Psalm 131 verse 16

Verse 16 of Psalm 131 takes us to the Scriptural foundations of the social teachings of the Church.

Notes on the verses

16	V	Víduam ejus benedícens benedícam: * páuperes ejus saturábo pánibus.
	NV	Cibaria eius benedicens benedicam, pauperes eius saturabo panibus.
	JH	Uenationem eius benedicens benedicam: pauperes eius saturabo pane.
		τὴν θήραν αὐτῆς εὐλογῶν εὐλογήσω τοὺς πτωχοὺς αὐτῆς χορτάσω ἄρτων

Víduam (the widow) ejus (her) benedícens (blessings) benedícam (I will bless) páuperes (the poor) ejus (her/his/its) saturábo (I will fill) pánibus (with bread)

The Masoretic Text here has provisions or food supply instead of widows, and the Neo-Vulgate therefore assumes that the Septuagint/Vulgate ‘widows’ is the result of a scribal error.  But talking about 'the poor and widows' is fairly common in Scripture, as St Augustine points out in his commentary on the verse, and makes just as much sense.   Moreover the next verse echoes the pattern of talking about a subset of a group.  Either way, the sense is that God will ensure that the city will be suitably provisioned so that poor of the city have plenty of food.

vidua, ae, . a widow.

 benedico, dixi, dictum, ere 3  to bless, to praise, bless, give thanks to (God);  to be well pleased with, to take pleasure in

pauper, eris, adj., poor, needy, indigent, helpless, destitute, wretched.

saturo, avi, atum, are  to fill, sate, satisfy.

panis, is, m. bread, food in general

DR	Blessing I will bless her widow: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
Brenton	I will surely bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
MD	Its widows I will bless abundantly; its poor will I satisfy with bread
Cover	I will bless her victuals with increase, and will satisfy her poor with bread.
Knox	Trust me, I will bless her with abundant store, the poor shall have bread to their heart’s content;

This verse has both a literal and spiritual meaning. First, as Chrysostom points out, God does frequently promise, in the Old Testament, material prosperity when the Jewish nation is faithful to him:

"The Jews, you see, had such a lifestyle in olden times, unaffected by needs of nature, provided they had God on their side: they had no shortage of food, no hunger, no pestilence, no untimely death, nothing else of the kind that is habitual with human beings. In­stead, everything flowed in abundance for them as though from fountains, God's hand making up for the limitations of human doings. So this is what he says here: Promise to bless its spoils, that is, to provide the abundance of what is needed with full security."

But the Fathers also offer various spiritual interpretations for the word widow, two of which are summarised by Cassiodorus.  First:

"The Church is called Christ's widow, because she is stripped of all worldly help, and places her hope solely in the Lord. Like a widow, she suffers the shameful actions of evil men, the most cruel plunderings of the wicked. Like a woman deprived of a husband's aid, she always grieves and is always worn out, yet she enjoys the unchanging steadfastness of a most chaste mind."

 Secondly:

"An alternative view which some prefer is that widow denotes the synagogue which is now the Church; for the law under which she was kept subject as under a husband is now at an end, and with the accession of grace she is undoubtedly joined to Christ. She has been freed, one might say, from her former state, and has merited a heavenly marriage without loss of virginity."

In this spiritual reading of the verse, the promise is, of course, for spiritual nourishment, a St Robert Bellarmine points out:

“Now, this abundance, as applied to the Church, means an abundance of spiritual food, of the food of the word of God and of the sacraments, an abun­dance of which is enjoyed by the children of the Church, espe­cially by those who are poor in spirit.”

Psalm 131 (132) – Memento Domine

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Canticum graduum.	A gradual canticle.
1 Meménto, Dómine, David, * et omnis mansuetúdinis ejus :	O Lord remember David, and all his meekness.
2  Sicut jurávit Dómino, * votum vovit Deo Jacob	2 How he swore to the Lord, he vowed a vow to the God of Jacob:
3  Si introíero in tabernáculum domus meæ, * si ascéndero in lectum strati mei :	3 If I shall enter into the tabernacle of my house: if I shall go up into the bed wherein I lie:
4  Si dédero somnum óculis meis, * et pálpebris meis dormitatiónem :	4 If I shall give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids,
5  Et réquiem tempóribus meis : donec invéniam locum Dómino, * tabernáculum Deo Jacob.	5 or rest to my temples: until I find out a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
6. Ecce audívimus eam in Ephrata: * invénimus eam in campis silvæ.	6 Behold we have heard of it in Ephrata: we have found it in the fields of the wood.
7  Introíbimus in tabernáculum ejus: * adorábimus in loco, ubi stetérunt pedes ejus.	7 We will go into his tabernacle: we will adore in the place where his feet stood. .
8  Surge, Dómine, in réquiem tuam, * tu et arca sanctificatiónis tuæ.	8 Arise, O Lord, into your resting place: you and the ark, which you have sanctified
9  Sacerdótes tui induántur justítiam: * et sancti tui exsúltent.	9 Let your priests be clothed with justice: and let  your saints rejoice.
10  Propter David, servum tuum: * non avértas fáciem Christi tui.	10 For your servant David's sake, turn not away the face of your anointed.
11  Jurávit Dóminus David veritátem, et non frustrábitur eam: * de fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam.	11 The Lord has sworn truth to David, and he will not make it void: of the fruit of your womb I will set upon your throne
12  Si custodíerint fílii tui testaméntum meum: * et testimónia mea hæc, quæ docébo eos.	12 If your children will keep my covenant, and these my testimonies which I shall teach them:
13  Et fílii eórum usque in sæculum: * sedébunt super sedem tuam.	Their children also for evermore shall sit upon your throne.
14  Quóniam elégit Dóminus Sion: * elégit eam in habitatiónem sibi.	13 For the Lord has chosen Sion: he has chosen it for his dwelling.
15  Hæc réquies mea in sæculum sæculi: * hic habitábo, quóniam elégi eam.	14 This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it.
16  Víduam ejus benedícens benedícam: * páuperes ejus saturábo pánibus.	15 Blessing I will bless her widow: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
17  Sacerdótes ejus índuam salutári: * et sancti ejus exsultatióne exsultábunt.	16 I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall rejoice with exceeding great joy.
18  Illuc prodúcam cornu David: * parávi lucérnam Christo meo.	17 There will I bring forth a horn to David: I have prepared a lamp for my anointed
19  Inimícos ejus índuam confusióne: * super ipsum autem efflorébit sanctificátio mea.	18 His enemies I will clothe with confusion: but upon him shall my sanctification flourish.

And for the next set of notes on the psalm, continue on to here.

Psalm 131 verses 14-15

Christ in majesty in the heavenly Sion
 église Saint-Theudère de Saint-Chef, c12-13th

Today's verses of Psalm 131 point out that God's choice of Jerusalem for his temple provided a concrete image for us of the heavenly Sion, pointing us to our ultimate destination; for us today, Churches serve the same function.

Notes on the verses

14	V	Quóniam elégit Dóminus Sion: * elégit eam in habitatiónem sibi.
	NV	Quoniam elegit Dominus Sion, desideravit eam in habitationem sibi:
	JH	Quia elegit Dominus Sion; desiderauit eam in babitaculum suimi
		ὅτι ἐξελέξατο κύριος τὴν Σιων ᾑρετίσατο αὐτὴν εἰς κατοικίαν ἑαυτῷ

Quóniam (for/because) elégit (he has chosen/elected) Dóminus (the Lord) Sion elégit (he has chosen) eam (it) in habitatiónem (as a dwelling place) sibi (for himself).

The neo-Vulgate follows the Hebrew Masoretic Text here, and changes the second phrase from a repetition of 'chosen' to 'he has desired'. The threefold repetition (with the next verse) of the word chosen though, is probably meant to be symbolic: three denotes completeness and perfection (hence the Trinity).

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

eligo, legi, lectum, ere 3  to choose, pick out, select.

habitatio, onis, f , a dwelling, habitation.

DR	For the Lord has chosen Sion: he has chosen it for his dwelling.
Brenton	For the Lord has elected Sion, he has chosen her for a habitation for himself
Cover	For the Lord hath chosen Sion to be an habitation for himself; he hath longed for her.
Knox	The Lord’s choice has fallen upon Sion, this is the dwelling he longed for:

The Fathers and Theologians generally interpret Sion here to mean the Church, and especially in the sense of the Church Triumphant, or heaven.  Bellarmine, for example comments that:

"These verses apply, to a certain extent, to the city of Jerusalem, inasmuch as it was a type of the Church militant, and afterwards triumphant; because God chose that city for a time as the seat of royalty and of the priesthood, and in it were to be found the throne and the temple. But, as that city was soon to be laid in ruins, and the kingdom upset, and the tem­ple itself to be burned, we are constrained to say that these verses apply to the Church, the kingdom of Christ..."

15	V	Hæc réquies mea in sæculum sæculi: * hic habitábo, quóniam elégi eam.
	NV	Haec requies mea in saeculum saeculi; hic habitabo, quoniam desideravi eam.
	JH	Haec est requies mea in sempiternum: hic habitabo ; quia desideraui eam.
		αὕτη ἡ κατάπαυσίς μου εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος ὧδε κατοικήσω ὅτι ᾑρετισάμην αὐτήν

Hæc (this) réquies (resting place) mea (my) in sæculum sæculi (forever and ever) hic (here) habitábo (I will live) quóniam (for/because) elégi (I have chosen) eam (it)

hic, haec, hoc (demon pron)., this

requies, ei,   rest;  a resting-place.

hic (adverb) here, in this place

habito, avi, atum, are  to dwell, abide, live.

saeculum, i, n., a lifetime, generation, age; an indefinite period of time; forever, eternity

eligo, legi, lectum, ere 3  to choose, pick out, select.

DR	This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it.
Brenton	saying, This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have chosen it.
Cover	This shall be my rest for ever: here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein.

There is a third sense of the word Sion, too, which we should contemplate, namely of ourselves transformed into temples of God.  Cassiodorus summarises the point:


The Lord's rest and special tabernacle is His lodging in the most devoted hearts of men. True, He is present everywhere, but we are to say that He dwells in them to a degree beyond measure and beyond understanding.

Psalm 131 (132) – Memento Domine

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Canticum graduum.	A gradual canticle.
1 Meménto, Dómine, David, * et omnis mansuetúdinis ejus :	O Lord remember David, and all his meekness.
2  Sicut jurávit Dómino, * votum vovit Deo Jacob	2 How he swore to the Lord, he vowed a vow to the God of Jacob:
3  Si introíero in tabernáculum domus meæ, * si ascéndero in lectum strati mei :	3 If I shall enter into the tabernacle of my house: if I shall go up into the bed wherein I lie:
4  Si dédero somnum óculis meis, * et pálpebris meis dormitatiónem :	4 If I shall give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids,
5  Et réquiem tempóribus meis : donec invéniam locum Dómino, * tabernáculum Deo Jacob.	5 or rest to my temples: until I find out a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
6. Ecce audívimus eam in Ephrata: * invénimus eam in campis silvæ.	6 Behold we have heard of it in Ephrata: we have found it in the fields of the wood.
7  Introíbimus in tabernáculum ejus: * adorábimus in loco, ubi stetérunt pedes ejus.	7 We will go into his tabernacle: we will adore in the place where his feet stood. .
8  Surge, Dómine, in réquiem tuam, * tu et arca sanctificatiónis tuæ.	8 Arise, O Lord, into your resting place: you and the ark, which you have sanctified
9  Sacerdótes tui induántur justítiam: * et sancti tui exsúltent.	9 Let your priests be clothed with justice: and let   your saints rejoice.
10  Propter David, servum tuum: * non avértas fáciem Christi tui.	10 For your servant David's sake, turn not away the face of your anointed.
11  Jurávit Dóminus David veritátem, et non frustrábitur eam: * de fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam.	11 The Lord has sworn truth to David, and he will not make it void: of the fruit of your womb I will set upon your throne
12  Si custodíerint fílii tui testaméntum meum: * et testimónia mea hæc, quæ docébo eos.	12 If your children will keep my covenant, and these my testimonies which I shall teach them:
13  Et fílii eórum usque in sæculum: * sedébunt super sedem tuam.	Their children also for evermore shall sit upon your throne.
14  Quóniam elégit Dóminus Sion: * elégit eam in habitatiónem sibi.	13 For the Lord has chosen Sion: he has chosen it for his dwelling.
15  Hæc réquies mea in sæculum sæculi: * hic habitábo, quóniam elégi eam.	14 This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it.
16  Víduam ejus benedícens benedícam: * páuperes ejus saturábo pánibus.	15 Blessing I will bless her widow: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
17  Sacerdótes ejus índuam salutári: * et sancti ejus exsultatióne exsultábunt.	16 I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall rejoice with exceeding great joy.
18  Illuc prodúcam cornu David: * parávi lucérnam Christo meo.	17 There will I bring forth a horn to David: I have prepared a lamp for my anointed
19  Inimícos ejus índuam confusióne: * super ipsum autem efflorébit sanctificátio mea.	18 His enemies I will clothe with confusion: but upon him shall my sanctification flourish.

And the next set of notes can be found here.

Psalm 131: verses 11-13

The second half of Psalm 131 is written as if God were speaking personally, and records his promises and blessings on Israel, which exceed those requested in the earlier verses.

Notes on the verses

11	V	Jurávit Dóminus David veritátem, et non frustrábitur eam: * de fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam.
	NV	Iuravit Dominus David veritatem et non recedet ab ea: “ De fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam.
	JH	Jurauit Dominus Dauid ueritatem; non auertetur ab ea: De fructu uentris tui ponam super sedem tuam.
		ὤμοσεν κύριος τῷ Δαυιδ ἀλήθειαν καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀθετήσει αὐτήν ἐκ καρποῦ τῆς κοιλίας σου θήσομαι ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον σου

Jurávit (he has sworn) Dóminus (the Lord) David veritátem (the truth) et (and) non (not) frustrábitur (it will be made void/annulled) eam (it) de (from) fructu (the fruit) ventris (of the womb) tui (your) ponam (I will set) super (upon) sedem (the seat/throne) tuam (your)

The Knox translation perhaps best conveys the force of this verse: "Never will the Lord be false to that inviolable oath he swore to David: I will raise to thy throne heirs of thy own body."

veritas, atis, f, truth. grace, kindness ,goodness, fidelity to promises, Faithfulness

frustror, atus sum, ari  to annul, make void.

fructus, us, m.  fruit, produce; the fruit of the soil, trees; a reward; the fruit of the womb, children, posterity

venter, tris, m. lit., the belly, the body, the bowels, the breast, heart. Womb

pono, posui, itum, ere 3,  to put, place, lay, set.

super, prep, with ace. And abl  on, upon, over

sedes, is, f.  a seat, throne. a judge or king

DR	The Lord has sworn truth to David, and he will not make it void: of the fruit of your womb I will set upon your throne
Brenton	The Lord sware in truth to David, and he will not annul it, saying, Of the fruit of thy body will I set a king upon thy throne.
Coverdale	The Lord hath made a faithful oath unto David, and he shall not shrink from it: Of the fruit of thy body shall I set upon thy seat.

The oath referred to is also in 2 Samuel 7:26-27, while the second phrase has obvious resonances in the Hail Mary, reflecting the fact that Jesus' kingship definitively fulfills this promise.  But the verse can also be read at a personal level: for each of us, the throne is the promise of heaven. 

12	V	Si custodíerint fílii tui testaméntum meum: * et testimónia mea hæc, quæ docébo eos.
	NV	Si custodierint filii tui testamentum meum et testimonia mea, quae docebo eos,
	JH	Si custodierint filii tui pactum meum et testificationem meam quam docuero eos
		ἐὰν φυλάξωνται οἱ υἱοί σου τὴν διαθήκην μου καὶ τὰ μαρτύριά μου ταῦτα ἃ διδάξω αὐτούς

Si (if) custodíerint (they will keep) fílii (the sons/children) tui (of you) testaméntum (the covenant) meum (my) et (and) testimónia (the commandments/laws/testimonies) mea (my) hæc (these) quæ (which) docébo (I will teach) eos (them)

Custodierint is the perfect subjunctive: literally, if they have kept….

custodio, ivi or li, itum, ire to guard, watch, keep;to maintain, to hold steadfastly.

filius, ii, m. a son, child

testamentum, i, n.  a covenant, testament Covenant,

testimonium, ii, n. witness, testimony; the Law;  precepts, commandments, ordinances, statutes, judgments, testimonies.

hic, haec, hoc, demon, pron., this

doceo, dociii, doctum, ere 2 to teach, instruct..

DR	If your children will keep my covenant, and these my testimonies which I shall teach them:
Brenton	If thy children will deep my covenant, and these my testimonies which I shall teach them,
Cover	If thy children will keep my covenant, and my testimonies that I shall learn them;

This verse needs to be read in conjunction with the next phrase in order for it to make sense, however the key point to note here is the conditionality of the promise or oath of the previous verse.  There are two sides to the bargain: God will grant us eternal life if and only if we keep the commandments. As Pope Benedict comments on the verse:

“The divine oath, however, involves a human commitment inasmuch as it is conditioned by an "if": if your sons "keep my covenant". Men and women must respond with faithful and active loyalty to God's promise and gift, which have nothing magic about them, in a dialogue in which are interwoven two freedoms, the divine and the human.”

13	V/NV	Et fílii eórum usque in sæculum: * sedébunt super sedem tuam.
	JH	et filii eorum usque in aeternum sedebunt super thronum tuum.
		καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος καθιοῦνται ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου σου

Et (and) fílii (the sons/children) eórum (of them) usque in sæculum (for evermore) sedébunt (they will sit) super (upon) sedem (the throne) tuam (your)

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

saeculum, i, n., a lifetime, generation, age; an indefinite period of time; forever, eternity

sedeo, sedi, sessum, ere 2, to sit; rest; dwell, live; to sit with,  hold converse with,  consult; to sit on a throne, to rule, reign

super, prep, with ace. And abl  on, upon, over

sedes, is,  a seat, throne. a judge or king

DR	Their children also for evermore shall sit upon your throne.
Brenton	their children also shall sit upon thy throne for ever.
Cover	their children also shall sit upon thy seat for evermore.

This tail end to the verse seems to be reinforcement of the idea that this is not a transitory thing that is promised, but rather an eternal reward that is at stake.  St Robert Bellarmine explains this addition as follows:

David expressed this idea much more clearly to Solomon, when he said, "If thou seek him thou shalt find him; but if thou for­sake him, he will cast thee off forever;" and God himself, speak­ing of Solomon, a short time before, says, "And I will establish his kingdom forever, if he continue to keep my command­ments, and my judgments, as at this day;" and in Psalm 88, where we read, "And if his children forsake my law, I will visit their iniquities with a rod;" and he does not add, but my mercy I will not take away from them, "but from him," that is, from David, whose throne was everlasting, by reason of his being the type of Christ, even though the temporal sovereignty of Solomon, Roboam, and their successors may have an end.

Psalm 131 (132) – Memento Domine

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Canticum graduum.	A gradual canticle.
1 Meménto, Dómine, David, * et omnis mansuetúdinis ejus :	O Lord remember David, and all his meekness.
2  Sicut jurávit Dómino, * votum vovit Deo Jacob	2 How he swore to the Lord, he vowed a vow to the God of Jacob:
3  Si introíero in tabernáculum domus meæ, * si ascéndero in lectum strati mei :	3 If I shall enter into the tabernacle of my house: if I shall go up into the bed wherein I lie:
4  Si dédero somnum óculis meis, * et pálpebris meis dormitatiónem :	4 If I shall give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids,
5  Et réquiem tempóribus meis : donec invéniam locum Dómino, * tabernáculum Deo Jacob.	5 or rest to my temples: until I find out a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
6. Ecce audívimus eam in Ephrata: * invénimus eam in campis silvæ.	6 Behold we have heard of it in Ephrata: we have found it in the fields of the wood.
7  Introíbimus in tabernáculum ejus: * adorábimus in loco, ubi stetérunt pedes ejus.	7 We will go into his tabernacle: we will adore in the place where his feet stood. .
8  Surge, Dómine, in réquiem tuam, * tu et arca sanctificatiónis tuæ.	8 Arise, O Lord, into your resting place: you and the ark, which you have sanctified
9  Sacerdótes tui induántur justítiam: * et sancti tui exsúltent.	9 Let your priests be clothed with justice: and let   your saints rejoice.
10  Propter David, servum tuum: * non avértas fáciem Christi tui.	10 For your servant David's sake, turn not away the face of your anointed.
11  Jurávit Dóminus David veritátem, et non frustrábitur eam: * de fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam.	11 The Lord has sworn truth to David, and he will not make it void: of the fruit of your womb I will set upon your throne
12  Si custodíerint fílii tui testaméntum meum: * et testimónia mea hæc, quæ docébo eos.	12 If your children will keep my covenant, and these my testimonies which I shall teach them:
13  Et fílii eórum usque in sæculum: * sedébunt super sedem tuam.	Their children also for evermore shall sit upon your throne.
14  Quóniam elégit Dóminus Sion: * elégit eam in habitatiónem sibi.	13 For the Lord has chosen Sion: he has chosen it for his dwelling.
15  Hæc réquies mea in sæculum sæculi: * hic habitábo, quóniam elégi eam.	14 This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it.
16  Víduam ejus benedícens benedícam: * páuperes ejus saturábo pánibus.	15 Blessing I will bless her widow: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
17  Sacerdótes ejus índuam salutári: * et sancti ejus exsultatióne exsultábunt.	16 I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall rejoice with exceeding great joy.
18  Illuc prodúcam cornu David: * parávi lucérnam Christo meo.	17 There will I bring forth a horn to David: I have prepared a lamp for my anointed
19  Inimícos ejus índuam confusióne: * super ipsum autem efflorébit sanctificátio mea.	18 His enemies I will clothe with confusion: but upon him shall my sanctification flourish.

And the next set of notes on the psalm can be found here.