Psalm 121 verses 4-6

Verses 4-6 of Psalm 121:

4	V	Illuc enim ascendérunt tribus, tribus Dómini: * testimónium Israël ad confiténdum nómini Dómini.
	NV	Illuc enim ascenderunt tribus, tribus Domini, testimonium Israel, ad confitendum nomini Domini.
	JH	quia ibi ascenderunt tribus, tribus Domini, testimonium Israhel, ad confitendum nomini Domini.
	Sept.	ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἀνέβησαν αἱ φυλαί φυλαὶ κυρίου μαρτύριον τῷ Ισραηλ τοῦ ἐξομολογήσασθαι τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου

Text notes:  Literally this verse is ‘For to that place (Illuc enim i.e., to Jerusalem) went up (ascenderunt) the tribes (tribus), the tribes of the Lord (tribus Domini): [it is] a law (testimonium) for Israel for praising/in order to praise (confitendum) the name of the Lord (nomini Domini)’.  The reference to it being a law for the tribes (the repetition implies ‘every tribe’) to go to Jerusalem refers to the requirement for all males to go to Jerusalem on the three great Jewish feasts of the year (Ex 23:17).

illuc, adv.  thither, to that place; there, in that place.

ascendo, scendi, scensum, ere 3  to go up, ascend.

tribus, us, a division of the people, a tribe; the twelve tribes of Israel;all the tribes of the earth, all peoples.

testimonium, ii n. witness, testimony; the Law; mostly pi., precepts, commandments, ordinances, statutes,

judgments, testimonies.

confiteor, fessus sum, eri 2  to praise, give thanks; to confess, acknowledge one's guilt.

nomen, inis, n. name.

DR	For thither did the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord: the testimony of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord.
MD	Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord; it is a law for Israel; there to praise the name of the Lord.
Brenton	For thither the tribes went up, the tribes of the Lord, as a testimony for Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.
Cover	For thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord, to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord.
Grail	It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. For Israel's law it is, there to praise the Lord's name.

5	V	Quia illic sedérunt sedes in judício, * sedes super domum david.
	NV	Quia illic sederunt sedes ad iudicium, sedes domus David.
	JH	Quia ibi sederunt sedes in iudicio, sedes domui Dauid.
	Septuagint	ὅτι ἐκεῖ ἐκάθισαν θρόνοι εἰς κρίσιν θρόνοι ἐπὶ οἶκον Δαυιδ

Text notes: Sedes here means seats or thrones, the inheritance of David’s descendants and the place where difficult cases could be appealed.  The twentieth century commentaries often suggest that ‘super’ reflects a translation error in the Septuagint, and the neo-Vulgate corrects it to ‘the seats of the house of David’.  I’m not entirely convinced that it is an error however  – if one sees it as a reference to Christ, he does indeed sit over the top of the Davidic Kings, linking up nicely with the New Testament discussion of Psalm 110 on the lack of subordination of the Messiah to David, and foreshadowing the last Judgment.

quia, conj. for, because, that.

illic, adv.  Of place: there, in that place; Of time: then

sedeo, sedi, sessum, ere 2, to sit; rest; dwell, live; to sit with,  hold converse with,  consult; to sit on a throne, to rule, reign

sedes, is,  a seat, throne. a judge or king

judicium, ii, n.  judgment;  law, commandment; the power, or faculty of judging wisely; justice; cause.

super, prep, with ace. And abl  on, upon, over

domus, us,  a house, structure Domus David, the house of David, the Davidic dynasty.

DR	Because their seats have sat in judgment, seats upon the house of David
MD	For there stand the seats of judgment, the seats of the house of David.
Brenton	For there are set thrones for judgment, even thrones for the house of David.
Cover	For there is the seat of judgment, even the seat of the house of David.
Grail	There were set the thrones of judgment of the house of David.

St Augustine interprets this verse allegorically, as a reference to wisdom:

"...If therefore heaven be the seat of God, and the Apostles are heaven; they themselves have become the seat of God, the throne of God. It is said in another passage: The soul of the righteous is the throne of wisdom. A great truth, a great truth, is declared; the throne of wisdom is the soul of the righteous; that is, wisdom sits in the soul of the righteous as it were in her chair, in her throne, and thence judges whatsoever she judges... And who are the seats? They of whom it is said, The soul of the righteous is the seat of wisdom. Who are the seats? The heavens. Who are the heavens? Heaven. What is heaven? That of which the Lord says, Heaven is My seat. Isaiah 66:1 The righteous then themselves are the seats; and have seats; and seats shall be seated in that Jerusalem. For what purpose? For judgment."

6	V	Rogáte quæ ad pacem sunt Jerúsalem: * et abundántia diligéntibus te:
	NV	Rogate, quae ad pacem sunt Ierusalem: “ Securi sint diligentes te!
	JH	Rogate pacem Hierusalem: sit bene his qui diligunt te.
	Sept.	ἐρωτήσατε δὴ τὰ εἰς εἰρήνην τὴν Ιερουσαλημ καὶ εὐθηνία τοῖς ἀγαπῶσίν σε

Text notes: The Neo-Vulgate removes the possible ambiguity in the second phrase, aligning it with the Hebrew to say ‘may there be abundance for those who love you’.

rogo, avi, atum, are, to entreat, ask, pray.

pax, pacis,  peace, blessings, prosperity, etc

abundantia, ae, /.  greatness, abundance; prosperity, abundance.

diligo, lexi, lectum, ere 3  to love; to flatter, make pretence of loving.

DR	Pray for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem: and abundance for them that love you.
MD	Pray now for peace upon Jerusalem: May they that love thee prosper
Brenton	Pray now for the peace of Jerusalem: and let there be prosperity to them that love thee.
Cover	O pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee.
Grail	For the peace of Jerusalem pray: "Peace be to your homes!

What does it mean to be the city of peace?  Pope Benedict XVI commented:

We now come to the final invocation (cf. v. 6-9). It is marked throughout by the Jewish word shalom, "peace", traditionally considered to be the etymological root of Jerushalajim, the Holy City itself, interpreted as "city of peace". It is well known that shalom alludes to the messianic peace that in itself brings joy, prosperity, goodness and abundance.

Psalm 121: Laetatus sum

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Canticum graduum.
1  Lætátus sum in his, quæ dicta sunt mihi: *  In domum Dómini íbimus.	I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord.
2  Stantes erant pedes nostri, * in átriis tuis, Jerúsalem.	2 Our feet were standing in your courts, O Jerusalem.
3  Jerúsalem, quæ ædificátur ut cívitas: * cujus participátio ejus in idípsum.	3 Jerusalem, which is built as a city, which is compact together.
4  Illuc enim ascendérunt tribus, tribus Dómini: * testimónium Israël ad confiténdum nómini Dómini.	4 For thither did the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord: the testimony of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord.
5  Quia illic sedérunt sedes in judício, * sedes super domum David.	5 Because their seats have sat in judgment, seats upon the house of David.
6  Rogáte quæ ad pacem sunt Jerúsalem: * et abundántia diligéntibus te:	6 Pray for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem: and abundance for them that love you.
7  Fiat pax in virtúte tua: * et abundántia in túrribus tuis.	7 Let peace be in your strength: and abundance in your towers
8  Propter fratres meos, et próximos meos, * loquébar pacem de te:	8 For the sake of my brethren, and of my neighbours, I spoke peace of you.
9  Propter domum Dómini, Dei nostri, * quæsívi bona tibi.	9 Because of the house of the Lord our God, I have sought good things for you.