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| Source: http://www.holy-landpilgrimage.com/the-gates-of-jerusalem/ |
The final verse of Psalm 126 provides us with a beatitude:
6
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V
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Beátus vir qui implévit desidérium
suum ex ipsis: * non confundétur cum loquétur inimícis suis in porta.
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NV
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Beatus vir, qui implevit pharetram suam ex ipsis: non
confundetur, cum loquetur inimicis suis in porta.
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JH
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Beatus uir
qui impleuit pharetram suam ex ipsis : non confundentur, cum loquentur
inimicis in porta.
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μακάριος ἄνθρωπος ὃς πληρώσει τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν αὐτοῦ ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐ καταισχυνθήσονται ὅταν λαλῶσι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς αὐτῶν ἐν πύλῃ
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Beátus (happy) vir (the man) qui (who) implévit (he is filled) desidérium (the desire) suum (his) ex (from/with) ipsis (them): * non (not) confundétur (he will be confounded) cum (when) loquétur (he speaks) inimícis (the enemies) suis (his) in porta (the gate).
The Masoretic Text differs from the Vulgate again here, giving a אַשְׁפָּה (ashpah), or an arrow case or quiver (hence the Jerome from the Hebrew and neo-Vulgate pharetram here); by contrast the Greek implies desire for them (the children of the previous verse) rather than the realisation.
beatus, a,
um to bless, make happy), happy,
blessed, fortunate.
vir, viri,
m., a man, any human being
impleo,
plevi, pletum, ere 2 to fill, fill up,
fill full; to fill, to cover; to fill,
satisfy.
desiderium,
li, n. desire, longing, wish, yearning
confundo, fiidi, fiisum, ere 3, to put or bring to shame, to discomfit.
loquor, locutus sum to speak, utter, tell
inimicus, i,
m. (in and amicus), a foe, enemy
porta, ae, , a gate, city-gate
pharetra , ae, f., a quiver for holding arrows
DR
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Blessed is the man that has
filled the desire with them; he shall not be confounded when he shall speak
to his enemies in the gate
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Brenton
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Blessed is the man who
shall satisfy his desire with them: they shall not be ashamed when they shall
speak to their enemies in the gates.
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MD
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Blessed is the man that
hath his quiver filled with them: he shall not be ashamed, when he speaketh
with his enemies in the gate.
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RSV
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Happy is the man who has
his quiver full of them! He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
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Cover
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Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them;
they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
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Knox
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Happy, whose quiver is well
filled with these; their cause will not be set aside when they plead against
their enemies at the gate.
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Grail
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O the happiness of the man who
has filled his quiver with these arrows! He will have no cause for shame when
he disputes with his foes in the gateways.
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St John Chrysostom notes the existence of both text variants in his commentary and suggests that the significance of the quiver is that God will arm and aid the person who labours with and for him, equipping us to meet the enemy 'with great manly vigor, with splendid appearance,
self-confident, in battle array, since in all these ways God demonstrates his
support of them'. He notes that:
The acme of good things, after all, and the pinnacle of
blessedness is to be able finally to be set in order of battle with the Lord's
help. Hence at this point he also
concluded his words, instructing everyone to seek out before everything else
this proper order and be resplendent in it. Accordingly, let us also make it
our endeavor, so that we may attain to the everlasting goods, thanks to the
grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and
the Holy Spirit be the glory for ages of ages.
St Augustine's commentary by contrast starts firmly from the Septuagint tradition, and points us to the message of Christ's death on the cross which this hour of the Office remembers. It is not earthly fame that counts, not earthly rewards we should see, but rather we must seek to convert he suggests. The starting point is to embrace our own cross he argues:
Well, my brethren, who fills
his desire from them? Who loves not the world. He who is filled with the desire
of the world, has no room for that to enter which they have preached. Pour
forth what you carry, and become fit for that which you have not. That is, you
desire riches: you can not fill your desire from them: you desire honours upon
earth, you desire those things which God has given even unto
beasts of burden, that is, temporal pleasure, bodily health, and the like; you
will not fulfil your desire from them....
Speaking to enemies at the gate, he suggests, is not being ashamed to preach Christ:
If he be confident, let him speak in the gate; as it is said of Wisdom, She cries at the gates, at the entry of the city. As long as they hold unto righteousness in innocency, they shall not be ashamed: this is to preach at the gate. And who is he who preaches at the gate? He who preaches in Christ; because Christ is the gate whereby we enter into that city. ...
Psalm 126: Nisi Dominus
