Homily 73, on Psalm 96 (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).
The title of the psalm is prescribed thus: "When his land was restored." When it says "was restored," it is shown that it existed before, and afterward did not exist, and again was established. What then is this land of David which was restored? David's land is holy Mary, the mother of the Savior. "Who was made to him of the seed of David according to the flesh." What was promised to David was fulfilled in Mary's virginity and childbearing, where a virgin is begotten of a virgin. And thus was accomplished what is said in the Gospel, "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us": so that what had been promised to David might be restored to us through holy Mary.
"The Lord has reigned, let the earth rejoice." Let the earth rejoice: let it have one king, which before was held by many. "Let the many islands be glad." It is said in a certain prophet: "Speak to the inhabitants of this island," that is, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. You see, then, that Jerusalem is called an island. Before David's land was restored, therefore, only the one island of Judea rejoiced; but now, David's land having been restored, it is said, "Let the many islands be glad." By the many islands we can mean the various provinces or cities of the believing peoples, or we shall interpret them as the various churches. For just as islands are beaten this way and that by the waves of the sea, so also the churches are indeed beaten by the various storms of temptations, but are not overturned.
"Cloud and darkness are round about him." No one doubts that this is of the Lord Savior, round about whom was cloud and darkness — the flesh which he deigned to assume; although he is said to have appeared, in the Gospel of John. "And he appeared to us." He appeared indeed to the apostles, but from the Jews he was concealed. To those he is shown on the mountain, from these he is concealed in the valley of humility: those he builds up with beatitudes, to these he speaks in parables, so that seeing they might not see, because of their unbelief. "Cloud and darkness are round about him." He appeared as he willed, not as his nature demanded. "And he made darkness his hiding place." If God is light, how can light dwell in darkness? There darkness signifies our knowledge and weakness: because we cannot gaze upon his majesty. For if human eyes cannot direct themselves at the rays of this sun which was created, which is our fellow-servant, how much more, in the Sun of Justice, are there darkness and gloom round about him, so that he cannot be understood or seen by us? This is what we read of holy Moses: "And he entered into the darkness of the cloud," that he might see God, whom he could not see without a cloud. This he says also in Isaiah: "The Lord shall come into Egypt on a light cloud," that is, in holy Mary. On a light cloud, because he was not weighed down by human seed.
"Justice and judgment are the correction of his throne." When it says "correction," it is shown that before it was crooked. "Justice and judgment are the correction of his throne." Before the Lord came in the flesh, there was inequality, because God was known only in Judea. He came, and all the earth acknowledged the one and the same Creator whom Judea had known: and the correction of his throne was made.
"Fire shall go before him." The Lord is pure, "he dwells holy among the holy": we cannot be joined to him, unless fire first has burned up our vices. "For of what sort each one's work is, fire shall prove." "And it shall inflame his enemies round about." God does not inflame his enemies as enemies, but as friends: for he burns away the vices of his enemies, that out of enemies he may make friends.
"His lightnings gave light to the world." This is what is said in Jeremiah: "The Lord who made the world in his wisdom, who brought clouds from the end of the earth, made lightnings into rain." "His lightnings gave light to the world." The philosophers who are accustomed to dispute about the natures of things say that, unless clouds coming against each other are dashed together, fire cannot slip out of them; but when they have been driven, by a certain contest among themselves, into thunders, then lightning slips out of them. Which likeness we can also understand from fired stones. We have said this so that we may more easily see something similar to the mystery of the Savior. We have our own clouds, the prophets and the apostles; whence also elsewhere it is said, "Your truth reaches even to the clouds." If his truth reaches even to the clouds of this air, how is it said elsewhere, "Truth has arisen from the earth"? Therefore what it says is this: "Your truth reaches even to the clouds." It certainly signifies the prophets and apostles: which clouds, unless they have been dashed together among themselves, cannot give their splendor; but if in one course they come to thunder together, lightnings fall in the whole world. Do you wish to know how the saints are called clouds in the Scriptures? It is said in Isaiah: "I will command the clouds not to rain rain upon them." Moses was a cloud, and therefore he spoke: "Let my speech be awaited like rain." The epistles of the apostles are our spiritual rains. For what does Paul say in the epistle to the Hebrews? "For the earth, drinking in the rain that often comes upon it," and the rest. And again: "I planted, Apollos watered." "It saw, and the earth was moved." In the whole world the earth felt the lightning words of the Lord, and was moved — the earth which, before it was moved, was hard, and was not able to receive the word of the Lord. The Lord looked upon it, "who looks upon the earth and makes it tremble." What is this, "makes it tremble"? "Upon whom else shall I rest, except upon the humble and quiet one, who trembles at my words?"
"The mountains flowed like wax before his face." By "mountains" he means the lofty powers. Those who before were raised up to heaven through pride, at the coming of the Lord were humbled; and those who were hardened by too great a boasting of vanity, afterward were softened by the heat of divine wisdom.
"The heavens announced his justice, and all peoples saw his glory." In these two little verses two things are signified: the heavens announce the justice of the Lord, and all peoples see his glory. For unless someone has become heaven, he cannot announce the justice of the Lord. For if to the sinner it is said, "You are earth, and into earth you shall go," why should it not be said to the just one, "You are heaven, and into heaven you shall go"? For we do not bear the image of the earthly, but the image of the heavenly: since "our citizenship is in the heavens." If anyone, therefore, walks upon the earth, although in the flesh yet not according to the flesh, that one can freely announce the justice of the Lord. For if someone less knowing should suffer a scruple, and say, "What is it that we see the just in this life pressed down by labors and want, and sinners flourishing in riches and every comfort?" — unless the churchman has been instructed in the divine Scriptures, how can he show the justice of God in cases of this kind? But if he labors in the meditation of the law day and night, he will easily answer, that the brief lowliness of the present time is to be compensated afterward by eternal rewards. For it is much better for someone, for the sake of the Lord, in the small span of his life, to endure voluntary poverty, that he may in the future enjoy eternal riches, than here to abound in luxuries, and afterward be tortured with intolerable punishments. "And all peoples saw his glory." Those who before were scandalized at the cross of the Lord, because by themselves they could not recognize him, afterward, when the heavens announced the justice of God, glorify God.
"Let all be confounded who worship graven images." If the prophet is blessed, being blessed he never knew how to curse; and therefore in that which he says, "Let them be confounded," it is not against them, but for them: for he prays that they may be confounded in their error, and be converted to the true and only God, the Creator.
"The daughters of Judea rejoiced because of your judgments, O Lord." What does this sense intend, "The daughters of Judea rejoiced," and not "the sons"? Let us understand first what "Judea" is interpreted to mean: and when we have known the interpretation, let us see what are the daughters of the interpretation. "Judea," then, is interpreted "confession." Whatever soul confesses God is a daughter of Judea. Therefore we call all the souls of believers the daughters of Judea, which rejoice at the judgments of God. For unless the soul has been faithful, it does not rejoice at the judgments of God. "My house has collapsed, I have lost my riches in shipwreck, my son has died to me, my servant has fled and carried off my goods, I who before was rich am now consumed by want": unless I am a daughter of Judea, I do not rejoice in the judgments of God. The soul of blessed Job was a daughter of Judah, which in the losses of household things thus consoled itself, saying: "The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord: naked I came forth from my mother's womb, naked also shall I go" — let there be understood, "into the earth." First, made poor from rich, he lost his substance together with his sons: pressed down alike by want and bereavement, at last he came to the utmost misery, struck with the royal disease and an incurable wound: incurable to men, but curable with God. What human medicine could not heal, patience and faith healed. He sat upon the dunghill, and in his soul he walked about in paradise. With his whole body rotting, his tongue alone was preserved to him — the tongue that was to blaspheme the Lord. See the craft of the ancient enemy. He tore away the substance of the just man by hostile plunder, crushed his sons with ruin, struck the man himself with a grievous wound and the horror of his whole body: he left him nothing except his tongue and his wife, so that the one might tempt and the other blaspheme. The devil was mindful of his former craft, by which he once deceived Adam through the woman: so also he assails this man through his wife, reckoning that he can always deceive men through the woman, not considering that one man was cast down through a woman, and now through a woman the whole world has been saved. Eve comes into your mind, but consider Mary: she cast us out of paradise, this one leads us back to heaven. Let us return to the order of the psalm.
"You who love the Lord, hate evil." If the Lord is good... For what do we read? "The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." And again in another parable: "Friend, if I am good, why is your eye evil?" "You who love the Lord, hate evil." Two loves cannot be contrary to each other in one man. Just as there is no consent of Christ with Belial, of justice and iniquity, so it cannot happen that one soul love both good and evil. "You who love the Lord, hate evil": the devil. The love and the hatred of each consists in deed. "For he who loves me will keep my commandments." But concerning the part of the devil, what is said? "But through the envy of the devil death entered into the world; therefore they imitate him who are of his part." Or certainly it is to be understood simply: You who love the things that are good, hate the things that are evil. You cannot love good, unless you hate evil.
"The Lord guards the souls of his saints." A most beautiful order: he who loves good and hates evil, what does he deserve from the Lord, except that he be guarded by him? "He will free them from the hand of the sinner." Here a question arises: If the Lord guards the souls of his saints, and frees them from the hand of the sinner, how are the martyrs crushed in persecution? how did the impious Nero, with sentence given, condemn Peter and Paul to death on one day, if the Lord guards the souls of his saints? Attend diligently to what he says. "The Lord guards the souls of his saints": he said "souls," not "bodies." "Do not fear those," he says, "who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; but fear him who can kill both body and soul in Gehenna." How, then, does the Lord guard the souls of his saints? In martyrdom. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." In martyrdom, therefore, blood is poured out, so that the soul may be freed from temptations: so that it may leave the brief life, and migrate to the eternal: so that it may leave persecution, and go to the One who crowns us, our Lord Jesus Christ. To whom is honor and glory unto ages of ages. Amen.