“To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David. Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. Truly: or, Only waiteth: Heb. is silent”
Edom, (Idumææ.) (Haydock) — Several copies read Judææ; which agrees with the Hebrew, &c. The Idumeans, after the captivity, occupied those deserts (Calmet) of Ziph, Haret, &c., (Worthington) where David had screened himself from the fury of Saul. This psalm may express his sentiments, (Theodoret; Muis) or those of the captives, returning home, (Calmet) or it may agree with all those, who thirst after their heavenly country. (Berthier) — St. Jerome explains it of the coming of Christ, and it was used in the morning service. (St. Chrysostom) (Psalm cxl.) (Calmet) — Catholics, who are imprisoned for their faith, and cannot approach the tabernacle, may here find comfort. (Worthington)
“He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. defence: Heb. high place”
Day. The manna dissolved with the sun beams, and God will be served with diligence. — Flesh. The sensations of my soul affect all my body. (Worthington) — Thirst is more insupportable than hunger; and the psalmist could not express his ardour better. (Calmet) — He loves God with all his strength, &c. (Haydock) — “The soul desires, but the end can be attained only by good works.” Carnis laboribus pervenitur. (St. Jerome) — O how! Protestants, “longeth for thee in a dry,” &c. But come is no Hebrew verb, and occurring no where else, is little understood by the Jews. It seems that comu, “as,” should be here, to correspond with the following so. “As my flesh thirsts in this, &c., so in the,” &c. I shall find no less pleasure in attending thy worship, than a thirsty traveller does in finding water. (Calmet) — Theodotion agrees with the Septuagint, in considering this as a compound word posaplos, (Calmet) and we had best stick to the most ancient version. (Berthier)
“How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.”
Land. “O solitude,” cries out St. Ephrem, “ladder of heaven, mother of compunction,….and piety, thou art the guardian of the eyes,” &c. — Glory. The ark, (Calmet) or Jesus Christ, the desired of all nations. (St. Jerome) (Haydock) — I have attended thy worship in spirit, not being able to be present at Jerusalem. (Calmet) (Menochius) (Worthington) — Thus people, who cannot hear mass, ought to act. (Haydock)
“They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah. inwardly: Heb. in their inward parts”
Lives. For these must perish, while heaven remains for ever. (St. Hilary) — This consolation is preferable to any worldly prosperity. (Worthington)
“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.”
Hands. Doing good works, as the Fathers explain it. This is the posture of people who pray, or take an oath. (Tertullian) (1 Timothy ii. 8.) (Calmet) — I will, &c. Comfort is proportioned to suffering for Christ, 2 Corinthians i. (Worthington)
“He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.”
Fatness. With the most exquisite delights of the temple, Jeremias xxxi. 14. (Calmet) — Thy grace will enable me to give thee due praise (Worthington) with joy. (Menochius)
“In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”
Bed. I will think on thee both when I retire to rest, and when I get up. (Berthier) — Thou art my first beginning, and last end. (Haydock) — At all times I will meditate on thy mercies (Calmet) in bed, and much more, when I arise, (Worthington) as I shall not then be so much oppressed with drowsiness. (Menochius)
“Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.”
Earth. To seek me out, (Houbigant) or they shall perish. The Babylonians were exposed to many miseries under Cyrus, as the prophets assert, (Isaias xiii. 1., and Jeremias xxv. 12.) though profane history be silent. (Calmet) — David foretells the destruction of his persecutors, either temporal or spiritual. (Worthington) — The devils may be styled foxes. (Berthier) (St. Hilary) — This may also be verified in the Jews, who persecuted Christ, and fell a prey to the Roman arms, &c. (Eusebius) (Calmet) — Saul perished in battle, and his body was exposed on a gibbet to wild beasts, 1 Kings xxxi. (Worthington)
“Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.”
The king. David, (Berthier, &c.) or Zorobabel, for whom the Jews had the highest regard, though he was not an independent monarch, nor wore a crown, Aggeus ii. 24., and Zacharias iii. 8. It was customary to swear by the life of the king, 1 Kings i. 26., and xx. 3. The Fathers understand Jesus Christ to be meant, and this is the true and primary sense; as Zorobabel was only a figure of Him, and never really possessed the throne, that the Jews might not think that the prophecies were fulfilled in his person. — By him. The king, (Du Pin; Calmet) or God. (Menochius) (Bossuet) (Tirinus) — Those who follow the true religion, (Deuteronomy vi. 13., and Isaias xlv 23.; Calmet) and act accordingly (Haydock) shall be kings for ever, Apocalypse. (Berthier) (1 Peter ii. 9.) (Haydock) — As David came to the throne, on the death of his rival, so was Christ’s name exalted, after the Romans had destroyed the Jews. (Worthington)