The final verses of Psalm 66 invoke the idea of the harvest as a metaphor for the conversion of the world to Christ.
St Jerome, following a line of interpretation suggested by Tertullian and Origen, takes up the harvest metaphor:
"The earth has yielded its fruit," earth, holy Mary who is from our earth, from our seed, from this clay, from this slime, from Adam. "Dust you are, and to dust you shall return." This earth has yielded its fruit; what it lost in the Garden of Eden, it has found in the Son. "The earth has yielded its fruit." First, it brought forth a flower. It says in the Song of Songs, "I am the flower of the field and the lily of the valleys." This flower has become fruit that we might eat it, that we might consume its flesh. Would you like to know what this fruit is? A Virgin from a virgin, the Lord from the handmaid, God from man, Son from mother, fruit from earth. Listen to what the fruit itself says: "Unless the grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it cannot bring forth much fruit." "The earth has yielded its fruit"; it has yielded a grain of wheat. Because the grain of wheat has fallen into the ground and died, it produces many fruits. The fruit is multiplied in the head of grain. Because one had fallen, it rose again with many; one grain of wheat has fallen into the ground and a fruitful harvest came of it."
This final blessing, with its thrice repeated invocation of God, foreshadows the Trinity in the eyes of most Christian interpreters, as St Robert Bellarmine points out:
Psalm 66: Deus misereátur nostri
Confiteántur tibi pópuli, Deus= Let the peoples give thanks to you God
confiteántur tibi pópuli omnes= let all the peoples give thanks
terra dedit fructum sum= the earth has given its fruit.
fructus, us, m. fruit,
produce; the fruit of the soil, trees; a
reward; the fruit of the womb, children, posterity
do, dedi, datum, are, to give,
DR
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Let the people,
O God, confess to
you: let all the people give praise to you: The earth has yielded her
fruit.
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Brenton
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Let the peoples,
O God, give thanks to thee; let all the peoples give thanks to thee. The
earth has yielded her fruit;
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MD
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Let the nations
praise Thee O God, let all the nations praise Thee: the land hath yielded its
harvest
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Cover
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Let the people praise thee, O God; let
all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth bring forth her increase;
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St Jerome, following a line of interpretation suggested by Tertullian and Origen, takes up the harvest metaphor:
"The earth has yielded its fruit," earth, holy Mary who is from our earth, from our seed, from this clay, from this slime, from Adam. "Dust you are, and to dust you shall return." This earth has yielded its fruit; what it lost in the Garden of Eden, it has found in the Son. "The earth has yielded its fruit." First, it brought forth a flower. It says in the Song of Songs, "I am the flower of the field and the lily of the valleys." This flower has become fruit that we might eat it, that we might consume its flesh. Would you like to know what this fruit is? A Virgin from a virgin, the Lord from the handmaid, God from man, Son from mother, fruit from earth. Listen to what the fruit itself says: "Unless the grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it cannot bring forth much fruit." "The earth has yielded its fruit"; it has yielded a grain of wheat. Because the grain of wheat has fallen into the ground and died, it produces many fruits. The fruit is multiplied in the head of grain. Because one had fallen, it rose again with many; one grain of wheat has fallen into the ground and a fruitful harvest came of it."
Benedícat nos Deus= May God bless us
Deus noster= our God
benedícat nos Deus= may God bless us
et métuant eum=and may they fear him
omnes fines terræ=all the ends of the earth
metuo, ui, ere 3 , to fear, be afraid.
finis, is, m., a boundary, limit, border;
territory; end
DR
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May God, our God bless us, may God bless us: and all the
ends of the earth fear him
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Brenton
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let God, our God
bless us Let God bless us; and let all the ends of the earth fear him.
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MD
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The Lord our God
hath blessed us; may God bless us, and all the ends of the earth fear him.
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RSV
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God, our God,
has blessed us. God has blessed us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!
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Cover
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and God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing. God shall
bless us; and all the ends of the world shall fear him
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This final blessing, with its thrice repeated invocation of God, foreshadows the Trinity in the eyes of most Christian interpreters, as St Robert Bellarmine points out:
"Henceforth will come the agreeable change,
that God will open his hands, and replenish us with all manner of blessings, spiritual
ones especially; and, on the other hand, all men, in the most quarters of the
globe, will fear the true God with a holy fear, and will pay him the tribute of
obedience and praise. The name of God, three times repeated here, while it
shows the affections of the Prophet, would also seem to foreshadow the mystery
of the Most Holy Trinity, which was so clearly preached by Christ and his
apostles."
Psalm 66: Deus misereátur nostri
Vulgate
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Douay-Rheims
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In finem, in hymnis. Psalmus cantici David.
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Unto the end, in hymns, a psalm of a canticle for David.
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1 Deus misereátur nostri, et benedícat nobis: * illúminet vultum suum super nos, et misereátur nostri.
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May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may he cause the light of his countenance to shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us.
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2 Ut cognoscámus in terra viam tuam, * in ómnibus Géntibus salutáre tuum.
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3 That we may know your way upon earth: your salvation in all nations.
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3 Confiteántur tibi pópuli, Deus: * confiteántur tibi pópuli omnes.
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4 Let people confess to you, O God: let all people give praise to you.
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4 Læténtur et exsúltent Gentes: * quóniam júdicas pópulos in æquitáte, et Gentes in terra dírigis.
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5 Let the nations be glad and rejoice: for you judge the people with justice, and direct the nations upon earth.
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5 Confiteántur tibi pópuli, Deus, confiteántur tibi pópuli omnes: * terra dedit fructum suum.
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6 Let the people, O God, confess to you: let all the people give praise to you: 7 The earth has yielded her fruit.
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6 Benedícat nos Deus, Deus noster, benedícat nos Deus: * et métuant eum omnes fines terræ.
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8 may God bless us: and all the ends of the earth fear him
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