Psalm 43: Overview

Psalm 43 is said at Monday Matins in the Benedictine Office.

For the sons of core...

St Augustine provided an extended commentary on the psalm's title, which he saw as linking it to the Passion:

This Psalm is addressed to the sons of Korah, as its title shows. Now Korah is equivalent to the word baldness; and we find in the Gospel that our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified in the place of a skull. It is clear then that this Psalm is sung to the sons of His 'Passion.' Now we have on this point a most certain and most evident testimony from the Apostle Paul; because that at the time when the Church was suffering under the persecutions of the Gentiles, he quoted from hence a verse, to insert by way of consolation, and encouragement to patience. For that which he inserted in his Epistle, is said here: For Your sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Let us then hear in this Psalm the voice of the Martyrs; and see how good is the cause which the voice of the Martyrs pleads, saying, For Your sake, etc....

The title then is not simply To the sons of Korah, but, For understanding, to the sons of Korah. This is the case also with that Psalm, the first verse of which the Lord Himself uttered on the Cross: My God, My God, look upon Me; why have You forsaken Me? For transferring us in a figure to what He was saying, and to His own Body (for we are also His Body, and He is our Head), He uttered from the Cross not His own cry, but ours. For God never forsook Him: nor did He Himself ever depart from the Father; but it was in behalf of us that He spoke this: My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me? For there follows, Far from My health are the words of My offenses: and it shows in whose person He said this; for sin could not be found in Him....

A psalm for times of tribulation

St Alphonsus Liguori provides the following summary for this psalm:

What dominates in this psalm is the expression of the sentiments which should animate the just amid the afflictions of the present life. The psalmist, therefore, proposes to us a prayer that we should address to God in the time of tribulation. The holy Fathers regard this psalm as prophetic. It is the people of God that speak: groaning under oppression, they represent to the Lord the benefits that they once received from his bounty; then they describe their present miseries, and ask the help that they need.

The text of the psalm

Psalm 43

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem. Filiis Core ad intellectum.	Unto the end, for the sons of Core, to give understanding.
1 Deus, áuribus nostris audívimus: * patres nostri annuntiavérunt nobis.	We have heard, O God, with our ears: our fathers have declared to us,
2  Opus, quod operátus es in diébus eórum, * et in diébus antíquis.	The work you have wrought in their days, and in the days of old.
3  Manus tua gentes dispérdidit, et plantásti eos: * afflixísti pópulos, et expulísti eos.	3 Your hand destroyed the Gentiles, and you planted them: you afflicted the people and casted them out.
4  Nec enim in gládio suo possedérunt terram, * et bráchium eórum non salvávit eos:	4 For they got not the possession of the land by their own sword: neither did their own arm save them.
5  Sed déxtera tua, et bráchium tuum, et illuminátio vultus tui, * quóniam complacuísti in eis.	But your right hand and your arm, and the light of your countenance: because you were pleased with them.
6  Tu es ipse Rex meus et Deus meus: * qui mandas salútes Jacob.	5 You are yourself my king and my God, who commands the saving of Jacob.
7  In te inimícos nostros ventilábimus cornu: * et in nómine tuo spernémus insurgéntes in nobis.	6 Through you we will push down our enemies with the horn: and through your name we will despise them that rise up against us.
8  Non enim in arcu meo sperábo: * et gládius meus non salvábit me.	7 For I will not trust in my bow: neither shall my sword save me.
9  Salvásti enim nos de affligéntibus nos: * et odiéntes nos confudísti.	8 But you have saved us from them that afflict us: and have put them to shame that hate us.
10  In Deo laudábimur tota die: * et in nómine tuo confitébimur in sæculum.	9 In God shall we glory all the day long: and in your name we will give praise for ever.
11  Nunc autem repulísti et confudísti nos: * et non egrediéris, Deus, in virtútibus nostris.	10 But now you have cast us off, and put us to shame: and you, O God, will not go out with our armies.
12  Avertísti nos retrórsum post inimícos nostros: * et qui odérunt nos, diripiébant sibi.	11 You have made us turn our back to our enemies: and they that hated us plundered for themselves.
13  Dedísti nos tamquam oves escárum: * et in Géntibus dispersísti nos.	12 You have given us up like sheep to be eaten: you have scattered us among the nations.
14  Vendidísti pópulum tuum sine prétio: * et non fuit multitúdo in commutatiónibus eórum.	13 You have sold your people for no price: and there was no reckoning in the exchange of them.
15  Posuísti nos oppróbrium vicínis nostris, * subsannatiónem et derísum his, qui sunt in circúitu nostro.	14 You have made us a reproach to our neighbours, a scoff and derision to them that are round about us.
16  Posuísti nos in similitúdinem Géntibus: * commotiónem cápitis in pópulis.	15 You have made us a byword among the Gentiles: a shaking of the head among the people.
17  Tota die verecúndia mea contra me est, * et confúsio faciéi meæ coopéruit me.	16 All the day long my shame is before me: and the confusion of my face has covered me,
18  A voce exprobrántis, et obloquéntis: * a fácie inimíci, et persequéntis.	17 at the voice of him that reproaches and detracts me: at the face of the enemy and persecutor.
19  Hæc ómnia venérunt super nos, nec oblíti sumus te: * et iníque non égimus in testaménto tuo.	18 All these things have come upon us, yet we have not forgotten you: and we have not done wickedly in your covenant.
20  Et non recéssit retro cor nostrum: * et declinásti sémitas nostras a via tua:	19 And our heart has not turned back: neither have you turned aside our steps from your way.
21  Quóniam humiliásti nos in loco afflictiónis, * et coopéruit nos umbra mortis.	20 For you have humbled us in the place of affliction: and the shadow of death has covered us.
22  Si oblíti sumus nomen Dei nostri, * et si expándimus manus nostras ad deum aliénum:	21 If we have forgotten the name of our God, and if we have spread forth our hands to a strange god:
23  Nonne Deus requíret ista? * ipse enim novit abscóndita cordis.	22 Shall not God search out these things: for he knows the secrets of the heart.
24  Quóniam propter te mortificámur tota die: * æstimáti sumus sicut oves occisiónis.	23 Because for your sake we are killed all the day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
25  Exsúrge, quare obdórmis, Dómine? * exsúrge, et ne repéllas in finem.	24 Arise, why are you sleeping, O Lord? Arise, and cast us not off to the end.
26  Quare fáciem tuam avértis,* oblivísceris inópiæ nostræ, et tribulatiónis nostræ?	25 Why do you turn your face away? And forget our want and our trouble?
27  Quóniam humiliáta est in púlvere ánima nostra: * conglutinátus est in terra venter noster.	26 For our soul is humbled down to the dust: our belly cleaves to the earth.
28  Exsúrge, Dómine, ádjuva nos: * et rédime nos propter nomen tuum.	27 Arise, O Lord, help us and redeem us for your name's sake

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Romans 8: 36 (13, 23)
RB cursus	Matins Monday II, 5
Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc	-
Roman pre 1911	Tuesday Matins
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Tuesday None . 1970:
Mass propers (EF)	Sexagesima IN (2, 24, 26) Lent 4 Tuesday GR (1-2, 25) PP23 GR (8-9)