Continuing this series on Psalm 118 (119), today’s stanza of encourages us to keep God’s promises to us firm in our mind so that we can withstand the assaults of those who attack us in this world, and it has a few verses in it of particular note, so I’ll linger over this stanza for a couple of days in order to draw them out.
Here is the whole stanza in the Knox translation:
49 Go not back on the word thou hast pledged to thy servant; there lies all my hope.
50 Good news in my affliction, thy promises have brought me life.
51 Ground down by the scorn of my oppressors, never from thy law I swerve aside.
52 Gracious comfort, Lord, is the memory of thy just dealings in times long past.
53 Great ruth have I to see wrong-doers, and how they abandon thy law.
54 Gone out into a land of exile, of thy covenant I make my song.
55 Gloom of the night finds me still thinking of thy name, Lord, still observant of thy bidding.
56 Guerdon I ask no other, but the following of thy will.
He has put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble…
Verses 50 and 51 set a contrast that echoes throughout Scripture, between the proud and the humble:“This has comforted me in my humiliation: because your word has enlivened me. The proud did iniquitously altogether: but I declined not from your law.”
As we go about our earthly life, the pilgrimage referred to in verse 54, we will face difficulties and humiliations. We can accept them peaceably, as things to learn and grow from, and stay fast in God’s way knowing that God has promised he will always be with us; this is the path of humility, modeled for us by Our Lady.
Or we can scream and shout, insist that we are in control, and attempt to impose our will on ourselves and others, and in the process, commit to the way of sin. This is the path of the proud.
How should we respond to the attacks of the proud?
The psalm recognizes that those trying to pursue the good will come under attack, and it instructs us on what to do.
First, cling fast to God’s law, stay on the path ourselves no matter the provocation.
Secondly, remember that justice will be served eventually, one way or another. Verse 53 invites us to remember the constant theme of the Old Testament, that evil will be punished, and good rewarded: “I remembered, O Lord, your judgments of old: and I was comforted.”
Thirdly though, and perhaps most importantly, it reminds us that we should be horrified at the prospect of others going to hell. There is still hope of redemption for even the worst sinner while he remains alive, and thus we must pray for the conversion of such souls: “A fainting has taken hold of me, because of the wicked that forsake your law.”
Text of the psalm
A verse by verse analysis
Today I'll provide the notes on Verses 49-53, the rest of the stanza tomorrow.
49 Memor esto verbi tui servo tuo, in quo mihi spem dedisti.
Be mindful of your word to your servant, in which you have given me hope.
Memor esto (imperative future of sum, esse, to be) = Be mindful
God is, of course, always ‘mindful’ of us or we would cease to exist! But he is said to be mindful of one when He is favorably disposed towards him or bestows favors on him.
memor, oris mindful of, thoughtful of. According to Britt, often translated by the verbs, to remember, call to mind, think of, take thought for, recall, recount, etc. God
verbi tui servo tuo= of your word to your servant
verbum, i, n.,word, command, edict, also a promise; saying, speech; Law, the Eternal Son.
servus, i, m., a slave, servant; servants of the Lord, devout men who keep the law; the people, i.e., the Israelites
in quo mihi spem dedisti= in which you have given me hope
spes, spei, f., hope; the object of hope; the thing hoped for; one who or that which furnishes ground for trust, confidence
do, dedi, datum, are, to give,
Bellarmine comments that: “God is not subject to forgetfulness, nor to fickleness, nor to retracting what he says; but he is, by a figure of speech, said to forget when he defers the execution of a promise, as if he had altogether forgotten it. Now, that he does designedly; and, though determined on carrying out his decrees, he still wishes his faithful servants to ask him to carry them out; and thus, prayer becomes one of the means through which God decreed to fulfill his promis¬es.”
50 Hæc me consolata est in humilitate mea, quia eloquium tuum vivificavit me.
This has comforted me in my humiliation: because your word has enlivened me.
Hæc me consolata est= This has comforted me
The ‘this’ here does not, according to St Robert Bellarmine refer back to the previous verse, but rather to the second phrase, God’s reviving word.
hic, haec, hoc, demon, pron., this
consolor, atus sum, ari, Active, to comfort, console, encourage; Passive, to be comforted, etc.
in humilitate mea= in my misery/humiliation/distress/affliction
humilitas, atis, f affliction, humiliation, wretchedness, misery.
quia eloquium tuum vivificavit me = because your word/promise has revived me.
quia, conj. for, because, that. truly, surely, indeed
eloquium, ii, n. , a word, oracle, speech, utterance, promise.
vivifico, avi, atum, are to quicken, give life to, vivify.
In the first verse he had hope, why? Because of God’s promises, a promise to exalt the lowly and humbled.
51 Superbi inique agebant usquequaque; a lege autem tua non declinavi.
The proud did iniquitously altogether: but I declined not from your law.
Superbi inique =The proud wickedly/unjustly
superbus, Subst., the proud, etc., at times connoting the idea of unfriendliness, ambition to subject others.
inique, adv. unjustly, wrongfully, wickedly
agebant usquequaque = they [the proud] were acting utterly [wickedly]
ago, egi, actum, ere 3 , to set in motion;to act, do, deal with inique agere, to act wickedly, to be false or disloyal to.
usquequaque, adv., utterly, altogether, exceedingly
ie Superbi inique agebant usquequaque =The proud acted totally unjustly/with the utmost wickedness
The proud here are portrayed as persecutors of the pious.
a lege autem tua =but from your law.
lex, legis, a law; the Law of God. the will of God
autem, adversative conj., but, on the contrary, however
non declinavi = I have not departed/swerved/turned away
declino, avi, atum, are, to bend from the straight path, to turn aside or away, depart from in a lit. or fig. sense; intransitive, to turn aside, go astray
But despite their evil efforts, the psalmist has stayed the course.
52 Memor fui judiciorum tuorum a sæculo, Domine, et consolatus sum.
I remembered, O Lord, your judgments of old: and I was comforted.
Memor fui (pf of sum) =I have been mindful
memor, oris mindful of, thoughtful of
judiciorum tuorum =of your judgments
judicium, i, n. judgment, decrees; law, commandment; the power, or faculty of judging wisely; justice.
a sæculo, Domine= from of old, O Lord
saeculum, i, n., a lifetime, generation, age; an indefinite period of time; forever, eternity; from of old, i.e., in ages past.
et consolatus sum= and I was comforted
consolor, atus sum, ari, Active, to comfort, console, encourage; Passive, to be comforted, etc.
Here we are told to remember the rewards and punishments meted out through the history chronicled in the Old Testament: so that fear of punishment might draw us back from sin, while hope of heaven draws us on to the good.
53 Defectio tenuit me, pro peccatoribus derelinquentibus legem tuam.
A fainting has taken hold of me, because of the wicked that forsake your law.
Defectio tenuit me= A fainting has seized me
The MT Hebrew suggests hot indignation or horror. The Septuagint Greek (ἀθυμία) however suggests despair or despondency.
defectio, onis, f. a fainting.
teneo, ui, tentum, ere 2, to hold, hold fast, seize.
pro peccatoribus = for the sinners
peccator, oris, m. a sinner, transgressor; the wicked, the godless
derelinquentibus legem tuam =transgressing against your law
delinquo, liqui, lictum, ere 3, to fail, offend, sin, transgress. =on account of sinners
Cassiodorus comments that: “Here the devotion of their holy association is expounded: they say that they are faint with grief because sinners were seen to abandon the Lord's law. Inevitably a holy person feels sorrow at a neighbour's guilt, for the devoted spirit longs for the salvation of all, and is heartbroken on seeing punishment looming over the person who he prays will not sin; he knows that evil gratuitously inflicted is more offensive to his Creator.”
Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm
And you can find notes on the rest of this stanza here.Here is the whole stanza in the Knox translation:
49 Go not back on the word thou hast pledged to thy servant; there lies all my hope.
50 Good news in my affliction, thy promises have brought me life.
51 Ground down by the scorn of my oppressors, never from thy law I swerve aside.
52 Gracious comfort, Lord, is the memory of thy just dealings in times long past.
53 Great ruth have I to see wrong-doers, and how they abandon thy law.
54 Gone out into a land of exile, of thy covenant I make my song.
55 Gloom of the night finds me still thinking of thy name, Lord, still observant of thy bidding.
56 Guerdon I ask no other, but the following of thy will.
He has put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble…
Verses 50 and 51 set a contrast that echoes throughout Scripture, between the proud and the humble:“This has comforted me in my humiliation: because your word has enlivened me. The proud did iniquitously altogether: but I declined not from your law.”
As we go about our earthly life, the pilgrimage referred to in verse 54, we will face difficulties and humiliations. We can accept them peaceably, as things to learn and grow from, and stay fast in God’s way knowing that God has promised he will always be with us; this is the path of humility, modeled for us by Our Lady.
Or we can scream and shout, insist that we are in control, and attempt to impose our will on ourselves and others, and in the process, commit to the way of sin. This is the path of the proud.
How should we respond to the attacks of the proud?
The psalm recognizes that those trying to pursue the good will come under attack, and it instructs us on what to do.
First, cling fast to God’s law, stay on the path ourselves no matter the provocation.
Secondly, remember that justice will be served eventually, one way or another. Verse 53 invites us to remember the constant theme of the Old Testament, that evil will be punished, and good rewarded: “I remembered, O Lord, your judgments of old: and I was comforted.”
Thirdly though, and perhaps most importantly, it reminds us that we should be horrified at the prospect of others going to hell. There is still hope of redemption for even the worst sinner while he remains alive, and thus we must pray for the conversion of such souls: “A fainting has taken hold of me, because of the wicked that forsake your law.”
Text of the psalm
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Vulgate
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Douay-Rheims
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49 Memor esto verbi
tui servo tuo, * in quo mihi spem dedísti.
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Be mindful of your word to your
servant, in which you have given me hope.
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50 Hæc me consoláta
est in humilitáte mea: * quia elóquium tuum vivificávit me.
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50 This has
comforted me in my humiliation: because your word has enlivened me.
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51 Supérbi iníque
agébant usquequáque: * a lege autem tua non declinávi.
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51 The proud did iniquitously
altogether: but I declined not from your law.
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52 Memor fui
judiciórum tuórum a sæculo, Dómine: * et consolátus sum.
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52 I remembered, O
Lord, your judgments
of old: and I was comforted.
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53 Deféctio ténuit
me, * pro peccatóribus derelinquéntibus legem tuam.
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53 A fainting has
taken hold of me, because of the wicked that forsake
your law.
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54 Cantábiles mihi
erant justificatiónes tuæ, * in loco peregrinatiónis meæ.
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54 Your justifications
were the subject of my song, in the place of my pilgrimage.
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55 Memor fui nocte
nóminis tui, Dómine: * et custodívi legem tuam.
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55 In the night I
have remembered your name,
O Lord: and have
kept your law.
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56 Hæc facta est
mihi: * quia justificatiónes tuas exquisívi.
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56 This happened
to me: because I sought after your justifications.
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Today I'll provide the notes on Verses 49-53, the rest of the stanza tomorrow.
49 Memor esto verbi tui servo tuo, in quo mihi spem dedisti.
Be mindful of your word to your servant, in which you have given me hope.
Memor esto (imperative future of sum, esse, to be) = Be mindful
God is, of course, always ‘mindful’ of us or we would cease to exist! But he is said to be mindful of one when He is favorably disposed towards him or bestows favors on him.
memor, oris mindful of, thoughtful of. According to Britt, often translated by the verbs, to remember, call to mind, think of, take thought for, recall, recount, etc. God
verbi tui servo tuo= of your word to your servant
verbum, i, n.,word, command, edict, also a promise; saying, speech; Law, the Eternal Son.
servus, i, m., a slave, servant; servants of the Lord, devout men who keep the law; the people, i.e., the Israelites
in quo mihi spem dedisti= in which you have given me hope
spes, spei, f., hope; the object of hope; the thing hoped for; one who or that which furnishes ground for trust, confidence
do, dedi, datum, are, to give,
Bellarmine comments that: “God is not subject to forgetfulness, nor to fickleness, nor to retracting what he says; but he is, by a figure of speech, said to forget when he defers the execution of a promise, as if he had altogether forgotten it. Now, that he does designedly; and, though determined on carrying out his decrees, he still wishes his faithful servants to ask him to carry them out; and thus, prayer becomes one of the means through which God decreed to fulfill his promis¬es.”
50 Hæc me consolata est in humilitate mea, quia eloquium tuum vivificavit me.
This has comforted me in my humiliation: because your word has enlivened me.
Hæc me consolata est= This has comforted me
The ‘this’ here does not, according to St Robert Bellarmine refer back to the previous verse, but rather to the second phrase, God’s reviving word.
hic, haec, hoc, demon, pron., this
consolor, atus sum, ari, Active, to comfort, console, encourage; Passive, to be comforted, etc.
in humilitate mea= in my misery/humiliation/distress/affliction
humilitas, atis, f affliction, humiliation, wretchedness, misery.
quia eloquium tuum vivificavit me = because your word/promise has revived me.
quia, conj. for, because, that. truly, surely, indeed
eloquium, ii, n. , a word, oracle, speech, utterance, promise.
vivifico, avi, atum, are to quicken, give life to, vivify.
In the first verse he had hope, why? Because of God’s promises, a promise to exalt the lowly and humbled.
51 Superbi inique agebant usquequaque; a lege autem tua non declinavi.
The proud did iniquitously altogether: but I declined not from your law.
Superbi inique =The proud wickedly/unjustly
superbus, Subst., the proud, etc., at times connoting the idea of unfriendliness, ambition to subject others.
inique, adv. unjustly, wrongfully, wickedly
agebant usquequaque = they [the proud] were acting utterly [wickedly]
ago, egi, actum, ere 3 , to set in motion;to act, do, deal with inique agere, to act wickedly, to be false or disloyal to.
usquequaque, adv., utterly, altogether, exceedingly
ie Superbi inique agebant usquequaque =The proud acted totally unjustly/with the utmost wickedness
The proud here are portrayed as persecutors of the pious.
a lege autem tua =but from your law.
lex, legis, a law; the Law of God. the will of God
autem, adversative conj., but, on the contrary, however
non declinavi = I have not departed/swerved/turned away
declino, avi, atum, are, to bend from the straight path, to turn aside or away, depart from in a lit. or fig. sense; intransitive, to turn aside, go astray
But despite their evil efforts, the psalmist has stayed the course.
52 Memor fui judiciorum tuorum a sæculo, Domine, et consolatus sum.
I remembered, O Lord, your judgments of old: and I was comforted.
Memor fui (pf of sum) =I have been mindful
memor, oris mindful of, thoughtful of
judiciorum tuorum =of your judgments
judicium, i, n. judgment, decrees; law, commandment; the power, or faculty of judging wisely; justice.
a sæculo, Domine= from of old, O Lord
saeculum, i, n., a lifetime, generation, age; an indefinite period of time; forever, eternity; from of old, i.e., in ages past.
et consolatus sum= and I was comforted
consolor, atus sum, ari, Active, to comfort, console, encourage; Passive, to be comforted, etc.
Here we are told to remember the rewards and punishments meted out through the history chronicled in the Old Testament: so that fear of punishment might draw us back from sin, while hope of heaven draws us on to the good.
53 Defectio tenuit me, pro peccatoribus derelinquentibus legem tuam.
A fainting has taken hold of me, because of the wicked that forsake your law.
Defectio tenuit me= A fainting has seized me
The MT Hebrew suggests hot indignation or horror. The Septuagint Greek (ἀθυμία) however suggests despair or despondency.
defectio, onis, f. a fainting.
teneo, ui, tentum, ere 2, to hold, hold fast, seize.
pro peccatoribus = for the sinners
peccator, oris, m. a sinner, transgressor; the wicked, the godless
derelinquentibus legem tuam =transgressing against your law
delinquo, liqui, lictum, ere 3, to fail, offend, sin, transgress. =on account of sinners
Cassiodorus comments that: “Here the devotion of their holy association is expounded: they say that they are faint with grief because sinners were seen to abandon the Lord's law. Inevitably a holy person feels sorrow at a neighbour's guilt, for the devoted spirit longs for the salvation of all, and is heartbroken on seeing punishment looming over the person who he prays will not sin; he knows that evil gratuitously inflicted is more offensive to his Creator.”
Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm
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NT references
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RB cursus
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Sunday
Terce
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Monastic feasts etc
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Roman pre 1911
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Terce daily
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Responsories
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Sept 4&5 (v49)
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Roman post 1911
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1911-62: Sunday Terce
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Mass propers (EF)
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PP20
CO (49-50),
Passion
Thurs CO (49-50)
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