Psalm 139 v8: The salvation that Christ buys for us with his blood

Verse 8 of Psalm 139 takes us back to the theme of God's protection of us.    

 Looking at the Latin

The Vulgate Latin and Douay-Rheims translations are arranged below, phrase by phrase:

Dómine, Dómine, virtus salútis meæ: obumbrásti super caput meum  in die belli.

O Lord, Lord, the strength of my salvation: you have overshadowed my head in the day of battle.

The use of perfect tense for obumbrasti (you have overshadowed) can be read as a statement of faith: the pslamist is absolutely certain of God's protection, acting as a shield or helmet for him.

The key vocabulary is:

virtus, utis, f   strength, power, might; an army, host; the angels.; the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, and stars

salus, utis, f. the act of helping, saving; victory, temporal salvation; help, deliverance, safety, salvation.

obumbro, avi, atum, are, to overshadow, shield, protect; obumbrare super, to shield, protect.

caput, itis, n. the head

bellum, i, n. war, battle; war-equipment of every sort

Word by word:

Dómine (O Lord), Dómine, virtus (the strength) salútis (of the salvation) meæ (of me): * obumbrásti super (you have shielded/protected) caput (the head) meum (my) in die (in the day) belli (of battle).

The various Latin versions provide a variety of synonyms for two of the key words, virtus (potens, fortitudo) and obumbro (protexisti, tegis), which are also reflected in the standard English translations.

8	V/NV	Dómine, Dómine, virtus salútis meæ: obumbrásti super caput meum in die belli.
	Pian	Domine, Deus, potens auxilium meum! Tegis caput meum die pugnae.
	JH	Domine Deus, fortitudo salutis meae, protexisti caput meum in die belli.
	Sept	κύριε κύριε δύναμις τῆς σωτηρίας μου ἐπεσκίασας ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν μου ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πολέμου

It is worth noting though, that the Pian's auxilium (help), though reflected in some of the modern translations, is rather weaker than the force of the Greek and Vulgate, on which some of the Patristic commentaries on the verse depend.

DR	O Lord, Lord, the strength of my salvation:  thou hast overshadowed my head in the day of battle.
Brenton	O Lord God, the strength of my salvation;  thou hast screened my head in the day of battle.
MD	O Lord my God, Thou my strong help, Thou shieldest my head in the day of battle
RSV	O LORD, my Lord, my strong deliverer, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle
Cover	O Lord God, thou strength of my health; thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
Knox	My Lord, my Master, my strong deliverer, it is thou that shieldest my head in the day of battle
Grail	Lord my God, my mighty help, you shield my head in the battle.

God's salvation or help?

The key commentaries from the Fathers emphasize the importance of the word salvation (salutis). St John Chrysostom commented that the verse shows that:

he is also power of punishment and retribution.  But to me, he says, you supplied the power of salvation: whereas you are capable of both abusing and destroying, I always found your power to be directed to my salvation.  Note the desire of the speaker: by the repetition and by adding my salvation he shows his deep affection….

Similarly, St Cassiodorus put the verse in the mouth of  the Church saying:

When she speaks of the strength of my salvation, she indicates her patience and perseverance; there can be no salvation in the struggle with afflictions unless the virtue of endurance is granted through the Lord's mercy.

 And St Robert Bellarmine saw the repetition of the word, and appeal to, salvation as indicative of the force of the situation faced by the speaker:

In order, then, to show that the dangers were present and pressing, he again appeals to the Lord, saying, “O Lord, the strength of my salvation,” I appeal to you with such confidence, because you are my strength, on whom I depend for salvation; you are the only power to save and protect me from my enemies. 

Christ's sacrifice is our redemption 

This verse also, though, has a clear Christologial interpretation.  

St Augustine's commentary on it sees it as a reminder to us that the salvation offered was purchased at a high price:

Thou Lord - Lord, that is, most truly Lord, not like the lords of men, not like the lords who buy with money-bags, but the Lord who buys with His Blood.

St Cassiodorus goes further, suggesting that the second phrase of the verse is a reference to the Passion:

When the Church says that her head is overshadowed in the day of battle, she refers to the Lord's blessed passion. On that day of His crucifixion He was so overshadowed and protected that His mind suffered no confusion, and His flesh bore no onset of corruption; indeed, He Himself begs in Psalm 21 for help to be accorded: But thou, 0 Lord, remove not my help to a distance from me: look towards my defence, and the rest. The Lord's passion is well described as the day of battle; on that day the devil was overcome, the bars of hell were burst asunder, captives were freed, and He alone triumphed by dying, for unprecedentedly He destroyed death by death.

The verse also has a universal application though, as St Augustine made clear:

He complained of the stumbling-blocks and snares of sinners, of wicked men, vessels of the devil, that barked around him and laid snares around him, of the proud that envy the righteous. But He immediately added a comfort, He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. This he observed and feared, and, distressed at the abundance of iniquities, turned himself to hope. Verily I shall be saved, if I endure unto the end: but endurance, so as to win salvation, pertains unto strength; You are the strength of my salvation; You make me to endure, that I may attain salvation....Toiling then in this warfare, he looked back to the grace of God; and because already he had begun to be heated and parched, he found, as it were, a shade, whereunder to live.

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.

And for the next part in this series, continue on here.