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| David singing. J-J Tissot. Jewish Museum (NYC) |
I am including the original Latin, together with my translation and notes.
The footnotes follow each section.
[15] I will teach the unjust thy ways: and the wicked shall be converted to thee.
Docebo iniquos vias tuas, et impii ad te convertentur.
“I will teach.” Above, the Psalmist offers up his petitions to God; here, however, he promises again a making of amends; and first he promises what he is about to do for God in the present; second, in the future, where (he says) “ favourably;”[1] Concerning the first, he does two things: first, he promises to God certain spiritual sacrifices; second, he excuses himself from meat offerings, where he says: “For if thou hadst desired (sacrifice);”[2] He promises a twofold sacrifice to God: first, through teaching, by which his neighbour is instructed; second, he promises a spiritual sacrifice of lauds (praises), through which God may be praised, where he says: “ Deliver me . . .”
Docebo. Supra Psalmista proposuit suas petitiones Deo; hic autem repromittit recompensationem: et primo promittit quid fit facturus pro Deo in praesenti; secundo in futuro, ibi, Benigne. Circa primum duo facit. Primo promittit Deo quaedam spiritualia sacrificia; secundo excusat se ab oblatione carnalium, ibi, Quoniam si voluisses. Duplex sacrificium spirituale Deo promittit; scilicet doctrinae per quod instruatur proximus; secundo promittit spirituale sacrificium laudis, per quod laudetur Deus, ibi, Libera me.
[1] Deal favourably, O Lord, in thy good will with Sion; that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up. Benigne fac, Domine, in bona voluntate tua Sion, ut aedificentur muri Jerusalem. [Ps. l. 20]
[2] For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it: with burnt offerings thou wilt not be delighted. Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium, dedissem utique; holocaustis non delectaberis. [Ps. l. 18]
Therefore he says: “I will teach the unjust thy ways.” And it is to be noted what he said above in another Psalm: “ To the sinner God hath said: Why dost thou declare my justices, and take my covenant in thy mouth?”[3] By which he shows that it is not proper for a sinner to propagate teaching.
Dicit ergo: Docebo iniquos vias tuas. Et notandum, quod supra in alio Psalmo dixit (49) Peccatori dixit Deus: Quare tu enarras iustitias meas, et assumis nomen meum per os tuum? Per quod ostendit quod peccatorem non decet doctrinam effundere.
[3] But to the sinner God hath said: Why dost thou declare my justices, and take my covenant in thy mouth? Peccatori autem dixit Deus : Quare tu enarras justitias meas? et assumis testamentum meum per os tuum? [Ps. Xxxxix. 16]
And so, for as long as he perceived himself a sinner, he promised not to give out teaching; but, afterwards, God restored to him a perfect spirit; it is proper for such to have teaching and to give it to others: “ And I will give you pastors according to my own heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and doctrine.”[4]
Et ideo quamdiu sensit se peccatorem, non promisit doctrinam manifestare; sed postquam restituit ei Deus spiritum principalem: et tales decet doctrinam habere, et alios docere. Hier. 3. "Dabo vobis pastorem iuxta cor meum, qui pascet vos scientia, et doctrina."
[4] And I will give you pastors according to my own heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and doctrine. Et dabo vobis pastores juxta cor meum, et pascent vos scientia et doctrina. [Hierem. Iii. 15]
And about Christ it is said in the Acts: “ Jesus began to do and to teach;”[5] Now the fruit of this teaching is not only observation of the truth, unto a blessed contemplation, but its intended end is the conversion of sinners. And so he says: “ And the wicked shall be converted to thee.” See Jeremias: “They shall be turned to thee, and thou shalt not be turned to them.”[6] And Psalm xxi: All the gentiles shall be converted to God.[7] And according to the Gloss, he calls the same wicked and unjust, although David understands that they are called unjust who sin against God; and so, significantly, he says “ I will teach the unjust,” as if he might say: Even if some revere God, yet they do unjust things against their neighbour; and these I will teach your ways, that is, that they should not offend their neighbour. See: “ This commandment we have from God, that he, who loveth God, love also his brother.”[8]
Et de Christo dicitur Acto. 1. 'Coepit Iesus facere, & (postea) docere." Fructus autem huius doctrinae non est tantum speculatio veritatis ad beatam contemplationem, sed intentus finis eius est conversio peccatorum: et ideo dicit: Et impii ad te convertentur. Hierem. 15 "Ipsi convertentur ad te, et tu non converteris ad eos." Psalm. 21. Convertentur ad Dominum omnes gentes. Et secundum Glo. eosdem dicit impios, et iniquos, quamvis David intelligat quod iniqui dicuntur qui peccant contra Deum; et ideo signanter dicit, Docebo iniquos, quasi dicat: Aliqui etsi revereantur Deum, tamen operantur contra proximum, et iniusta; et hos docebo vias tuas, scilicet ut non offendant proximum. Pr. Ioan. 4. "Mandatum habemus a Deo ut qui diligit Deum, diligat et fratrem suum."
[5] The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, of all things which Jesus began to do and to teach. Primum quidem sermonem feci de omnibus, o Theophile, quae coepit Jesus facere, et docere. [Act. I. 132]
[6] Therefore thus saith the Lord: If thou wilt be converted, I will convert thee, and thou shalt stand before my face; and if thou wilt separate the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: they shall be turned to thee, and thou shalt not be turned to them. Propter hoc haec dicit Dominus : Si converteris, convertam te, et ante faciem meam stabis : et si separaveris pretiosum a vili, quasi os meum eris : convertentur ipsi ad te, et tu non converteris ad eos. [Hierem. xv. 19]
[7] All the ends of the earth shall remember, and shall be converted to the Lord: And all the kindreds of the Gentiles shall adore in his sight. Reminiscentur et convertentur ad Dominum universi fines terrae; et adorabunt in conspectu ejus universae familiae gentium; [Ps. Xxi. 28]
[8] And this commandment we have from God, that he, who loveth God, love also his brother. Et hoc mandatum habemus a Deo : ut qui diligit Deum, diligat et fratrem suum. [I. Ioan. iv. 21]
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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