The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 22

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. Virginis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 22

“Blessed is the grace of thy face.” The Virgin of
the Rosary (1675-80), by Murillo. Dulwich
Picture Gallery (Personal use). 

1. The Lord ruleth me[1], O Virgin Mother of God: because thou hast turned on me thy[2] gracious countenance.

2. Blessed are thy most resplendent eyes: which thou deignest to turn on sinners.

3. Blessed is the light and the splendour of thy countenance: blessed is the grace of thy face.

4. Blessed be the mercy of thy hands: blessed be the stream of thy virginal milk[3].

5. Let the Prophets and Apostles of God bless thee: let Martyrs, Confessors, and Virgins sing praise to thee[4].

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Dominus regit me, Virgo Dei genitrix : quia tu amabilem vultum eius ad me convertisti.

2. Benedicti sunt oculi tui splendissimi : quos digneris misericorditer convertere super nos peccatores.

3. Benedictum sit lumen et splendor faciei tuæ : benedicta sit gratia vultus tui.

4. Benedicta sit misericordia manuum tuarum : benedicta sit emanatio virginei lactis tui.

5. Benedicant te Apostoli tui et Prophetæ Dei : Martyres, Confessores, et Virgines psallant tibi.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “The Lord ruleth me,” Davidic Ps. XXII. 1. 

[2] “thy”: The 1679 Latin text has “eius” meaning “His,” but the 1932 English translation opted for “thy,” perhaps because the subject of the clause is “tu” (thou) and the next two verses speak of her eyes and her countenance.

[3] Cf. A certain woman in the crowd called out to Christ: “Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps (Lat. ubera) that gave thee suck:” Luke xi. 27.

[4] Cf. the titles of the titles of Mary as Queen in the Litany of Loreto (c1150-1200).

Davidic Psalm XXII

The Good Shepherd (1886-94), by James
Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. Public domain.

1 A psalm for David. The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing.  2 He hath set me in a place of pasture. He hath brought me up, on the water of refreshment:  3 He hath converted my soul. He hath led me on the paths of justice, for his own name’s sake.  4 For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.  5 Thou hast prepared a table before me against them that afflict me. Thou hast anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly is it!  6 And thy mercy will follow me all the days of my life. And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

Notes

The Good Shepherd

When the pious king wrote this gracious canticle, the Tabernacle had been erected on the hill of Sion (cf. Vers. 6);  from this it follows the date of its composition cannot be fixed before the ninth year of David’s reign.

The subject of the poem is praise of God : 1) as a Good Shepherd who feeds and protects David, His dear and faithful sheep (verses 1-4) ; 2) as a host  who shows generous liberality towards His friend (verses 5-6). The first and most direct explanation therefore concerns David personally ; but, in a spiritual sense, this applies to all the holy souls who also find Him the best of shepherds and the amiable of hosts.   

It is a most charming idyll, exuding calm and joy. It would be impossible to find anything more exquisite, more joyful, more profound, and more consoling – except perhaps the celebrated parable in the fourth Gospel,in which Jesus Christ describes himself as the Good Shepherd par excellence (cf. John x. 1 et seq.).

The Psalm may be divided into two parts: The shepherd, verses 1-4; and the amphitryon (generous host), verses 5-6. 

First part: the good Shepherd.

Verses 1-3: the care with which God leads and feed his sheep. “The Lord ruleth me”: better, “feedeth me.” The Lord is my shepherd, as the Hebrew has it (LXX: ποιμαίνει). The God of Revelation and of the theocratic covenant is often designated in the Old Testament, and particularly in the Psalms, by means of this touching image which expresses in a most effective manner  his loving behaviour . Cf. LXXIII, 1; LXXVI, 20; LXXVII, 52, 70 et seq.; LXXVIII, 13; LXXX, 1, etc.; Is. Xl, 11; Mich. vii, 14, etc. See too in the New Testament, Hebr. xiii, 20; I Petr. Ii, 25.

“I shall want nothing:” or rather, “I want nothing.” In this first part, all the verbs which the Vulgate shows in the past historic tense should should read as the present tense. His sheep can never want for anything: this is the general idea which is immediately developed with details full of grace, (verses 2-3), where all the words, chosen in an exquisite manner, make up a picture and recall the experience that David had of the pastoral during his youth.

“on the water of refreshment”: In the Orient,  sheep need water every day because of the heat and dryness of the climate.

Verses 3-4: the care taken by the Good Shepherd to protect his sheep. “He hath led me”: the shepherd in the Orient never walks behind his flock but always at the front,  where literally he leads it.

“For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death:” in the valley of the shadow of death (Vulg. : in medio), lost in thick shadows like those of the tomb, under which fear, already so great in itself, is increased further by the thought of unknown dangers that might intrude therein, he nevertheless remains without any fear.

“for thou art with me:” the Good Shepherd is enough to reassure the timid and helpless sheep.  

“Thy rod and thy staff;” synonymous expressions referring to the shepherd’s crook. He leans upon this as on rod and makes use of it to defend his flock against thieves and wild beasts. Cf. I Kings xvii, 39; Mich. vii, 14, etc.

Second part: the generous host.

“Thou hast anointed my head with oil;” the oriental custom during the course of formal meals was to use perfumed oil for anointing the guests who are to be honoured. Cf. Am. vi, 7; Luke vii, 46, etc.

“And thy mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” Hebr. “mercy and happiness…” This astonishing beneficence of the Lord does not last only one day but follows (Hebr. pursues) unceasingly David and holy souls. 

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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 21

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. Virginis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 21

“Let all the families of the peoples venerate thee.” Mother of Mercy (c. 1435), 

by Spinelli. Museo Nazionale d'Arte Medievale e Moderna, Matera. Public

domain : Parri Spinelli (CC BY-SA 3.0.)

1. O God, my God : let Him look at thy merits in me, ever Virgin Mary[1].

2. O my Lady, I have cried to thee by day and by night[2] : and thou hast done mercy with thy servant[3].

3. Because I have hoped in thy mercy : thou hast taken away from me everlasting reproach.

4. Mine enemies have mocked me on every side[4]: but thou under the shadow of thy hand[5] hast bestowed good refreshment on me.

5. Let all the families of the peoples venerate[6] thee[7] : and let all the orders of the Angels glorify thee.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Deus Deus meus : respiciat in me meritis tuis Virgo semper Maria.

2. Domina mea clamavi ad te per diem et noctem : et fecisiti cum servo tuo misericordiam tuam.

3. Quia ego speravi in misericordia tua : sempiternum a me opprobrium abstulisti.

4. Deriserunt me inimici mei undique : tu autem sub umbra manus tuæ contulisti mihi refrigerium bonum.

5. Adorent te familiæ gentium : et glorificent te omnes ordines Angelorum.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “O God my God, look upon me”: Davidic Psalm. XXI. 2.

[2] Cf. “O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear: and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me:” Davidic Ps. XXI. 3. Cf. “O Lord, the God of my salvation: I have cried in the day, and in the night before thee:” Ps. LXXXVII. 1.

[3] Cf. “Thou hast done well with thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word.” Ps. CXVIII. 65.

[4] Cf. “All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn”: Davidic Psalm. XXI. 8.

[5] Cf. “in the shadow of his hand he hath protected me;” Is. Xlix. 2. Cf. “Protect me under the shadow of thy wings.” Ps. XVI. 8.

[6] The author wrote “adorent” but with the sense of hyperdulia and not latria. To avoid misunderstandings amongs modern readers, however, I have opted for “venerated” to denote hyperdulia here. See Aquinas S.T. III Q25 A5.

[7] Cf. “Bring ye to the Lord, O ye kindreds of the Gentiles, bring ye to the Lord glory and honour;” Ps. XCV. 7.

Davidic Psalm XXI

“They have opened their mouths against me,
as a lion ravening and roaring.” Scene of
the Crucufixion by Tissot (1886-94).
Booklyn Museum, NY. Public domain.

1 Unto the end, for the morning protection, a psalm for David.  2 O God my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my sins.  3 O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear: and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me.  4 But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel.  5 In thee have our fathers hoped: they have hoped, and thou hast delivered them.  6 They cried to thee, and they were saved: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.  7 But I am a worm, and no man: the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people.  8 All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head.  9 He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him.  10 For thou art he that hast drawn me out of the womb: my hope from the breasts of my mother.  11 I was cast upon thee from the womb. From my mother's womb thou art my God, 12 Depart not from me. For tribulation is very near: for there is none to help me.  13 Many calves have surrounded me: fat bulls have besieged me.  14 They have opened their mouths against me, as a lion ravening and roaring.  15 I am poured out like water; and all my bones are scattered. My heart is become like wax melting in the midst of my bowels.  16 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue hath cleaved to my jaws: and thou hast brought me down into the dust of death.  17 For many dogs have encompassed me: the council of the malignant hath besieged me. They have dug my hands and feet.  18 They have numbered all my bones. And they have looked and stared upon me.  19 They parted my garments amongst them; and upon my vesture they cast lots.  20 But thou, O Lord, remove not thy help to a distance from me; look towards my defence.  21 Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword: my only one from the hand of the dog.  22 Save me from the lion’s mouth; and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns.

23 I will declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the church will I praise thee.  24 Ye that fear the Lord, praise him: all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him.  25 Let all the seed of Israel fear him: because he hath not slighted nor despised the supplication of the poor man. Neither hath he turned away his face from me: and when I cried to him he heard me.  26 With thee is my praise in a great church: I will pay my vows in the sight of them that fear him.  27 The poor shall eat and shall be filled: and they shall praise the Lord that seek him: their hearts shall live for ever and ever.  28 All the ends of the earth shall remember, and shall be converted to the Lord: And all the kindreds of the Gentiles shall adore in his sight.  29 For the kingdom is the Lord's; and he shall have dominion over the nations.  30 All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and have adored: all they that go down to the earth shall fall before him.  31 And to him my soul shall live: and my seed shall serve him.  32 There shall be declared to the Lord a generation to come: and the heavens shall shew forth his justice to a people that shall be born, which the Lord hath made.

Notes

This magnificent poem begins with cries of anxiety, uttered in the of the most profound distress by a soul which God seems to have abandoned despite its innocence and the supplications it addresses to the Lord in order to obtain help. Then the hymn changes into an act of triumphant thanksgiving, anticipating the deliverance which the supplicant is confident of obtaining. The Psalm is divided into two parts which are quite distinct : the first, verses 2-22, may be given the title of “the afflicted one” and it is an elegiac hymn; the second, verses 23-32, can be entitled “the saved one,”a joyous hymn of thanksgiving. The unity of the hymn remains perfect despite the difference in tone and thought predominating in the two parts, for the poet has brought together the opposing ideas in one life.

This Psalm has always been infinitely dear to the Church. This is because, with a beauty and power of language truly unsurpassable, it describes on the one hand the most poignant mysteries in the life of the Messiah, the humiliations and the sufferings of His passion; and on the other hand, the glorious mystery of His resurrection. There can be no doubt on this point since ecclesiastical tradition is unanimous, relying upon several passages from the New Testament where we see not only Jesus Christ referring Himself to this Psalm but also the Apostles and the Evangelists applying various its texts to Him. Cf. Matt. xxvii 35, 39, 43, 46; John xix 23, 24, 28; Hebr. ii 11-12. Its fulfilment occurred in such a precise and striking manner that an ancient writer was able to say: “Ut non tam prophetia quam historia videatur” : “So that it appears not so much as prophecy, but rather as history.” (Cassiodorus). Even the synagogue, when it still accepted the teaching about a suffering Messiah, based its belief upon this Psalm. How could the words of the Psalm, by turn so painful and so glorious, apply to anyone other than Christ? Neither to David, no matter what period of his life is considered, nor to Ezechias, nor to Jeremias, nor to the people of Israel considered as a whole. No man but only the God-Man could ever have endured a martyrdom so dreadful and so abundant in the fruits of salvation for the whole world, or could have manifested in His person such a combination of the most atrocious suffering and of the most perfect sanctity. Once this is seen, we consider the poem as directly and exclusively concerned with the Messiah, both in  its details and in its totality.

First part: verses 2-22. In this first part, which is the more interesting and the more important, The Psalm is, so to speak, the programme for the Divine tragedy of which the Gospel presents the execution. the August victim describes at length and in varied terms his terrible agony; the description is interrupted here and there only to give way to a sigh expressing hope and trust, or to an ardent prayer. Verses 2-12 show in particular the complete abandonment of the hero; verses 13-22 speak of His other sufferings.

Second part: Vers. 23-32. the prayer of complaint changes suddenly into a prayer of thanksgiving. Certain that his prayers are heard, the Hero of the Psalm offers thanks in advance to His Divine deliverer and sets forth in magnificent language the glorious results of his humiliations and his sufferings. The description of His hopes slowly increases in the same way as in the case of His sufferings: Jews and gentiles become in turn the docile subjects of the triumphant Christ.  

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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 20

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. Virginis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 20

“From thy throne send us wisdom.” Statue of Our Lady 
of Walsingham, carved by Marcel Barbeau (1954).
The Catholic Basilica of Our Lady (Slipper Chapel).
Public domain (Thorvaldsson, CC BY 3.0.)

1. O Lady, in thy strength our heart shall rejoice[1] : and in the sweetness of thy name our soul shall be consoled.

2. From thy throne send us wisdom[2] : by which we shall be sweetly enlightened in all truth.

3. Give us grace to abstain from carnal desires : that the light of thy grace may arise in our hearts.

4. How sweet are thy words, O Lady, to them that love thee : how sweet are the showers of thy graces[3].

5. I will sing unto thy glory and honour : and in thy name I will glory forever.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Domina in virtute tua lætabitur cor nostrum : et in dulcedine nominis tui consolabitur anima nostra.

2. De sedibus mitte nobis sapientiam : per quam in omni veritate dulciter illustremur.

3. A carnalibus desideriis concede gratiam abstinendi : ut lumen gratiæ in nostris cordibus oriatur.

4. Quam dulcia diligentibus te eloquia tua Domina : quam suavia sunt tuarum stillicidia gratiarum.

5. Gloriam et honorem psallam tibi : et in nomine tuo gloriabor in sæculum.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “In thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy;” Davidic Psalm XX. 2.

[2] Cf. The image of the propitiatory or mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant in Exod. xxv. 17-22.

[3] The word “showers” is a translation of the Latin word “stillicidia” which appears only once in the Bible: “He shall come down like rain upon the fleece; and as showers falling gently upon the earth;” Psalm. LXXI. 6.

Davidic Psalm XX

“In thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy.” David’s victory over the 

Ammonites, (1517-19). Loggia di Raffaello, Vatican City. Public domain.

1 Unto the end. A psalm for David.  2 In thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy; and in thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly.  3 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire: and hast not withholden from him the will of his lips.  4 For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.  5 He asked life of thee: and thou hast given him length of days for ever and ever.  6 His glory is great in thy salvation: glory and great beauty shalt thou lay upon him.  7 For thou shalt give him to be a blessing for ever and ever: thou shalt make him joyful in gladness with thy countenance.  8 For the king hopeth in the Lord: and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.  9 Let thy hand be found by all thy enemies: let thy right hand find out all them that hate thee.  10 Thou shalt make them as an oven of fire, in the time of thy anger: the Lord shall trouble them in his wrath, and fire shall devour them. 11 Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth: and their seed from among the children of men.  12 For they have intended evils against thee: they have devised counsels which they have not been able to establish.  13 For thou shalt make them turn their back: in thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face.  14 Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thy own strength: we will sing and praise thy power.

Notes

We have discussed the unity of this Psalm with Psalm XIX in the Notes to the latter. We find that this Psalm too is divided into two parts: verses 2-8, thanksgiving offered to the LORD for David's glorious triumph ; verses 9-14, wishes regarding the future addressed to the King. The Chaldean Targum exaggerates when it applies this Psalm exclusively to the Messiah,  because the first application certainly concerns David. It is sufficient to admit along with the holy Fathers and the best modern exegetes that the eternal duration promised in this canticle to the throne of David (see verses 5-7) refers to Christ and His eternal kingdom. Comp. II Kings vii. 13 et seq.

First part:  a prayer of thanksgiving addressed to God by the theocratic nation, to thank him for the victory he had just granted to David. Verses 2-8. 

Verses 2-3: “his heart’s desire”: cf. “May he give thee according to thy own heart:” Psalm XIX. 5.

Verses 4-6: an enumeration of the principal benefits which God showered upon the king during this victorious war.

“thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones”: if psalms 19 and 20 were actually composed on the occasion of the David’s war against the Ammonites, this is what in fact came to pass. The Ammonite King's crown, made of solid gold and studded with the most precious stones, fell into the hands of the victors after the taking of Rabbath-Ammon and it was placed on David’s head as a glorious trophy. Cf. II Kings xii. 30.

Verse 7: “For thou shalt give him to be a blessing for ever and ever:” According to the very expressive locution in Hebrew, “Thou makest of him a blessing:” meaning in every way, just as Abraham was given blessings from on high for himself and also as an intermediary for others. Cf. “I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and magnify thy name, and thou shalt be blessed:” Gen. xii. 2.

Second part: the people address the king directly, wishing him everlasting prosperity. Verses 9-14.

Verse 13: “in thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face:” This passage is obscure in the Vulgate and seems to indicate, according to the context: “If some of the enemy remain on the battlefield and try to resist thee, thou wilt pierce them with thine arrows.” The Hebrew has a very clear meaning: Targetting their faces with thy strings, (the strings of thy bow). 

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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 19

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. Virginis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 19

“Hear us, O Lady, in the day of tribulation.” The Virgin of
Mercy (1798-1803), by Vicente López Portaña.
Museum of Fine Arts, Valencia. Public domain.

1. Hear us, O Lady, in the day of tribulation[1] : and by our prayers turn to us thy merciful countenance.

2. Cast us not off in the time of our death : but help the soul[2], when it shall have left the body.

3. Send an Angel to meet it : by whom it may be defended from the enemy.

4. Show unto it the most serene Judge of ages : who on account of thy grace will bestow pardon.

5. Let it feel thy refreshment in its torments : and grant to it a place among the elect of God.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Exaudias nos Domina in die tribulationis : et precibus nostris converte clementem faciem tuam.

2. Ne projicias nos in tempore mortis nostræ : sed succurre animæ cum deseruerit corpus suum.

3. Mitte Angelum in occursum eius : per quem ab hostibus defendatur.

4. Ostende ei serenissimum Iudicem sæculorum : qui ob tui gratiam veniam ei largiatur.

5. Sentiat in pœnis refrigerium tuum : et concede ei locum inter electos Dei.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “May the Lord hear thee in the day of tribulation:” Davidic Psalm. XIX. 2.

[2] Cf. “May he send thee help:” Ibid. 3.

Davidic Psalm XIX

1 Unto the end. A psalm for David.  2 May the Lord hear thee in the day of tribulation: may the name of the God of Jacob protect thee.  3 May he send thee help from the sanctuary: and defend thee out of Sion.  4 May he be mindful of all thy sacrifices: and may thy whole burnt offering be made fat.  5 May he give thee according to thy own heart; and confirm all thy counsels.  6 We will rejoice in thy salvation; and in the name of our God we shall be exalted.  7 The Lord fulfill all thy petitions: now have I known that the Lord hath saved his anointed. He will hear him from his holy heaven: the salvation of his right hand is in powers.  8 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will call upon the name of the Lord our God.  9 They are bound, and have fallen; but we are risen, and are set upright. 10. O Lord, save the king: and hear us in the day that we shall call upon thee.

Notes

This Psalm and the one which follows are closely united by their subject matter: the King of Israel, for whom the whole of his people addresses in the first place an urgent prayer to the Lord God on the occasion of a dangerous war that he was on the point of launching against powerful enemies (Ps. XIX), and in the second heartfelt thanksgiving after victory (Ps. XX). the war in question was, most probably, the one waged by David in person against the Ammonites and the Syrians who had joined forces against him (cf. Kings X-XII). The title of Psalm XIX in the Syriac version reveals this quite expressly and several parts of the two Psalms coincide in a striking manner with the account written by the Sacred Historian. Compare in particular Ps XIX 7 with II Kings X.18; and Ps. XX 3 & 9 with II Kings XII 30-31. David composed this prayer, therefore, and the “Te Deum,” either before or after the campaign and had them sung in the Temple as part of the impetratory and Eucharistic sacrifices.

First part: prayers  of the people for the safety of the king. Verses 2-6.

“protect thee”: the literal meaning in the hebrew is: may he place thee on high; Meaning May he be for assure and inaccessible refuge. Compare this with Ps. IX 9 and XVII 2   where God was called a tower of refuge, a high place.

“thy sacrifices”: Hebr. minhôt,    the word in verbally used to denote unbloody sacrifices. The reference here along with the hollow cowstone, Is to the special offerings david consecrated to the LORD as he prepared to undertake a war against the Ammonites, according to the received usage in Israel. Cf. I Kings vii. 9-10; xiii. 9-12.

“be made fat”: in the Hebr.: May He consider thy holocaust precious. The fatter the victims, the more they were considered as worthy of being immolated to the Lord.

Second part: A prayer of trust in God, praying for victory. Verses 7-10. “ the Lord hath saved his anointed”: the suppliant nation considers the prayer as already granted because it concerns him who is the anointed one of God – “his anointed” (Lat. “christum suum”) – whom He consecrated to be His representative on earth and whom He is bound to protect. 

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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 18

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. Virginis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 18

“Praise her, ye heavens of heavens and let the whole earth glorify
 her name.” Madonna of the rose bower, by Lochner (1440-42).
 Wallraf–Richartz Museum, Cologne. Public domain.

1. The heavens shew forth thy glory[1] : and the fragrance of thine ointments[2] is spread abroad among the nations.

2. Sigh unto her, ye lost sinners : and she will lead you to the haven of pardon[3].

3. In hymns and canticles knock to open her heart[4]: and she will rain down[5] the grace of her sweetness upon you.

4. Glorify her, ye just, before the throne of God : for by the fruit of her womb you have worked justice.

5. Praise her, ye heavens of heavens[6]: and let the whole earth glorify her name.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Diligam te, Domina cæli et terræ : et in gentibus nomen tuum invocabo.

2. Confitemini illi tribulati corde : et roborabit vos contra inimicos vestros.

3. Stilla nobis Domina gratiam uberum tuorum : ex manente lacte dulcedinis tuæ refice viscera puerorum tuorum.

4. Religiosi omnes honorate illam : quia ipsa est adiutrix, et vestra specialis advocata.

5. Esto refrigerium nostrum gloriosa Mater Christi : quia tu es totius religionis mirabile firmamentum.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “The heavens shew forth the glory of God:” Davidic Psalm XVIII. 2.

[2] Cf. Cant i. 3 & iv.10.

[3] Cf. “And they cried to the Lord in their affliction: and he brought them out of their distresses. And he turned the storm into a breeze: and its waves were still.  And they rejoiced because they were still: and he brought them to the haven which they wished for:” Psalm CVI. 28-30.

[4] Cf. “Knock, and it shall be opened to you:” Matt. vi. 7 & Luke xi. 9.

[5] Cf. “Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you”: Exod. xvi. 4.

[6] Cf. “Praise him, ye heavens of heavens:” Psalm. CXLVIII. 4.

Davidic Psalm XVIII

“The law of the Lord is unspotted, converting
souls.” Moses and the Ten Commandments,
by James Tissot (1896-1902). The Jewish
Museum, NYC. Public domain.

1 Unto the end. A psalm for David.  2 The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands.  3 Day to day uttereth speech, and night to night sheweth knowledge.  4 There are no speeches nor languages, where their voices are not heard.  5 Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world.  6 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:  7 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.  8 The law of the Lord is unspotted, converting souls: the testimony of the Lord is faithful, giving wisdom to little ones.  9 The justices of the Lord are right, rejoicing hearts: the commandment of the Lord is lightsome, enlightening the eyes.  10 The fear of the Lord is holy, enduring for ever and ever: the judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves.  11 More to be desired than gold and many precious stones: and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.  12 For thy servant keepeth them, and in keeping them there is a great reward.  13 Who can understand sins? from my secret ones cleanse me, O Lord:  14 And from those of others spare thy servant. If they shall have no dominion over me, then shall I be without spot: and I shall be cleansed from the greatest sin.  15 And the words of my mouth shall be such as may please: and the meditation of my heart always in thy sight. O Lord, my helper, and my redeemer.

Notes

God in nature and in revelation.

This Psalm has been described as one of the most profound compositions of the Holy King. It presents in turn the witness rendered to God on the one hand by the physical world and on the other by revealed law. It is accordingly divided into two parts which are quite different as to their substance and to their form. The first part (verses 2-7) celebrates the power and majesty of God the Creator, as attested especially by the heavens and the sun ; the second part (verses 8-15) expounds the beauty and the benefits of the theocratic law revealed by God to Israelites. In the first part there is more vivid imagery and greater lyricism ; in the second the form is more didactic and calm. God is referred to as ‘El in the first and Jehovah (seven times) in the second. Unity is present however amidst this diversity: in order to perceive it with simplicity and clarity, it is enough to recall the identity of Israel’s Law-giver and the world’s Creator was a fundamental principle of the religion of the Old Testament. Cf. “For behold he that formeth the mountains and createth the wind, and declareth his word to man, he that maketh the morning mist, and walketh upon the high places of the earth: the Lord the God of hosts is his name:” Am. iv. 13; See also v. 7-8, etc. The psalmist for his part affirms this principle, moving from praise of the Creator ('Elohim or 'El) to that of God the Lawgiver (Yehovah), and describing the wonder, albeit under various headings, of the magnificent works of this singular Lord.

St Paul applies verse 5 to the universal propagation of the Gospel, in other words to the Catholicity of the Church: “Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the whole world;”(Rom. x. 18). The Holy Fathers see in the triumphant progress of the Sun in verses 6 to 7 a symbol of the irresistible victories of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

First part:  God reveals himself miraculously in nature : verses 2-7.

Verses 2-5: Verse 1 enables us to hear a harmonious concert of music which echoes around the celestial spheres and the object of which is to sing the glory of Him who created them. The whole of creation reveals God, but it is especially the heavens in their immensity, their splendour, their order and their mysteries that reflect in a most striking manner His greatness and His Majesty.

Verse 2: This concert is constant and never ending. The hymns of praise from the heavens to the glory of their Creator are compared by the poet to a tradition which has never been interrupted : each day tells the following day, and each night tells the succeeding night, what they have learned and understood of the divine work. At first glance, it would seem more natural to say that the day tells the night of this glorious tradition; but the psalmist has preferred to link like with like. He has moreover chosen to indicate that they each transmit a special message : the day speaks of splendour, power and goodness; the night speaks of immensity, mystery, beauty and rest. They are like two parts of a single choir.

Verses 6-7: “He hath set his tabernacle in the sun:”according to the metaphor provided by the Vulgate, the Creator is imagined to have chosen this glorious star as a place of abode. The meaning in Hebrew, however, is different : He hath made of the heavens a tabernacle for the sun. This is an altogether poetic image where the heavens become like a magnificent pavilion in which the Sun retires each evening and from which it emerges in the morning.

The course of the Sun in the heavens is described by means of two elegant comparisons, the first of which represents His grace and the second His irresistible power: “as a bridegroom”: upon rising, the Sun is compared to a spouse emerging from the nuptial chamber with all the suppleness and beauty of youth, bursting with happiness. Cf. Is. lxi. 10 and lxii. 5; Joel ii. 16; “as a giant”: like a hero who, proud of his vigour and most keen to show it, makes haste to do combat and triumph over every obstacle.

Second part: the law of God shines forth in a manner no less wondrous. Verses 8-15.

Verses 8-11: The law referred to by David is not limited to the Decalogue but includes all the positive revelations made by the Lord to His chosen people and found no less in the writings of the Prophets than in the Pentateuch. This law is represented in the Psalms by six synonymous nouns and qualified by twelve expressions of praise which accompany the nouns in pairs, being so arranged that the first is to the second as cause is to effect.

Verses 12-15: The divine law considered subjectively and in practice. 

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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 17

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. Virginis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 17

“She is your helper and your special advocate.”
Maria Advocata, commonly dated to the 6th century
but there is some evidence it may be 1st century.
Kept in the Church of the Madonna del Rosario
(Rome) since 1931. Public domain.

1. I will love thee, O Lady of heaven and earth[1] : and I will call upon thy name in the nations[2].

2. Give praise to her, ye who are troubled in heart : and she will strengthen you against your enemies.

3. Give to us, O Lady, the grace of thy breasts[3] : from the dropping milk of thy sweetness refresh the hearts and minds of thy children[4].

4. Honour her, O all ye religious : for she is your helper and your special advocate[5].

5. Be thou our refreshment, glorious Mother of Christ : for thou art the wondrous foundation[6] of the religious life.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Diligam te, Domina caeli et terrae : et in gentibus nomen tuum invocabo.

2. Confitemini illi tribulati corde : et roborabit vos contra inimicos vestros.

3. Stilla nobis Domina gratiam uberum tuorum : ex manente lacte dulcedinis tuæ refice viscera puerorum tuorum.

4. Religiosi omnes honorate illam : quia ipsa est adiutrix, et vestra specialis advocata.

5. Esto refrigerium nostrum gloriosa Mater Christi : quia tu es totius religionis mirabile firmamentum.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength,” in Davidic Psalm XVII. 1.

[2] Cf. “Give glory to the Lord, and call upon his name: declare his deeds among the Gentiles:” Psalm. CIV. 1.

[3] Cf. “Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck.” Luke xi. 27. Note too the twelve verses in the Canticle of Canticles that speak of breasts.

[4] Cf. “Thy lips, my spouse, are as a dropping honeycomb, honey and milk are under thy tongue:” Cant. iv. 11.

[5] Cf. the words in the Salve Regina attributed to Hermannus Contractus (1013-1054): “Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us.” [lit. Advocata nostra : our Advocate].

[6] “foundation” is given for the Latin firmamentum, which also appears in verse 2 of the Davidic Psalm XVII which reads: “The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer.”

Davidic Psalm XVII

“My God is my helper...” King David, by Rubens.
c. 1616. Städel Museum, Frankfurt. Public domain.

1 Unto the end, for David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this canticle, in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. [2 Kings 22]  2 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength:  3 The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer. My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector and the horn of my salvation, and my support.  4 Praising I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies.  5 The sorrows of death surrounded me: and the torrents of iniquity troubled me. 6 The sorrows of hell encompassed me: and the snares of death prevented me.  7 In my affliction I called upon the Lord, and I cried to my God: And he heard my voice from his holy temple: and my cry before him came into his ears.  8 The earth shook and trembled: the foundations of the mountains were troubled and were moved, because he was angry with them.  9 There went up a smoke in his wrath: and a fire flamed from his face: coals were kindled by it.  10 He bowed the heavens, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

11 And he ascended upon the cherubim, and he flew; he flew upon the wings of the winds.  12 And he made darkness his covert, his pavilion round about him: dark waters in the clouds of the air.  13 At the brightness that was before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire.  14 And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the highest gave his voice: hail and coals of fire.  15 And he sent forth his arrows, and he scattered them: he multiplied lightnings, and troubled them.

16 Then the fountains of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were discovered: At thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the spirit of thy wrath.  17 He sent from on high, and took me: and received me out of many waters.  18 He delivered me from my strongest enemies, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.  19 They prevented me in the day of my affliction: and the Lord became my protector.  20 And he brought me forth into a large place: he saved me, because he was well pleased with me.

21 And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and will repay me according to the cleanness of my hands:  22 Because I have kept the ways of the Lord; and have not done wickedly against my God.  23 For till his judgments are in my sight: and his justices I have not put away from me.  24 And I shall be spotless with him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity.  25 And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.

26 With the holy, thou wilt be holy; and with the innocent man thou wilt be innocent.  27 And with the elect thou wilt be elect: and with the perverse thou wilt be perverted.  28 For thou wilt save the humble people; but wilt bring down the eyes of the proud.  29 For thou lightest my lamp, O Lord: O my God enlighten my darkness.  30 For by thee I shall be delivered from temptation; and through my God I shall go over a wall.

31 As for my God, his way is undefiled: the words of the Lord are fire tried: he is the protector of all that trust in him.  32 For who is God but the Lord? or who is God but our God?  33 God who hath girt me with strength; and made my way blameless.  34 Who hath made my feet like the feet of harts: and who setteth me upon high places.  35 Who teacheth my hands to war: and thou hast made my arms like a brazen bow.

36 And thou hast given me the protection of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath held me up: And thy discipline hath corrected me unto the end: and thy discipline, the same shall teach me.  37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; and my feet are not weakened.  38 I will pursue after my enemies, and overtake them: and I will not turn again till they are consumed.  39 I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand: they shall fall under my feet.  40 And thou hast girded me with strength unto battle; and hast subdued under me them that rose up against me.

41 And thou hast made my enemies turn their back upon me, and hast destroyed them that hated me.  42 They cried, but there was none to save them, to the Lord: but he heard them not.  43 And I shall beat them as small as the dust before the wind; I shall bring them to nought, like the dirt in the streets.  44 Thou wilt deliver me from the contradictions of the people: thou wilt make me head of the Gentiles.  45 A people, which I knew not, hath served me: at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me.

46 The children that are strangers have lied to me, strange children have faded away, and have halted from their paths.  47 The Lord liveth, and blessed be my God, and let the God of my salvation be exalted:  48 O God, who avengest me, and subduest the people under me, my deliverer from my enemies.  49 And thou wilt lift me up above them that rise up against me: from the unjust man thou wilt deliver me.  50 Therefore will I give glory to thee, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing a psalm to thy name. 51 Giving great deliverance to his king, and shewing mercy to David his anointed: and to his seed for ever.

Notes

Judging by the context, David did not compose this Psalm until he was approaching the end of his life when God had rendered him victorious over all his enemies.

Occasion of its writing: the universal and decisive victories gained by the great and holy King. Saul here is mentioned separately and last of all because he had been the first, the most dangerous and the most implacable of David’s enemies. To sum up, this poem is a grand Alleluia. Looking back on his life, the psalmist contemplates the course of a life full of incidents. He notes the hand of the Lord intervening to save him at each stage  and his heart overflows with joyous gratitude. The overwhelming thought throughout the entire Psalm is that the Lord Himself made David what he is. He is indebted to the Lord’s loving care and His fidelity at every moment for having been preserved guided and then raised to the heights of power that he now enjoys. In the final verses, the canticle rises to the level of the Messianic idea, proclaiming the universal character of the kingdom of Christ, son of David. Cf. Rom. xv. 9.  

Structure: The Psalm is divided into three parts, framed by a brief prelude, (verses 2 to 4) and a swift conclusion (verses 47 to 51). The first, epic section in verses 5-20 : David is delivered by the Lord from his internal enemies. The second, didactic section in verses 21 to 31 : the reasons for this divine protection. The third, more lyrical section in verses 32 to 46 : David is delivered from his external enemies.

From the literary point of view, this Psalm is truly remarkable : its spirited expressions, its splendid imagery and its brilliant descriptions all make it one of the most beautiful poems in the entire Psalter. It was clearly written with great care and it forms a monument truly worthy of the great blessings which it describes.     

Verses 8-15: God comes down from heaven In the middle of a storm to deliver his servant who is in danger. These verses present a thoroughly dramatic picture filled with high poetry which has not been surpassed in sublimity and in greatness. It represents one of those theophanies, or divine apparitions, which abound in the Bible and which make us contemplate the Lord God coming down from heaven to earth in a visible form and, most frequently, accompanied by a terrible storm, in order to save his friends and to destroy his enemies.These theophanies often took place in reality (cf. Exod. xix. 16-18; Jos, x. 11; Jud. v. 20 et seq., etc.); but more frequently the description is an ideal one and such is the case here because no similar event was recorded in the life of David.

Verses 16-20: David is miraculously saved.

Verses 21-31: The reasons for this divine protection: 1. David’s innocence and holiness (21-25); 2. the principle which invariably guides the Lord in His relations with men (verses 26-28): when He is dealing with the good, God manifests His satisfaction with their conduct by behaving in a similar way to them; He is however hard with those who are hard-hearted and wicked : with the result that each man is treated according to his merits. 3. God’s goodness when it comes to those who trust in Him.

Verses 32-46: David is delivered from his external enemies. This is the most lyrical part of the Psalm which echoes to the sound of warlike expressions and imagery.

Verses 47-51: Conclusion of the canticle: thanksgiving and doxology.

“to his seed for ever” : These words are a faithful echo of the celebrated prophecy, pointing to our Lord Jesus Christ,  in whom alone is realised the divine promise of a line and a throne without end : 

“And when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house to my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.” II Kings vii. 12-13.

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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.