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) Thy. Chaldean adds, "holy;" and the Fathers explain it of a spiritual renovation, or of the resurrection of the body. (Berthier) --- Animals are still preserved by Providence. (Eusebius) (Calmet) Works. Seeing that they are good, Genesis i. 31. May all continue to answer the end for which they were created. (Calmet) Smoke. Exodus xix. 18., and xx. 18. God is terrible as well as clement. (Calmet)