Man, who wished sincerely to practise his religion, like Daniel, &c. Such you have persecuted, and hence God has filled you with alarms, and will punish you. (Calmet) --- Some persevere in justice, amid the general contagion and insults of men. (Worthington) PSALM XIII. (DIXIT .) The general corruption of men, before our redemption by Christ. Sion; which God has chosen for his sanctuary. (Haydock) --- Salvation, or the Saviour, whom Jacob expected, Genesis lxix. (Berthier) --- This Redeemer would fill all, both Jews and Gentiles, with joy, who should embrace his faith. (St. Augustine, &c.) --- The prophet seems to foretell the restoration of the ten tribes to the kingdom of Judea, as it took place after the captivity. (Calmet, Diss.) --- But he sighed for, and designated more particularly, (Haydock) the Saviour of the world; who would redeem man from the tyranny of the devil, to the great joy of those who strive to supplant every vice, and to contemplate God, (Worthington) as some interpret the names of Jacob and Israel. (Haydock) --- The Gentiles will then be ingrafted into the stock of Abraham, (Menochius) into the true olive-tree, Romans xi. (Haydock) David. The word psalm being appropriated to some, while others are styled hymns, &c., does not hinder the latter from being also psalms or spiritual songs, to be set to music: so the insertion of David, "the beloved's name," in some of these divine canticles, is no proof that the rest were not written by him. (Worthington) --- The author describes the perfection of priests, &c., contrasts the sanctity of those who shall inherit Jerusalem with that of the wicked mentioned in the last psalm. Some copies have To the end in the title, while others omit it, with the Hebrew, St. Chrysostom, &c. --- Hill. The Jews comforted themselves with the hopes of seeing Jerusalem rebuilt, Psalm cxxxi. 1. The prophets describe those who should return from captivity, as holy people, (Isaias xxvi. 3., and Sophonias iii. 13.; Calmet) a figure of the Church. (Haydock) --- Heaven is also styled a tabernacle and mountain, (Apocalypse xv. 5., and Hebrews xii. 22.; Berthier) and is here chiefly (Haydock) meant. See ver. 5. (Worthington) Justice. These two things characterize the true Israelites. (Calmet) --- We must avoid sin, and do good, in thought, word and deed, ver. 3. (Worthington) Heart, as he thinks. (Haydock) --- Those who sincerely love truth, will not deceive others. (Calmet) --- We must be attached to all revealed truths, and avoid all the disorders of the tongue. --- Up, which would otherwise have fallen to the ground, &c. (Berthier) --- Reproach. Rashly giving credit to injurious reports, (Calmet; St. Augustine; Exodus xxiii. 1.) or speaking with insult, (Theodoret) even in giving correction, (St. Hilary) or listening to detraction. (Worthington) Nothing. He despises all wickedness, though done by kings, whose power he considers as the means of destruction, 1 Kings xv. 26., and Luke xxiii. 9. The wicked dares not appear before an upright judge, like David, Psalm c. 2. Hebrew may be "the wicked is despised." (St. Jerome) (Haydock) --- Those who follow the Jews, have "he thinks meanly of himself," which is very good; but the sense of the Vulgate seems more pointed, (Calmet) though the other contains a noble maxim of the gospel. (Berthier) --- Protestants, "in whose eyes a vile person is contemned." The sinner is the only person who is truly vile, in the opinion of the just, who forms not his opinion on outward appearances. (Haydock) --- Lord. Glory is the reward of good works. (Worthington) --- Neighbour. This sense is conformable to the Hebrew without points, (Geneb.) and more beautiful than that of the Rabbins, "against his own interest," (Junius) "to do evil," (Ainsworth) "friendship," (Symmachus) or "to afflict himself." (St. Jerome) --- We find such vows strongly enforced, Number xxx. 3., and Deuteronomy xxiii. 21. (Calmet) --- Protestants, "that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not." (Haydock) --- It were to be wished that oaths were not necessary. (Calmet) --- But when they are, the Lord must be the arbiter of truth, and not idols; as by swearing, we testify that we believe God is the sovereign truth, and thus honour his name. See Leviticus xix 12., and Matthew v. 33. (Haydock) Usury. This was always blameable, though Moses tolerated it with respect to the Jews lending to the Chanaanites, Deuteronomy xxiii. 19., and Luke vi. 35. The Roman law condemned the guilty to pay double as much as the thief, who was to restore twice the value of what he had stolen. (Cato 1.) --- Under the semblance of kindness it does a real injury; (St. Hilary) etiam his invisa quibus succurrere videtur. (Columella, pr\'e6f.) (Calmet) --- Bribes, "presents." Even these are dangerous, as they tend to prepossess the judge. (Haydock) --- Both usury and doing wrong for bribes exclude from heaven. (Worthington) --- A judge must shake such things from his hands, (Isaias xxxiii. 15.) as he cannot take them to give either a just or a wrong sentence. His duty requires him to give the former; so that the innocent would thus be purchasing what was his own. (Calmet) --- The same maxims must be applied to all in authority, (Haydock) to witnesses, &c. (Calmet) --- Those who have not failed in any of these respects, must be possessed of faith, and all other necessary virtues, before they can enter heaven. For when the scripture attributes salvation to any one virtue in particular, it does not mean to exclude the rest. --- For ever. All terrestrial things are mutable; and of course, the psalmist speaks of heaven. If so great perfection was required, to appear in the tabernacle, how much more must be expected of the candidate for heaven! (Worthington) --- The good Christian who has not yielded to temptation, may there enjoy undisturbed repose. Isaias (xxiii. 15.) uses similar expressions, when describing the state of Jerusalem, after the defeat of Sennacherib. (Calmet) PSALM XIV. (DOMINE QUIS .) What kind of men shall dwell in the heavenly Sion. The inscription of a title. That is, a pillar or monument, Greek: stelographia: which is as much as to say, that this psalm is most worthy to be engraved on an everlasting monument. (Challoner) --- Mictam. Protestants, "Michtam." Marginal note, or "golden psalm of David," or most excellent. St. Jerome, &c., have divided the word into two: "of the humble and upright David." (Haydock) --- It may signify "inscribed." (Calmet) --- But there seems to be no reason for abandoning the Septuagint, who were well acquainted with the original. The psalm is in the form of a prayer, which David pronounces in the person of Christ, to whom the apostles apply several verses; and, as the rest seem to be of the same nature, we must understand all of the Messias, praying, in his sacred humanity, (Berthier) that his body may remain incorrupt. It may refer to Ezechias, to the captives, or rather to David, persecuted by Saul, and provoked to serve false gods, 1 Kings xxvi. 19. But then many expressions must be explained figuratively, (Calmet) and this would tend to weaken the prediction, (Berthier) which all the Fathers have understood of Christ suffering. (Calmet) --- The thing most worthy to be noted, by the prophet David, is our Saviour's crucifixion; (Worthington) the memory of which must be perpetuated. Job (xix. 24.) wished that what he said about the resurrection, might thus be engraven on flint. (Haydock) --- Preserve. David acknowledges his infirmity, and that all good comes from God. (Calmet) --- Jesus was heard praying with tears, &c., Hebrews v. 7. In his humanity, He might use these expressions, (Haydock) as He was the head of a new people, whom he wished to sanctify and instruct. (Berthier) --- He often prayed, as the gospel informs us. (Worthington) I have. Hebrew, "Thou, my soul, hast said." But St. Jerome agrees with us. --- Goods. Hebrew, "my good is not above thee." I can desire nothing greater. (Berthier) --- Aquila and Vatable seem to have the same idea as the Septuagint. We reap all the profit from our piety. (Calmet) --- The redemption was entirely for man's benefit, (Worthington) though it gave the greatest glory to God. (Haydock) --- Since God, therefore, wants nothing, I will shew my kindness (Bellarmine) to the poor. (Haydock) Saints. Hebrew, "the magnificent" priests, God himself, (Exodus xv. 11.; Calmet) and ceremonies of religion, (Haydock) for which David had a wonderful affection. (Calmet) --- But Christ has displayed the greatest love towards all his converts, and they had need of it. (Berthier) --- God here speaks, shewing that Christ should make known his wonderful charity to the apostles and other saints. Haste. Men who are convinced of their own infirmities, hasten to find a remedy. (Worthington) --- No sooner had fallen man been redeemed, that he strove to advance in the ways of perfection. (Berthier) --- The sins, to which the saints sometimes yield, tend to make them more cautious (Calmet) and grateful to their deliverer, like St. Peter. Persecutions likewise cause them to cling closer to God, and fill them with interior joy, Acts v. 41. (Haydock) --- If we explain it of the wicked, chastisement often makes them repent, Psalm lxxvii. 34. (Calmet) --- "Their idols have been multiplied after their followers, I will not join in their libations of blood." (St. Jerome) --- David was continually exposed to such temptations, among the idolaters; but out of contempt, he would not even pronounce the name of the idols. (Calmet) --- Blood, or bloody. (Du Hamel) --- The pagan (Worthington) and Mosaic sacrifices shall cease. Christ will unite us (Berthier) by a more excellent oblation of his own body and blood. (Haydock) --- Christians shall be distinguished by a fresh appellation, being styled children of light and of God, in opposition to the sons of men, (St. Augustine, &c. Calmet) and pagans. PSALM XV. ( ME DOMINE.) Christ's future victory and triumph over the world and death. Cup. Eternal happiness consists in seeing (Worthington) and enjoying God, (Haydock) and is promised to the patient. Though Christ was truly king of Israel and exercised jurisdiction, (John xii., and xviii. 37., and Matthew xxi., &c. Worthington) yet it was not of a temporal nature; (Haydock) and his chief inheritance was the Lord, who would reward his merits. He has taught all clergymen to make this happy choice; as they declare when they become such. Man may call God his inheritance, as he was made for him; and though he may have fallen, if he rise again, his title will be restored, and he may obtain felicity, whether he live in the world or retire from it. (Worthington) --- David alludes to the custom of allotting each his portion of wine and meat, which was greater in proportion to the person's dignity. He rejects with disdain all worldly and sensual joys. (Calmet) --- God in not "a part," but the whole portion of a good man. --- It is, &c. St. Jerome, "Thou are the possessor of my lot." I trust in thee for all. (Haydock) (1 Peter i. 4., and 2 Timothy i. 12.) In the ancient sacrifices a part was reserved for the offerer. But Jesus keeps nothing back.