Psalm 123 continues in verses 5-7 with a third image, explanied by Pope Benedict XVI:
"The second part of our thanksgiving hymn shifts from the marine image to a hunting scene, typical of many Psalms of supplication (cf. Ps 124[123]: 6-8). Here, in fact, the Psalm evokes a wild beast clenching its prey between its teeth or the snare of fowlers that captures a bird. But the blessing this Psalm expresses enables us to understand that the destiny of the faithful, that was a destiny of death, has been radically changed by a saving intervention: "Blessed be the Lord who did not give us a prey to their teeth!"
"The second part of our thanksgiving hymn shifts from the marine image to a hunting scene, typical of many Psalms of supplication (cf. Ps 124[123]: 6-8). Here, in fact, the Psalm evokes a wild beast clenching its prey between its teeth or the snare of fowlers that captures a bird. But the blessing this Psalm expresses enables us to understand that the destiny of the faithful, that was a destiny of death, has been radically changed by a saving intervention: "Blessed be the Lord who did not give us a prey to their teeth!"
5
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V
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Benedíctus Dóminus * qui non dedit nos, in captiónem
déntibus eórum.
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NV
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Benedictus Dominus, qui non dedit nos in direptionem dentibus eorum.
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JH
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Benedictus Dominus, qui non dedit nos in praedam dentibus eorum.
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εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὃς οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἡμᾶς εἰς θήραν τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτῶν |
benedico, dixi, dictum, ere 3, to bless
do, dedi, datum, are, to give,
captio,
onis, /. prey, booty; a
net, trap, snare.
DR
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Blessed be the Lord, who has not given
us to be a prey to their teeth.
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Cover
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But praised be the Lord, who hath not given us over for a prey
unto their teeth.
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St Athanasius comments:
What then is our duty, my brothers, for the sake of these things, but to praise and give thanks to God, the king of all? And let us first exclaim in the words of the psalms, "Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us over as a prey to their teeth." Let us keep the feast in that way that he has dedicated for us unto salvation—the holy day Easter—so that we may celebrate the feast which is in heaven with the angels. Thus anciently, the people of the Jews, when they came out of affliction into a state of ease, kept the feast, singing a song of praise for their victory. So also the people in the time of Esther, because they were delivered from the edict of death, kept a feast to the Lord, considering it a feast, returning thanks to the Lord and praising him for having changed their condition. Therefore let us, performing our vows to the Lord and confessing our sins, keep the feast to the Lord, in conversation, moral conduct and manner of life; praising our Lord, who has chastened us a little but has not utterly failed or forsaken us or altogether kept silence from us. For if, having brought us out of the deceitful and famous Egypt of the opponents of Christ, he has caused us to pass through many trials and afflictions, as it were in the wilderness, to his holy church, so that from hence, according to custom, we can send to you, as well as receive letters from you; on this account especially I both give thanks to God myself and exhort you to thank him with me and on my behalf, this being the apostolic custom, which these opponents of Christ, and the schismatics, wished to put an end to and to break off. The Lord did not permit it but both renewed and preserved that which was ordained by him through the apostle, so that we may keep the feast together, and together keep holy day, according to the tradition and commandment of the fathers. Festal Letter 10.11
6
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V/NV
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Anima nostra sicut passer erépta est * de láqueo
venántium.
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JH
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Anima nostra quasi auis erepta est de laqueo uenantium :
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ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν ὡς στρουθίον ἐρρύσθη ἐκ τῆς παγίδος τῶν θηρευόντων |
Text notes:
‘Passer’ means sparrow, which is often used with connotations of a bird that
lives alone; the Diurnal however follows the Masoretic text, which just uses
the generic ‘bird’.
sicut, adv., as, just as, like.
passer, eris, m., a sparrow; the Hebrew term
means any kind of small bird, not necessarily a sparrow
eripio, ripui, reptum, ere 3 (ex and rapio, to snatch away, to rescue,
deliver
laqueus, ei, m., a noose for capturing animals; a snare, trap
dens, dentis, a tooth; to escape the malice
of enemies is to escape from their teeth. 123,6.
venor,
atus sum, ari, to hunt.
DR
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Our soul has been delivered
as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers.
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MD
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Our soul hath
escaped like a bird, out of the snare of the fowler.
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RSV
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We have escaped
as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
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Cover
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Our soul is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler;
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Bellarmine comments:
"and he tells us how that was effected when he says, "Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers." No doubt, our soul fell into persecution and temptation, as would a sparrow or any other bird, when they are seduced into the snare set by the fowlers; but still it was loosed and delivered from the temptation before the tempter got hold of it to kill it; like a bird caught in a snare but enlarged before the fowler arrived to take it, kill it, and eat it."
"and he tells us how that was effected when he says, "Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers." No doubt, our soul fell into persecution and temptation, as would a sparrow or any other bird, when they are seduced into the snare set by the fowlers; but still it was loosed and delivered from the temptation before the tempter got hold of it to kill it; like a bird caught in a snare but enlarged before the fowler arrived to take it, kill it, and eat it."
7
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V/JH
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Láqueus contrítus est, * et nos liberáti sumus.
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NV
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laqueus contritus est, et nos erepti sumus.
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ἡ παγὶς συνετρίβη καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐρρύσθημεν |
contero, trivi, Itum, ere 3, to break, crush, destroy.
libero, avi, atum, are to
free, set free, deliver
DR
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The snare is
broken, and we are delivered.
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Bellarmine continues:
That was effected by "the snare being broken and thus we are delivered." God having by his grace, repressed the temptation before the soul either denied the faith or consented to sin in any other respect, just as the snare that held the bird would be broken, on which the bird flies off, and thus disappoints the fowler of his prey.
That was effected by "the snare being broken and thus we are delivered." God having by his grace, repressed the temptation before the soul either denied the faith or consented to sin in any other respect, just as the snare that held the bird would be broken, on which the bird flies off, and thus disappoints the fowler of his prey.
8
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V/NV
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Adjutórium nostrum in nómine Dómini, * qui fecit
cælum et terram.
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JH
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Auxilium nostrum in nomine Domini, qui fecit caelum et terram.
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ἡ βοήθεια ἡμῶν ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου τοῦ ποιήσαντος τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν |
adjutorium, ii, n. help, aid, assistance, strength, shelter, protection, support
facio, feci, factum, ere 3, to
make, do, cause, bring to pass
nomen, mis, n. name.
caelum, i, n., or caeli, orum, m.
heaven, the abode of God; the heavens as opposed to the earth; the air;
terra, ae, /. the earth
DR
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Our help is in
the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth
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Cover
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Our help standeth in the Name of the Lord, who hath made heaven
and earth.
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St Augustine notes that:
So this heaven and earth is called the world. In saying "Do not love the world," he is not disparaging that world; whoever disparages that world, after all, is disparaging the maker of the world. Listen to the world mentioned twice in one place in different senses: it was said of the Lord Christ, "He was in this world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him."9 The world was made through him: "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." The world was made through him: "I lifted up my eyes to the mountains; from where will help come to me? My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."10 This world was made by God, and the world did not know him. Which world did not know him? The lover of the world, the lover of the work, the scorner of the workman. Sermon 3I3A.2.
So this heaven and earth is called the world. In saying "Do not love the world," he is not disparaging that world; whoever disparages that world, after all, is disparaging the maker of the world. Listen to the world mentioned twice in one place in different senses: it was said of the Lord Christ, "He was in this world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him."9 The world was made through him: "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." The world was made through him: "I lifted up my eyes to the mountains; from where will help come to me? My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."10 This world was made by God, and the world did not know him. Which world did not know him? The lover of the world, the lover of the work, the scorner of the workman. Sermon 3I3A.2.
Psalm 123: Nisi quia Dóminus erat in nobis
Vulgate
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Douay-Rheims
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Canticum graduum
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1 Nisi quia Dóminus erat in nobis, dicat nunc Israël: * nisi quia Dóminus erat in nobis,
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If it had not been that the Lord was with us, let
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2 Cum exsúrgerent hómines in nos, * forte vivos deglutíssent nos:
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When men rose up against us, 3 perhaps they had swallowed us up alive.
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3 Cum irascerétur furor eórum in nos, * fórsitan aqua absorbuísset nos.
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When their fury was enkindled against us, perhaps the waters had swallowed us up.
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4 Torréntem pertransívit ánima nostra: * fórsitan pertransísset ánima nostra aquam intolerábilem.
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5 Our soul has passed through a torrent: perhaps our soul had passed through a water insupportable.
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5 Benedíctus Dóminus * qui non dedit nos, in captiónem déntibus eórum.
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6 Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us to be a prey to their teeth.
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6 Anima nostra sicut passer erépta est * de láqueo venántium.
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7 Our soul has been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers.
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7 Láqueus contrítus est, * et nos liberáti sumus.
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The snare is broken, and we are delivered.
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8 Adjutórium nostrum in nómine Dómini, * qui fecit cælum et terram.
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8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth
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