Bellarmine on Psalm 50: Verses 7 and 8

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 followed 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 7

For behold thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me.

Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti; incerta et occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi.

Here is the fifth reason, which arises from the truth and simplicity which was always in David’s heart which God, Who is truth, loved exceedingly and on account of which He revealed to David many future mysteries; for, as St John Chrysostom teaches at length on this text, there is scarcely any mystery touching Christ and the Church which David does not foresee and foretell in the Psalms. David, therefore, recalls this truth on account of which he knew so many divine mysteries and because he had persevered in that truth, by confessing his sin in simplicity, then asks from God the forgiveness of his sin: “For behold thou hast loved truth:” that is, Thou God hast always loved truth and sincerity of heart, just as Thou hast always hated duplicity and perversity. “The uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me,” that is, because Thou lovest truth and Thou hast found in me truth and goodness, therefore Thou hast revealed to me many divine mysteries, most secret and most hidden, and these are signs of Thy infinite wisdom. The word uncertain does not mean the divine mysteries are uncertain, that is, questionable in themselves, as though they might not happen; but uncertain and open to question by us as when we say: to men, the day of judgement is uncertain, not because it is not certain the day of judgement will come to pass, but because it is uncertain to us when it will happen. In the original text, the Hebrew word means hidden or covered over. And so the uncertain and hidden things of divine wisdom are said to be those things which divine wisdom ordained from eternity to be accomplished in their own time; but which are covered over and hidden before they are accomplished, unless revealed by a special privilege.

Verse 8

Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

Asperges me hyssopo, et mundabor; lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.

Here he reveals one of the “uncertain and hidden things” of the divine wisdom: that in the time of the New Testament men would be sprinkled with clean water and be justified completely; but he is alluding to a ceremony which is described in Chapter iii. of Numbers, where three things are said to be necessary for expiation: the ashes of a red heifer

sacrificed in a whole burnt offering, water mixed with the ashes and hyssop, with which the water was sprinkled. By the ashes of the red heifer is signified the death of Christ; by the water, Baptism; by the hyssop, faith, for the hyssop plant is humble, having roots in rock. Now in a typical expiation, the water cleansed, but taking its power from the ashes of the slaughtered heifer and the hyssop which sprinkled it. Just as in Baptism, the water cleanses, but taking its power from the death and merits of Christ, and applied through faith. To these expiations, therefore, David makes reference whether to that which prefigures or to that which is prefigured, when he says: “Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed;” for he seeks that purgation which he knew was prefigured through the expiation of water sprinkled with hyssop, the fulfilment of which in Baptism he foresaw and foretold; and so that he might show that God was the primary Author of that expiation, he says: “Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop,” and not “the priest will sprinkle me with hyssop;” and so he demonstrates that the expiation of Baptism will be perfect, for it truly removes sin rather than ceasing to impute sin to the sinner; and the sins are no more, not only taken away; for truly Baptism infuses copious grace. He adds: “Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.” See St Augustine, Quaest. Super Num. Chapter xxxiii, and Theodoretus. [Theodoret of Antioch, in Greek: Θεοδώρητος, "God given", also Hieromartyr Theodoretus, was a Syrian Christian priest of Antioch who was martyred in Antioch during the reign of emperor Julian the Apostate in the fourth century.]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.