Bellarmine on Psalm 50: Verses 15 and 16

1542-1641. Rijksmuseum, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

We continue with the commentary on Psalm 50 written by the great polymath, Scripture scholar and apologist, St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1641).

“One of Bellarmine’s confreres in the College of Cardinals called him ‘the most learned churchman since St. Augustine’and I’d agree with that,” Fr. Baker[1] said. “His knowledge of Scripture and Theology — he seemed to know the entire Bible by heart, plus the teachings not only of nearly every pope, but of many bishops, too! — it’s just astonishing. Bellarmine was truly a polymath.” [From an interview published in the National Catholic Register in September 2017]
[1] Author of a translation of Bellarmine’s Controversies of the Christian Faith, published by Keep the Faith Books (2016)

The Latin is reproduced courtesy of the Digital Collection site  - UANL and is accompanied by my fairly literal translation. The Scripture excerpts (Douay Rheims/Vulgate) are taken from the DRBO site but the verse numbering follows that of Bellarmine’s Latin text.

Verse 15

Deliver me from blood, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall extol thy justice.

Libera me de sanguinibus, Deus, Deus salutis meae, et exsultabit lingua mea justitiam tuam.

David prayed a little before for the washing away of sin and promised he would teach sinners the ways of the Lord; now hwe prays for freedom from the punishment or vengeance, which the blood of Urias, unjustly spilled, call for, and he promises he will give praise to the Lord. But why does he say 

“from bloods” and not rather “from blood” as required in Latin? St Augustine gives as the reason that he wanted to preserve the number he found in the Hebrew text; in Hebrew, the number used is of a multitude, middanim, ti signify a great effusion of blood; so in Genesis iv it says: “the voice of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the earth;” in Hebrew this is “the voice of...bloods,” that is, of much blood shed.Thus in this place is said: “Deliver me from bloods,” that is, deliver me fro the voice of much blood shed by Urias, who, unjustly killed by me, calls unto Thee and exposes me to vengeance against me. He says “deliver me” for he saw that blood of Urias standing before him like an armed soldier. Properly, he adds: “O God, thou God of my salvation:” for it is proper for the Saviour te deliver from imminent danger. And this is the reason he adds: “O God, thou God of my salvation:” for true liberation and salvation was accomplished through the merit of Christ then still prospective but which are now accomplished through Christ’s merits as shown forth. Now the merit of Christ contains justice in an exquisite degree and is such that it deserves to be praised with the greatest effort. And this is what is meant by the Hebrew word therannen for which we have he exalted, that is, he he gave praise by crying out in exultation. St Augustine and other writers understand the word bloods to indicate sins. But, as Euthymius wisely notes, the literal sense must be referred to the blood of Urias. In the spiritual sense, however, blood may be understood to refer to sins, since sins arise from a depraved concupiscence and truly it is in concupiscence that blood chiefly predominates.

Verse 16

O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

Domine, labia mea aperies, et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam.

Now this follows from perfect justification and deliverance from sin, that lips accustomed to praise God, which had been closed up through sin, are opened up again through forgiveness so as to give thanks and praise to the Redeemer. He says, therefore: “O Lord, thou wilt open my lips,” that is, by your kindness and forgiveness of sins, and by restoring faith and joy, “thou wilt open my lips,” and then “my mouth shall declare thy praise,” in preaching mercy and justice, not only to those at the present time  but also to men in times to come.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.