The second half of Psalm 131 is written as if God were speaking personally, and records his promises and blessings on
Notes on the verses
11
|
V
|
Jurávit Dóminus David veritátem, et non frustrábitur
eam: * de fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam.
|
NV
|
Iuravit Dominus David veritatem et non recedet ab ea: “ De fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam.
|
|
JH
|
Jurauit Dominus Dauid ueritatem; non auertetur ab ea: De fructu uentris tui ponam super sedem tuam.
|
|
ὤμοσεν κύριος τῷ Δαυιδ ἀλήθειαν καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀθετήσει αὐτήν ἐκ καρποῦ τῆς κοιλίας σου θήσομαι ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον σου |
Jurávit (he
has sworn) Dóminus (the Lord) David veritátem (the
truth) et (and) non (not) frustrábitur (it will be made
void/annulled) eam (it) de (from) fructu (the fruit) ventris (of the womb) tui (your) ponam (I will
set) super (upon) sedem (the seat/throne) tuam (your)
The Knox
translation perhaps best conveys the force of this verse: "Never will the Lord be false to that
inviolable oath he swore to David: I will raise to thy throne heirs of thy own
body."
veritas, atis, f, truth. grace, kindness ,goodness,
fidelity to promises, Faithfulness
frustror, atus sum, ari to
annul, make void.
fructus, us, m. fruit, produce; the fruit of the soil,
trees; a reward; the
fruit of the womb, children, posterity
venter, tris, m. lit., the belly, the body, the bowels,
the breast, heart. Womb
pono, posui, itum, ere 3, to put, place, lay, set.
super, prep, with ace. And abl on, upon, over
sedes, is, f. a seat,
throne. a judge or king
DR
|
The Lord has sworn truth to David, and he will not
make it void: of the fruit of your womb I will set upon your throne
|
Brenton
|
The Lord sware
in truth to David, and he will not annul it, saying, Of the fruit of thy body
will I set a king upon thy throne.
|
Coverdale
|
The Lord hath
made a faithful oath unto David, and he shall not shrink from it: Of the
fruit of thy body shall I set upon thy seat.
|
The oath referred to is also in 2 Samuel
7:26-27, while the second phrase has obvious resonances in the Hail Mary,
reflecting the fact that Jesus' kingship definitively fulfills this promise. But the verse can also be read at a personal level: for each of us, the throne is the promise of heaven.
12
|
V
|
Si custodíerint fílii tui testaméntum meum: * et
testimónia mea hæc, quæ docébo eos.
|
NV
|
Si custodierint filii tui testamentum meum et testimonia mea, quae docebo eos,
|
|
JH
|
Si custodierint filii tui pactum meum et testificationem meam quam docuero eos
|
|
ἐὰν φυλάξωνται οἱ υἱοί σου τὴν διαθήκην μου καὶ τὰ μαρτύριά μου ταῦτα ἃ διδάξω αὐτούς |
Si (if) custodíerint
(they will keep) fílii (the sons/children) tui (of you) testaméntum (the covenant) meum
(my) et
(and) testimónia (the commandments/laws/testimonies) mea (my) hæc (these) quæ (which)
docébo (I will teach) eos (them)
Custodierint
is the perfect subjunctive: literally, if they have kept….
custodio, ivi or li, itum, ire to guard, watch, keep;to maintain,
to hold steadfastly.
filius, ii, m. a son, child
testamentum,
i, n. a covenant, testament Covenant,
testimonium,
ii, n. witness,
testimony; the Law; precepts,
commandments, ordinances, statutes, judgments, testimonies.
hic, haec, hoc, demon, pron., this
doceo, dociii, doctum, ere 2 to teach, instruct..
DR
|
If your children will keep my covenant, and these my
testimonies which I shall teach them:
|
Brenton
|
If thy children
will deep my covenant, and these my testimonies which I shall teach them,
|
Cover
|
If thy children
will keep my covenant, and my testimonies that I shall learn them;
|
This verse needs to be read in conjunction with the next phrase in order for it to make sense, however the key point to note here is the conditionality of the promise or oath of the previous verse. There are two sides to the bargain: God will grant us eternal life if and
only if we keep the commandments. As Pope Benedict comments on the verse:
“The divine oath,
however, involves a human commitment inasmuch as it is conditioned by an
"if": if your sons "keep my covenant". Men and women must
respond with faithful and active loyalty to God's promise and gift, which have
nothing magic about them, in a dialogue in which are interwoven two freedoms,
the divine and the human.”
13
|
V/NV
|
Et fílii eórum usque in sæculum: * sedébunt super
sedem tuam.
|
JH
|
et filii eorum usque in aeternum sedebunt super thronum tuum.
|
|
καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος καθιοῦνται ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου σου |
Et (and) fílii
(the sons/children) eórum (of them) usque in sæculum (for
evermore) sedébunt (they will sit) super (upon) sedem
(the throne) tuam (your)
usque, adv., to, up to, as far as; till, as far
as; to express an extreme degree.
saeculum, i, n., a lifetime, generation, age; an
indefinite period of time; forever, eternity
sedeo, sedi, sessum, ere 2, to sit; rest; dwell, live; to
sit with, hold converse with, consult; to sit on a throne, to rule, reign
super, prep, with ace. And abl on, upon, over
sedes, is, a seat,
throne. a judge or king
DR
|
Their children also for evermore shall sit upon your
throne.
|
Brenton
|
their children
also shall sit upon thy throne for ever.
|
Cover
|
their children
also shall sit upon thy seat for evermore.
|
This tail end to the verse seems to be reinforcement of the idea that this is not a transitory thing that is promised, but rather an eternal reward that is at stake. St Robert Bellarmine explains this addition
as follows:
David expressed
this idea much more clearly to Solomon, when he said, "If thou seek him
thou shalt find him; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off
forever;" and God himself, speaking of Solomon, a short time before,
says, "And I will establish his kingdom forever, if he continue to keep my
commandments, and my judgments, as at this day;" and in Psalm 88, where
we read, "And if his children forsake my law, I will visit their
iniquities with a rod;" and he does not add, but my mercy I will not take
away from them, "but from him," that is, from David, whose throne was
everlasting, by reason of his being the type of Christ, even though the
temporal sovereignty of Solomon, Roboam, and their successors may have an end.
Psalm 131 (132) – Memento Domine
Vulgate
|
Douay-Rheims
|
Canticum graduum.
|
A gradual canticle.
|
1 Meménto, Dómine, David, * et omnis mansuetúdinis ejus :
|
O Lord remember David, and all his meekness.
|
2 Sicut jurávit Dómino, * votum vovit Deo Jacob
|
2 How he swore to the Lord, he vowed a vow to the God of Jacob:
|
3 Si introíero in tabernáculum domus meæ, * si ascéndero in lectum strati mei :
|
3 If I shall enter into the tabernacle of my house: if I shall go up into the bed wherein I lie:
|
4 Si dédero somnum óculis meis, * et pálpebris meis dormitatiónem :
|
4 If I shall give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids,
|
5 Et réquiem tempóribus meis : donec invéniam locum Dómino, * tabernáculum Deo Jacob.
|
5 or rest to my temples: until I find out a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
|
6. Ecce audívimus eam in Ephrata: * invénimus eam in campis silvæ.
|
6 Behold we have heard of it in Ephrata: we have found it in the fields of the wood.
|
7 Introíbimus in tabernáculum ejus: * adorábimus in loco, ubi stetérunt pedes ejus.
|
7 We will go into his tabernacle: we will adore in the place where his feet stood. .
|
8 Surge, Dómine, in réquiem tuam, * tu et arca sanctificatiónis tuæ.
|
8 Arise, O Lord, into your resting place: you and the ark, which you have sanctified
|
9 Sacerdótes tui induántur justítiam: * et sancti tui exsúltent.
|
9 Let your priests be clothed with justice: and let your saints rejoice.
|
10 Propter David, servum tuum: * non avértas fáciem Christi tui.
|
10 For your servant David's sake, turn not away the face of your anointed.
|
11 Jurávit Dóminus David veritátem, et non frustrábitur eam: * de fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam.
|
11 The Lord has sworn truth to David, and he will not make it void: of the fruit of your womb I will set upon your throne
|
12 Si custodíerint fílii tui testaméntum meum: * et testimónia mea hæc, quæ docébo eos.
|
12 If your children will keep my covenant, and these my testimonies which I shall teach them:
|
13 Et fílii eórum usque in sæculum: * sedébunt super sedem tuam.
|
Their children also for evermore shall sit upon your throne.
|
14 Quóniam elégit Dóminus Sion: * elégit eam in habitatiónem sibi.
|
13 For the Lord has chosen Sion: he has chosen it for his dwelling.
|
15 Hæc réquies mea in sæculum sæculi: * hic habitábo, quóniam elégi eam.
|
14 This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it.
|
16 Víduam ejus benedícens benedícam: * páuperes ejus saturábo pánibus.
|
15 Blessing I will bless her widow: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
|
17 Sacerdótes ejus índuam salutári: * et sancti ejus exsultatióne exsultábunt.
|
16 I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall rejoice with exceeding great joy.
|
18 Illuc prodúcam cornu David: * parávi lucérnam Christo meo.
|
17 There will I bring forth a horn to David: I have prepared a lamp for my anointed
|
19 Inimícos ejus índuam confusióne: * super ipsum autem efflorébit sanctificátio mea.
|
18 His enemies I will clothe with confusion: but upon him shall my sanctification flourish.
|
And the next set of notes on the psalm can be found here.