Psalm 132
Vulgate
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Douay-Rheims
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Canticum graduum
David.
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A gradual
canticle of David.
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Ecce quam
bonum, et quam jucúndum * habitáre fratres in unum.
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Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell
together in unity:
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2 Sicut unguéntum in cápite, * quod descéndit in barbam,
barbam Aaron.
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Like the precious ointment on the head, that ran down upon the beard,
the beard of Aaron,
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3 Quod descéndit in oram vestiménti ejus: * sicut ros Hermon,
qui descéndit in montem Sion.
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which ran down
to the skirt of his garment: As the dew of Hermon, which descends upon mount Sion.
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4 Quóniam illic mandávit Dóminus benedictiónem, * et vitam
usque in sæculum
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For there the Lord has commanded blessing, and life for evermore.
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Verse notes
3
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Vulgate
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sicut ros
Hermon, qui descéndit in montem Sion.
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Neo-Vulgate
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sicut ros Hermon, qui descendit in montes Sion,
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Jerome
Hebrew
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sicut ros Hermon qui descendit super montana Sion:
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Septuagint
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ὡς δρόσος
Αερμων ἡ καταβαίνουσα ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη Σιων
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Sicut (like) ros (the dew) Hermon (of Hermon) qui (which) descendit (descends) in montem (on Mount) Sion
There is some debate amongst the commentators over whether the Mt Sion in verse 3 is actually meant to be a reference to Jerusalem, or to another mountaintop with a similar name in the same range as Mt Hermon. But verse 4 surely only makes sense if it is an allusion to the heavenly Jerusalem. Either way, we can assume that this dew was, as many commentators have suggested, proverbially heavy.
mons, montis, m., a mountain
ros, roris, m. dew
DR
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As the
dew of Hermon, which descends upon mount
Sion.
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Brenton
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As the dew of Aermon, that comes down on the
mountains of Sion
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Coverdale
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like as the dew of Hermon, which fell upon the
hill of Sion
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The commentaries on this verse see dew as
signifying variously calmness, visual delight, freshness and fertility. Cassiodorus provides a mystical explanation
of the verse:
"Dew is thin and light rain which does
not fall as drops, but soaks the hard, dry earth with the tiniest particles. It
is the means by which all seeds strike root, and thanks to the temperature grow
into various plants. Herman is the Hebrew name for the mountain which lies
beyond the river Jordan;
the meaning of the name, as the Fathers recount it, is anathema. So the dew of
this mountain, which nurtures the sinners who lay under a solemn curse,
descended on mount
Sion when those sinners
through the Lord's generosity attained the remedy of conversion; for Sion
denotes the Catholic Church, which welcomes the Gentiles exposed to the danger
of anathema."
4
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V/NV
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Quóniam illic mandávit Dóminus benedictiónem, * et
vitam usque in sæculum
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Jerome Hebrew
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quoniam ibi mandauit Dominus
benedictionem, uitam usque in aeternum.
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Septuagint
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ὅτι ἐκεῖ ἐνετείλατο κύριος τὴν εὐλογίαν καὶ ζωὴν ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος
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Quóniam (for)
illic (in that place/there) mandávit (he has commanded) Dóminus (the Lord) benedictiónem (a blessing) et (and)
vitam (life) usque (until) in sæculum (forever)
The most
elegant translation of this verse is perhaps that by Knox: Here where the Lord
grants benediction and life everlastingly.
quoniam, for, because, since, seeing that, whereas
illic, adv. Of place:
there, in that place; Of time: then
mando, avi, atum, are to enjoin, order,
benedictio,
onis, f a blessing; a
source of blessing for others; the object of natural desire
usque, adv., to, up to, as far as; till, as far
as; to express an extreme degree.
vita, ae, f life, esp. a happy life
saeculum, i, n., a lifetime, generation, age; an
indefinite period of time; forever, eternity
DR
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For
there the Lord has commanded blessing, and life for evermore.
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Brenton
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for there, the Lord commanded the
blessing, even life for ever.
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Coverdale
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For there the
Lord promised his blessing, and life for evermore
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The image of the heavenly Jerusalem, where we find eternal blessing and
life, is mirrored for us and made visible through communities of Christians on
earth. Above all, of course, in
monasticism, that mirror of the angelic life that proclaims heaven to the
world, as Pope John Paul II explained in Vita
Consecrata (32):
"The consecrated life proclaims and in
a certain way anticipates the future age, when the fullness of the Kingdom of
heaven, already present in its first fruits and in mystery, will be achieved,
and when the children of the resurrection will take neither wife nor husband,
but will be like the angels of God (cf. Mt 22:30)."
Yet that image of living together in unity
for the sake of kingdom is mirrored also in all Christian communities to some
degree, including the family and the parish, for as Cassiodorus points out, it
is for this purpose that Christ came:
"There (that is, on mount Sion, which
is the Church and which comprises the unity of the brethren) he hath commanded
blessing, in other words, has sent the Lord Saviour, who is the life and
enduring blessedness of all believers. We have repeatedly said that the name
Sion denotes the heavenly Jerusalem, the image
of which is embodied in the Jerusalem
on earth."
And this completes our consideration of the psalms of Vespers on Tuesday in the Benedictine Office. I hope you have found it of use.
I'll be taking a short break from posting over Christmas, but will be back in the new year...may you have a happy and holy Christmas.
