Psalm 35 - Mercy and truth

Gospel of Saint-Médard de Soissons

Monday - Lauds, Psalm 35 (36) - Dixit injústus ut delínquat in semetípso

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem. Servo Domini ipsi David.	Unto the end, for the servant of God, David himself.
1. Dixit injústus ut delínquat in semetípso: * non est timor Dei ante óculos ejus.	The unjust has said within himself, that he would sin: there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2  Quóniam dolóse egit in conspéctu ejus: * ut inveniátur iníquitas ejus ad ódium.	For in his sight he has done deceitfully, that his iniquity may be found unto hatred.
3  Verba oris ejus iníquitas, et dolus: * nóluit intellígere ut bene ágeret.	The words of his mouth are iniquity and guile: he would not understand that he might do well
4  Iniquitátem meditátus est in cubíli suo: * ástitit omni viæ non bonæ, malítiam autem non odívit.	He has devised iniquity on his bed, he has set himself on every way that is not good: but evil he has not hated.
5  Dómine, in cælo misericórdia tua: * et véritas tua usque ad nubes.	O Lord, your mercy is in heaven, and your truth reaches even to the clouds.
6  Justítia tua sicut montes Dei: * judícia tua abyssus multa.	Your justice is as the mountains of God, your judgments are a great deep.
7  Hómines, et juménta salvábis, Dómine: * quemádmodum multiplicásti misericórdiam tuam, Deus,	Men and beasts you will preserve, O Lord: O how have you multiplied your mercy, O God!
8  Fílii autem hóminum, * in tégmine alárum tuárum sperábunt.	But the children of men shall put their trust under the covert of your wings.
9  Inebriabúntur ab ubertáte domus tuæ: * et torrénte voluptátis tuæ potábis eos.	They shall be inebriated with the plenty of your house; and you shall make them drink of the torrent of your pleasure.
10  Quóniam apud te est fons vitæ: * et in lúmine tuo vidébimus lumen.	For with you is the fountain of life; and in your light we shall see light
11  Præténde misericórdiam tuam sciéntibus te, * et justítiam tuam his, qui recto sunt corde.	Extend your mercy to them that know you, and your justice to them that are right in heart.

In your light we shall see

At first glance, the claims of Psalm 35 to be placed at Lauds seem, on the face of it, to be somewhat strained: there are no real references in it to morning prayer, and only a general reference to God as light in verse 10.

St Bede, however, suggests that the fountain of life referred to here refers to the pool of Siloa, where Our Lord healed the blind man:

The pool of Siloa (which means 'sent'), where the man born blind was given light (John 9:7) stands for the Lord Saviour who was sent by God the Father for our illumination.  The spring of this pool can be very aptly understood as the same Father from whom he was born, about which the psalmist well says: For with you is the spring of life; in your light we shall see light...The walls of the Pool of Siloa are built too when the very firm and invincible testimonies of the Scriptures, in which the mystery of the Lord's incarnation is described, are rooted in the midst of the faithful. (trans DeGregorio,  pg 170-1)

The fountain can also be interpreted as a reference to baptism,  providing a thematic relationship to the canticle of the day through its reference to the fountain of life, fons vitae, (Isaiah 12 refers to the 'waters with joy out of the saviour's fountains',  a key theme in the Office on Mondays.

God's protection

Psalm 35 also shares some common themes with the other variable psalms of Lauds, given that the second variable psalms of the hour for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday all contain a reference to the shelter offered by God's wings, an image Jesus used when contemplating the coming destruction of Jerusalem, in Matthew 23:37:

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, quæ occidis prophetas, et lapidas eos, qui ad te missi sunt, quoties volui congregare filios tuos, quemadmodum gallina congregat pullos suos sub alas, et noluisti? 

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, still murdering the prophets, and stoning the messengers that are sent to thee, how often have I been ready to gather thy children together, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings; and thou didst refuse it!

Psalm 62

8  Et in velaménto alárum tuárum exsultábo, adhæsit ánima mea post te: * me suscépit déxtera tua.

And I will rejoice under the covert of your wings: 9 My soul has stuck close to you: your right hand has received me.

Psalm 35

8  Et in velaménto alárum tuárum exsultábo, adhæsit ánima mea post te: * me suscépit déxtera tua.

And I will rejoice under the covert of your wings: 9 My soul has stuck close to you: your right hand has received me.

Psalm 56

2  Et in umbra alárum tuárum sperábo: * donec tránseat iníquitas.

And in the shadow of your wings will I hope, until iniquity pass away.

All three also have references to evil/lying tongues of the wicked, providing a lead into what seems to be the unifying thread for this set of psalms, God's mercy and truth:

Psalm 62

10  Rex vero lætábitur in Deo, laudabúntur omnes qui jurant in eo: * quia obstrúctum est os loquéntium iníqua.

12 But the king shall rejoice in God, all they shall be praised that swear by him: because the mouth is stopped of them that speak wicked things.

Psalm 35

1. Dixit injústus ut delínquat in semetípso: * non est timor Dei ante óculos ejus.	The unjust has said within himself, that he would sin: there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2  Quóniam dolóse egit in conspéctu ejus: * ut inveniátur iníquitas ejus ad ódium.	For in his sight he has done deceitfully, that his iniquity may be found unto hatred.
3  Verba oris ejus iníquitas, et dolus: * nóluit intellígere ut bene ágeret.	The words of his mouth are iniquity and guile: he would not understand that he might do well

Psalm 56

6  Fílii hóminum dentes eórum arma et sagíttæ: * et lingua eórum gládius acútus.

The sons of men, whose teeth are weapons and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

Mercy and truth

The second of the variable psalms for both Monday and Tuesday were both seen by the Fathers as referring to the events of David and Saul in the cave (I Samuel 24), when David spared Saul's life, though the reference is rather more explicit in the title of Psalm 56.

Both psalms also both contain references to God as a source of both mercy (misercordia) and truth (veritas), something of a theme for the second of the variable psalms at Lauds each day:

• For your mercy is better than lives: you my lips will praise... because the mouth is stopped of them that speak wicked things (Ps 62, Sunday)
• O Lord, your mercy is in heaven, and your truth reaches even to the clouds....Extend your mercy to them that know you, and your justice to them that are right in heart (Ps 35, Monday);
• God has sent his mercy and his truth, and he has delivered my soul...For your mercy is magnified even to the heavens: and your truth unto the clouds (Ps 56, Tuesday);
• We are filled in the morning with your mercy...(Ps 89, Thursday); and 
• To show forth your mercy in the morning, and your truth in the night (Ps 91, Friday).

Turn away from evil

The main focus of Psalm 35, though, is a discussion on the nature of evil.  St Athanasius comments: 

And when you see how zealous are the lawless in their evil-doing, think not the evil is innate in them, as some false teachers say, but read Psalm 35 and you will see they are themselves the authors of their sin.

The psalmist points out that the root of sin is a lack of fear of the Lord.  It is not just that the wicked man does evil; it is that he does it with malice aforethought.  He actively rejects the truth, and refuses to turn away from the horror of what he is doing. Others, the psalmist suggests, deceive themselves.

Cultivate humility

St Benedict, it is worth noting, uses these verses to contrast what the monk who seeks humility must do, namely keep the fear of God in front of his eyes, in RB 7.  

As St Ligouri notes, though, the psalm does not end there:

The psalmist here shows how great, on the one hand, is the malice of sinners, and, on the other hand, how great is the mercy of God set forth to convert them. It also at the same time makes known with what goodness our Lord treats the just

The psalm goes on to point out that even in the face of man’s tendency to evil, God offers truth, justice and mercy to all, reaching down from the heavens.  He offers help, refuge and the blessing of prosperity.

Humility

The psalm ends with a plea to keep us humble, and to protect us from being led astray, knowing that evil doers come to nothing in the end.

I've previously provided notes on this psalm in the context of the Office of Monday and Tenebrae of Maundy Thursday.

Other Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Rom 3:18 (v1); Mt 7:3-5 (v2); Jn 4:14, Rev 22:1 (v10)
RB cursus	Monday Lauds+AN 2348
Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc	Maundy Thurs Tenebrae Lauds, Sacred Heart
Responsories	-
Roman pre 1911	Monday Matins
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Thursday Lauds . 1970: Lauds on Wednesday of Week One
Mass propers (EF)	-

 

 The text arranged for liturgical use

Psalm 35

Dixit iniústus ut delínquat in semetípso: * non est timor Dei ante óculos eius.	The unjust has said within himself, that he would sin: there is no fear of God before his eyes.
Quóniam dolóse egit in conspéctu eius: * ut inveniátur iníquitas eius ad ódium.	For in his sight he has done deceitfully, that his iniquity may be found unto hatred.
Verba oris eius iníquitas, et dolus: * nóluit intellígere ut bene ágeret.	The words of his mouth are iniquity and guile: he would not understand that he might do well
Iniquitátem meditátus est in cubíli suo: † ástitit omni viæ non bonæ, * malítiam autem non odívit.	He has devised iniquity on his bed, he has set himself on every way that is not good: but evil he has not hated.
Dómine, in cælo misericórdia tua: * et véritas tua usque ad nubes.	O Lord, your mercy is in heaven, and your truth reaches even to the clouds.
Iustítia tua sicut montes Dei: * iudícia tua abyssus multa.	Your justice is as the mountains of God, your judgments are a great deep.
Hómines, et iuménta salvábis, Dómine: * quemádmodum multiplicásti misericórdiam tuam, Deus,	Men and beasts you will preserve, O Lord: O how have you multiplied your mercy, O God!
Fílii autem hóminum, * in tégmine alárum tuárum sperábunt.	But the children of men shall put their trust under the covert of your wings.
Inebriabúntur ab ubertáte domus tuæ: * et torrénte voluptátis tuæ potábis eos.	They shall be inebriated with the plenty of your house; and you shall make them drink of the torrent of your pleasure.
Quóniam apud te est fons vitæ: * et in lúmine tuo vidébimus lumen.	For with you is the fountain of life; and in your light we shall see light
Præténde misericórdiam tuam sciéntibus te, * et iustítiam tuam his, qui recto sunt corde.	Extend your mercy to them that know you, and your justice to them that are right in heart.
Non véniat mihi pes supérbiæ: * et manus peccatóris non móveat me.	Let not the foot of pride come to me, and let not the hand of the sinner move me.
Ibi cecidérunt qui operántur iniquitátem: * expúlsi sunt, nec potuérunt stare.	There the workers of iniquity are fallen, they are cast out, and could not stand

Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.	As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

And you can find the next set of notes in this series, on Psalm 56, here.

Psalm 62 - Watching at the break of day

Psalm 62 - Sunday Lauds

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Psalmus David, cum esset in deserto Idumææ.	A psalm of David while he was in the desert of Edom.
1 Deus, Deus meus, * ad te de luce vígilo.	O my God, to you do I watch at break of day.
2  Sitívit in te ánima mea, * quam multiplíciter tibi caro mea.	For you my soul has thirsted; for you my flesh, O how many ways!
3  In terra desérta, et ínvia, et inaquósa: * sic in sancto appárui tibi, ut vidérem virtútem tuam, et glóriam tuam	3 In a desert land, and where there is no way, and no water: so in the sanctuary have I come before you, to see your power and your glory.
4  Quóniam mélior est misericórdia tua super vitas: * lábia mea laudábunt te.	4 For your mercy is better than lives: you my lips will praise.
5  Sic benedícam te in vita mea: * et in nómine tuo levábo manus meas.	5 Thus will I bless you all my life long: and in your name I will lift up my hands.
6  Sicut ádipe et pinguédine repleátur ánima mea: * et lábiis exsultatiónis laudábit os meum.	6 Let my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness: and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips.
7  Si memor fui tui super stratum meum, in matutínis meditábor in te: * quia fuísti adjútor meus.	7 If I have remembered you upon my bed, I will meditate on you in the morning: 8 Because you have been my helper.
8  Et in velaménto alárum tuárum exsultábo, adhæsit ánima mea post te: * me suscépit déxtera tua.	And I will rejoice under the covert of your wings: 9 My soul has stuck close to you: your right hand has received me.
9  Ipsi vero in vanum quæsiérunt ánimam meam, introíbunt in inferióra terræ: * tradéntur in manus gládii, partes vúlpium erunt.	10 But they have fought my soul in vain, they shall go into the lower parts of the earth: 11 They shall be delivered into the hands of the sword, they shall be the portions of foxes.
10  Rex vero lætábitur in Deo, laudabúntur omnes qui jurant in eo: * quia obstrúctum est os loquéntium iníqua.	12 But the king shall rejoice in God, all they shall be praised that swear by him: because the mouth is stopped of them that speak wicked things.

The second variable psalm of Sunday Lauds, Psalm 62, is often regarded as the quintessential Lauds hymn due in particular to its opening line - in many other forms of the Office including the Roman it is (or was) said every day at this hour.

One of the puzzles about its place in St Benedict's Office though, is why it is placed after Psalm 117 rather than before it.  One possibility perhaps is that its imagery provides horizontal links to the other second variable psalms of Lauds.  In particular, the image of God protecting us with his wings also occurs in Psalms 35 and 56, and it contains a reference to at least one of the elements alluded to in all but one of these psalms, namely truth and mercy.

St Augustine provides a nice commentary on the title of the psalm that I think nicely captures the essence of the psalm:

This psalm has the title, For David himself, when he was in the desert of Idumæa. By the name of Idumæa is understood this world. For Idumæa was a certain nation of men going astray, where idols were worshipped. 

In no good sense is put this Idumæa. If not in a good sense it is put, it must be understood that this life, wherein we suffer so great toils, and wherein to so great necessities we are made subject, by the name of Idumæa is signified. Even here is a desert where there is much thirst, and you are to hear the voice of One now thirsting in the desert. 

But if we acknowledge ourselves as thirsting, we shall acknowledge ourselves as drinking also. For he that thirsts in this world, in the world to come shall be satisfied, according to the Lord's saying, Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for the same shall be satisfied. 

Therefore in this world we ought not to love fullness. Here we must thirst, in another place we shall be filled. But now in order that we may not faint in this desert, He sprinkles upon us the dew of His word, and leaves us not utterly to dry up, so that there should not be in our case any seeking of us again, but that we may so thirst as that we may drink. But in order that we may drink, with somewhat of His Grace we are sprinkled: nevertheless we thirst. And what says our soul to God?

You can find my previous notes on this psalm here and the next part in this series here.

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Jn 19:28 (2); Eph 4: 9 (9); Rom 3:19 (10)
RB cursus	Sunday Lauds
Monastic feasts etc	Festal Lauds; All Souls/Lauds of Dead
Roman pre 1911	Daily at Lauds
Roman post 1911	1911-62:  Sunday Lauds. 1970: Sunday MP omitting vv1-0-12
Mass propers (EF)	Eastertide 2, OF 1, 5:

Psalm 142 - Christ and the harrowing of hell

St Alban's Psalter

Saturday Lauds has only one variable psalm in the Benedictine Office, Psalm 142, due to the length of the traditional canticle of the day, Deuteronomy 13:1-43 (reduced to verses 1-27 in the 1963 Monastic Breviary; verses 1-18 in the Monastic Diurnal, and to verses 1-12 in the 1980 Psalterium Monasticum).

Psalm 142 is also the last of the seven penitential psalms.

Psalm 142: Domine, exaudi orationem meam

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Psalmus David, quando persequebatur eum Absalom filius ejus.	A psalm of David, when his son Absalom pursued him
1 Dómine, exáudi oratiónem meam: áuribus pércipe obsecratiónem meam in veritáte tua : * exáudi me in tua justítia.	Hear, O Lord, my prayer: give ear to my supplication in your truth: hear me in your justice.
2  Et non intres in judícium cum servo tuo: * quia non justificábitur in conspéctu tuo omnis vivens.	And enter not into judgment with your servant: for in your sight no man living shall be justified.
3  Quia persecútus est inimícus ánimam meam: * humiliávit in terra vitam meam.	For the enemy has persecuted my soul: he has brought down my life to the earth.
4  Collocávit me in obscúris sicut mórtuos sæculi : * et anxiátus est super me spíritus meus, in me turbátum est cor meum.	He has made me to dwell in darkness as those that have been dead of old: And my spirit is in anguish within me: my heart within me is troubled.
5  Memor fui diérum antiquórum, meditátus sum in ómnibus opéribus tuis: * in factis mánuum tuárum meditábar.	I remembered the days of old, I meditated on all your works: I meditated upon the works of your hands.
6  Expándi manus meas ad te: * ánima mea sicut terra sine aqua tibi.	I stretched forth my hands to you: my soul is as earth without water unto you.
7  Velóciter exáudi me, Dómine: * defécit spíritus meus.	Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit has fainted away.
8  Non avértas fáciem tuam a me: * et símilis ero descendéntibus in lacum.	Turn not away your face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
9  Audítam fac mihi mane misericórdiam tuam: * quia in te sperávi.	Cause me to hear your mercy in the morning; for in you have I hoped.
10  Notam fac mihi viam, in qua ámbulem: * quia ad te levávi ánimam meam.	Make the way known to me, wherein I should walk: for I have lifted up my soul to you.
11  Eripe me de inimícis meis, Dómine, ad te confúgi: * doce me fácere voluntátem tuam, quia Deus meus es tu.	Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, to you have I fled: Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.
12  Spíritus tuus bonus dedúcet me in terram rectam: * propter nomen tuum, Dómine, vivificábis me, in æquitáte tua.	Your good spirit shall lead me into the right land: For your name's sake, O Lord, you will quicken me in your justice.
13  Edúces de tribulatióne ánimam meam: * et in misericórdia tua dispérdes inimícos meos.	You will bring my soul out of trouble: And in your mercy you will destroy my enemies.
14  Et perdes omnes, qui tríbulant ánimam meam, * quóniam ego servus tuus sum.	And you will cut off all them that afflict my soul: for I am your servant.

St Augustine makes it clear that this psalm should be read as referring to Christ:

The title of the Psalm is, To David himself, when his son was pursuing him. We know from the Books of Kings that this happened:...but we must recognise here another David, truly strong in hand, which is the explanation of David, even our Lord Jesus Christ. For all those events of past time were figures of things to come. 

Let us seek then in this Psalm our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, announcing Himself beforehand in His prophecy, and foretelling what should happen at this time by things which were done long ago. For He Himself foretold Himself in the Prophets: for He is the Word of God... Let then our Lord speak; let Christ with us, whole Christ, speak.

The references to them that go down into the pit, then, and bringing souls out of trouble in particular, surely account for its allocation to Saturday in our weekly mini-Triduum.  It's placement at Lauds, though, is surely in part due to its reference to the entry to heaven meme:

Your good spirit shall lead me into the right land: For your name's sake, O Lord, you will quicken me in your justice.

Cassiodorus adds an extra level to this, seeing an important significance in its position as the seventh of the penitential psalms:

It is perhaps the case that just as we sin in the seven days which represent the extent of a week in the world, so we may be saved by the gift of healing repentance through this same number. 

This psalm also arguably completes a cycle of the first variable psalm of Lauds pointing us to our entry to heaven, with the line:

Your good spirit shall lead me into the right land

Word study: darkness

Darkness is often used to contrast the light of God in the psalms, and in today's psalm the word used to convey this is the adjective obscurus, (dark, obscure; fig., sinful, the dark, darkness), used as a substantive:

 Collocávit me in obscúris sicut mórtuos sæculi :  et anxiátus est super me spíritus meus, in me turbátum est cor meum. He has made me to dwell in darkness as those that have been dead of old: And my spirit is in anguish within me: my heart within me is troubled.

There is also related verb, obscurare, to make dark or darken.

The more common word for darkness though is tenebrae,( arum, f.  darkness; ignorancey; Sheol; misfortune. danger; horror, shuddering) with its wn related adjective, tenebrosus, a, um (dark).  So in Psalm 87 we have:

Posuérunt me in lacu inferióri : in tenebrósis, et in umbra mortis. They have laid me in the lower pit: in the dark places, and in the shadow of death.

and

Numquid cognoscéntur in ténebris mirabília tua, et justítia tua in terra obliviónis? Shall your wonders be known in the dark; and your justice in the land of forgetfulness?

Other words that suggest darkness include umbra, as used above ('the shadow of death) and caligo, inis, which literally means a fog or mist mist.

Liturgical and Scriptural uses of the psalm

NT references	Rom 3:20; Gal 2: 16 (v2)
RB cursus	Lauds Saturday+AN  3309 (1)
Monastic feasts etc	Penitential Good Friday Tenebrae Lauds AN 1442 (4), 1255 (8, 9)
Roman pre 1911	Lauds Friday
Responsories	6148 (8); Epiphanytide Wed v2, 7208
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Lauds Friday. 1970: Thursday MP & Night Prayer: Tuesday omitting v12-13 (imprecatory)
Mass propers (EF)	Passion Sunday GR (9, 10), Holy Monday OF (2,7, 10); vs 2 burial service

More on the psalm

The next part of this series is on Psalm 62.

You can find also verse by verse notes on the psalm starting here.

And you can find my previous notes on the psalm in the context of Saturday here and in the context of Tenebrae here.

Psalm 75 - The earth trembled

c9th Stuttgart Psalter

 Psalm 75 - Lauds Friday

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, in laudibus. Psalmus Asaph, canticum ad Assyrios.	Unto the end, in praises, a psalm for Asaph: a canticle to the Assyrians.
Notus in Judæa Deus: * in Israël magnum nomen ejus.	2 In Judea God is known: his name is great in Israel.
2  Et factus est in pace locus ejus: * et habitátio ejus in Sion.	3 And his place is in peace: and his abode in Sion:
3  Ibi confrégit poténtias árcuum: * scutum, gládium, et bellum.	4 There has he broken the powers of bows, the shield, the sword, and the battle.
4  Illúminans tu mirabíliter a móntibus ætérnis: * turbáti sunt omnes insipiéntes corde.	5 You enlighten wonderfully from the everlasting hills. 6 All the foolish of heart were troubled.
5  Dormiérunt somnum suum: * et nihil invenérunt omnes viri divitiárum in mánibus suis.	They have slept their sleep; and all the men of riches have found nothing in their hands.
6  Ab increpatióne tua, Deus Jacob, * dormitavérunt qui ascendérunt equos.	7 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, they have all slumbered that mounted on horseback
7  Tu terríbilis es, et quis resístet tibi? * ex tunc ira tua.	8 You are terrible, and who shall resist you? From that time your wrath.
8  De cælo audítum fecísti judícium: * terra trémuit et quiévit.	9 You have caused judgment to be heard from heaven: the earth trembled and was still,
9  Cum exsúrgeret in judícium Deus, * ut salvos fáceret omnes mansuétos terræ.	10 when God arose in judgment, to save all the meek of the earth.
10  Quóniam cogitátio hóminis confitébitur tibi: * et relíquiæ cogitatiónis diem festum agent tibi.	11 For the thought of man shall give praise to you: and the remainders of the thought shall keep holiday to you.
11  Vovéte, et réddite Dómino Deo vestro: * omnes, qui in circúitu ejus affértis múnera.	12
12  Terríbili et ei qui aufert spíritum príncipum, * terríbili apud reges terræ.	To him that is terrible, 13 even to him who takes away the spirit of princes: to the terrible with the kings of the earth.

Friday has of course always had an association with the Crucifixion in Christian piety, and for this reason it was the second fast day of the week (and still is, at least in theory, a day of abstinence or other penance).

Psalm of the Passion

St Benedict’s Office can certainly be seen as reflecting this association: the day opens at Matins with Psalm 85, which the Fathers interpreted as the prayer of Christ poured out in his Passion.

At Lauds Psalm 75 depicts an earthquake, surely that which occurred at the moment of Our Lord’s death, rending the temple veil in two, with the verse 'De caelo auditum fecisti judicium: terra tremuit et quievit (From heaven you have pronounced your judgment: the earth trembled and was still).  Though we mostly associate this verse with the Resurrection by virtue of the Easter Sunday Offertory, the verse surely works equally well in the context of Good Friday.

Indeed,, the Fathers often associated the Crucifixion, and the ‘sixth day’ (of the week) with the description of the opening of the sixth seal in Revelation 6: 12-14:

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale; the sky vanished like a scroll that is rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

The Old Testament historical context for the psalm (suggested by the title) is the victory over the king of the Assyrians, Sennacherib described in 2 Kings 19: 35; Isaiah 37:36 (and Psalm 74). The language of fear and awe is an appropriate reaction to the scene described there:

And it came to pass that night, that an angel of the Lord came, and slew in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and eighty-five thousand. And when he arose early in the morning, he saw all the bodies of the dead.

Festal Lauds and Psalms 75&91

That Benedictines have long understood that the two variable psalms of Friday are particularly appropriate to the day is indirectly attested to in the rubrics of Matins.

On most days of the week, if the variable psalms are displaced by the festal in the modern Office they are not said at all in that particular week.  On Fridays alone, however, they are slotted into the Matins sequence, replacing Psalms 92 and 99 there.

One possible explanation for this might be to avoid repetition of psalms on the same day.

But that explanation doesn't seem to hold up, as the table below illustrates.  In reality many of the sets of special psalms used on particular feasts, as well as the 'Commons' as they now stand can potentially or invariably involve repetition of a psalm on the same day: pretty much all of Matins Commons include psalms said at Prime, and several also include Psalm 4, said every day at Compline.  Most of them also Lauds psalms, though the repetition will generally be avoided by use of the festal psalms.

Psalm repetitions on the same day in the Office

Psalms said at Matins in the Common of…	Potentially repeated at Lauds	Potentially repeated at Prime	Repeated as Compline
Apostles	63,	18
Martyrs (during Eastertide)	5, 63, 64, [91*]	1, 2, 8, 10, 14	4
Martyrs (outside Eastertide)	63	1,2, 10, 14, 15,
Confessor bishops	5	1,2,8,10, 14	4
Virgins and holy women**		8,18
Dedication of a church	5, 87	10,
BVM**		8, 18

*Not repeated due to special provision in the rubrics

**These two Offices also include potential repetitions between Vespers and Terce and None, through the use of Psalms 121 and 126

 Judgment and our entry to heaven

Yesterday I pointed out that the first group of Lauds variable psalms talk about our entry to heaven, following Christ, with a pause on Thursday for a reflection on the necessity of the suffering of Christ and the harrowing of hell.

This psalm arguably returns to the other side of the theme of the sequences, since both Isaiah and this psalm imply that the attack of Sennacherib foreshadows the dawning of the Messianic era, reminding us of God’s stupendous power: Tu terríbilis es, et quis resístet tibi? ex tunc ira tua’, or You are terrible, and who shall resist you? From that time your wrath (verse 8).

Heaven, we are reminded here, in this ‘Song of Sion’, is the place where God dwells in peace, and evil has no domain.

The path to peace, though, lies through the spiritual warfare.

The Lord as a warrior

The image of God as a mighty warrior, an all-conquering figure whose anger is to be feared exceedingly, features in the canticles set both for Thursday and Friday at Lauds.  On Thursday, he have the story of the Pharaoh's army being thrown into the seas; in the canticle set for today, as in this psalm, it is the earth itself that trembles in fear.

But this image also takes in again the destruction of earthly forces, symbolised by the bow (arcus, us, m), arrows (sagitta, ae, f., an arrow; sagitto, avi, atum, are, to shoot with arrows), shield (scutum, i, n. a shield, buckler; defense, protection), sword (gladius, ii, m., a sword) and other warlike appurtenances (bellum, i, n. war, battle; war-equipment of every sort):

3  Ibi confrégit poténtias árcuum: * scutum, gládium, et bellum.

4 There has he broken the powers of bows, the shield, the sword, and the battle.

Consider also some of the other such references in the Lauds psalms and canticles:

Psalm 56 (Tuesday)

6  Fílii hóminum dentes eórum arma et sagíttæ: * et lingua eórum gládius acútus.

The sons of men, whose teeth are weapons and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

Psalm 63 (Wednesday)

3  Quia exacuérunt ut gládium linguas suas: * intendérunt arcum rem amáram, ut sagíttent in occúltis immaculátum.	For they have whetted their tongues like a sword; they have bent their bow a bitter thing, to shoot in secret the undefiled.
4  Súbito sagittábunt eum, et non timébunt: * firmavérunt sibi sermónem nequam.	They will shoot at him on a sudden, and will not fear: they are resolute in wickedness.

8  Sagíttæ parvulórum factæ sunt plagæ eórum: * et infirmátæ sunt contra eos linguæ eórum.

The arrows of children are their wounds: And their tongues against them are made weak

Canticle of Anna (Wednesday)

6  Arcus fórtium superátus est, * et infírmi accíncti sunt róbore.

4 The bow of the mighty is overcome, and the weak are girt with strength.

The most important treatment of this theme though comes in today's Canticle:

4  Deus ab Austro véniet: * et sanctus de monte Pharan.	3 God will come from the south, and the holy one from mount Pharan:
9   Aspéxit, et dissólvit Gentes : * et contríti sunt montes sæculi.	He beheld, and melted the nations: and the ancient mountains were crushed to pieces.
10   Incurváti sunt colles mundi, * ab itinéribus æternitátis ejus.	The hills of the world were bowed down by the journeys of his eternity.
12  Numquid in flumínibus irátus es, Dómine? * aut in flumínibus furor tuus? vel in mari indignátio tua?	8 Were you angry, O Lord, with the rivers? Or was your wrath upon the rivers? Or your indignation in the sea?
14  Súscitans suscitábis arcum tuum: * juraménta tríbubus quæ locútus es.	9 You will surely take up your bow: according to the oaths which you have spoken to the tribes.
15  Flúvios scindes terræ : vidérunt te, et doluérunt montes: * gurges aquárum tránsiit.	You will divide the rivers of the earth. 10 The mountains saw you, and were grieved: the great body of waters passed away.
16  Dedit abyssus vocem suam: * altitúdo manus suas levávit.	The deep put forth its voice: the deep lifted up its hands.
17  Sol, et luna stetérunt in habitáculo suo, * in luce sagittárum tuárum, íbunt in splendóre fulgurántis hastæ tuæ.	11 The sun and the moon stood still in their habitation, in the light of your arrows, they shall go in the brightness of your glittering spear.
32  Et super excélsa mea dedúcet me victor * in psalmis canéntem.	and he the conqueror will lead me upon my high places singing psalms.

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

 

NT references	Rev 6:13; Lk 17: 20-24 (8)
RB cursus	Lauds Friday+AN 3246 (2)
Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc	Maundy Thurs Tenebrae, III, 2; Holy Sat Tenebrae, III, 2; Easter, Transfiguration AN 3264 (3);
Responsories	6605, 7661 (Holy Sat, 3)
Roman pre 1911	Thurs Matins
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Thurs None . 1970:
Mass propers (EF)	Easter Day OF 8-9, 2-4 (Terra tremuit) PP17 CO (11-12),

You can find my previous notes on the psalm here and here (in the context of Tenebrae).

And the next part of this series is on Psalm 142.