Today, we append St Robert Bellarmine's alternative reading of Psalm 37, where he notes briefly how the Psalm may be applied to Christ, most particularly in His Passion.
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 at the end of the post.
Christ speaks of His body, which is the Church, and demands freedom for her.
2. For thy arrows are fastened in me: and thy hand hath been strong upon me.
He says with justice that he seeks freedom for the Church since He received in Himself the arrows of God’s wrath which pertain to her.
3. There is no health in my flesh, because of thy wrath: there is no peace for my bones, because of my sins.
He describes His Passion generally, because of which there was no health in Him from the sole of His foot to the top of His head. Although He says “because of my sins”, not any which He committed but those which He took on Himself to be punished Himself.
4. For my iniquities are gone over my head: and as a heavy burden are become heavy upon me.
He says that there is no health in Him, from the sole of His foot to the top of His head, because the sins, which He took on Himself for expiation, are so numerous and so serious that His head is overwhelmed because of their number, and they were as lead because of their weight.
5. My sores are putrified and corrupted, because of my foolishness.
6. I am become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I walked sorrowful all the day long.
7. For my loins are filled with illusions; and there is no health in my flesh.
He says this of His own body, lamenting the corruption of the human race, just as when someone says: I hurt in my feet, my hands and my stomach; the head is what speaks but it does not speak of the pain which it suffers in itself, but of that which it has in its members and in its body.
Here He begins to recount in order His Passion. These words relate to the prayer in the Garden.
9. Lord, all my desire is before thee, and my groaning is not hidden from thee.
10. My heart is troubled, my strength hath left me, and the light of my eyes itself is not with me.
These words relate to this very prayer, in which He prays that the chalice should pass from Him,[1] and He began to be troubled, to tremble, to feel sick and sorrowful. And so that He might experience the bitterness of His imminent passion, He did not want the virtue and light of divine consolation to flow into His lower part, and so an angel from Heaven appeared, comforting Him.
11. My friends and my neighbours have drawn near, and stood against me.
This was fulfilled in His friend, Judas, and the Jews, His neighbours, when they arrested Him.
12. And they that were near me stood afar off
This was fulfilled in the Apostles, who fled, and in Peter, who followed at a distance.
And they that sought my soul used violence.
This is fulfilled in the Council of the priests, carefully seeking out false witnesses, so that they might be rid of Him.
13. And they that sought my soul used violence. And they that sought evils to me spoke vain things, and studied deceits all the day long.
This relates to the same Council.
15. And I became as a man that heareth not: and that hath no reproofs in his mouth.
These words are fulfilled to the letter in Christ, who firstly before Caiphas, then before Pilate and Herod, put up no defence but as a lamb before his shearer He was dumb, as prophesied by Isaias.[2]
16. For in thee, O Lord, have I hoped: thou wilt hear me, O Lord my God.
This relates to the same silence; so He was silent before men but He did not stay silent before God, from whom He looked for the reward, the salvation of His people.
17. For I said: Lest at any time my enemies rejoice over me: and whilst my feet are moved, they speak great things against me.
Christ maintained His perfect patience, lest impatience might cause His enemies to rejoice who, while His feet were moved, that is, while His infirmity was shown forth to the world, spoke great things about Him, saying: “ If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up to thee;”[3] and “ We have found this man perverting our nation.”[4]
18. For I am ready for scourges: and my sorrow is continually before me.
We know this was fulfilled to the letter in the scourging, buffeting and crowing with thorns.
19. For I will declare my iniquity: and I will think for my sin.
He says He will declare His sin which, as has been said, He did not commit but took upon Himself for expiation; and He will think, that is, anxiously, on blotting out the punishment for it; which He did when “ his own self bore our sins in his body upon the tree.”[5]
This s fulfilled when the princes and the priests, thinking they have already obtained victory, rejoice and insult the Crucified.
21. They that render evil for good, have detracted me, because I followed goodness.
When, for example, they said to the One hanginfg on the Cross, “ Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God;” and “come down from the cross.”[6]
22. Forsake me not, O Lord my God: do not thou depart from me.
These words, that we have discussed, were spoken by Christ on the Cross when He said: “ My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”[7] As though he might say: If Thou hast forsaken me for now, as regards consolation, may Thou not forsake me as regards my Resurrection.
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