Psalm 6/5: Verse 6 - A baptism of tears

 

In the first section of Psalm 6,  King David (picture above from the Paris psalter) implored God to take pity on him and heal him from his illness: from his aching bones, and troubled soul.  He then goes on to give some reasons for God to have mercy on him.  Verse 6 provides another reason for God to have mercy on him, namely his tears of contrition.  Tears are out of fashion these days, yet in truth there is nothing wrong with acknowledging our emotions. And indeed seeking to stir up the proper ones within us as the occasion requires.

The meaning of the text

 

6	Vul	Laborávi in gémitu meo lavábo per síngulas noctes lectum meum: * lácrimis meis stratum meum rigábo.
	NV	Laboravi in gemitu meo, lavabam per singulas noctes lectum meum; lacrimis meis stratum meum rigabam.
	JH	Laboraui in gemitu meo ; natare faciam tota nocte lectulum meum; lacrimis meis stratum meum rigabo.
		ἐκοπίασα ἐν τῷ στεναγμῷ μου λούσω καθ' ἑκάστην νύκτα τὴν κλίνην μου ἐν δάκρυσίν μου τὴν στρωμνήν μου βρέξω

 The washing of the hands was a declaration of innocence. Washings, ablutions, or purifications were common among the Jews. In the Hebrew, the verse becomes progressively more intense, so ‘flood and drench…’

laboro, avi, atum, are  to toil, labor; to be tired, weaned, worn out, or exhausted, worn out

gemitus, us, m. a sigh, sighing, groaning.

lavo, lavi, lautum or lotum, are,  to wash.

singuli, ae, a, a distributive numeral adj., each, each one, every, several, each separately

nox, noctis,  night.

lectus, i, m. (from lego, a gathering or collecting together), a couch, bed.

lacryma, ae, a tear.

stratum, i, n.  bed, couch.

rigo, avi, atum, are, to wet, water, moisten, bedew

DR	I have laboured in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed: I will water my couch with my tears
Brenton	I am wearied with my groaning; I shall wash my bed every night; I shall water my couch with tears.
MD	Wary with my groans, every night I bathe my bed, with tears I drench my couch
Cover	I am weary of my groaning; every night wash I my bed, and water my couch with my tears.
Knox	I am spent with sighing; every night I lie weeping on my bed, till the tears drench my pillow.

The key words in this verse all point to the idea that letting lose tears (lacryma) of contrition constitutes hard work, a work of penance. Laborare means to work, toil, be tired out or exhausted; while gemitus means sighs or groanings. So the Douay-Rheims gives the first phrase as ‘I have laboured in my groanings’.

The verse is a classic example of the parallelism often used in the psalms, so that both halves of the verse essentially mean the same thing: lavare means to wash, while rigare means to wet, water or moisten; lectus and stratus both mean bed or couch.

There is some dispute over tense here: the Vulgate translates as ‘I have laboured...I will wash my bed: I will water my couch with my tears. The neo-Vulgate changes the text to the imperfect, reflecting the more forceful Hebrew: the couch is positively swimming with the flood of tears the psalmist lets loose. Thus the Revised Standard Version translates the verse as “I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.”

God does not punish those who punish themselves…

The importance of David’s outpouring of tears, finally accepted in verse 9, is the allusion to a positive aspect of the doctrines around sin and penance, namely that if our sorrow for sin, and thus detachment from it, is sufficiently intense, we can be purified of even the remaining temporal punishment due to us.

Serious sin has two main effects: it cuts us off from God, thus meriting eternal punishment, and it causes harm which we must repair (‘temporal punishment’). The sacrament of penance heals our breach with God, cancelling out eternal punishment, but it does not necessarily wipe out all of the temporal punishment due to our sins, which must be worked off either in this life (through good works such as prayer, almsgiving and fasting), or in purgatory.

St Robert Bellarmine therefore comments on this verse that: “For, as the apostle has it, 1 Cor. 11, "If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged;" that is to say, if we would condemn and punish ourselves, God would not condemn nor punish us. For he spares those who do not spare themselves.”

In Scripture, St John the Baptist offered a (non-sacramental) baptism of water to show repentance for sins.  This verse of the psalm echoes that idea, which is continued in the Church for us through sacramentals such as the use of holy water and the Asperges before Mass.

A continuing work

I mentioned above that the Neo-Vulgate makes the psalmists work of tears each night ongoing - and this might be one of those cases where even a traditionalist could prefer the neo-Vulgate, at least from a theological point of view! There is a tendency today, even amongst the most conservative and traditionalists of us, to underestimate, at least compared to the perspective of earlier ages, just how serious our sins are, and therefore just how much time in purgatory we might yet face! So to avoid this, we should take St Benedict’s advice, and ‘daily in our prayer, with tears and sighs, confess our past sins to God’ (RB4).

Psalm 6 (Prime Monday): Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Magistro chori. Fidibus. Super octavam. PSALMUS. David.	Unto the end, in verses, a psalm for David, for the octave.
Dómine, ne in furóre tuo árguas me, * neque in ira tua corrípias me.	O Lord, rebuke me not in your indignation, nor chastise me in your wrath.
2  Miserére mei, Dómine, quóniam infírmus sum : * sana me, Dómine, quóniam conturbáta sunt ossa mea.	Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
3  Et ánima mea turbáta est valde : * sed tu, Dómine, úsquequo?	And my soul is troubled exceedingly: but you, O Lord, how long?
4  Convértere, Dómine, et éripe ánimam meam : * salvum me fac propter misericórdiam tuam.	Turn to me, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for your mercy's sake.
5.  Quóniam non est in morte qui memor sit tui : * in inférno autem quis confitébitur tibi?	For there is no one in death that is mindful of you: and who shall confess to you in hell?
6  Laborávi in gémitu meo, lavábo per síngulas noctes lectum meum : * lácrimis meis stratum meum rigábo.	I have laboured in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed: I will water my couch with my tears
7  Turbátus est a furóre óculus meus : * inveterávi inter omnes inimícos meos.	My eye is troubled through indignation: I have grown old amongst all my enemies.
8  Discédite a me, omnes, qui operámini iniquitátem : *  quóniam exaudívit Dóminus vocem fletus mei.	Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity: for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
9  Exaudívit Dóminus deprecatiónem meam, *  Dóminus oratiónem meam suscépit.	The Lord has heard my supplication: the Lord has received my prayer.
10  Erubéscant, et conturbéntur veheménter omnes inimíci mei : * convertántur et erubéscant valde velóciter.	Let all my enemies be ashamed, and be very much troubled: let them be turned back, and be ashamed very speedily.

And the next set of notes can be found here.

**Reposted from Australia Incognita blog

Psalm 6/4: In death no man remembers thee (Verses 3-5)

Verse 5 of Psalm 6 is presumably the verse that particularly justifies its inclusion in the Office of the Dead, for it is a plea to God to allow the psalmist to praise God forever in heaven, rather being excluded from him in hell.  But the verses leading up to it are about the prerequisites for salvation, so are important to the inclusion of the psalm both in the Office of the Dead and amongst the penitential psalms, as well as the Monday Benedictine Office of conversion in the light of the Incarnation.

3	V/NV/JH	Et ánima mea turbáta est valde : * sed tu, Dómine, úsquequo?
		καὶ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐταράχθη σφόδρα καὶ σύ κύριε ἕως πότε

anima, ae, (1) Equivalent to a personal pronoun:   (2) Untranslated:. (3) Life, soul, and heart

turbo, avi, atum, are, to trouble, disturb, dismay, throw into disorder or confusion

valde, adv. (contr. from valide, strongly, vehemently), very, very much, exceedingly

usquequo, adv., how long, until when

  

DR	And my soul is troubled exceedingly: but you, O Lord, how long?
Brenton	My soul also is grievously vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long?
MD	My soul is utterly dismayed, but Thou O Lord how long?
Cover	My soul also is sore troubled; but, Lord, how long wilt thou punish me?
Knox	my spirits are altogether broken; Lord, wilt thou never be content?

Verse 2 of the psalm speaks of physical illness.  But the Fathers make the point that the spiritual malaise spoken of here is much more important.  This verse is surely a key source for St Augustine's famous statement that our hearts are restless until they rest in God.

4	V/NV	Convértere, Dómine, et éripe ánimam meam : * salvum me fac propter misericórdiam tuam.
	JH	Reuertere, Domine, erue animam meam: salua me propter misericordiam tuam.
		ἐπίστρεψον κύριε ῥῦσαι τὴν ψυχήν μου σῶσόν με ἕνεκεν τοῦ ἐλέους σου

Note: Convertere is a present imperative passive

converto, verti, versum, ere 3,  to turn, change, alter, bring back; to quicken, refresh ; to bring back; to restore, i.e., to re-establish, set up again in strength;  to convert, turn from sin;  to change, turn. 

eripio, ripui, reptum, ere 3  to rescue, deliver.

anima, ae, Equivalent to a personal pronoun;  Life, soul, and heart L – heb my life

facio, feci, factum, ere 3, to make, do, cause, bring to pass; salvum facere, to save;

salvus, a, um, safe, saved;  salvum facere, to save, keep safe, preserve from harm

propter, on account of, by reason of, because of, from, for, for the sake of. therefore, on that account.

misericordia, ae, /, mercy, kindness, favor, compassion, loving-kindness.

DR	Turn to me, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for your mercy's sake.
Brenton	Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: save me for thy mercy’s sake.
MD	Once more, O Lord, preserve my life save me for Thy mercy’s sake.
Cover	Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul; O save me for thy mercy’s sake.
Knox	Lord, turn back, and grant a wretched soul relief; as thou art ever merciful, save me.

St Augustine makes the point that although from our perspective it seems as if God turn

s towards or away from us, in reality the movement comes from our own actions, for God is always and everywhere:

"Since it was not His absence who is everywhere present, but our turning away that made us lose Him…But while we are turning ourselves, that is, by changing our old life are fashioning our spirit; we feel it hard and toilsome to be wrested back from the darkness of earthly lusts, to the serene and quiet and tranquility of the divine light." 

 

5	V/ NV	Quóniam non est in morte qui memor sit tui: * in inférno autem quis confitébitur tibi?
	JH	Quoniam non est in morte recordatio tui : in inferno quis confitebitur tibi ?
		ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ ὁ μνημονεύων σου ἐν δὲ τῷ ᾅδῃ τίς ἐξομολογήσεταί σοι

 

quoniam,  for, because, since,seeing that, whereas.

mors, mortis,  death.

memor, oris (memini),  mindful of, thoughtful of;  to remember, call to mind, think of, take thought for, recall, recount, etc;  to think of.;  i.e., worships Thee, praises Thee.

infernus, i, m.  the nether world, the underworld, the grave, the kingdom of the dead,

confiteor, fessus sum, eri 2 (1) to praise, give thanks (2) to confess, acknowledge one's guilt.

DR	For there is no one in death, that is mindful of you: and who shall confess to you in hell?
Brenton	For in death no man remembers thee: and who will give thee thanks in Hades?
Cover	For in death no man remembereth thee; and who will give thee thanks in the pit?
Knox	When death comes, there is no more remembering thee; none can praise thee in the tomb.

Some commentaries and translations of this verse perhaps confuse things by getting caught up over whether the psalmist is speaking here of eternal hell, or only of Sheol, that temporary hell that awaited Christ's coming.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church helpfully clarifies the issue:

"Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, "hell" - Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek - because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God. Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into "Abraham's bosom" "It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham's bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell." Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him."  (CCC 633)

Psalm 6 (Prime Monday): Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Magistro chori. Fidibus. Super octavam. PSALMUS. David.	Unto the end, in verses, a psalm for David, for the octave.
Dómine, ne in furóre tuo árguas me, * neque in ira tua corrípias me.	O Lord, rebuke me not in your indignation, nor chastise me in your wrath.
2  Miserére mei, Dómine, quóniam infírmus sum : * sana me, Dómine, quóniam conturbáta sunt ossa mea.	Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
3  Et ánima mea turbáta est valde : * sed tu, Dómine, úsquequo?	And my soul is troubled exceedingly: but you, O Lord, how long?
4  Convértere, Dómine, et éripe ánimam meam : * salvum me fac propter misericórdiam tuam.	Turn to me, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for your mercy's sake.
5.  Quóniam non est in morte qui memor sit tui : * in inférno autem quis confitébitur tibi?	For there is no one in death that is mindful of you: and who shall confess to you in hell?
6  Laborávi in gémitu meo, lavábo per síngulas noctes lectum meum : * lácrimis meis stratum meum rigábo.	I have laboured in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed: I will water my couch with my tears
7  Turbátus est a furóre óculus meus : * inveterávi inter omnes inimícos meos.	My eye is troubled through indignation: I have grown old amongst all my enemies.
8  Discédite a me, omnes, qui operámini iniquitátem : *  quóniam exaudívit Dóminus vocem fletus mei.	Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity: for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
9  Exaudívit Dóminus deprecatiónem meam, *  Dóminus oratiónem meam suscépit.	The Lord has heard my supplication: the Lord has received my prayer.
10  Erubéscant, et conturbéntur veheménter omnes inimíci mei : * convertántur et erubéscant valde velóciter.	Let all my enemies be ashamed, and be very much troubled: let them be turned back, and be ashamed very speedily.

The next set of notes on this psalm can be found here.

Psalm 6/3: Verse 2** - God the physician

The first verse of Psalm 6 alluded to God as a judge, expressed as showing his 'anger' as a response to sin. But today’s verse, verse 2, points to the side of God we are brought to know especially through Our Lord’s mission on earth, namely, God as the physician of our souls.

Verse 2: Have mercy on me Lord...heal me

2.	V/NV/JH	Miserére mei, Dómine, quóniam infírmus sum: * sana me, Dómine, quóniam conturbáta sunt ossa mea.
		ἐλέησόν με κύριε ὅτι ἀσθενής εἰμι ἴασαί με κύριε ὅτι ἐταράχθη τὰ ὀστᾶ μου

misereor, sertus sum, eri 2 (miser), to pity, have mercy on.

infirmo, avi, atum, are  to make physically weak, deprive of strength; to weaken, enfeeble.

conturbo, avi, atum, are, to trouble, disquiet, discomfit, dismay; to disturb in mind, cause anxiety

sano, avi, atum, are to heal, cure, restore to health; to aid, help.

os, ossis, n., a bone, a member of the body, or, the members, one's whole being, one's spirit, strength

DR	Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
Brenton	Pity me, O Lord; for I am weak: heal me, O Lord; for my bones are vexed.
MD	Have mercy on me, Lord for I am weak, heal me Lord for my bones are grown frail
Cover	Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.
Knox	Lord, pity me; I have no strength left; Lord, heal me; my limbs tremble;

The verb misereri, familiar to us perhaps from the start of the Psalm 50, means to pity, have mercy on, so the first phrase is ‘have pity on me, Lord’.

King David then gives the reason why he is asking for mercy: because he is ill (infirmare, to make physically weak, deprive of strength; to weaken, enfeeble). He asks to be healed (sanare, to heal, cure, restore to health; to aid, help) because his bones, or indeed whole spirit (os, ossis) are troubled (conturbare, to trouble, disquiet, discomfit, dismay; to disturb in mind, cause anxiety). The Hebrew here is actually stronger than the Latin, suggesting more than just troubled or disturbed bones, but positive agony.  The psalmist is making a link in these first two verses between the health of mind, soul and body.

Illness as a path to redemption

King David refers to aching bones in several of the psalms so I suspect there is a good case for taking this literally: sometimes illnesses and other providential events in our lives which can serve to bring about conversion, and which if accepted willingly can remit some or all of the ‘temporal’ punishments due to sin (noting of course that illnesses occur for many reasons, not just sin, as the book of Job makes clear). Anyone who has had a fracture, or suffers from arthritis, will emphasize with the psalmist's pain!

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1502) comments on this:

"The man of the Old Testament lives his sickness in the presence of God. It is before God that he laments his illness, and it is of God, Master of life and death, that he implores healing. Illness becomes a way to conversion; God's forgiveness initiates the healing. It is the experience of Israel that illness is mysteriously linked to sin and evil, and that faithfulness to God according to his law restores life: "For I am the Lord, your healer." The prophet intuits that suffering can also have a redemptive meaning for the sins of others. Finally Isaiah announces that God will usher in a time for Zion when he will pardon every offense and heal every illness"

God the physician

Nonetheless, many of the Fathers and Theologians also interpret this verse metaphorically. St Augustine for example says: "that is, the support of my soul, or strength: for this is the meaning of bones. The soul therefore says, that her strength is troubled, when she speaks of bones. For it is not to be supposed, that the soul has bones, such as we see in the body."

What the soul is asking for then, as St Robert Bellarmine explains, is for God not to: "punish me not as a judge, but as a physician heal me."

The two verses of this psalm then, remind us to keep in mind that God is both judge and healer, and we must keep both these aspects in mind: for if we only repent now, he is ready to send his saving grace.

Psalm 6 (Prime Monday): Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Magistro chori. Fidibus. Super octavam. PSALMUS. David.	Unto the end, in verses, a psalm for David, for the octave.
Dómine, ne in furóre tuo árguas me, * neque in ira tua corrípias me.	O Lord, rebuke me not in your indignation, nor chastise me in your wrath.
2  Miserére mei, Dómine, quóniam infírmus sum : * sana me, Dómine, quóniam conturbáta sunt ossa mea.	Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
3  Et ánima mea turbáta est valde : * sed tu, Dómine, úsquequo?	And my soul is troubled exceedingly: but you, O Lord, how long?
4  Convértere, Dómine, et éripe ánimam meam : * salvum me fac propter misericórdiam tuam.	Turn to me, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for your mercy's sake.
5.  Quóniam non est in morte qui memor sit tui : * in inférno autem quis confitébitur tibi?	For there is no one in death that is mindful of you: and who shall confess to you in hell?
6  Laborávi in gémitu meo, lavábo per síngulas noctes lectum meum : * lácrimis meis stratum meum rigábo.	I have laboured in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed: I will water my couch with my tears
7  Turbátus est a furóre óculus meus : * inveterávi inter omnes inimícos meos.	My eye is troubled through indignation: I have grown old amongst all my enemies.
8  Discédite a me, omnes, qui operámini iniquitátem : *  quóniam exaudívit Dóminus vocem fletus mei.	Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity: for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
9  Exaudívit Dóminus deprecatiónem meam, *  Dóminus oratiónem meam suscépit.	The Lord has heard my supplication: the Lord has received my prayer.
10  Erubéscant, et conturbéntur veheménter omnes inimíci mei : * convertántur et erubéscant valde velóciter.	Let all my enemies be ashamed, and be very much troubled: let them be turned back, and be ashamed very speedily.

And you can find the next set of notes here.

**Reposted from Australia Incognita