Psalm 6/4: In death no man remembers thee (Verses 3-5)

Verse 5 of Psalm 6 is presumably the verse that particularly justifies its inclusion in the Office of the Dead, for it is a plea to God to allow the psalmist to praise God forever in heaven, rather being excluded from him in hell.  But the verses leading up to it are about the prerequisites for salvation, so are important to the inclusion of the psalm both in the Office of the Dead and amongst the penitential psalms, as well as the Monday Benedictine Office of conversion in the light of the Incarnation.

3	V/NV/JH	Et ánima mea turbáta est valde : * sed tu, Dómine, úsquequo?
		καὶ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐταράχθη σφόδρα καὶ σύ κύριε ἕως πότε

anima, ae, (1) Equivalent to a personal pronoun:   (2) Untranslated:. (3) Life, soul, and heart

turbo, avi, atum, are, to trouble, disturb, dismay, throw into disorder or confusion

valde, adv. (contr. from valide, strongly, vehemently), very, very much, exceedingly

usquequo, adv., how long, until when

  

DR	And my soul is troubled exceedingly: but you, O Lord, how long?
Brenton	My soul also is grievously vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long?
MD	My soul is utterly dismayed, but Thou O Lord how long?
Cover	My soul also is sore troubled; but, Lord, how long wilt thou punish me?
Knox	my spirits are altogether broken; Lord, wilt thou never be content?

Verse 2 of the psalm speaks of physical illness.  But the Fathers make the point that the spiritual malaise spoken of here is much more important.  This verse is surely a key source for St Augustine's famous statement that our hearts are restless until they rest in God.

4	V/NV	Convértere, Dómine, et éripe ánimam meam : * salvum me fac propter misericórdiam tuam.
	JH	Reuertere, Domine, erue animam meam: salua me propter misericordiam tuam.
		ἐπίστρεψον κύριε ῥῦσαι τὴν ψυχήν μου σῶσόν με ἕνεκεν τοῦ ἐλέους σου

Note: Convertere is a present imperative passive

converto, verti, versum, ere 3,  to turn, change, alter, bring back; to quicken, refresh ; to bring back; to restore, i.e., to re-establish, set up again in strength;  to convert, turn from sin;  to change, turn. 

eripio, ripui, reptum, ere 3  to rescue, deliver.

anima, ae, Equivalent to a personal pronoun;  Life, soul, and heart L – heb my life

facio, feci, factum, ere 3, to make, do, cause, bring to pass; salvum facere, to save;

salvus, a, um, safe, saved;  salvum facere, to save, keep safe, preserve from harm

propter, on account of, by reason of, because of, from, for, for the sake of. therefore, on that account.

misericordia, ae, /, mercy, kindness, favor, compassion, loving-kindness.

DR	Turn to me, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for your mercy's sake.
Brenton	Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: save me for thy mercy’s sake.
MD	Once more, O Lord, preserve my life save me for Thy mercy’s sake.
Cover	Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul; O save me for thy mercy’s sake.
Knox	Lord, turn back, and grant a wretched soul relief; as thou art ever merciful, save me.

St Augustine makes the point that although from our perspective it seems as if God turn

s towards or away from us, in reality the movement comes from our own actions, for God is always and everywhere:

"Since it was not His absence who is everywhere present, but our turning away that made us lose Him…But while we are turning ourselves, that is, by changing our old life are fashioning our spirit; we feel it hard and toilsome to be wrested back from the darkness of earthly lusts, to the serene and quiet and tranquility of the divine light." 

 

5	V/ NV	Quóniam non est in morte qui memor sit tui: * in inférno autem quis confitébitur tibi?
	JH	Quoniam non est in morte recordatio tui : in inferno quis confitebitur tibi ?
		ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ ὁ μνημονεύων σου ἐν δὲ τῷ ᾅδῃ τίς ἐξομολογήσεταί σοι

 

quoniam,  for, because, since,seeing that, whereas.

mors, mortis,  death.

memor, oris (memini),  mindful of, thoughtful of;  to remember, call to mind, think of, take thought for, recall, recount, etc;  to think of.;  i.e., worships Thee, praises Thee.

infernus, i, m.  the nether world, the underworld, the grave, the kingdom of the dead,

confiteor, fessus sum, eri 2 (1) to praise, give thanks (2) to confess, acknowledge one's guilt.

DR	For there is no one in death, that is mindful of you: and who shall confess to you in hell?
Brenton	For in death no man remembers thee: and who will give thee thanks in Hades?
Cover	For in death no man remembereth thee; and who will give thee thanks in the pit?
Knox	When death comes, there is no more remembering thee; none can praise thee in the tomb.

Some commentaries and translations of this verse perhaps confuse things by getting caught up over whether the psalmist is speaking here of eternal hell, or only of Sheol, that temporary hell that awaited Christ's coming.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church helpfully clarifies the issue:

"Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, "hell" - Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek - because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God. Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into "Abraham's bosom" "It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham's bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell." Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him."  (CCC 633)

Psalm 6 (Prime Monday): Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Magistro chori. Fidibus. Super octavam. PSALMUS. David.	Unto the end, in verses, a psalm for David, for the octave.
Dómine, ne in furóre tuo árguas me, * neque in ira tua corrípias me.	O Lord, rebuke me not in your indignation, nor chastise me in your wrath.
2  Miserére mei, Dómine, quóniam infírmus sum : * sana me, Dómine, quóniam conturbáta sunt ossa mea.	Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
3  Et ánima mea turbáta est valde : * sed tu, Dómine, úsquequo?	And my soul is troubled exceedingly: but you, O Lord, how long?
4  Convértere, Dómine, et éripe ánimam meam : * salvum me fac propter misericórdiam tuam.	Turn to me, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for your mercy's sake.
5.  Quóniam non est in morte qui memor sit tui : * in inférno autem quis confitébitur tibi?	For there is no one in death that is mindful of you: and who shall confess to you in hell?
6  Laborávi in gémitu meo, lavábo per síngulas noctes lectum meum : * lácrimis meis stratum meum rigábo.	I have laboured in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed: I will water my couch with my tears
7  Turbátus est a furóre óculus meus : * inveterávi inter omnes inimícos meos.	My eye is troubled through indignation: I have grown old amongst all my enemies.
8  Discédite a me, omnes, qui operámini iniquitátem : *  quóniam exaudívit Dóminus vocem fletus mei.	Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity: for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
9  Exaudívit Dóminus deprecatiónem meam, *  Dóminus oratiónem meam suscépit.	The Lord has heard my supplication: the Lord has received my prayer.
10  Erubéscant, et conturbéntur veheménter omnes inimíci mei : * convertántur et erubéscant valde velóciter.	Let all my enemies be ashamed, and be very much troubled: let them be turned back, and be ashamed very speedily.

The next set of notes on this psalm can be found here.

Psalm 6/3: Verse 2** - God the physician

The first verse of Psalm 6 alluded to God as a judge, expressed as showing his 'anger' as a response to sin. But today’s verse, verse 2, points to the side of God we are brought to know especially through Our Lord’s mission on earth, namely, God as the physician of our souls.

Verse 2: Have mercy on me Lord...heal me

2.	V/NV/JH	Miserére mei, Dómine, quóniam infírmus sum: * sana me, Dómine, quóniam conturbáta sunt ossa mea.
		ἐλέησόν με κύριε ὅτι ἀσθενής εἰμι ἴασαί με κύριε ὅτι ἐταράχθη τὰ ὀστᾶ μου

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

infirmo, avi, atum, are  to make physically weak, deprive of strength; to weaken, enfeeble.

conturbo, avi, atum, are, to trouble, disquiet, discomfit, dismay; to disturb in mind, cause anxiety

sano, avi, atum, are to heal, cure, restore to health; to aid, help.

os, ossis, n., a bone, a member of the body, or, the members, one's whole being, one's spirit, strength

DR	Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
Brenton	Pity me, O Lord; for I am weak: heal me, O Lord; for my bones are vexed.
MD	Have mercy on me, Lord for I am weak, heal me Lord for my bones are grown frail
Cover	Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.
Knox	Lord, pity me; I have no strength left; Lord, heal me; my limbs tremble;

The verb misereri, familiar to us perhaps from the start of the Psalm 50, means to pity, have mercy on, so the first phrase is ‘have pity on me, Lord’.

King David then gives the reason why he is asking for mercy: because he is ill (infirmare, to make physically weak, deprive of strength; to weaken, enfeeble). He asks to be healed (sanare, to heal, cure, restore to health; to aid, help) because his bones, or indeed whole spirit (os, ossis) are troubled (conturbare, to trouble, disquiet, discomfit, dismay; to disturb in mind, cause anxiety). The Hebrew here is actually stronger than the Latin, suggesting more than just troubled or disturbed bones, but positive agony.  The psalmist is making a link in these first two verses between the health of mind, soul and body.

Illness as a path to redemption

King David refers to aching bones in several of the psalms so I suspect there is a good case for taking this literally: sometimes illnesses and other providential events in our lives which can serve to bring about conversion, and which if accepted willingly can remit some or all of the ‘temporal’ punishments due to sin (noting of course that illnesses occur for many reasons, not just sin, as the book of Job makes clear). Anyone who has had a fracture, or suffers from arthritis, will emphasize with the psalmist's pain!

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1502) comments on this:

"The man of the Old Testament lives his sickness in the presence of God. It is before God that he laments his illness, and it is of God, Master of life and death, that he implores healing. Illness becomes a way to conversion; God's forgiveness initiates the healing. It is the experience of Israel that illness is mysteriously linked to sin and evil, and that faithfulness to God according to his law restores life: "For I am the Lord, your healer." The prophet intuits that suffering can also have a redemptive meaning for the sins of others. Finally Isaiah announces that God will usher in a time for Zion when he will pardon every offense and heal every illness"

God the physician

Nonetheless, many of the Fathers and Theologians also interpret this verse metaphorically. St Augustine for example says: "that is, the support of my soul, or strength: for this is the meaning of bones. The soul therefore says, that her strength is troubled, when she speaks of bones. For it is not to be supposed, that the soul has bones, such as we see in the body."

What the soul is asking for then, as St Robert Bellarmine explains, is for God not to: "punish me not as a judge, but as a physician heal me."

The two verses of this psalm then, remind us to keep in mind that God is both judge and healer, and we must keep both these aspects in mind: for if we only repent now, he is ready to send his saving grace.

Psalm 6 (Prime Monday): Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Magistro chori. Fidibus. Super octavam. PSALMUS. David.	Unto the end, in verses, a psalm for David, for the octave.
Dómine, ne in furóre tuo árguas me, * neque in ira tua corrípias me.	O Lord, rebuke me not in your indignation, nor chastise me in your wrath.
2  Miserére mei, Dómine, quóniam infírmus sum : * sana me, Dómine, quóniam conturbáta sunt ossa mea.	Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
3  Et ánima mea turbáta est valde : * sed tu, Dómine, úsquequo?	And my soul is troubled exceedingly: but you, O Lord, how long?
4  Convértere, Dómine, et éripe ánimam meam : * salvum me fac propter misericórdiam tuam.	Turn to me, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for your mercy's sake.
5.  Quóniam non est in morte qui memor sit tui : * in inférno autem quis confitébitur tibi?	For there is no one in death that is mindful of you: and who shall confess to you in hell?
6  Laborávi in gémitu meo, lavábo per síngulas noctes lectum meum : * lácrimis meis stratum meum rigábo.	I have laboured in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed: I will water my couch with my tears
7  Turbátus est a furóre óculus meus : * inveterávi inter omnes inimícos meos.	My eye is troubled through indignation: I have grown old amongst all my enemies.
8  Discédite a me, omnes, qui operámini iniquitátem : *  quóniam exaudívit Dóminus vocem fletus mei.	Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity: for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
9  Exaudívit Dóminus deprecatiónem meam, *  Dóminus oratiónem meam suscépit.	The Lord has heard my supplication: the Lord has received my prayer.
10  Erubéscant, et conturbéntur veheménter omnes inimíci mei : * convertántur et erubéscant valde velóciter.	Let all my enemies be ashamed, and be very much troubled: let them be turned back, and be ashamed very speedily.

And you can find the next set of notes here.

**Reposted from Australia Incognita

Psalm 6/2: verse 1** - On God's anger

The opening verse of Psalm 6 is worth pondering carefully not least because it is exactly the same as that of the third penitential psalm, Psalm 37.

God's anger?

1.	Vulgate (V)/ Neo-Vulgate(NV)/ Jerome from Hebrew (JH)	Dómine, ne in furóre tuo árguas me, neque in ira tua corrípias me.
	Septuagint	κύριε μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐλέγξῃς με μηδὲ τῇ ὀργῇ σου παιδεύσῃς με

furor, oris, m.  rage, wrath, fury, indignation – L: punishment in hell (Chrys)

arguo, ui, utum, ere 3 lit., to make clear or bright, to put in a clear light; fig., to rebuke, censure, reprove, blame, accuse

ira, ae, f, anger, wrath – L: punishment in purgatory (Chrys)

corripio, ripui, reptum, ere  to chastize, chasten;  to reprove, rebuke;seize, reproach

DR	O Lord, rebuke me not in your indignation, nor chastise me in your wrath.
Brenton	O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chasten me in thine anger.
MD	Lord chastise me not in Thy anger and punish me not in your wrath
RSV	O LORD, rebuke me not in thy anger, nor chasten me in thy wrath.
Cover	O Lord, rebuke me not in thine indignation, neither chasten me in thy displeasure.
Knox	Lord, when thou dost reprove me, let it not be in anger; when thou dost chastise me, let it not be in displeasure.

The first couple of words I want to focus on are furore, which comes from  furor, furoris means rage, wrath, fury, or indignation; and ira which means anger.

We tend to shy away today from the idea of an angry God, despite the frequent references to God's anger in the Old Testament (the picture below is of Cain escaping before God's anger, Flanders tapestry at Wawel Royal Castle, Arkady, 1975), and of course Our Lord's famous anger when he cleansed the Temple.  Indeed, the Latin here is actually rather softer than the Hebrew.

And it is true of course that the psalm here anthropomorphizes, since God does not literally react emotionally, with anger or other emotions, as he is unchangeable. St Augustine comments:

“Yet this emotion must not be attributed to God. Disturbance then does not attach to God as judge: but what is done by His ministers, in that it is done by His laws, is called His anger…”

Nonetheless, there is a reason why Scripture speaks of God’s anger – it puts an objective reality into terms that we can understand. Origen in Against Celsus, for example, says that:

“Anger not an emotional response on the part of God, but something he uses to correct those who have committed many serious sins.”

The verse reminds us that God does care about what we do, and from our perspective at least, reacts to it.  And fear of hell is certainly a sufficient motivation to repent of our sins!

God’s rebuke

To return to the text of the verse, though, arguas comes from the verb arguere, which literally means to make clear or bright, to put in a clear light, and thus figuratively is used to mean to rebuke, censure, reprove, while corripere means to chastize, chasten, reprove or rebuke.

So the verse is an acknowledgment by the psalmist that his sins deserve God’s anger, that he has offended God.  He is saying that there is no need for God to act further to get him to accept that he has sinned; thanks to the prophet Nathan's efforts (2 Samuel 12), he has been led to do that.  Of course, actually acknowledging that we have sinned is not always that easy, as we shall see when we look at the second penitential psalm!

Still, what the psalmist seeks here, as Verse 2 makes clear, is healing.

Prayer and contemplation

So let us too, make sure that we have listened and attended to the good counsel of those sent to us to stand in the place of Nathan, and undertake a good examination of conscience.

Psalm 6: Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Magistro chori. Fidibus. Super octavam. PSALMUS. David.	Unto the end, in verses, a psalm for David, for the octave.
Dómine, ne in furóre tuo árguas me, * neque in ira tua corrípias me.	O Lord, rebuke me not in your indignation, nor chastise me in your wrath.
2  Miserére mei, Dómine, quóniam infírmus sum : * sana me, Dómine, quóniam conturbáta sunt ossa mea.	Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
3  Et ánima mea turbáta est valde : * sed tu, Dómine, úsquequo?	And my soul is troubled exceedingly: but you, O Lord, how long?
4  Convértere, Dómine, et éripe ánimam meam : * salvum me fac propter misericórdiam tuam.	Turn to me, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for your mercy's sake.
5.  Quóniam non est in morte qui memor sit tui : * in inférno autem quis confitébitur tibi?	For there is no one in death that is mindful of you: and who shall confess to you in hell?
6  Laborávi in gémitu meo, lavábo per síngulas noctes lectum meum : * lácrimis meis stratum meum rigábo.	I have laboured in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed: I will water my couch with my tears
7  Turbátus est a furóre óculus meus : * inveterávi inter omnes inimícos meos.	My eye is troubled through indignation: I have grown old amongst all my enemies.
8  Discédite a me, omnes, qui operámini iniquitátem : *  quóniam exaudívit Dóminus vocem fletus mei.	Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity: for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
9  Exaudívit Dóminus deprecatiónem meam, *  Dóminus oratiónem meam suscépit.	The Lord has heard my supplication: the Lord has received my prayer.
10  Erubéscant, et conturbéntur veheménter omnes inimíci mei : * convertántur et erubéscant valde velóciter.	Let all my enemies be ashamed, and be very much troubled: let them be turned back, and be ashamed very speedily.

The next set of notes on Psalm 6 can be found here.

**Previously posted at Australia Incognita

Introduction to Psalm 6

Psalm 6 is the second psalm in the first Nocturn of Matins of the Office of the Dead, and the final psalm of Monday Prime in the Benedictine Office.  It is also the first of the Seven Penitential Psalms.

Psalm 6: Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Magistro chori. Fidibus. Super octavam. PSALMUS. David.	Unto the end, in verses, a psalm for David, for the octave.
Dómine, ne in furóre tuo árguas me, * neque in ira tua corrípias me.	O Lord, rebuke me not in your indignation, nor chastise me in your wrath.
2  Miserére mei, Dómine, quóniam infírmus sum : * sana me, Dómine, quóniam conturbáta sunt ossa mea.	Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
3  Et ánima mea turbáta est valde : * sed tu, Dómine, úsquequo?	And my soul is troubled exceedingly: but you, O Lord, how long?
4  Convértere, Dómine, et éripe ánimam meam : * salvum me fac propter misericórdiam tuam.	Turn to me, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for your mercy's sake.
5.  Quóniam non est in morte qui memor sit tui : * in inférno autem quis confitébitur tibi?	For there is no one in death that is mindful of you: and who shall confess to you in hell?
6  Laborávi in gémitu meo, lavábo per síngulas noctes lectum meum : * lácrimis meis stratum meum rigábo.	I have laboured in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed: I will water my couch with my tears
7  Turbátus est a furóre óculus meus : * inveterávi inter omnes inimícos meos.	My eye is troubled through indignation: I have grown old amongst all my enemies.
8  Discédite a me, omnes, qui operámini iniquitátem : * quóniam exaudívit Dóminus vocem fletus mei.	Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity: for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
9  Exaudívit Dóminus deprecatiónem meam, *  Dóminus oratiónem meam suscépit.	The Lord has heard my supplication: the Lord has received my prayer.
10  Erubéscant, et conturbéntur veheménter omnes inimíci mei : * convertántur et erubéscant valde velóciter.	Let all my enemies be ashamed, and be very much troubled: let them be turned back, and be ashamed very speedily.

The central image of this psalm is of a man so racked by guilt for his sins that he floods his bed with tears each night.

King David's repentance

The original context for the psalm is generally agreed to be King David's adultery with Bathseba, wife of Uriel the Hittite (2 Samuel 11).  When Bathsheba became pregnant, David tried to arrange it so it would look like Uriel could be the father.  He then arranged for Uriel to be killed in battle so he could marry Bathsheba.

David famously didn't even appear to realise that he had committed a sin until confronted with the story told as a parable by the Prophet Natham.  For this reason, in the New Testament, Verse 8 of this psalm (Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity…) is used by Our Lord, in Matthew and Luke, to refer to those who claim to be Christians, but don’t actually believe or act accordingly.

Yet despite his terrible crime, King David ultimately became one of the greatest of the Old Testament saints.  How did he go from great sinner to great saint?  The answer lies in large part in the intense sorrow for sin he felt, and so beautifully expressed in this psalm.

A plea for grace and mercy

In the psalm, David first asks God for grace and mercy; describing the agitation that comes from being in a state of sin (verses 1-3).  Its place in the Office of the Dead presumably reflects his plea for mercy here: once we die, he acknowledges, it is too late, our fate is fixed (verses 4-5).

Accordingly, David then describes the works of penance that he offers, in the form of the vast flood of cleansing tears, surely a (re)baptism of desire (verses 6-7), one of the key themes of the Office on Monday.  Yet the call to repent is always timely, and when we say this psalm in the context of the Office of the Dead it is surely addressed to us personally, reminding us not to leave it too late!

David then states that he knows God has heard and forgiven him his sins (verses 8-9).  The psalm does not end there though.  Instead, he concludes by asking that his enemies too might be converted (verse 10).  This plea for enemies to be overcome, to be ashamed, echoes through the psalms of Monday in the Benedictine Office, with variants on the phrase 'let the enemy be ashamed and turned back' appearing in several of the Matins psalms of the day, as well as in the last psalm of Vespers (Psalm 128).

Scriptural references and liturgical uses

New Testament References/allusions: Jn 12:27 (v2); Mt 7:23; 25:41; Lk 13:27 (v8)

Liturgical:

RB: Monastic:	Monday Prme
Maurist	Matins for All Souls, Matins of the Dead (Nocturn I),
Thesauris schemas	A:Matins Sunday wk 1; B:Tuesday Matins; C: Compline Wednesday wk 2; D:  Laud Tuesday wk 1
Brigittine	Friday Vespers
Ambrosian	Monday Matins wk 1
Roman	Pre 1911: Sunday Matins; Post 1911: Monday Compline. 1970: Monday Complinewk 1
Mass propers (EF)	Lent wk3 Wed GR (2-3); Passion Monday OF (4), PP2 OF (4)

And you can find the first part of verse by verse notes on this psalm here.

Alternatively you can jump straight to the next of the Seven Penitential Psalms, Psalm 31.