Psalm 114/5: When shipwrecked, call for help...

Joseph Vernet 1763

Continuing on with this study of Psalm 114 (116), the first psalm of Vespers in the Office of the Dead (and otherwise said at Monday Vespers), here is the complete psalm again with today’s verse highlighted:

Diléxi, quóniam exáudiet dóminus vocem oratiónis meæ.
I have loved, because the Lord will hear the voice of my prayer.

Quia inclinávit aurem suam mihi: et in diébus meis invocábo.
Because he has inclined his ear unto me: and in my days I will call upon him.

Circumdedérunt me dolóres mortis: et perícula inférni invenérunt me.
The sorrows of death have compassed me: and the perils of hell have found me.

Tribulatiónem et dolórem invéni: et nomen Dómini invocávi.
O Dómine, líbera ánimam meam: miséricors Dóminus, et justus, et Deus noster miserétur.
Custódiens párvulos Dóminus: humiliátus sum, et liberávit me.
Convértere, ánima mea, in réquiem tuam: quia Dóminus benefécit tibi.
Quia erípuit ánimam meam de morte: óculos meos a lácrimis, pedes meos a lapsu.
Placébo Dómino in regióne vivórum.

Looking at the Latin

The Douay-Rheims translates ‘Tribulatiónem et dolórem invéni: et nomen Dómini invocávi’ as 'I met with trouble and sorrow: And I called upon the name of the Lord'.

Breaking down the Latin:

Tribulatiónem =anguish/trouble/distress (accusative)

et dolórem =and sorrow

invéni = I have found

et nomen Dómini = and the name of the Lord

invocávi = I have invoked

A slightly looser translation from the Revised Standard Version makes it ‘I suffered distress and anguish: then I called upon the name of the Lord’.

Here is the key vocab:

tribulatio, onis, /. , trouble, distress, anguish, affliction, tribulation
dolor, oris, m. , pain whether of body or of mind, grief, sorrow, affliction, sin
invenio, veni, ventum, ire, to find
invoco, avi, atum, are, to invoke, call upon (God); to put trust in
nomen, mis, n. name

In suffering and trouble we should flee to God

St John Chrysostom uses this verse to offer a brief sermon on why God allows us to be subject to distress at times in order to encourage us to look for him, and on the right dispositions needs to have our prayers heard:

“Now, what he means is this: For me it sufficed for freedom from the encircling evils to call on God. Why, then, does it often occur that we call and are not freed from problems? Because we do not call as we ought call. I mean, for proof that he is always ready to provide, listen to what he says in the Gospels: "Surely there is no one of you who, if their son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

Now, if you, wicked as you are, know how to give good gifts to those who ask you, much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those asking him." Do you see how great is his goodness, when our wickedness is brought to light in comparison with it? Since, then, our Lord is like that, let us have recourse to him and call upon him alone as our helper, and we shall find him ready to save.

After all, if those who fall victim to shipwreck and cling to a plank immediately call upon people at a distance and persuade them to treat them with humanity, though admittedly having nothing in common with them but simply apprised of their calamity, much more will the loving God, whose goodness is natural to him, rescue those in trouble if only they are prepared to have recourse to him and call upon him with a sincere intention, forsaking human hopes.

Accordingly, whenever you fall into some unexpected trouble, do not despair, but at once lift your spirits, and direct your journey to that storm-free haven, that unassailable tower, help from God. This was the reason, you see, that he allowed you to fall victim, that you might call upon him. But that is particularly the time for most people to become despondent and lose their customary reverence, when they should do the opposite: it is because he loves us deeply that he allows us to suffer distress, so that we may be united to him more diligently. For mothers, too, induce their recalcitrant children to fly to their arms by frightening them with various masks, not wanting to cause them pain, but devising these means of encouraging their approach. God, too, in like manner, always anxious to unite us with himself, like some ardent lover - or, rather, being more ardent than any lover - allows you to be brought to such states of need so as to be exercised constantly in prayer, constantly call on him and be concerned with his affairs by letting go of the others.” (St John Chrysostom Commentary on the Psalms Volume 2,  trans Robert Charles Hill, Holy Cross Orthodox Press, MA 1998, pp94).

You can find notes on the next verse here

Psalm 114/3: God hears our prayers

Folio 66v, Belles Heures of Jean de France
Metropolitan Museum of Art (metmuseum.org)

Today’s verse of Psalm 114 (116) features one of those delightful anthropomorphisms, with the psalmist giving us an image of God as an old man, bending towards us in order to hear what we are saying:

Quia inclinávit aurem suam mihi: et in diébus meis invocábo.
Because he has inclined his ear unto me: and in my days I will call upon him.

St Basil the Great points out that this is an image for our benefit, not to be taken too literally:

“He inclined, he said, not that you might take some corporeal notion about God having ears and inclining them to a gentle voice, as we do, putting our ear close to those who speak low, so that by the nearness we may perceive what is said, but he said, 'He inclined’ in order that he might point out to us his own weakness. Because through kindness He came down to me while I was lying on the ground, as if, when some sick man is not able to speak clearly because of his great weakness, a kind physician, bringing his ear close, should learn through the nearness what was necessary for the sick man. Therefore, 'He hath inclined his ear unto me’. The divine ear, indeed, does not need a voice for perception; it knows how to recognize in the movements of the heart what is sought.”

Phrase by phrase

Quia inclinávit =for he has inclined/bent

quia, conj. for, because, that. truly, surely, indeed;
inclino, avi, atum, are, to bend, incline

aurem suam mihi = his ear to me

auris, is, /. the ear.
suus a um his
me, me, myself

That is to say, ‘For he listened to/heard me’.

et in diébus meis =and in my days [= while I live, or as long as I live]

dies, ei, m. and /.; fem. a day, the natural day

invocábo = I will call [upon him]

invoco, avi, atum, are, to invoke, call upon (God);to put trust in

Keep praying…

The key message of this verse, St Basil argues, is that we must keep praying, every day of our lives:

“If we have prayed on one day, or if in one hour for a brief time we were saddened by our sins, we are carefree as if we had already made some compensation for our wickedness. However, the holy man says that he is disclosing his confession which is measured by the whole time of his life, for he says: 'In all my days I will call upon him.' Then, in order that you may not think that he called upon God because he was fortunate in this life and because all his affairs were successful, he describes in detail the magnitude and difficulty of the circumstances in which, when he was involved, he did not forget the name of God. “

It is St Augustine, though, who perhaps puts this instruction into the context of praying for the dead, reminding us that this life is only an intermediate stage, and we must keep our eyes fastened on the ultimate reality:

“…And what are your days, since you have said, In my days I have called upon Him? Are they those perchance, in which the fullness of time came, and God sent His Son, Galatians 4:4 who had already said, In an acceptable time have I heard you, and in a day of salvation have I helped you? Isaiah 49:8 ...I may rather call my days the days of my misery, the days of my mortality, the days according to Adam, full of toil and sweat, the days according to the ancient corruption….

Psalm 114

Diléxi, quóniam exáudiet dóminus vocem oratiónis meæ.
I have loved, because the Lord will hear the voice of my prayer.
Quia inclinávit aurem suam mihi: et in diébus meis invocábo.
Because he has inclined his ear unto me: and in my days I will call upon him.
Circumdedérunt me dolóres mortis: et perícula inférni invenérunt me.
Tribulatiónem et dolórem invéni: et nomen Dómini invocávi.
O Dómine, líbera ánimam meam: miséricors Dóminus, et justus, et Deus noster miserétur.
Custódiens párvulos Dóminus: humiliátus sum, et liberávit me.
Convértere, ánima mea, in réquiem tuam: quia Dóminus benefécit tibi.
Quia erípuit ánimam meam de morte: óculos meos a lácrimis, pedes meos a lapsu.
Placébo Dómino in regióne vivórum

Notes on the next verse of the the psalm can be found here.

Introduction to Psalm 114 in the context of Vespers of the Office of the Dead

c15th Maitre de Rohan

I want to focus, over the next few weeks, on the traditional form of the Vespers of the Office of the Dead by way of an offering for the souls in purgatory, and in the hope that I can encourage others to say the Office of the Dead to that end.

Like all of the hours of this Office, Vespers starts without any introductory prayers, with the antiphon for the first psalm, Placebo Dominum (I will please the Lord), which is in fact the last verse of that first psalm, Psalm 114 (116).

Vespers of the Dead consists of five psalms:

• Psalm 114, Dilexi quoniam exaudiet Dominus (I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice);
• Psalm 119, Ad Dominum cum tribularer clamavi (To the Lord I cry in my distress);
• Psalm 120, Levavi oculos meos in montes (I will lift up my eyes to the hills);
• Psalm 129, De Profundis (Out of the Deep);and
• Psalm 137, Confitebor tibi Domine (I thank thee Lord)

The middle three are all Gradual psalms, while Psalm 129 is also one of the penitential psalms.

So, to start with Psalm 114...

Psalm 114: the text

In the Septuagint (and thus Vulgate), this is a separate psalm. But in the Hebrew Masoretic Text it is joined to Vulgate Psalm 115, and actually constitutes the first nine verses of Psalm 116.

Here it is, first in English (Douay-Rheims), arranged as it is used liturgically:

I have loved, because the Lord will hear the voice of my prayer.
Because he has inclined his ear unto me: and in my days I will call upon him.
The sorrows of death have compassed me: and the perils of hell have found me.
I met with trouble and sorrow: And I called upon the name of the Lord.
O Lord, deliver my soul. The Lord is merciful and just, and our God shows mercy.
The Lord is the keeper of little ones: I was humbled, and he delivered me.
Turn, O my soul, into your rest: for the Lord has been bountiful to you.
For he has delivered my soul from death: my eyes from tears, my feet from falling.
I will please the Lord in the land of the living.

And in the Latin Vulgate:

Diléxi, quóniam exáudiet dóminus vocem oratiónis meæ
Quia inclinávit aurem suam mihi: et in diébus meis invocábo.
Circumdedérunt me dolóres mortis: et perícula inférni invenérunt me.
Tribulatiónem et dolórem invéni: et nomen Dómini invocávi.
O Dómine, líbera ánimam meam: miséricors Dóminus, et justus, et Deus noster miserétur.
Custódiens párvulos Dóminus: humiliátus sum, et liberávit me.
Convértere, ánima mea, in réquiem tuam: quia Dóminus benefécit tibi.
Quia erípuit ánimam meam de morte: óculos meos a lácrimis, pedes meos a lapsu.
Placébo Dómino in regióne vivórum.

To aid your learning, don't forget to listen to it being recited aloud, and work with the recording until you can say and sing (on one note) each verse yourself.

Psalm 114: an overview

Psalm 114 has long had two levels of meaning, referring both to our life here and now, and to our future in heaven.

In the context of the Office of the Dead, this first psalm of Vespers in the Office of the Dead is best read as a deathbed prayer of a soul on the point of victory, asking for God to take it up into heaven, the land of the living.

But it can also be read as a more general thanksgiving prayer (and is used as such in Jewish liturgy, sung after the Passover meal and on other major feasts as one of the ‘Hallel’ psalms) for the many times God has rescued us from those who assault us, and has aided us in keeping us on the path of righteousness, so that we can continue to please him. In this context, ‘the land of the living’ is here on earth, where we can still undertake good works to aid those in the land of the dead who can no longer aid themselves.

There is no explicit historical context that can obviously be attributed to the psalm, though St Alphonsus Liguori suggests that it was a thanksgiving psalm following David’s deliverance from persecution by his son Absalom.  The saint continues:

“The royal prophet is here the figure of the Christian soul, which, after suffering many dangerous temptations, finds itself at the approach of death victorious over its enemies and on the point of going to heaven to enjoy its God.”

For verse by verse translation notes and commentary, start here. 

For some suggestions on using the psalm to brush up your Latin,  have a look here.

Psalms verse by verse: Psalm 22/10



c15th Matthias Gradual

Today, a look at the last verse of the Lord is my shepherd, Psalm 22:

Psalmus David.
A psalm for David

Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit: in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit.
The Lord rules me: and I shall want nothing. He has set me in a place of pasture

Super aquam refectionis educavit me; animam meam convertit.
He has brought me up, on the water of refreshment: He has converted my soul.

Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen suum.
He has led me on the paths of justice, for his own name's sake.

Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es.
For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for you are with me.

Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.
Your rod and your staff, they have comforted me.

Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me;
You have prepared a table before me against them that afflict me.

impinguasti in oleo caput meum : et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est!
You have anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriates me, how goodly is it!

Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ;
And your mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.
And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

A pilgrimage to heaven

On yesterday’s verse, Pope Benedict commented that ‘The goodness and faithfulness of God continue to escort the Psalmist who comes out of the tent and resumes his journey’. Today's verse makes clear where that journey is to, namely the ‘house of the Lord’ (domo Domini), the Temple, or heaven. For, Pope Benedict points out:

“This is what every believer yearns and longs for: truly to be able to live where God is, close to him. Following the Shepherd leads to God’s house, this is the destination of every journey, the longed for oasis in the desert, the tent of shelter in escaping from enemies, a place of peace where God’s kindness and faithful love may be felt, day after day, in the serene joy of time without end.”

A look at the Latin

Here it is again:

et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.

The verb here is inhabitem, from inhabito, avi, atum, are to dwell, abide; to inhabit, dwell in. Pope Benedict XVI notes in his commentary on the psalm that the (later) Hebrew Masoretic Text interprets the (ambiguous) ancient text as meaning ‘to return’ rather than to live. The older texts, and most translations, he notes make it ‘dwell’. He suggests that, “Both meanings may be retained: to return and dwell in the Temple as every Israelite desires, and to dwell near God, close to him and to goodness.”  So,

Et ut inhábitem  =and that I may live/dwell

et and

ut, adv. and conj., as, like. wherefore, so, so, why. that, in order that, to the end that.

The Vulgate (following the Septuagint) here uses a (ut+subjunctive) construction in order to mimic the structure of the Hebrew phrase as closely as possible. The neo-Vulgate changes it to the much simpler ‘et inhabitabo’ (and I will dwell) of St Jerome’s ‘from the Hebrew’ translation.

in domo Dómini=in the house of the Lord

in+ablative = with, in, on among, by means of

domus, us, f. a house, structure; a house, abode, dwelling place; Temple;
dominus, i, m. a master, lord, ruler, owner, possessor

in longitúdinem diérum =for length of days = for a long life/fullness of days/forever

in+acc=into, onto, against, for (the purpose of)

longitudo, inis, /. lit., length, forever
dies, ei, m. and /.; fem. a day

The Douay-Rheims translates the verse fairly literally as “And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.” A more idiomatic rendering would be, ‘and I will live in the house of the Lord forever’.

Trust in God

Pope Benedict XVI concluded his recent General Audience on this psalm as follows:

“With their richness and depth the images of this Psalm have accompanied the whole of the history and religious experience of the People of Israel and accompany Christians. The figure of the shepherd, in particular, calls to mind the original time of the Exodus, the long journey through the desert, as a flock under the guidance of the divine Shepherd (cf. Is 63:11-14; Ps 77: 20-21; 78:52-54). And in the Promised Land, the king had the task of tending the Lord’s flock, like David, the shepherd chosen by God and a figure of the Messiah (cf. 2 Sam 5:1-2; 7:8 Ps 78[77]:70-72).

Then after the Babylonian Exile, as it were in a new Exodus (cf. Is 40:3-5, 9-11; 43:16-21), Israel was brought back to its homeland like a lost sheep found and led by God to luxuriant pastures and resting places (cf. Ezek 34:11-16, 23-31). However, it is in the Lord Jesus that all the evocative power of our Psalm reaches completeness, finds the fullness of its meaning: Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” who goes in search of lost sheep, who knows his sheep and lays down his life for them (cf. Mt 18:12-14; Lk 15:4-7; Jn 10:2-4, 11-18). He is the way, the right path that leads us to life (cf. Jn 14:6), the light that illuminates the dark valley and overcomes all our fears (cf. Jn 1:9; 8:12; 9:5; 12:46).

He is the generous host who welcomes us and rescues us from our enemies, preparing for us the table of his body and his blood (cf. Mt 26:26-29; Mk 14:22-25); Lk 22:19-20) and the definitive table of the messianic banquet in Heaven (cf. Lk 14:15ff; Rev 3:20; 19:9). He is the Royal Shepherd, king in docility and in forgiveness, enthroned on the glorious wood of the cross (cf. Jn 3:13-15; 12:32; 17:4-5).

Dear brothers and sisters, Psalm 23 invites us to renew our trust in God, abandoning ourselves totally in his hands. Let us therefore ask with faith that the Lord also grant us on the difficult ways of our time that we always walk on his paths as a docile and obedient flock, and that he welcome us to his house, to his table, and lead us to “still waters” so that, in accepting the gift of his Spirit, we may quench our thirst at his sources, springs of the living water “welling up to eternal life” (Jn 4:14; cf. 7:37-39).”

For those learning or brushing up their Latin, the last set of study hints on this psalm, including a complete vocab list, can be found here.

Psalm 22/9 - Surely goodness and mercy...

This week I’m looking at the second half of Psalm 22, The Lord is my shepherd, and we are up to the second last verse as said in the Office. Here is the psalm so far in the Vulgate and Douay-Rheims translations, with today’s verse highlighted:

Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me;
You have prepared a table before me against them that afflict me.

impinguasti in oleo caput meum : et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est!
You have anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriates me, how goodly is it!

Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ;
And your mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.
And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

Resuming our journey, under God's protection and guidance

The last few verses of the psalm have talked about take respite in a wonderful banquet, which might be interpreted as the Eucharist, particularly in the form of Viaticum, and anointing, but in this verse the speaker resumes his earthly journey for however long it may last, refreshed by God’s care for him, as Pope Benedict XVI explains:

“The Psalmist becomes the object of much attention for which reason he sees himself as a wayfarer who finds shelter in a hospitable tent, whereas his enemies have to stop and watch, unable to intervene, since the one whom they considered their prey has been led to safety and has become a sacred guest who cannot be touched. And the Psalmist is us, if we truly are believers in communion with Christ. When God opens his tent to us to receive us, nothing can harm us. Then when the traveller sets out afresh, the divine protection is extended and accompanies him on his journey: “Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” (Ps 23[22]:6). The goodness and faithfulness of God continue to escort the Psalmist who comes out of the tent and resumes his journey.”

Looking at the Latin

Let’s break it down chunk by chunk. As noted in the last part, the best approach is often to find the verb first:

Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ;

Subsequetur is a deponent verb, from subsequor, secutus sum, sequi 3, to follow close after; to follow, so

Subsequétur =it will follow

The next step is to look for the subject of the verb, and any adjectives agreeing with it – what it is that will follow? The answer is misericordia, or mercy:

Et misericórdia tua= and your mercy/loving kindness

In fact misericordia here translates the Greek reasonably literally, but the underlying Hebrew word ‘hesed’ (transliterated as checed in Strong’s concordance) arguably has a rather broader meaning than mercy, hence the alternatives to mercy often found in translations of this verse, such as ‘loving kindness’ (Coverdale), or ‘goodness and mercy’ (KJV, RSV). The neo-Vulgate (unnecessarily in my view, given the rich depth of the Christian understanding of the word) attempts to make this breadth of meaning clear by changing the phrase to ‘Etenim benignitas et misericordia’ (ie goodness and mercy).

The third step in the translation process is to look for the object of the main action, in this case is clearly ‘me’, or me, thus, so far we have:

Et misericordia tua subsequetur me  = And your mercy will follow me.

So now we can sort out the remaining words and slot them into the sentence:

omnis, e, all, each, every; subst., all men, all things, everything
dies, ei, m. and /.; fem. a day, the natural day
vita, ae, f. , life, esp. a happy life

ómnibus diébus = all the days (ablative to express extent of time)

vitæ meæ =of my life

The Douay-Rheims translates the whole verse as:

“And your mercy will follow me all the days of my life.”. 

Or you can adopt the RSV version, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life’.

Tomorrow, on to the last verse of the psalm.

Psalm 22/8 - my cup overflows**

Extreme Unction,
van der Weyden, 1445

Continuing our study of Psalm 22, The Lord is my shepherd, here is the second half of the psalm in Latin with the today’s verse highlighted:

Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me;
impinguasti in oleo caput meum : et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est!
Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ;
et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.

A look at the Latin

Here is the verse again:

Impinguasti in oleo caput meum: et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est!

First look at the individual words:

impinguo, avi, atum, are to anoint; fatten, grow thick
in+abl = with, in, on among, by means of
oleum, li, n. oil, esp., olive-oil
et and
caput, itis, n. the head,
meus – my, mine
calix, icis, m. chalice, cup, goblet, drinking-vessel.
inebrio, avi, atum, are, to inebriate, intoxicate; fill up, saturate with, refresh as with drink, to water, drench, moisten.
quam how, how much, as, than
praeclarus, a, um, splendid, glorious; goodly, pleasant.
est – it is

Now try and break down the endings of the words to obtain a phrase by phrase translation.  A good way to tackle any translation is to first find the verb, and then find it's subject:

Impinguasti in oleo caput meum

Impinguásti =you have anointed

So the subject of the phrase is 'you' (God); now look for the object:

caput meum= my head

Then look at any other text to see how it fits in:

in óleo =with oil

Putting it together, ‘you have anointed my head with oil’.

It is worth remembering that anointing of a guest's head was a familiar token of welcome (remember the story of the pharisee who invited Our Lord to dinner, but failed to offer this courtesy in Luke 7,46).

Moving to the next phrase: et calix meus inebrians

inébrians = inebriating/exhilarating/overflowing

et calix meus = and my (note adjective meus agreeing with the subject, calix) chalice/cup

Finally:

quam præclárus est! = how splendid/good (adjective agreeing with calix) it is (3rd person present indicative of to be)

Thus, ‘and how splendid my exhilarating chalice is’.

The Douay-Rheims translates the whole verse, ‘You have anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriates me, how goodly is it!’ 

Many people will however be more familiar with Protestant translations of this verse such as RSV’s ‘Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows’, and indeed the Neo-Vulgate revises the second half of the verse to match this, making it ‘et calix meus redundat’.

**Here are some other translations for comparison purposes.

First assorted versions of the Latin, together with the Septuagint:

7	V	Impinguásti in óleo caput meum: * et calix meus inébrians quam præclárus est!
	Old Roman	inpinguasti in oleo caput meum et poculum tuum inebrians quam praeclarum est
	NV	impinguasti in oleo caput meum, et calix meus redundat.
	JH	inpinguasti oleo caput meum; calix meus inebrians.
		τὴν κεφαλήν μου καὶ τὸ ποτήριόν σου μεθύσκον ὡς κράτιστον

Note that the phrase 'quam praeclarus est' is missing from St Jerome's translation from the Hebrew.  The omission is particularly reflected in the RSV:

Douai Rheims	You have anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriates me, how goodly is it!
Brenton from the Septuagint	thou hast thoroughly anointed my head with oil; and thy cup cheers me like the best wine.
Monastic Diurnal	Thou annointest my head with oil, and my brimming cup – how goodly it is!
RSV	thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.
Coverdale	thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.
Knox	richly thou dost anoint my head with oil, well filled my cup.
Grail	My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing.

Penetrating the meaning

**Cassiodorus provides this commentary on the verse:

Thou hast anointed my head with oil. The eighth act of generosity is defined. The head of the faithful is the Lord Christ, rightly described as anointed with oil since He does not dry up through the aridity of the sinner. So he claims that his Head has been anointed with oil, doubtless so that the other limbs can take joy from this. But why is it that this kind of sacred blessing is often applied in anointing prophets and consecrating kings? It is rightly done, for the olive also afforded a sign of peace, a gift acknowledged to be especially divine. The juice of the olive is the oil of gladness and the favour of great distinctions, and its foliage continues in the beauty of its greenness. It was the olive which announced to Noah by means of the dove that salvation was restored to the earth,' so that it rightly seems able to bestow so great a blessing since it enjoys both great beauty and usefulness in its fruit. As another psalm says of it: Therefore God, my God, hath anointed thee with the oil of exultation above thy fellows. 

And thy cup -which inebriateth me, how goodly it is! The ninth gift is the Lord's blood, which inebriates in such a way that it cleanses the mind, preventing it from wrongdoing, not leading it to sins. This drunkenness makes us sober, this fullness purges us of evils. He who is not filled with this cup fasts in perennial need. The word is found also in the bad sense, as in Isaiah: And I have received from thy hand the chalice of destruction, the cup of anger and my wrath. He added: How goodly it is!, especially as He bestows such gifts to lead us to heaven. The gospel says of this cup: Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give shall not thirst for ever, but it shall become in him a fountain of water springing up into life everlasting.

**

Pope Benedict XVI comments on this verse that:

“Lastly, the cup overflowing with its exquisite wine, shared with superabundant generosity, adds a note of festivity. Food, oil and wine are gifts that bring life and give joy, because they go beyond what is strictly necessary and express the free giving and abundance of love. Psalm 104[103] proclaims: “You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread to strengthen man’s heart” (vv. 14-15).”

Anointing with oil and an overflowing chalice has obvious sacramental allusions as well, important in the context of the Office of the Dead.

Tomorrow, the next verse, on God's goodness and mercy.

Psalms verse by verse: Psalm 22/7 - The heavenly banquet

I'm doing a series at the moment looking at the meaning of selected psalms with the aid of traditional commentaries and the Pope's General Audience series.  This includes providing some aids to praying the psalms in Latin for non-Latinists drawing on the excellent introductory Simplicssimus course (see the link in the sidebar under Latin resources). 

Psalm 22 so far...

And, appropriate to the month, at the moment I'm looking at one of the most well-known of all the psalms from the Office of the Dead, Psalm 22(23), The Lord is my shepherd.  Last week, I looked at the first half of the psalm, the shepherd allegory, assuring us of God’s presence and support in this life, even as we walk in the shadow of death:

Psalmus David.

A psalm for David

Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit: in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit.
The Lord rules me: and I shall want nothing. He has set me in a place of pasture

Super aquam refectionis educavit me; animam meam convertit.
He has brought me up, on the water of refreshment: He has converted my soul.

Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen suum.
He has led me on the paths of justice, for his own name's sake.

Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es.
For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for you are with me.

Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.
Your rod and your staff, they have comforted me.

The banquet prepared...

This week, I want to look at the second half of the psalm, which gives us a vision of a splendid banquet prepared for us, which can be viewed as the refreshment offered to us in the Eucharist, and as an allegory of heaven.

Pope Benedict XVI introduces it, in his recent General Audience on the psalm, as follows:

“This comforting image ends the first part of the Psalm, and gives way to a different scene. We are still in the desert, where the shepherd lives with his flock, but we are now set before his tent which opens to offer us hospitality

…. The Lord is now presented as the One who welcomes the person praying with signs of generous hospitality, full of attention. The divine host lays the food on the “table”, a term which in Hebrew means, in its primitive sense, the animal skin that was spread out on the ground and on which the food for the common meal was set out. It is a gesture of sharing, not only of food but also of life in an offering of communion and friendship that create bonds and express solidarity. Then there is the munificent gift of scented oil poured on the head, which with its fragrance brings relief from the scorching of the desert sun, refreshes and calms the skin and gladdens the spirit….

He is the generous host who welcomes us and rescues us from our enemies, preparing for us the table of his body and his blood (cf. Mt 26:26-29; Mk 14:22-25); Lk 22:19-20) and the definitive table of the messianic banquet in Heaven (cf. Lk 14:15ff; Rev 3:20; 19:9). He is the Royal Shepherd, king in docility and in forgiveness, enthroned on the glorious wood of the cross (cf. Jn 3:13-15; 12:32; 17:4-5).”

Here is the second half of the pslam, with today's verses highlighted:

Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me;
You have prepared a table before me against them that afflict me.

impinguasti in oleo caput meum : et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est!
Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ;
et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.

Looking at the Latin

Unit four of the Simplicissimus series looks at adjectives, so I'll particularly focus on examples of those in the notes this week.

Don't forget also to make sure you say it aloud, using one of the recordings such as the Boston Catholic series to help you get it right.

Here is the verse again in the Latin Vulgate:

Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me

And here are some definitions of the key words used:

paro, avi, atum, are, to prepare, make ready, furnish, equip, fit out, provide, make firm, establish
meus a um, (adjective) my, mine
conspectus, us, m. sight, presence;
mensa, ae, /., a table.
adversus or adversum, prep, with acc against; in the presence of, over against, before.
eos – them (is ea id: he, she, it)
qui who
tribulo, avi, atum, are to oppress, afflict, harass.
me me

So phrase by phrase:

Parásti =you have prepared/made ready

in conspéctu meo mensam =in my presence/sight a table

Note that parare mensam means to to furnish, lay, or prepare a table, to provide meat, sustenance. Also meo is a second declension adjective agreeing conspectu (fourth declension noun in the ablative governed by in). Mensam, a table is a first declension noun in the accusative.

advérsus eos=against those/in the presence of those

qui tríbulant me= (they) who trouble/are troubling (3rd person present indicative) me

Penetrating the meaning of the psalm: the Eucharist to strengthen us

The Fathers and Theologians offer a number of interpretations of this verse – St Thomas Aquinas for example, suggests that the things provided on the table include diverse spiritual writings to guide us, the law, and the New Testament. Cassiodorus and St Alphonsus Liguori, amongst others, focus on the Eucharistic connotations of the verse, with the later commenting:

“Thou hast prepared before me a table where I shall take a food that will make me strong against my enemies. By this table we may well understand the altar, where we receive as food the body of Jesus Christ, which renders us strong against all the assaults of hell.”

Office of the Dead

In the context of the Office of the Dead, one could also see the verse as alluding to viaticum, the final reception of the Eucharist acting as food for the journey, an interpretation nicely supported by the next verse's reference to anointing with oil, pointing to the sacrament of Extreme Unction.

Psalm 22/6 - Thy rod and staff; the root of Jesse and the Cross

c3rd, Catacombs of Priscilla

I want to end the week with the last verse of the first half of psalm 22, that closes off the shepherd allegory:

Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.
Your rod and your staff, they have comforted me.

Why rod and staff?

I noted yesterday that Pope Benedict XVI’s catechesis on the psalm depicts the person walking under dark shadow, accompanied by the comforting reminder of God's presence in the sound of the shepherd’s staff.

But it is also worth drawing attention to St Alphonsus Liguori’s note that:

“Some commentators understand by this the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was called Virga de radice Jesse a rod out of the root of Jesse (Is. xi. i), of whom was born Jesus. In the same mystical sense by baculus is understood the cross, which was the instrument of our salvation...”

Here is where today's verses sit in the context of the whole psalm:

Psalmus David.
Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit: in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit.
Super aquam refectionis educavit me; animam meam convertit.
Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen suum.
Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es.
Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.
Parasti in conspectu meo mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me;
impinguasti in oleo caput meum : et calix meus inebrians, quam præclarus est!
Et misericordia tua subsequetur me omnibus diebus vitæ meæ;
et ut inhabitem in domo Domini in longitudinem dierum.

Phrase by phrase

Let’s look at the verses phrase by phrase:

Virga tua =your rod (nominative first declension noun agreeing with adjective)

et báculus tuus =and your staff (nominative second declension noun agreeing with adjective)

ipsa me consoláta sunt =they themelves (ipse, ipsa ipsum, intensive pronoun, referring back to rod and staff) have comforted me/given confidence to (deponent, 3rd person plural, perfect) me (personal pronoun)

That is, Thy rod and thy staff have comforted me.

There is some dispute about the interpretation of rod and staff here: are they two different things, or two aspects of the one?  In any case, rod seems here to mean the shepherd's crook with which he guides the sheep, while the staff is a stout stick used either to defend the sheep or for his own support.   Both are symbols of God’s guidance and loving solicitude.  St Thomas Aquinas, for example, saw the rod as a reference to God's guidance in our life, to corporal punishment to correct us, as well as the sceptre symbolising his kingdom; while a staff is a prop or aid to standing up.

St Robert Bellamine comments:

"The sixth benefit conferred on the sheep, their being supported when weary. He now drops the simile of the sheep, and takes up the shepherd, for sheep are not supported, when weary, by a staff, but are carried on the shoulders of the shepherd; which God is always ready to offer his faithful souls when weary."

Vocab

virga, ae, f., a rod, staff, scepter, a shepherd's crook.
baculus, i, m. a stick, staff, a shepherd's staff, a walking-stick.
consolor, atus sum, ari, Active, to comfort, console, encourage

Next week, I'll look at the second half of the psalm.  Meanwhile, enjoy a lovely setting of the psalm by Carl Nielson.

Psalm 22/5 - Yea though I walk in the midst of the shadow of death

Crimean war photo by Roger Fenton

 
Today I want to look at the verse of Psalm 22, which is probably the most familiar, and most clearly suggests why the psalm is part of the Office for the Dead:

Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es.
For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for you are with me.

Pope Benedict’s recent catechesis on this psalm (on which more below) focuses here on the imagery of walking in dark shadow, suggesting that the previous verse pointed to God’s guidance of us on the path’s of righteousness. For this reason, Pope Benedict XVI suggests, ‘the Psalmist can declare his calm assurance without doubt or fear’.”

Here is where the verse sits in the first half of the psalm:

Psalmus David.
Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit: in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit.
Super aquam refectionis educavit me; animam meam convertit.
Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen suum.
Nam et si ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es.
Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.

Phrase by phrase

Let’s look at the verses phrase by phrase:

nam, et si ambulávero = for even if I shall walk

in médio umbræ mortis=in the midst (in medio) of the shadow (umbrae) of death

non timébo mala=I will not fear evils

quóniam tu mecum es=for you are with me

Many of the protestant translations of this verse change ‘shadow of death’ to the ‘valley of the shadow of death’, reflecting the Hebrew of the Masoretic Text, and indeed the neo-Vulgate does likewise, making the verse:

Nam et si ambulavero in valle umbrae mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es, or as the Coverdale translation makes it, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me.

Pope Benedict on walking in the dark shadows of death

Pope Benedict drew out the imagery in his recent catechesis on the psalm:

“Those who walk with the Lord even in the dark valleys of suffering, doubt and all the human problems, feel safe. You are with me: this is our certainty, this is what supports us. The darkness of the night frightens us with its shifting shadows, with the difficulty of distinguishing dangers, with its silence taut with strange sounds. If the flock moves after sunset when visibility fades, it is normal for the sheep to be restless, there is the risk of stumbling or even of straying and getting lost, and there is also the fear of possible assailants lurking in the darkness.

To speak of the “dark” valley, the Psalmist uses a Hebrew phrase that calls to mind the shadows of death, which is why the valley to be passed through is a place of anguish, terrible threats, the danger of death. Yet the person praying walks on in safety undaunted since he knows that the Lord is with him. “You are with me” is a proclamation of steadfast faith and sums up the radical experience of faith; God’s closeness transforms the reality, the dark valley loses all danger, it is emptied of every threat. Now the flock can walk in tranquillity, accompanied by the familiar rhythmical beat of the staff on the ground, marking the shepherd’s reassuring presence.”

Vocab

nam for
et si, yea, even if, in case that; O that! would that!; if, whether, if perchance;
ambulo, avi, atum, are to walk; the manner in which one orders one's life;
in +abl in, on, among
medius, a, um in the middle, midst
umbra, ae, /., a shadow, a shelter, cover, protection
mors, mortis, /., death
non - not
timeo, ere 2, to fear, be afraid of.
malus, a, um, adj., bad, evil, wicked; grievous, sore, severe; subst., malum, i, n., evil, sin; woe, harm, misfortune.
quoniam, conj., for, because, since, seeing that, whereas.
tu – pronoun, you
mecum – with me
es – you are (s)

The next post looks at last verse of the shepherd allegory.

Psalm 22/4 - The paths of righteousness

Today’s verse of Psalm 22 is Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen suum, which the (updated edition of the) Douay-Rheims translates as ‘He has led me on the paths of justice, for his own name's sake’.

The Latin

 Taking it phrase by phrase, this is actually a pretty straightforward verse translation-wise:

dedúxit me = he has led me/guided me

super (+accusative) sémitas justítiæ =on the paths of justice/righteousness

propter (+accusative) nomen tuum =according to/on account of/for the glory of his name

Pope Benedict comments on it:

“Dear brothers and sisters, if we follow the “Good Shepherd” — no matter how difficult, tortuous or long the pathways of our life may seem, even through spiritual deserts without water and under the scorching sun of rationalism — with the guidance of Christ the Good Shepherd, we too, like the Psalmist, may be sure that we are walking on “paths of righteousness” and that the Lord is leading us, is ever close to us and that we “shall lack nothing”.”

Psalm 22 so far:

Here is the first half of the psalm with today’s verse highlighted:

Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit: in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit.
Super aquam refectionis educavit me; animam meam convertit.
Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen suum.
Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es.
Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.

St Robert Bellarmine

St Robert Bellarmine interprets the psalm as setting out what the shepherd does for his flock, and thus how this applies to us. So, he suggests:

“Sheep require, first, rich pasture [food, the sacraments, especially the Eucharist] ; secondly, pure water [the spiritual water of grace]; thirdly, one to bring them back when they stray [the grace of conversion when we fall into sin]; fourthly, to be brought through easy passages; fifthly, to be protected from wolves and wild beasts; sixthly, to be supported when tired and weary; sev¬enthly, if cut or maimed by passing through cliffs or rocks, to be cured; and, lastly, at the close of day, at the end of their journey, to have a home wherein they may securely rest.”

On today’s verse then, he comments:

“The fourth duty of the shepherd, made me walk in the narrow path of his commandments; and, thereby, lead the life of the just. That he effected by taking from the power and strength of the tempter, by an increase of charity, by additional sweetness, by illuminating with his justice, by enticements, by excitement, by endearment, by terror, and other innumerable ways, on which, if we would only reflect for a moment, we would never cease, during our whole lifetime, to return thanks to so sweet a Pastor; the more so, when all this has been done, not by reason of our previous merits, but "on account of his own name, that he may make known the riches of his mercy to the praise of the glory of his grace."

Vocab

deduco, duxi ductum, ere 3, to lead or bring down; guide, lead, conduct
me (pronoun) me
super, with, on, upon, for, because of.
semita, ae, f., a path, way; course of life, action, conduct, or procedure.
justitia, ae, f. justice, righteousness, innocence, piety, moral integrity
propter, prep, with acc. on account of, by reason of, because of, from, for, for the sake of.
nomen, inis, n. name; God himself; the perfections of God, His glory, majesty, wisdom, power, goodness,
suus a um his, hers, its

For the next verse, go here

Psalms verse by verse - Psalm 22/3: Super aquam refectionis

Continuing today with the verse by verse look at Psalm 22, here is the first half of the psalm with today’s verse highlighted.

Psalmus David.
A psalm for David

Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit: in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit.
The Lord rules me: and I shall want nothing. He has set me in a place of pasture

Super aquam refectionis educavit me; animam meam convertit.
He has brought me up, on the water of refreshment: He has converted my soul.

Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen suum.
Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es.
Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.

The imagery of the verse is repeated in Revelation 7:16-17: “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Phrase by phrase

Here is verse 3 phrase by phrase:

Super (upon/ to) aquam (the water) refectiónis (of refreshment) = to refreshing/restoring water)

The redundant use of ‘super’ here (super with the accusative case normally means over, upon, above) seems to be a case of translationese, whereby the translator was intent on reproducing the structures of the Greek and Hebrew very literally.

educávit me=he has led me

ánimam meam convértit =he has converted/brought back/revived/refreshed my soul

Green pastures and the refreshing waters of baptism

Pope Benedict XVI comments on this verse:

“The Psalmist refers to this experience by calling God his shepherd and letting God lead him to safe pastures: “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Ps 23[22]:2-3).

The vision that unfolds before our eyes is that of green pastures and springs of clear water, oases of peace to which the shepherd leads his flock, symbols of the places of life towards which the Lord leads the Psalmist, who feels like the sheep lying on the grass beside a stream, resting rather than in a state of tension or alarm, peaceful and trusting, because it is a safe place, the water is fresh and the shepherd is watching over them.

And let us not forget here that the scene elicited by the Psalm is set in a land that is largely desert, on which the scorching sun beats down, where the Middle-Eastern semi-nomad shepherd lives with his flock in the parched steppes that surround the villages. Nevertheless the shepherd knows where to find grass and fresh water, essential to life, he can lead the way to oases in which the soul is “restored” and where it is possible to recover strength and new energy to start out afresh on the journey.

As the Psalmist says, God guides him to “green pastures” and “still waters”, where everything is superabundant, everything is given in plenty. If the Lord is the Shepherd, even in the desert, a desolate place of death, the certainty of a radical presence of life is not absent, so that he is able to say “I shall not want”. Indeed, the shepherd has at heart the good of his flock, he adapts his own pace and needs to those of his sheep, he walks and lives with them, leading them on paths “of righteousness”, that is, suitable for them, paying attention to their needs and not to his own. The safety of his sheep is a priority for him and he complies with this in leading his flock.”

Vocab

super, with, on, upon, for, because of.
aqua, ae, /., water
refectio, onis, a restoring, repairing; refreshment.
educo, duxi, ductum, ere 3, to lead out or forth.
anima, ae, soul, life, me
meus a um my, mine
converto, verti, versum, ere 3, to turn, change, alter, bring back; quicken, refresh; bring back; convert, turn from sin



The next post looks at verse 4 of the psalm.

Psalm 22/2 - Dominus regit me

The first half of Psalm 22 goes as follows:


Psalmus David.
2. Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit: in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit.
The Lord rules me: and I shall want nothing. He has set me in a place of pasture
3. Super aquam refectionis educavit me; animam meam convertit.
4. Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen suum.
5. Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es.
6. Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.

Today I want to look at the second verse, the first said in the Office, highlighted above.

Pope Benedict XVI introduces it as follows:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”: the beautiful prayer begins with these words, evoking the nomadic environment of sheep-farming and the experience of familiarity between the shepherd and the sheep that make up his little flock. The image calls to mind an atmosphere of trust, intimacy and tenderness: the shepherd knows each one of his sheep and calls them by name; and they follow him because they recognize him and trust in him (cf. Jn 10:2-4). He tends them, looks after them as precious possessions, ready to defend them, to guarantee their well-being and enable them to live a peaceful life. They can lack nothing as long as the shepherd is with them.”

The Latin phrase by phrase

Here is a look at the Latin, phrase by phrase:

Dominus regit me=the Lord leads/guides/directs me/rules me

Note that the neo-Vulgate changes regere (to rule, guide) to pascuere (to feed or pasture) to more vividly convey the shepherd metaphor.

et nihil mihi=and nothing to me
deerit= will be wanting/lacking

So,  Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit =The Lord guideth me, and nothing is wanting to me.
Or, The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want or The Lord ruleth me, and I shall want nothing.

in loco páscuæ=in a place of pasture (land)
ibi me = there me
collocávit =he has placed/set/put

So, in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit = He has placed me in a place of pastureland

The shepherd image

The image of the good shepherd is of course one frequently used in the New Testament as well, and in this context it is worth rereading the Pope alluded to in his General Audience, from St John 10, in full:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.”

Vocab for the verse

rego, rexi, rectum, ere 3, to rule, govern, as a shepherd; to lead, guide; to rule..
nihil, n., nothing
me, me
et, and, but
desum, fui esse, to be wanting, lack.
locus, i, m. a place.
pascua, ae, f. a pasture, grass land for cattle to feed upon
colloco, avi, atum, are to set, place, put; to lie down, to rest.
ibi, adv. there, in that place. then

You can find the notes on the next here.

Introduction to Psalm 22 - The Lord is my shepherd

Psalm 22: Trust in God

Psalm 22 is one of those psalms everyone should know, and particularly timely as we are running up to November, the month traditionally devoted to prayer for the dead - and Psalm 22 is one of the psalms used in the Office of the Dead (at Matins).

Pope Benedict XVI introduces his catechesis on it by saying:

“Turning to the Lord in prayer implies a radical act of trust, in the awareness that one is entrusting oneself to God who is good, “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6-7; Ps 86[85]:15; cf. Joel 2:13; Jon 4:2; Ps 103 [102]:8; 145[144]:8; Neh 9:17). For this reason I would like to reflect with you today on a Psalm that is totally imbued with trust, in which the Psalmist expresses his serene certainty that he is guided and protected, safe from every danger, because the Lord is his Shepherd. It is Psalm 23 [22, according to the Greco-Latin numbering], a text familiar to all and loved by all.”

Psalm 22 has six verses as set out in most Bibles (indicated in brackets), but in the older liturgical ordering which I will use here it is split into ten verses including the title.

Text of the psalm

Here is the full text of it arranged for liturgical use with a translation from the Douay-Rheims:

Psalm 22

Dóminus regit me, et nihil mihi déerit: * in loco páscuæ ibi me collocávit.	The Lord rules me: and I shall want nothing. He has set me in a place of pasture.
Super aquam refectiónis educávit me: * ánimam meam convértit.	He has brought me up, on the water of refreshment: He has converted my soul.
Dedúxit me super sémitas iustítiæ: * propter nomen suum.	He has led me on the paths of justice, for his own name's sake.
Nam, et si ambulávero in médio umbræ mortis, non timébo mala: * quóniam tu mecum es.	For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for you are with me.
Virga tua, et báculus tuus: * ipsa me consoláta sunt.	Your rod and your staff, they have comforted me.
Parásti in conspéctu meo mensam, * advérsus eos, qui tríbulant me.	You have prepared a table before me against them that afflict me.
Impinguásti in óleo caput meum: * et calix meus inébrians quam præclárus est!	You have anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriates me, how goodly is it!
Et misericórdia tua subsequétur me * ómnibus diébus vitæ meæ.	And your mercy will follow me all the days of my life.
Et ut inhábitem in domo Dómini, * in longitúdinem diérum.	And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.	As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Key themes

This psalm presents two main images: first the sheep in a pasture, being led by the good shepherd; and secondly a vision of the heavenly banquet awaiting us. Pope Benedict comments:

With their richness and depth the images of this Psalm have accompanied the whole of the history and religious experience of the People of Israel and accompany Christians. The figure of the shepherd, in particular, calls to mind the original time of the Exodus, the long journey through the desert, as a flock under the guidance of the divine Shepherd (cf. Is 63:11-14; Ps 77: 20-21; 78:52-54). And in the Promised Land, the king had the task of tending the Lord’s flock, like David, the shepherd chosen by God and a figure of the Messiah (cf. 2 Sam 5:1-2; 7:8 Ps 78[77]:70-72).


Then after the Babylonian Exile, as it were in a new Exodus (cf. Is 40:3-5, 9-11; 43:16-21), Israel was brought back to its homeland like a lost sheep found and led by God to luxuriant pastures and resting places (cf. Ezek 34:11-16, 23-31). However, it is in the Lord Jesus that all the evocative power of our Psalm reaches completeness, finds the fullness of its meaning: Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” who goes in search of lost sheep, who knows his sheep and lays down his life for them (cf. Mt 18:12-14; Lk 15:4-7; Jn 10:2-4, 11-18). He is the way, the right path that leads us to life (cf. Jn 14:6), the light that illuminates the dark valley and overcomes all our fears (cf. Jn 1:9; 8:12; 9:5; 12:46).

He is the generous host who welcomes us and rescues us from our enemies, preparing for us the table of his body and his blood (cf. Mt 26:26-29; Mk 14:22-25); Lk 22:19-20) and the definitive table of the messianic banquet in Heaven (cf. Lk 14:15ff; Rev 3:20; 19:9). He is the Royal Shepherd, king in docility and in forgiveness, enthroned on the glorious wood of the cross (cf. Jn 3:13-15; 12:32; 17:4-5).

Dear brothers and sisters, Psalm 23 invites us to renew our trust in God, abandoning ourselves totally in his hands. Let us therefore ask with faith that the Lord also grant us on the difficult ways of our time that we always walk on his paths as a docile and obedient flock, and that he welcome us to his house, to his table, and lead us to “still waters” so that, in accepting the gift of his Spirit, we may quench our thirst at his sources, springs of the living water “welling up to eternal life” (Jn 4:14; cf. 7:37-39).

The next part of this mini-series starts looking at the psalm verse by verse.  And for those focused on learning the Latin I've also put together:

•  some notes on the vocabulary to get you started;
• further vocab and grammar notes; and
• a complete vocabulary list for the psalm.

Liturgical and scriptural uses of the psalm

NT references	Jn 10:10-11, I Pet 2:25 (1); Rev 7:16-17  (2)
RB cursus	Sunday Matins
Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc	Office of Dead, II, 1; Corpus Christi
Roman pre 1911	Sunday Matins (post Trent Thursday Prime)
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Thursday Prime .
Mass propers (EF)	Saturday Lent 3, GR (4)