PSALM CIII. (BENEDIC ANIMA.) God is to be praised for his mighty works, and wonderful providence. Riches. Literally, "possession." (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "The fulness of the earth is thy possession." Septuagint and ancient psalters, "creature;" Greek: ktiseos. The other interpreters read Greek: kteseos, (Calmet) which the Vulgate adopts. (Haydock) --- The world derided Jesus Christ, the wisdom of God, and Creator of all. (St. Augustine) Arms. Man acts thus to denote something very extensive. (Haydock) --- The sea is frequently put for the same purpose, Job xi. 9., and Lamentations ii. 13. Arms is omitted in the Septuagint and the ancient psalters. --- Creeping. Fishes, (Genesis i. 20.; Calmet) and all animals without feet (Worthington) in the waters. (Haydock) --- Nothing multiplies so fast as fishes. (Aristotle, Anim. ix. 17.) (Worthington) Go. The sea, which seems to be placed as a barrier, tends, by means of navigation, to the general convenience of nations. (Calmet) --- Dragon. Leviathan, a huge fish, (Job xl. 20.; Worthington) which Bochart takes to be the crocodile; though that monster is found rather in rivers. (Berthier) --- It designates here all whales, and other great fishes which play in the sea without experiencing any fear like mortals. Some translate "to play with it," (Calmet) as Greek: auto cannot agree with Greek: Thalassa. (Berthier) --- The prodigious size of these fishes costs God nothing. (Calmet) --- The whole creation is but a plaything for him, ludens in orbe terrarum, Proverbs viii. 31. (Haydock) --- Some Jews impiously pretend that God plays three hours a day with the leviathan, and that he only created two; one of which he killed to make a feast for the elect, and the other causes the tides, by turning itself, &c. See 4 Esdras, written at least in the second century. (St. Jerome) (Muis) (Calmet) --- Though this monster be too strong for man, it cannot defend itself out of water; (Worthington) and even in its own element man gains the victory by his skill. (Haydock) All, is not in Hebrew, [or] Septuagint. (Calmet) But the sense is the same. (Haydock)