Psalms 41 Commentary

“I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.”

Bread. Ovid imitates this: Cura dolorque animi lachrymęque alimenta fuere. (Met. x.) — The tears of compunction obtain the remission of sin. (St. Jerome) — God. Thus the idolaters derided those who could not point at their God. (Haydock) — The Babylonians had conquered all the surrounding nations, and despised their deities. (Calmet) — The wicked laugh at the just, who are for a time in distress, comforting themselves with weeping. (Worthington) — Those who saw David wandering (Haydock) in the mountains, at a distance from the tabernacle, might ask him what religion or God he followed. (Menochius)

“Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?”

These sarcasms fill me with grief, (Calmet) while the solemn ceremonies of religion, which, I remember, where observed in the temple, cause my heart to overflow with joy. (Berthier) — I shall. Protestants, “I had gone with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise; with a multitude that kept holiday.” Yet the holidays of the Catholic Church are now ridiculed by many Protestants. (Haydock) — The original may have several other meanings. The tabernacle may here designate the musach of the Levites, 4 Kings xvi. 18. (Calmet) — Feasting. Some such religious feasts were prescribed, Deuteronomy xii. 12. (Haydock) — David was not permitted to build the temple, nor to enter the tabernacle: but he speaks of heaven. (Worthington)

“And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.”

My countenance. Hebrew, “his,” as Aquila, &c., read. (Calmet) — Yet as the words are repeated, (ver. 12.) there seems to be a fault in the text, (Berthier) owing to v, “his” being taken in here, instead of explaining it by and, ver. 7. (Haydock) — The arrangement of the letters in the Vulgate is preferable. (Calmet)

“All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt. my: Heb. evil to me”

Little hill of Sion. I hope that I shall soon again behold the fertile regions along the Jordan. (Calmet) — But these hills of Hermon, &c., are nothing when compared with heaven: They serve only to remind us of our banishment. (Berthier) — The difficulties of our present abode, hemmed in on all sides, teach us to place our hopes in heaven. (Worthington)

“An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more. An: Heb. A thing of Belial”

Flood-gates. The Hebrews imagined there were immense reservoirs of water above, (Calmet) which might serve to drown the earth, as at the deluge, Genesis vii. 11. Both heaven and earth seemed to be armed against the psalmist. (Haydock) — One affliction succeeded another, (Calmet) and God appeared to have abandoned his servants to temptations. But he enables them to come off with victory, and fills them with more joy in their trials: so that they may sing in heart, and pray. (Worthington)

“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. mine: Heb. the man of my peace lifted: Heb. magnified”

Night. In affliction, as well as in prosperity, we must praise the Lord. Roman Septuagint, “in the night he will manifest it.” — Mercy. (Haydock) — This is very beautiful, but not agreeable with the original. (Berthier)

“By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.”

Whilst. Protestants As, “with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me.” (Haydock) — Thus the martyrs were tortured and upbraided. (Calmet)

“And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.”

Countenance. To whom I look up with confidence. (Menochius) — The just are comforted with the hope of God’s sight. (Worthington)