Final reflections on Psalm 4 - Offer the sacrifice of justice

Psalm 4: Cum invocarem

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, in carminibus. Psalmus David.	Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.
1 Cum invocárem exaudívit me deus justítiæ meæ: * in tribulatióne dilatásti mihi.	When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, you have enlarged me.
2 Miserére mei, * et exáudi oratiónem meam.	Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.
3 Filii hóminum, úsquequo gravi corde? *  ut quid dilígitis vanitátem et quæritis mendácium?	O you sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?
4 Et scitóte quóniam mirificávit dóminus sanctum suum: * dóminus exáudiet me cum clamávero ad eum.	Know also that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.
5 Irascímini, et nolíte peccáre: * quæ dícitis in córdibus vestris, in cubílibus vestris compungímini.	Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
6 Sacrificáte sacrifícium justítiæ, et speráte in dómino, * multi dicunt quis osténdit nobis bona?	Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who shows us good things?
7 Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, dómine: * dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.	The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.
8 A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui * multiplicáti sunt.	By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest
9 In pace in idípsum * dórmiam et requiéscam;	In peace in the self same I will sleep, and I will rest
10 Quóniam tu, dómine, singuláriter in spe * constituísti me.	For you, O Lord, singularly have settled me in hope.

Psalm 4 in the Office

Psalm 4 is said every day in the Benedictine Office, so its messages are important, particularly in its call to repentance for the sins of the day.

I've only touched on a few of the possible levels of meaning of this psalm here - as you say it day after day, you will no doubt have your own insights as to what it is saying to you in particular.

St Augustine's Confessions

Still, I thought it might be nice to complete this series with some more from St Augustine's comments on it in the context of his conversion from Manichaeism:

With what vehement and bitter sorrow was I indignant at the Manichæans; whom yet again I pitied, for that they were ignorant of those sacraments, those medicaments, and were mad against the antidote which might have made them sane! I wished that they had been somewhere near me then, and, without my being aware of their presence, could have beheld my face, and heard my words, when I read the fourth Psalm in that time of my leisure — how that Psalm wrought upon me. 

When I called upon You, Thou heard me, O God of my righteousness; You have enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. Oh that they might have heard what I uttered on these words, without my knowing whether they heard or no, lest they should think that I spoke it because of them! For, of a truth, neither should I have said the same things, nor in the way I said them, if I had perceived that I was heard and seen by them; and had I spoken them, they would not so have received them as when I spoke by and for myself before You, out of the private feelings of my soul.

I alternately quaked with fear, and warmed with hope, and with rejoicing in Your mercy, O Father. And all these passed forth, both by my eyes and voice, when Your good Spirit, turning unto us, said, O you sons of men, how long will you be slow of heart? How long will you love vanity, and seek after leasing? For I had loved vanity, and sought after leasing. And You, O Lord, had already magnified Your Holy One, raising Him from the dead, and setting Him at Your right hand, whence from on high He should send His promise, the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth.  And He had already sent Him, but I knew it not; He had sent Him, because He was now magnified, rising again from the dead, and ascending into heaven. For till then the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. 

And the prophet cries out, How long will you be slow of heart? How long will you love vanity, and seek after leasing? Know this, that the Lord has magnified His Holy One. He cries out, How long? He cries out, Know this, and I, so long ignorant, loved vanity, and sought after leasing. And therefore I heard and trembled, because these words were spoken unto such as I remembered that I myself had been. For in those phantasms which I once held for truths was there vanity and leasing. And I spoke many things loudly and earnestly, in the sorrow of my remembrance, which, would that they who yet love vanity and seek after leasing had heard! They would perchance have been troubled, and have vomited it forth, and You would hear them when they cried unto You; for by a true death in the flesh He died for us, who now makes intercession for us with You. 

I read further, Be angry, and sin not.  And how was I moved, O my God, who had now learned to be angry with myself for the things past, so that in the future I might not sin! Yea, to be justly angry; for that it was not another nature of the race of darkness which sinned for me, as they affirm it to be who are not angry with themselves, and who treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath, and of the revelation of Your righteous judgment.  Nor were my good things now without, nor were they sought after with eyes of flesh in that sun; for they that would have joy from without easily sink into oblivion, and are wasted upon those things which are seen and temporal, and in their starving thoughts do lick their very shadows. Oh, if only they were wearied out with their fasting, and said, Who will show us any good? And we would answer, and they hear, O Lord. The light of Your countenance is lifted up upon us. For we are not that Light, which lights every man, but we are enlightened by You, that we, who were sometimes darkness, may be light in You. Oh that they could behold the internal Eternal, which having tasted I gnashed my teeth that I could not show It to them, while they brought me their heart in their eyes, roaming abroad from You, and said, Who will show us any good? But there, where I was angry with myself in my chamber, where I was inwardly pricked, where I had offered my sacrifice, slaying my old man, and beginning the resolution of a new life, putting my trust in You, — there had Thou begun to grow sweet unto me, and to put gladness in my heart. And I cried out as I read this outwardly, and felt it inwardly. Nor would I be increased with worldly goods, wasting time and being wasted by time; whereas I possessed in Your eternal simplicity other grain, and wine, and oil.

And with a loud cry from my heart, I called out in the following verse, Oh, in peace! and the self-same! Oh, what said he, I will lay me down and sleep! For who shall hinder us, when shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory? And You are in the highest degree the self-same, who changest not; and in You is the rest which forgets all labour, for there is no other beside You, nor ought we to seek after those many other things which are not what You are; but Thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in hope. These things I read, and was inflamed; but discovered not what to do with those deaf and dead, of whom I had been a pestilent member — a bitter and a blind declaimer against the writings behonied with the honey of heaven and luminous with Your own light; and I was consumed on account of the enemies of this Scripture.

When shall I call to mind all that took place in those holidays? Yet neither have I forgotten, nor will I be silent about the severity of Your scourge, and the amazing quickness of Your mercy. Thou at that time tortured me with toothache; and when it had become so exceeding great that I was not able to speak, it came into my heart to urge all my friends who were present to pray for me to You, the God of all manner of health. And I wrote it down on wax, and gave it to them to read. Presently, as with submissive desire we bowed our knees, that pain departed. But what pain? Or how did it depart? I confess to being much afraid, my Lord my God, seeing that from my earliest years I had not experienced such pain. And Your purposes were profoundly impressed upon me; and, rejoicing in faith, I praised Your name. And that faith suffered me not to be at rest in regard to my past sins, which were not yet forgiven me by Your baptism.

Comments and feedback

Please do let me know how you found the format and content of these notes, and pass on any suggestions for making them more useful to you.

And please do share your own reflections on this important psalm.

I plan to be back with notes on Psalm 90 in the new year.

Psalm 4 verse 10 - Set apart by God and united in Christ

The final verse of Psalm 4 focuses on our hope of heaven.

Looking at the Latin

The Vulgate reads:

Quóniam tu, Dómine, singuláriter in spe constituísti me.

The key words are:

singulariter, adv.  alone, only, separately, apart. 

constituo, stitiii, stltutum, ere 3  to set, place, put, appoint; o make, create; build, found; devise, design; fix, mark out.

spes, spei,  hope; the object of hope; the thing hoped for; one who or that which furnishes ground for trust, confidence, safety, or security.

Accordingly a word by word translations rendering is:

Quóniam (For) tu (you), Dómine (O Lord), singuláriter (alone or separately/apart) in spe (hope) constituísti (you have set me) me.

The key ambiguity in the text is who is being referred to in 'singulariter'.

One interpretation is that it refers to God, enjoining us to put our trust in him alone, so that the RSV gives it as 'for thou alone, O LORD, makest me dwell in safety'.

The alternative reading though, is that it refers to the speaker, and points to the idea that separation from, or protection from the ills of  the world is the path for salvation.

Hope and safety

This verse builds on the previous one, pointing us to our hope.

Hope of what?

The Fathers generally answer, inner peace and tranquility, either in this world or the next.

Theodoret of Cyr, for example commented:

In other words, since I have dismissed all panic and disturbance of mind and have gained relief from them, and have instructed others in reading your wonderful providence in these things, I await death in the hope of resurrection. 

He called death sleep in this verse, note. Now, it was quite appropriate for him to relate hope to the thought of death after treating of Providence. You see, many people who in this present life fall on hard times and suffer injustice at the hands of their associates come to an end of their days without gaining any relief; so mighty David teaches them not to be annoyed, for the reason that death brings with it hope, and after death the recompense will be made.  

We can achieve this peace by putting our trust in God alone, rather than in man.  St Robert Bellarmine, for example, links the verse to the idea of sleep as a reminder of death:

Thus the just man, the friend of God, dwells in divine hope alone, as he would in a fortified house, doing what in him lies for this world as well as for the next, not confiding in his own strength nor in any­thing created, but in God alone, and, therefore, is not confounded, but securely sleeps, and will sleep with equal securi­ty in the world to come.

Set apart for God

Yet many of the older commentaries adopt a different interpretation, also focusing on the building of strong communities of virtue in this world, epitomised by the monastery.  This line of interpretation of the verse sees 'singulariter' as referring to the psalmist, not God: the speaker is 'set apart' from the 'many' who pursue only the pleasures of the flesh in the earlier verses.

St John Chrysostom, for example, pointed to numerous Scriptural injunctions to avoid the company of those who might lead us astray, and urges us instead to seek out the company of the virtuous, uniting ourselves with them in Christ:

There is no problem so great, you see, which is not ren­dered easy through hope in the esteem to be enjoyed from God....Separated from the wicked. In other words, to maintain this peace with you, he says, I live secure, keeping my distance from corrupt people.

 St Augustine takes a similar line, linking this separation from the world to the remnant that constitutes the Church will attain heaven:

And well does he say, in singleness. For this may refer in opposition to those many, who being multiplied from the time of His grain, of wine, and oil, say, Who shows us good things? For this multiplicity perishes, and singleness is observed among the saints: of whom it is said in the Acts of the Apostles, and of the multitude of them that believed, there was one soul, and one heart.  In singleness, then, and simplicity, removed, that is, from the multitude and crowd of things, that are born and die, we ought to be lovers of eternity, and unity, if we desire to cleave to the one God and our Lord.

Psalm 4: Cum invocarem

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, in carminibus. Psalmus David.	Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.
1 Cum invocárem exaudívit me deus justítiæ meæ: * in tribulatióne dilatásti mihi.	When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, you have enlarged me.
2 Miserére mei, * et exáudi oratiónem meam.	Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.
3 Filii hóminum, úsquequo gravi corde? *  ut quid dilígitis vanitátem et quæritis mendácium?	O you sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?
4 Et scitóte quóniam mirificávit dóminus sanctum suum: * dóminus exáudiet me cum clamávero ad eum.	Know also that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.
5 Irascímini, et nolíte peccáre: * quæ dícitis in córdibus vestris, in cubílibus vestris compungímini.	Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
6 Sacrificáte sacrifícium justítiæ, et speráte in dómino, * multi dicunt quis osténdit nobis bona?	Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who shows us good things?
7 Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, dómine: * dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.	The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.
8 A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui * multiplicáti sunt.	By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest
9 In pace in idípsum * dórmiam et requiéscam;	In peace in the self same I will sleep, and I will rest
10 Quóniam tu, Dómine, singuláriter in spe * constituísti me.	For you, O Lord, singularly have settled me in hope.

And for some concluding reflections on this psalm, go here.

Psalm 4 - verse 9 - Seek after peace and pursue it

The concluding verses of Psalm 4 take us to that state of peace that allows us to go to sleep - and to face death - in the tranquility of a clear conscience supported by the grace of the sacraments.

Understanding the Latin

The Vulgate for verse 9 of Psalm 4 runs:

In pace in idípsum dórmiam et requiéscam

The key words are:

pax, pacis,  peace

dormio, ivi or ii, itum, ire, to sleep, to lie down to rest.

requiesco, quievi, quietum, ere 3, to rest, be at rest; to sleep.

idipsum, at once, forthwith; together, at the same time.

A word by word translation gives a rough sense of it:

In (in) pace (peace/peacefully) in idípsum (at once/the self-same) dórmiam (I will sleep) et (and) requiéscam (I will rest).

The English translations broadly separate into two camps.  The first camp treats sleep and rest as two separate things, providing a hint that the verse is perhaps intended to suggest both the peace we hope for now in sleep, and our hope of the peace of eternal rest.  The Monastic Diurnal perhaps captures this approach best, translating the verse as 'In peace then, shall I sleep and rest'.

The second camp treats requiescam as related to the sleep.  The Grail translation, for example renders it as 'I will lie down in peace and sleep comes at once', while Knox makes it 'Even as I lie down, sleep comes, and with sleep tranquility'.  The problem with this approach is that it downplays the use of the words peace and requiescam, the first of which has some obvious resonances for Benedictines in particular, and the second with obvious links to the Office for the Dead.

True and false peace

To take the importance of the concept of peace first, the Benedictine motto is, of course, ‘pax’ or peace, and derives from St Benedict's instruction in the Prologue to the rule to 'seek after peace and pursue it'.  But the concept is often misapplied, for the peace alluded to here is not freedom conflict with the outside world, for as Our Lord said, ‘I came not to bring peace but a sword’ (Mt 10:34).

St Thomas Aquinas, for example comments on the verse that:

 For the kingdom of God does not mean food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans: 14: 17).

The peace sought and offered here, then, consists in inner tranquility and joy, not freedom from external conflict. St John Chrysostom, for example, notes that:

Lo, another manifestation of providence of great value: enjoyment of peace by those devoted to God. "Peace comes to those who love your Law," Scripture says, remember, "nothing can ensnare them." Nothing, you see, is so calculated to bring peace as knowledge of God and possession of virtue, banishing afar conflict of the passions and not allowing one to be at odds with oneself…If you have the fear of God, however, you will assiduously allay this conflict and calm your passions, suffocating those varied beasts that are your unruly thoughts instead of encouraging them to lurk in your den. Thus you will enjoy the purest and deepest peace.

 Sleep and death

The second key concept embedded in the verse is that while we must seek after this inner peace, we cannot wholly achieve it in this world.  Rather, St Augustine for example argues, sleep serves to remind us of our ultimate end:

For such men justly hope for all manner of estrangement of mind from things mortal, and forgetfulness of this world's miseries; which is beautifully and prophetically signified under the name of sleep and rest, where the most perfect peace cannot be interrupted by any tumult. But this is not had now in this life, but is to be hoped for after this life. This even the words themselves, which are in the future tense, show us. For it is not said, either, I have slept, and taken rest; or, I do sleep, and take rest; but, I will sleep, and take rest.

In union with Christ

There is also meaning, some commentators argue, in the words  'ín idpsum', which the Douay-Rheims translates as 'in the self-same', for St Robert Bellarmine sees it as pointing to our hope of union with God:

David's conclusion then is, whatever the conduct of those whom I have been exhorting may be, my desire is to confide entirely in God, and rest altogether in him. "In peace," that is, in the most perfect tranquility; "in the selfsame" that is, in union, along with "I will sleep and rest," that is, I will secure­ly lie down, and profoundly sleep. Observe the word "selfsame," a word of frequent use in the Psalms, and signifies with, or in union with.

Psalm 4: Cum invocarem

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, in carminibus. Psalmus David.	Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.
1 Cum invocárem exaudívit me deus justítiæ meæ: * in tribulatióne dilatásti mihi.	When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, you have enlarged me.
2 Miserére mei, * et exáudi oratiónem meam.	Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.
3 Filii hóminum, úsquequo gravi corde? *  ut quid dilígitis vanitátem et quæritis mendácium?	O you sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?
4 Et scitóte quóniam mirificávit dóminus sanctum suum: * dóminus exáudiet me cum clamávero ad eum.	Know also that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.
5 Irascímini, et nolíte peccáre: * quæ dícitis in córdibus vestris, in cubílibus vestris compungímini.	Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
6 Sacrificáte sacrifícium justítiæ, et speráte in dómino, * multi dicunt quis osténdit nobis bona?	Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who shows us good things?
7 Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, dómine: * dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.	The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.
8 A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui * multiplicáti sunt.	By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest
9 In pace in idípsum * dórmiam et requiéscam;	In peace in the self same I will sleep, and I will rest
10 Quóniam tu, dómine, singuláriter in spe * constituísti me.	For you, O Lord, singularly have settled me in hope.

For the final part of this series, click here.

Psalm 4 verse 8 - Wherein lies the good?

Verse 8 of Psalm 4 can be read as continuing the description of the good things God gives us: in the previous verse we were reminded of our baptism; here the reference is to the Eucharist and perhaps Holy Unction.  But it can also be interpreted as a reminder that ultimately the good lies in our future in heaven, and we shouldn't be satisfied to pursue purely earthly pleasures.

Understanding the Latin

The Vulgate of Verse 8 of Psalm 4 reads:

A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui multiplicáti sunt.

 The key vocabulary for the verse is:

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

frumentum, i, n.  corn, wheat, rye, barley, etc. 

vinum, i, n. wine

oleum, ii, n.  oil, esp., olive-oil.

multiplico, avi, atum, are  to multiply, increase; to grow, flourish.

This is a difficult verse to translate, as its interpretation really depends on whether or not you link it to the preceding and following phrases.  A word by word version gives:

A (from) fructu (the fruit/produce) fruménti (of corn/grain), vini (of wine) et (and) ólei (of oil) sui (of their) multiplicáti sunt (they are multiplied)

The Douay-Rheims Challoner is fairly unhelpful in translating it as 'By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest', the last two words coming from the following verse in the liturgical division of the psalm.

Earthly riches vs true joy

One view of the verse is that it points to a contrast between earthly riches and carnal pleasures, and the true joy that is the gift of God.  This reading of the verse reflected in most of the modern translations, and is best captured by the Knox and Brenton translations (see below):

MD	Greater than the joy in rich harvests of corn and wine and oil
RSV	Than they have when their grain and wine abound.
Brenton	They have been satisfied with the fruit of their corn and wine and oil.
Knox	Never did rich harvests of corn and wine bring gladness like the gladness thou puttest into my heart
Grail	You have put into my heart a greater joy than they have from abundance of corn and new wine.

That is, either they (sinners) have been satisfied with carnal pleasures, while we (who trust in God) have true joy (Brenton, Grail); or the joy God gives is infinitely better than that derived from earthly pleasures (Knox, Monastic Diurnal).

In this reading of the text, multiplicati sunt refers back to the first phrase of the previous verse; that is, the joy of God is much greater than the pleasure from temporal things such as an abundance of food and wine.

St Alphonsus Liguori interprets the verse this way, suggesting that it teaches that while sinners will be given good things now, we can look forward to the joys of heaven:

I behold my enemies multiplying with the good things that they enjoy.

St Augustine similarly interprets the multiplicati as referring to the many (men) who pursue the pleasures of this world, and are as a result held back from acting rightly:

But men (who doubtless are many) who follow after things temporal, know not to say anything else, than, Who shows us good things? when the true and certain good within their very selves they cannot see....But those many, who say, Who shows us good things? and who see not that the kingdom of heaven is within them: these, from the time of His grain, of wine, and oil, are multiplied. For multiplication does not always betoken plentifulness, and not, generally, scantiness: when the soul, given up to temporal pleasures, burns ever with desire, and cannot be satisfied; and, distracted with manifold and anxious thought, is not permitted to see the simple good....Such is the soul of which it is said, For the corruptible body presses down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle weighs down the mind that muses on many things. A soul like this, by the departure and succession of temporal goods, that is, from the time of His grain, wine, and oil, filled with numberless idle fancies, is so multiplied, that it cannot do that which is commanded, 

 God's blessings on us

The alternative reading of the verse though, is a more positive one, seeing it as a reminder of the blessings God gives us, above all in the Eucharist.

One of the antiphons for Matins of the feast of Corpus Christi (composed by St Thomas Aquinas), for example, links this verse very explicitly to the peace and rest mentioned later in the psalm:

A fructu fruménti et vini multiplicáti fidéles in pace Christi requiéscunt.

His faithful ones which are increased by the fruit of His corn and His wine do lay them down in peace and sleep in Christ.

Grain and wine, then are the elements needs for the  Eucharist, and oil for Holy Unction, relevant, as we shall see to the next verse.  This line of interpretation originates, I think, with St Augustine, who although providing the alternative reading above, also suggests that the great harvest can be seen as referring to Christ, given the sacral connotations of grain, wine and oil:

For the grain is God's: inasmuch as He is the living bread which came down from heaven…The wine too is God's: for, they shall be inebriated, he says, with the fatness of your house. The oil too is God's: of which it is said, You have fattened my head with oil... Think on the Lord in goodness, and in simplicity of heart seek Him. For this multiplicity is strongly opposed to that simplicity. And therefore leaving these, who are many, multiplied, that is, by the desire of things temporal, and who say, Who shows us good things? which are to be sought not with the eyes without, but with simplicity of heart within...

St John Chrysostom, though, takes an even more literal approach to the verse, seeing it as a simple reference to God's providential care for us, as well as to the inner joy we receive from God:

Now, in saying this, he touches on no small part of God's providence at this point, that which emerges in visible things. I mean, when he mentions grain and wine and oil, and the abundance of these things, he im­plies as well rain, and mildness of the seasons, the earth's conceiving and labouring and bearing, the flow of the air, the sun's course, phases of the moon, the galaxy of stars, summer and winter and autumn and spring, farming skills, advantages of implements, and the scores of other arts. 

You see, if all these did not work together, it would not be possible for fruit to ripen and come to maturity. So when he mentions grain and wine and oil, he provides the wise person with an occasion for proceeding in thought from the part to the whole, with the spreading out of the ocean of God's provi­dence that emerges in perceptible realities. 

This is the reason that Paul, too, in one place becomes eloquent when discoursing of God's providence, and treats of the subject in the words, "He gives show­ers and seasons of fruitfulness, filling us with nourishment and our hearts with joy." 

 St Robert Bellarmine also follows this line of interpretation:

Another argument from which men may understand that God is the author of all good, for it is he who, in the fitting time, multiplies the grain and produces the fruit, as St. Paul has it, Acts 14: "Nevertheless he left not himself without testimony, doing good from heaven, giving rains and fruitful seasons, fill­ing our hearts with food and gladness."

And St Cassiodorus links the blessings listed here to that bestowed on the Church more broadly:

She continues to number the blessings possessed by Christians. The gladness she mentions is not that which we express aloud by laughter. It is the gladness of upright faith which the Lord habitually bestows on a good conscience. We are truly glad when we rightly believe, and with the Lord's help live a life of trust­worthy companionship with each other. 

In the context of the Benedictine Office

Which reading is St Benedict implying here?

Personally I prefer the second reading, as it seems to provide some echoes for the end of the day to mirror the sentiments of Psalm 66, which opens the day hours at Lauds.

Like this psalm, Psalm 66 refers to the light of Christ's face:

66:1 Deus misereátur nostri, et benedícat nobis: * illúminet vultum suum super nos, et misereátur nostri.

May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may he cause the light of his countenance to shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us.

But where Psalm 66 requests this blessing, Psalm 4, at the close of the day, affirms that it has been given:

4:7 Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, dómine: * dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.

The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.

And so too, both psalms refer to the blessing of creation that God confers on us:

66: 6-7  Confiteántur tibi pópuli, Deus, confiteántur tibi pópuli omnes: * terra dedit fructum suum.

Let the people, O God, confess to you: let all the people give praise to you: The earth has yielded her fruit.

4: 8 A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui * multiplicáti sunt.

By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest

We should humble ourselves before God, in other words, offer the sacrifice of justice that recognises and responds to God's great gifts to us, which include both the material things necessary for life, and above all gladness of heart that enables us to rest at peace in him, both each night, and eventually in heaven with him as part of the true harvest.

The psalm as a whole

Psalm 4: Cum invocarem

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, in carminibus. Psalmus David.	Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.
1 Cum invocárem exaudívit me deus justítiæ meæ: * in tribulatióne dilatásti mihi.	When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, you have enlarged me.
2 Miserére mei, * et exáudi oratiónem meam.	Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.
3 Filii hóminum, úsquequo gravi corde? *  ut quid dilígitis vanitátem et quæritis mendácium?	O you sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?
4 Et scitóte quóniam mirificávit dóminus sanctum suum: * dóminus exáudiet me cum clamávero ad eum.	Know also that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.
5 Irascímini, et nolíte peccáre: * quæ dícitis in córdibus vestris, in cubílibus vestris compungímini.	Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
6 Sacrificáte sacrifícium justítiæ, et speráte in dómino, * multi dicunt quis osténdit nobis bona?	Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who shows us good things?
7 Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, dómine: * dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.	The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.
8 A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui * multiplicáti sunt.	By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, [they rest]
9 In pace in idípsum * dórmiam et requiéscam;	In peace in the self same I will sleep, and I will rest
10 Quóniam tu, dómine, singuláriter in spe * constituísti me.	For you, O Lord, singularly have settled me in hope.

And for the next part in this series, click here.

Psalm 4, verse 7: The light of Christ inscribed on our souls

Verse 7 of Psalm 4 introduces the idea of God's light being signed upon us, which was often interpreted by the Fathers as a reference to our baptism, keeping us safe through the darkness of the night through Christ's light within us.

Understanding the Latin

The Vulgate of verse 7 of Psalm 4 is:

Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, Dómine: dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.

The key vocabulary for the verse is:

signo, avi, atum, are , to mark, sign, imprint. 

lumen, inis, n.  light; in the hymns, brightness, splendor. 

vultus, us, m., the face, countenance; 

laetitia, ae, f joy, gladness.

A literal word by word translation therefore runs:

Signátum est (it is marked/imprinted/signed) super (over/on) nos (us) lumen (the light) vultus (face/countenance) tui (your), Dómine (O Lord): dedísti (you have given) lætítiam (the joy) in corde (the heart) meo (mine)

The Douay-Rheims Challoner translates the verse as:

The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.

Christ's light signed on us

At both Lauds and Compline, light is a key theme: its coming into the world through the Resurrection, symbolised by the rising sun at Lauds, and the light of Christ shining through the darkness to guide us through the night at Compline.

And at both Lauds and Compline the first psalm of the hour refers to the light of God's countenance on us.  In Psalm 66 at Lauds, the relevant verse asks for the blessing of God's countenance on us (Deus misereatur nostri, et benedicat nobis; illuminet vultum suum super nos, et misereatur nostri); at Compline we acknowledge its receipt, and its importance in keeping us safe through the darkness of the night.

The early Church Father Tertullian, for example, pointed to the idea of Christ as the light shining in the darkness through the Church:

Now he did not observe how much this clause of the sentence made against him: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to (give) the light of the knowledge (of His glory) in the face of (Jesus) Christ.”  Now who was it that said; “Let there be light?”. And who was it that said to Christ concerning giving light to the world: “I have set Thee as a light to the Gentiles” to them, that is, “who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death?”  and. (None else, surely, than He), to whom the Spirit in the Psalm answers, in His foresight of the future, saying, “The light of Thy countenance, O Lord, hath been displayed upon us.”. Now the countenance (or person of the Lord here is Christ. Wherefore the apostle said above: “Christ, who is the image of God.” Since Christ, then, is the person of the Creator, who said, “Let there be light,” it follows that Christ and the apostles, and the gospel, and the veil, and Moses—nay, the whole of the dispensations—belong to the God who is the Creator of this world, according to the testimony of the clause (above adverted to), and certainly not to him who never said, “Let there be light.” 

St Augustine similarly sees this verse firstly as a reminder that we are made in God’s image:

The light of Your countenance, says he, is stamped on us, O Lord. This light is the whole and true good of man, which is seen not with the eye, but with the mind. But he says, stamped on us, as a penny is stamped with the king's image. For man was made after the image and likeness of God…

St Augustine goes on to argue that just as the head on a coin symbolizes to whom one must pay our taxes, so to must those marked with the sign of God on their souls render homage to God.

Others of the saints and theologians, most notably St Thomas Aquinas, interpret the verse more directly as a reference to the sacraments: that mankind defaced that image of God through Original Sin, but reclaims it by baptism; we can deface that image again by sin, but yet have it restored by confession.  In this they are building on several New Testament passages that draw on the idea of a mark or seal on the soul (such as Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 1:21- 22; Eph 1:13, 4:30; Rev 7:2-3, 9:4; Jn 6:27) that make a permanent mark on our soul also draw on the imagery of a seal or mark made on us by God, and called to mind anew each time we make the sign of the cross.

Masoretic vs Septuagint traditions

This is one of those verses, though, where the Hebrew Masoretic Text, used in the Neo-Vulgate translation, is significantly different from the text tradition preserved in the Greek Septuagint.

Instead of being signed on us, the first phrase of the Neo-Vulgate runs: 'Leva in signum super nos lumen vultus tui, Domine', or as the Revised Standard Version translates it, 'Lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, O Lord'.  The Knox translation makes the connection to the night even less obvious, reading 'do thou, then, Lord, shew us the sunshine of thy favour'.

There is at least some Patristic support for this reading.  Origen for example suggests that the light is a guide to the path we must take:

And therefore that very ancient prophet...expressed himself in these words:  “The Lord is my light and my salvation:  whom shall I fear?”(attributed to David).and, “Thy law is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path;”   and again, “The light of Thy countenance, O Lord, was manifested towards us;”  “Lift up upon us,” etc. and, “In Thy light we shall see light.”  And the Logos, exhorting us to come to this light, says, in the prophecies of Isaiah:  “Enlighten thyself, enlighten thyself, O Jerusalem; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” The same prophet also, when predicting the advent of Jesus, who was to turn away men from the worship of idols, and of images, and of demons, says, “To those that sat in the land and shadow of death, upon them hath the light arisen;”

The Septuagint-Vulgate reading though, it seems to me more readily lends itself to a particularly Christian interpretation.  Either way, light is a common image in Scripture, standing here for the guidance God gives us to show us the correct path to take.  Above all, it stands for the gift of Our Lord himself, the light of the world.

Joy and gladness of heart

The second half of the verse goes to God’s promise of happiness to those who serve him.

Several of the Fathers see this verse as reminding us that true happiness lies in eternal things, not the material benefits referred to in the next verse.  St John Chrysostom, for example, points out that it is not the joy or gladness that comes from the things of this life, but rather comes from looking to the world to come:

…that is to say, You have taught me to love wisdom, to overlook the things of this life, to know the things that are true and lasting, you have lifted my expectation upwards to sound hope, you have led me forward to the life to come, you have raised me from the enjoyment of present goods to the prospect of future goods...

You see, if you are on the point of succeeding to wealth or entering an important office, you are exhilarated not only at the moment of acceptance but also by expectation before the actual experience, buoyed up by hope and thus enjoying the whole period. So consider how natural this is for someone who has expectations of the kingdom living and immortal, and of those goods which eye has not seen nor ear heard nor have they entered human heart (cf 1 Cor 2.9; Is 64.4). Hence he said, You have made me the gift of joy of heart... 

...he did not say simply, You have made me the gift of joy but of heart, suggesting that the joy is not in external things, not in slaves or gold or silver, not in clothing or groaning tables, not in the extent of sovereignty or the size of one's house. Such joy is not of heart but of eyes only. Many people with these possessions, at any rate, think life not worth living; they carry around with them in their soul a furnace of despondency, exhausted by the multitude of concerns and oppressed by unceas­ing apprehension.  

To me on the contrary, you say, joy is not in these things, but in the core of my intellect, in my understanding which is immaterial and gives thought to immaterial things…

Psalm 4: Cum invocarem

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, in carminibus. Psalmus David.	Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.
1 Cum invocárem exaudívit me deus justítiæ meæ: * in tribulatióne dilatásti mihi.	When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, you have enlarged me.
2 Miserére mei, * et exáudi oratiónem meam.	Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.
3 Filii hóminum, úsquequo gravi corde? *  ut quid dilígitis vanitátem et quæritis mendácium?	O you sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?
4 Et scitóte quóniam mirificávit dóminus sanctum suum: * dóminus exáudiet me cum clamávero ad eum.	Know also that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.
5 Irascímini, et nolíte peccáre: * quæ dícitis in córdibus vestris, in cubílibus vestris compungímini.	Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
6 Sacrificáte sacrifícium justítiæ, et speráte in dómino, * multi dicunt quis osténdit nobis bona?	Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who shows us good things?
7 Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, dómine: * dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.	The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.
8 A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui * multiplicáti sunt.	By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest
9 In pace in idípsum * dórmiam et requiéscam;	In peace in the self same I will sleep, and I will rest
10 Quóniam tu, dómine, singuláriter in spe * constituísti me.	For you, O Lord, singularly have settled me in hope.

And continue on to the next part in this series.

Psalm 4 - verse 6 - The sacrifice of justice

The sacrifice of justice, the subject of today's verse of Psalm 4, is a key concept for that underpins monastic vows and oblation.

Looking at the Latin

The Vulgate of verse 6 of Psalm 4 is:

Sacrificáte sacrifícium justítiæ, et speráte in Dómino, multi dicunt quis osténdit nobis bona?

The key words include:

sacrifico, avi, atum, are to offer something to God in atonement for sin, to procure favors, to express thankfulness and the like; to sacrifice, to make an offering of. 

sacrificium, ii, n. an offering, oblation, sacrifice. 

ostendo, tendi, tertum, ere 3 to show, display; to expose, lay open; to show

quis – who; there is no one, there is scarcely anyone

A very literal, word by word translation of the verse, runs as follows:

Sacrificáte (make an offering, imperative) sacrifícium (sacrifice/justice) justítiæ (of justice) [a due offering, a righteous sacrifice, the offering prescribed by law], et (and) speráte (hope, imperative) in dómino (in the Lord), multi (the many) dicunt (they say) quis (who/there is no one) osténdit (he shows) nobis (to us) bona (the good [things])?

The literal meaning?

The English translations offer a wide spread of interpretations of the first part of this verse, as the table below illustrates.

 

Douay-Rheims	Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who shows us good things?
Monastic Diurnal	Offer a righteous sacrifice and put your trust in the Lord.  Many there are that say: Who will show us good things.
RSV	Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD. There are many who say, "O that we might see some good!
Brenton	Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and trust in the Lord. Many say, Who will shew us good things?
Coverdale	Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. There be many that say, Who will show us any good?
Knox	Offer sacrifices with due observance, and put your trust in the Lord. There are many that cry out for a sight of better times;
Grail	Make justice your sacrifice, and trust in the Lord. "What can bring us happiness?" many say.

 The Revised Standard Version, along with the Knox translation, for example, interpret it as offering our sacrifices (such as the Office, the sacrifice of praise) correctly, with 'due observance'.  Others, though, suggest that the issue is one of motivation, or doing the right thing.

Both of these interpretations feature in the commentaries of the Fathers and Theologians, but most put the emphasis on right intention.

Right intention

In the previous verse the psalmist urged repentance, or turning away from evil.  In this verse here he urges us to move to the next stage of holiness, and do good.

The first step needed for this is the right intention to go along with our actions.  Theodoret, for example, comments:

In these words he dismisses as useless the worship according to the Law, and he obliges us to bring the offering of righteousness: the possession of righteousness is more acceptable to God than every sacrifice of a hundred or a thousand beasts...

Similarly, St Augustine argues that the righteous sacrifice can reasonably be interpreted as our contrition, impelling us to offer ourselves up to God:

He says the same in another Psalm Psalm 50, the sacrifice for God is a troubled spirit. Wherefore that this is the sacrifice of righteousness which is offered through repentance it is not unreasonably here understood. For what more righteous, than that each one should be angry with his own sins, rather than those of others, and that in self-punishment he should sacrifice himself unto God?

He also sees the psalm as tracing our path from repentance to renewal in Christ:

Or are righteous works after repentance the sacrifice of righteousness? ...the old man being destroyed or weakened by repentance, the sacrifice of righteousness, according to the regeneration of the new man, may be offered to God; when the soul now cleansed offers and places itself on the altar of faith, to be encompassed by heavenly fire, that is, by the Holy Ghost.

Doing good works

Building on this, St John Chrysostom argues that the instruction to offer the ‘sacrifice of righteousness’ means actively seeking to do good:

Refraining from evil alone, you see, is not sufficient; instead, the practice of good must be there as well. Hence he moves to exhortation in the words, "Move away from evil and do good." Abstaining from virtue, after all, suffices to put one in danger of punishment, not simply committing evil...Seek after righteousness, make an offering of righteousness: this is the greatest gift to God, this an acceptable sacrifice, this an offer­ing of great appeal, not sacrificing sheep and calves but doing righ­teous things...

He also notes that anyone can offer this sacrifice, by acting in the everyday situations of life:

This sacrifice requires no money, no sword, no altar, no fire; it does not dissolve into smoke and ashes and smells - rather, the intention of the offerer suffices. Poverty is no impedi­ment to it, nor indigence a problem, nor the place nor anything else like that; instead, wherever you are, you are fit to offer sacri­fice, you are priest, and altar, and sword, and victim.

Several commentators suggest that the idea of the sacrifice of justice, or righteous sacrifice, also implies a burnt offering, a total offering of our lives.

In the monastic context, it can obviously be taken as a reference to the renunciations the religious makes as a consequence of his or her vows.

The idea of the ‘sacrifice of justice’ is a key theme of several of the psalms, and one picked up by St Benedict in his choice of the Suscipe verse (from Psalm 118) said at profession/oblation.

But it can also, in a more limited way, surely mean fidelity to our marriage vows, our promises at oblation, and saying the Office itself.  Cassiodorus, for example says:

If Christ Himself was sacrificed for us, how much more fitting it is to offer ourselves as sacrifice to Him, so that we can rejoice in imitating our King! The term she used was: Offer up, and in case this was interpreted as sacrificing beasts, she added: The sacrifice of justice. In other words: "Live an upright life, and always offer your hearts pure to God."

Hope in the Lord

St Augustine interprets the injunction to hope in the Lord as our request for the help of grace:

So that this may be the meaning, Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and hope in the Lord; that is, live uprightly, and hope for the gift of the Holy Ghost, that the truth, in which you have believed, may shine upon you. 

The identity of the 'many' seeking good things is ambiguous.  Some commentator see the many as those following the ways of this world, and so linking up to the next verses claim to bounteous harvests.

St Robert Bellarmine summarises the argument thus:

"Many say, Who showeth us good things?" This is a common objection of the carnal, who are numerous, hence "many." When we preach to them the contempt of things here below, and exhort them to innocence and justice, many reply: Who will show us what is good, if the things we see and handle be not good? Who has come up from hell? Who has gone up to heaven?

Psalm 4: Cum invocarem

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, in carminibus. Psalmus David.	Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.
1 Cum invocárem exaudívit me deus justítiæ meæ: * in tribulatióne dilatásti mihi.	When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, you have enlarged me.
2 Miserére mei, * et exáudi oratiónem meam.	Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.
3 Filii hóminum, úsquequo gravi corde? *  ut quid dilígitis vanitátem et quæritis mendácium?	O you sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?
4 Et scitóte quóniam mirificávit dóminus sanctum suum: * dóminus exáudiet me cum clamávero ad eum.	Know also that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.
5 Irascímini, et nolíte peccáre: * quæ dícitis in córdibus vestris, in cubílibus vestris compungímini.	Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
6 Sacrificáte sacrifícium justítiæ, et speráte in dómino, * multi dicunt quis osténdit nobis bona?	Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who shows us good things?
7 Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, dómine: * dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.	The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.
8 A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui * multiplicáti sunt.	By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest
9 In pace in idípsum * dórmiam et requiéscam;	In peace in the self same I will sleep, and I will rest
10 Quóniam tu, dómine, singuláriter in spe * constituísti me.	For you, O Lord, singularly have settled me in hope.

For notes on the next verse, continue on here.