Verse 5 of Psalm 139 brings us to the second repetition of the word 'cogitaverunt' (the third occurs in verse 9) to describe the wicked thoughts and evil plans of the enemy.
Looking at the Latin
Phrase by phrase:
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Qui cogitavérunt
supplantáre gressus meos:
abscondérunt supérbi
láqueum mihi:
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Who have proposed
to supplant my steps.
The proud have hidden
a net for me.
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Key vocabulary:
cogito, avi, atum, are to think, plan,
devise, take counsel.
supplanto, avi, atum, are trip up by the
heels, to throw down, to overthrow
everto ere, ti sum (3) to
overturn, upturn, turn upside down
gressus, us, m., steps, stride, goings,
the whole course of one's life
abscondo,
condi, conditum, ere 3, to
hide, conceal; to lay up, to treasure, guard jealously
superbus,
a, um raising one's
self above others, proud, haughty, arrogant, insolent.
laqueus, ei, m., a noose for
capturing animals; a snare, trap
Word by word:
Qui (who) cogitavérunt (they have planned)
supplantáre (to overthrow, trip up) gressus (the steps) meos (my): abscondérunt
(they have hidden/concealed) supérbi (the proud) láqueum (a trap/snare) mihi
(to/for me).
The key variant in the Latin translations is the Pian's substitution of evertere (to upturn, turn upside down) for the Vulgate's supplantare (trip up), which rather destroys the links with animal snares in the second phrase.
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5 |
V/NV/JH |
Qui cogitavérunt supplantáre gressus meos: * abscondérunt supérbi láqueum mihi: |
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PIAN |
Qui cogitant
evertere gressus meos, Superbi abscondunt laqueum mihi, |
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OR |
qui cogitaverunt subplantare gressus meos absconderunt superbi laqueos mihi |
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Sept |
οἵτινες ἐλογίσαντο ὑποσκελίσαι τὰ
διαβήματά μου ἔκρυψαν ὑπερήφανοι παγίδα μοι |
Most English translations provide a fairly literal rendering of the verse; Coverdale and Brenton's translation from the Septuagint, however, point to the broader sense of the allusion to hunter's traps, which is particularly relevant to the Christological interpretation of the verse:
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DR
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Who have
proposed to supplant my steps. The proud have hidden a net for me.
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Brenton
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who have
purposed to overthrow my goings. The proud have hid a snare for me,
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MD
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Who scheme to
overthrow me, the proud laid snares for me
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RSV
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who have planned
to trip up my feet. Arrogant men have hidden a trap for me,
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Cover
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who are purposed to overthrow my goings. The proud have laid a snare
for me,
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Knox
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who are plotting
to trip my feet. What hidden snares they set for me, these tyrants,
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Grail
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they plan to
make me stumble. The proud have hidden a trap,
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[Abbreviations: DR=Douay-Rheims Challoner; MD=Monastic Diurnal; RSV=Revised Standard Version; Cover=Coverdale]
Christ and the chief priests
In the context of the use of the psalm on Maundy Thursday, and as part of the mini-Triduum provided in the Benedictine Office each week, St Hilary's interpretation of the proud of the verse as the Pharisees and rulers of the Synagogue is the most obvious.
Traps laid by the devil
The verse also, though, has a wider applicability, as St Robert Bellarmine noted, referring to the devil's attempts to divert us all from the path laid out by Christ:
The object of the prince of darkness is to keep us out of the path of salvation, from which he irreparably fell. He and his Angels, therefore, have the one object in view, at all times, and that is, “to supplant our steps,” so that we may no longer walk in the path of the Lord, that we may fall therein, or turn back, or, at least, make slow progress in it. They accomplish that by laying snares for, and by concealing them in the way as we move along, as we are told in the following verse.
Pride and humility
It is worth noting that the Latin word used for step here, gressus, comes from the verb gradior, which is often used not just in the sense of walking on a path, or steering a course through the water, but also in the sense of climbing a set of stairs, as for example in Chapter 7 of St Benedict's Rule, which describes the twelve steps (gradus) by which one ascends to heaven by humbling oneself, and descend back to earth through the sin of pride. The second phrase of the verse, then, which refers to the traps being laid by the proud, provides the counter example.
The psalm as a whole
Vulgate
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Douay-Rheims
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In finem. Psalmus David.
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Unto the end, a psalm of David.
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1 Eripe me, Dómine, ab hómine malo: * a viro iníquo éripe me.
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Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: rescue me from the unjust man.
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2 Qui cogitavérunt iniquitátes in corde: * tota die constituébant prælia.
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3 Who have devised iniquities in their hearts: all the day long they designed battles.
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3 Acuérunt linguas suas sicut serpéntis: * venénum áspidum sub lábiis eórum. r
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4 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: the venom of asps is under their lips.
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4 Custódi me, Dómine, de manu peccatóris: * et ab homínibus iníquis éripe me.
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5 Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the wicked: and from unjust men deliver me.
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5 Qui cogitavérunt supplantáre gressus meos: * abscondérunt supérbi láqueum mihi:
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Who have proposed to supplant my steps: 6 The proud have hidden a net for me.
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6 Et funes extendérunt in láqueum: * juxta iter scándalum posuérunt mihi.
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And they have stretched out cords for a snare: they have laid for me a stumbling block by the wayside.
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7. Dixi Dómino : Deus meus es tu: * exáudi, Dómine, vocem deprecatiónis meæ.
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7 I said to the Lord: You are my God: hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication.
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8 Dómine, Dómine, virtus salútis meæ: * obumbrásti super caput meum in die belli.
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8 O Lord, Lord, the strength of my salvation: you have overshadowed my head in the day of battle.
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9 Ne tradas me, Dómine, a desidério meo peccatóri: * cogitavérunt contra me, ne derelínquas me, ne forte exalténtur.
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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.
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10 Caput circúitus eórum: * labor labiórum ipsórum opériet eos.
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10 The head of them compassing me about: the labour of their lips shall overwhelm them.
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11 Cadent super eos carbónes, in ignem dejícies eos: * in misériis non subsístent.
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11 Burning coals shall fall upon them; you will cast them down into the fire: in miseries they shall not be able to stand.
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12 Vir linguósus non dirigétur in terra: * virum injústum mala cápient in intéritu.
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12 A man full of tongue shall not be established in the earth: evil shall catch the unjust man unto destruction.
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13 Cognóvi quia fáciet Dóminus judícium ínopis: * et vindíctam páuperum.
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13 I know that the Lord will do justice to the needy, and will revenge the poor.
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14 Verúmtamen justi confitebúntur nómini tuo: * et habitábunt recti cum vultu tuo.
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14 But as for the just, they shall give glory to your name: and the upright shall dwell with your countenance.
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And for notes on the next verse of the psalm, please continue on here.
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