Introduction to Psalm 53

Two Ziphites before Saul
Library of the Holy Monastery of Pantokrator

The next psalm I want to take a look at in this series is Psalm 53.

Psalm 53 has a particular appropriateness for the Lenten season, since it is used on both Good Friday and Holy Saturday at Tenebrae, as well as said daily at Prime during the Triduum.

My other reason for looking at it though, is that it was once one of the psalms recited daily in the Roman Office, thus contributing to the particular character of that Office.*

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, in carminibus. Intellectus David, 2 cum venissent Ziphæi, et dixissent ad Saul : Nonne David absconditus est apud nos?	Unto the end, in verses, understanding for David. When the men of Ziph had come and said to Saul: Is not David hidden with us?
1 Deus, in nómine tuo salvum me fac: * et in virtúte tua júdica me.	Save me, O God, by your name, and judge me in your strength.
2  Deus, exáudi oratiónem meam: * áuribus pércipe verba oris mei.	O God, hear my prayer: give ear to the words of my mouth.
3  Quóniam aliéni insurrexérunt advérsum me, et fortes quæsiérunt ánimam meam: * et non proposuérunt Deum ante conspéctum suum.	For strangers have risen up against me; and the mighty have sought after my soul: and they have not set God before their eyes.
4 Ecce enim Deus ádjuvat me: * et Dóminus suscéptor est ánimæ meæ.	For behold God is my helper: and the Lord is the protector of my soul.
5  Avérte mala inimícis meis: * et in veritáte tua dispérde illos.	Turn back the evils upon my enemies; and cut them off in your truth.
6  Voluntárie sacrificábo tibi, * et confitébor nómini tuo, Dómine: quóniam bonum est :	I will freely sacrifice to you, and will give praise, O God, to your name: because it is good:
7  Quóniam ex omni tribulatióne eripuísti me: * et super inimícos meos despéxit óculus meus.	For you have delivered me out of all trouble: and my eye has looked down upon my enemies.

A once prominent psalm

Psalm 53 doesn't feature much in the versions of the Office still in official use.

In the Benedictine psalm schema Psalm 53 is said normally said only once a week, as the second psalm of the second Nocturn of Matins on Tuesday.

Similarly, in the Roman Office, since 1911 it has been said said once a week only, at Sunday Prime.

The 1970 Liturgy of the Hours reduced its use further, cutting out one verse altogether, and consigning what is left to being said one every four weeks (to daytime prayer on Tuesday of week 2).

Prior to the twentieth century though, it had a much more prominent position, said daily at Prime in the Roman Office.

It was also said at Prime daily in the Little Office of Our Lady, a devotion that almost certainly originated at Monte Cassino and was said in addition to the Office for religious, as well as the main form of the Office for the laity for much of the Middle Ages, and was subsequently used by many religious sisters up until Vatican II.

The history of the liturgical use of this psalm then, raises a number of questions that I think are worth pondering, and which I hope to at least touch on as we go through its verses, such as:

• why does the psalm feature so heavily in the liturgy of Holy Week?
• why was the psalm considered so important as to be said daily in the Roman Office?
• why was it considered particularly appropriate for the hour of Prime?
• assuming that Psalm 53 already held its position at Prime in St Benedict's time, why didn't he follow the Roman model in this case (and if it was added after his time, why)? and
• why was it considered particularly apposite for the Little Office of Our Lady?

David, Christ and the Devil

The ancient title to Psalm 53, preserved in both the Hebrew Masoretic Text and Septuagint traditions, gives it a particular historical context, set out in 1 Samuel 23: David had taken refuge with the Ziphites, who, after feigning friendship betrayed him to King Saul; he was saved only because the Philistines invaded, preventing Saul from pursuing him.

Here are some of the key verses:

But David abode in the desert in strong holds, and he remained in a mountain of the desert of Ziph, in a woody hill. And Saul sought him always: but the Lord delivered him not into his hands. And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life. And David was in the desert of Ziph, in a wood...And the Ziphites went up to Saul in Gabaa, saying: Lo, doth not David lie hid with us in the strong holds of the wood, in mount Hachila, which is on the right hand of the desert. Now therefore come down, as thy soul hath desired to come down: and it shall be our business to deliver him into the king’s hands. And Saul said: Blessed be ye of the Lord, for you have pitied my case. Go therefore, I pray you, and use all diligence, and curiously inquire, and consider the place where his foot is, and who hath seen him there: for he thinketh of me, that I lie craftily in wait for him. Consider and see all his lurking holes, wherein he is hid, and return to me with the certainty of the thing, that I may go with you. And if he should even go down into the earth to hide himself, I will search him out in all the thousands of Juda. And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: and David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the plain at the right hand of Jesimon. 

The Fathers almost invariably interpreted the psalm title's allusion to this story typologically: Saul stands for the devil; David for Christ, and the Ziphites for the Jewish authorities who harassed and ultimately handed him over to be crucified.

The first verse of the Psalm, then, which reads 'Save me, O God, by your name, and judge me in your strength', becomes a reference first to Christ's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemene, and then to his vindication through the Resurrection; other verses take us through the other events of the Triduum, most notably verse 6 as a reference to Christ's willing sacrifice of himself on the cross, hence its use at Tenebrae.

And the link to the Resurrection perhaps also helps to explain its position at Prime, since it thus provides a lead in to stanzas of Psalm 118, which, by dint of its reference to the blessed many in the opening verse, is often interpreted as relating to the way to heaven reopened by virtue of the Resurrection.

Psalm 53 in the Little Office of Our Lady

Typological interpretations of the psalm title also, I think, account for its use in the Little Office of Our Lady, as the seventh or eighth century (probably Irish) commentary on it by Pseudo-Jerome drew a parallel between David's hiding in the woods and caves of Zith, and his hidden time spent in the womb of Our Lady.

That commentary also points to his time in the flesh as one of hidden divinity, thus it is a prayer of his acceptance of the form of a servant, and offering of himself for our salvation.

The Benedictine Office

St Benedict's arrangement of the psalter does not particularly highlight Psalm 53, but rather places in the context of a set of psalms that tell first of God's power and glory (the 'Sons of Zion', starting with Psalm 45), and then of man's reaction to this revelation: rather than hearing God's message and converting from sin, Psalm 51 onwards tell us, the seek David - and thus Christ's life.

This interpretation, I think, helps explain why St Benedict saw the psalm as particularly appropriate to Tuesdays, since that day in the Benedictine Office particularly focuses on Christ's public mission: David's betrayal by the Zithites, after all, was not the end of his struggles with Saul.

Instead, particularly in the context of the Benedictine arrangement of the psalter which connects the psalms of Zion to the Gradual Psalms on Tuesdays, invites us to take a different path to the Zithities.

Instead of seeking to betray Christ, we must call upon him for help (verse 1 -3), relying on his justice and mercy.

Instead of striking back, we should pray for the conversion of our enemies (the proper interpretation of verse 5, excised in the Liturgy of the Hours!).

And in response to all the aid that God gives us, in recognition of his great goodness, we should in turn offer to him our sacrifice of praise in the Office and the Mass (verse 6-7).

A prayer for aid in the spiritual battle

Above all, Psalm 53 is a prayer for aid in the spiritual battle.

In the Benedictine Office, the very first psalm said each day, Psalm 3 (said at Matins), serves to call and aid us in the daily spiritual battle.

Psalm 53, though, arguably served the same function in the Roman Office, as St Robert Bellarmine, in continuity with a stream of commentaries from Amalarius of Metz onwards, noted:

This Psalm is daily recited in the canonical hour of Prime, in order that, in imitation of David, we may learn to strengthen ourselves with the arm of prayer against all our persecutors, at the beginning of each day, recollecting, “That all who wish to live piously in Jesus Christ shall suffer persecution.”

Though it is no longer said daily, it is a psalm that deserves our attention as we move closer to Holy Week, and in the next post I will starting at it verse by verse.




*The repeated psalms of the pre-1911 Roman and the Benedictine Offices are set out in the table below for reference purposes.  Psalms that are repeated over the week in one form of the Office but not the other are bolded.

Hour	Roman pre 1911	Benedictine
Matins	94	3, 94
Lauds	62, 66, [50], 148, 149, 150	66, 50, 148, 149, 150
Prime	53, Ps 118 (1-32)	nil
Terce-None	Ps 118 (33-176)	Ps 119-127 (Tues - Sat)
Vespers	nil	nil
Compline	4 , 30 (1-6), 90, 133	4, 90, 133

Other scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	-
RB cursus	Tuesday Matins
Monastic feasts etc	Triduum Prime; Tenebrae Good Friday II, 3; Holy Sat III, 1; LOOL Prime AN 1321, 2165 (5)
Responsories	6421 (3) – tues in summer? 7368 (3) - All Souls/Office of the Dead no 7 7773 (5) - Good Friday no 7
Roman pre 1911	Prime daily
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Wednesday Terce. 1970: Tuesday DP omitting v5 (averte mala)
Mass propers (EF)	Lent 4 Monday, IN (3-5); Passion Monday, GR (1-2);  PP9, IN (1, 4-5)

 

Psalm 130 verses 3-5

The second half of Psalm 130 moves to the image of mother and child.

Psalm 130 Domine non est exaltatum

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Canticum graduum David.	A gradual canticle of David.
1 Dómine, non est exaltátum cor meum: * neque eláti sunt óculi mei.	1 Lord, my heart is not exalted: nor are my eyes lofty
2  Neque ambulávi in magnis: * neque in mirabílibus super me.	Neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonderful things above me.
3  Si non humíliter sentiébam: * sed exaltávi ánimam meam.	2 If I was not humbly minded, but exalted my soul:
4  Sicut ablactátus est super matre sua: * ita retribútio in ánima mea.	As a child that is weaned is towards his mother, so reward in my soul
5  Speret Israël in Dómino: * ex hoc nunc et usque in sæculum.	3 Let Israel hope in the Lord, from henceforth now and for ever.

Notes on the verses

3	V	Si non humíliter sentiébam: * sed exaltávi ánimam meam.
	NV	Vere pacatam et quietam feci animam meam;
	JH	Si non proposui, et silere feci animam meam;
		εἰ μὴ ἐταπεινοφρόνουν ἀλλὰ ὕψωσα τὴν ψυχήν μου

Si (if) non (not)  humíliter (lowly/humbly) sentiébam (I was feeling) Sed (but) exaltávi (I have exalted) ánimam (soul) meam (my)

The si construction here has generally been interpreted as a Hebrew expression indicating a self-imposed curse – ie, ‘if I have not done such and such then may the Lord do to me’ (cf Judith 16:21). David Ladouceur, however, argues that in Hebrew si non should be translated as ‘surely’, a view reflected in the RSV and reflected in St Hilary’s interpretation of the verse (and canvassed but not preferred by St Augustine). 

si,  if, in case that.  

humiliter, adv.  lowly, humbly

sentio, sensi, sensum, Ire, to feel, think, judge.

exalto, avi, atum, are to exalt,  elevate in rank, power, dignity, or the like; to dignify, glorify;  to praise, extol

4	V	Sicut ablactátus est super matre sua: * ita retribútio in ánima mea.
	NV	sicut ablactatus in sinu matris suae, sicut ablactatus, ita in me est anima mea.
	JH	sicut ablactatus ad matrem suam, ita ablactata ad me anima mea.
		εἰ μὴ ἐταπεινοφρόνουν ἀλλὰ ὕψωσα τὴν ψυχήν μου

Sicut (As/like) ablactátus est (he/she is weaned) is. Super (towards) matre (mother) sua (his/her)  Ita (so) retribútio (reward/recompense) in ánima (in the soul) mea (my)

Taken with the previous verse, the sense is ‘if I have been proud, let me be like a child weaned away from its mother’ (ie and still desiring but denied her milk).  The Masoretic Text however provides an alternative reading of the Hebrew, used by the Diurnal translators, viz “Rather I have been of humble mind, and quieted my soul. As a weaned child on his mother’s breast, so am I weaned of my desire.”  Because of the very different takes on this verse, an expanded set of translations are included below for comparison purposes. 

sicut, adv., as, just as, like.

ablacto, avi, atum, are  to wean.

super+abl on, upon, over

mater, tris, /. , mother.

ita – so, thus, even, in this manner

retributio, onis, f.  reward, recompense, requital, either as a reward or punishment

DR	As a child that is weaned is towards his mother, so reward in my soul.
Brenton	according to the relation of a weaned child to his mother, so wilt thou recompense my soul.
MD	As a weaned child on his mother’s breast, so am I weaned of my desire.
RSV	like a child quieted at its mother's breast; like a child that is quieted is my soul.
Cover	like as a child that is weaned from his mother; yea, my soul is even as a weaned child.
Knox	The thoughts of a child on its mother’s breast, a child’s thoughts were all my soul knew.

These two verses need, I think, to be read together, for as St John Chrysostom suggests:

The statement is hyperbolic in this sense, "If I were not humble like the weaned child with its mother, and instead lifted up my heart, there would have been repayment of this kind for my soul." What he means is something like this: was not only innocent of this vice - I mean, haughtiness - nor only at a distance from those with it, but I adopted the virtue opposite to it to an extraordinary degree, humility, moderation, contrition. This was exactly the command Christ gave the disciples in the words, "Unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." 

5	V	Speret Israël in Dómino: * ex hoc nunc et usque in sæculum.
	NV	Speret Israel in Domino ex hoc nunc et usque in saeculum.
	JH	Expecta Israhel Dominum, a modo et usque in aeternum.
		ἐλπισάτω Ισραηλ ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος

Speret (Let it hope) Israël in Dómino (in the Lord) Ex (from) hoc (this) nunc (now) et (and) usque until) in sæculum  (forever).

spero, avi, atum, are  to hope or trust in

ex hoc nunc  from this time forth, and forevermore.

usque, adv., to, up to, as far as; till, as far as; to express an extreme degree.

DR	Let Israel hope in the Lord, from henceforth now and for ever.
Brenton	Let Israel hope in the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.
Cover	O Israel, trust in the Lord, from this time forth for evermore.

The key to humility of course lies in our trust in God, grounded in our filial relationship to God that allows us to pray to him as Our Father.  Pope Benedict XVI draws some of the links with other psalms:

At this point, the praying person's profession of trust is extended to the entire community: "O Israel, hope in the Lord both now and for ever" (Ps 131[130]: 3). In the entire people which receives security, life and peace from God, hope now blossoms and extends from the present to the future, "now and for ever". It is easy to continue the prayer by making other voices in the Psalms ring out, inspired by this same trust in God: "To you I was committed at birth, from my mother's womb you are my God" (Ps 22[21]: 11). "Though my father and mother forsake me, yet will the Lord receive me" (Ps 27[26]: 10). "For you are my hope, O Lord; my trust, O God, from my youth. On you I depend from birth; from my mother's womb you are my strength" (Ps 71[70]: 5-6).

That completes this mini-series on Psalm 130.  You can find an introduction to the next psalm of Tuesday Vespers, Psalm 131, here.

Psalm 130 verses 1-2

Publican and the Pharisee
Ottobeuron Basilica

The opening verses of Psalm 130 paint a picture of humility.

Psalm 130 Domine non est exaltatum

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Canticum graduum David.	A gradual canticle of David.
1 Dómine, non est exaltátum cor meum: * neque eláti sunt óculi mei.	1 Lord, my heart is not exalted: nor are my eyes lofty
2  Neque ambulávi in magnis: * neque in mirabílibus super me.	Neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonderful things above me.
3  Si non humíliter sentiébam: * sed exaltávi ánimam meam.	2 If I was not humbly minded, but exalted my soul:
4  Sicut ablactátus est super matre sua: * ita retribútio in ánima mea.	As a child that is weaned is towards his mother, so reward in my soul
5  Speret Israël in Dómino: * ex hoc nunc et usque in sæculum.	3 Let Israel hope in the Lord, from henceforth now and for ever.

Notes on the verses

1	V/NV/JH	Dómine, non est exaltátum cor meum: * neque eláti sunt óculi mei.
	Sept	κύριε οὐχ ὑψώθη μου ἡ καρδία οὐδὲ ἐμετεωρίσθησαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου

Dómine (O Lord) non (not) est (it is) exaltátum (lifted/exalted) cor (heart) meum (mine) neque (neither/nor) eláti sunt (they are raised) óculi (eyes) mei (my)

exalto, avi, atum, are  to exalt, i.e., to elevate in rank, power, dignity, or the like; to dignify

cor, cordis, n., the heart, regarded as the seat of the faculties, feelings, emotions, passions; the mind, the soul.

elevo are avi atum - to raise, lift up

oculus, i, , the eye.

DR	Lord, my heart is not exalted: nor are my eyes lofty.
Brenton	O Lord, my heart is not exalted, neither have mine eyes been haughtily raised
Cover	Lord, I am not high-minded; I have no proud looks.

The imagery of this verse is reflected in the parable of the publican and the Pharisee (Lk 18: 9-14), urging us to display humility when we pray in the Church.  Indeed, St Benedict uses this verse to instruct his monks to keep strict custody of the eyes.  Pope Benedict XVI commented:

This is an illustration of the proud person who is described by Hebrew words that suggest "pride" and "haughtiness", the arrogant attitude of those who look down on others, considering them inferior.  The great temptation of the proud, who want to be like God, the arbiter of good and evil (cf. Gn 3: 5), is decisively rejected by the person of prayer who chooses humble and spontaneous trust in the One Lord.

2	V/NV	Neque ambulávi in magnis: * neque in mirabílibus super me.
	JH	et non ambulaui in magnis  et in mirabilibus super me.
		οὐδὲ ἐπορεύθην ἐν μεγάλοις οὐδὲ ἐν θαυμασίοις ὑπὲρ ἐμέ

Neque (neither) ambulávi (I have walked) in magnis (in great [things/matters]) neque (neither) in mirabílibus (wonderful/marvellous [things]) super (above) me (me)

ambulo, avi, atum, are to walk, the manner in which one orders one's life

mirabilis, e  wonderful, marvelous; subst., mirabilia, mm, wonders, wonderful works, marvellous things.

magnus, a, um,  great, mighty

DR	Neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonderful things above me.
Brenton	neither have I exercised myself in great matters, nor in things too wonderful for me.
Cover	I do not exercise myself in great matters which are too high for me.

Verse 2 urges us to turn away from ambition, boasting and an over-inflated sense of our own powers.  St Augustine points to the example of Simon Magus, who "believed that the holy Spirit could be purchased from Christ's apostles for money"; Cassiodorus adds to the list Pilate, "when he said to the Lord Saviour: Knowest thou not that I have power to release thee and power to crucify thee?".

And for notes on the remaining verses of Psalm 130, continue on here.

Introduction to Psalm 130

The second psalm of Tuesday Vespers in the Benedictine Rite is Psalm 130, Domine, non est exaltatum cor meum.

Psalm 130 (131)

Here is the text arranged as it is in the Office.  The verse numbers in the Douay-Rheims version show how it is divided in modern editions of Scripture.

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Canticum graduum David.	A gradual canticle of David.
1 Dómine, non est exaltátum cor meum: * neque eláti sunt óculi mei.	1 Lord, my heart is not exalted: nor are my eyes lofty
2  Neque ambulávi in magnis: neque in mirabílibus super me.	Neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonderful things above me.
3  Si non humíliter sentiébam: * sed exaltávi ánimam meam.	2 If I was not humbly minded, but exalted my soul:
4  Sicut ablactátus est super matre sua: * ita retribútio in ánima mea.	As a child that is weaned is towards his mother, so reward in my soul
5  Speret Israël in Dómino: * ex hoc nunc et usque in sæculum.	3 Let Israel hope in the Lord, from henceforth now and for ever.

Scriptural and historical context

Psalm 130 is one of the shortest in the psalter at three verses.

St Alphonsus Liguori suggests that it is a response by David to accusations of pride from Saul and his followers, saying:

"David complains that Saul and his followers accuse him of being proud, and calls God to witness against this calumny."

Reading the psalm Christologically, we can see it as a portrait of Jesus' perfect humility, in his willingness to take human form and become a baby, totally dependent on his mother, humble himself and become obedient even unto death.

Humility and meekness

St Benedict uses this psalm in his discussion of the virtue of humility in Chapter 7 of his Rule:

Holy Scripture, brethren, cries out to us, saying, "Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted" (Luke 14:11). In saying this it shows us that all exaltation is a kind of pride, against which the Prophet proves himself to be on guard when he says, "Lord, my heart is not exalted, nor are mine eyes lifted up; neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonders above me" But how has he acted? "Rather have I been of humble mind than exalting myself; as a weaned child on its mother's breast, so You solace my soul".

Unsurprisingly then, many writers have seen this psalm as above exemplifying monastic life.  Fr Pius Pasch's commentary on the Divine Office for example includes this comment:

"In this singing of this beautiful hymn with its unmistakably mystic character, picture some little convent in which consecrated souls serve our Lord humbly and joyfully.  Be thankful for the blessings of religious communities, and beg for more vocations."

Growth in the spiritual life

The psalm provides us with three images of humility.

The first is of a person who practices custody of the eyes, keeping his head bowed and eyes downcast pondering his sins and coming judgment (RB 7).  It is probably not accidental that St Benedict's twelfth degree of humility reflects the opening verse of the twelfth of the Gradual psalms!

The second image is of a person who does not 'walk' in things above him, that is, engage in pride arising from our words and actions.  Instead, the humble person recognises that, as St Benedict urges in his sixth and seventh degrees of humility, we regard ourselves as bad and unworthy workmen, of lower and of less account than all others.

The final image is of a child being weaned from its mother's breast.  Pope Benedict XVI comments on this:

"We have listened to only a few words, about 30 in the original Hebrew, of Psalm 131[130]. Yet they are intense words that convey a topic dear to all religious literature: spiritual childhood. Our thoughts turn spontaneously to St Thérèse of Lisieux, to her "Little Way", her "remaining little" in order to be held in Jesus' arms (cf. Story of a Soul, Manuscript "C", p. 208). Indeed, the clear-cut image of a mother and child in the middle of the Psalm is a sign of God's tender and maternal love, as the Prophet Hosea formerly expressed it: "When Israel was a child I loved him.... I drew [him] with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered [him] like one who raises an infant to his cheeks... I stooped to feed my child" (Hos 11: 1, 4). "

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Mt 18:3 (v4)
RB cursus	Tuesday Vespers
Monastic feasts etc	Gradual Psalms AN 2361(1)
Responsories	-
Roman pre 1911	Wed V
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Wed V . 1970:
Mass propers (EF)	-

For notes on the individual verses of this psalm, continue on to here.