Psalm 3: Domine quid multiplicati sunt (verse 1)

King David in prayer
Pieter Fransz. de Grebber (1600–1652)

I am looking in this series, at how to gain a greater understanding of Psalm 3, including the Latin of it, following the Holy Father's catechesis on the psalms as the prayerbook of the Church  For a general introduction to Psalm 3, see the previous post.

Psalm 3 overview

Here is the whole text and translation of Psalm 3 again, with the verse we will look at in more detail in this post highlighted:

1.  Psalmus David, cum fugeret a facie Absalom filii sui.
The psalm of David when he fled from the face of his son Absalom.
2. Dómine quid multiplicáti sunt qui tríbulant me? * multi insúrgunt advérsum me.
Why, O Lord, are they multiplied that afflict me? many are they who rise up against me.
3. Multi dicunt ánimæ meæ: * Non est salus ipsi in Deo ejus.
Many say to my soul: There is no salvation for him in his God.
4. Tu autem, Dómine, suscéptor meus es, * glória mea, et exáltans caput meum.
But thou, O Lord art my protector, my glory, and the lifter up of my head.
5. Voce mea ad Dóminum clamávi: * et exaudívit me de monte sancto suo.
I have cried to the Lord with my voice: and he hath heard me from his holy hill.
6. Ego dormívi, et soporátus sum: * et exsurréxi, quia Dóminus suscépit me.
I have slept and taken my rest: and I have risen up, because the Lord hath protected me
7. Non timébo míllia pópuli circumdántis me: * exsúrge, Dómine, salvum me fac, Deus meus.
I will not fear thousands of the people, surrounding me: arise, O Lord; save me, O my God.
8. Quóniam tu percussísti omnes adversántes mihi sine causa: * dentes peccatórum contrivísti.
For thou hast struck all them who are my adversaries without cause: thou hast broken the teeth of sinners.
9. Dómini est salus: * et super pópulum tuum benedíctio tua.
Salvation is of the Lord: and thy blessing is upon thy people.

By way of a refresher on the general thrust of the psalm, St Athanasius says of this psalm:

"If you are persecuted by your own family and opposed by many, say Psalm 3… hearing how God helps those who hope and trust in Him, the listener too rejoices and begins to render thanks, as though that gracious help already were his own. Psalm 3, to take another instance, a man will sing, bearing his own afflictions in his mind (Letter on psalms)"

Verse 1

The first verse of the psalm as it is said in the Office (ie skipping the title) is:

Dómine quid multiplicáti sunt qui tríbulant me? multi insúrgunt advérsum me.

If you are using this series to learn to say the Office in Latin, the first thing to do is listen to the recording of this verse several times (see the links in the previous post), or use the crib notes on how to pronounce ecclesiastical Latin, until you can say it reasonably fluently.  Then trying singing it (as slowly as you like) on one note.

The translation that appears in many breviaries, from Coverdale, of this verse is: "Lord how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise against me."  The rather more literal version of the Latin from the Douay-Rheims is: "Why, O Lord, are they multiplied that afflict me? many are they who rise up against me."

Phrase by phrase

Let's take a look at it phrase by phrase:

Dómine= O Lord

quid (why) multiplicáti sunt (they are multiplied/they have been multiplied) = why are they multiplied. 

This is an attempt to render a Hebrew idiom.  The sense, then, is of someone hard pressed by an ever increasing number of enemies, reflected in the Revised Standard Version translation as: ‘O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me’.  An even more idiomatic modern translation might be something like, Lord, why do I do so many enemies keep appearing? 

multi (many) insúrgunt (they rise) advérsum me (against me) =many rise up against/attack me

Pope Benedict comments on this verse and the next that:

"The idea of “multitude” is conveyed with the triple use of “many” — three words that in the original text are different terms with the same Hebrew root so as to give further emphasis to the enormity of the danger — in a repetitive manner, as it were, hammering it in. This insistence on the large number of his enemies serves to express the Psalmist’s perception of the absolute disproportion between him and his persecutors, which justifies and establishes the urgency of his plea for help; his oppressors are numerous, they get the upper hand, whereas the man praying is alone and defenceless, at the mercy of his assailants. Yet the first word the Psalmist says is “Lord”; his cry opens with a call to God."

For reflection

St Robert Bellarmine comments...

"David, addressing himself in prayer to God, complains of and wonders at the number of his enemies…Such was the case with Christ, especially in his passion, for then his son, that is his people, rebelled against him, crying out: “we have no king but Caesar,” and he, like a sick man and a fugitive, was obliged to fly from them through his death; but speedily returned through his Resurrection…"

Word by word

For those wanting to get down and learn some or all of the Latin vocabulary used in this psalm, here is a word list for the verse:

dominus, i, m. a master, lord, ruler
quis, quid, interrog, pron., who? which? what? why? wherefore?
multiplico, avi, atum, are to multiply, increase.
qui, quae, quod, pron. rel., who, which, what, that,
tribulo, avi, atum, are to press, oppress, afflict, harass.
multus, a, um, much; many, numerous; much, great.
insurgo, surrexi, surrectum, ere 3 (in and surgo), to rise up against, revolt against;
adversus prep, with acc against, in the presence of, over against, before.
me me (personal pronoun)

You can find the notes on verse 2 here.