Psalm 139 verse 1: Save us from the enemy

The first verse of Psalm 139 is a plea for help.

Understanding the literal meaning of the Latin

A word by word translation would be:

Eripe (free, imperative) me, Dómine (O Lord), ab (from+abl) hómine (men) malo (evil): * a (from) viro (men) iníquo (wicked) éripe (free) me.

Or phrase by phrase, using the Douay-Rheims:

Eripe me, Dómine, ab hómine malo: a viro iníquo  éripe me.

Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: from the unjust man  rescue me.

The key vocabulary for the verse is:

eripio, ripui, reptum, ere 3  to snatch away, to rescue, deliver; to tear out, snatch away, wrest, pluck, tear, take away

homo, inis, m  man, a human being; mortal man as compared with God; person, individual 

malus, a, um, adj., bad, evil, wicked; grievous, sore, severe; subst., malum, i, n., evil, sin; woe, harm, misfortune.

vir, viri, m., a man

iniquus, a, um, unjust, godless, wicked; As a subst.  the wicked, the godless, the unjust (man or men); evil-doers.

At first glance this verse seems like a classic case of paralellism: in the Vulgate version we are given two synonyms for the enemy, the evil man, and the wicked man, with both homo and vir understood as referring to men in general, rather than a particular individual (see the plurals in verse 3-4 below).  St Jerome's version from the Hebrew follows the same text tradition, and reflects the theme of the psalm that the main sin committed by those against the psalmist is slander.  

The Hebrew Masoretic Text however makes the second half of the verse the 'violent man' (חָמָס, chamac), and the Pian and neo-Vulgate versions follow suit:

1	V/OR	Eripe me, Dómine, ab hómine malo: * a viro iníquo éripe me.
	NV	Eripe me, Domine, ab homine malo, a viro violentiae serva me.
	Pian	Eripe me, Domine, ab homine malo, A viro violento custodi me:
	JH	Erue me, Domine, ab homine malo ; a uiris iniquis serua me:
	Sept	ἐξελοῦ με κύριε ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς ἀδίκου ῥῦσαί με

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

The twentieth century Pian version also makes a subtle but perhaps important change in the meaning of the verse: instead of repeating the plea to God to save or rescue us, it asks him to guard us. Several twentieth century translations, such as the Collegeville contained in the Monastic Diurnal, follow suit.

DR	Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: rescue me from the unjust man.
Brenton	Rescue me, O Lord, from the evil man; deliver me from the unjust man.
MD	Deliver me O Lord from evil men save me from men of violence
RSV	Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from violent men,
Cover	Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man, and preserve me from the wicked man,
Knox	Rescue me, Lord, from human malice, save me from the lovers of oppression,
Grail	Rescue me, Lord, from evil men; from the violent keep me safe

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

A plea for help

The psalms starts with a plea for help from God, which should be viewed, I think, as an acknowledgement that without God's grace, our own efforts are futile.

Who is it we need help to save us from?

So who, then, is the enemy the psalmist is asking for help against?

St Augustine argued that the verse is talking first and foremost about the devil, but also from those acting under his influence:

Not from one only, but from the class; not from the vessels only, but from their prince himself, that is, the devil. Why from man, if he means from the devil? Because he too is called a man in a figure. ...Now then being made light, not in ourselves, but in the Lord, let us pray not only against darkness, that is, against sinners, whom still the devil possesses, but also against their prince, the devil himself, who works in the children of disobedience.

In this then, we can see the seeds of the Christological interpretation of the psalm, which sees the verse as referring to Judas and the Jewish authorities plotting against Christ.

Dealing with the enemy

St Augustine's commentary includes a key warning against complacency in dealing with the enemy (taking a slant on the verse at odds with the Pian interpretation), warning that even those don't seem to pose an immediate threat can be dangerous:

For he called him wicked because unrighteous, lest perchance you should think that any unrighteous man could be a good man. For many unrighteous men seem to be harmless; they are not fierce, are not savage, do not persecute nor oppress; yet are they unrighteous, because, following some other habit, they are luxurious, drunkards, given to pleasure....Wicked then is every unrighteous man, who must needs be harmful, whether he be gentle or fierce...Let not then men please you who seem gentle and kind, yet are lovers of carnal pleasure, followers of polluted lusts, let them not please you. Though as yet they seem gentle, they are roots of thorns...They may be silent, they may hide their enmity, but they cannot love you. But since they cannot love you, and since they who hate you must needs seek your harm, let not your tongue and heart be slow to say to God, Deliver me, O Lord, from the unrighteous man.

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.