Bellarmine on Psalm 129: Verses 7-8 (Conclusion)

Today we conclude St Robert Bellarmine's commentary on Psalm 129, the sixth of the Seven Penitential Psalms.

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 section.

Verse 7

Because with the Lord there is mercy: and with him plentiful redemption.

quia apud Dominum misericordia, et copiosa apud eum redemptio.

He puts forward a reason why we should always trust in God and at the same time foretells the redemption of the human race which will take place through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. We can justly hope in the Lord all day and all night long, for with Him “there is mercy.” There are indeed works of mercy outside of God, whence it is said: “The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord,”[1] and elsewhere, “Thy mercy ... even ... unto the clouds;”[2] for there is in pious men a certain participation in mercy; but this mercy is really found in God, and it reposes in His heart alone, for mercy bears away misery; and who can take away misery except Him who cannot be miserable? Who is able to cure all deficiencies except Him who has no deficiencies and is omnipotent? This pertains properly to God alone, and the Prophet says the same thing: “Thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild: and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon thee.”[3]  And so quite rightly holy mother Church is accustomed in her prayers to address God as: “Almighty and merciful God;” and we should not only hope in God because with Him “there is mercy,” but also because there is “with him plentiful redemption;” for God’s mercy had determined to be merciful to the human race and, so that he might satisfy justice, he offered a great price, namely the blood of His only begotten Son, which would be sufficient to redeem all those in captivity. For a man could sell himself into sin, and by divine justice be subjected to being tortured by the devil, to whom the man had given consent unto sin; but he could not in any way redeem himself, nor free himself from the power of the devil. What man, however, was unable to do, the divine mercy effected, so that it might be accomplished through the blood of the

Only-begotten. But this redemption was with God when this Psalm was written. That is, in the counsel and decree of God; now, however, “the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord,” when every day the price is being expended in the redemption of captives, whence the Apostle says: “ You are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear God in your body;”[4] and even more clearly  Blessed Peter says: “ Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver … :But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled.”[5] This redemption is called plentiful, not only because “He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world;”[6] but because not only by this price are we redeemed from captivity but also we are led forth to share in the inheritance and kingdom. So that we may be “ heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ.”[7]

[1] He loveth mercy and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord. Diligit misericordiam et judicium; misericordia Domini plena est terra. [Ps. Xxxii. 5]
[2] Vide, e.g., For thy mercy is magnified even to the heavens: and thy truth unto the clouds. quoniam magnificata est usque ad caelos misericordia tua, et usque ad nubes veritas tua. [Ps. Lvi. 11]
[3] For thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild: and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon thee. Quoniam tu, Domine, suavis et mitis, et multae misericordiae omnibus invocantibus te. [ps. Lxxxv. 5]
[4] For you are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear God in your body. Empti enim estis pretio magno. Glorificate, et portate Deum in corpore vestro. [I Cor. vi. 20]

[5] Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver, from your vain conversation of the tradition of your fathers: Scientes quod non corruptibilibus, auro vel argento, redempti estis de vana vestra conversatione paternae traditionis :But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled, sed pretioso sanguine quasi agni immaculati Christi, et incontaminati : [I Pet. I. 18-19]

[6] And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. et ipse est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris : non pro nostris autem tantum, sed etiam pro totius mundi. [I Ioan. ii. 2]

[7] And if sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ: yet so, if we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him. Si autem filii, et haeredes : haeredes, quidem Dei, cohaeredes autem Christi : si tamen compatimur ut et conglorificemur. [Rom. Viii. 17]

Verse 8

And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Et ipse redimet Israel ex omnibus iniquitatibus ejus.

The redemption that was with God will be plainly manifested by the redemption of Israel, that is the people of God, not from the power of temporal kings, as the carnal Jews expect, but from all his (Israel’s) iniquities. This is what the angel said of Jesus Christ when he said: “thou shalt call his name JESUS. For he shall save his people from their sins.”[1] This redemption has already begun but it will be fully accomplished in the last day, when we shall be delivered not only from our sins but also from all punishment for sins, and from the danger of sinning thereafter, which David refers to in Ps. cii when he says: “ As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our iniquities from us;”[2] and from the beginning of that Psalm: “ Who forgiveth all thy iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction: … Who satisfieth thy desire with good things,”[3] etc.; and see what Daniel says clearly: “ that transgression may be finished, and sin may have an end, and iniquity may be abolished; and everlasting justice may be brought.”[4]

[1] And she shall bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name JESUS. For he shall save his people from their sins. Pariet autem filium : et vocabis nomen ejus Jesum : ipse enim salvum faciet populum suum a peccatis eorum. [Matt. i. 21]
[2] As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our iniquities from us. quantum distat ortus ab occidente, longe fecit a nobis iniquitates nostras. [Ps. Cii. 12]
[3]  Who forgiveth all thy iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction: who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion. Who satisfieth thy desire with good things: thy youth shall be renewed like the eagle's. qui propitiatur omnibus iniquitatibus tuis, qui sanat omnes infirmitates tuas; qui redimit de interitu vitam tuam, qui coronat te in misericordia et miserationibus; qui replet in bonis desiderium tuum : renovabitur ut aquilae juventus tua.  [Ps. Cii. 3-5]

[4] Seventy weeks are shortened upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, that transgression may be finished, and sin may have an end, and iniquity may be abolished; and everlasting justice may be brought; and vision and prophecy may be fulfilled; and the saint of saints may be anointed. Septuaginta hebdomades abbreviatae sunt super populum tuum et super urbem sanctam tuam, ut consummetur praevaricatio, et finem accipiat peccatum, et deleatur iniquitas, et adducatur justitia sempiterna, et impleatur visio et prophetia, et ungatur Sanctus sanctorum. [Dan. ix. 24]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.