Bellarmine on Psalm 31: Title and subject matter

Today we continue St Robert Bellarmine's commentaries on the Penitential Psalms. The next posts will present Psalm 31, the second in the series.

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.

Where footnotes are included, the text follows each verse.

Psalm XXXI: Title and subject matter

To David himself, understanding.

Ipsi David intellectus.

This title refers to David after committing sin, when through the grace of God the eyes of his mind were opened so that he might see how gravely he had sinned; something to which previously he was blinded by carnal desire and was unable to see. The same title shows the subject matter is obscure and that, in order to penetrate its meaning, an effort of the intellect is necessary. This Psalm was numbered in the canon of seven penitential Psalms by St Gregory,[1] when David was totally overwhelmed by weeping in his own sin and in urging men to penitence.

[1] 540-604 AD

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.