Homily 65, on Psalm 87 (Alternate Series)
Latin source: Germanus Morin (ed.), Sancti Hieronymi Tractatus sive Homiliae in Psalmos quattuordecim (alternate series), Anecdota Maredsolana III, Pars III (Maredsoli, 1903) — public domain. Psalm numbering follows the Septuagint/Vulgate (Morin).
At the very outset the title is most difficult, and although we have not yet begun the harbor of exposition, nevertheless the most obscure questions press upon us. "A song of a psalm, for the sons of Chore, unto the end, for meleth, to be answered, of the understanding of Eman the Ezraite." You see that in the individual words there are individual questions. "A song of a psalm": there is no great difficulty. "For the sons of Chore": the sons of Caath, of the tribe of Levi. "Unto the end." Attend carefully to what he said: "unto the end," not at the beginning, not in the middle, but at the end is it promised: not at the beginning to the patriarchs, not in the middle to the prophets, but at the end to the apostles and to us is the joy of the song promised. "For meleth." Meleth is a Hebrew word, and it is translated "choir." Now it is called a choir when many sing together into one, and just as the strings of a lyre are indeed different strings, yet produce a single sound. Therefore, that you may know that meleth is translated "choir," there immediately follows "To be answered": so that, as the prophet sings, the whole multitude of the choir may answer in the praise of God. For the mystery is prefigured of the Church gathered together from diverse nations, so that from diverse places and from diverse regions and manners one choir of the praises of God may be made. "Of the understanding of Eman the Ezraite." Eman was one of the choir-masters, just as Asaph or the others were. But that he is called "Ezraite," this is translated "having obtained the help of the Lord" (since indeed Ezras is translated "helper"), that is, having obtained aid from the Lord. Therefore this choir too, which sings together in praises, is upheld by the help of God. Let us run through the individual little verses, and because we are constrained within a brief span, let us fit the individual little sentences to the individual verses.
"O Lord, the God of my salvation." This psalm is spoken in the person of the Savior, that is, in the person of that servant whom He deigned to take upon Himself. Whatever, therefore, is spoken humbly is narrated in the human person, because it profits human salvation. "I have cried in the day, and in the night before thee." Though I cried by night, yet the awareness of virtues was light to me.
"Let my prayer come in before thee." "Into thy hands, Father, I commend my spirit." "Let my prayer come in before thee. Incline thine ear to my petition." Where are the anthropomorphites, who suppose that God has bodily members? "Incline thine ear, O God." It is the voice of the Son to the Father, speaking in our person. "Incline thine ear." It is a mark of great weakness, if, when He wishes to hear, He needs to incline His ear, so as to hear more closely. See how wretched it is to say that the Father cannot hear the Son unless with head inclined. Scripture speaks with human frailty, so that we may more easily understand what is said.
"For my soul is filled with evils." I bear the sins of many, therefore I grieve for all. "My soul is filled with evils." I bear evils, that I may lay them down upon the cross. "And my life hath drawn near to hell." Beautifully he said "hath drawn near": for He was not held fast by hell, but for our sake He drew near into hell. Finally, in another psalm it is said in the person of the Lord, "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, nor wilt thou give thy holy one to see corruption."
"I am counted among them that go down into the pit." This my murderers supposed: that I, going down like the rest of men into the prison of the underworld, was to be held back in the lower pit; not knowing that I had gone down for this reason, that I might rather draw out with me those who were held fast in that very place. "I am become as a man without help, free among the dead." He did not say, "I am become without help," but "I am become as though without help," because He had the Father as helper. "Free among the dead." Other men are held in hell by the bonds of sins: "There is no man without sin, not even if his life be of one day." For we are all held in transgression: and therefore whoever goes down into hell is held by the law of hell. "For everyone is bound by the bonds of his own sins." I therefore was free by nature, but for a little while I became as it were a debtor because of the sins of men.
"Like the slain that sleep in the sepulchres." Beautifully he said "like the slain": for He had no wound, but for the salvation of men He received a wound, as Isaiah says, "He himself bore our wounds, and grieves for us."
"They have laid me in the lower pit." I went down to the depths of hell, that I might free all from the bonds of hell. "In the dark places, and in the shadow of death." He did not say "in death," but "in the shadow of death." Death was not inflicted on me by the Jews, but the shadow of death: because for the salvation of men I went down of my own will. Therefore I went down as light into the lower regions, that I might free the souls from the darkness of hell.
"Thy fury is confirmed upon me." For this reason all thy fury came upon me, that it might depart from others. "And all thy waves thou hast brought in upon me." Upon me the whole tempest thundered down, that calm might come to the world.
"Thou hast put my acquaintances far from me." In the passion of the cross even the apostles fled from me, so much so that Peter himself said, "I know not the man." You see that we run with brief sentences rather than with expositions, because the hour so compels. "They have made me an abomination to themselves." The Jews, namely, saying, "Crucify, crucify such a one: we have no king but Caesar."
"I was delivered up, and came not forth." What is this that he said, "I was delivered up, and came not forth"? The Jews delivered me up, and yet on account of my clemency I did not forsake them, but I dwelt among them with affection. I was delivered up to Pilate by them, and I came not forth from them, saying on the cross, "Father, spare them, they know not what they do." Let us say it also otherwise. "I was delivered up, and came not forth." In the Gospel it is written that, when they sought to cast Him down from the brow of the mountain, He escaped safe and free from their midst. This, then, is what He says: Could I not even then, when I was delivered up, have escaped the snares of men and the perils of death by my divinity? But because I had come for this, that I might suffer, therefore I willed nothing except that I might suffer. That I was delivered up was of my will, and that I came not forth was of my will. Let us say it also otherwise. I was delivered up as a man, and I came not forth from the majesty of my divinity. Let us say it also otherwise. I was delivered up by men, and I came not forth from the bosom of the Father. Let us say it also otherwise. I was delivered up as a man upon the earth, and as God I had not left heaven. "My eyes languished through poverty." I who was whole in my majesty was made weak for the sins of men.
"I have cried to thee, O Lord." Not only with the voice, but with the heart: for thus indeed we cry to the Father. "Crying in our hearts, Abba, Father." "All the day I stretched out my hands to thee." This is the testimony which the apostle in the Epistle to the Romans applied in the person of the Savior. You see that we do no violence to the psalm, but follow the authority of the apostle. For if he applied the testimony of a single verse in the person of the Lord, why should we not wish to expound the whole psalm in this way? And if we should wish to interpret it otherwise, the sense of our exposition is dissolved by this evident sentence of the apostle. If we should wish to expound the whole psalm, we seem to be making delay for ourselves, whom now the hour compels to approach with pure and unstained conscience, in the unity of peace, to the flesh of the Savior, the true Lamb, that we may be worthily filled with the heavenly bread, through Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom is glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.
"Wilt thou show wonders to the dead?" Not to those who, living, are dead, but to me who live in thee. "Or shall physicians raise them up?" and the rest. Not the spices of physicians, but thou, Father, raisest me up; nor they, but I will confess among the peoples.
"Shall anyone declare in the sepulchre," and so forth. He shall not praise thee who is buried in the riches of the world, nor he who dwells in the ruin of sin.
"Shall thy wonders be known in the dark, and thy justice in the land of forgetfulness? And I have cried to thee, O Lord, and in the morning my prayer shall come before thee." That is, because thou wilt glorify me by a morning resurrection.
"Why, O Lord, dost thou repel my prayer," that this cup should not pass from me?
"I am poor, and in labors from my youth": from the time of the flesh assumed. "Being exalted": that is, upon the cross. "I have been humbled": that is, in the sepulchre.
"Thy wraths have passed over me." They passed, and did not remain.
"They have surrounded me like water all the day." The Jews in the waves of persecutions. "They surrounded me together." The Pharisees with the priests. Pilate with the princes and the peoples.
"Thou hast put far from me friend and neighbor, and my acquaintances because of misery." Because of the confusion of the passion, even the apostles themselves were put far from him.