Expositions on the Book of Psalms 30
30.0 Psalm XXX PL 36, 129
30.1 Psalm XXX PL 36, 226
1. To the end, a Psalm of the joy of the Resurrection, and the change, the renewing of the body to an immortal state, and not only of the Lord, but also of the whole Church. For in the former Psalm the tabernacle was finished, wherein we dwell in the time of war: but now the house is dedicated, which will abide in peace everlasting.
[vers. 1.] In finem Psalmus ipsi David, mediatori manu forti in persecutionibus. Nam et ecstasis, quae addita est titulo, excessum mentis significat, quae fit vel pavore, vel aliqua revelatione. Sed in hoc psalmo pavor maxime apparet perturbati populi Dei persecutione omnium gentium, et defectu per orbem fidei. Sed prior loquitur ipse mediator: deinde redemptus sanguine ipsius populus gratias agit: ad extremum perturbatus diu loquitur, quod ad ecstasim pertinet: Prophetae vero ipsius persona bis interponitur, prope finem, et in fine.
30.2 PL 36, 226
2. It is then whole Christ who speaketh. “I will exalt Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast taken Me up” (ver. 1). I will praise Thy high Majesty, O Lord, for Thou hast taken Me up. “Thou hast not made Mine enemies to rejoice over Me.” And those, who have so often endeavoured to oppress Me with various persecutions throughout the world, Thou hast not made to rejoice over Me.
[vers. 2.] In te, Domine, speravi, non confundar in aeternum: in te Domine speravi, nunquam confundar, dum tanquam homini simili caeteris insultabitur. In justitia tua erue me, et exime me: et in tua justitia erue me de fovea mortis, et exime me de numero eorum.
30.3 PL 36, 226
3. “O Lord, My God, I have cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed Me” (ver. 2). O Lord, My God, I have cried unto Thee, and I no longer bear about a body enfeebled and sick by mortality.
[vers. 3.] Inclina ad me aurem tuam: humilem me exaudi, proximus mihi. Accelera ut eximas me: ne differas in finem saeculi, sicut omnium credentium mihi, segregationem meam a peccatoribus. Esto mihi in Deum protectorem: protector Deus mihi esto. Et in domum refugii, ut salvum me facias: et tanquam domus, quo refugiens salvus fiam.
30.4 PL 36, 227
4. “O Lord, Thou hast brought back My Soul from hell, and Thou hast saved Me from them that go down into the pit” (ver. 3). Thou hast saved Me from the condition of profound darkness, and the lowest slough of corruptible flesh.
[vers. 4.] Quia fortitudo mea et refugium meum es tu: quia fortitudo mea ad tolerandos persecutores meos, et refugium meum ad relinquendos tu mihi es. Et propter nomen tuum dux mihi eris, et enutries me: et ut per me innotescas omnibus gentibus, per omnia sequar voluntatem tuam, et paulatim mihi aggregatis sanctis adimplebis corpus meum, et perfectam staturam meam.
30.5 PL 36, 227
5. “Sing to the Lord, O ye saints of His.” The prophet seeing these future things, rejoiceth, and saith, “Sing to the Lord, O ye saints of His. And make confession of the remembrance of His holiness” (ver. 4). And make confession to Him, that He hath not forgotten the sanctification, wherewith He hath sanctified you, although all this intermediate period belong to your desires.
[vers. 5] Educes me de muscipula ista, quam occultaverunt mihi: edoces me de insidiis istis, quas occultaverunt mihi. Quoniam tu es protector meus.
30.6 PL 36, 227
6. “For in His indignation is wrath” (ver. 5). For He hath avenged against you the first sin, for which you have paid by death. “And life in His will.” And life eternal, whereunto you could not return by any strength of your own, hath He given, because He so would. “In the evening weeping will tarry.” Evening began, when the light of wisdom withdrew from sinful man, when he was condemned to death: from this evening weeping will tarry, as long as God’s people are, amid labours and temptations, awaiting the day of the Lord. “And exultation in the morning.” Even to the morning, when there will be the exultation of the resurrection, which hath shone forth by anticipation in the morning resurrection of the Lord.
[vers. 6.] In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum: potestati tuae commendo spiritum meum, cito recepturus. Redemisti me, Domine Deus veritatis. Dicat et populus redemptus passione Domini sui, et laetus clarificatione capitis sui: Redemisti me, Domine Deus veritatis.
30.7 PL 36, 227
7. “But I said in my abundance, I shall not be moved for ever” (ver. 6). But I, that people which was speaking from the first, said in mine abundance, suffering now no more any want, “I shall not be moved for ever.”
[vers. 7.] Odisti observantes vanitatem supervacue: odisti observantes falsam beatitudinem saeculi. Ego autem in Domino speravi.
30.8 PL 36, 227
8. “O Lord, in Thy will Thou hast afforded strength unto my beauty” (ver. 7). But that this my abundance, O Lord, is not of myself, but that in Thy will Thou hast afforded strength unto my beauty, I have learnt from this, “Thou turnedst away Thy Face from me, and I became troubled;” for Thou hast sometimes turned away Thy Face from the sinner, and I became troubled, when the illumination of Thy knowledge withdrew from me.
[vers. 8] Exsultabo, et jucundabor in tua misericordia: quae me non fallit. Quia respexisti humilitatem meam: qua me vanitati in spe subjecisti. Salvam fecisti de necessitatibus animam meam: salvam fecisti de necessitatibus timoris animam meam, ut tibi charitate libera serviat.
30.9 PL 36, 227
9. “Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry, and unto my God will I pray” (ver. 8). And bringing to mind that time of my trouble and misery, and as it were established therein, I hear the voice of Thy First-Begotten, my Head, about to die for me, and saying “Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry, and unto My God will I pray.”
[vers. 9] Nec conclusisti me in manus inimici: nec conclusisti me, ut non haberem aditum respirandi in libertatem, et darer in sempiternam potestatem diaboli, cupiditate hujus vitae illaqueantis, et morte terrentis. Statuisti in loco spatioso pedes meos: resurrectione cognita Domini mei et mea promissa mihi, spatiatur permanens in latitudinem libertatis ab angustiis timoris educta charitas mea.
30.10 PL 36, 227
10. “What profit” is there in the shedding of My blood, whilst I go down to corruption? “Shall dust confess unto Thee?” For if I shall not rise immediately, and My body shall become corrupt, “shall dust confess unto Thee?” that is, the crowd of the ungodly, whom I shall justify by My resurrection? “Or declare Thy truth?” Or for the salvation of the rest declare Thy truth?
[vers. 10.] Miserere mei, Domine, quoniam tribulor. Sed quae est ista insperata persequentium crudelitas, magnum mihi pavorem incutiens? Miserere mei, Domine. Non enim de morte jam terreor, sed de cruciatibus atque tormentis. Conturbatus est in ira oculus meas: habebam oculum in te, quo non me desereres; iratus es, et conturbasti eum. Anima mea et venter meus: in eadem ira conturbata est anima mea, et memoria qua tenebam quid pro me pertulerit, et quid mihi promiserit Deus meus.
30.11 PL 36, 227
11. “The Lord hath heard, and had mercy on Me, the Lord hath become My helper.” Nor did “He suffer His holy One to see corruption” (ver. 10).
[vers. 11.] Quoniam defecit in dolore vita mea: quoniam vita mea est confiteri te, sed defecit in dolore, cum dixisset inimicus: Torqueantur donec negent. Et anni mei in gemitibus: tempora quae ago in hoc saeculo, non mihi morte auferuntur, sed manent, atque in gemitibus sunt. Infirmatus est in egestate vigor meus: egeo sanitate hujus corporis, nec parcitur cruciatibus; egeo resolutione corporis, et parcitur morti: et in hac egestate infirmata est fiducia mea. Et ossa mea conturbata sunt: et firmitas mea conturbata est.
30.12 PL 36, 228
12. “Thou hast turned My mourning into joy to Me” (ver. 11). Whom I, the Church, having received, the First-Begotten from the dead, now in the dedication of Thine house, say, “Thou hast turned my mourning into joy to me. Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.” Thou hast torn off the veil of my sins, the sadness of my mortality; and hast girded me with the first robe, with immortal gladness.
[vers. 12.] Super omnes inimicos meos factus sum opprobrium. Inimici mei sunt omnes iniqui; et tamen pro sceleribus suis usque ad confessionem torquentur: superavi ergo opprobrium eorum, cujus confessionem non mors sequitur, sed cruciatus insequitur. Et vicinis meis nimium: nimium hoc visum est eis qui jam propinquabant cognoscere te et tenere fidem quam teneo. Et timor notis meis: et ipsis notis meis exemplo horribilis tribulationis meae timorem incussi. Qui videbant me, foras fugiebant a me: quoniam non intelligebant interiorem et invisibilem spem meam, in exteriora et visibilia fugerunt a me.
30.13 PL 36, 228
13. “That my glory should sing unto Thee, and I should not be pricked” (ver. 12). That now, not my humiliation, but my glory should not lament, but should sing unto Thee, for that now out of humiliation Thou hast exalted me; and that I should not be pricked with the consciousness of sin, with the fear of death, with the fear of judgment. “O Lord, my God, I will confess unto Thee for ever.” And this is my glory, O Lord, my God, that I should confess unto Thee for ever, that I have nothing of myself, but that all my good is of Thee, who art “God, All in all.”
[vers. 13.] Oblitus sum, tanquam mortuus a corde: et obliti sunt me, tanquam mortuus sim a corde ipsorum. Factus sum tanquam vas perditum: visus sum mihi periisse usibus Domini, vivens in hoc saeculo, et neminem lucrifaciens, cum omnes timerent aggregari mihi.