The Penitential Psalms - Psalm 50/9 - verses 19-20

Sodoma: St Benedict founds twelve monasteries

The final verses of Psalm 50 shifts the perspective from the individual sinner to a prayer for the whole city, or people of Jerusalem.  They are often viewed by modern commentators as a later addition to the psalm, since the shift in perspective is so significant.  The Fathers, however, suggest interpretations of them which link them well to the rest of the psalm by suggesting that they refer to the spiritual Jerusalem rather than the physical one.

19	V/NV	Benígne fac, Dómine, in bona voluntáte tua Sion: * ut ædificéntur muri Jerúsalem.
	JH	Bene fac, Domine, in uoluntate tua Sion, et aedificentur muri Hierusalem.
		ἀγάθυνον κύριε ἐν τῇ εὐδοκίᾳ σου τὴν Σιων καὶ οἰκοδομηθήτω τὰ τείχη Ιερουσαλημ

benigne, adv.  kindly, lovingly, favorably.

DR	Deal favourably, O Lord, in your good will with Sion; that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.
Brenton	Do good, O Lord, to Sion in thy good pleasure; and let the walls of Jerusalem be built
Cover	O be favourable and gracious unto Sion; build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

Bellarmine comments:

The last reason assigned by David to appease God, to obtain perfect justice, and to make reparation after so grievous a fall; for he says, that as well as his fall proved an injury to the whole people, his recovery will be now a source of edification to them; and he, therefore, begs this favor for himself and for the whole city of Sion. "Deal favorably, O Lord, in thy good will with Sion." If I am not worthy of being heard, have regard to the city of which I am the head, and confer a favor on it by heal­ing its head, "in thy good will;" in the good will, in which you were pleased to select this city as your own peculiar city. "That the walls of Jerusalem may be built up," meaning himself, who, like a wall, guarded and defended the entire people.

20	V/NV	Tunc acceptábis sacrifícium justítiæ, oblatiónes, et holocáusta: * tunc impónent super altáre tuum vítulos.
	JH	Tunc suscipies sacrificium iustitiae, oblationes et holocausta: tunc inponent super altare tuum uitulos.
		τότε εὐδοκήσεις θυσίαν δικαιοσύνης ἀναφορὰν καὶ ὁλοκαυτώματα τότε ἀνοίσουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριόν σου μόσχους

impono, posui, positum, ere 3  to put, set, lay; to lay upon (an altar as a sacrifice), to offer; to set over as master, ruler

vitulus, i, m. a calf, bull-calf, bullock; The golden calf; a symbol of a dangerous enemy.

DR	Then shall you accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and whole burnt offerings: then shall they lay calves upon your altar.
Brenton	Then shalt thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, offering, and whole-burnt-sacrifices: then shall they offer calves upon thine altar.
Cover	Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations; then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.

St Gregory the Great applies these verses to the Church:

"Holy Church has two lives: one that she lives in time, the other that she receives eternally; one with which she struggles on earth, the other that is rewarded in heaven; one with which she accumulates merits, the other that henceforth enjoys the merits earned. And in both these lives she offers a sacrifice: here below, the sacrifice of compunction, and in heaven above, the sacrifice of praise. Of the former sacrifice it is said: "The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit'; of the latter it is written:  "Then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings'.... In both, flesh is offered, since the sacrifice of the flesh is the mortification of the body, up above; the sacrifice of the flesh is the glory of the resurrection in praise to God. In heaven, flesh will be offered as a burnt holocaust when it is transformed into eternal incorruptibility, and there will be no more conflict for us and nothing that is mortal, for our flesh will endure in everlasting praise, all on fire with love for him" 

Bellarmine spells out what this should mean in terms of our own actions:

The works of justice that please God as true spiritual sac­rifices are the effect of justification, according to the apostle, Heb. 13, "And do not forget to do good, and to impart, for by such sacrifices God's favor is obtained;" and 1 Peter 2, "Offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." — "Then," when I shall have been thoroughly renewed and justi­fied, "shalt thou accept the sacrifice of justice;" all the good works of mine and my people, "oblations and whole burnt offerings." All which good works will be so many spiritual oblations, so many spiritual holocausts. Spiritual oblations are the offering of one's substance or property in alms for the love of God; and spiritual holocausts are the dedication of one's self entirely to do God's will and commands, according to Rom. 12, "I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, your reasonable service." —"Then shall they lay calves upon thy altar." When it shall be seen that such sacrifices of jus­tice are the most acceptable to you, people will vie with each other in loading your altar, not with the ordinary sacrifices, but with the most precious; for that of the calf was considered the sacrifice most valuable; and thus the "laying calves upon the altar" means the offering of works of the most perfect justice to the Lord God.

Psalm 50: Miserere me Deus 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem. Psalmus David cum venit ad eum Nathan propheta, quando intravit ad Bethsabee.	Unto the end, a psalm of David, 2 when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had sinned with Bethsabee.
1 Miserére mei Deus, * secúndum magnam misericórdiam tuam.	Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy.
2  Et secúndum multitúdinem miseratiónum tuárum, * dele iniquitátem meam.	And according to the multitude of your tender mercies blot out my iniquity.
3  Amplius lava me ab iniquitáte mea: * et a peccáto meo munda me.	Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
4  Quóniam iniquitátem meam ego cognósco: * et peccátum meum contra me est semper.	For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me.
5  Tibi soli peccávi, et malum coram te feci: * ut justificéris in sermónibus tuis, et vincas cum judicáris.	To you only have I sinned, and have done evil before you: that you may be justified in your words, and may overcome when you are judged.
6  Ecce enim in iniquitátibus concéptus sum: * et in peccátis concépit me mater mea.	For behold I was conceived in iniquities; and in sins did my mother conceive me.
7  Ecce enim veritátem dilexísti: * incérta et occúlta sapiéntiæ tuæ manifestásti mihi.	For behold you have loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of your wisdom you have made manifest to me.
8  Aspérges me hyssópo, et mundábor: * lavábis me, et super nivem dealbábor.	You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: you shall wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
9  Audítui meo dabis gáudium et lætítiam: * et exsultábunt ossa humiliáta.	To my hearing you shall give joy and gladness: and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.
10  Avérte fáciem tuam a peccátis meis: * et omnes iniquitátes meas dele.	Turn away your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
11  Cor mundum crea in me, Deus: * et spíritum rectum ínnova in viscéribus meis.	Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within my bowels.
12  Ne projícias me a fácie tua: * et spíritum sanctum tuum ne áuferas a me.	Cast me not away from your face; and take not your holy spirit from me.
13  Redde mihi lætítiam salutáris tui: * et spíritu principáli confírma me.	Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.
14  Docébo iníquos vias tuas: * et ímpii ad te converténtur.	I will teach the unjust your ways: and the wicked shall be converted to you.
15  Líbera me de sanguínibus, Deus, Deus salútis meæ: * et exsultábit lingua mea justítiam tuam.	Deliver me from blood, O God, you God of my salvation: and my tongue shall extol your justice.
16  Dómine, lábia mea apéries: * et os meum annuntiábit laudem tuam.	O Lord, you will open my lips: and my mouth shall declare your praise.
17  Quóniam si voluísses sacrifícium dedíssem útique: * holocáustis non delectáberis.	For if you had desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it: with burnt offerings you will not be delighted.
18  Sacrifícium Deo spíritus contribulátus: * cor contrítum, et humiliátum, Deus non despícies.	A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not despise.
19  Benígne fac, Dómine, in bona voluntáte tua Sion: * ut ædificéntur muri Jerúsalem.	Deal favourably, O Lord, in your good will with Sion; that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.
20  Tunc acceptábis sacrifícium justítiæ, oblatiónes, et holocáusta: * tunc impónent super altáre tuum vítulos.	Then shall you accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and whole burnt offerings: then shall they lay calves upon your altar.

And that was the final part in this series on Psalm 50.  For an introduction to the next of the Seven Penitential Psalms, Psalm 101, continue on here.