Psalm 50: A commentary by St Thomas Aquinas: Verses 11-12

David singing. J-J Tissot. Jewish Museum (NYC)

Today's post continues a series which presents the commentary St Thomas Aquinas wrote on David's Psalm 50. Through David's penitential words, the Holy Spirit breathes a sublime strengthening of faith, hope and love - for all who have ears to hear.

I am including the original Latin with my translation and notes.

The footnotes follow each section.

[11] Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis, et omnes iniquitates meas dele.

[12] Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within my bowels.

Cor mundum crea in me, Deus, et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis.

[13] Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Ne projicias me a facie tua, et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me.

[14] Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.

Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui, et spiritu principali confirma me.

“Turn away:” Here he asks for the recovery of his innocence; and, because he considers that there is within himself the evil of sin and the good of grace, he asks first for the evil, or sin, to be taken away; and second, he asks for the effect of sin to be taken away, wherein he says: “Create a clean heart in me, O God:” For sin is not taken away as though the sin had not been (committed), but (in the sense that) the sin might not be imputed to him for punishment: “  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin;”[1] And he speaks according to the similitude of the punishing judge, who firstly considers the amount of guilt and afterwards determines the penalty. And so he asks that he should not consider his sin and that he should not be mindful of it; and so he says: “ Turn away thy face from my sins.”

Averte. Hic petit recuperationem innocentiae: et quia considerat in se malum culpae esse, et bonum gratiae; petit primo removeri malum, sive peccatum; secundo petit removeri effectum peccati, ibi, Cor mundum crea in me, Deus. Peccatum enim removetur non hoc modo quod peccatum non fuerit, sed quod non imputetur ei peccatum commissum ad poenam, secundum illud Psalm. 31. Beatus vir cui non imputavit Dominus peccatum. Et loquitur ad similitudinem iudicis punientis, qui primo considerat quantitatem culpae, et postea taxat poenam; et ideo petit ut non consideret peccatum eius, sed fit immemor eius; et ideo dicit: Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis.

[1] Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Beatus vir cui non imputavit Dominus peccatum, nec est in spiritu ejus dolus. [Ps. Xxxi. 2]

Secondly, he asks that punishment should not be inflicted; whence he says,“And blot out all my iniquities.” I know that “I have done evil before thee;” and so I ask “Turn away thy face from my sins,” that is, do not consider my sins for punishment: “ I will not remember all his iniquities.”[2]

Secundo petit ut non inferatur poena, unde dicit: Et omnes iniquitates meas dele; quasi dicat: scio quod malum coram te feci; et ideo rogo ut avertas faciem tuam a peccatis meis, idest non consideres peccata mea ad puniendum. Ezech. 18. "Omnium iniquitatum eius non recordabor."

[2] I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done: in his justice which he hath wrought, he shall live. omnium iniquitatum ejus, quas operatus est, non recordabor : in justitia sua, quam operatus est, vivet.

Also, I have deserved the punishment of damnation, but I ask that you blot it out, for even if God does not change judgement, He nevertheless changes sentence; “(Create) a clean heart (in me, O God). 

Item merui poenam damnationis; sed rogo ut deleas, quia Deus etsi non mutat consilium, tamen sententiam mutat: Cor mundum.

Above, the Psalm asked for sin to be removed; here, however, he asks for the effects of sin to be removed, which are two: namely the defiling of the soul and disorder of the desire. The first happens through this, that a man becomes attached to earthly things; whence he seeks cleanliness of heart: “ Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.”[3]

Supra Psalmus petiit removeri peccatum; hic autem petit removeri effectus peccati, qui sunt duo; scilicet inquinatio animae, et inordinatio affectus. Primus effectus fit per hoc quod homo afficitur ad terrena: unde petit cordis munditiam. Matth. 5. "Beati mundo corde, quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt." 

[3] Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. Beati mundo corde : quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt. [Matt. v. 8]

And so he says: “ Create a clean heart in me, O God: and . . . a right spirit.” God alone is able to restore this cleanliness of heart; “ Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed? is it not thou who only art?”[4] (that is, simply, “clean”).

Et ideo dicit: Cor mundum crea in me, Deus, et spiritum rectum. Istam munditiam cordis solus Deus restituere potest. Iob 14. "quis potest facere mundum de immundo conceptum semine? Nonne tu qui solus es?" scilicet mundus simpliciter.

[4] Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. Beati mundo corde : quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt. [Matt. v. 8]

And he says, “Create.” Something is created into being of nature when it is from nothing produced into being. “ In the beginning God created heaven, and earth.[5]

Et dicit, Crea. Creatur aliquid ad esse naturae, quando ex nihilo producitur ad esse. Gen. 1. "In principio creavit Deus caelum, et terram."

[5] In the beginning God created heaven, and earth. In principio creavit Deus caelum et terram. [Gen. i. 1]

Likewise, when it is produced into the being of grace. “And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, . . . I am nothing.”[6] Now when God operates by the operation of grace in someone who has grace, he is said to magnify him; but when indeed from a sinner he makes a just man, then he is said properly to create: “ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in good works;”[7] and see: “ that we might be some beginning of his creature,”[8] that is, of His spiritual (creature).

Item quando ad esse gratiae producitur. I Cor. 13. "Si habuero prophetiam, et noverim mysteria omnia...nihil sum," in esse gratiae. Sed quando Deus operatur operatione gratiae in habente gratiam, dicitur magnificare eum; quando vero de peccatore facit iustum, tunc dicitur proprie creare. Eph. 2. "Ipsius creatura sumus, creati in Christo Iesu in operibus bonis." Iaco. 1. "Ut sitis initium aliquod creaturae Dei," scilicet spiritualis eius.

[6] And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. Et si habuero prophetiam, et noverim mysteria omnia, et omnem scientiam : et si habuero omnem fidem ita ut montes transferam, caritatem autem non habuero, nihil sum. [I Cor. Xiii. 2]
[7] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them. Ipsius enim sumus factura, creati in Christo Jesu in operibus bonis, quae praeparavit Deus ut in illis ambulemus.[Eph. ii. 10]
[8] For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creature. Voluntarie enim genuit nos verbo veritatis, ut simus initium aliquod creaturae ejus. [Iac. i. 18]

According to what follows from sin, there is a disorder of the mind that is produced by a turning away from its due end. In this way, therefore, through turning to some changeable good, the souls is made unclean through turning away from its sue end. And in this way is rectitude opposed to to disorder, whereby man is directed to God: “The righteous love thee.” 1 And so he says: “and renew a right spirit;” that is, grant it anew, for I have lost it through sin: “ Be renewed in the spirit of your mind;” 2 And renew not outwardly but “within my bowels,” so that not only may the lips be made for speaking, but the heart may be made right for knowing.

Secundum quod sequitur ex peccato, est inordinatio mentis, quae fit per aversionem a fine debito. Sicut ergo per conversionem ad aliquod commutabile bonum animus efficitur immundus, ita per aversione a fine deordinatur; et huiusmodi deordinationi opponitur rectitudo qua homo dirigitur in Deum. I Cant. 1. "Recti diligunt te." Et ideo dicit: Et spiritum rectum innova; idest, de novo tribuas, quia per peccatum amisi. Ephes. 4. "Renovamini spiritu mentis vestrae." Et innova non exterius, sed in visceribus meis, ut scilicet non labia tantum ad loquendum, sed cor fit rectum ad cognoscendum.

[9] Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments. The king hath brought me into his storerooms: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, remembering thy breasts more than wine: the righteous love thee. CHORUS ADOLESCENTULARUM. Trahe me, post te curremus in odorem unguentorum tuorum. Introduxit me rex in cellaria sua; exsultabimus et laetabimur in te, memores uberum tuorum super vinum. Recti diligunt te. [I Cant. i. 3]
[10] And be renewed in the spirit of your mind: Renovamini autem spiritu mentis vestrae. [Eph. iv. 23]

 Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.