Psalm 4 verse 8 - Wherein lies the good?

Verse 8 of Psalm 4 can be read as continuing the description of the good things God gives us: in the previous verse we were reminded of our baptism; here the reference is to the Eucharist and perhaps Holy Unction.  But it can also be interpreted as a reminder that ultimately the good lies in our future in heaven, and we shouldn't be satisfied to pursue purely earthly pleasures.

Understanding the Latin

The Vulgate of Verse 8 of Psalm 4 reads:

A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui multiplicáti sunt.

 The key vocabulary for the verse is:

fructus, us, m. fruit, produce; the fruit of the soil, trees; a reward; the fruit of the womb, children, posterity.

frumentum, i, n.  corn, wheat, rye, barley, etc. 

vinum, i, n. wine

oleum, ii, n.  oil, esp., olive-oil.

multiplico, avi, atum, are  to multiply, increase; to grow, flourish.

This is a difficult verse to translate, as its interpretation really depends on whether or not you link it to the preceding and following phrases.  A word by word version gives:

A (from) fructu (the fruit/produce) fruménti (of corn/grain), vini (of wine) et (and) ólei (of oil) sui (of their) multiplicáti sunt (they are multiplied)

The Douay-Rheims Challoner is fairly unhelpful in translating it as 'By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest', the last two words coming from the following verse in the liturgical division of the psalm.

Earthly riches vs true joy

One view of the verse is that it points to a contrast between earthly riches and carnal pleasures, and the true joy that is the gift of God.  This reading of the verse reflected in most of the modern translations, and is best captured by the Knox and Brenton translations (see below):

MD	Greater than the joy in rich harvests of corn and wine and oil
RSV	Than they have when their grain and wine abound.
Brenton	They have been satisfied with the fruit of their corn and wine and oil.
Knox	Never did rich harvests of corn and wine bring gladness like the gladness thou puttest into my heart
Grail	You have put into my heart a greater joy than they have from abundance of corn and new wine.

That is, either they (sinners) have been satisfied with carnal pleasures, while we (who trust in God) have true joy (Brenton, Grail); or the joy God gives is infinitely better than that derived from earthly pleasures (Knox, Monastic Diurnal).

In this reading of the text, multiplicati sunt refers back to the first phrase of the previous verse; that is, the joy of God is much greater than the pleasure from temporal things such as an abundance of food and wine.

St Alphonsus Liguori interprets the verse this way, suggesting that it teaches that while sinners will be given good things now, we can look forward to the joys of heaven:

I behold my enemies multiplying with the good things that they enjoy.

St Augustine similarly interprets the multiplicati as referring to the many (men) who pursue the pleasures of this world, and are as a result held back from acting rightly:

But men (who doubtless are many) who follow after things temporal, know not to say anything else, than, Who shows us good things? when the true and certain good within their very selves they cannot see....But those many, who say, Who shows us good things? and who see not that the kingdom of heaven is within them: these, from the time of His grain, of wine, and oil, are multiplied. For multiplication does not always betoken plentifulness, and not, generally, scantiness: when the soul, given up to temporal pleasures, burns ever with desire, and cannot be satisfied; and, distracted with manifold and anxious thought, is not permitted to see the simple good....Such is the soul of which it is said, For the corruptible body presses down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle weighs down the mind that muses on many things. A soul like this, by the departure and succession of temporal goods, that is, from the time of His grain, wine, and oil, filled with numberless idle fancies, is so multiplied, that it cannot do that which is commanded, 

 God's blessings on us

The alternative reading of the verse though, is a more positive one, seeing it as a reminder of the blessings God gives us, above all in the Eucharist.

One of the antiphons for Matins of the feast of Corpus Christi (composed by St Thomas Aquinas), for example, links this verse very explicitly to the peace and rest mentioned later in the psalm:

A fructu fruménti et vini multiplicáti fidéles in pace Christi requiéscunt.

His faithful ones which are increased by the fruit of His corn and His wine do lay them down in peace and sleep in Christ.

Grain and wine, then are the elements needs for the  Eucharist, and oil for Holy Unction, relevant, as we shall see to the next verse.  This line of interpretation originates, I think, with St Augustine, who although providing the alternative reading above, also suggests that the great harvest can be seen as referring to Christ, given the sacral connotations of grain, wine and oil:

For the grain is God's: inasmuch as He is the living bread which came down from heaven…The wine too is God's: for, they shall be inebriated, he says, with the fatness of your house. The oil too is God's: of which it is said, You have fattened my head with oil... Think on the Lord in goodness, and in simplicity of heart seek Him. For this multiplicity is strongly opposed to that simplicity. And therefore leaving these, who are many, multiplied, that is, by the desire of things temporal, and who say, Who shows us good things? which are to be sought not with the eyes without, but with simplicity of heart within...

St John Chrysostom, though, takes an even more literal approach to the verse, seeing it as a simple reference to God's providential care for us, as well as to the inner joy we receive from God:

Now, in saying this, he touches on no small part of God's providence at this point, that which emerges in visible things. I mean, when he mentions grain and wine and oil, and the abundance of these things, he im­plies as well rain, and mildness of the seasons, the earth's conceiving and labouring and bearing, the flow of the air, the sun's course, phases of the moon, the galaxy of stars, summer and winter and autumn and spring, farming skills, advantages of implements, and the scores of other arts. 

You see, if all these did not work together, it would not be possible for fruit to ripen and come to maturity. So when he mentions grain and wine and oil, he provides the wise person with an occasion for proceeding in thought from the part to the whole, with the spreading out of the ocean of God's provi­dence that emerges in perceptible realities. 

This is the reason that Paul, too, in one place becomes eloquent when discoursing of God's providence, and treats of the subject in the words, "He gives show­ers and seasons of fruitfulness, filling us with nourishment and our hearts with joy." 

 St Robert Bellarmine also follows this line of interpretation:

Another argument from which men may understand that God is the author of all good, for it is he who, in the fitting time, multiplies the grain and produces the fruit, as St. Paul has it, Acts 14: "Nevertheless he left not himself without testimony, doing good from heaven, giving rains and fruitful seasons, fill­ing our hearts with food and gladness."

And St Cassiodorus links the blessings listed here to that bestowed on the Church more broadly:

She continues to number the blessings possessed by Christians. The gladness she mentions is not that which we express aloud by laughter. It is the gladness of upright faith which the Lord habitually bestows on a good conscience. We are truly glad when we rightly believe, and with the Lord's help live a life of trust­worthy companionship with each other. 

In the context of the Benedictine Office

Which reading is St Benedict implying here?

Personally I prefer the second reading, as it seems to provide some echoes for the end of the day to mirror the sentiments of Psalm 66, which opens the day hours at Lauds.

Like this psalm, Psalm 66 refers to the light of Christ's face:

66:1 Deus misereátur nostri, et benedícat nobis: * illúminet vultum suum super nos, et misereátur nostri.

May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may he cause the light of his countenance to shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us.

But where Psalm 66 requests this blessing, Psalm 4, at the close of the day, affirms that it has been given:

4:7 Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, dómine: * dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.

The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.

And so too, both psalms refer to the blessing of creation that God confers on us:

66: 6-7  Confiteántur tibi pópuli, Deus, confiteántur tibi pópuli omnes: * terra dedit fructum suum.

Let the people, O God, confess to you: let all the people give praise to you: The earth has yielded her fruit.

4: 8 A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui * multiplicáti sunt.

By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest

We should humble ourselves before God, in other words, offer the sacrifice of justice that recognises and responds to God's great gifts to us, which include both the material things necessary for life, and above all gladness of heart that enables us to rest at peace in him, both each night, and eventually in heaven with him as part of the true harvest.

The psalm as a whole

Psalm 4: Cum invocarem

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, in carminibus. Psalmus David.	Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.
1 Cum invocárem exaudívit me deus justítiæ meæ: * in tribulatióne dilatásti mihi.	When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, you have enlarged me.
2 Miserére mei, * et exáudi oratiónem meam.	Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.
3 Filii hóminum, úsquequo gravi corde? *  ut quid dilígitis vanitátem et quæritis mendácium?	O you sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?
4 Et scitóte quóniam mirificávit dóminus sanctum suum: * dóminus exáudiet me cum clamávero ad eum.	Know also that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.
5 Irascímini, et nolíte peccáre: * quæ dícitis in córdibus vestris, in cubílibus vestris compungímini.	Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
6 Sacrificáte sacrifícium justítiæ, et speráte in dómino, * multi dicunt quis osténdit nobis bona?	Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who shows us good things?
7 Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, dómine: * dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.	The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.
8 A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui * multiplicáti sunt.	By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, [they rest]
9 In pace in idípsum * dórmiam et requiéscam;	In peace in the self same I will sleep, and I will rest
10 Quóniam tu, dómine, singuláriter in spe * constituísti me.	For you, O Lord, singularly have settled me in hope.

And for the next part in this series, click here.

Psalm 4, verse 7: The light of Christ inscribed on our souls

Verse 7 of Psalm 4 introduces the idea of God's light being signed upon us, which was often interpreted by the Fathers as a reference to our baptism, keeping us safe through the darkness of the night through Christ's light within us.

Understanding the Latin

The Vulgate of verse 7 of Psalm 4 is:

Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, Dómine: dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.

The key vocabulary for the verse is:

signo, avi, atum, are , to mark, sign, imprint. 

lumen, inis, n.  light; in the hymns, brightness, splendor. 

vultus, us, m., the face, countenance; 

laetitia, ae, f joy, gladness.

A literal word by word translation therefore runs:

Signátum est (it is marked/imprinted/signed) super (over/on) nos (us) lumen (the light) vultus (face/countenance) tui (your), Dómine (O Lord): dedísti (you have given) lætítiam (the joy) in corde (the heart) meo (mine)

The Douay-Rheims Challoner translates the verse as:

The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.

Christ's light signed on us

At both Lauds and Compline, light is a key theme: its coming into the world through the Resurrection, symbolised by the rising sun at Lauds, and the light of Christ shining through the darkness to guide us through the night at Compline.

And at both Lauds and Compline the first psalm of the hour refers to the light of God's countenance on us.  In Psalm 66 at Lauds, the relevant verse asks for the blessing of God's countenance on us (Deus misereatur nostri, et benedicat nobis; illuminet vultum suum super nos, et misereatur nostri); at Compline we acknowledge its receipt, and its importance in keeping us safe through the darkness of the night.

The early Church Father Tertullian, for example, pointed to the idea of Christ as the light shining in the darkness through the Church:

Now he did not observe how much this clause of the sentence made against him: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to (give) the light of the knowledge (of His glory) in the face of (Jesus) Christ.”  Now who was it that said; “Let there be light?”. And who was it that said to Christ concerning giving light to the world: “I have set Thee as a light to the Gentiles” to them, that is, “who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death?”  and. (None else, surely, than He), to whom the Spirit in the Psalm answers, in His foresight of the future, saying, “The light of Thy countenance, O Lord, hath been displayed upon us.”. Now the countenance (or person of the Lord here is Christ. Wherefore the apostle said above: “Christ, who is the image of God.” Since Christ, then, is the person of the Creator, who said, “Let there be light,” it follows that Christ and the apostles, and the gospel, and the veil, and Moses—nay, the whole of the dispensations—belong to the God who is the Creator of this world, according to the testimony of the clause (above adverted to), and certainly not to him who never said, “Let there be light.” 

St Augustine similarly sees this verse firstly as a reminder that we are made in God’s image:

The light of Your countenance, says he, is stamped on us, O Lord. This light is the whole and true good of man, which is seen not with the eye, but with the mind. But he says, stamped on us, as a penny is stamped with the king's image. For man was made after the image and likeness of God…

St Augustine goes on to argue that just as the head on a coin symbolizes to whom one must pay our taxes, so to must those marked with the sign of God on their souls render homage to God.

Others of the saints and theologians, most notably St Thomas Aquinas, interpret the verse more directly as a reference to the sacraments: that mankind defaced that image of God through Original Sin, but reclaims it by baptism; we can deface that image again by sin, but yet have it restored by confession.  In this they are building on several New Testament passages that draw on the idea of a mark or seal on the soul (such as Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 1:21- 22; Eph 1:13, 4:30; Rev 7:2-3, 9:4; Jn 6:27) that make a permanent mark on our soul also draw on the imagery of a seal or mark made on us by God, and called to mind anew each time we make the sign of the cross.

Masoretic vs Septuagint traditions

This is one of those verses, though, where the Hebrew Masoretic Text, used in the Neo-Vulgate translation, is significantly different from the text tradition preserved in the Greek Septuagint.

Instead of being signed on us, the first phrase of the Neo-Vulgate runs: 'Leva in signum super nos lumen vultus tui, Domine', or as the Revised Standard Version translates it, 'Lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, O Lord'.  The Knox translation makes the connection to the night even less obvious, reading 'do thou, then, Lord, shew us the sunshine of thy favour'.

There is at least some Patristic support for this reading.  Origen for example suggests that the light is a guide to the path we must take:

And therefore that very ancient prophet...expressed himself in these words:  “The Lord is my light and my salvation:  whom shall I fear?”(attributed to David).and, “Thy law is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path;”   and again, “The light of Thy countenance, O Lord, was manifested towards us;”  “Lift up upon us,” etc. and, “In Thy light we shall see light.”  And the Logos, exhorting us to come to this light, says, in the prophecies of Isaiah:  “Enlighten thyself, enlighten thyself, O Jerusalem; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” The same prophet also, when predicting the advent of Jesus, who was to turn away men from the worship of idols, and of images, and of demons, says, “To those that sat in the land and shadow of death, upon them hath the light arisen;”

The Septuagint-Vulgate reading though, it seems to me more readily lends itself to a particularly Christian interpretation.  Either way, light is a common image in Scripture, standing here for the guidance God gives us to show us the correct path to take.  Above all, it stands for the gift of Our Lord himself, the light of the world.

Joy and gladness of heart

The second half of the verse goes to God’s promise of happiness to those who serve him.

Several of the Fathers see this verse as reminding us that true happiness lies in eternal things, not the material benefits referred to in the next verse.  St John Chrysostom, for example, points out that it is not the joy or gladness that comes from the things of this life, but rather comes from looking to the world to come:

…that is to say, You have taught me to love wisdom, to overlook the things of this life, to know the things that are true and lasting, you have lifted my expectation upwards to sound hope, you have led me forward to the life to come, you have raised me from the enjoyment of present goods to the prospect of future goods...

You see, if you are on the point of succeeding to wealth or entering an important office, you are exhilarated not only at the moment of acceptance but also by expectation before the actual experience, buoyed up by hope and thus enjoying the whole period. So consider how natural this is for someone who has expectations of the kingdom living and immortal, and of those goods which eye has not seen nor ear heard nor have they entered human heart (cf 1 Cor 2.9; Is 64.4). Hence he said, You have made me the gift of joy of heart... 

...he did not say simply, You have made me the gift of joy but of heart, suggesting that the joy is not in external things, not in slaves or gold or silver, not in clothing or groaning tables, not in the extent of sovereignty or the size of one's house. Such joy is not of heart but of eyes only. Many people with these possessions, at any rate, think life not worth living; they carry around with them in their soul a furnace of despondency, exhausted by the multitude of concerns and oppressed by unceas­ing apprehension.  

To me on the contrary, you say, joy is not in these things, but in the core of my intellect, in my understanding which is immaterial and gives thought to immaterial things…

Psalm 4: Cum invocarem

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, in carminibus. Psalmus David.	Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.
1 Cum invocárem exaudívit me deus justítiæ meæ: * in tribulatióne dilatásti mihi.	When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, you have enlarged me.
2 Miserére mei, * et exáudi oratiónem meam.	Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.
3 Filii hóminum, úsquequo gravi corde? *  ut quid dilígitis vanitátem et quæritis mendácium?	O you sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?
4 Et scitóte quóniam mirificávit dóminus sanctum suum: * dóminus exáudiet me cum clamávero ad eum.	Know also that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.
5 Irascímini, et nolíte peccáre: * quæ dícitis in córdibus vestris, in cubílibus vestris compungímini.	Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
6 Sacrificáte sacrifícium justítiæ, et speráte in dómino, * multi dicunt quis osténdit nobis bona?	Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who shows us good things?
7 Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, dómine: * dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.	The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.
8 A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui * multiplicáti sunt.	By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest
9 In pace in idípsum * dórmiam et requiéscam;	In peace in the self same I will sleep, and I will rest
10 Quóniam tu, dómine, singuláriter in spe * constituísti me.	For you, O Lord, singularly have settled me in hope.

And continue on to the next part in this series.

Psalm 4 - verse 6 - The sacrifice of justice

The sacrifice of justice, the subject of today's verse of Psalm 4, is a key concept for that underpins monastic vows and oblation.

Looking at the Latin

The Vulgate of verse 6 of Psalm 4 is:

Sacrificáte sacrifícium justítiæ, et speráte in Dómino, multi dicunt quis osténdit nobis bona?

The key words include:

sacrifico, avi, atum, are to offer something to God in atonement for sin, to procure favors, to express thankfulness and the like; to sacrifice, to make an offering of. 

sacrificium, ii, n. an offering, oblation, sacrifice. 

ostendo, tendi, tertum, ere 3 to show, display; to expose, lay open; to show

quis – who; there is no one, there is scarcely anyone

A very literal, word by word translation of the verse, runs as follows:

Sacrificáte (make an offering, imperative) sacrifícium (sacrifice/justice) justítiæ (of justice) [a due offering, a righteous sacrifice, the offering prescribed by law], et (and) speráte (hope, imperative) in dómino (in the Lord), multi (the many) dicunt (they say) quis (who/there is no one) osténdit (he shows) nobis (to us) bona (the good [things])?

The literal meaning?

The English translations offer a wide spread of interpretations of the first part of this verse, as the table below illustrates.

 

Douay-Rheims	Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who shows us good things?
Monastic Diurnal	Offer a righteous sacrifice and put your trust in the Lord.  Many there are that say: Who will show us good things.
RSV	Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD. There are many who say, "O that we might see some good!
Brenton	Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and trust in the Lord. Many say, Who will shew us good things?
Coverdale	Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. There be many that say, Who will show us any good?
Knox	Offer sacrifices with due observance, and put your trust in the Lord. There are many that cry out for a sight of better times;
Grail	Make justice your sacrifice, and trust in the Lord. "What can bring us happiness?" many say.

 The Revised Standard Version, along with the Knox translation, for example, interpret it as offering our sacrifices (such as the Office, the sacrifice of praise) correctly, with 'due observance'.  Others, though, suggest that the issue is one of motivation, or doing the right thing.

Both of these interpretations feature in the commentaries of the Fathers and Theologians, but most put the emphasis on right intention.

Right intention

In the previous verse the psalmist urged repentance, or turning away from evil.  In this verse here he urges us to move to the next stage of holiness, and do good.

The first step needed for this is the right intention to go along with our actions.  Theodoret, for example, comments:

In these words he dismisses as useless the worship according to the Law, and he obliges us to bring the offering of righteousness: the possession of righteousness is more acceptable to God than every sacrifice of a hundred or a thousand beasts...

Similarly, St Augustine argues that the righteous sacrifice can reasonably be interpreted as our contrition, impelling us to offer ourselves up to God:

He says the same in another Psalm Psalm 50, the sacrifice for God is a troubled spirit. Wherefore that this is the sacrifice of righteousness which is offered through repentance it is not unreasonably here understood. For what more righteous, than that each one should be angry with his own sins, rather than those of others, and that in self-punishment he should sacrifice himself unto God?

He also sees the psalm as tracing our path from repentance to renewal in Christ:

Or are righteous works after repentance the sacrifice of righteousness? ...the old man being destroyed or weakened by repentance, the sacrifice of righteousness, according to the regeneration of the new man, may be offered to God; when the soul now cleansed offers and places itself on the altar of faith, to be encompassed by heavenly fire, that is, by the Holy Ghost.

Doing good works

Building on this, St John Chrysostom argues that the instruction to offer the ‘sacrifice of righteousness’ means actively seeking to do good:

Refraining from evil alone, you see, is not sufficient; instead, the practice of good must be there as well. Hence he moves to exhortation in the words, "Move away from evil and do good." Abstaining from virtue, after all, suffices to put one in danger of punishment, not simply committing evil...Seek after righteousness, make an offering of righteousness: this is the greatest gift to God, this an acceptable sacrifice, this an offer­ing of great appeal, not sacrificing sheep and calves but doing righ­teous things...

He also notes that anyone can offer this sacrifice, by acting in the everyday situations of life:

This sacrifice requires no money, no sword, no altar, no fire; it does not dissolve into smoke and ashes and smells - rather, the intention of the offerer suffices. Poverty is no impedi­ment to it, nor indigence a problem, nor the place nor anything else like that; instead, wherever you are, you are fit to offer sacri­fice, you are priest, and altar, and sword, and victim.

Several commentators suggest that the idea of the sacrifice of justice, or righteous sacrifice, also implies a burnt offering, a total offering of our lives.

In the monastic context, it can obviously be taken as a reference to the renunciations the religious makes as a consequence of his or her vows.

The idea of the ‘sacrifice of justice’ is a key theme of several of the psalms, and one picked up by St Benedict in his choice of the Suscipe verse (from Psalm 118) said at profession/oblation.

But it can also, in a more limited way, surely mean fidelity to our marriage vows, our promises at oblation, and saying the Office itself.  Cassiodorus, for example says:

If Christ Himself was sacrificed for us, how much more fitting it is to offer ourselves as sacrifice to Him, so that we can rejoice in imitating our King! The term she used was: Offer up, and in case this was interpreted as sacrificing beasts, she added: The sacrifice of justice. In other words: "Live an upright life, and always offer your hearts pure to God."

Hope in the Lord

St Augustine interprets the injunction to hope in the Lord as our request for the help of grace:

So that this may be the meaning, Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and hope in the Lord; that is, live uprightly, and hope for the gift of the Holy Ghost, that the truth, in which you have believed, may shine upon you. 

The identity of the 'many' seeking good things is ambiguous.  Some commentator see the many as those following the ways of this world, and so linking up to the next verses claim to bounteous harvests.

St Robert Bellarmine summarises the argument thus:

"Many say, Who showeth us good things?" This is a common objection of the carnal, who are numerous, hence "many." When we preach to them the contempt of things here below, and exhort them to innocence and justice, many reply: Who will show us what is good, if the things we see and handle be not good? Who has come up from hell? Who has gone up to heaven?

Psalm 4: Cum invocarem

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, in carminibus. Psalmus David.	Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.
1 Cum invocárem exaudívit me deus justítiæ meæ: * in tribulatióne dilatásti mihi.	When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, you have enlarged me.
2 Miserére mei, * et exáudi oratiónem meam.	Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.
3 Filii hóminum, úsquequo gravi corde? *  ut quid dilígitis vanitátem et quæritis mendácium?	O you sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?
4 Et scitóte quóniam mirificávit dóminus sanctum suum: * dóminus exáudiet me cum clamávero ad eum.	Know also that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.
5 Irascímini, et nolíte peccáre: * quæ dícitis in córdibus vestris, in cubílibus vestris compungímini.	Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
6 Sacrificáte sacrifícium justítiæ, et speráte in dómino, * multi dicunt quis osténdit nobis bona?	Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who shows us good things?
7 Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, dómine: * dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.	The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.
8 A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui * multiplicáti sunt.	By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest
9 In pace in idípsum * dórmiam et requiéscam;	In peace in the self same I will sleep, and I will rest
10 Quóniam tu, dómine, singuláriter in spe * constituísti me.	For you, O Lord, singularly have settled me in hope.

For notes on the next verse, continue on here.

Psalm 4 - verse 5: On rash and righteous anger

Verse 5 of Psalm 4 is a call to repentance: night is a time to ponder our personal darkness, and make up our minds to change for the better.

Understanding the Latin

The Vulgate gives the verse as:

Irascímini, et nolíte peccáre: quæ dícitis in córdibus vestris, in cubílibus vestris compungímini

The key words for the verse are:

irascor, iratus sum, irasci , to be angry or wrathful.

nolo, nolui, nolle  to be unwilling, not to wish, to refuse. 

pecco, avi, atum, are, to sin; to sin against, with dat.

dico, dixi, dictum, ere 3, to say, speak;  to sing;  in the sense of to think, plan, desire; to praise.

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

cubile, is, n. a bed, couch.

compungo, punxi, punctum, ere 3,  to prick; fig., to wound, hurt; in passive, to feel compunction, sorrow, regret, or remorse, to repent. 

A word by word translation might be:

Irascímini (be angry [at yourself]), et (and) nolíte (be unwilling) peccáre (to sin): * quæ (that which/ what) dícitis (you say) in córdibus (in the heart) vestris (your), in cubílibus (in the beds) vestris (your) compungímini (be sorry/repent)

The literal meaning

The selection of English translations below suggest that the literal meaning of the verse is ambiguous: is it saying, 'when angry don't translate your anger into sinful action', as the Monastic Diurnal's translation suggests; or is it a call to righteous anger, aimed at stirring up our consciences?

 

Douay Rheims	Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
Monastic Diurnal	When roused to anger, sin not: what you scheme in your hearts, deplore upon your beds.
RSV	Be angry, but sin not; commune with your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.
Brenton	Be ye angry, and sin not; feel compunction upon your beds for what ye say in your hearts.
Coverdale	Stand in awe, and sin not; commune with your own heart, and in your chamber, and be still.
Knox	Tremble, and sin no more; take thought, as you lie awake, in the silence of your hearts.
Grail	Fear him; do not sin: ponder on your bed and be still.

 In fact the Fathers make clear that both meanings are possible.

Self-control

Anger can of course be a sin, but the point is not to avoid it altogether, but rather to control it appropriately, according to  St Cassiodorus:

The anger which does not effect its indignation is pardonable; in the words of Scripture: He that conquers his anger is better than he that taketh a city.  So the injunction to control it is appended, so that if we are already angry we do not sin through impulsive rashness. Because of human frailty we cannot govern our hot emotions, but with the help of God's grace we contain them with the discipline of reason.

This line of interpretation fits well with St Paul's use of the verse in Ephesians:

Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.  Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. (4:25-27)

 Anger as a tool in the spiritual life

But in the context of the psalm, the more obvious interpretation goes to the positive uses of anger.  St John Chrysostom, for example, argues that righteous anger as a positive, a way of directing our minds to genuine repentance:

He does not dismiss anger, note, for it is useful, nor does he eliminate wrath, this too proving helpful, after all, in dealing with wrongdoers and the negligent…In other words, it is alright to be angry for good rea­son, as Paul too was angry with Elymas, and Peter with Sapphira...

St Augustine gave a vivid application of this line of interpretation of the verse in his Confessions:

And how was I moved, O my God, who had now learned to be angry with myself for the things past, so that in the future I might not sin! Yea, to be justly angry; for that it was not another nature of the race of darkness which sinned for me, as they affirm it to be who are not angry with themselves, and who treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath, and of the revelation of Your righteous judgment.

St Benedict instructs us to take a similar approach in the concluding section of the chapter of the Rule on humility:

[the monk] should always have his head bowed and his eyes downcast, pondering always the guilt of his sins, and considering that he is about to be brought before the dread judgement seat of God. 

St Cassiodorus adds:

What is repentance but being angry with oneself, so that one is aghast at one's deeds, and seeks self-torture so that the angry Judge may not afflict us instead?

In the silence of our bedrooms

The particular appropriateness of the night for the renewal of our commitment to continual repentance through anger at ourselves is set out by St Robert Bellarmine:

St. Basil tells us that anger was implanted in us by God, to be a source of merit. "The things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds;" that is to say, in the dead hour of night, when you shall be alone in your bedchamber, free from all cares; then turn over all your shortcomings, and in God's presence be sorry for them, imitat­ing the example of David himself, who in Psalm 6 says, "Every night I will wash my bed; I will water my couch with my tears," thus carrying out the advice he gave to others.

The Holy Ghost having severely reproved and admon­ished mankind, and advised them to repent, tells them now what they ought to do, and instructs them to have a holy hor­ror of sin, to resist their evil desires, and, by such means, to avoid sin; and, should they happen to fall, at once to be sorry and contrite; and not to stop at the doing no harm, but to go fur­ther, by offering the sacrifice of justice in doing good. "Be angry, and sin not;" that is to say, when your wicked and rebellious temper, the top and bottom of all our sins, stirs us up, let your anger vent itself on your own poor corrupt self; contend with it, so that you shall not fall into sin. 

The call to anger here is not to shouting or violent gestures, but rather to inner compunction.  St Cyprian, for example, points us to the example Hannah (Anna), the mother of Samuel:

And this Hannah in the first book of Kings, who was a type of the Church, maintains and observes, in that she prayed to God not with clamorous petition, but silently and modestly, within the very recesses of her heart. She spoke with hidden prayer, but with manifest faith. She spoke not with her voice, but with her heart, because she knew that thus God hears; and she effectually obtained what she sought, because she asked it with belief. Divine Scripture asserts this, when it says, “She spake in her heart, and her lips moved, and her voice was not heard; and God did hear her.” We read also in the Psalms, “Speak in your hearts, and in your beds, and be ye pierced.” The Holy Spirit, moreover, suggests these same things by Jeremiah, and teaches, saying, “But in the heart ought God to be adored by thee.” On the Lord’s Prayer, c242

Psalm 4: Cum invocarem

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, in carminibus. Psalmus David.	Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.
1 Cum invocárem exaudívit me deus justítiæ meæ: * in tribulatióne dilatásti mihi.	When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, you have enlarged me.
2 Miserére mei, * et exáudi oratiónem meam.	Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.
3 Filii hóminum, úsquequo gravi corde? *  ut quid dilígitis vanitátem et quæritis mendácium?	O you sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?
4 Et scitóte quóniam mirificávit dóminus sanctum suum: * dóminus exáudiet me cum clamávero ad eum.	Know also that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.
5 Irascímini, et nolíte peccáre: * quæ dícitis in córdibus vestris, in cubílibus vestris compungímini.	Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
6 Sacrificáte sacrifícium justítiæ, et speráte in dómino, * multi dicunt quis osténdit nobis bona?	Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who shows us good things?
7 Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, Dómine: * dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.	The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.
8 A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui * multiplicáti sunt.	By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest
9 In pace in idípsum * dórmiam et requiéscam;	In peace in the self same I will sleep, and I will rest
10 Quóniam tu, Dómine, singuláriter in spe * constituísti me.	For you, O Lord, singularly have settled me in hope.

You can find the next part in the series here.

Psalm 4 - verse 4: Christ opens the way

Verse 4 of Psalm 4 arguably introduces a sharper Christological focus to the psalm, telling us that the way to God is through Christ.

Understanding the Latin

The Vulgate reads:

Et scitóte quóniam mirificávit Dóminus sanctum suum: Dóminus exáudiet me cum clamávero ad eum.

The key vocabulary for the verse are:

scio, ivi and ii, itum, ire, to know.

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

mirifico, avi, atum, are  to exalt, to favor wonderfully; to fulfill or accomplish wondrously; to show forth wondrously.

And a literal, a word by word rendering runs as follows:

Et (and) scitóte (know you) quóniam (that) mirificávit (he has exalted) Dóminus (the Lord) sanctum (the only one) suum (his): Dóminus (the Lord) exáudiet (he will hear) me (me) cum (when) clamávero (I shall cry) ad (to) eum (him).

The English translations fall into two camps on this verse: those that view 'sanctum suum' as a reference to Christ (the view mostly taken by the Fathers and Theologians, see below), and those which interpret it as a reference to the saints more generally. 

 

Douay-Rheims	Know also that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful:  the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.
Monastic Diurnal	…has dealt wondrously…
RSV	But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;  the LORD hears when I call to him.
Brenton	But know ye that the Lord has done wondrous things for his holy one:  the Lord will hear me when I cry to him.
Coverdale	Know this also, that the Lord hath chosen to himself the man that is godly;  when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.
Knox	To the souls he loves, be sure the Lord shews wondrous favour;  whenever I call on his name, the Lord will hear me.
Grail	It is the Lord who grants favors to those whom he loves;  the Lord hears me whenever I call him.

 God's holy one

Who is God's holy one?

The Fathers generally interpret this verse first and foremost as a reference to Christ.

St Augustine, for example, answers the question as follows:

Whom but Him, whom He raised up from below, and placed in heaven at His right hand?

In his Confessions, commenting on this verse he says:

And You, O Lord, had already magnified Your Holy One, raising Him from the dead, and setting Him at Your right hand, whence from on high He should send His promise, the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth.  And He had already sent Him, but I knew it not; He had sent Him, because He was now magnified, rising again from the dead, and ascending into heaven. For till then the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.  

 Similarly, St Robert Bellarmine points to the Gospel reference to Christ as the holy one, recognised by demons, and meant to be our example and guide:

Hence the demon, in Mark 1, exclaimed: "I know you are the Holy One of God." And this Holy One went his way, doing good, suffering perse­cutions, despising the things of this world, holding up those of the other, and by such a new route arrived at eternal happiness, corporally reigning in heaven, and spiritually happy forever. And as he is our guide, and went before us to prepare a place for us, undoubtedly, if we walk in his footsteps, we will come to true and everlasting happiness.

Answers to our prayers

The link between the two parts of this verse, according to St Augustine, is that Christ's mission opened the way for us, and allows us to be heard:

Therefore does he chide mankind, that they would turn at length from the love of this world to Him…I believe that we are here warned, that with great earnestness of heart, that is, with an inward and incorporeal cry, we should implore help of God. For as we must give thanks for enlightenment in this life, so must we pray for rest after this life. Wherefore in the person, either of the faithful preacher of the Gospel, or of our Lord Himself, it may be taken, as if it were written, the Lord will hear you, when you cry unto Him.

There are, however, some conditions we need to meet in order to have our prayers answered.

First, St Cassiodorus points to the need to put our belief into action, to supplicate God with good works:

When I shall cry means "When I shall supplicate the Godhead with good works," for the cry is that which reaches God in silence, and ensures that those who constantly devote themselves to good works are heard. 

 Secondly, our intentions must align with God's will, as St John Chrysostom points out:

So why is it, you ask, that many people are not heard? On ac­count of the inappropriate requests they make…our God, who understands what giving is, when to give, and what to give. Because Paul too asked and did not re­ceive, since his request was inappropriate, as did Moses, and God did not accede even to him. So let us not desist when we are not heard, nor be distraught nor become numb, but persist with en­treaty and request. God, after all, does everything for the best.

Psalm 4: Cum invocarem

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, in carminibus. Psalmus David.	Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.
1 Cum invocárem exaudívit me Deus justítiæ meæ: * in tribulatióne dilatásti mihi.	When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, you have enlarged me.
2 Miserére mei, * et exáudi oratiónem meam.	Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.
3 Filii hóminum, úsquequo gravi corde? *  ut quid dilígitis vanitátem et quæritis mendácium?	O you sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?
4 Et scitóte quóniam mirificávit Dóminus sanctum suum: * dóminus exáudiet me cum clamávero ad eum.	Know also that the Lord has made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.
5 Irascímini, et nolíte peccáre: * quæ dícitis in córdibus vestris, in cubílibus vestris compungímini.	Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
6 Sacrificáte sacrifícium justítiæ, et speráte in dómino, * multi dicunt quis osténdit nobis bona?	Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who shows us good things?
7 Signátum est super nos lumen vultus tui, dómine: * dedísti lætítiam in corde meo.	The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: you have given gladness in my heart.
8 A fructu fruménti, vini et ólei sui * multiplicáti sunt.	By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they rest
9 In pace in idípsum * dórmiam et requiéscam;	In peace in the self same I will sleep, and I will rest
10 Quóniam tu, dómine, singuláriter in spe * constituísti me.	For you, O Lord, singularly have settled me in hope.

You cna find the next part in this series here.