The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 13

St Bonaventure Receiving the Banner of St Sepulchre
from the Madonna, by Francesco Solimena (1710). The 
Cathedral of San Paolo in Aversa, Italy. Public domain.

The following posts present the text of The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its authorship is generally attributed to St Bonaventure (1221-15 July 1274) who studied at the University of Paris where in 1243 he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1254, he was made a Master of Theology and took over the leadership of the Franciscan School in Paris. Bonaventure was officially confirmed as seventh Minister General of the Franciscans in 1257. He later wrote a life of St Francis and has been called the second founder of the Order. Appointed Cardinal the year before his death in 1274, he was canonised in 1482 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588 with the title of Seraphic Doctor.

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bonaventure’s Psalter as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her many graces and favours, praying for her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

This presentation of St Bonaventure’s Marian Psalms will include: an English translation based upon that of Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. in the 1932 edition published by Herder; the Latin text as published in the Psalterium B. Virignis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 13

“Thy beauty astonishes the sun and the moon . . . He whom
 the whole world cannot contain was enclosed within thee.”
Santa Maria del Sol, artist n/k (15th century). Catedral de
 Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Córdoba
Sharon Molleus, CC by 2.0.

1. Our foolish enemy hath said in his heart[1]: I will follow after and take him, and my hand shall slay him.

2. Arise, O Lady, and prevent him, and supplant him: destroy all his machinations[2].

3. Thy beauty astonishes the sun and the moon : the angelic powers serve and obey thee[3].

4. By thy gentle touch the sick are healed: by thy rose-sweet fragrance the dead revive.

5. Virgin Mother of God, He whom the whole world cannot contain : was enclosed within thee, being made Man[4].

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Dixit insipiens adversarius noster in corde suo : persequar, et comprehendam, et interficiet eum manus mea.

2. Exurge Domina, et præveni eum,et supplanta eum : destrue omnes conatus eius.

3. Tuam pulchritudinem Sol et Luna mirantur : tibi Angelicæ potestates serviunt et famulantur.

4. Tuo tactu lenissimo sanantur infirmi : tuo odore roseo mortui reviviscunt.

5. Virgo Dei Genitrix, quem totus non capit orbis : in tua se clausit viscera factus homo.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “The fool hath said in his heart”: Davidic Psalm XIII. 1.

[2] Cf. “Arise Lord, prevent him, and supplant him : deliver my soul from the impious, thy sword”: Ps. XVI. 13.

[3] Cf. “Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in array?” Cant. vi.9.

[4] Cf. “The Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth: A WOMAN SHALL COMPASS A MAN:” Jerem. Xxi. 22. Cf. “Hail, O Mary, Mother of God, who enclosed the One Who cannot be encompassed in your sacred womb:” from the prayer by St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444).

Davidic Psalm XIII

 “The fool hath said in his heart: There is no God; They are
corrupt, and are become abominable in iniquities.” (Ps. LII).
From the Psalter of Bonne de Luxembourg (14th. century). 
Met Cloisters, NYC. Public domain.

1 Unto the end, a psalm for David. The fool hath said in his heart: There is no God, They are corrupt, and are become abominable in their ways: there is none that doth good, no not one.  2 The Lord hath looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there be any that understand and seek God.  3 They are all gone aside, they are become unprofitable together: there is none that doth good, no not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre: with their tongues they acted deceitfully; the poison of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and unhappiness in their ways: and the way of peace they have not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.  4 Shall not all they know that work iniquity, who devour my people as they eat bread?  5 They have not called upon the Lord: there have they trembled for fear, where there was no fear. 6 For the Lord is in the just generation: you have confounded the counsel of the poor man, but the Lord is his hope.  7 Who shall give out of Sion the salvation of Israel? when the Lord shall have turned away the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.

Notes

Cf. Ps. LII. where the ideas and vocabulary of this Psalm are repeated in a slightly modified form. The opening words of Ps. LII feature in the 14th century illumination above.

The Psalmist describes the profound and universal corruption in the world, indicating at the outset the cause : which is that men deny God, or at least in practice they forget Him. as a special example of this corruption, He points to cruel treatment inflicted on the theocratic Nation. But the Lord will come unto the aid of Israel and will restore peace and happiness.

It is not clear when this Psalm was composed but the details suggest it may well have been at the time of Absalom’s revolt. 

Verse 1:  The Royal Psalmist goes straight to the main point which explains what follows. By “the fool” (Lat. insipiens, Hebr. nâbal), he is referring, following the custom of the Sacred Scriptures, to the wicked and to sinners, who are the worst amongst the fools and the senseless. Cf. “Is this the return thou makest to the Lord, O foolish and senseless people?” (Deut. xxxii. 6.); “Do not so, my brother, do not force me: for no such thing must be done in Israel. Do not thou this folly. For I shall not be able to bear my shame, and thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel;” (II Kings xiii. 12-13; “For the fool will speak foolish things, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and speak to the Lord deceitfully, and to make empty the soul of the hungry, and take away drink from the thirsty.” (Isai. xxxiii. 6). Wickedness is moral folly, especially when it goes so far as to deny God whose existence is so easily discernible through the world of nature and that of conscience. The singular serves as a collective noun and denotes all the wicked.

They are corrupt: This is powerful language which refers to all the abominations of which a corrupted nature is capable when it is no held in check. Cf. “And God seeing that the wickedness of men was great on the earth, and that all the thought of their heart was bent upon evil at all times:” (Gen. vi. 5.) and “the earth was corrupted before God, and was filled with iniquity:” (Gen. vi. 11.). The words do not refer only to the atheists mentioned previously but to humanity in general.

Verses 4-6: The Lord will have his vengeance upon thee perverse men who dare to commit outrageous against his people. It is God in person who speaks here and cries out in indignation when he sees the extent of perversity crawl on the wickedness had spread even into the theocratic race where the great oppress the weak and the poor   

Verse 7: Jacob:  a collective noun synonymous with Israel, and given to the Hebrew people in remembrance of their glorious ancestor.

 +       +        +

The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 12

St Bonaventure Receiving the Banner of St Sepulchre
from the Madonna, by Francesco Solimena (1710). The 
Cathedral of San Paolo in Aversa, Italy. Public domain.

The following posts present the text of The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its authorship is generally attributed to St Bonaventure (1221-15 July 1274) who studied at the University of Paris where in 1243 he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1254, he was made a Master of Theology and took over the leadership of the Franciscan School in Paris. Bonaventure was officially confirmed as seventh Minister General of the Franciscans in 1257. He later wrote a life of St Francis and has been called the second founder of the Order. Appointed Cardinal the year before his death in 1274, he was canonised in 1482 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588 with the title of Seraphic Doctor.

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bonaventure’s Psalter as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her many graces and favours, praying for her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

This presentation of St Bonaventure’s Marian Psalms will include: an English translation based upon that of Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. in the 1932 edition published by Herder; the Latin text as published in the Psalterium B. Virignis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 12

“The finder of grace, by whom the world is restored”

Madonna with St. Francis, by Corregio (1514 ). 
Old Masters Gallery, Dresden. Public domain.

1. How long, O Lady, wilt thou forget me[1] : and not deliver me in the day of tribulation[2] ?

2. How long will my enemy be exalted over me?[3] :
By the might of thy strength do thou crush him[4].

3. Open the eyes of thy mercy: lest our enemy prevail against us.

4. We magnify thee, the finder of grace[5], by whom the world is restored[6].

5. Thou art exalted above the choirs of Angels[7]: pray for us before the throne of God[8].

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Usquequo Domina oblivisceris me : et non liberas me in die tribulationis?

2. Usquequo exaltabitur inimicus meus super me? : potentia virtutis tuæ contere ipsum.

3. Aperi oculos misericordiæ tuæ : ne inimicus noster adversus nos prævaleat.

4. Magnificamus te gratiæ inventricem : per quam sæcula reparantur.

5. Exaltata super choros Angelorum : ante thronum Dei, ora pro nobis.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “How long, O Lord, wilt thou forget me unto the end?” in verse 1 of the Davidic Psalm XII. “How long,” is repeated in verse 2 of the Marian Psalm but features three times in the Davidic Psalm, verses 1-3.

[2] Cf. “May the Lord hear thee in the day of tribulation: may the name of the God of Jacob protect thee:” Psalm. xix. 2.

[3] A precise echo of the words in the Davidic Psalm’s verse 3.

[4] “She shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel:” Genesis iii.15.

[5] Cf. “And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God”: Luke i. 30.

[6] Pope St Pius X teaches us that Mary “merited to become most worthily the Reparatrix of the lost world (Eadmeri Mon. De Excellentia Virg. Mariae, c. 9) and Dispensatrix of all the gifts that Our Saviour purchased for us by His Death and by His Blood:” See his Encyclical Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum (1904) at para. 12.

[7] Cf. Matins Antiphon for the Assumption in  Divinum Officium (Tridentine – 1570).

[8] Cf. “Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace: that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid”: Hebr, iv. 16.  “before the throne of God” is an expression which appears three times in the Apocalypse of St John: Apoc. vii. 15, viii. 3 & xiv. 5.

Davidic Psalm XII 

1 Unto the end, a psalm for David. How long, O Lord, wilt thou forget me unto the end? how long dost thou turn away thy face from me?  2 How long shall I take counsels in my soul, sorrow in my heart all the day?  3 How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?  4 Consider, and hear me, O Lord my God. Enlighten my eyes that I never sleep in death:  5 Lest at any time my enemy say: I have prevailed against him. They that trouble me will rejoice when I am moved:  6 But I have trusted in thy mercy. My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation: I will sing to the Lord, who giveth me good things: yea I will sing to the name of the Lord the most high.

Notes

The subject of this Psalm is quite simple and is presented in a beautiful series of steps. Starting with a poignant lament drawn from him by his feelings of distress and noting the way he seems to have been abandoned by God, the poet then moves on to an impassioned prayer of supplication which he suddenly transforms into a prayer of joyous hope that he will soon be delivered from his woes.

This Psalm may also date from the time of Saul’s persecution, especially in its later stages when David, whose distressful situation was not only continuing but was getting worse, could not see any way out of his anguish in an earthly sense.   

The Psalm consists of three strophes unequal in length, verses 1-3, 4-5 and 6 : five lines for his lament, four for his prayer and three to express his joyful hope.

Verses 1-3: Four breathless questions follow quickly one after another; with a pressing tone, these are cries of desolation coming from the depths of a soul in extreme distress.

Verse 1: His misfortunes have gone on for so long in such a continuous manner, and the outlook is still so sombre, that he considers the possibility that God has forgotten him or even that He has deliberately turned His face away from him: a sign of indifference or even of anger.

Verse 2:   He has been forming a succession of new plans to obtain safety, but in vain; his projects are continually frustrated and this causes their author to be in a state of continual distress (“all the day”).

Verses 4-5: The tone now becomes calmer as trust reappears in the heart of the Psalmist.

Verse 6: Peace and calm have been completely restored to the Psalmist’s soul.

 +       +        +

The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 11

St Bonaventure Receiving the Banner of St Sepulchre
from the Madonna, by Francesco Solimena (1710). The 
Cathedral of San Paolo in Aversa, Italy. Public domain.

The following posts present the text of The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its authorship is generally attributed to St Bonaventure (1221-15 July 1274) who studied at the University of Paris where in 1243 he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1254, he was made a Master of Theology and took over the leadership of the Franciscan School in Paris. Bonaventure was officially confirmed as seventh Minister General of the Franciscans in 1257. He later wrote a life of St Francis and has been called the second founder of the Order. Appointed Cardinal the year before his death in 1274, he was canonised in 1482 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588 with the title of Seraphic Doctor.

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bonaventure’s Psalter as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her many graces and favours, praying for her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

This presentation of St Bonaventure’s Marian Psalms will include: an English translation based upon that of Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. in the 1932 edition published by Herder; the Latin text as published in the Psalterium B. Virignis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 11

“Thou art clothed with the sun . . . resplendent with a lustrous crown
of twelve stars.” Patrona Hungariae (1896) by Ferenc Szoldatits.
Dezső Laczkó Museum, Hungary. Public domain.

1. Save me[1], O Mother of fair love[2]: fount of clemency and sweetness of piety.

2. Thou alone makest the circuit of the earth: that thou mayst help those that call upon thee[3].

3. Beautiful are thy ways[4]: and thy paths are peaceful.

4. In thee shine forth the beauty of chastity, the light of justice, and the splendour of truth.

5. Thou art clothed with the sun as with a vestment: resplendent with a lustrous crown of twelve stars[5].

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Salvum me fac Mater pulchræ dilectionis : fons clementiæ, et dulcor pietatis.

2, Gyrum terrae sola circuis : ut subvenias invocantibus te.

3. Pulchræ sunt viæ tuæ : et semitæ tuæ pacificæ.

4. In te refulget species castitatis : lumen iustitiæ, et splendor veritatis.

5. Amicta solari lumine, sicut vestimento : duodecim stellarum corona rutilans radianti.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] The Psalm opens with the same words as the Davidic Psalm XI (see verse 2 below).

[2] Cf. “I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope:” Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 24.

[3] Looking forward to the image of the woman clothed with the sun in the last line of the Psalm, this verse speaks of  “the circuit of the earth.” Cf.: “He hath set his tabernacle in the sun: and he, as a bridegroom coming out of his bride chamber, Hath rejoiced as a giant to run the way: His going out is from the end of heaven, And his circuit even to the end thereof: and there is no one that can hide himself from his heat.” Psalm. XVIII. 6-7.

[4] Cf. “Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceable:” Prov. iii. 17.

[5] Cf. “And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars”: Apoc. xii. 1.

Davidic Psalm XI 

1 Unto the end; for the octave, a psalm for David.  2 Save me, O Lord, for there is now no saint: truths are decayed from among the children of men.  3 They have spoken vain things every one to his neighbour: with deceitful lips, and with a double heart have they spoken.  4 May the Lord destroy all deceitful lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things.  5 Who have said: We will magnify our tongue; our lips are our own; who is Lord over us?  

6 By reason of the misery of the needy, and the groans of the poor, now will I arise, saith the Lord. I will set him in safety; I will deal confidently in his regard.  7 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried by the fire, purged from the earth refined seven times.  8 Thou, O Lord, wilt preserve us: and keep us from this generation for ever.  9 The wicked walk round about: according to thy highness, thou hast multiplied the children of men.

Notes

Verse 1: “for the octave”: see Notes on verse 1 of Ps. VI.

In this Psalm David pleads for divine protection against powerful and arrogant enemies; this protection is promised to him and he brings out its full value. It was probably composed about the time of Saul’s persecution. Cf. I Kings xxiii. 11, 19 et seq.; xxvi. 19. The Psalm is divided into two equal halves which deal respectively with prayer (in verses 2 to 5) and the promise (in verses 6 to 9).

Verse 2: “for there is now no saint: truths are decayed from among the children of men”: according to the Hebrew, the faithful  (meaning upright and conscientious people who can be trusted), have disappeared. This sort of lament is commonly found in the Prophets: cf. Is. Lvii. 1; lix. 14 et seq.; Jer. v. 1 et seq.; vii. 28; Os. iv. 1; Mich. vii. 2, etc.

Verse 3:“They have spoken vain things”: meaning falsehoods, (empty and hollow words that have no correspondence to reality).

“deceitful lips”: (verses 3 & 4): flattering lips; flattering on the outside but filled with cunning deceit.

Verse 3: “with a double heart”(Lat. in corde et corde): a common Hebraism referring to a double heart which is false, thinking one thing but doing something different. Cf. Swelling lips joined with a corrupt heart, are like an earthen vessel adorned with silver dross. An enemy is known by his lips, when in his heart he entertaineth deceit. Prov. xxvi. 23-4.

“our lips are our own”: literally, “with us.”  We are the masters and no one has the right to control the use we make of them.  This is an entirely diabolical arrogance and an allusion to the unscrupulous lords by whom Saul was surrounded and whom he favoured out of hatred towards David.

Verse 7: “as silver tried by the fire, purged from the earth refined seven times”: Silver is a metal which by reason of its whiteness is a natural symbol for all that is pure. In order to render the comparison even more striking, he speaks of silver which has passed through the fire and has been purified up to seven times, this being the number representing perfection.The words purged from the earth may signify that which has been placed in the earth or in the crucible, or perhaps separated from any earthly or foreign elements which might have tainted it. The Hebrew specifically mentions the crucible.

Verse 9: “according to thy highness”:  this is an obscure line in the Vulgate. It is usually interpreted as referring to the mysterious working of Divine wisdom which in certain epochs seems to permit the wicked to multiply disproportionately on earth. The meaning is very clear and very beautiful in the Hebrew: the wicked walk around everywhere when baseness reigns among men: that is to say, when the wicked are in power. The poem concludes in this way with the thought which had served as its preamble.

 +       +        +

The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 10

St Bonaventure Receiving the Banner of St Sepulchre
from the Madonna, by Francesco Solimena (1710). The 
Cathedral of San Paolo in Aversa, Italy. Public domain.

The following posts present the text of The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its authorship is generally attributed to St Bonaventure (1221-15 July 1274) who studied at the University of Paris where in 1243 he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1254, he was made a Master of Theology and took over the leadership of the Franciscan School in Paris. Bonaventure was officially confirmed as seventh Minister General of the Franciscans in 1257. He later wrote a life of St Francis and has been called the second founder of the Order. Appointed Cardinal the year before his death in 1274, he was canonised in 1482 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588 with the title of Seraphic Doctor.

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bonaventure’s Psalter as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her many graces and favours, praying for her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

This presentation of St Bonaventure’s Marian Psalms will include: an English translation based upon that of Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. in the 1932 edition published by Herder; the Latin text as published in the Psalterium B. Virignis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 10

“Do not turn away from us thy glorious countenance.” 
The Coronation of the Virgin (1635-6), by Diego Velázquez.
Museo del Prado, Madrid. Public domain.

1. In our Lady I put my trust[1] : because of the sweetness of the mercy of her name[2].

2. Her eyes look upon the poor : and her hands are stretched out to the orphan and the widow[3].

3. Seek after her from your youth : she will glorify you before the face of the peoples.

4. Her mercy will deliver us from the multitude of our sins : and will bestow on us fruitfulness of merits.

5. Stretch out to us thy arm, O glorious Virgin : and do not turn away from us thy glorious countenance[4].

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. In Domina confido : propter dulcedinem misericordiæ nominis sui.

2. Oculis eius in pauperem respiciunt : et manus eius ad pupillum, et viduam sunt extentæ.

3. Exquirite illam a iuventute vestra : et glorificabit vos ante faciem populorum.

4. Misericordia illius nostrorum auferat multitudinem peccatorum : et fœcunditatem nobis conferat meritorum.

5. Extende ad nos brachium tuum, Virgo gloriosa : et ne avertas a nobis gloriosum vultum tuum.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] This reflects the opening of Psalm X (see below) : In the Lord I put my trust.

[2] Cf. the opening line of the Salve Regina (commonly attributed to Hermannus Contractus, 11th century) : “Hail holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope.” 

[3] Cf. what is said of the valiant woman in Proverbs xxxi. 20: She hath opened her hand to the needy, and stretched out her hands to the poor.

[4] Cf. Ps. XLIII.4: For they got not the possession of the land by their own sword: neither did their own arm save them. But thy right hand and thy arm, and the light of thy countenance: because thou wast pleased with them. Note too how the last verse in Psalm 10 echoes the image in the last verse of Psalm X: his countenance hath beheld righteousness.

Davidic Psalm X 

“Fire and brimstone and storms of winds shall be the portion
of their cup.” The flight of Lot, (Gen. xix. 24-26), one of
Gustave Doré's illustrations for La Grande Bible de Tours 
(1866). Public domain.

1 Unto the end. A psalm for David.  2 In the Lord I put my trust: how then do you say to my soul: Get thee away from hence to the mountain like a sparrow?  3 For, lo, the wicked have bent their bow; they have prepared their arrows in the quiver; to shoot in the dark the upright of heart.  4 For they have destroyed the things which thou hast made: but what has the just man done?  5 The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven. His eyes look on the poor man: his eyelids examine the sons of men.  6 The Lord trieth the just and the wicked: but he that loveth iniquity hateth his own soul.  7 He shall rain snares upon sinners: fire and brimstone and storms of winds shall be the portion of their cup.  8 For the Lord is just, and hath loved justice: his countenance hath beheld righteousness.

Notes

The holy king finds himself in a desperate situation, with his own life in danger. His friends are at their wit’s end and advise him to flee quickly to a secure location, but he robustly but poses their advice and proclaims aloud his total confidence in God, the supreme and just Judge of the world. We do not know the exact time of its composition : some commentators place it at the time of Absalom’s revolt, as in the case of Psalms III and IV; others with greater probability, place it in the time of Saul’s persecution.

I put my trust (Lat. confido): The Hebrew equivalent of confido is hâsiti : “I have hidden myself, I have sought refuge.”

Get thee away...like a sparrow: The preposition is missing in the Hebrew which reads : Get thee away, sparrow. Timid and defenceless birds are a perfect image of men who are persecuted and whose only hope lies in flight (cf. I Kings xxvi. 20; Lam. Iii. 52.).

Verse 3:  the description here is vivid:  the bow is bent and the arrow has already been inserted (according to the Hebrew text, unlike the words in pharetra (in the quiver) which are found in the Vulgate). Not only is the enemy ready to shoot and to strike, but he is hiding in the dark which makes even more dangerous.

Verse 5: his eyelids examine the sons of men: The Hebrew verb bâhan literally refers to the purification of metal by fire ; figuratively it refers to the act of scrutinizing something in order to know it in the most intimate aspect of its being. The eyelids are not mentioned without reason, for when we wish to see something clearly, we close them slightly in order to concentrate on the rays we see.

Verse 6: but he that loveth iniquity hateth his own soul : a more literal reading of the Hebrew gives: he that loveth iniquity, his own soul hateth him.

Verse 7: fire and brimstone and storms of winds: Similar to what consumed Sodom and the other cities of the Pentapolis (Gen. xix. 34; cf. Deut. xxix. 23; Ez. xxxviii. 22 etc). A violent wind (spiritus procellarum), the devastating simoom, kindles and spreads this fearful fire.

shall be the portion of their cup: the punishments which the wicked are destined to receive are, so to speak, a terrible potion which they are forced to drink to the last drop.

Verse 8: For the Lord is just, and hath loved justice: meaning acts of justice, good and holy works.

his countenance hath beheld righteousness: H e sees it and rewards it; but the Hebrew has another meaning: “The just will see his face” – which means, in the language of the East, that the just will be admitted into the presence of God and will receive a thousand signs of benevolence. Cf. Ps. IV 6; XV 11, etc. Despite the sadness of the present moment, David is therefore sure of being saved.

+       +        +

The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 9

St Bonaventure Receiving the Banner of St Sepulchre
from the Madonna, by Francesco Solimena (1710). The 
Cathedral of San Paolo in Aversa, Italy. Public domain.

The following posts present the text of The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its authorship is generally attributed to St Bonaventure (1221-15 July 1274) who studied at the University of Paris where in 1243 he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1254, he was made a Master of Theology and took over the leadership of the Franciscan School in Paris. Bonaventure was officially confirmed as seventh Minister General of the Franciscans in 1257. He later wrote a life of St Francis and has been called the second founder of the Order. Appointed Cardinal the year before his death in 1274, he was canonised in 1482 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588 with the title of Seraphic Doctor.

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bonaventure’s Psalter as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her many graces and favours, praying for her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

This presentation of St Bonaventure’s Marian Psalms will include: an English translation based upon that of Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. in the 1932 edition published by Herder; the Latin text as published in the Psalterium B. Virignis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 9

“May sinners find grace with God through thee.” Our Lady
  of Częstochowa, Jasna Góra Monastery. Public domain.

1. I will praise thee, O Lady, with my whole heart : and I will declare among the nations thy praise and glory.[1]

2. For to thee is due glory, and thanksgiving : and the voice of praise.

3. May sinners find grace with God : through thee, the finder of grace[2] and salvation.

4. May the humble penitents hope for pardon : heal thou the bruises of their hearts.[3]

5. In the beauty of peace and wealthy rest[4] : thou shalt feed us after the toil of our pilgrimage.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Confitebor tibi Domine in toto corde meo : et narrabo in popilis laudem, et gloriam tuam.

2. Tibi enim debetur gloria, et gratiarum actio : et vox laudis.

3. Invenient gratiam peccatores apud Deum : per te inventricem gratiæ, et salutis.

4. Respirent ad indulgentiam humiles pœnitentes : sana contritiones cordis eorum.

5. In pulcritudine pacis, et requie opulenta : cibabis nos post pregrinationis nostræ.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. I will give praise to thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: I will relate all thy wonders: Davidic Ps. IX.

[2] Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God : Luke i. 30.

[3] Ps. CXLVI. 3 speaks of the Lord who healeth the broken of heart, and bindeth up their bruises.

[4] And my people shall sit in the beauty of peace, and in the tabernacles of confidence, and in wealthy rest : Isai. xxxii. 18.

Davidic Psalm IX 

“I will sing to thy name, O thou most high.” King David
playing the harp, by Gerard van Honthorst (1622).
Centraal Museum, Utrecht. Public domain.

1 Unto the end, for the hidden things of the Son. A psalm for David.  2 I will give praise to thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: I will relate all thy wonders.  3 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing to thy name, O thou most high.  4 When my enemy shall be turned back: they shall be weakened and perish before thy face.  5 For thou hast maintained my judgment and my cause: thou hast sat on the throne, who judgest justice.  6 Thou hast rebuked the Gentiles, and the wicked one hath perished: thou hast blotted out their name for ever and ever.  7 The swords of the enemy have failed unto the end: and their cities thou hast destroyed. Their memory hath perished with a noise.  8 But the Lord remaineth for ever. He hath prepared his throne in judgment:  9 And he shall judge the world in equity, he shall judge the people in justice.  10 And the Lord is become a refuge for the poor: a helper in due time in tribulation.  11 And let them trust in thee who know thy name: for thou hast not forsaken them that seek thee, O Lord.  12 Sing ye to the Lord, who dwelleth in Sion: declare his ways among the Gentiles:  13 For requiring their blood he hath remembered them: he hath not forgotten the cry of the poor.  14 Have mercy on me, O Lord: see my humiliation which I suffer from my enemies.  15 Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death, that I may declare all thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Sion.  16 I will rejoice in thy salvation: the Gentiles have stuck fast in the destruction which they have prepared. Their foot hath been taken in the very snare which they hid.  17 The Lord shall be known when he executeth judgments: the sinner hath been caught in the works of his own hands.  18 The wicked shall be turned into hell, all the nations that forget God.  19 For the poor man shall not be forgotten to the end: the patience of the poor shall not perish for ever.  20 Arise, O Lord, let not man be strengthened: let the Gentiles be judged in thy sight.  21 Appoint, O Lord, a lawgiver over them: that the Gentiles may know themselves to be but men.

Hebrew Ps. X

101 Why, O Lord, hast thou retired afar off? why dost thou slight us in our wants, in the time of trouble?  102 Whilst the wicked man is proud, the poor is set on fire: they are caught in the counsels which they devise.  103 For the sinner is praised in the desires of his soul: and the unjust man is blessed.  104 The sinner hath provoked the Lord according to the multitude of his wrath he will not seek him:  105 God is not before his eyes: his ways are filthy at all times. Thy judgments are removed from his sight: he shall rule over all his enemies.  106 For he hath said in his heart: I shall not be moved from generation to generation, and shall be without evil.  107 His mouth is full of cursing, and of bitterness, and of deceit: under his tongue are labour and sorrow.  108 He sitteth in ambush with the rich in private places, that he may kill the innocent.  109 His eyes are upon the poor man: He lieth in wait in secret like a lion in his den. He lieth in ambush that he may catch the poor man: to catch the poor, whilst he draweth him to him.  110 In his net he will bring him down, he will crouch and fall, when he shall have power over the poor.  111 For he hath said in his heart: God hath forgotten, he hath turned away his face not to see to the end.  112 Arise, O Lord God, let thy hand be exalted: forget not the poor.  113 Wherefore hath the wicked provoked God? for he hath said in his heart: He will not require it.  114 Thou seest it, for thou considerest labour and sorrow: that thou mayst deliver them into thy hands. To thee is the poor man left: thou wilt be a helper to the orphan.  115 Break thou the arm of the sinner and of the malignant: his sin shall be sought, and shall not be found.  116 The Lord shall reign to eternity, yea, for ever and ever: ye Gentiles shall perish from his land.  117 The Lord hath heard the desire of the poor: thy ear hath heard the preparation of their heart.  118 To judge for the fatherless and for the humble, that man may no more presume to magnify himself upon earth.

Notes

1. for the hidden things of the Son (pro occultis filii, ύπέρ τῶν χρυφίων του υίοῦ): these words are very obscure and have been given very different interpretations. The Ancient commentators Nobody gives them a mystical sense and sometimes apply them to the mysteries of the passion and resurrection of the Son of God, and sometimes through the mysterious direction that Jesus Christ Himself gives to his church by way of analogy with other titles, it is fairly certain that the corresponding Hebraic locution (‘al-mut labben, literally, on the death of the son),  it is a musical expression which indicates the first words (mut labben) of an ancient chant known to the contemporaries of David and which was to be adapted for Psalm IX (‘al, to the tune).

Difference in numbering: It is in the middle of this canticle that the difference begins between the Hebrew numbering of the Psalms and that of the Vulgate and the Septuagint. This is only one Psalm according to the latter two versions but in the Hebrew it is two, the second beginning after verse 21. It is somewhat difficult to declare with authority either in favour of or against the unity of the original. At first sight, the subject seems to require separation into two Psalms; Psalm IX of the Hebrew text is a triumphant act of thanksgiving following on from a victory gained by David over his enemies; Psalm X is a plaintive and urgent prayer for help against internal enemies who threaten the security of the Jewish state; each of these themes, divided in this way, seem finished and complete in themselves. On the other hand, why is there no title at the beginning of Psalm X? This is very rare in the Psalter, Ps. I, II & XXXIII (in the Hebrew) are the only examples. There are moreover certain striking resemblances in the ideas, the expressions and the rhythm which argue in favour of the text constituting one Psalm ( cf. IX 10, and X Hebr. 1; IX 20 and X 12, etc.). Apart from this, the two parts are manifestly presented alphabetically, albeit in an imperfect manner. The strophes in the first part begin with the initial letters of the Hebrew alphabet, those of the second part with the final letters (subject to some exceptions).The author has therefore unified and intertwined the whole in a manner inseparable from this acrostic. As for the difference between the subject of the two parts, this is more apparent than real : after gaining victory over his external enemies, David wanted to overcome his interior enemies as well. Theis prayer exists in the first part (cf. Ps. IX 14-15, 18-21) and in the second there is also mention made of the pagans (Ps. X Hebr. 16). The various editions of the Vulgate, however, whilst uniting the two parts separate them by a title and restart the numbering of the verses at the beginning of the second part. 

+       +        +

The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.