Hebrew Psalm No. 21
(Psalm No. 20 in the Vulgate)
1 To the choirmaster, a psalm of David. The previous Psalm was sung when the king left for some expedition; this one was sung after his return, to thank God for the victory He had granted him. 2 Lord, the king rejoices in your strength, as your salvation fills him with gladness. 3 You have given him the desire of his heart, you have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. What could a Christian desire more ardently than union with God, the source of his happiness? 4 For you have bestowed exquisite blessings upon him; you have placed upon his head a crown of pure gold. 5 He was asking for your life (terrestrial), You gave it to him, for long days, forever and in perpetuity. 6 His glory is great through your help; you bestow splendor and majesty upon him. Your gifts are a great glory to him, surrounding him with great splendor. 7 You make him a blessing forever; you fill him with joy in your presence. You will ensure that he is blessed and that he blesses (Genesis 12, 2. 3. 22, 18). You will shower him with blessings, and through him you will bless others. 8 because the king trusts in the Lord and by kindness He will not waver from the Most High. 9 Your hand, O king, will reach all your enemies, your right hand will reach those who hate you. 10 You will make them like a blazing furnace; on the day you show your face, the Lord will destroy them in his anger, and fire will devour them. You will give them up to the fire when you appear for judgment. 11 You will wipe from the earth their descendants and their race from among the children of men. as punishment for the harm they intended to do to you. 12 They have plotted ruin against you; they have devised wicked schemes, but they will be powerless. 13 For you will make their backs turn; you will aim your arrows at their foreheads. 14 Arise, Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.
Hebrew Psalm No. 22
(Psalm No. 21 in the Vulgate)
1 To the choirmaster, according to The Doe of the Dawn, a psalm of David. The ancient Jews recognized that it is the Messiah who speaks in the following Psalm, and this is confirmed by the express and formal testimonies of the Apostles (John 19:24; Hebrews 2:11, 12) and of Jesus Christ himself (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34), as well as the entire content of the Psalm, which cannot be applied either to David or to any other person mentioned in the history of the people of Israel, unless the most manifest violence is done to the words, while it is in perfect agreement with all the circumstances of the life and passion of Jesus Christ. 2 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? I groan, and salvation remains far from me. Thus lamented Jesus on the cross (Matthew 21:46). Having willed to endure all kinds of torment, even the most cruel torment of the soul, the feeling of abandonment by God, it came to pass that His divine nature withdrew all consolation from human nature and abandoned it to its sufferings. Now, from this resulted for Jesus the greatest of all torments, the torment known as the abandonment by God, and of which only truly holy souls can conceive (Jerome, Theodoret). What sins did Jesus have? None. He made our sins His own sins (John 1, 29), so that he might suffer the punishment: for he was covered with wounds because of our iniquities, crushed because of our transgressions (Isaiah 53 ; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus therefore complains here on behalf of all guilty humanity. 3 My God, I cry out during the day and you do not answer, at night and I have no rest. Day and night are set forever. 4 Yet you are holy, you dwell among the hymns of Israel. From where help has always come, and from where redemption will still come now, namely the redemption of humankind, not the redemption from death. 5 In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. 6 They cried out to you and were saved; they trusted in you and were not put to shame. 7 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone and rejected by the people. And that is why I am in great need of help. Jesus Christ, although the Son of God, was also the Son of Man; through his mother, according to his human nature, he was of the lineage of Abraham and the offspring of David. Therefore, in representing to his Heavenly Father the abandonment in which he was left, he could appeal to the help that his earthly ancestors had received from him. 8 All who see me mock me; they open their lips and shake their heads. 9 Let him surrender himself to the Lord; let the Lord save him and deliver him, since he loves him. 10 Yes, it is you who took me from my mother's womb, who made me trust in my mother's breasts. 11 From birth I was abandoned to you, from my mother's womb, you are my God. 12 Do not leave me, for anguish is near, for no one comes to my aid. 13 Around me are many bulls, the forts of Bashan surround me. Images of powerful enemies, high priests and pagan soldiers. Bashan is a region east of the Jordan, rich in pastures, where wild bulls of remarkable strength were raised. 14 They open their mouths against me, like a tearing, roaring lion. 15 I am like flowing water (that is to say, my strength has vanished) and all my bones are dislocated (dislocated from their joints, as happened in crucifixion), My heart is like wax; it melts within me. (figure of anguish and fear. See 2 Samuel 17:10). 16 My strength has dried up like a shard of clay and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. You led me to the very edge of the tomb. 17 For dogs surround me, a band of evil men prowl around me; they have pierced my feet and my hands, The Prophet recounts, one by one, the circumstances of the Savior's crucifixion. 18 I could count all my bones. They stare at me, they gaze at me, 19 they divide my clothes among themselves, they cast lots for my tunic. Let the Christian, in relation to these passages, recall to his memory the situation of the Savior, and appropriate to himself, by the liveliness of his faith, the sufferings which he endured; or else, let him remember his own sufferings, and offer them to the heavenly Father with love and confidence, in union with those of Jesus Christ. 20 And you, Lord, do not be far from me. You who are my strength, come quickly to my aid. 21 Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog. The sword is generally associated with violence. Deliver me from the violence of my enemies, if indeed that is your will. The dog is a symbol for enemies driven by a desire for revenge. 22 Save me from the lion's mouth, pull me out from the horns of the buffalo. From this verse onwards, the divine supplicant moves from prayer to confidence that he will be heard, and that his torments will come to an end, and he makes known what he will do in gratitude for his deliverance. 23 Then I will declare your name to my brothers, in the midst of the assembly, I will praise you: It is only through Jesus that men have come to know God as Father and to love him. John 17:3. 24 «You who fear the Lord, praise him. All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him. Revere him, all you descendants of Israel. You Israelites, who are the firstfruits of the new Church, founded by Christ. 25 For he did not despise or reject the suffering of the afflicted, nor did he hide his face from them; and when the afflicted cried out to him, he heard. 26 Through you, my song will resound in the great assembly; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear you. Verse 27 speaks of a fraternal meal, which was always followed by some sacrifice promised by vow, and even by a sacrifice offered in thanksgiving (see Psalm 61:9; 116:14-18). In these sacrifices, the fatty parts of the victim were consumed by fire on the altar; the remainder, after the portion due to the priest had been set aside, was served at sacred meals, in which the the poor and the poor. These meals, say St. Augustine and St. Jerome, signify nothing other than the adorable sacrifice of the Mass, where Jesus Christ offers himself each day, through the hands of the priests, to his Father who is in heaven, in order to recognize in the most perfect way his divine majesty, and to render infinite thanks for the infinite blessings with which God the Father fills redeemed men. 27 The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him. May your hearts live forevermore. This is how the members of the new Church are designated (Matthew 5, 3. 6; Luke 12, 32. 4. 18). This meal requires especially poverty of spirit, because only the humble heart can humble itself and bend its intelligence before this mystery. 28 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him. All the peoples of the earth will remember the original revelation from which they strayed to worship idols, and will return to the Lord. 29 For the kingdom belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. All humanity must be subjected to the rule of the Lord, and devoted to Him once again. 30 The mighty of the earth will eat and worship, and all who go down to the dust will bow before him, those who cannot prolong their lives. Even the wealthy, in this new kingdom, will no longer be scorners of God, but his worshippers. The expressions "eat and worship" denote the use, guided by the fear of God, of the gifts and riches received from him. According to St. Cyprian, there is also an allusion to the adorable sacrifice, which serves as nourishment and is simultaneously the object of our adoration. 31 Posterity will serve him, and future generations will be told about the Lord. 32 They will come and proclaim his righteousness; to a people yet unborn, they will tell what he has done. The Lord will be revealed in the next generation. Following the Holy Fathers, the apostles will announce him, etc.
Hebrew Psalm No. 23
(Psalm No. 22 in the Vulgate)
1 Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. The Sacred Singer compares God to a shepherd who is full of concern for all the needs of his flock. God not only provides us with what is necessary for our temporal needs, but he also gives us, like our food and sustenance, his word and his grace. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside refreshing waters, the torrents of his consolations. See John 4:10; 7:38 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in the right paths for his name's sake. like a good shepherd, who brings the lost sheep back to the fold. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me. Amidst the dangers of death of body and soul, your guidance, your conduct, is the source of my consolation, my hope. St. Jerome distinguishes between the rod (the staff) and the staff, and he believes that the staff signifies the duty of vigilance, and the rod that of the correction that must be used towards the sheep. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Like an attentive host, you have prepared a feast for me despite my enemies, who, so to speak, spy on me without being able to disturb my happiness. According to St. Cyprian, St. Ambrose, and others, by this table we must understand the Lord's table, at which we draw strength against our evil inclinations, our temptations, and all the enemies of our salvation. It was customary at feasts to pour perfumes on the guests (see Luke 7:46; Amos 6:6). In a spiritual sense, this refers to the anointing of grace by the Holy Spirit. The chalice filled with excellent and fortifying wine is not lacking at this feast; often God intoxicates his servants with joy and delight even in this world. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Your grace anticipates my will, accompanies it, and accomplishes with it all my good deeds. The grace of God, says St. Augustine, anticipates man so that he may will, and then accompanies his will so that he may not keep watch in vain.
Hebrew Psalm No. 24
(Psalm No. 23 in the Vulgate)
1 A Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. The subject of this Psalm: The Lord, creator of the earth (vv. 1, 2), before whom only the righteous are worthy to appear (3-6), enters the sanctuary (the holy tabernacle) erected on Mount Zion (2 Samuel 6:1; Chronicles 15) (7-10). Following the common understanding of the Holy Fathers, the psalm also refers to the entry of Jesus Christ into heaven. 2 For it is he who founded it upon the seas, who established it upon the rivers. Men build only on dry land; God has established the foundations of the universe on the seas and rivers, a shining proof of his omnipotence. 3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? In the sanctuary of God, in heaven. It is the holy tabernacle which is designated here in the immediate sense, but it must be understood at the same time, in the more distant sense, as the kingdom of God and heaven. 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not give his soul to falsehood and does not swear deceitfully. He who does not yearn for vain things, but for true goods (Augustine) 5 He will receive blessing from the Lord, righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah. That's the breed of people who act this way. 7 Gates, lift up your lintels, be lifted up you ancient gates, that the King of glory may enter. You, leaders of the temple (of the holy tabernacle), open its doors. In a more elevated sense: Open, O angels, the gates of eternity to the Son of God, who enters triumphantly into heaven. This is how all the Fathers of the Church and the Church in its liturgy interpret it. The King of glory is himself glorious, and he shares his glory with others. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord God of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Hebrew Psalm No. 25
(Psalm No. 24 in the Vulgate)
1 Psalm of David. ALEPH. To you, Lord, I lift up my soul, my God. This psalm is the first of those called acrostics, because, in the Hebrew language, each verse begins with a letter of the alphabet. 2 Beth. In you I trust: let me not be put to shame. Let not my enemies rejoice over me. Let the Christian, in his prayer, remember, in connection with these and similar passages against enemies, his bad habits and faults, which he must fight and exterminate as his most dangerous enemies, or even the powers of hell, which do not tire of putting his salvation in peril, or of undermining it entirely. 3 GHIMEL. No, none of those who hope in you will be put to shame; those who are faithless without cause will be put to shame. This prayer, and others like it that the saints address to God, are not vows inspired by hatred and a desire for revenge, but predictions of the treatment God will inflict upon the hardened and unrepentant sinners who have persecuted his saints. They are prophecies inspired by God. Consequently, we must not take them as rules for our conduct; far from it, it is our duty to forgive our enemies and to pray to God that He will not treat them as they have treated us. 4 DALETH. Lord, make me know your ways, teach me your paths. 5 HE. Lead me in your truth, VAV. and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for you. 6 ZAÏN. Remember your mercy, Lord, and your goodness, for they are from of old. 7 Heth. Do not remember the sins of my youth nor my transgressions; remember me according to your mercy, because of your goodness, O Lord, 8 Teth. The Lord is good and upright; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He will teach sinners, who have strayed from the way, what they must do to return to him. 9 YOD. He leads the humble in righteousness, he teaches the humble his way. 10 CAPH. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his commandments. All of the Lord's actions are proof of his grace and faithfulness, that is, of the fulfillment of his promises. 11 LAMED. Because of your name, Lord, you will forgive my iniquity, for it is great. It is God who takes care of everything, who protects and delivers; the Lord is the liberating God. 12 MEM. Who is the man who fears the Lord? The Lord shows him the way he should choose. To this man filled with his fear, God will give instructions to guide him in the conduct he should follow. 13 NUN. His soul rests in happiness and his posterity will possess the land. He will be filled with temporal and spiritual blessings; for he who seeks the kingdom of God receives in addition all that is necessary for his temporal needs (Matthew 6:33). 14 SAMECH. The Lord's intimacy is with those who fear him; he makes known to them the blessings of his covenant. 15 AIN. My eyes are ever fixed on the Lord, for it is he who will deliver my feet from the snare. Even when the world and Satan surround him with their snares, the God-fearing man, through vigilance and prayer, always hopes for God's help. 16 PHE. Look upon me and have pity on me, for I am forsaken and afflicted. 17 TZADE. The anguish of my heart is great; deliver me from my distress. 18 See my misery and my pain, and forgive all my sins. 19 RESCH. See how many are my enemies and what violent hatred they have for me. 20 SHIN. Guard my soul and save me. Let me not be put to shame, for I have placed my trust in you. 21 TABH. May innocence and uprightness protect me, for I hope in you. 22 O God, deliver Israel from all its troubles. Israel: your chosen people, now Christians.
