Psalm 90 v6 - The delusions and distortions that stalk us at night

Ceiling Painted Dome Cupola Angels Fighting Demons in Vatican Museums
Livioandronico2013
Source: Wikicommons

A sagítta volánte in die, a negótio perambulánte in ténebris: ab incúrsu et dæmónio meridiáno.

Of the arrow that flies in the day, of the business that walks about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil.

The reference to the midday demon in this verse is traditionally viewed as a reference to Our Lord's temptation in the desert, and accounts for the psalm's use at this time in a number of Eastern forms of the Office.

Looking at the Latin

The Vulgate of the verse is:

A sagítta volánte in die, a negótio perambulánte in ténebris: ab incúrsu et dæmónio meridiáno.

Key vocabulary

sagitta, ae, f., an arrow

volo, avi, atum, are, to fly as a bird. fly, to move swiftly, to speed as an arrow or on the wings of the wind.

negotium, ii, n. business, occupation; anything difficult or unpleasant; a plague, pestilence.

perambulo, avi, atum, are, to pass through, go about, traverse. fig., to walk, live, conduct one’s self.

tenebrae, arum, f  darkness; night, Sheol; misfortune, danger; horror, shuddering.

incursus, us, m.  assault, attack

daemonium, ii, n. a devil, demon, evil spirit.

meridianus, a, um, midday, noonday.

Word by word then: 

A (from) sagítta (the arrow) volante (flying, speeding) in (in) die (the day), a (from) negótio (business, pestilence, things) perambulánte (traversing, walking about) in (in) ténebris (darkness, night): ab (from) incúrsu (attack) et (and) dæmónio (from the demon) meridiáno (midday).

This verse needs to be joined up with the previous one, thus, ‘You will not fear the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day (A sagita volante in die)’.  Negotium means business, occupation or anything unpleasant;  but it can also mean plague or pestilence; neo-Vulgate follows the Hebrew Masoretic Text in making this more explicit by substituting ‘a peste’ for negotio.  The idea that the disease here is a result of demonic influences.

The second phrase also refers back to the previous verse, that is, to make sense of it you need to add back ‘You will not fear’ to ‘the attack/assault of the noonday demon.  The Hebrew Masoretic Text omits the reference to the noonday demon, an omission that may have been deliberate given the Christian application of this psalm to Our Lord’s temptation in the desert.

 A selection of English translations of the verse are set out below.

DR	Of the arrow that flies in the day, of the business that walks about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil.
MD	Nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the plague that prowleth in the dark, nor the noonday attack of the demon.
Brenton	nor of the arrow flying by day; nor of the evil thing that walks in darkness; nor of calamity, and the evil spirit at noon-day.
RSV	nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
Coverdale	Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noonday.
Knox	from the arrow that flies by day-light, from pestilence that walks to and fro in the darkness, from the death that wastes under the noon.
Grail	nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the plague that prowls in the darkness nor the scourge that lays waste at noon.

The dangers of the day and night

St Robert Bellarmine points out that the simplest explanation of this verse is straightforward: ‘You will have no dangers to fear, either by day or by night’.

In the light of the New Testament, one could interpret this verse particularly as a promise of protection in the face of demonic temptation.

The patristic commentators though, give day and night here a more allegorical explanation and these are worth considering.

Sinning by day, St Augustine suggests, means sinning in the full knowledge of what we are doing; sinning by night means sinning out of ignorance of the truth:

When any man sins in ignorance, he sins, as it were, by night: when he sins in full knowledge, by day. The two former sins then are the lighter: the second are much heavier; but this is obscure, and will repay your attention, if, by God's blessing, I can explain it so that you may understand it. He calls the light temptation, which the ignorant yield to, terror by night: the light temptation, which assails men who well know, the arrow that flies by day. What are light temptations? Those which do not press upon us so urgently, as to overcome us, but may pass by quickly if declined…

Both of course, must be avoided, the first by rejecting the temptation; the second by ensuring we are properly instructed in our faith.

St Cassiodorus proposes another interpretation equally useful to consider: arrows in the day refers, he suggests, to open persecution of the type experienced by Christians in many countries; but the night refers to the subtle distortions and delusions that can blind us, such as heresy and the temptation to conform to the values of the society around us:

The arrow that flieth by day is open persecution by tyrants. The business in the dark is the debased study by which the mental eye of right believers is blinded. The noonday devil is the massive danger ignited by the heat of persecution, in which destruction is often feared and human weakness overcome

Psalm 90: Qui habitat 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Laus cantici David.	The praise of a canticle for David
Qui hábitat in adjutório Altíssimi, * in protectióne Dei cæli commorábitur.	He that dwells in the aid of the most High, shall abide under the protection of the God of Jacob.
2  Dicet Dómino : Suscéptor meus es tu, et refúgium meum: * Deus meus sperábo in eum.	He shall say to the Lord: You are my protector, and my refuge: my God, in him will I trust.
3 Quóniam ipse liberávit me de láqueo venántium, * et a verbo áspero.	For he has delivered me from the snare of the hunters: and from the sharp word.
4  Scápulis suis obumbrábit tibi: * et sub pennis ejus sperábis.	He will overshadow you with his shoulders: and under his wings you shall trust.
5  Scuto circúmdabit te véritas ejus: * non timébis a timóre noctúrno.	His truth shall compass you with a shield: you shall not be afraid of the terror of the night.
6  A sagítta volánte in die, a negótio perambulánte in ténebris: * ab incúrsu et dæmónio meridiáno.	Of the arrow that flies in the day, of the business that walks about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil.
7  Cadent a látere tuo mille, et decem míllia a dextris tuis: * ad te autem non appropinquábit.	A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand: but it shall not come near you.
8  Verúmtamen óculis tuis considerábis: * et retributiónem peccatórum vidébis.	But you shall consider with your eyes: and shall see the reward of the wicked.
9  Quóniam tu es, Dómine, spes mea: * Altíssimum posuísti refúgium tuum.	Because you, O Lord, are my hope: you have made the most High your refuge.
10  Non accédet ad te malum: * et flagéllum non appropinquábit tabernáculo tuo.	There shall no evil come to you: nor shall the scourge come near your dwelling.
11  Quóniam Angelis suis mandávit de te: * ut custódiant te in ómnibus viis tuis.	For he has given his angels charge over you; to keep you in all your ways.
12  In mánibus portábunt te: * ne forte offéndas ad lápidem pedem tuum.	In their hands they shall bear you up: lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13  Super áspidem et basilíscum ambulábis: * et conculcábis leónem et dracónem.	You shall walk upon the asp and the basilisk: and you shall trample under foot the lion and the dragon.
14  Quóniam in me sperávit, liberábo eum: * prótegam eum quóniam cognóvit nomen meum.	Because he hoped in me I will deliver him: I will protect him because he has known my name.
15  Clamábit ad me, et ego exáudiam eum : * cum ipso sum in tribulatióne : erípiam eum et glorificábo eum.	He shall cry to me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation, I will deliver him, and I will glorify him.
16  Longitúdine diérum replébo eum: * et osténdam illi salutáre meum.	I will fill him with length of days; and I will show him my salvation.

You can find the next part of this series here.