Psalm 111 vs 7: Victory is sure!

Verse 7 of Psalm 111 reads:

Paratum cor ejus sperare in Domino, confirmatum est cor ejus; non commovebitur donec despiciat inimicos suos.

His heart is ready to hope in the Lord: His heart is strengthened, he shall not be moved until he look over his enemies

Looking at the Latin

Parátum (prepared) cor (heart) ejus (his) = his heart [is] prepared/ready

speráre (to hope) in Dómino (in the Lord)

confirmátum est (it is confirmed/established/strengthened) cor ejus (his heart) = his heart is made steady/strengthened

paro, avi, atum, are,  to prepare, make ready,  furnish, equip, fit out, provide, make firm, establish

cor, cordis, n., the heart, regarded as the seat of the faculties, feelings, emotions, passions; the mind, the soul.

spero, avi, atum, are, to hope or trust in

confirmo, avi, atum, are, to strengthen, confirm, establish; in the passive, to be sustained, supported, stayed

non commovébitur (he will not be moved) donec (until) despíciat (he can look down upon) inimícos suos (his enemies) =  [ie sees his enemies defeated]

donec, conj., till, until

despicio, spexi, spectum, ere 3 to look away from, not to look at, to slight; to despise; to look down upon

Penetrating the meaning of the text

It is one of the strange mysteries of life that the good inevitably attract enemies: but what distinguishes the good man is that he looks steadfastly to God for help, knowing that ultimately, victory is certain.

St Robert Bellarmine comments:

“This is the seventh blessing of the soul that feareth God; a firm and fixed reliance on the divine protection, through which it fears no evil. "His heart is ready to hope in the Lord." That is, in every adversity, in every imminent danger, his heart is ready to take refuge in God, because he is always prepared and ready to hope in God, never loses sight of God's assistance, never dis­trusts him, never hesitates in putting faith in him. His heart is strengthened in such confidence, so that there is no danger of his failing in it. "He shall not be moved until he look over his enemies." He never will have the slightest fear of any impending danger from his enemies, and, of course, much less when he shall look down upon them prostrate and vanquished.”


The psalm as a whole

1 Beatus vir qui timet Dominum : in mandatis ejus volet nimis

2 Potens in terra erit semen ejus; generatio rectorum benedicetur.

3 Gloria et divitiæ in domo ejus, et justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi. 

4 Exortum est in tenebris lumen rectis : misericors, et miserator, et justus. 

5 Jucundus homo qui miseretur et commodat; disponet sermones suos in judicio: quia in æternum non commovebitur.  

6 In memoria æterna erit justus; ab auditione mala non timebit.

7 Paratum cor ejus sperare in Domino, confirmatum est cor ejus; non commovebitur donec despiciat inimicos suos.

8 Dispersit, dedit pauperibus; justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi : cornu ejus exaltabitur in gloria.

9 Peccator videbit, et irascetur; dentibus suis fremet et tabescet : desiderium peccatorum peribit.

For notes on verse 8, go here.

Psalm 111 vs 6: Good deeds live on...

Verse 6 of Psalm 111 reads:

In memoria æterna erit justus; ab auditione mala non timebit.

The just shall be in everlasting remembrance: he shall not fear the evil hearing.

Looking at the text

 In memória (in memory/remembrance) ætérna (forever) erit (he will be) justus (the just) = the just man will be remembered forever

memoria, ae, f  memory, remembrance.

ab (from ) auditióne (hearing/reporting/tidings) mala (evil) non timébit (he will not fear) = he will not fear from evil tidings

auditio onis, f.  anything which one hears reported, a hearing, report.

auditio mala, an evil report, evil tidings

Penetrating the meaning of the verse

The Fathers give each of the phrases in this verse a double meaning.  

First, the just person will be remembered on earth: human monuments crumble and are forgotten, but good deeds live on.  

More importantly though, the just man's name is written in the book of life, and need not fear the dread judgment of God consigning him or her to hell.  St Robert Bellamne summarises the message thus:

“The sixth happiness of the person fearing God is, that he will always live in the memory of man, not by reason of his crimes, as do Judas and Cain, Herod and Pilate, Annas and Caiphas; his memory will be a glorious one, "and all the church of the saints shall declare" his praises; and not only that, but he will be "in everlasting remembrance" among men; and his name, too, will be written in the book of life, never to be blotted out, and thus really and truly he will be "in everlasting remembrance" with the angels in heaven. "He shall not fear the evil hearing;" he will not fear the detractions and reproofs of the wicked, nor will he fear that frightful sentence of the eternal Judge, "Go ye cursed into everlasting fire."”

The psalm as a whole

Beatus vir qui timet Dominum : in mandatis ejus volet nimis
 2 Potens in terra erit semen ejus; generatio rectorum benedicetur.
3 Gloria et divitiæ in domo ejus, et justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi.
4 Exortum est in tenebris lumen rectis : misericors, et miserator, et justus.
5 Jucundus homo qui miseretur et commodat; disponet sermones suos in judicio: quia in æternum non commovebitur. 
6 In memoria æterna erit justus; ab auditione mala non timebit. 
7 Paratum cor ejus sperare in Domino, confirmatum est cor ejus; non commovebitur donec despiciat inimicos suos.
8 Dispersit, dedit pauperibus; justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi : cornu ejus exaltabitur in gloria.
9 Peccator videbit, et irascetur; dentibus suis fremet et tabescet : desiderium peccatorum peribit.

And for notes on verse 7, continue on here.

Psalm 110 vs 5: Generosity and staying the course

Verse 5 of Psalm 111 reads:

Jucundus homo qui miseretur et commodat; disponet sermones suos in judicio: quia in æternum non commovebitur.  

Acceptable is the man that shows mercy and lends: he shall order his words with judgment: Because he shall not be moved for ever. 

Looking at the words

Jucúndus (happy/pleasing/acceptable) homo (the man) qui (who) miserétur (has pity/shows mercy) et (and) cómmodat (lends/obliges)

This first phrase is difficult to translate.  Coverdale's is perhaps the most elegant rendition: 'A good man is merciful, and lendeth'.  Brenton's version from the Septuagint makes it 'The good man is he that pities and lends'; while the Monastic Diurnal is perhaps best in terms of providing a translation that brings us back to the beatitude that opens the psalm, making it 'Blessed is the man that showeth mercy and lendeth'.  

jucundus, a, um pleasing, acceptable; happy, fortunate; good;  sweet, pleasant.

homo, inis, m  man, a human being; mortal man as compared with God; person, individual

misereor, sertus sum, eri 2, to pity, have mercy on.

commodo, avi, atum, are to lend, oblige, adapt one's self to suit another person.

dispónet (he arranges/directs) sermónes (words/affairs) suos (his) in judício (with judgment) = he directs his words/affairs with judgment (ie he is careful in what he says and does)

dispono, posui, positum, ere 3, to set in order, to arrange, dispose, prepare;

sermo, onis, m. words; a command, edict word, speech, saying, discourse;  scheme, plan, proposal

judicium, i, n.  judgment, decrees; law, commandment; the power, or faculty of judging wisely; justice.

quia (for) in ætérnum (forever) non commovébitur (he will not be moved/shaken/falter) =for he will not be moved forever = he will not ever falter

quia, conj. for, because, that. truly, surely, indeed;  nisi quia, unless, if not. ie But God does not keep our sins

aeternus, a, um eternal. Forever

commoveo, movi, motum, ere 2 to move, shake, agitate, disturb, waver, falter, hesitate, fail; tremble from fear,

Penetrating the meaning of the verse

Here we have a synonym for ‘beatus’ in the form of ‘jucundus’, or happy, this time applied to the person who does good in practical things: governing his own affairs with prudence, and giving to others with generosity.  

And his reward is that state we are granted in heaven, where are wills are fixed forever in the good.

But there is also, perhaps, a more immediate meaning in the second half of the verse: the just person is someone who persists in doing what is right, unmoved by the views of those of this world; he is not a reed that bends and breaks in the wind.

The psalm as a whole

1 Beatus vir qui timet Dominum : in mandatis ejus volet nimis

2 Potens in terra erit semen ejus; generatio rectorum benedicetur.

3 Gloria et divitiæ in domo ejus, et justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi. 

4 Exortum est in tenebris lumen rectis : misericors, et miserator, et justus. 

5 Jucundus homo qui miseretur et commodat; disponet sermones suos in judicio: quia in æternum non commovebitur.  

6 In memoria æterna erit justus; ab auditione mala non timebit.

7 Paratum cor ejus sperare in Domino, confirmatum est cor ejus; non commovebitur donec despiciat inimicos suos.

8 Dispersit, dedit pauperibus; justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi : cornu ejus exaltabitur in gloria.

9 Peccator videbit, et irascetur; dentibus suis fremet et tabescet : desiderium peccatorum peribit.

For notes on verse 6, follow the link here.

Psalm 111 vs 4: Be a light to the world

Verse 4 of Psalm 111 reads:

Exortum est in tenebris lumen rectis : misericors, et miserator, et justus. 

To the righteous a light is risen up in darkness: he is merciful, and compassionate and just.

Looking at the words

Exórtum est (it has risen) in ténebris (in the darkness) lumen (the/a light) rectis (to the upright)

=a light to the righteous has risen in the darkness

exorior ortus sum iri  - to rise, spring up, appear

tenebrae, arum, f.  darkness; ignorancey; Sheol; misfortune. danger; horror, shuddering.

lumen, inis, n.  light

rectus, a, um, part. adj. just, right, righteous, upright; the just, just men, the good; steadfast, stable, steady

miséricors, et miserátor, et justus = [he is] abounding in mercy and merciful and just

misericors, cordis  merciful, abounding in mercy.

miserator, oris, m.  merciful, one who shows mercy.

justus, a, um  Of God: just; Of men: as a subst., a just man, the just.

Penetrating the meaning of the verse

The double meaning of the psalm as appplicable both to Christ, as the perfecxt model of the just man, and to those called to imitate him is perhaps most evident in this verse.  

The Gospels contain numerous references to Christ as the light in the darkness, a guide to us in times of trouble; the Gospels give numerous examples of his mercy, compassion and justness.  

Yet we too are called to be the light of the world, and show out our good works.

The Psalm as a whole

1 Beatus vir qui timet Dominum : in mandatis ejus volet nimis

2 Potens in terra erit semen ejus; generatio rectorum benedicetur.

3 Gloria et divitiæ in domo ejus, et justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi. 

4 Exortum est in tenebris lumen rectis : misericors, et miserator, et justus. 

5 Jucundus homo qui miseretur et commodat; disponet sermones suos in judicio: quia in æternum non commovebitur.  

6 In memoria æterna erit justus; ab auditione mala non timebit.

7 Paratum cor ejus sperare in Domino, confirmatum est cor ejus; non commovebitur donec despiciat inimicos suos.

8 Dispersit, dedit pauperibus; justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi : cornu ejus exaltabitur in gloria.

9 Peccator videbit, et irascetur; dentibus suis fremet et tabescet : desiderium peccatorum peribit.

And for notes on verse 5, continue on here.

Psalm 111 vs 3: The promise of heavenly glory

Verse 3 of Psalm 111 continues the beatitude, explaining the good that (eventually) comes to the just man:

Gloria et divitiæ in domo ejus, et justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi. 
Glory and wealth shall be in his house: and his justice remains for ever and ever.

Looking at the words

Glória (glory), et (and) divítiæ (riches) in (in) domo (house) ejus (his) = glory and riches [are/shall be] in/with his house

gloria, ae, f glory, honor, majesty
divitiae, arum, f riches, wealth, abundance.
in+abl = with, in, on among, by means of

et (and) justítia (justice/righteousness) ejus (his) manet (it abides) in sæculum sæculi (forever)  = and his justice abides forever/for ever more

Note that the underlying Greek (dikaiosune) and Hebrew can also be translated as meaning ‘righteousness’, so one could interpret this phrase as saying that the just man will remain forever in a state of grace (ie once in heaven).

justitia, ae, f justice, righteousness, innocence, piety, moral integrity
maneo, mansi, mansum, ere 2 to abide, remain, continue.
saeculum, i, n., a lifetime, generation, age; an indefinite period of time; forever, eternity; from of old, i.e., in ages past.

Penetrating the meaning

Interpreting this verse overly literally is obviously problematic: as Pope Benedict XVI’s commentary on the verse points out, the optimistic vision of wealth and acclaim in the here and now are often not the reality in this life, as the figure of Job illustrates:

“However, to this optimistic vision are opposed the bitter observations made by Job, a just man who experiences the mystery of sorrow, feels himself unjustly punished and subjected to apparently senseless trials. Job represents many people who suffer harshly in the world. It is necessary then to read this Psalm in the global context of Revelation, which embraces the reality of human life under all its aspects. At any rate, the trust the Psalmist wishes to communicate and be lived by those who have chosen to follow the path of morally irreprehensible conduct remains valid, rejecting every other alternative of illusory success gained through injustice and immorality.”

The second half of the verse is a repeat of verse 3 of the previous psalm.  In the previous psalm, though, it was clearly applied to God alone; while Christ is the ultimate 'just man', here it can also be interpreted as applying to any just man.

Cultivating our spiritual life

The core of the verse is, I think, is best captured by Cassiodorus, who views our inner life as the ‘house’ in question here:

“The house of the blessed man is the inner sanctum of the mind, in which all who fulfil the Lord's precepts store their sacred riches and enduring glory. That glory has no end; those riches do not vanish by malevolent theft, but emanate from the Lord's commands, and whatever is gained from them is preserved undamaged for ever.”

The verse is a reminder then, to store up our treasure in heaven, rather than in the material things of this world.

For notes on the next verse, continue on here.

Psalm 111 vs 2: The eternal Church

On every Sunday we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.  We are able to do this because of the divine institution of the Church, which creates a community that hands down the faith entrusted to it from generation to generation.

Psalm 111 reminds us of this vital importance of the institution of the Church as a great gift of God:

Potens in terra erit semen ejus; generatio rectorum benedicetur.

His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the righteous shall be blessed. 

Looking at the Latin

Potens (powerful/mighty) in terra (on the earth) semen ejus (hia seed/descendents/children) = his descendents will be mighty on the earth

potens, entis, p. adj.  powerful, mighty, strong.

terra, ae, the earth, in both a lit. and a fig. sense.

semen, enis, n. seed; descendants, children, posterity

generátio (the generation) rectorum (of the upright) benedicétur (let it be blessed) = the generation of the upright/righteous shall be blessed

Generatio here means the whole race or group.

generatio, onis, f, a begetting, generating, generation, "for ever and ever."

rectus, a, um, part. adj. just, right, righteous, upright; the just, just men, the good; steadfast, stable, steady.

benedico, dixi, dictum, ere 3  to bless, to praise, bless, give thanks to (God);  to be well pleased with, to take pleasure in

Penetrating the meaning of the verse

It is worth recalling here that virtually all of the psalms can be interpreted as references to Christ, who provides a model for us to imitate in order that we may learn to be perfect.  In this case, Christ is the ultimate ‘blessed man’, who shows his ‘fear of the Lord’ in his perfect obedience, even unto death.  

And because of his perfect sacrifice, he established a Church that has brought forth generation upon generation of blessed souls.

In the Old Testament, the blessing of having many descendants was usually taken literally.  In the New, though we are constantly reminded that it is our spiritual descendants that are truly important: the people who have knowingly or unknowingly benefitted from our prayers and actions; who have down the faith safeguard by the Church to us.

Accordingly, this verse should be a call to us to lay up our treasures in heaven, above all by cultivating that fear of God – or rather holy obedience – that is manifested in keeping the law.

Next verse

You can find the next part in this series here.

Psalm 111, verse 1: The key to happiness

In this post I want to start taking a verse by verse look at Psalm 111, Beatus Vir, the third psalm of (the traditional version of) Sunday Vespers, and one of the many 'beatitude' psalms.

The first verse is:

Beatus vir qui timet Dominum : in mandatis ejus volet nimis 
Blessed is the man that fears the Lord: he shall delight exceedingly in his commandments. 

Looking at the Latin

Beátus vir, qui timet Dóminum = Blessed the man who fears the Lord

beatus, a, um happy, blessed ,fortunate.

vir, viri, m., a man, any human being

timeo, ere 2, to fear, be afraid of.

in mandátis ejus volet nimis = in commandments his he will desire/delight/ exceedingly = he will desire his commandments greatly/exceedingly

The neo-Vulgate, it should be noted, changes 'volet' (he wishes/desires/takes please in) to 'cupit' (he longs for/wishes for)

mandatum, i, n.  law, precept, command, commandment (of God); commandments, precepts, decrees

volo, volui, velle, to will, wish, desire; to have pleasure or delight in, to love, hold dear, desire.

nimis, adv., exceedingly, greatly, beyond measure. 

The psalm in context

St John Chrysostom suggests that this line should be read as a continuation of the sentiments of the previous psalm:

"The opening seems to me to follow closely on the conclusion of the psalm before this, and to be continuous and connected like one body. I mean, there he said, "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," while here, Happy is the man who fears the Lord, giving instruction in the fear of God in different words but the same ideas. There, remember, he said he is wise, here happy. This is truly being happy, however, at least to the extent that the other things are futility and shadow and things of no substance - even if you cite wealth, influence, bodily charm, affluent environment. They resemble falling leaves, after all, passing shadows, fleeting dreams. This, by contrast, is truly being happy."

One can also see the second phrase as the explanation for the first, as Pope Benedict XVI points out:

"...Psalm 112[111], a composition with a sapiental slant, presents us with the figure of these righteous ones who fear the Lord; they recognize his transcendence and trustingly and lovingly conform themselves to his will in the expectation of encountering him after death. A "beatitude" is reserved to these faithful: "Happy the man who fears the Lord" (v. 1). The Psalmist immediately explains what this fear consists in: it is shown in docility to God's commandments. He who "takes delight" in observing his commandments is blessed, finding in them joy and peace.  Docility to God is therefore the root of hope and interior and exterior harmony. Observance of the moral law is the source of profound peace of conscience."

Trusting in God

The take out message of this, according to St Teresa of Avila, is that we cannot depend on ourselves or the spiritual props we have access to, but must rather always remember that everything depends on God:

 "What will we say to those who have won victory in these battles by the mercy of God, and who have reached heaven by their perseverance, but, 'Happy are those who fear the Lord' It was no small thing for His Majesty to reveal to me now the real meaning of this verse, since my understanding of this teaching is often slow....But allow me to give you one piece of advice: who you are, or who your mother was, will not save you; David was a very holy man, and we have seen what happened in the life of Solomon. Do not rely on the enclosure, or on the penance that you do, or on the fact that you strive to deal always with God through continuous prayer, or that you live apart from the world and may come to believe that no traces of worldliness remain within you. All these things are good, but they are not sufficient, as I have said, to allow us to abandon our fear of the Lord: therefore, live out the words of this verse, and recall it often to your mind, Blessed is the man who fears the Lord" (Interior Castle, 3, 1, 1,4).

For notes on the next verse, follow the link here.