Psalm 139 v 4 - Save us from our enemies

Verse 4 of Psalm 139 once again asks for God's help in the face of persecution.

Looking at the Latin

Phrase by phrase:

Custódi me, Dómine, de manu peccatóris:  et ab homínibus iníquis éripe me.

Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the wicked: and from unjust men deliver me.

Word by word:

Custódi (guard) me, Dómine (O Lord), de (from) manu (the hand) peccatóris (of sinners): et (and) ab (from) homínibus (men) iníquis (wicked) éripe (free) me.

The key vocabulary for the verse is:

custodio, ivi or ii, itum, ire to guard, watch, keep;to maintain, to hold steadfastly.

peccator, oris, m.  a sinner, transgressor; the wicked, the godless.

The key Latin versions of  verse 4 of Psalm 139 contain only minor variants:

4	V	Custódi me, Dómine, de manu peccatóris: *  et ab homínibus iníquis éripe me.
	OR	custodi me Domine de manu peccatoris ab hominibus iniquis libera me
	Pian	Salva me, Domine, a manibus iniqui,  A viro violento custodi me:
	NV	Custodi me, Domine, de manu peccatoris et a viro violentiae serva me,
	JH	Custodi me, Domine, de manu impii: a uiro iniquitatum serua me,
	Sept	φύλαξόν με κύριε ἐκ χειρὸς ἁμαρτωλοῦ  ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπων ἀδίκων ἐξελοῦ με

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

The English translations:

DR	Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the wicked: and from unjust men deliver me.
Brenton	Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the sinner; rescue me from unjust men;
MD	Preserve me, O Lord, from the hand of the wicked and from the men of violence deliver me.
RSV	Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men
Cover	Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the ungodly; preserve me from the wicked men
Knox	Preserve me Lord, from the power of sinful men, save me from these lovers of oppression
Grail	Lord, guard me from the hands of the wicked; from the violent keep me safe;

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

Judas and the priests

If interpreted as referring to Christ on Maundy Thursday, as St Hilary of Poitiers advocated, the hand of the wicked in this verse should be interpreted as a reference to Judas; the reference to unjust men to the priests who plotted to arrest God, as well as the soldiers who did the deed.

But it can also, of course, be interpreted more broadly as referring to all who seek to harm us.  St Augustine, for example, commented that: 

Here they wear their real colours, they are known; here we have no need to understand, but to act: we have need to pray, not to ask who they are. But how you should pray against such men, he explains in what follows. For many pray unskillfully against wicked men. Who have imagined, says he, to trip up my steps. Thus far it may be understood carnally. Everyone has enemies, who seek to cheat him in trade, to rob him of money, where they are engaged together in business; everyone has some neighbour his enemy, who devises how to bring mischief upon his family, to injure in some way his property and surely he devises this by deceit, by fraud, by devilish devices he endeavours to accomplish this: no one can doubt it.

 The true danger, though, he suggested, is from those who seek to separate us from Christ those working for the devil.  St Cassiodorus teased out the point as follows:

Sinner specifies the devil again here, for he was the first of all creatures to leave the straight path, and is known in his wickedness to have wounded Adam. Holy Church begs to be protected from his most evil power, for he is so utterly strong that he is even labelled: The prince of this world. This is because he deceives us with many tricks and many traps, so that one cannot guard against him as he always hides himself when stealing upon us with slippery steps. His agents are mentioned next, for he strives to achieve openly through his fol­lowers what he cannot seize of his own accord by infiltrating into our minds.

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.

For notes on verse 5 of Psalm 139, please click here.