Commentary on Psalm 4
[86804] In the preceding Psalm, David implored the help of God against tribulations by praying, and sensing that he was heard, he exhorts others to trust in God. And this Psalm expresses the affections of a man who, having experienced divine mercy and benefits and justice, exhorts others not to despair. Its title is: "Unto the end, a Psalm of the canticle of David." In this title two things are to be considered for the whole book: namely what he says, "a Psalm of the canticle." Second, what he says, "unto the end." As to the first, note that David, as we read in 2 Sam. 6, composed the Psalm metrically and sang before the ark with the psaltery. Therefore a "Psalm" is said to be what is sung to the psaltery, but not without the psaltery. In certain Psalms, "Psalm of David" is inscribed, where it is understood that it was composed for the psaltery. In others, "Canticle of David" is placed as a heading, because it was sung without an instrument. In others, "Psalm of the canticle of David," or conversely, because that Psalm was sung simultaneously with the human voice and to the psaltery. But in some, one or many began with the human voice without an instrument, and one responded with the psaltery; and these are entitled "canticle of the Psalm." In others, one sang the Psalm with the psaltery, and others responded without the psaltery: and these are entitled "Psalm of the canticle." And this is the literal difference; but mystically and according to the Gloss, a "Psalm" signifies good action; a "canticle" however signifies the exultation of the mind over eternal things. When both are placed together in one Psalm, it signifies that both are treated. What he says "unto the end," if this is considered as to the thing prefigured by the Psalm, it is clear that "unto the end" means unto Christ; Rom. 10: "Christ is the end of the law, for justice to everyone who believes." But if "unto the end" is considered according to the figure, it is given to be understood that it was sung for the completion of a work or affair, just as this Psalm was composed for the completed liberation of David from the persecution of Absalom, as though for a victory. Others say "to the victor," namely David, in the Psalms, because he surpassed all in composing Psalms; but this does not seem true. This Psalm is divided into two parts: for first it begins with an act of thanksgiving for benefits received; hence he says: "When I called upon," etc. Second, it ends in an exhortation of others to turn to God, at "O sons of men," etc. Concerning the first, he does two things. First he gives thanks for past things. Second he prays for future things, at "Have mercy on me," etc. Concerning the first, he does two things. First he gives thanks that he was heard. Second he shows how he was heard, at "In tribulation," etc. But note that here there is a double reading: one says "he heard"; the other has "you heard"; and Jerome agrees with this, saying "you heard"; in this, however, the point is not significant. He says, therefore: "When I called upon you, you heard," etc. Here four things are to be considered. First he sets forth his prayer and the hearing: hence he says, "you heard." But he did not hear one who was not crying out; hence he says, "when I called upon you"; which is to implore help in necessity. Ps. 119: "To the Lord, when I was in trouble, I cried, and he heard me." Likewise it is required that one be just: because if he hears sinners, it is from mercy, not from justice; and therefore he says, "of my justice": where the Gloss says: that is, "giver of justice," or "of my justification." Ps. 33: "The eyes of the Lord are upon the just." Another requirement, which is the first, is that a man attribute his justice to God, and not to himself; and therefore he says, "O God." Against which, Rom. 10: "Being ignorant of the justice of God, and seeking to establish their own," etc. First, therefore, one must attribute his good to God; second, have justice; third, cry out; fourth, be heard. The manner of hearing is described when he says, "in tribulation." He says "he heard" and "you enlarged," either because the Psalm was perhaps composed metrically, where it was necessary to change the construction on account of the meter; or because he speaks in the manner of one praying, where from different affections a person changes his mode of speaking. He says, moreover, "in tribulation you have enlarged me," because "you have enlarged" is more than "you have freed"; as if to say, not only did you free me, but in the very tribulation you granted breadth of heart. Ps. 17: "You have enlarged my steps under me, and my footsteps have not been weakened." Or breadth of soul for enduring patiently, or breadth of power, of which it is said in Gen. 9: "May God enlarge Japheth." Then when he says, "Have mercy on me," removing whatever remained of past misery; and "hear me," praying for future goods.
[86805] Then when he says, "O sons," etc., he turns to the exhortation of others: and concerning this he does two things. First he rebukes sinners; second he exhorts them to amendment, at "And know," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he recalls their condition; second he charges their fault, at "Why do you love"; he recalls their condition saying, "sons of men": which can be understood in two ways. First in a bad sense, thus: "sons of men," as if men according to their lower nature, corruptible and prone to sin. Gen. 6: "My spirit shall not remain in man forever because he is flesh." And again, chapter 8: "The senses and thoughts of men are prone to evil from their youth." "Sons of men," therefore; as if to say, you show yourselves to be sons of men, that is, of sinners, namely of Eve and Adam. "How long will you be heavy of heart?" Is. 1: "Woe to the sinful nation, to the people heavy with iniquity," etc. Second in a good sense: because man insofar as he is man is the image of God: hence "sons of men," not of beasts. Ps. 48: "Man, when he was in honor, did not understand," etc. And "O heavy of heart," that is, because you ought to have a heart that is grave and stable, how long will you not turn to God? And this is what Jerome has: "Sons of the noble, how long will my honored ones shamefully love vanity, seeking falsehood?" And so he fittingly charges the fault: "Why do you love," etc. For in sin two things are to be considered: namely, the will adhering to the thing, and the disordered intention. First, therefore, he touches upon the disordered love when he says, "Why do you love," etc., that is, something vain, not solid -- for temporal things are vain because they do not contain anything solid, but only a passing good. Eccl. 1: "Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity." Why therefore do you love, etc., as if to say, why do you love temporal things? Second, he touches upon the depraved intention when he says, "and why do you seek after falsehood," that is, why do you love riches, so as to have sufficiency? For Eccl. 5: "The covetous man shall not be filled with money." Jer. 4: "I looked upon the earth," etc. Or "falsehood," that is, an idol, 1 Cor. 8: "An idol is nothing." How long, therefore, do you love and seek this, and do not turn to God?
[86806] Second, when he says, "And know," he exhorts sinners to amendment: and concerning this he does three things. First he recalls the benefits shown to himself. Second he exhorts them to return to God, at "Be angry," etc. Third he shows his preeminence over them in goods, at "You have given gladness," etc. He says, therefore, "And know," etc. But note that here in the Greek there is a diapsalma, and in the Hebrew there is selah, which Jerome translated as "happily" or "always." A diapsalma, therefore, is a division of the Psalm: when they sang, certain intervals were made in the Psalm, to show that what follows pertained to another matter, according to Augustine. But against this is the fact that, according to this, diapsalma would never be found at the end of a Psalm; but in Jerome's Psalter, selah is found at the end of a Psalm. And therefore selah is derived from "salon," that is, "peacefully." And this agrees with Jerome, who translated it as "happily." So then, more properly, "peacefully," as if "always," and this is what selah conveys. The benefit he recalls is twofold: one from the past, and another from the future, at "The Lord will hear." As to the first he says, "And know," etc.; and since it is the beginning of a sentence, it is connected to the heart of the prophet, just as that passage at the beginning of Ezekiel: "And it came to pass in the thirtieth year," etc. For selah, which is translated as diapsalma, is placed here, which denotes an interruption. Or it is connected to what precedes; as if to say: do not love vanity, and know why? "Because the Lord has made wonderful," etc. Behold how many good things he has done for me: because he has made wonderful, etc., that is, he has rendered wonderful. It can also be connected in another way according to the Gloss; as if to say: since they are vain, know, and know what you should follow: "Because the Lord has made his holy one wonderful," etc., that is, Christ, understood principally through the figure, who is the Holy One of holy ones, of whom Dan. 9 speaks: God showed him wonderful by raising him up and placing him at his right hand. Every just person, too, is wonderful; because the works of justice are greater than outward miracles. Ps. 67: "God is wonderful in his saints." But Christ is most wonderful. Is. 9: "And his name shall be called Wonderful." As to the second he says, "The Lord will hear." Is. 65: "Before they call, I will hear," etc.
[86807] Then when he says, "Be angry," he exhorts them to the amendment of life: and concerning this he does three things. First he exhorts them to withdraw from evil; second, to tend toward the good, at "Offer the sacrifice"; third, he raises a question, at "Many say," etc. Concerning the first, it should be considered that sin in us most frequently arises from three sources: namely, from the corruption of the irascible, the rational, and the concupiscible powers. First, therefore, he prohibits the sin that arises from the first; hence he says, "Be angry," etc. This is understood in three ways. First, of disordered anger; as if to say: it is permitted that the movement of anger arises in us; nevertheless you should not lead your anger to the act of sin. Eph. 4: "Let not the sun go down upon your anger." Second, thus: "Be angry," that is, against your own sins. Is. 63: "My indignation itself helped me," etc. "And do not sin," namely again; as if to say: be angry against past sins so that you do not commit others. Third, of anger through zeal, it is expounded thus: be angry against the vices of others; and yet do not sin by correcting them in a disordered way, because anger should be directed by reason. Second, he prohibits the vice of the rational power, namely dissimulation, saying: "What you say in your hearts," supply, "let it be in you"; as if to say: do not be one thing in heart and pretend another outwardly. Third, he prohibits what arises from the concupiscible power. "Be compunctious," namely for the sins you have committed; "in your chambers." Rom. 13: "Not in chambers and impurities," etc. Or it should be said that he touches upon a twofold sin: namely of anger, as has been said, "be angry" concerning anger through zeal. Second, of concupiscence: "be compunctious for what you say in your hearts," that is, for your evil thoughts, "in your chambers," that is, concerning hidden things, or in secret. And this better fits the reading of Jerome, who says, "Speak and be silent," that is, do not publicize by carrying it out in a disordered way. Or concerning anger as a vice, which he forbids to proceed to action, which is worse. Or concerning anger against sins. Consequently, he exhorts them to do good. And first he directs them concerning the principle of good, because "offer the sacrifice of justice"; as if to say, namely be contrite. In Lev. 4, it is commanded that they offer a sacrifice for sins. But the Lord does not care much about such things. Ps. 39: "Sacrifice and oblation you did not desire, but you have perfected ears for me"; hence you also "offer the sacrifice of justice and hope in the Lord": "many say, who shows us," etc., that is, of satisfaction and penance. Rom. 12: "Present your bodies to God, a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God," etc. Second, he directs them concerning the end of the good, saying: "And hope in the Lord," etc.: as if to say, be hoping in the Lord who has given you the power to do these things.
[86808] Then when he says, "Many," he raises the question which the "many," that is, the foolish, ask: and they say, "Who shows us good things?" As if to say: how can we know what these sacrifices acceptable to God are? He resolves this question when he says: "The light of your countenance, O Lord, is sealed upon us"; as if to say: natural reason implanted in us teaches us to discern good from evil; and therefore he says, "The light of your countenance, O Lord, is sealed upon us," etc. The countenance of God is that by which God is known; just as a man is known by his face, this is the truth of God. From this truth of God there shines back a likeness of his light in our souls. And this is as it were a light, and it is sealed upon us, because it is the highest thing in us, and is as a certain sign upon our faces, and by this light we can know the good. Ps. 88: "In the light of your countenance they shall walk," etc. Moreover, we are sealed with the sign of the Spirit. Eph. 4: "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, in whom you have been sealed." And also with the sign of the cross, whose seal has been impressed upon us in Baptism, and we ought daily to impress it. Song 8: "Set me as a seal upon your heart."
[86809] Then when he says, "You have given," he sets forth his preeminence over those sinners in goods: as if they were saying to him, you exhort us regarding your benefits, but we have everything; therefore he compares temporal things with spiritual things. And first he sets forth the spiritual; second the temporal, at "From the fruit," etc. Third the preeminence of spiritual things, at "In peace," etc. He says, therefore: it is true that all have the light of the countenance from above upon them, but, O Lord, to the saints and to me you have given gladness, namely spiritual gladness, in my heart, so that I may rejoice in you. Rom. 14: "The kingdom of God is not food and drink, but justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit": and this is a spiritual benefit. The wicked, however, have an abundance of temporal things; and therefore he says: "From the fruit of their grain, wine, and oil, they are multiplied," that is, enlarged. And by all these temporal goods, all others are understood: because all are ordered to the necessity of living: and so grain stands for food, wine for drink, and oil for condiment. Another reading has "from the time of their grain"; where a twofold deficiency of these goods is implied, because temporal things are so named from time. Wis. 2: "For the passing of a shadow is our time." And because one thing does not suffice, they must be many; therefore he says, "they are multiplied."
[86810] Then when he says, "In peace," he sets forth the preeminence of spiritual things; as if to say, what among these excels? The certain gladness of the heart. And this is clear for a twofold reason. First, because this good will be eternal, but that is temporal; second, because it is one and simple, while that is manifold. The second he sets forth at "For you, Lord, singularly," etc. He says, therefore, "In peace," etc.: as if to say: others in time, but not I; rather, "in the selfsame." Note, therefore, that even in the present life the just man is said to stand in the good for four reasons. First, because he is not impeded from without: and therefore he says, "in peace." Is. 32: "My people shall sit in the beauty of peace," etc. Second, from the unchangeableness of the things possessed, because this always remains the same; hence "in the selfsame." Ps. 121: "Jerusalem, which is built as a city, whose participation is in the selfsame." Third, because without anxiety: hence, "I shall sleep." Song 5: "I sleep," etc. Fourth, from rest from the labor of acquiring; hence he says, "and I shall rest." And this can exist even here in the present life according to its beginning; because the saints have all these things here in some measure in God; but all these things will be perfectly in the fatherland. And this I have, says David, because I have one thing in which all these are found: and this is what he says, "For you, Lord," etc.: as if to say, in one way in a certain singular hope; "you have established me," namely in eternal life, of which it is said below in Ps. 26: "One thing I have asked of the Lord," etc. And this responds against what he says, "they are multiplied": so that "for you, Lord," etc., is as if to say, in you singularly I hope. And this better fits the reading of Jerome, which says: "For you, Lord, have made me dwell specially in safety." Ps. 117: "It is good to trust or to hope in the Lord," etc.
Commentary on Psalm 5
[86811] Above, the Psalmist set forth a prayer against those who persecute openly; here he prays against the deceitful, lest he be deceived. And concerning this he does two things. First, he sets forth a petition against the deceitful, lest he be deceived. Second, that the fallen may be restored, at "Lord, not in fury," etc. This Psalm has a title in which there is something new, and it reads thus: "Unto the end, for her who obtains the inheritance." Here a figure and a mystery are touched upon. The figure can be understood in two ways. First, according to the way the Gloss explains it, and as is found in the story of Gen. 21, that when Sarah saw Ishmael playing with her son Isaac, she was troubled and said to Abraham: "Cast out this handmaid and her son, for the son of the handmaid shall not be heir with my son Isaac." Sarah indeed understood that play to be a persecution against Isaac. Abraham, however, took it hard what Sarah had said about his son Ishmael; but God said to him: "Let it not seem harsh to you concerning the boy and your handmaid; in all that Sarah says to you, heed her voice, for in Isaac shall your seed be called," etc. As if to say: Isaac shall be your heir, not Ishmael. Hence below in chapter 25, it is said: "Abraham gave all that he possessed to his son Isaac, but to the sons of his concubines he gave gifts," etc. This Psalm can therefore be referred to this: that the people of the Jews, according to the figure, obtained the inheritance promised to Abraham, whose head and king was David. But according to the mystery, the Christian people obtain it: Gal. 4: "But we, brothers, are children of the promise according to Isaac." Therefore this Psalm tends unto the end, that is, unto Christ, whom it praises for her, namely for the Church, which obtains the inheritance, the synagogue having been rejected. In another way, according to the letter of Jerome, the title is: "For the leader, for the heirs, a song of David." And so it can be understood that this Psalm was composed for the victory that David had in the literal sense. And it should be known that David, while fleeing, lost his inheritance through Absalom, as is found in 2 Kgs. 16. Hence just as the preceding Psalm was for deliverance and victory against Absalom, so he composed this one for the recovery of his inheritance, because when David returned to Jerusalem, certain others had still maliciously risen up against him. Hence in 2 Kgs. 20, David commanded Amasa to summon all the men of Judah within three days to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri, "for the son of Bichri will afflict us more than Absalom." For he had passed through all the tribes of Israel as far as Abel, and all the chosen men had gathered to him; and when he was beheaded, David reigned over all Israel. In this Psalm, therefore, according to the literal sense, three things are considered. First, he asks to be heard. Second, he shows confidence in being heard, at "In the morning you will hear." Third, he sets forth his petition, at "Lord, lead me." Concerning the first, he does two things. First, he asks to be heard. Second, he indicates the reason for being heard, at "My king." It should be noted that one who wishes to ask something of someone proceeds in this way. First, he desires what he wishes to ask. Second, he considers the words to be proposed. Third, he presents them before the hearer. And conversely, the hearer: first, perceives the words by hearing; second, grasps the meaning of the words by understanding; third, is inclined to fulfill the desire of the petitioner. David therefore speaks to God according to this likeness. And first he asks the first thing, namely that God hear his words with outward hearing, when he says, "Give ear to my words, O Lord." Second, he asks for understanding, namely the comprehension of his words, when he says, "Understand my cry" -- not an outward cry, but an inward affection: Ps. 17: "My cry before him." Jerome has: "Understand my murmuring, which I have thought to propose." And this agrees with the translation that says "meditation." Third, he asks the third thing, namely to be heard: "Attend to the voice of my prayer," that is, be willing to hear my prayer: Ps. 69: "O God, attend to my help." But does God do these things separately -- hear, attend, and answer? It must be said that he speaks metaphorically, namely that God may approve all these: the outward words, the inward meditation, and what he proposes. Second, he sets forth the reason for being heard, when he says, "My king." And this is the beginning of the verse according to the Greek. A threefold reason for being heard is given, namely on God's part. The first of these is "My king." For it belongs to a king to govern. Since therefore this pertains to God, it pertains to him to provide what is necessary: Jer. 10: "Who will not fear you, O king of nations?" The other reason is that he is God; for God is the end of our desires and our preserver: Ps. 27: "In God my heart has hoped, and I have been helped," etc. And therefore he says, "My God": Is. 8: "Shall not a people seek a vision from their God, for the living and the dead?" etc. The third reason is taken from the one praying, when he says: "For to you I will pray, O Lord"; as if to say: it is fitting, because you have promised a hearing to those who pray. Mt. 7: "Everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it shall be opened." Nor does it matter that Jerome says "I beseech," while here it says "I will pray," because this designates the continuation of prayer without ceasing; as if to say: I will so pray that nonetheless I am always beseeching: Lk. 18: "One ought always to pray and not lose heart."
[86812] This is the second part of the Psalm. Here he first shows that he has confidence concerning being heard. Second, the reason for his confidence, at "In the morning I will stand before you," etc. He says therefore: "You will hear my voice in the morning"; according to the letter, that is, swiftly, as if to say, in good time. For we ought to hope this from God, that he will hear us quickly: Is. 30: "At the voice of your cry, as soon as he hears, he will answer you." Likewise in the penultimate chapter: "While they are yet speaking, I will hear." The reason for confidence is given when he says, "In the morning I will stand before you," etc. Note that "morning" is said in four ways: namely, of the natural day: Gen. 1: "There was evening and morning, one day." Also of human life; and so youth is called morning. Ps. 89: "In the morning it flourishes and passes away." Also of the day of grace, at the first conversion of a person to God, because then one begins to have the light of grace: Ps. 89: "We have been filled in the morning with your mercy." Also of eternity: Ps. 29: "In the evening," that is, in the present life, "weeping shall have place, and in the morning," that is, of eternity, "gladness." A twofold reason for confidence is therefore assigned. First, because he stands in the morning, that is, he clings to God and prepares himself for God; hence Jerome has "I will prepare myself": Sir. 18: "Before prayer, prepare your soul, and do not be like one who tests God." In the morning, therefore, of the day, that is, in the early hours, "I will stand before you," that is, I will attend to you. And this because then a person is free from anxieties and has a freer heart for thinking about God: Ps. 62: "In the morning hours, Lord, I will meditate on you": Is. 26: "But also with my spirit within me, from early morning I will keep watch for you, and you will hear my voice," etc. Because he hears the devout. In the morning, namely of grace, the darkness of sin having been driven away, "I will stand and contemplate," as Jerome's text has. 2 Kgs. 23: "Like the light of dawn in the morning, without clouds, the sun rises," etc. "You will hear my voice," namely by freeing from sin and punishment. Or "in the morning," namely on the day of eternity: Job 38: "Where were you when the morning stars praised me?" etc. And then a person is totally heard. Or "in the morning," that is, from youth: "I will stand before you": Lam. 3: "It is good for a man when he has borne the yoke of the Lord from his youth": Eccl. 12: "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth," etc. "You will hear my voice," because Prov. 8: "Those who love me, I love; and those who watch for me early will find me." The second reason for confidence is that he sees; hence he says, "And I will see." And he explains this first -- how he stands -- when he says, "But I, in the abundance." First he says what he sees, namely who are those who are prevented from being heard, and what are the obstacles of this sort; and these are the wicked. Hence he says, "I will see," namely "that God," etc. Here two things should be noted. First, that the wicked are excluded from these things. Second, that they are led into the evils of punishment, at "You hate all," etc. Concerning the first, he speaks of God as of a man who loves some and hates others. Here there can be a threefold degree: because the sin of one sinner pleases someone, the person of one sinning pleases another, and for yet another, neither pleases; but nevertheless one willingly and without indignation looks upon him. But this is not so with God, because sin does not please God, nor does he regard the familiarity of the sinner. Likewise, he disdains to look upon him. And therefore he says, as to the first, "I will see that you are not a God who wills iniquity," that is, it does not please you. As to the second, he says: "Nor shall the malicious dwell beside you," that is, you do not hold him in your familiarity: Ps. 100: "He shall not dwell in the midst of my house," etc. Likewise, Ps. 25: "I have hated the assembly of the malicious." As to the third, he says, "Nor shall the unjust," that is, sinners, "remain before your eyes," namely the eyes of approval: Hab. 1: "Your eyes are pure, and you cannot look upon iniquity."
[86813] Here he shows how they are led to punishment, and he sets forth a threefold order. For there is a threefold degree in the way someone hates another. First, he holds him in hatred, willing evil to him in his heart. Second, he carries this out by inflicting punishment. Third, if he has punished at some point, he nevertheless reconciles him to himself. But God first hates; hence he says, "You hate all," etc. Wis. 14: "Equally hateful to God are the impious man and his impiety." But against this, Wis. 11: "You love all things that are," etc. I respond: what God has made, he does not hate; but what he has not made, namely sin. But if we obstinately persist, he hates the sinner insofar as he does not call him back, and he orders him through punishments. Second, he inflicts punishment; and therefore he says: "You will destroy all who speak falsehood": Wis. 1: "The mouth that lies kills the soul." Note that falsehood is threefold: namely, pernicious, which is done to the harm of another, whether in spiritual or temporal matters, for example in teaching; and this is the most grave. Jocose, which is said for amusement. Officious, by which one speaks for the benefit of another, either temporally or spiritually. And according to Augustine, no officious lie is without sin, because if you lie to free someone, this is not good, for the Apostle says in Rom. 3: "Evil must not be done that good may come." Moreover, every evil could be done for the sake of good. Nevertheless, an officious lie can sometimes be venial. But a jocose lie is always venial. A pernicious lie, however, is always mortal; and it is of this that the text speaks here. Third, God hates in such a way that, inflicting punishments, he is not reconciled; hence he adds: "The man of blood and the deceitful one the Lord will abominate." We abominate those things that we do not tolerate in our awareness. Men of blood are called those whose desire is to shed blood: Prov. 1: "Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed blood": 2 Kgs. 16: "Go forth, man of blood." The deceitful one is he who speaks in deceit. But it should be noted that the Psalmist proceeds in an orderly way, because first a person simply works evil by thinking; and these God hates. But when they add malice by carrying it out, they provoke God to punish. But when they persist, then God abominates them: Prov. 17: "The life of the impious is an abomination to God," etc.
[86814] Next, when he says "But I," he shows how he stands before the Lord; and concerning this he does two things. First, he shows how he approaches God. Second, what prayer he offers, at "I will worship." Someone might therefore say to him: You say that the malicious one will not dwell beside you. But are you not a sinner? How then will you stand? And therefore he says, not according to my merits, but "in the abundance of your mercy I will enter," that is, I will draw near to you, "into your house." Or, in the literal sense, this means the temple, or the congregation of the faithful: 1 Tim. 3: "How one ought to conduct oneself in the house of God, which is the Church of God." Dan. 9: "For not on the basis of our justifications do we pour out our prayers before your face," etc. But since you are a sinner, that is, a man of blood, how do you approach or worship? Certainly "in your fear": Sir. 1: "He who is without fear cannot be justified"; therefore he says, "In your fear," that is, with reverence.
[86815] Above he asked that his prayer be heard; here he sets it forth. And first he prays for himself. Second, for others. Concerning the first, he does two things. First, he sets forth the prayer. Second, he gives its reason, at "For there is not." Concerning the first, he asks for two things: namely, to be led and to be directed; and this because a person in the world is as on a road: Is. 30: "This is the way; walk in it." But those who travel along a road need two things: because if the road is not safe, they need an escort; or a guide, if it is uncertain. In the world, enemies are on every side: Ps. 141: "On this road where I walked, they hid a snare for me." Likewise, the way is unknown: Job 3: "To the man whose way is hidden," etc. And therefore he first asks, "Lord, lead me in your justice," according to your justice, or that I may walk in your justice; and this "on account of my enemies": Ps. 142: "Your good spirit will lead me into the right land: for the sake of your name, O Lord, you will give me life in your equity." "Direct my way in your sight." Another translation has, "Direct in my sight your way." The first agrees with Jerome; the second with the Greek; but the meaning is the same. As if to say: Lord, I am on a hidden way: Prov. 14: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." And therefore, "direct me in your sight," that is, according to your providence, because nothing is hidden from you. Or "in your sight," that I may always please you. Or "in my sight your way," so that it may always be in my heart, that I may always be able to follow you.
[86816] Then when he adds "For," he assigns the reason for the petition and describes the enemies and the imminent danger. First, from the lack of good. Second, from the abundance of evil, at "For their heart," etc. The deficiency is that if they kept peace, he could be at peace with them and proceed safely. But "there is no truth in their mouth," because they have one thing in their mouth and another in their heart: Hos. 4: "There is no truth." And therefore I cannot proceed safely. Likewise, from the abundance of evil. And first, as to their scheming, when he says: "Their heart is vain," that is, they meditate on vain things, which they cannot attain, namely to deceive the poor who are guarded by you: Sir. 2: "Many are the snares of the deceitful." Second, from their greediness, because "their throat is an open grave." The throat serves for taste and speech. In one way it can be read as explained according to its ordering to speech, as if to say: their throat is an open grave; for just as the grave is the place of the dead, and a stench comes forth from it, so their speech kills others, either spiritually or corporally: 1 Cor. 15: "Bad company corrupts good morals." Likewise, the words of such people are fetid, because they speak shameful things: Sir. 2: "The hearts of the foul-smelling belch forth." In another way, it can be explained with regard to eating and greediness; and this we can take either literally, and so they are an open grave because they are voracious. And on account of this, to satisfy their voracity, they flatter and act unjustly. Or figuratively: just as a grave, of itself, is prepared to receive the dead, so these people are always prepared to deceive: Jer. 5: "His quiver is like an open grave." Third, as to their oppression: "With their tongues," etc. As if to say: through smooth words they lead to death: Rom. 16: "Through smooth speech and flattery they seduce the hearts of the innocent": Jer. 9: "Their tongue is a wounding arrow," etc. This can be the prayer of the just and of the Church.
[86817] Next, when he says "Judge," he prays for others. And first, against the wicked. Second, for the good, at "And let them rejoice." Concerning the first, he does three things. First, he asks for their judgment. Second, he determines the mode of judgment, at "Let them fall," etc. Third, he assigns the cause of judgment, at "For they have provoked." He says therefore, "Judge them," since they are wicked. But it should be noted that judgment is twofold: namely, of discernment, by which even the good are judged: Ps. 42: "Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause," etc. Second, of condemnation: Jn. 3: "He who does not believe is already judged." Here he speaks of the judgment of condemnation, by which the wicked will be judged at the last judgment; hence Jerome has, "Condemn them, O God." But against this: Mt. 5: "Pray for those who persecute and slander you." I respond. It must be said that the prophets in their prophecy did not speak by their own will: 2 Pet. 1: "For prophecy was never brought forth by human will, but by the Holy Spirit," etc. And therefore what they uttered, they said according to their understanding of divine justice; and therefore these were predictions of future events rather than their prayers. Hence "judge" means "I know that you will judge." A twofold mode of justice is set forth. First, that they may fail in their purpose. Second, that they may be removed from their place. By the first, the evils they intend are prevented; and therefore he says, "Let them fall from their designs," that is, from their plans: Job 5: "Who catches the wise in their own craftiness," etc. Or "let them fall," that is, let them be punished on account of their thoughts: Rom. 2: "Of thoughts accusing," etc. But by the second, they are expelled from the company of the good; hence it follows: "According to the multitude," etc. This will be then when, as Mt. 25 says: "Depart, you cursed," etc. Job 18: "He will be driven from light into darkness," etc. And he says, "according to the multitude of their impieties," because the mode of condemnation will be according to them: Deut. 25: "According to the measure of the offense shall be the manner of the stripes." The cause is given: "For they have provoked," that is, they have provoked to wrath. This shows in God not anger, but the will to punish. Another reading has, "They have embittered you," who are sweet, by sinning against you obstinately. Sinners first sin, then they aggravate their sin by obstinacy, and then God does not spare but is provoked, that is, moved to vengeance: Rom. 2: "Do you not know that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness": Deut. 32: "They have provoked me by that which is no god," etc.
[86818] Next, when he says "And let them rejoice," he sets forth the petition. And first he states it. Second, he adds the exposition, "Forever." Concerning the first, he does two things. First, he states what he asks for, namely joy; hence he says, "Let them rejoice," for this is the end of all good things. Ps. 67: "Let the just feast and exult before God, and let them delight in gladness." Second, for whom he asks, namely for those who hope; hence, "Who hope in you." Next, when he says "Forever they shall exult," he explains. First, he says "Let them rejoice." Second, when he says "Let them hope," at "For you have blessed the just." For the joy of the saints in the homeland is everlasting; and therefore he says "forever"; and secure, hence he adds, "And you will dwell in them"; full, for which reason he adds, "And they shall glory," etc. It is indeed everlasting, not temporal: Is. 51: "Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads," etc. Secure, without disturbance: Is. 32: "My people shall sit in the beauty of peace and in tents of confidence." And therefore he says, "And you will dwell in them," as a protector; hence Jerome has, "And you will protect them": Rev. 21: "Behold, the tabernacle of God with men, and he will dwell with them." It is also full; and this is evident from four things. First, from the glory conceived thereby; hence "they shall glory," because no one glories in a thing unless he possesses it excellently. But the saints possess God most excellently; therefore he says, "They shall glory." Second, from the matter, because they glory in the fullest thing, and in every good: Jn. 16: "Until now you have asked nothing in my name; ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full": Jn. 15: "That my joy may be in you," etc. And therefore he says, "In you." Third, from the companionship, because a person alone cannot rejoice well in something, but only when he has friends with him sharing in that good; and therefore he says, "All." Ps. 86: "The dwelling of all who rejoice is in you." Fourth, from the perfection, "who love"; for it is proper to friends to rejoice in the good of a friend, nor does a person easily let go of what he loves.
[86819] Next, when he says "For," he shows why they hope. First, because of the gift of grace. Second, from the mercy of predestination, etc. From the gift of grace, hence he says, "For you have blessed the just," namely by giving him a special grace: Eph. 1: "He blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places." And the mercy of predestination: Eph. 1: "We have been predestined according to the purpose of his will, who works all things in all." And this is what he says: "With the shield of your good will," that is, with the eternal will of his mercy, which from eternity disposed to save: Eph. 1: "He chose us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and spotless." What he says, "as with a shield," implies that the very will of God is like a shield against all evils: 2 Kgs. 23: "The Lord is my shield and my strength," etc. Or here it is like a shield protecting, but in the homeland it is like a shield crowning. For it was the ancient custom of the Romans to use round shields, and in these they placed the hope of victory; and when they triumphed, they used the same shield as a crown. And hence the saints are depicted with a round shield on their heads, because having obtained a triumph over their enemies, they bear a round shield on their heads, after the manner of the Romans, as a crown. He says therefore: "With the shield of your good will you have crowned us"; as if to say, for the shield of our coronation we have your good will, which defends us here and crowns us there.
Commentary on Psalm 6
[86820] In the preceding Psalm, David asked to be led in the way of justice on account of his enemies; here, however, he asks that his fall be repaired. And this Psalm seems to express the affections of a man who, having been chastised for his sins and delivered into the hands of his enemies, obtained liberation after doing penance. And therefore this is the first of the seven Penitential Psalms. They are seven on account of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, by whom one repents; and all begin with weeping and end in joy, because through the lamentation of penance one arrives at the kingdom of glory: Mt. 5: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." The title is as follows: "Unto the end, a Psalm of David, for the octave." Jerome translated it as: "For the leader, in psalms, upon the octave, a song of David." Concerning this title, it remains to be seen what is meant by the expression "for the octave." For the rest has been explained. It should be known, then, that the titles were composed by Ezra partly according to the things that were being done at the time, and partly according to things that had occurred. For it is found in the history of Lev. 23 that in the seventh month the Jews held the feast of tabernacles for seven days, and the eighth day was the most celebrated of all; for it was a day of assembly and collection, which was made for the necessities of divine worship and for the poor. And perhaps David composed this Psalm for that solemnity, and it was recited on the eighth day. Moreover, this feast pertains to a mystery, because by the number eight the resurrection is signified, when all will be gathered from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven, Mk. 13. Or the octave is so called because of the false opinion of certain people who said that after seven thousand years the resurrection would take place, with the Lord coming for judgment. But this time is known to no one: Acts 1: "It is not for you to know the times or the moments," etc. Mt. 24: "But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, but the Father alone." Hence another reason is given why the octave designates the resurrection: because in the present age there is a twofold life. One in which a person is occupied with bodily matters, the other with spiritual matters. The first life is signified by the number four, because it is the number of bodies, as even Plato says, because through it dimensions are signified. For among solids, the first bodily number is the pyramid, as Boethius teaches in his Arithmetic. Since, therefore, that pyramid is the first which, rising from a triangular base, extends into height, it follows that four is the first solid number. For example, if upon a triangle one erects lines above the three angles and joins the vertices at a single middle point, a pyramid is formed, whose base is one triangle and whose sides are triangles. But the second life, which is spiritual, is signified by the number three; for among plane figures, three is the first surface number. And the same Boethius says this in the same book. For the first surface is the triangle, entirely lacking in thickness. From the number seven, which is constituted from this four and three, the octave follows, namely the resurrection of bodies and souls. In the Gloss, however, another reason is assigned, so that it is said that the number four pertains to the body, because it consists of four elements and is affected by four qualities, namely dry and moist, hot and cold, and is governed by four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. But the number three pertains to the soul, on account of the three powers of the soul: namely, the rational, the irascible, and the concupiscible. When both lives have been completed, namely the bodily and the spiritual, as though the number seven having passed, the day of judgment will come, and to each person what is due will be rendered according to merit. Or the octave signifies the resurrection because it will occur in the eighth age. For the first age runs from Adam to Noah. The second from Noah to Abraham. The third from Abraham to David. The fourth from David to the Babylonian exile. The fifth from the Babylonian exile to Christ. The sixth from Christ to the end of the world. The sixth and seventh ages run simultaneously, namely the age of those at rest and those laboring, and after these will be the eighth age of those rising. This Psalm is divided into three parts. First, penance is treated. Second, the weeping of penance, at "I have labored," etc. Third, the fruit of both, at "Depart." But a person existing in sin suffers three disadvantages, from which he asks to be freed. The first is the perversity of action; the second is the wounding and weakness of nature; the third is the liability to imminent punishment. First, therefore, he asks to be freed from the first; and so he says, "Lord, not in your fury," etc. Second, against the second; and so he adds in prayer, "Have mercy on me," etc. Third, against the third; and so he subjoins, "But you, O Lord," etc. He says therefore: "Lord, not in your fury." Someone frees another from evil actions by rebuking with words and correcting with punishments; and God does both. But rebuke is sometimes given for correction, and this is in mercy: Ps. 140: "The just man will correct me," etc. Sometimes for condemnation, and this is of wrath. And therefore he says, "Lord, rebuke me," but "not in fury," because that belongs to vengeance, and this will happen in the judgment, when he will say, Mt. 25: "Depart from me, you cursed," etc. "For I was hungry," etc. Is. 30: "His fury is burning and heavy to bear," etc. But now he rebukes not in fury, because he rebukes for correction, not for condemnation; and this is what the Psalmist asks when he says, "Nor in your wrath correct me"; as if to say: correct me, but not in wrath or fury, but through temporal scourges. Augustine says: "Here burn, here cut, here do not spare, so that you may spare for eternity." Jer. 10: "Correct me, but with judgment."
[86821] Then when he says "Have mercy," he asks to be freed from the second, namely from the wounding and weakness of nature. And first he explains the infirmity in general; second in particular, at "Heal," etc. He says therefore, "Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak." Sin is a spiritual infirmity; for bodily infirmity occurs from the dissolution of the due proportion of humors. So when the affections of the soul are not proportionate, there is a spiritual sickness; and therefore he says, "I am weak." The Gloss says: "I am weak by nature and by vice, to such a degree that I cannot endure your justice." Ps. 115: "I am your servant and the son of your handmaid." Wis. 9: "A man who is weak and of short time, and lacking in the understanding of judgment and laws." Then when he says "Heal," etc., he explains in particular how he is weak, and this in two ways. First, because he has lost his strength; second, because he has lost his discernment, at "And my soul is greatly troubled," etc. He says therefore: "Heal me, Lord." Jer. 17: "Heal me, Lord, and I shall be healed," etc. Because if a person is free from sin, he is fit for retaining grace and the virtues, which are the person's strength. And therefore, "Heal me, Lord," and this I beg, "because my bones," that is, my strength, namely the virtue and fortitude of my soul, "are troubled." Likewise, discernment is disturbed, inasmuch as it seems to the sinner that he acts rightly when he sins; and therefore he says: "And my soul is greatly troubled," because he has a perverted judgment about what should be done, so that he judges what is good to be evil, and conversely. Then when he says, "But you, Lord," he prays against the liability to damnation. Here he does three things. First, he shows the imminent danger. Second, he asks for the help of grace, at "Turn back." Third, he explains the imminent danger, at "For there is none in death," etc. He says therefore: "I am weak, I cannot rise by myself; but you, Lord, who can -- how long will you not hear me?" Ps. 12: "How long, O Lord, will you forget me utterly?" In this it seemed dangerous to him that he was not being converted. Sir. 5: "Do not delay in turning to the Lord, and do not put it off from day to day, for suddenly his wrath will come, and in the time of vengeance he will destroy you." Hab. 1: "How long shall I cry and you will not hear, shall I call out to you, a true father, and you will not heal?" etc. As if to say: how long shall I be in sin, and you will not give help so that I may rise? And therefore he asks for help, saying, "Turn back," etc. And he touches upon three things: namely, conversion, rescue, and salvation. The eye of a person is not illuminated by the sun unless it has a direct orientation toward it; so too the soul, if it is to receive divine light, must have a direct gaze toward God. And such a direct gaze is always prepared on God's part; but a person turns away, and it is necessary that God convert him, inasmuch as he first turns to us by turning us to himself. And therefore he says, "Turn back." Lam. 5: "Turn us to you, Lord, and we shall be turned," etc. If someone in chains were being dragged to the gallows and saw someone in whom he trusted, he would earnestly ask and say, "Rescue me." In this manner the Psalmist prays, saying, "Rescue my soul"; as if to say: rescue me, dragged by sin, led to death. Prov. 24: "Rescue those who are led to death." Ps. 68: "Rescue me from the mire, that I may not be stuck fast," etc. Col. 1: "He has rescued us from the power of darkness." Likewise, "Save me." After you have freed me from evils, bring me to salvation. Ps. 62: "In him is my salvation"; and this not through my merits, but "on account of your mercy": Tit. 3: "Not by works of justice which we have done, but according to his own mercy he saved us."
[86822] Then when he says "For," he shows the imminent danger. And first, the danger of present death, namely natural death. Second, of eternal damnation, from which there is no return. Hence, "For there is none in death," that is, after death, "who is mindful of you," namely by thinking of your goodness, if he was not mindful of it in life. And this is so because the rational soul does not have flexibility of choice after death. Eccl. 11: "Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in whatever place it falls, there it will be." The second danger is that in Hell there is obstinacy, and there is no confession there -- that confession of which the Apostle speaks, Rom. 10: "With the mouth confession is made unto salvation." And therefore he says: "But in Hell, who will confess to you?" Or alternatively: "In death," that is, the death of sin, "who is mindful of you?" As if to say: I beseech you, rescue my soul lest I consent, because in my sin I will not be mindful of you. Dan. 13: "They turned away their eyes so as not to see heaven, nor to remember just judgments." "But in Hell," that is, in the depths of sins, "who will confess to you?" Prov. 18: "When the impious man comes into the depths of sins, he will show contempt."
[86823] Then when he says "I have labored," he sets forth the groaning of the penitent, where he seems to touch upon three things. First, sorrow of heart. Second, failure of reason, at "My eye is troubled." Third, weakness of strength, at "I have grown old." Sorrow of heart is indicated in three ways. First, by groaning and sighs. Second, by bodily restlessness. Third, by tears. As to the first, he says, "I have labored in my groaning," namely by sighing: Lam. 1: "Many are my groanings, and my heart is sorrowful," etc. Ps. 37: "I roared from the groaning of my heart." And he says "I have labored," because it is labor to fight against oneself, and yet this labor bears good fruit: Wis. 3: "Glorious is the fruit of good labors." As to the second, he says, "I will wash": here he mentions two things, namely the bed and the bedding; and although these two are taken for the same thing, we follow the proper meaning. Bedding refers to the coverings spread upon the bed. The bed is that which is placed underneath, and is called "lectus" from "choosing," namely the straw and similar materials from which the bed is made. By saying, therefore, "I will wash my bed every night," he gives us to understand that every night he would rise and, leaning beside his bed, weep. Jerome's text reads, "I will make my bed swim"; and it is a figurative expression. Or, "I will make it swim," that is, I will cause it to move as if swimming, from my restlessness upon it. He says moreover, "With my tears I will drench my bedding," because even while lying in bed, he would drench the bed coverings by weeping, as if with a flood of tears. Morally, the bed in which a person rests is the conscience; this a person washes through tears in penance: Jer. 4: "Wash your heart from wickedness." By the bedding are signified sins, which are spread over the conscience; and these must be washed away with tears, because tears wash away the offense that one is ashamed to confess. The Gloss says: Lam. 2: "My eyes have failed from weeping," etc. He says "every night," that is, for each sin. For a person ought to weep in penance for each sin. Here it is given to be understood that the penitent has alternating turns, because among the good things he did, he sometimes sinned, and he wept for each. Hence he does not say "for one night," but "for each night." Moreover, he says "I will drench" on account of the abundance of tears: Jer. 9: "Who will give water to my head and tears to my eyes," etc. Lam. 2: "Pour out tears like a torrent by day and night; let not the pupils of your eyes be silent."
[86824] Next, when he says "My eye is troubled," he sets forth the failure of reason. For sorrow is the cause of anger; and therefore one who is sorrowful easily grows angry. But anger always disturbs the eye of reason. And those who are disturbed foresee less well. And therefore he says: "My eye is troubled," that is, my reason, "but by the fury of others." For David was angry and troubled when he saw that Absalom his son and his counselors had risen against him. Or "by his own fury," because he was troubled against his own sins. For he recognized, in the state of that persecution, that he was justly afflicted on account of his sins; and this anger does not blind, but disturbs. But another kind of anger does blind. Or "by your fury," O Lord God, by which you punish me, as if provoked by me, because I have troubled you: Is. 38: "My eyes are weakened by looking upward": Job 16: "My face is swollen from weeping and lamentation," etc. Third, he shows the weakness of strength when he says, "I have grown old," etc. When someone in his youth was victorious and strong, but afterward suffers not only from a stranger but also from his own kin, he is considered to be growing old. So David, who in his youth had conquered all, but now was fleeing from his own son, says, "I have grown old," namely in the estimation of others, "among all my enemies," both open and hidden: Heb. 8: "But what grows old and ages is near to destruction." Or the sinner grows old by departing from the newness of Christ, of which the Apostle speaks, Rom. 6: "Let us walk in newness of life, that we may serve in newness of spirit." Rom. 7, the Gloss says: "Let us serve in the works of the new man, that is, of Christ, which we attain not by our own powers or by the law, but by the grace of the Holy Spirit." "Knowing that our old man was crucified together with him," Rom. 6, "so that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we might no longer serve sin." Through which servitude one is reduced to the oldness of sin, having become a member of the old man. For this reason the Apostle urges and persuades, Rom. 12: "Be reformed in the newness of your sense, or of your mind." "Be reformed," says the Gloss, "because in Adam you were deformed in newness," etc. The new man, namely Christ. That is, in imitation of this oldness and wretchedness of deformity, the prophet laments under a question, saying, Bar. 3: "What is it, O Israel, that you are in the land of your enemies? You have grown old in a foreign land," etc. And this agrees with what is said here, "I have grown old among all my enemies": whether demons, or all the sins to which I have consented. And so what he says, "I have grown old," in this sense is the matter of groaning; as if to say: therefore "I will wash," etc., because I have grown old, having imitated the old man, subjecting myself to all vices. And then what was said, "My eye is troubled," etc., is referred to the state of the penitent. Or it can be referred to the matter of justice, and this with regard to the state of sin; as if to say: therefore I have grown old, that is, I have sinned, because my eye, that is, my flesh, was troubled by fury, that is, by the impulse of passion: Ps. 57: "Fire," namely of concupiscence, according to Augustine's Gloss, "fell upon them, and they did not see the sun," namely of justice: Dan. 13: "Concupiscence subverted your heart." Likewise: "They burned with desire for her," etc., "so that they did not remember just judgments." From the impulse of passion, therefore, David says that the eye of reason was disturbed in him, so that he did not see heaven; and this was the concupiscence for Bathsheba, 2 Kgs. 11, whom he summoned to himself and knew. And afterward, having learned that she was pregnant, to the crime of adultery he added the crime of murder. Hence he ordered Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, to be treacherously killed; for which most grave sins, by the just judgment of God, he suffered persecution from his son.
[86825] "Depart." This is the third principal part, in which the fruit of penance is set forth. Hence here he shows himself to have been heard, and thereupon he rejoices. And concerning this he does three things. First, he repels his enemies from himself. Second, he confesses that he has been heard, at "For you have heard." Third, he foretells the fate of his enemies, at "Let them be ashamed." He says therefore, "Depart," etc. Suppose that someone has been afflicted on account of sin; after pardon has been given, he can taunt his enemies, whether those who led him into sin or those who persecute him bodily. According to the literal sense, Jerome says "Depart from me," to those who lead me into sin, "because I do not want your company": 2 Cor. 6: "Therefore separate yourselves, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you." Or, "Depart from me, all you who work iniquity," that is, you unjust workers who persecute me unjustly. "Depart," I say, "from me, because the Lord is with me as a mighty warrior": Jer. 20. Hence Ps. 26: "If armies encamp against me, my heart shall not fear." And through this is signified the future persecution and separation of the wicked from the good: Mt. 13: "They will separate the wicked from the midst of the just." Likewise Mt. 25: "They will separate them from one another, as a shepherd separates," etc. And further in the same chapter: "Depart from me, you cursed," etc. Next, when he says "For he has heard," he declares that he has been heard. Here it should be noted that above he had set forth three things: namely, prayer, when he said "Have mercy"; second, entreaty, that he might be freed: "Turn back"; third, lamentation: "I have labored," etc. And these three he says were heard in reverse order. And first the groaning, saying, "The Lord has heard," etc. The groaning of the saints has a voice before God: Sir. 35: "He will not despise the voice of the orphan, nor the widow if she pour forth her speech of groaning. Do not the widow's tears run down her cheek, and her cry go up against the one who caused them? From the cheek they ascend to heaven, and the Lord who hears will not take pleasure in them." And Gen. 4: "The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the earth." Therefore that holy lady Judith said, Jud. 8: "Let us seek his pardon with tears." Second, the entreaty; for entreaty, properly according to the Gloss of Cassiodorus, is for the removal of evils: Lk. 1: "Your entreaty has been heard." The Gloss says there, "By which you prayed for the liberation of the people." To show, therefore, that he has been freed from the evils for which he had prayed, saying "Turn back," etc., he adds here: "The Lord has heard my entreaty." Third, the prayer, namely that it might enter into his sight; and this is what he adds: "The Lord has received my prayer." And note that he says "Lord" three times here, to show that he has been heard by the whole Trinity: Ps. 66: "May God, our God, bless us; may God bless us."