which are not yet come. "Hear my prayer, and give ear unto my cry. Hold not Thy peace at my tears." For do I now no longer weep, because I have already "passed by," have "left behind" so great things as these?

"Hear my prayer, O Lord, and my supplication," etc. Here he asks that his petition be admitted, where he asks to be heard. And he sets forth three things that make a petition acceptable to God. The first is the elevation of the mind to God, and this is prayer, which is the ascent of the mind to God; hence he says, "Hear my prayer, O Lord." Ps.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with thine ears consider my calling: hold not thy peace at my tears.

For I am a stranger with thee: and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

O spare me a little, that I may recover my strength: before I go hence, and be no more seen.

Psalms39