Psalm 50: A commentary by St Thomas Aquinas: Verse 17

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, together with my translation and notes.

The footnotes follow each section.

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

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

“O Lord, thou wilt open my lips.” Now it should be understood that man is sometimes blocked from instruction on account of an obstruction to speaking inwardly; and this sometimes happens on account of the fault of the listeners: “ I will make thy tongue stick fast to the roof of thy mouth, and thou shalt be dumb;”[1] and below: “ because they are a provoking house;” and on account of (his) particular sin: “ All iniquity shall stop their mouth.”[2] Because therefore God alone “made the tongues of infants eloquent;”[3] and so he asks: O Lord, take away from my lips  the hindrances which I have incurred through sin; and thou wilt open my lips: “ And for me, that speech may be given me, that I may open my mouth with confidence, to make known the mystery of the gospel.”[4]

Domine, labia mea aperies. Est autem sciendum, quod homo aliquando impeditur a doctrina etiam propter impedimentum interius loquendi; et hoc contingit aliquando propter culpam auditorum. Ezech. 3. "Linguam tuam adhaerere faciam palato tuo; et eris mutus. Et infra. "Quia domus exasperans est." Et propter proprium peccatum. Psalm. 106. Omnis iniquitas oppilabit os suum. Quia ergo solus Deus "linguas infantium fecit disertas:" Sapien. 10. ideo petit: Domine, remove impedimenta quae incurri per peccatum, a labiis meis; et tu Labia mea aperies. Ephe. ult. "Ut detur mihi sermo in apertione oris mei, cum fiducia notum facere mysterium Evangelii."

[1] And I will make thy tongue stick fast to the roof of thy mouth, and thou shalt be dumb, and not as a man that reproveth: because they are a provoking house. Et linguam tuam adhaerere faciam palato tuo, et eris mutus, nec quasi vir objurgans, quia domus exasperans est. [Ezech. iii. 26]
[2] The just shall see, and shall rejoice, and all iniquity shall stop their mouth. Videbunt recti, et laetabuntur; et omnis iniquitas oppilabit os suum. [Ps. Cvi. 42]
[3] For wisdom opened the mouth of the dumb, and made the tongues of infants eloquent. quoniam sapientia aperuit os mutorum, et linguas infantium fecit disertas. [Sap. x. 21]
[4] And for me, that speech may be given me, that I may open my mouth with confidence, to make known the mystery of the gospel. et pro me, ut detur mihi sermo in apertione oris mei cum fiducia, notum facere mysterium Evangelii : [Eph. vi. 19]

But it should be noted that in the opening of the mouth is understood the depth of instruction, wherever in the Scriptures is found the opening of the mouth: “ After this Job opened his mouth;” [5] and see Matthew: “ And opening his mouth, (he taught them),”[6] namely, in the deep things of Scripture; and then “my mouth shall declare thy praise;” as if might say, What I have in my heart, I shall confess with my mouth.

Est autem notandum, quod in apertione oris intelligitur doctrinae profunditas, ubicumque in Scripturis invenitur apertio oris; ut Iob 3. "Post haec aperuit Iob os suum." Et Matth. 5. "Aperiens Iesus os suum," scilicet in profunditatem Scripturae. Et tunc os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam; quasi dicat: Quod in corde habeo, ore confitebor.

[5] After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day, Post haec aperuit Job os suum, et maledixit diei suo. [Iob iii. 1]
[6] And opening his mouth, he taught them, saying: et aperiens os suum docebat eos dicens : [Matt. v. 2]

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