The concluding verses of Psalm 94 deals with the consequences of rejecting God.
CCC 539: The evangelists indicate the salvific meaning of this mysterious event: Jesus is the new Adam who remained faithful just where the first Adam had given in to temptation. Jesus fulfils Israel's vocation perfectly: in contrast to those who had once provoked God during forty years in the desert, Christ reveals himself as God's Servant, totally obedient to the divine will. In this, Jesus is the devil's conqueror: he "binds the strong man" to take back his plunder. Jesus' victory over the tempter in the desert anticipates victory at the Passion, the supreme act of obedience of his filial love for the Father.
St Augustine draws out the import of this warning here:
We began with exulting joy: but this Psalm has ended with great fear: Unto whom I swore in My wrath, that they should not enter into My rest Psalm 94:11. It is a great thing for God to speak: how much greater for Him to swear? You should fear a man when he swears, lest he do somewhat on account of his oath against his will: how much more should you fear God, when He swears, seeing He can swear nought rashly? He chose the act of swearing for a confirmation. And by whom does God swear? By Himself: for He has no greater by whom to swear. Hebrews 6:13 By Himself He confirms His promises: by Himself He confirms His threats. Let no man say in his heart, His promise is true; His threat is false: as His promise is true, so is His threat sure. You ought to be equally assured of rest, of happiness, of eternity, of immortality, if you have executed His commandments; as of destruction, of the burning of eternal fire, of damnation with the devil, if you have despised His commandments....
10
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VL
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Quadragínta annis próximus fui generatióni huic, et
dixi : semper hi errant corde
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V
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quadraginta annis offensus fui
generationi illi, et dixi : semper hi errant corde.
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NV
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Quadraginta annis taeduit me generationis
illius et dixi: Populus errantium corde sunt isti.
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JH
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Quadraginta annis displicuit milii
generatio illa, et dixi, Populus errans corde est,
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τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη προσώχθισα τῇ γενεᾷ ἐκείνῃ καὶ εἶπα ἀεὶ πλανῶνται τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὰς ὁδούς μου
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Text notes:
The ‘proximus’ of the Old Roman here does, on the face of it, appear to be a
mistranslation of the Greek. Though
perhaps not – after all, during the forty years God did indeed keep this
generation near, guiding them with the smoke and pillar of flame, despite their
sins.
Quadragínta annis= Forty years
próximus fui generatióni huic= I kept this
generation near
et dixi= and I said
semper hi errant == always these stray
corde= in the heart
quadraginta, num. adj., forty.
annus, i, m year
proximus, a, um, very near, close at
hand; neighbour
generatio, onis, a begetting, generating, generation
semper, adv., ever, always, at all times.
hic, haec, hoc, this
erro, avi, atum, are, to wander, stray, rove,
cor, cordis, n., the heart,
regarded as the seat of the faculties, feelings, emotions, passions; the mind,
the soul.
DR
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Forty years long was I offended with that
generation, and I
said: These always err
in heart.
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NETS
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For forty years
I loathed that generation and said always do they stray in heart
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Cover
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Forty years long was I grieved with this
generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their hearts
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The Catechism offers this explication of the importance of forty:
CCC 539: The evangelists indicate the salvific meaning of this mysterious event: Jesus is the new Adam who remained faithful just where the first Adam had given in to temptation. Jesus fulfils Israel's vocation perfectly: in contrast to those who had once provoked God during forty years in the desert, Christ reveals himself as God's Servant, totally obedient to the divine will. In this, Jesus is the devil's conqueror: he "binds the strong man" to take back his plunder. Jesus' victory over the tempter in the desert anticipates victory at the Passion, the supreme act of obedience of his filial love for the Father.
11
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VL
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Ipsi vero non cognovérunt vias meas : quibus jurávi
in ira mea : si introíbunt in réquiem meam.
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V
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et isti non cognoverunt vias meas :
ut juravi in ira mea : si introibunt in requiem meam.
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NV
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Et ipsi non cognoverunt vias meas; ideo
iuravi in ira mea: Non introibunt in requiem meam ”.
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JH
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et non cognoscens uias meas : et iuraui
in furore meo, ut non introirent in requiem meam.
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ὡς ὤμοσα ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ μου εἰ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσίν μου
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Text notes: The
si phrase is the form of an oath – if so and so, then…, in this case, they
shall not enter into my rest, viz the Promised Land (see Numbers 14:26ff), or
as the author of Hebrews makes clear, heaven.
Ipsi vero non cognovérunt=they themselves
have not truly known
vias meas= my ways
quibus jurávi = so I swore
in ira mea= in my anger
si introíbunt in réquiem meam= if they will
enter into my rest, ie, they will not enter into my rest
verus, a, um, true
cognosco, gnovi, gnitum, ere 3, to know, see, learn, perceive, be come
acquainted with.
via, ae, a way, road, path, street. God's way, God's policy, way of life
juro, avi, atum, are, to swear, take an oath
ira,
ae, f, anger, wrath
introeo, ivi or ii, itum, ire, to go into, to enter.
requies, ei, /., rest;
a resting-place.
DR
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And these men have not known my ways: so I swore in my wrath that they shall
not enter into my rest.
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Cover
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for they have not known my ways, unto whom I swore in my wrath,
that they should not enter into my rest.
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St Augustine draws out the import of this warning here:
We began with exulting joy: but this Psalm has ended with great fear: Unto whom I swore in My wrath, that they should not enter into My rest Psalm 94:11. It is a great thing for God to speak: how much greater for Him to swear? You should fear a man when he swears, lest he do somewhat on account of his oath against his will: how much more should you fear God, when He swears, seeing He can swear nought rashly? He chose the act of swearing for a confirmation. And by whom does God swear? By Himself: for He has no greater by whom to swear. Hebrews 6:13 By Himself He confirms His promises: by Himself He confirms His threats. Let no man say in his heart, His promise is true; His threat is false: as His promise is true, so is His threat sure. You ought to be equally assured of rest, of happiness, of eternity, of immortality, if you have executed His commandments; as of destruction, of the burning of eternal fire, of damnation with the devil, if you have despised His commandments....
Psalm 94: Venite Exultemus Domino
Vulgate
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Psalter
(Vetus
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Douay-Rheims
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Laus cantici ipsi David.
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Praise of a canticle for David himself.
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1
Venite, exsultemus Domino; jubilemus Deo salutari nostro;
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1.
Veníte, exsultémus Dómino, jubilémus Deo, salutári nostro:
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Come let us praise the Lord with joy:
let us joyfully sing to God our saviour.
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2
præoccupemus faciem ejus in confessione, et in psalmis jubilemus ei
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præoccupémus
fáciem ejus in confessióne, et in psalmis jubilémus ei.
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2 Let us come before his presence
with thanksgiving; and make a joyful noise to him with psalms.
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3
quoniam Deus magnus Dominus, et rex magnus super omnes deos.
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2.
Quóniam Deus magnus Dóminus, et Rex magnus super omnes deos
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3 For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
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4
Quia in manu ejus sunt omnes fines terræ, et altitudines montium ipsius sunt;
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:
quóniam non repéllet Dóminus plebem suam : quia in manu ejus sunt omnes fines
terræ, et altitúdines móntium ipse cónspicit.
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4 For in his hand are all the
ends of the earth: and the heights of the mountains are his.
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5
quoniam ipsius est mare, et ipse fecit illud, et siccam manus ejus
formaverunt
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3.
Quóniam ipsíus est mare, et ipse fecit illud, et áridam fundavérunt manus
ejus
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5 For the sea is his, and he made
it: and his hands formed the dry land.
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6 Venite, adoremus, et procidamus, et
ploremus ante Dominum qui fecit nos:
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Veníte, adorémus, et procidámus ante Deum :
plorémus coram Dómino, qui fecit nos,
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6 Come
let us adore and fall down: and weep before the Lord that made us.
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7 quia ipse est Dominus Deus noster, et nos
populus pascuæ ejus, et oves manus ejus.
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quia
ipse est Dóminus Deus noster ; nos autem pópulus ejus, et oves páscuæ ejus.
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7 For
he is the Lord our God: and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of
his hand.
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8
Hodie si vocem ejus audieritis, nolite obdurare corda vestra
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4.
Hódie, si vocem ejus audiéritis, nolíte obduráre corda vestra,
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8 Today
if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts:
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9
sicut in irritatione, secundum diem tentationis in deserto, ubi tentaverunt
me patres vestri : probaverunt me, et viderunt opera mea.
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sicut
in exacerbatióne, secúndum diem tentatiónis in desérto : ubi tentavérunt me
patres vestri, probavérunt et vidérunt ópera mea.
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9 As
in the provocation, according to the day of temptation in the wilderness:
where your fathers tempted me, they proved me, and saw my works.
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10
Quadraginta annis offensus fui generationi illi, et dixi : Semper hi
errant corde.
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5.
Quadragínta annis próximus fui generatióni huic, et dixi : Semper hi errant
corde ;
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10 Forty years long was I offended
with that generation, and I said: These always err in heart.
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11
Et isti non cognoverunt vias meas : ut juravi in ira mea : Si
introibunt in requiem meam.
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ipsi
vero non cognovérunt vias meas : quibus jurávi in ira mea : Si introíbunt in
réquiem meam.
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11 And these men have not known my
ways: so I swore in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest.
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