1 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I would sing, I would make music; awake, my soul. Awake, harp and lyre; I would wake the dawn. I would praise you among the peoples, O Lord; make music among the nations to you. For great to heaven is your love, and your faithfulness to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, o’er the heavens, and your glory o’er all the earth.
Jerome · AD 420 "My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready." I am ready not only in deed, but also in heart and mind. "My heart is ready," in the mind; "my heart is ready," in deed, that is, in practice. Since I am ready not only in heart and mind but also in deed, therefore in the second place I say, "I will sing and I will make melody in my glory." "I will sing": that is, in my heart.
6 So those you love may be rescued, save by your right hand and answer us.
7 God did solemnly swear: “As victor will I divide Shechem, portion out the valley of Succoth.
Jerome · AD 420 "God has spoken in his holy one": whether in the temple, or in each one of the saints, or in a prophet. He is heard in Moses, he is heard in an apostle; and more truly I say, he has spoken in his Son. What, then, has God spoken? These things that follow. "I will be exalted, and I will divide Shechem." For this reason, he says, I am crucified, that I may divide Shechem.
8 Mine is Gilead, mine is Manasseh, Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my sceptre of rule,
Jerome · AD 420 "Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine." Our Lord and Savior rejoices, possessing greater riches. "Gilead" is interpreted "migration": he rejoices, therefore, when the people migrated from among the Gentiles and came to him. "Manasseh" is interpreted "from forgetfulness." See, then, what he says.
9 Moab the pot that I wash in, on Edom I hurl my sandal, I shout o’er Philistia in triumph.”
Jerome · AD 420 "Moab is the pot of my hope." A great mystery is recognized in few words. I beg you, pay careful attention: since it profits both me who speak, and you who hear. "Moab" is interpreted "from the father." "AB" means "father," "MO" means "from." Who is this one "from the father"?
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 For who does not know that sandals are made from dead animals? But the Lord coming incarnate appeared as if shod, because in his divinity he assumed the dead flesh of our corruption. Hence also through the Prophet he says: "Over Edom I will extend my sandal." For by Edom the Gentile world is signified, and by the sandal the assumed mortality is designated.
10 O to be brought to the fortified city! O to be led into Edom!
Jerome · AD 420 "Who will lead me into the fortified city?" No one, O Lord, for you are the one who says: "I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the nations there was no man with me." "For all have turned aside, together they have become useless: there is none that does good, there is not even one." Who, then, will lead me into the fortified city?
11 Have you not spurned us, O God? You do not march forth with our armies.
Jerome · AD 420 "You who have cast us off." Was it not you, O God, who have cast us off? He did not say, "Who cast us off," but "Who once cast us off." "And will you not go out, O God, in our powers?" These things are to be read interrogatively: "And will you not go out, O God, in our powers?" You who suffered for us, why do you not help us, but allow us to be trampled by the most cruel devil?…
12 Grant us help from the foe, for human help is worthless.
Jerome · AD 420 "Give us help from tribulation." He did not say, "Give us help from delights," but "from tribulation." "To the Lord, when I was in tribulation, I cried out, and he heard me." He did not say, "when I was in delights I cried out," or "sleeping I cried out." Do you wish to be heard by the Lord? Be in tribulation: cry out, and you will be heard.
13 With God we shall yet do bravely, he himself will tread down our foes.
Jerome · AD 420 "In God we will do valiantly." Let us have hope in nothing except in God alone. Let us not say: If this should happen to me, or that, whence shall I have the means to live? I answer you: what is greater, if persecution should come, whence do you have the means to live? For a Christian there is always persecution, always nakedness is set before him.