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.

Psalm 22: Latin learning Hints Part A - vocab and grammar

As promised, a list of key vocab to learn for this week, if you want to get ahead with this psalm!

Words from last week…

Before looking at this week’s new vocabulary, it is worth picking out the words looked at in Psalm 3. So here are the first five verses of Psalm 22 with key words you should know from Psalm 3 bolded:

Dominus (The Lord) regit me (me), et (and) nihil mihi (to me) deerit: in loco pascuæ, ibi me collocavit. Super aquam refectionis educavit me; animam (soul) meam (my) convertit. Deduxit me super semitas justitiæ propter nomen (name) suum (his). Nam etsi ambulavero in medio umbræ mortis, non (not) timebo (=timeo, timere, timui to fear) mala, quoniam (for/because) tu (you) mecum es (you are). Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt.

Frequently used words for this week…

And here is a list of very frequently words that are used in this week’s verses, so well worth learning carefully:

ambulo, avi, atum, are to walk; the manner in which one orders one's life;
converto, verti, versum, ere 3, to turn, change; quicken, refresh; bring back; convert, turn from sin;
rego, rexi, rectum, ere 3 to rule, govern, as a shepherd; to lead, guide; to rule..
colloco, avi, atum, are to set, place, put; to lie down, to rest.
educo, duxi, ductum, ere 3, to lead out or forth.
deduco, duxi ductum, ere 3, to lead or bring down; guide, lead, conduct

locus, i, m. a place.
pascua, ae, f. lit., a pasture, grass land for cattle to feed upon
aqua, ae, f., water
semita, ae, f, a path, way; course of life, action, conduct, or procedure.
justitia, ae, /. justice, righteousness, innocence, piety, moral integrity
umbra, ae, /., a shadow, a shelter, cover, protection
mors, mortis, /., death

malus, a, um, adj., bad, evil, wicked; grievous, sore, severe; subst., malum, i, n., evil, sin; woe, harm, misfortune

Grammar

For those looking at the Simplicissimus course, Unit 3 looks at present tense verbs in the passive voice, as well as deponents (verbs that look like they are passive, but are actually active). There are, I’m afraid, no examples of present tense passives or deponents in the psalm but there is a deponent verb to look out for this week, namely consolor: Virga tua, et baculus tuus, ipsa me consolata sunt (they consoled/comforted).

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)

Psalm propers for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Psalm 118

Today's psalm propers in the Extraordinary Form point strongly and obviously to the Gospel (Matthew 22:1-14, the parable of the wedding feast).

I want to look particularly at the Communio, which is from Psalm 118, but first a quick run down of the other psalms set for today.

The parable of the wedding feast

The Introit verse is particularly obvious in its message: the verse we are given is the opening of Psalm 77: Atténdite, pópule meus, legem meam: inclináte aurem vestram in verba oris mei, or Attend, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.  But this verse is really a cue for the next in the psalm, which is Apériam in parábolis os meum, or I will open my mouth in parables. The psalm then goes on to point out that God's message to us has not been hidden; the law is laid out for us to follow.

The Gradual (Psalm 140) points to the necessity of the proper, acceptable worship of God (starting with baptism, symbolised by the wedding garment):

Dirigátur orátio mea sicut incénsum in conspéctu tuo: * elevátio mánuum meárum sacrifícium vespertínum.
Let my prayer be directed as incense in your sight; the lifting up of my hands, as evening sacrifice.

The Alleluia (Psalm 104) goes to the importance of evangelization (salvation is opened to all, following the refusal of those originally invited to attend the wedding):

Confitémini Dómino, et invocáte nomen ejus: annuntiáte inter Gentes ópera ejus.
Give glory to the Lord, and call upon his name: declare his deeds among the Gentiles

The Offertory (Psalm 137) reminds us of God's continuing protection of us as we undertake this mission, and hints at the fate of those cast out from the wedding feast:

Si ambulávero in médio tribulatiónis, vivificábis me: et super iram inimicórum meórum extendes manum tuam, et salvum me faciet déxtera tua.
If I shall walk in the midst of tribulation, you will quicken me: and you have stretched forth your hand against the wrath of my enemies: and your right hand has saved me.

(Note: the text here is from the Roman psalter translation, not the Vulgate; I've used the translation from the Douay-Rheims which reflects the Vulgate).

Communio: Psalm 118

But I want to look particularly today at the Communio, which is verses 4 and 5 from the longest psalm in the psalter, Psalm 118. These verses point us back to the Introit psalm, and their basic message is that it is not enough just to turn up, not enough just to turn away from evil if we want to be saved: we also have to strive positively to keep the law and do good.

They also serve as a reminder that the law enjoined on us is not a manmade creation, that can be changed in ways to suit us as so many liberals in the Church appear to believe, but rather something set in stone by God.

The text is:

Tu mandasti mandata tua custodiri nimis. Utinam dirigantur viæ meæ ad custodiendas justificationes tuas. You have commanded your commandments to be kept most diligently.  O that my ways may be directed to keep your justifications. 

Understanding the Latin

Let's look at the Latin phrase by phrase.

Tu mandásti =you, you have commanded (mando, to enjoin, order, command)

mandáta tua =your commandments

custodíri nimis = to be kept in full/diligently (custodire is the passive infinitive of custodire, to keep, maintain, hold steadfastly; nimis literally means greatly, beyond measure)

Utinam = oh that!/would that!/ I wish that!

dirigántur viæ meæ = my life/ways may be directed (dirigere is to direct, guide set aright; via is life, but most translations change it to ‘ways’ given the context)

ad custodiéndas = to the keeping

justificatiónes tuas! = of your justifications/statutes/laws. (The underlying Hebrew word,Huqqim, translated as justificatio, literally means something engraved or cut in stone or a tablet).

Commentary from St Robert Bellarmine

St Robert Bellarmine comments on these verses, ending with a reminder that salvation is not just a matter of our own efforts, but requires the grace that is made available to us through Christ's sacrifice:

"He now draws another argument from the excellence of the legislator, as much as to say: These are not the commands of man, but of God; that God who requires implicit obedience from all his servants. To give greater weight to what he has to say thereon, he addresses God directly, saying, "Thou hast commanded thy commandments to be kept most diligently." O Lord, you who can freely command your servants, and punish them severely if they disobey, and who can neither forgive nor forget the transgressor, "thou hast commanded," not by way of advice, but by strict precept, "thy commandments to be kept," not negligently or carelessly, but "most diligently" and studiously. Who, then, will not, at once, give their mind to a thorough observance of them? God's commands should be most implicitly obeyed...The law for variety's sake gets different names in the Scripture, such as the precept, the command, the discourse, the speech, the word, sometimes the testimony, by reason of its bearing witness to what God's will is, sometimes the justification, as in this passage, because it is through it we are justified; that is, made more just, according to the apostle, who says, "the doers of the law shall be justified;" observe, though, that I said, they who observe the law shall be made more just, because the first justification, through which we are made just, from being sinners, cannot be ascribed to the law, but to grace, as the same apostle has it, "For if justice be by the law, then Christ died in vain."

The chant setting of these verses is well-worth listening to as they are particularly upbeat:

19th Sunday after Pentecost: Communion from Corpus Christi Watershed on Vimeo.