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.

Commentaries on the psalms - Cassiodorus/2

c8th Durham Cassiodorus manuscript

Last week I provided some background information on St Benedict's contemporary Cassiodorus.  Today I want to look at the Psalm Commentary he wrote.

Cassiodorus' Commentary on the Psalms is available in an English translation by P G Walsh, in three volumes of the Ancient Christian Writers series published by Paulist Press, 1990-1. 

Are they worth buying?  Well it depends...

Cassiodorus' commentaries on the psalms, written in the 540s to early 550s, are important for a number of reasons.  First, aside from Augustine's Enarrations, they are one of very few complete commentaries on the psalms written in Latin surviving from the patristic era.  Secondly, they were highly influential throughout the medieval period.  Thirdly, notwithstanding some modest protestations to the contrary, they appear to contain a high degree of originality, making some important pedagogical contributions.  For above all, his commentary is intended to teach: and not just theology and spirituality. 

A theological, spiritual and grammar textbook

Cassiodorus, like many patristic commentators, saw the psalms as the necessary starting point for Scriptural study: one should learn the psalms first, he suggests, and only then move on to the New Testament, for they serve as preparation for it.  For this reason, his interpretations almost invariably focus on the spiritual, or allegorical meaning of the psalm rather than the literal-historical. 

But Cassiodorus was also a key mover in the project that aimed to substitute Christian literature and theory for pagan as the foundation of formal education.  Accordingly, his commentaries are also a textbook on poetry and grammar.

Structure of the commentaries

He provides a general introduction to the psalms, including an introduction to the main categories he assigns each psalm to.  The individual commentaries too, are highly structured: for each psalm he provides an introduction on the title or type of psalm; something on the structure of the psalm 'the division of the psalm'; a verse by verse exposition; and then a section on 'conclusions that be drawn from the psalm', applying the message to contemporary circumstances, particularly to counter current heresies.

Cassiodorus' commentaries draw heavily on the Latin Fathers in particular, particularly St Augustine and St Hilary.  But they go beyond these. 

Much of Cassiodorus' material will seem extremely strained to the modern eye - such as his numerological explanations of particular psalm numbers, and some of this allegorical expositions.  Much of it comes across as heavy-handed didacticism. 

The commentary is not, in my view, in the same 'essential to have' category as that of St Robert Bellarmine.  Nor is it up there with the great commentaries such as those of St Augustine and St John Chrysostom. 

But there are gems embedded in it that make it well-worth wading through for anyone really committed to immersing themselves in the psalms in the same way that medieval monks did. 

Particularly helpful, in my view, are some of his summations of the groupings of psalms.  His is the first text, for example, to list out what became accepted as the Seven Penitential Psalms.

The Gradual Psalms

His summary comments on the Gradual Psalms (Ps 119-133) provide a good example of his style of overview commentary. 

In his overall introduction to the psalms, he describes them as "the psalms of the steps, which lead our minds through chaste and humble satisfaction of the Lord Saviour."

And he summarises the message of them, in the conclusion to Psalm 133, goes as follows:

It is pleasant to recount how these steps have led all the way to the heavenly Jerusalem. 

On the first step [Ps 119] he denotes loathing of the world, after which there is haste to attain zeal for all the virtues.

Secondly, the strength of divine protection is explained, and it is demonstrated that nothing can withstand it.

Thirdly, the great joy of dwelling with pure mind in the Lord's Church is stated.

Fourth [Ps 122], he teaches us that we must continually presume on the Lord's help whatever the constraints surrounding us, until He takes pity and hears us.

 Fifth, he warns us that when we are freed from dangers, we must not attach any credit to ourselves, but attribute it all to the power of the Lord.

 In the sixth, the trust of the most faithful Christian is compared to immovable mountains.

In the seventh [Ps 125], we are told how abundant is the harvest reaped by those who sow in tears.

In the eighth, it is said that nothing remains of what any individual has performed by his own will; only the things built by the sponsorship of the Lord are most firmly established.

In the ninth, it is proclaimed that we become blessed through fear of the Lord, and that all profitable things are granted us.

 In the tenth [Ps 128], he inculcates in committed persons the patience which he commands through the words of the Church.

In the eleventh [Ps 129], as penitent he cries from the depths to the Lord, asking that the great power of the Godhead be experienced by the deliverance of mankind.

In the twelfth [Ps 130], the strength of meekness and humility is revealed; in the thirteenth [Ps 131], the promise of the holy incarnation and the truth of the words spoken are demonstrated.

In the fourteenth [Ps 132], spiritual unity is proclaimed to the brethren, and to them the Lord's benediction and eternal life are shown to accrue.

In the fifteenth [Ps 133], there is awakened in the course of the Lord's praises that perfect charity than which nothing greater can be expressed, and nothing more splendid discovered. As the apostle attests: God is love. So let us continually meditate on the hidden nature of this great miracle, so that by ever setting our gaze on such things, we may avoid the deadly errors of the world.

The number of these psalms contains this further mystery: when the five bodily senses, by which human frailty incurs all sin, are overcome by the power of the Trinity, this leads us to the fifteenth height of the psalms of the steps; thus the body's weakness is eliminated, and eternal rewards are bestowed on those who conquer it.

Further reading

For those interested in learning more about Cassiodorus, there is a surprising amount of material on him available on the web, including in particular James J. O'Donnell, Cassiodorus, University of California Press, 1979; "Postprint" 1995 (the website also includes a very useful bibliography.  There a number of recent journal articles available through JSTOR if you have access to that.  P G Walsh's (the translator) introduction to the Psalm Commentary in the English edition is also very helpful in placing the work in the context of the author's aims and the times.

Propers for the Feast of Christ the King (EF edition)

Today is the feast of Christ the King in the Extraordinary Form (in the Novus Ordo it is celebrated on the last Sunday before Advent, a date that has a certain logic to it).

There is of course something of an embarrassment of choices when it comes to potential propers for a (relatively recent) feast of this kind, and so the Introit comes from Revelation, and the Alleluia verse from the book of Daniel.  Three psalms are used however: Psalm 2 (Offertory); Psalm 28 (Communio); and Psalm 71 (Introit verse and Gradual).

As Psalm 71 is one of the key psalms prophesying the kingdom, it is worth setting out in full, first the Vulgate, then the Douay-Rheims (I've bolded the verses used in the propers for today):

Deus, judicium tuum regi da, et justitiam tuam filio regis; judicare populum tuum in justitia, et pauperes tuos in judicio.
3 Suscipiant montes pacem populo, et colles justitiam.
4 Judicabit pauperes populi, et salvos faciet filios pauperum, et humiliabit calumniatorem.
5 Et permanebit cum sole, et ante lunam, in generatione et generationem.
6 Descendet sicut pluvia in vellus, et sicut stillicidia stillantia super terram.
7 Orietur in diebus ejus justitia, et abundantia pacis, donec auferatur luna.
8 Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos orbis terrarum.
9 Coram illo procident Æthiopes, et inimici ejus terram lingent.
10 Reges Tharsis et insulæ munera offerent; reges Arabum et Saba dona adducent:
11 et adorabunt eum omnes reges terræ; omnes gentes servient ei.
12 Quia liberabit pauperem a potente, et pauperem cui non erat adjutor.
13 Parcet pauperi et inopi, et animas pauperum salvas faciet.
14 Ex usuris et iniquitate redimet animas eorum, et honorabile nomen eorum coram illo.
15 Et vivet, et dabitur ei de auro Arabiæ; et adorabunt de ipso semper, tota die benedicent ei.
16 Et erit firmamentum in terra in summis montium; superextolletur super Libanum fructus ejus, et florebunt de civitate sicut fœnum terræ.
17 Sit nomen ejus benedictum in sæcula; ante solem permanet nomen ejus. Et benedicentur in ipso omnes tribus terræ; omnes gentes magnificabunt eum.
18 Benedictus Dominus Deus Israël, qui facit mirabilia solus.
19 Et benedictum nomen majestatis ejus in æternum, et replebitur majestate ejus omnis terra. Fiat, fiat.


Give to the king your judgment, O God, and to the king's son your justice:
To judge your people with justice, and your poor with judgment.
3 Let the mountains receive peace for the people: and the hills justice.
4 He shall judge the poor of the people, and he shall save the children of the poor: and he shall humble the oppressor.
5 And he shall continue with the sun and before the moon, throughout all generations.
6 He shall come down like rain upon the fleece; and as showers falling gently upon the earth.
7 In his days shall justice spring up, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away.
8 And he shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
9 Before him the Ethiopians shall fall down: and his enemies shall lick the ground.
10 The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts:
11 And all kings of the earth shall adore him: all nations shall serve him.
12 For he shall deliver the poor from the mighty: and the needy that had no helper.
13 He shall spare the poor and needy: and he shall save the souls of the poor.
14 He shall redeem their souls from usuries and iniquity: and their names shall be honourable in his sight.
15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Arabia, for him they shall always adore: they shall bless him all the day.
16 And there shall be a firmament on the earth on the tops of mountains, above Libanus shall the fruit thereof be exalted: and they of the city shall flourish like the grass of the earth.
17 Let his name be blessed for evermore: his name continues before the sun.
And in him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed: all nations shall magnify him.
18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wonderful things.
19 And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever: and the whole earth shall be filled with his majesty. So be it. So be it.

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.