The Penitential Psalms: Psalm 37/2: Verse 6

anon, 1658

Verse 6 of Psalm 37 offers us some possible lessons about how the important link between body and our state of mind.

Text

The first section of the psalm describes the psalmists sorry state, as God’s arrows, or chastisements rain down upon him. In verse 6 he says:

Miser factus sum, et curvátus sum usque in finem: * tota die contristátus ingrediébar.

The Douay-Rheims renders this as:

“I have become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I walked sorrowful all the day long”

Miser means wretched or miserable, so the first phrase is literally, I have been made wretched. The verb curvare means to bend, bow, or bow down, so the next phrase is I am bowed down. Usque ad finem ad finem literally means until the end, so can be interpreted as until death, however the neo-Vulgate follows St Jerome’s translation from the Hebrew in substituting ‘nimis’ here, so 'utterly bowed down' is probably the better rendering. The second half of the verse is more straightforward: it says I walked around (ingrediebar) all day (tota die) sorrowful (contritatus).

The link between mind and body

6	V	Miser factus sum, et curvátus sum usque in finem: * tota die contristátus ingrediébar.
	NV	Inclinatus sum et incurvatus nimis; tota die contristatus ingrediebar
	JH	Adflictus sum et incuruatus sum nimis; tota die maerens ambulabam;

The Douay-Rheims renders this as: “I have become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I walked sorrowful all the day long.” Miser means wretched or miserable, so the first phrase is literally, I have been made wretched. The verb curvare means to bend, bow, or bow down, so the next phrase is I am bowed down. Usque ad finem ad finem literally means until the end, so can be interpreted as until death, however the neo-Vulgate follows St Jerome’s translation from the Hebrew in substituting ‘nimis’ here, so 'utterly bowed down' is probably the better rendering. The second half of the verse is more straightforward: it says I walked around (ingrediebar) all day (tota die) sorrowful (contritatus).

miser, era, erum, wretched, miserable

curvo, avi, atum, are (curvus), to bend, bow, bow down

finis, is, m., a boundary, limit, border; territory.  usque in finem =  utterly, altogether; or, always, forever

contristo, avi, atum, are to make sad or sorrowful, to sadden, cast down.

ingredior, gressus sum, gredi to enter, to go or come in; to walk, go about.

DR	I have become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I walked sorrowful all the day long.
Brenton	I have been wretched and bowed down continually: I went with a mourning countenance all the day.
MD	I am depressed and bowed down exceedingly, I go about sorrowful all the day long.
RSV	I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning.
Cover	I am brought into so great trouble and misery, that I go mourning all the day long.

The searing descriptions of the psalmist’s plight in the first half of this psalm, including this verse, point to the importance of the connection between mind and body.

These days it is fashionable to reject the importance of bodily gestures such as genuflecting, kneeling and custody of the eyes. Rather than being seen as tools to remind our minds of what we should be feeling and focusing on, they are often seen as signs of empty, even dangerous ritualism. Yet Scripture often reminds us, as this verse, that what we feel in our minds affects our bodies and vice versa.

If we feel true remorse for our sins then, we should indeed be literally bowed down, so ashamed that one can scarcely bare to lift up our eyes to heaven. St Robert Bellarmine comments:

“As regards the punishment, the passage may apply to that also; for the man guilty of sins of this class becomes "miserable, and is bowed down" very much, by remorse of conscience, by fear of God's anger, and by the shame that so humbles and confounds him, that he has not the courage to raise his eyes to heaven. Both constructions of it can be united in this way. I am become miserable by reason of my sin, and the punishment consequent on it, and very much bowed down, because I have turned to carnal and groveling pleasure the face of that soul I should have fixed upon God; through shame, I dare not look up to heaven, and, thus humble and abject, I am forced to look upon the ground, and for all these reasons "I walked sorrowful all the day long," my conscience always reproving and accusing one; for what pleasure can the wretch feel once he becomes cognizant of his own wretchedness.”

In the context of Lent, the penitential psalms, for example are traditionally said kneeling (as are the prayers at each of the hours of the Office).

And more generally, St Benedict teaches his monks and nuns to maintain custody of the eyes using this verse in order to manifest outwardly his or her inner humility:

“…he should always have his head bowed and his eyes toward the ground. Feeling the guilt of his sins at every moment, he should consider himself already present at the dread Judgment and constantly say in his heart what the publican in the Gospel said with his eyes fixed on the earth: "Lord, I am a sinner and not worthy to lift up my eyes to heaven" (Luke 18:13; Matt. 8:8); and again with the Prophet: "I am bowed down and humbled everywhere".

Psalm 37: Domine, ne in furore 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Psalmus David, in rememorationem de sabbato.	A psalm for David, for a remembrance of the sabbath.
1 Dómine, ne in furóre tuo árguas me, * neque in ira tua corrípias me.	1 Rebuke me not, O Lord, in your indignation; nor chastise me in your wrath.
2  Quóniam sagíttæ tuæ infíxæ sunt mihi: * et confirmásti super me manum tuam.	2 For your arrows are fastened in me: and your hand has been strong upon me.
3  Non est sánitas in carne mea a fácie iræ tuæ: * non est pax óssibus meis a fácie peccatórum meórum.	3 There is no health in my flesh, because of your wrath: there is no peace for my bones, because of my sins.
4  Quóniam iniquitátes meæ supergréssæ sunt caput meum: * et sicut onus grave gravátæ sunt super me.	4 For my iniquities have gone over my head: and as a heavy burden have become heavy upon me.
5 Putruérunt et corrúptæ sunt cicatríces meæ, * a fácie insipiéntiæ meæ.	5 My sores are putrefied and corrupted, because of my foolishness.
6  Miser factus sum, et curvátus sum usque in finem: * tota die contristátus ingrediébar.	6 I have become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I walked sorrowful all the day long.
7  Quóniam lumbi mei impléti sunt illusiónibus: * et non est sánitas in carne mea.	7 For my loins are filled with illusions; and there is no health in my flesh.
8  Afflíctus sum, et humiliátus sum nimis: * rugiébam a gémitu cordis mei.	8 I am afflicted and humbled exceedingly: I roared with the groaning of my heart.
9  Dómine, ante te omne desidérium meum: * et gémitus meus a te non est abscónditus.	9 Lord, all my desire is before you, and my groaning is not hidden from you.
10  Cor meum conturbátum est, derelíquit me virtus mea: * et lumen oculórum meórum, et ipsum non est mecum.	10 My heart is troubled, my strength has left me, and the light of my eyes itself is not with me.
11  Amíci mei, et próximi mei * advérsum me appropinquavérunt, et stetérunt.	11 My friends and my neighbours have drawn near, and stood against me.
12  Et qui juxta me erant, de longe stetérunt: * et vim faciébant qui quærébant ánimam meam.	12 And they that were near me stood afar off: And they that sought my soul used violence.
13  Et qui inquirébant mala mihi, locúti sunt vanitátes: * et dolos tota die meditabántur.	13 And they that sought evils to me spoke vain things, and studied deceits all the day long.
14  Ego autem tamquam surdus non audiébam: * et sicut mutus non apériens os suum.	14 But I, as a deaf man, heard not: and as a dumb man not opening his mouth.
15  Et factus sum sicut homo non áudiens: * et non habens in ore suo redargutiónes.	15 And I became as a man that hears not: and that has no reproofs in his mouth.
16  Quóniam in te, Dómine, sperávi: * tu exáudies me, Dómine, Deus meus.	16 For in you, O Lord, have I hoped: you will hear me, O Lord my God.
17  Quia dixi: Nequándo supergáudeant mihi inimíci mei: * et dum commovéntur pedes mei, super me magna locúti sunt.	17 For I said: Lest at any time my enemies rejoice over me: and whilst my feet are moved, they speak great things against me.
18  Quóniam ego in flagélla parátus sum: * et dolor meus in conspéctu meo semper.	18 For I am ready for scourges: and my sorrow is continually before me.
19  Quóniam iniquitátem meam annuntiábo: * et cogitábo pro peccáto meo.	19 For I will declare my iniquity: and I will think for my sin.
20  Inimíci autem mei vivunt, et confirmáti sunt super me: * et multiplicáti sunt qui odérunt me iníque.	20 But my enemies live, and are stronger than I: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
21  Qui retríbuunt mala pro bonis, detrahébant mihi: * quóniam sequébar bonitátem.	21 They that render evil for good, have detracted me, because I followed goodness.
22  Ne derelínquas me, Dómine, Deus meus: * ne discésseris a me.	22 Forsake me not, O Lord my God: do not depart from me.
23  Inténde in adjutórium meum, * Dómine, Deus, salútis meæ.	23 Attend unto my help, O Lord, the God of my salvation.

And you can find the next set of notes on Psalm 37 here.