“To the chief Musician, Altaschith, A Psalm or Song of Asaph. Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare. Altaschith: or, Destroy not of: or, for”
Assyrians. Septuagint, “against the Assyrian,” Sennacherib, 4 Kings xix. 35. (Haydock) — David composed this after his victory over the Ammonites, and Ezechias used it when he was delivered from the Assyrians. (Grotius) — This part of the title is of no great authority, as it is not found in Hebrew, &c. (Berthier) — The psalm seems to speak of the victories of all the just; (Menochius) and instances one memorable example in the defeat of the Assyrians. (Worthington) — The Church triumphs over her persecutors. (St. Augustine)
“When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly. receive: or, take a set time”
Judea. Hebrew, “Juda.” (Haydock) — This shews that the psalm was composed after the separation of the tribes, (Calmet) though not invincibly; as the names of Juda and Israel were used in David’s time. (Haydock) — The divine worship was almost confined to the promised land till the birth of Christ; whose gospel has diffused light throughout the world. (St. Augustine; Calmet, &c.) — See Jeremias lx. 23. (Berthier) — A Christian is the true Juda, or “Confessor.” (Menochius) — God was known to some philosophers, but not by such special benefits. (Worthington)
“The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.”
Peace. Hebrew Shalem. — Abode. Hebrew, “tent or hut,” an expression which shews, how much the finest structure of the East was beneath God’s majesty. (Calmet) — He suffered the rest of the world to follow their own inventions, and false gods, reserving Israel for his Church. (Worthington)
“I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:”
There. In that favoured country. The army of Sennacherib perished on its road to Pelusium, 4 Kings xx. — Powers. Hebrew, “sparks,” (Calmet) or “burning arrows.” (Montanus) (Psalm vii. 14., and cxix. 4.) (Haydock) — All the opponents of the Church, or Sion, must perish. (Worthington)
“Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.”
Hills. Of Juda, which are styled eternal, on account of their stability, Deuteronomy xxxiii. 15. Hebrew seems to be incorrect. (Calmet) — “Thou art a light magnificently from (Haydock) or more than, (Berthier) the mountains of the captivity.” (St. Jerome) — Or, “of prey.” (Protestants) — “Thou art more terrible….than the richest mountains.” (Theodoret) — Yet this comparison hardly suits in this place, (Calmet) and Houbigant prefers the Vulgate and Septuagint, who may have read terem, “before,” or saraph, “of the seraph,” (alluding to God’s seat upon the ark) instead of tareph, “prey.” (Berthier) — God grants victory to his people, and enlightens them with the true faith. (Worthington)
“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. south: Heb. desert”
Troubled. Hebrew, “plundered,” or “stupified.” (Berthier) — The haughty and blasphemous Sennacherib, Rabsaces, &c., were full of dismay, when the destroying angel slew 185,000 (Calmet) in the dead of the night.
“But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”
Mounted. Hebrew, “the chariot and horse.” (Calmet) — But the riders are meant. (Berthier) — Rabsaces had boasted, that Ezechias could not find men to mount 2,000 horses, if he should give them to him, 4 Kings xviii. 23. (Calmet) — But God chastised his vain boasting. (Haydock) — While he defends his people, their enemies seem to slumber. (Worthington)
“For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.”
And. Hebrew, “thou, and who shall subsist before thee in the moment of thy wrath?” Houbigant rejects the second thou. (Berthier) — From. From the time that thy wrath shall break out. (Challoner) — Ex tunc, often relates to a distant period. We have long known the effects of thy indignation. (Calmet) (Hebrews x. 31.) — At the first notice of thy will the enemy is dejected, and fears thy potent anger. (Worthington)
“But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.”
Heard. Some editions of the Septuagint read, “thou hast darted judgment.” (St. Augustine) — Still. All were filled with astonishment, and Sennacherib was glad to escape in the most private manner. (Calmet) — Persecutors will all be terrified when the signs of judgment begin to appear in heaven, which are here represented as past, on account of their certainty. (Worthington) — The divine power will be again displayed. (Menochius)
“All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.”
God. After the signs of dissolution, the Son of God shall come to judge. (Berthier) — The earth is now full of bustle: but then all shall be silent. (St. Augustine) — Meek. Ezechias had given large sums to preserve peace, 4 Kings xviii. 14. (Calmet) — Judgment will take place for the sake of the just. (Worthington)
To thee. The enemy shall repress his resentment, when he beholds the fall of Sennacherib. (Tirinus) — The people who had been delivered, express their constant sentiments of gratitude. They revolve in mind the wonders of God, (Haydock) both in time and in eternity, and keep holidays in memory of such benefits. (Berthier) — Hebrew, “for the wrath of man shall confess to thee, thou shalt be girded with the remains of wrath.” (St. Jerome) — The fury of the enemy shall only cause thy power to shine forth in his destruction. (Haydock) — Petau unites both these ideas, in his beautiful Greek verses, though it must be confessed, this passage is very obscure, both in the original and versions. (Berthier) — Men shall meditate on these benefits, and praise God with gladness, being moved to make vows, even of things left to their discretion, which they must perform. (Worthington)
God. Victims of thanksgiving, as was customary after a victory, Psalm xxi., xxvi., xlix., and xiv. He speaks to the people who had been spared, particularly to the priests, though it may be understood also of foreign nations, who complied with this invitation, 2 Paralipomenon xxxii. 22. (Calmet) — Vows, and their completion, ought not to be separated, even though the thing vowed may have been before a matter of choice, as virginity, &c. (St. Augustine) (Berthier) — What says Luther? (Haydock)
Away. Hebrew, “he will cut off,” (Montanus) like grapes: which means rather to destroy, than to bereave of counsel, Isaias xix. 13. This might be written after Sennacherib was slain, 4 Kings xix. 37. (Calmet) — God is terrible, and will demand an account even of princes, respecting vows and other good works. Great discretion is therefore requisite. (Worthington)