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 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.

Psalm 4 - verse 5: On rash and righteous anger

Verse 5 of Psalm 4 is a call to repentance: night is a time to ponder our personal darkness, and make up our minds to change for the better.

Understanding the Latin

The Vulgate gives the verse as:

Irascímini, et nolíte peccáre: quæ dícitis in córdibus vestris, in cubílibus vestris compungímini

The key words for the verse are:

irascor, iratus sum, irasci , to be angry or wrathful.

nolo, nolui, nolle  to be unwilling, not to wish, to refuse. 

pecco, avi, atum, are, to sin; to sin against, with dat.

dico, dixi, dictum, ere 3, to say, speak;  to sing;  in the sense of to think, plan, desire; to praise.

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

cubile, is, n. a bed, couch.

compungo, punxi, punctum, ere 3,  to prick; fig., to wound, hurt; in passive, to feel compunction, sorrow, regret, or remorse, to repent. 

A word by word translation might be:

Irascímini (be angry [at yourself]), et (and) nolíte (be unwilling) peccáre (to sin): * quæ (that which/ what) dícitis (you say) in córdibus (in the heart) vestris (your), in cubílibus (in the beds) vestris (your) compungímini (be sorry/repent)

The literal meaning

The selection of English translations below suggest that the literal meaning of the verse is ambiguous: is it saying, 'when angry don't translate your anger into sinful action', as the Monastic Diurnal's translation suggests; or is it a call to righteous anger, aimed at stirring up our consciences?

 

Douay Rheims	Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
Monastic Diurnal	When roused to anger, sin not: what you scheme in your hearts, deplore upon your beds.
RSV	Be angry, but sin not; commune with your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.
Brenton	Be ye angry, and sin not; feel compunction upon your beds for what ye say in your hearts.
Coverdale	Stand in awe, and sin not; commune with your own heart, and in your chamber, and be still.
Knox	Tremble, and sin no more; take thought, as you lie awake, in the silence of your hearts.
Grail	Fear him; do not sin: ponder on your bed and be still.

 In fact the Fathers make clear that both meanings are possible.

Self-control

Anger can of course be a sin, but the point is not to avoid it altogether, but rather to control it appropriately, according to  St Cassiodorus:

The anger which does not effect its indignation is pardonable; in the words of Scripture: He that conquers his anger is better than he that taketh a city.  So the injunction to control it is appended, so that if we are already angry we do not sin through impulsive rashness. Because of human frailty we cannot govern our hot emotions, but with the help of God's grace we contain them with the discipline of reason.

This line of interpretation fits well with St Paul's use of the verse in Ephesians:

Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.  Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. (4:25-27)

 Anger as a tool in the spiritual life

But in the context of the psalm, the more obvious interpretation goes to the positive uses of anger.  St John Chrysostom, for example, argues that righteous anger as a positive, a way of directing our minds to genuine repentance:

He does not dismiss anger, note, for it is useful, nor does he eliminate wrath, this too proving helpful, after all, in dealing with wrongdoers and the negligent…In other words, it is alright to be angry for good rea­son, as Paul too was angry with Elymas, and Peter with Sapphira...

St Augustine gave a vivid application of this line of interpretation of the verse in his Confessions:

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.

St Benedict instructs us to take a similar approach in the concluding section of the chapter of the Rule on humility:

[the monk] should always have his head bowed and his eyes downcast, pondering always the guilt of his sins, and considering that he is about to be brought before the dread judgement seat of God. 

St Cassiodorus adds:

What is repentance but being angry with oneself, so that one is aghast at one's deeds, and seeks self-torture so that the angry Judge may not afflict us instead?

In the silence of our bedrooms

The particular appropriateness of the night for the renewal of our commitment to continual repentance through anger at ourselves is set out by St Robert Bellarmine:

St. Basil tells us that anger was implanted in us by God, to be a source of merit. "The things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds;" that is to say, in the dead hour of night, when you shall be alone in your bedchamber, free from all cares; then turn over all your shortcomings, and in God's presence be sorry for them, imitat­ing the example of David himself, who in Psalm 6 says, "Every night I will wash my bed; I will water my couch with my tears," thus carrying out the advice he gave to others.

The Holy Ghost having severely reproved and admon­ished mankind, and advised them to repent, tells them now what they ought to do, and instructs them to have a holy hor­ror of sin, to resist their evil desires, and, by such means, to avoid sin; and, should they happen to fall, at once to be sorry and contrite; and not to stop at the doing no harm, but to go fur­ther, by offering the sacrifice of justice in doing good. "Be angry, and sin not;" that is to say, when your wicked and rebellious temper, the top and bottom of all our sins, stirs us up, let your anger vent itself on your own poor corrupt self; contend with it, so that you shall not fall into sin. 

The call to anger here is not to shouting or violent gestures, but rather to inner compunction.  St Cyprian, for example, points us to the example Hannah (Anna), the mother of Samuel:

And this Hannah in the first book of Kings, who was a type of the Church, maintains and observes, in that she prayed to God not with clamorous petition, but silently and modestly, within the very recesses of her heart. She spoke with hidden prayer, but with manifest faith. She spoke not with her voice, but with her heart, because she knew that thus God hears; and she effectually obtained what she sought, because she asked it with belief. Divine Scripture asserts this, when it says, “She spake in her heart, and her lips moved, and her voice was not heard; and God did hear her.” We read also in the Psalms, “Speak in your hearts, and in your beds, and be ye pierced.” The Holy Spirit, moreover, suggests these same things by Jeremiah, and teaches, saying, “But in the heart ought God to be adored by thee.” On the Lord’s Prayer, c242

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.

You can find the next part in the series here.