The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 47

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 47

“Thou hast ascended, hymned by the Angelic choirs.”
The Assumption of the Virgin (1475-6), by Francesco Botticini.
The National Gallery, London. Public domain.

1. Great art thou, O Lady, and exceedingly to be praised: in the city of the God of Heaven[1]: in the entire Church of His elect.

2. Thou hast ascended[2], hymned by the Angelic choirs: buoyed by the Archangels, crowned with lilies and roses.

3. Meet her, ye Powers and Principalities: go to welcome her, ye Virtues and Dominations.

4. Cherubim, and Thrones, and Seraphim, exalt her[3]: and place her at the right hand of the Spouse, her most loving Son[4].

5. Oh, with how joyful a soul, with how serene an aspect hast thou received her, O God of Angels and men: and given her the principality over every place of thy domination.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Magna es, Domina, et laudabilis valde in civitate Dei cœli: in universa Ecclesia electorum ejus.

2. Ascendisti, alternantibus hymnidicis angelicis choris: archangelis constipata, rosis et liliis coronata.

3. Occurrite illi, Potestates et Principatus: obviate ei, Virtutes et Dominationes.

4. Cherubim, et Throni, et Seraphim, exaltate eam: et constituite eam a dextris Sponsi amantissimi Filii ejus.

5. O quam læto animo, quam sereno aspectu suscepisti eam, angelorum et hominum Deus: et dedisti ei principatum super omnem locum dominationis tuæ!

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.” Davidic Ps. XLVII, 2.

[2] “We pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII “Munificentissimus Deus” (Feast of All Saints 1950). 

[3] Botticini’s painting shows the disciples gathered around Mary’s lily-filled tomb whilst in Heaven above, surrounded by the nine choirs of angels, Jesus raises His hand in blessing to His kneeling Mother.

[4] “Mary sitteth at the right hand of her Son - a refuge so secure and a help so trusty against all dangers that we have nothing to fear or to despair of under her guidance, her patronage, her protection. (Pius IX. in Bull Ineffabilis) – from the Encyclical of Pope St Pius X: Ad Diem Illum Lætissimum (2nd Feb. 1804). See too the reference to Mar being: “taken up body and soul to the glory of heaven where, as Queen, she sits in splendour at the right hand of her Son, the immortal King of the Ages.” (Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII “Munificentissimus Deus.”)

Davidic Psalm XLVII

1 A psalm of a canticle, for the sons of Core, on the second day of the week.

2 Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.  3 With the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion founded, on the sides of the north, the city of the great king.

4 In her houses shall God be known, when he shall protect her.  5 For behold the kings of the earth assembled themselves: they gathered together.6 So they saw, and they wondered, they were troubled, they were moved:  7 Trembling took hold of them. There were pains as of a woman in labour.  8 With a vehement wind thou shalt break in pieces the ships of Tharsis.  9 As we have heard, so have we seen, in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God hath founded it for ever.

10 We have received thy mercy, O God, in the midst of thy temple.  11 According to thy name, O God, so also is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of justice.  12 Let mount Sion rejoice, and the daughters of Juda be glad; because of thy judgments, O Lord.  13 Surround Sion, and encompass her: tell ye in her towers.  14 Set your hearts on her strength; and distribute her houses, that ye may relate it in another generation.  15 For this is God, our God unto eternity, and for ever and ever: He shall rule us for evermore.

Notes

God protects Sion in a marvellous manner.

1: A psalm in the form of a canticle written by a Coraite: a beautifully lyrical hymn.

“on the second day of the week”: words found in the Septuagint and in the Vulgate which refer to the liturgical role of this Psalm. It was to be sung on Monday, the second day after the Sabbath, probably for the morning sacrifice. It is a song of victory, like the two previous psalms. Several kings (verse 5) formed an alliance in order to attack Jerusalem; but God struck them with terror and panic so that their plans failed miserably. The poet praises and thanks God for this blessed intervention. The reference may be to the defeat of the Moabites and their allies (see II Par. xx), also associated with Ps. XLV and XLVI; or to the failed campaign by Rasin, king of Syria, and Phacee, king of Israel, who joined forces against Jerusalem in the time of Achaz. Cf. IV Kings xvi, 5; Is. Vii, 1 et seq.

Structure: 

‣ a prologue: verses 2-3,  which introduces the poem’s principal idea;

‣ verses 4-9, the account of Jerusalem's miraculous deliverance ;

‣ verses 10-15, prayers of thanksgiving offered to God  for this.

Prelude: verses 2-3:

“His holy mountain” / “Mount Sion”: the Hebrew text speaks of a beautiful summit, meaning a gracious hill, the joy of all the earth, Mount Sion. This holy hill represents here the entire city of Jerusalem, of which it was one of the principal parts. Mount Sion was therefore not only the joy of the Jewish people but it was to become a centre of peace and joy for the whole universe. Cf. Ps. XLVI; Is. Ii, 2 et seq.; Lam. ii, 15.

First part: account of Jerusalem's miraculous deliverance (verses 4-9). 

6-7: The way Jerusalem’s enemies were put to flight is described in three stages: they wondered, they were troubled , and they were put to flight. But what was the explanation for this inexplicable reaction on their part? They were seized by a supernatural terror and panic as trembling took hold of them and this was accompanied by terrible sufferings compared to the pains of a woman in labour. 

8: “the ships of Tharsis”: the ships of Tartessus in Spain were the largest and most powerful to be built at that time because they had to journey across the whole of the Mediterranean and be able to survive its violent storms. Cf. III Kings x, 22.

9: The poet compares this recent deliverance of Jerusalem to the ancient miracles worked by God in favour of the Hebrews. “God hath founded it for ever”: this prophecy was fulfilled to the letter in a mystical manner in the Church, of which Jerusalem was the type.

Second part: thanksgiving. Verses 10-15.

10-12: prayers of praise to God for this immense blessing He has conferred on them. The Israelites assembled within the temple precincts after the victory in order to offer the thanksgiving to God.

12-15:  the poet, addressing himself to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, invites them to look with pride upon the splendour and the strength of their glorious city, making a tour of its walls in order to see and admire everything.

“tell ye in her towers”:  this is clearer in the Hebrew: “Count the towers, which were numerous and formed a powerful means of defence for the city.

14: “Set your hearts . . .and distribute”: Examine with great care and consider its fine buildings one after another. The object of this inspection was in order to understand better, so to be able to recount more effectively to their children, the flourishing condition of the city they had seen for themselves after emerging from such a great danger. 

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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 46

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 46

“All ye nations . . . sing in jubilee to the glorious Virgin.”
The Coronation of the Virgin (c. 1607), by Guido Reni.
National Gallery, London. Public domain.

1. All ye nations, clap your hands: sing in jubilee to the glorious Virgin.[1]

2. For she is the gate of life, the door of salvation[2], and the way of our reconciliation.

3. The hope of the penitent: the comfort of those that weep[3]: the blessed peace of hearts, and their salvation.

4. Have mercy on me, O Lady, have mercy on me[4]: for thou art the light and the hope of all who trust in thee.

5. By thy saving fruitfulness let it please thee : that pardon of my sins may be granted unto me.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Omnes gentes, plaudite manibus : psallite in jubilo virgini gloriosæ.

2. Quoniam ipsa est porta vitæ, janua salutis et via nostræ reconciliationis.

3. Spes pœnitendum, solamen lugentium: pax beata cordium, atque salus.

4. Miserere mei, Domina, miserere mei: quia tu es lux et spes omnium confidentium in te.

5. Per tuam salutarem fœcunditatem placeat: ut peccatorum venia mihi concedatur.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “O clap your hands, all ye nations: shout unto God with the voice of Joy”: Davidic Ps. XLVI, 2. Cf. “The rivers shall clap their hands, the mountains shall rejoice together”: Ps. XCVII, 8; “all the trees of the country shall clap their hands”: Is. lv, 12.

[2] Cf. “And he brought me back to the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary, which looked towards the east: and it was shut. And the Lord said to me: This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall pass through it: because the Lord the God of Israel hath entered in by it, and it shall be shut. The prince himself shall . . .enter in by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out by the same way.” Ezech. xliv, 1-3.

[3] Cf. Consolatrix afflictorum / Comforter of the afflicted: Litany of Loreto (Paris, 1150-1200).

[4] “Miserere mei / Have mercy on me ”: an expression found seventeen times in the Davidic psalms.

Davidic Psalm XLVI

1 Unto the end, for the sons of Core.

2 O clap your hands, all ye nations: shout unto God with the voice of Joy,  3 For the Lord is high, terrible: a great king over all the earth.  4 He hath subdued the people under us; and the nations under our feet.  5 He hath chosen for us his inheritance the beauty of Jacob which he hath loved.

6 God is ascended with jubilee, and the Lord with the sound of trumpet.  7 Sing praises to our God, sing ye: sing praises to our king, sing ye.  8 For God is the king of all the earth: sing ye wisely.  9 God shall reign over the nations: God sitteth on his holy throne. 10 The princes of the people are gathered together, with the God of Abraham: for the strong gods of the earth are exceedingly exalted.

Notes

A hymn in honour of God, King of all the earth and of all the nations.

1: The title: The author is a Coraite (one of the sons of Core).

This psalm, like the preceding one, is a hymn of victory. It celebrates God who has overcome the enemies of His chosen people and it declares that the whole earth will one day accept His rule. It is, therefore, Messianic since it is only through our Lord Jesus Christ that the pagan peoples are to be converted to the religion of the one true God. Because of verse 6, Christian tradition has frequently applied this psalm in a special way to the Saviour’s Ascension. It is characterised by lyrical enthusiasm and it may well be the case that it too was composed on the occasion of the victory gained by the Israelites against the Moabites, the Ammonites and the Idomeans without fighting – thanks to a spectacular intervention by the Lord. Cf. II Par. xx, 1 et seq.

Structure: the Psalm may be divided into two parts :

‣the poet invites all the nations to sing in praise of the God of Israel, verses 2-5;

‣he foretells their future conversion, verses 6-10.

First part:

2-3:  the theme of the Canticle.

“all ye nations”:  All the Pagan nations and especially those in and around Palestine who had witnessed the miraculous deliverance of the Hebrews.

“clap your hands”: a vivid physical image  incorporating an action which has throughout all history expressed wonderment and happiness. Cf. Ps. XCVII, 8; Nah. Iii, 19.

3: “For the Lord is high, terrible”: fear is not incompatible with a joy based upon respect . Cf. Ps. LXIV, 5; LXVII, 35, etc.

4-5: “He hath subdued”: This is written in the prophetic preterite tense, since the pagans were far from being subject at that point to the Hebrew people. In any event, the domination which is here promised to the Jews was to be above all moral and spiritual since it consisted in the conversion of the pagan world to God.  

5:  “He hath chosen for us his inheritance”: referring to the Holy Land, in which God settled the Israelites in an altogether loving manner.

Second part: the poet foretells the future conversion of the pagans . Verses 6 -10.

6: “God is ascended”: God had in a certain manner come down to earth in order to defend the holy nation; He then returns to His celestial abode after the victory. This passage may also contain an allusion to the Ark of the Covenant which, after it had been carried onto the battlefield, was carried in procession straight back to the sanctuary. Cf. Par. xx, 28. There is also a foreshadowing of the glorious ascension of Jesus into heaven. Cf. “Ascending on high, he led captivity captive; he gave gifts to men. Now that he ascended, what is it, but because he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended above all the heavens, that he might fill all things”: Eph. iv, 8-10.

7: Note the fourfold repetition of the verb psallite / sing praises in verse 7, showing a wonderfully animated spirit.

10: “The princes of the people are gathered together, with the God of Abraham” : in fulfilment of the prophecy in Gen. xii, 2-3: “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and magnify thy name, and thou shalt be blessed. I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee, and in thee shall all the kindred of the earth be blessed.”

“the strong gods of the earth”: These words refer to the princes of the people already mentioned and the psalmist adds that, through their conversion, they are raised to a most high degree of glory. 

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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 45

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 45

“Thou art . . .a most powerful force bruising and crushing our enemy.”
The Virgin of the Assumption (1626-8), by Peter Paul Rubens.
Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. Public domain.

1. O Lady, thou art our refuge in all our needs: and a most powerful force bruising and crushing our enemy.[1]

2. The world is full of thy benefits: they surpass the heavens and penetrate the depths.[2]

3. By the fullness of thy grace those who were in the abyss : rejoice to find themselves liberated.[3]

4. By the protection of thy virginal fecundity, those who are now above this world : rejoice to find themselves freed.

5. By the glorious Son of thy most holy virginity: men are made companions and fellow-citizens of the Angels.[4]

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Domina, refugium nostrum tu es in omni necessitate nostra : et virtus potentior conterens inimicum.

2. Beneficiis tuis plenus est mundus : superant cœlestia, penetrant et inferna.

3. Plenitudine gratiæ tuæ, quæ in inferno erant: se lætantur liberata.

4. Obtentu fœcunditatis tuæ virgineæ, quæ supra mundum sunt : se gaudent restaurata.

5. Per gloriosum tuæ virginitatis sanctissimæ partum : homines Angelorum fiunt socii et concives.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “Our God is our refuge and strength: a helper in troubles, which have found us exceedingly.”: Davidic Ps. XLV, 2. Cf. “The Lord God said to the serpent . . . I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head”: Gen. iii, 14-15.

[2] Cf “If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I descend into hell, thou art present.”: Ps. CXXXVIII, 8.

[3] Cf. “He [the Lord] heard my prayers, and brought me out of the pit of misery and the mire of dregs.” Ps. XXIX, 3.

[4] Cf. “Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners; but you are  fellow citizens with the saints, and the domestics of God;” Eph. Ii, 19; “You are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of Angels;” Hebr. xii, 22.

Davidic Psalm XLV

1 Unto the end, for the sons of Core, for the hidden.

2 Our God is our refuge and strength: a helper in troubles, which have found us exceedingly.  3 Therefore we will not fear, when the earth shall be troubled; and the mountains shall be removed into the heart of the sea.  4 Their waters roared and were troubled: the mountains were troubled with his strength.

5 The stream of the river maketh the city of God joyful: the most High hath sanctified his own tabernacle.  6 God is in the midst thereof, it shall not be moved: God will help it in the morning early.  7 Nations were troubled, and kingdoms were bowed down: he uttered his voice, the earth trembled.  8 The Lord of armies is with us: the God of Jacob is our protector.

9 Come and behold ye the works of the Lord: what wonders he hath done upon earth,  10 Making wars to cease even to the end of the earth. He shall destroy the bow, and break the weapons: and the shield he shall burn in the fire. 11 Be still and see that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, and I will be exalted in the earth.  12 The Lord of armies is with us: the God of Jacob is our protector.

Notes

God’s people have the fullness of His security.

1: The title: The author is a Coraite (one of the sons of Core).

“for the hidden”:  some commentators see in this a reference to the ineffable mystery of the Incarnation; others see a reference to the hidden mysteries of Providence and God’s conduct towards His Church. The Hebrew words (‘al-‘alamot), however, give another meaning : literally, “for the voices of young girls.” It is thus in all probability a musical term which indicates that the psalm was to be sung by soprano voices. Cf. I Par. xv, 20. We find in the Talmud that the children of the Levites sang with their fathers to make for more harmonious music in the Temple.

The psalm takes the form of a lyrical poem which describes in magnificent language the absolute trust Israel has in their God, even amidst the gravest of dangers. The occasion of its writing must have been a wonderful and unexpected act of help bestowed by the Lord upon the Hebrews when they were in danger. Perhaps it was the total destruction of Sennacherib’s army under the walls of Jerusalem (cf. Is. xxxvi-xxxvii); or even the defeat in the time of Joseph of the Moabites, the Ammonites and the Idumeans who had formed an alliance against Israel (cf. II Par. Xx, 1 et seq.).

Structure: The psalm may be divided into three strophes or parts, each accompanied by a beautiful refrain , (see verses 8 and 12) except for the first, probably omitted through a copyist’s mistake.

First part: God is the refuge of Israel, His people. Verses 2-4.

In order to give fuller expression to their trust, they make use of bold metaphors to describe the extreme dangers which might befall them: a universal cataclysm, a new chaos, an overturning of whole world. Even then they would have nothing to fear, being sure that the Lord would be with them.

4: “Their waters roared”: the Hebrew text and Roman Psalter indicate the word “their” should be read as “His”.

Second part: God is in a special way the refuge of the city of Sion. Verses 5-8.

5: “The stream of the river”: it is clear from the context that the poet is now describing the peaceful movement of waters, producing a striking contrast : on the one hand, the waters of a river flow peacefully into the heart of Jerusalem; at the same time, the sea is in a state of convulsion and threatens to overcome everything. The Hebrew text expresses this idea differently, speaking of a river whose streams rejoice, probably an allusion to the river in Eden whose four heads went out to water Paradise, spreading freshness and fertility everywhere (cf. Gen. ii, 10) – symbolising the multitudinous graces that God poured upon His people. Cf. Ps. XXXV, 9; Apoc. xxii, 1.

8: “protector”: Vulg. susceptor for the Hebrew misgab, meaning the high place or citadel of His people.

Third part: describing the miracle recently worked by the Lord to save Israel. Verses 9-12.

This third concentric circle of the psalm contains the main point and, so to speak, the heart of the poem. The Psalmist invites his fellow citizens to come out of Jerusalem some distance and wonder at the miraculous works God has recently performed in order to save them. Through their devastating defeat, the enemies of Israel have been expelled beyond the Jewish frontiers and, in order to prevent any further wars, the Lord destroyed all the aggressors’ weapons.

11-12: It is now the Lord himself who speaks in a majestic and terrible manner.

“I will be exalted”: He wishes to make manifest his power and to be obeyed everywhere, amongst the pagans as well as in the midst of his people (“in terra”, i.e., in the promised land of His people).

12: The Psalm then ends powerfully with a repetition of the refrain first heard in verse 8.

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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 44

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 44

“By thy most worthy Son I, a lost one, am restored.”

Mother of Mercy (1482), by Bartolomeo Caporali.
Museum of San Francesco, Montone, Italy.
Picture by Mongolo 1984. CC BY-SA 4.0.

1. My heart hath uttered a good word, Lady[1]: it is sweetened with honey-flowing dew.[2]

2. By thy sanctity let my sins be purged : by thy integrity may incorruption be bestowed upon me.

3. By thy virginity may my soul be loved by Christ: and joined to him by the bond of love.

4. By thy fecundity I, a captive, am redeemed[3]: by thy virginal bringing forth I am delivered from eternal death.[4]

5. By thy most worthy Son I, a lost one[5], am restored: and from the exile of misery[6] I am led back to the homeland of beatitude.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Eructavit cor meum verbum bonum Domina : cum rore melifluo extitit dulcoratum.

2. Per tuam sanctitatem peccata mea purgentur : per tuam integritatem mihi incorruptibilitas condonetur.

3. Per tuam virginitatem anima mea a Christo adamatur : et sibi amoris vinculo sociatur.

4. Per tuam foecunditatem ego captivus sum redemptus : per tuum partum virgineum de morte perpetua sum ereptus.

5. Per tuam prolem dignissimam, perdus, sum restitutus : et de exilio miseriæ in patriam beatitudinis sum reductus.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. Davidic Psalm XLIV, 2.

[2] Cf. “Sweeter than honey and the honeycomb”: Ps. LXXX, 17; “How sweet are thy words to my palate! more than honey to my mouth”: Ps. CXVIII, 103; “Thy lips, my spouse, are as a dropping honeycomb, honey and milk are under thy tongue;” Cant. iv, 11.

[3] Cf. “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me . . . to preach a release to the captives, and deliverance to them that are shut up”: Is. lxi, 1.

[4] Cf. “And she shall bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.  Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet [Is. Vii, 14], saying: Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew. i, 22-3.

[5] Cf. “What man of you that hath an hundred sheep: and if he shall lose one of them, doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert, and go after that which was lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, lay it upon his shoulders, rejoicing: And coming home, call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them: Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost?” Luke xv, 4-6.

[6] Cf. “And after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus”: from the Salve Regina, attributed by many to Herman Contractus (1013-1054).

Davidic Psalm XLIV

1 Unto the end, for them that shall be changed, for the sons of Core, for understanding. A canticle for the Beloved.

2 My heart hath uttered a good word: I speak my works to the king; My tongue is the pen of a scrivener that writeth swiftly.

3 Thou art beautiful above the sons of men: grace is poured abroad in thy lips; therefore hath God blessed thee for ever.  4 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O thou most mighty.  5 With thy comeliness and thy beauty set out, proceed prosperously, and reign. Because of truth and meekness and justice: and thy right hand shall conduct thee wonderfully.  6 Thy arrows are sharp: under thee shall people fall, into the hearts of the king’s enemies.  7 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre of uprightness.  8 Thou hast loved justice, and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.  9 Myrrh and stacte and cassia perfume thy garments, from the ivory houses: out of which

10 The daughters of kings have delighted thee in thy glory. The queen stood on thy right hand, in gilded clothing; surrounded with variety.  11 Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thy ear: and forget thy people and thy father’s house.  12 And the king shall greatly desire thy beauty; for he is the Lord thy God, and him they shall adore.  13 And the daughters of Tyre with gifts, yea, all the rich among the people, shall entreat thy countenance.  14 All the glory of the king's daughter is within in golden borders,  15 Clothed round about with varieties. After her shall virgins be brought to the king: her neighbours shall be brought to thee.  16 They shall be brought with gladness and rejoicing: they shall be brought into the temple of the king.

17 Instead of thy fathers, sons are born to thee: thou shalt make them princes over all the earth.  18 They shall remember thy name throughout all generations. Therefore shall people praise thee for ever; yea, for ever and ever.

Notes

This is a didactic Psalm  which is said to be a canticum pro dilecto./ “a canticle for the Beloved.” Aquila translated the Hebrew words sir y’didot by ᾀσμα προσφιλίας, or “song of love,” understood in a noble and holy sense. The Septuagint has ᾠδὴ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ, a “canticle concerning the Beloved.” Others have translated it as : a song concerning things of love ; or a canticle for those who are to wed.

The Betrothed at Cana. (1886-94), by James
Tissot. Brooklyn Museum, NY. 
Creative Commons License:​​ CC BY-​​NC-​​SA.

The subject matter is in fact evident not only from the title but appears clearly in the body of the Psalm. The poet is celebrating the wedding of a king remarkable for his beauty, his courage, his justice and especially his divine character, with a royal Princess worthy of this august spouse. We have in truth here an epithalamium in honour of a king beyond compare, together with the customary eulogy offered to the bride and groom, along with prayers for the fruit of their celestial union.

But who is this king and who is this Queen? Different opinions have been put forward in answer to this question, as is also the case with the Canticle of Canticles (with which this Psalm has great similarities).

According to the commentators who are rationalists, the psalm does not go beyond the ordinary limits of an historical event and the marriage which it celebrates is an earthly one. For example, according to some, that between Achab and Jezabel (cf. Kings xvi, 31); according to others, that between Joram and Athalia (cf. IV Kings viii, 18); some have even gone so far as to suggest that between the Syrian king Alexander and Cleopatra, daughter of the king of Egypt (I Mach. X, 57 et seq.). But who does not see already that this astonishing divergence of opinions demonstrates the extreme weakness of an exegesis which also does not have the least support in antiquity? Moreover, if this hymn were no more than a popular epithalamium, why would it be included in the Bible whose every page is sacred and directed towards an altogether holy end?

The difficulties with this interpretation have given rise to another : that the whole Psalm is in essence prophetic. The ideas expressed therein show that the king in question is the Messiah. This is in fact the unanimous opinion of tradition, whether Jewish or Christian, but the question then arises as to the precise way in which this poem is Messianic. One view is that there is here a double sense : the first is historical and also serves as a figure : it is the marriage between Solomon and the daughter of the king of Egypt. The second, more sublime, contains the truth of which the other was merely the figure and is fulfilled in a real sense by the union of Jesus Christ and His Church.  The majority understand this alliance or marriage as one entirely spiritual and which excludes any other meaning, even the marriage of Solomon. 

We do not hesitate to adopt this second approach and to see in this wonderful psalm, as in the Canticle of Canticles, a sort of parable like the wedding feast at Cana in the Gospel (Matt. xxii, 2-4) and the story of the wise and foolish virgins (Matt. xxv, 1-13). These parables do not relate to actual events but contain hidden within them a moral truth under the veil of allegory. This truth is the intimate union of the Messiah with the Church which the writers of the New Testament, following the example of Jesus Christ Himself, deliberately chose to represent under the figure of marriage, that is to say the closest of all unions.  Compare Matt.ix, 15; John iii, 21; II Cor. xi,2; Eph. V, 25.  It would be impossible to apply to Solomon, a Prince so pacifist in his nature and deeds, that which is recounted in verses 4-6 about the warrior’s conquests of the mystical Spouse. It would be even more problematic to apply to Solomon the passages where it is affirmed that he is God (verses 7, 8 and 12), that He will reign eternally (verse 7), that His sons will be kings of all the earth, and that He will be praised everywhere and forever. If the most important features of the poem cannot be understood of Solomon, then how may it be believed that the psalm in its totality concerns him firstly and directly? The hymn is therefore purely prophetic.

The beauty of the Psalm is worthy of its subject matter. The whole canticle is written in a style which is delicate, gracious and elegant, such as would befit an epithalamium for so great a Prince. Commentators have noted exquisite skill in the tiniest details.

Structure:

‣a short prelude, in verse 2;

‣the body of the poem which is divided into two parts and which offers in turn a eulogy of the Spouse in verses 3-9, and of His bride in verses 10 -16;

‣a conclusion, in verses 17-18.

1: “for them that shall be changed”: the fathers have understood these words to refer to those who have the happiness of being morally transformed here below by the messiah and are being glorified with him forever in heaven. The Hebrew text (‘al-sosânim) suggests a different meaning and was probably the first word of a popular song which was to provide the melody for Psalm XLIV.  

2: “My tongue is the pen of a scrivener that writeth swiftly”: The psalmist compares his tongue to a reed stylus used with the rapidity of a skilful scribe in order to communicate the thoughts and feelings crowding into his mind and heart.

First part: a eulogy of the Spouse. Verses 3-9. The personal union of the divine nature with the human nature in the Messiah adorned him with charms not possessed by any other human nature. On His beauty, see St Augustine: Enarrat. in Ps. XLIV. The psalmist continues by celebrating in Him the qualities proper to a king, beginning with His courage as a warrior.

Verses 7-8: the divinity and perfect justice of the royal Spouse.

Verse 9: “Myrrh and stacte and cassia”: stacte: referring to myrrh or a myrrh-like substance collected “drop by drop.”

Second part: the royal fiancée, and the exhortation addressed to her by the poet: verses 10b-16.

This noble bride of the Messiah is evidently a representation of the Church, at first comprising the Jewish nation for as long as the old covenant endured, then becoming Catholic and embracing the whole world. She is a Queen all beautiful, all holy, and perfect in all. 

According to a spiritual reading about which there can be no doubt, all that this psalm says in praise of the Spouse of the great King corresponds most perfectly to Mary, and it is for this reason that Psalm XLIV is recited on all her feasts.

Verse 10: “forget thy people and thy father’s house” (cf. Gen ii, 23-24). Her first reward for her sacrifice is that the king shall greatly desire her beauty – she will be loved as much as she herself loves. Just as she leaves behind her external things in order to go to Him, in the same way she must leave all things interiorly, and such is the meaning of the call to “forget.”

Her second reward is that she will be the object of universal veneration.

Conclusion: verses 17-18: the fruits of the celestial union between Christ and His Church. Note too the words of verse 18: “They shall remember thy name throughout all generations. Therefore shall people praise thee for ever; yea, for ever and ever;” foreshadowing those of Mary in her Magnificat: “Behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name.  And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.” Luke i, 48-50.

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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 43

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 43

“Blessed be thou, O Queen of the Heavens and the Angels.”
The Queen of the Angels (1900) by William-Adolphe
Bouguereau. Petit Palais, Paris. Public domain.

1. O Lady, we have heard with our ears : and our fathers have declared to us.[1]

2. Thy merits are ineffable : and thy wonders exceedingly stupendous.

3. O Lady, innumerable are thy virtues : and inestimable are thy mercies.

4. Exult, O my soul, and rejoice in her[2] : for many good things are prepared for those who praise her.[3]

5. Blessed be thou, O Queen of the Heavens and the Angels[4] : and let those who praise thy magnificence be blessed by God.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Domina auribus nostris audivimus : et patres nostri anuntiaverunt nobis.

2. Quia ineffabili sunt merita tua : et valde stupenda mirabilia tua.

3. Domina, innumerabiles sunt virtutes tuæ : et inestimabiles misericordiæ tuæ.

4. Exulta anima mea, et lætare in illa : quia multa bona sunt laudatoribus præparata.

5. Benedicta sis Regina cœlorum et Angelorum : et benedicatur a Deo laudatores magnificentiæ tuæ.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “We have heard, O God, with our ears: our fathers have declared to us”: Davidic Ps. XLIII, 2.

[2] Cf.  “My soul shall rejoice in the Lord; and shall be delighted in his salvation”: Davidic Ps. XXXIV, 9; “My soul doth magnify the Lord.  And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour”: Luke Ii, 46-7.

[3] Cf. “As it is written [Is. lxiv, 4]: That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him”: I Cor. ii, 9.

[4] Cf. ‘St. Alphonsus Ligouri (1696-1787) in collecting the testimony of past ages, writes these words with evident devotion: “Because the Virgin Mary was raised to such a lofty dignity as to be the Mother of the King of kings, it is deservedly and by every right that the Church has honoured her with the title of Queen.”’ Pope Pius XII in his Encyclical “Ad Cæli Reginam” (11 Oct. 1954).

Davidic Psalm XLIII

1 Unto the end, for the sons of Core, to give understanding.

2 We have heard, O God, with our ears: our fathers have declared to us, The work, thou hast wrought in their days, and in the days of old.  3 Thy hand destroyed the Gentiles, and thou plantedst them: thou didst afflict the people and cast them out.  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.  5 Thou art thyself my king and my God, who commandest the saving of Jacob.  6 Through thee we will push down our enemies with the horn: and through thy name we will despise them that rise up against us.  7 For I will not trust in my bow: neither shall my sword save me.  8 But thou hast saved us from them that afflict us: and hast put them to shame that hate us.  9 In God shall we glory all the day long: and in thy name we will give praise for ever.

10 But now thou hast cast us off, and put us to shame: and thou, O God, wilt not go out with our armies.  11 Thou hast made us turn our back to our enemies: and they that hated us plundered for themselves.  12 Thou hast given us up like sheep to be eaten: thou hast scattered us among the nations.  13 Thou hast sold thy people for no price: and there was no reckoning in the exchange of them.  14 Thou hast made us a reproach to our neighbours, a scoff and derision to them that are round about us.  15 Thou hast made us a byword among the Gentiles: a shaking of the head among the people.  16 All the day long my shame is before me: and the confusion of my face hath covered me,  17 At the voice of him that reproacheth and detracteth me: at the face of the enemy and persecutor.  18 All these things have come upon us, yet we have not forgotten thee: and we have not done wickedly in thy covenant.  19 And our heart hath not turned back: neither hast thou turned aside our steps from thy way.  20 For thou hast humbled us in the place of affliction: and the shadow of death hath covered us.  21 If we have forgotten the name of our God, and if we have spread forth our hands to a strange god:  22 Shall not God search out these things: for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. Because for thy sake we are killed all the day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

23 Arise, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, and cast us not off to the end.  24 Why turnest thou thy face away? and forgettest our want and our trouble?  25 For our soul is humbled down to the dust: our belly cleaveth to the earth. 26 Arise, O Lord, help us and redeem us for thy name's sake.

Notes

Israel, recalling the benefits received of old from God, invokes His help at a time of extreme danger.

A didactic psalm of the Sons of Core. Cf. Ps. XLI, 1 and note. This psalm is akin to a national poem where the people of Israel play a central role and it is they who are speaking, or at least the psalmist is speaking in their name. The subject matter of the psalm is a terrible calamity suffered by the nation and brought about by its enemies. In order to move more effectively the heart of the Lord whose protection is being sought, a comparison is made between the present evils which God is permitting to afflict His people and the equivalent benefits with which He showered them  on a previous occasion.

The date of composition is difficult to determine as is demonstrated by the striking differences of opinion which commentators have in this regard. The place which this canticle occupies in the psalter proves that it belongs to a remote time and I am happy to share the view according to which it owes its origin to the sanguinary invasion of the Idumeans on the territory of Israel, whilst David was engaged afar in combat against the Syrians. Cf. Ps. LIX, 1; II Kings viii, 13; I Para. xviii, 12.

Structure: The psalm is divided into three parts:

‣ in the first, verses 2-9, The Israelites remind God of the great miracles He once worked in their favour and draw from this glorious past the hope of being always victors over their enemies;

‣ in the second part, verses 10-22, is a description of the current calamities whilst the people protest that they have not deserved them by any particular crime on their part; and

‣ the third part, verses 23-26, consists of an ardent prayer to obtain immediate deliverance from their perils.

From a literary point of view, the Psalm is a wonderful elegy which makes use of vivid and tragic colours and tones.

During the time of the Machabees, the persecuted Jews frequently chanted this doleful canticle (cf. i Mach. i, 66). St Paul cites verse 22 which he applies to the sufferings of the first Christians: “As it is written: For thy sake we are put to death all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”: Rom. viii, 36.

Part 1: Remembering the miracles previously worked in their favour by God, the Israelites  proclaim their most firm trust in him. Verses 2-9.

2-4: the miraculous installation of the Hebrews in the Promised Land. Note the art evident in the portrayal :  all agreed this would arouse the pity of God since it recalls for Him one of his great works now actually threatened with ruin. 

5: “Jacob”: this word is used here as a generic noun representing the entire race of the glorious Patriarch.

6: “with the horn”: the image here is taken from the way bulls and wild oxen  gore their enemies with their horns and toss them into the air.

9: “In God shall we glory all the day long”: the Psalm here soars to the joyful heights of praise But then  suddenly plunges into bitter sorrow. 

Part 2: The people of Israel, although faithful to God, now find themselves plunged into deep humiliation and distress. Verses 10-22.

12: “like sheep to be eaten”: In Hebr., “like lambs to the slaughter.”

18-22: The Israelites are not however aware of having done anything to draw upon them such a punishment.  

Part 3: An urgent prayer to obtain immediate help. Verses 23-26.

23: The Lord is seen as sleeping whilst, apparently suspending the laws of His governing providence, He allows His people to be humiliated, afflicted and overcome by the wicked. 

26: “for thy name’s sake”: the Hebrew indicates another motive: “by reason of thy goodness.” 

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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.