Psalms 91 · The Lantern

The `title of the oon and nyntithe salm. `The salm of `song, in the dai of sabath.

When the great David heard and understood this, he [David] said to him "who dwells in the shelter of the most High; He will overshadow you with his shoulders," which is the same as being behind God (for the shoulder is on the back of the body). Concerning himself David says, "My soul clings close to you, your right hand supports me." You see how Psalms agree with the history.

The praise of a song, by David himself. First we ought to know this: that from the eighty-eighth psalm up to the hundredth—that is, eleven psalms—have no title in the Hebrew; and that they belong, as we treated most recently in the previous psalm, to the same person to whom that one belongs as well which is headed with this title: "A prayer of Moses, the man of God."

He then who so imitates Christ as to endure all the troubles of this world, with his hopes set upon God, that he falls into no snare, is broken down by no panic fears, he it is "who dwells under the defence of the Most High, who shall abide under the protection of God" [Psalm 91:1], in the words with which the Psalm, which you have heard and sung, begins.

It is good to knouleche to the Lord; and to synge to thi name, thou hiyeste.

To schewe eerli thi merci; and thi treuthe bi nyyt.

In a sautrie of ten cordis; with song in harpe.

"He shall defend you between His shoulders, and you shall hope under His wings" [Psalm 91:4]. He says this, that your protection may not be to you from yourself, that you may not imagine that you can defend yourself; He will defend you, to deliver you from the hunter's snare, and from an harsh word.

The soul is disposed to the gift of fortitude through the unconquerable shield of faith. The devil draws man to the concupiscence of the flesh, to the concupiscence of the eyes, and to the pride of life. What is the means of resisting these? Through truth.

For thou, Lord, hast delitid me in thi makyng; and Y schal make ful out ioye in the werkis of thin hondis.

"And you shall sleep and there shall be none to terrify you". Solomon too in the Proverbs said: "for if you sit, you shall be without fear; and if you sleep, you shall gladly take sleep; and you shall not fear the terror coming upon you, nor the assaults of the impious coming upon you".

"His truth shall surround thee with a shield." What are "the wings," the same is "the shield:" since there are neither wings nor shield. If either were literally, how could the one be the same as the other? can wings be a shield or a shield wings? But all these expressions, indeed, are figuratively used through likenesses.

Lord, thi werkis ben magnefied greetli; thi thouytis ben maad ful depe.

An vnwise man schal not knowe; and a fool schal not vndirstonde these thingis.

A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand. "At your side" and "at your right hand." He did not say, "at your left," because the just man has no left, just as it is written in the Gospel: "Whoever shall strike you on the right cheek, offer him the other also." He did not say, "offer the left"; since indeed the lambs shall stand at the right, and the…

Many then fell before the demon of the noon-day. Would ye know how many? He goes on, and says, "A thousand shall fall beside you, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you" [Psalm 91:7].

Scripture enlightens from the right by means of dangerous satisfactions. Nor is it without reason that satisfactions are called dangerous and punishments benign, for satisfactions entail serious risk. Behold Adam, Saul, Solomon, the idolater Jeroboam, and the Prince of Angels, to all of whom temporal satisfactions and a state of high eminence were occasions of ruin.

Whanne synneris comen forth, as hey; and alle thei apperen, that worchen wickidnesse.

That thei perische in to the world of world; forsothe thou, Lord, art the hiyest, withouten ende. For lo!

Lord, thin enemyes, for lo! thin enemyes schulen perische; and alle schulen be scaterid that worchen wickidnesse.

And myn horn schal be reisid as an vnicorn; and myn eelde in plenteuouse merci.

Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

And note: do you think it was as though inferior to the angels, or needing the help of angels, that the Savior said: or do you think that I cannot ask my Father, and he will furnish me more than twelve legions of angels?

What then, my brethren, what is said of our Head? "For Thou, Lord, art my hope," etc. Of this we have spoken, "for He has given His angels charge over You, to keep You in all Your ways" [Psalm 91:11]. You heard these words but now, when the Gospel was being read; attend therefore. Our Lord, after He was baptized, fasted. Why was He baptized?

And myn iye dispiside myn enemyes; and whanne wickid men rysen ayens me, myn eere schal here.

A iust man schal floure as a palm tree; he schal be multiplied as a cedre of Liban.

This power the Creator conferred on his Christ first of all, even as the ninetieth psalm [LXX] says of him: "You shall tread on the lion and the cobra; the young lion and the serpent you shall trample under foot." Isaiah also says, "In that day the Lord God shall draw his sacred, great and strong sword" (even his Christ) "against that dragon, that great and tortuous serpent; an…

The rest of what follows pertains to the same exposition. But that the just and those dear to God have the power to trample upon the ancient and twisted serpent, and to press down his whole army with the heel of the foot, we find most evidently in the Gospel.

However, we should not be without anxiety, dearly beloved, because we know that [God] is keeping his patience for such a long time. The fact that such great things happen in the world and he still does not avenge them indicates patience, not carelessness. God has not lost his power but is preserving us for repentance.

Men plauntid in the hous of the Lord; schulen floure in the porchis of the hous of oure God.

Yit thei schulen be multiplied in plenteuouse elde; and thei schulen be suffryng wel. That thei telle, that oure Lord God is riytful; and no wickidnesse is in hym.

Psalms91