Monday, March 13, 2023

Ps 139 v14: In that blessed kingdom...

The final verse of Psalm 139 is a joyful affirmation of our hope in God.

Looking at the Latin

Verúmtamen justi
confitebúntur nómini tuo:
et habitábunt recti
cum vultu tuo
But as for the just,
they shall give glory to thy name:
and the upright shall dwell
with thy countenance.

 Word by word:

Verúmtamen (surely) justi (the just) confitebúntur (they will confess/praise) nómini (to the name) tuo (your): et (and) habitábunt (they will dwell) recti (the just) cum (with) vultu (the face/countenance) tuo (your).

verumtamen,  surely, indeed, verily, in truth.
confiteor, fessus sum, eri 2 to praise, give thanks; to confess, acknowledge one's guilt.
habito, avi, atum, are  to dwell, abide, live.
rectus, a, um, just, right, righteous, upright; the just, just men, the good; steadfast, stable, steady
vultus, us, m., the face, countenance;

As is often the case, the Pian changes some of the verbs for no obvious gain in comprehensibility:

14
V/OR
Verúmtamen justi confitebúntur nómini tuo: * 
et habitábunt recti cum vultu tuo.
NV
Verumtamen iusti confitebuntur nomini tuo, 
et habitabunt recti in conspectu tuo

Pian
Profecto iusti celebrabunt nomen tuum, 
Recti habitabunt in conspectu tuo

JH
Attamen iusti confitebuntur nomini tuo : 
habitabunt recti cum vultu tuo.

Sept
πλὴν δίκαιοι ἐξομολογήσονται τῷ ὀνόματί σου 
καὶ κατοικήσουσιν εὐθεῖς σὺν τῷ προσώπῳ σου

[Key: V=Vulgate; OR=Old Roman; NV=Neo-Vulgate; JH=St Jerome's translation from the Hebrew; Sept=Septuagint]

The Knox translation takes the most poetic license:

DR
But as for the just, they shall give glory to thy name: 
and the upright shall dwell with thy countenance.
Brenton
Surely the righteous shall give thanks to thy name:
 the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
MD
Therefore the just shall praise thy name, 
and the upright shall dwell before thy face
RSV
Surely the righteous shall give thanks to thy name; 
the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
Cover
The righteous also shall give thanks unto thy Name; 
and the just shall continue in thy sight.
Knox
Honest men will yet live to praise thy name; 
upright hearts to enjoy the smile of thy favour.
Grail
Truly the just will praise your name 
the upright shall live in your presence.

[Abbreviations: DR=Douay-Rheims Challoner; MD=Monastic Diurnal; RSV=Revised Standard Version; Cover=Coverdale]

The happiness of heaven

The key sense of the verse is clear:  as St Liguori summarises it, our hope is to dwell 'In that blessed kingdom where they shall see Thy beautiful face.'

How shall we reach it?  St Augustine instructed that those who reach it are those who attribute nothing to their own merits, but rather all to God's mercy.

Vulgate
Douay-Rheims
In finem. Psalmus David.
Unto the end, a psalm of David.
1 Eripe me, Dómine, ab hómine malo: * a viro iníquo éripe me.
Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: rescue me from the unjust man.
2 Qui cogitavérunt iniquitátes in corde: * tota die constituébant prælia.
3 Who have devised iniquities in their hearts: all the day long they designed battles.
3 Acuérunt linguas suas sicut serpéntis: * venénum áspidum sub lábiis eórum.  
4 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: the venom of asps is under their lips.
4 Custódi me, Dómine, de manu peccatóris: * et ab homínibus iníquis éripe me.
5 Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the wicked: and from unjust men deliver me.
5 Qui cogitavérunt supplantáre gressus meos: * abscondérunt supérbi láqueum mihi:
Who have proposed to supplant my steps: 6 The proud have hidden a net for me.
6 Et funes extendérunt in láqueum: * juxta iter scándalum posuérunt mihi.
And they have stretched out cords for a snare: they have laid for me a stumbling block by the wayside.
7. Dixi Dómino : Deus meus es tu: * exáudi, Dómine, vocem deprecatiónis meæ.
7 I said to the Lord: You are my God: hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication.
8 Dómine, Dómine, virtus salútis meæ: * obumbrásti super caput meum in die belli.
8 O Lord, Lord, the strength of my salvation: you have overshadowed my head in the day of battle.
9 Ne tradas me, Dómine, a desidério meo peccatóri: * cogitavérunt contra me, ne derelínquas me, ne forte exalténtur.
9 Give me not up, O Lord, from my desire to the wicked: they have plotted against me; do not forsake me, lest they should triumph.
10 Caput circúitus eórum: * labor labiórum ipsórum opériet eos.
10 The head of them compassing me about: the labour of their lips shall overwhelm them.
11 Cadent super eos carbónes, in ignem dejícies eos: * in misériis non subsístent.
11 Burning coals shall fall upon them; you will cast them down into the fire: in miseries they shall not be able to stand.
12 Vir linguósus non dirigétur in terra: * virum injústum mala cápient in intéritu.
12 A man full of tongue shall not be established in the earth: evil shall catch the unjust man unto destruction.
13 Cognóvi quia fáciet Dóminus judícium ínopis: * et vindíctam páuperum.
13 I know that the Lord will do justice to the needy, and will revenge the poor.
14 Verúmtamen justi confitebúntur nómini tuo: * et habitábunt recti cum vultu tuo.
14 But as for the just, they shall give glory to your name: and the upright shall dwell with your countenance.

This the final post in this series on Psalm 139, but verse by verse notes on Psalm 140 can be found starting here.

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