Psalm 61: Overview

Psalm 61 is said on Wednesdays at matins in the Benedictine Office.

St Alphonsus Liguor commented on it:

David encourages himself and his followers to have confidence in God while persecuted and while oppressed by adversity.

The text of the psalm

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, pro Idithun. Psalmus David	Unto the end, for Idithun, a psalm of David
1 Nonne Deo subjécta erit ánima mea? * ab ipso enim salutáre meum.	Shall not my soul be subject to God? For from him is my salvation.
2  Nam et ipse Deus meus, et salutáris meus: * suscéptor meus, non movébor ámplius.	3 For he is my God and my saviour: he is my protector, I shall be moved no more.
3  Quoúsque irrúitis in hóminem? * interfícitis univérsi vos: tamquam paríeti inclináto et macériæ depúlsæ?	4 How long do you rush in upon a man? You all kill, as if you were thrusting down a leaning wall, and a tottering fence.
4  Verúmtamen prétium meum cogitavérunt repéllere, cucúrri in siti: * ore suo benedicébant, et corde suo maledicébant.	5 But they have thought to cast away my price; I ran in thirst: they blessed with their mouth, but cursed with their heart.
5  Verúmtamen Deo subjécta esto, ánima mea: * quóniam ab ipso patiéntia mea.	6 But be, O my soul, subject to God: for from him is my patience.
6  Quia ipse Deus meus, et salvátor meus: * adjútor meus, non emigrábo.	7 For he is my God and my saviour: he is my helper, I shall not be moved.
7  In Deo salutáre meum, et glória mea: * Deus auxílii mei, et spes mea in Deo est.	8 In God is my salvation and my glory: he is the God of my help, and my hope is in God.
8  Speráte in eo omnis congregátio pópuli, effúndite coram illo corda vestra: * Deus adjútor noster in ætérnum.	9 Trust in him, all you congregation of people: pour out your hearts before him. God is our helper for ever.
9  Verúmtamen vani fílii hóminum, mendáces fílii hóminum in statéris: * ut decípiant ipsi de vanitáte in idípsum.	10 But vain are the sons of men, the sons of men are liars in the balances: that by vanity they may together deceive.
10  Nolíte speráre in iniquitáte, et rapínas nolíte concupíscere: * divítiæ si áffluant, nolíte cor appónere.	11 Trust not in iniquity, and cover not robberies: if riches abound, set not your heart upon them.
11  Semel locútus est Deus, duo hæc audívi, quia potéstas Dei est, et tibi, Dómine, misericórdia: * quia tu reddes unicuíque juxta ópera sua.	12 God has spoken once, these two things have I heard, that power belongs to God, 13 and mercy to you, O Lord; for you will render to every man according to his works.

Commentay by Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II provided a General Audience on the psalm in November 2004:

The gentle words of Psalm 62[61] have just resounded; it is a hymn of trust that opens with what appears to be an antiphon, repeated halfway through the text. It is like a peaceful and strong ejaculatory prayer, an invocation that also becomes a programme of life: "In God alone is my soul at rest; my help comes from him. He alone is my rock, my stronghold, my fortress: I stand firm" (vv. 2-3, 6-7). 

As the Psalm continues, however, two types of trust are compared. They are two fundamental choices, one good and the other perverse, which involve two types of moral behaviour. Above all, there is trust in God, exalted in the opening invocation where there enters into the picture a symbol of stability and of security, like the rock, the "fortress"; that is, a stronghold and bulwark of protection. The Psalmist repeats: "In God is my safety and glory, the rock of my strength; my sure "refuge'" (cf. v. 8). He affirms this after having called to mind the hostile conspiracies of his enemies who try to "thrust him down from his eminence" (cf. vv. 4-5). 

There is then another trust of an idolatrous nature, upon which the person of prayer insistently directs his critical eye. It is a trust that searches for security and stability in violence, plunder and riches. The appeal now becomes crystal clear: "Do not put your trust in oppression nor vain hopes on plunder. Do not set your heart on riches, even when they increase" (v. 11). 

Here, three idols are evoked and rejected as contrary to human dignity and to social coexistence.  The first false god is the violence that humanity unfortunately still continues to resort to in our blood-stained days. Marching alongside this idol is the vast procession of wars, oppression, prevarication, torture and abominable assassinations inflicted without a moment's remorse. The second false god is plunder, manifested in extortion, social injustice, usury and political and economic corruption. Too many people cultivate the "illusion" of satisfying their own greed in this way. Finally, riches are the third idol upon which man sets his heart with the false hope of being rescued from death (cf. Ps 49[48]), and assuring himself of prestige and power of the first order. Serving this diabolical triad, man forgets that idols are unreliable: they are, indeed, harmful. By taking refuge in things and in himself, man tends to forget that he is "a breath... an illusion"; what is more, weighed on a scale he is "less than a breath" (Ps 62[61]: 10; cf. Ps 39[38]: 6-7).   

If we were more aware of our fallen nature and of the limits to which creatures are subject, we would shun the path of trust in idols and would not programme our lives based on a scale of fragile and inconsistent pseudo-values. Instead, we would be oriented toward the "other trust", which finds its centre in the Lord, source of eternity and peace. Indeed, to God alone "belongs power"; only he is the source of grace; he alone is the author of justice, "repaying each man according to his deeds" (cf. Ps 62[61]: 12-13)... 

In this light the Fathers of the Church have looked upon the man of prayer in Psalm 62[61] as the prefiguration of Christ and have placed the opening invocation of complete trust in and adherence to God on his lips. St Ambrose elaborates on this subject in the Commento al Salmo 61 [Comment on Psalm 61]: "What must our Lord Jesus have done first, in taking upon himself the flesh of man to purify it in his own body, if not to cancel the evil influence of original sin? By means of disobedience, that is, violating the divine prescriptions, sin became permeated. Before all else, then, he had to restore obedience to prevent the hotbed of sin from spreading.... He took obedience upon himself in order to pour it out upon us" (Commento a Dodici Salmi 61, 4: SAEMO, VIII, Milan-Rome, 1980, p. 283). 

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Mt 6:19ff, Lk 12:15 (v10); 1 Tim 6:17 (v11); Mt 16:27, Rom 2:6; 2 Tim 4:14-15, Rev 2:23 (v11)
RB cursus	Wed Matins
Monastic feasts etc
Roman pre 1911	Wed Matins
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Thurs Matins  . 1970:
Mass propers (EF)	-

  

Psalm 57: Overview

St Alphonsus Liguori describes this psalm simply as follows:

The prophet describes in this psalm the perverse conduct of the wicked, and shows the chastisement that God usually inflicts upon them.

Cassiodrous, however, gives a rather more expansive summary of it that helps explain, perhaps, why it has been excluded altogether from the Liturgy of the Hours:

The Lord Christ, who is our Saviour because of His powers and warnings, is seen to upbraid the Jews' wickedness in the first part of the psalm; whilst He is charging them with their deeds, we are being warned not to act similarly. In the second section He makes known the retribution they are to suffer, introducing most appropriate comparisons. In the third part is recounted the way in which the just receive correction from the vengeance exacted from sinners.

St Augustine points out, however, just how important the cocept of divine justice is:

The words which we have sung must be rather hearkened to by us, than proclaimed. For to all men as it were in an assemblage of mankind, the Truth cries, If truly indeed justice ye speak, judge right things, you sons of men. 

He points out that the law of God is written on our vry hearts; but so that men could not plead ignorance, they were given the written law:

For to what unjust man is it not an easy thing to speak justice? Or what man if questioned about justice, when he has not a cause, would not easily answer what is just? Inasmuch as the hand of our Maker in our very hearts has written this truth. That which to yourself you would not have done, do not do to another.  Of this truth, even before that the Law was given, no one was suffered to be ignorant, in order that there might be some rule whereby might be judged even those to whom Law had not been given. But because men, desiring those things which are without, even from themselves have become exiles, there has been given also a written law: not because in hearts it had not been written, but because you were a deserter from your heart, you are seized by Him that is everywhere, and to yourself within art called back.

The psalm, then, he suggests, should be read as a call to repentance:

Therefore the written law, what cries it, to those that have deserted the law written in their hearts? Return ye transgressors to the heart.   

The text of the psalm

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, ne disperdas. David in tituli inscriptionem.	Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a title.
1 Si vere útique justítiam loquímini: * recta judicáte, fílii hóminum.	If in very deed you speak justice: judge right things, you sons of men.
2  Etenim in corde iniquitátes operámini: * in terra injustítias manus vestræ concínnant.	3 For in your heart you work iniquity: your hands forge injustice in the earth.
3  Alienáti sunt peccatóres a vulva, erravérunt ab útero: * locúti sunt falsa.	4 The wicked are alienated from the womb; they have gone astray from the womb: they have spoken false things.
4  Furor illis secúndum similitúdinem serpéntis: * sicut áspidis surdæ, et obturántis aures suas.	5 Their madness is according to the likeness of a serpent: like the deaf asp that stops her ears:
5  Quæ non exáudiet vocem incantántium: * et venéfici incantántis sapiénter.	6 Which will not hear the voice of the charmers; nor of the wizard that charms wisely.
6  Deus cónteret dentes eórum in ore ipsórum: * molas leónum confrínget Dóminus.	7 God shall break in pieces their teeth in their mouth: the Lord shall break the grinders of the lions.
7  Ad níhilum devénient tamquam aqua decúrrens: * inténdit arcum suum donec infirméntur	8 They shall come to nothing, like water running down; he has bent his bow till they be weakened.
8  Sicut cera, quæ fluit, auferéntur: * supercécidit ignis, et non vidérunt solem.	9 Like wax that melts they shall be taken away: fire has fallen on them, and they shall not see the sun.
9  Priúsquam intellígerent spinæ vestræ rhamnum: * sicut vivéntes, sic in ira absórbet eos.	10 Before your thorns could know the brier; he swallows them up, as alive, in his wrath.
10  Lætábitur justus cum víderit vindíctam: * manus suas lavábit in sánguine peccatóris.	11 The just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge: he shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.
11  Et dicet homo: Si útique est fructus justo: * útique est Deus júdicans eos in terra	12 And man shall say: If indeed there be fruit to the just: there is indeed a God that judges them on the earth.

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Rev 14:20 (11)
RB cursus	Tuesday Matins II, 5
Monastic feasts etc	AN 3533 (2)
Responsories	-
Roman pre 1911	Wednesday Matins
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Wednesday Sext . 1970: Not used, imprecatory
Mass propers (EF)	-