Spirit of Hope

  On Psalm II Argumentum David makes a general complaint to God that, although he was given a kingdom from above, the nations and people envy him, turning against him in defiance. Similarly, Christ speaks here of His own passion and power. This can be read in the Gospel according to Luke. Explanation David’s name is interpreted to mean "the strong hand" or "desirable one," which applies even more appropriately to the all-powerful Christ, who is truly the strongest and is to be desired above all. The prophecy speaks of His passion, and the Lord Himself will proclaim these words. Among the Hebrews, this psalm does not have a title, but it is seen as a continuation of the previous psalm, beginning and ending in blessedness. The psalm is divided into four parts. The first part is a prophecy concerning the Jews, regarding Christ's passion. The second speaks of the deceit of the Jews. The third contains the words of the Lord the Savior about His omnipotent reign and H...

  On the First Psalm Argumentum This psalm incites all to the study of virtues, uniting good deeds to a reward from the Lord and showing that evil deeds follow their deserved punishment. Tertullian asserts in his book On Spectacles that this psalm can be understood concerning Joseph, who buried the Lord’s body, and those who do not come together for vain spectacles. Explanation The first psalm lacks a title, either because its title is elsewhere, or because the subject discussed (Christ) is without beginning, according to the divine nature. Some say that this psalm refers to Christ, who, although divine, lacked an earthly beginning, and from whom all things take their origin. This psalm aims to direct the faithful toward spiritual renewal through resurrection, signified by the death and resurrection of Christ. There is, however, another interpretation of the first psalm, urging believers to hasten toward salvation by distancing themselves from sin. It encourages believers to separ...

  EXPOSITION OF THE SAME FIRST PSALM ACCORDING TO AN ANAGOGICAL UNDERSTANDING Moreover, this psalm can be interpreted anagogically, and so, it can be said that holy men or angels might be described as comprehenders or the Blessed in the homeland (heaven), so that we may know from the exposition of this psalm what we ought to hope for from them. Therefore, Scripture says: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked." Here, "man" does not refer to gender but to the strength of the heart. Angels are said not to have walked in the counsel of the wicked because they did not consent to the counsel of Lucifer and the fallen angels. Likewise, none of the blessed humans followed the counsel of the wicked, remaining in it until the end, but they departed from this life in a good disposition. Thus, "Blessed is the man" refers to every chosen one, strong in virtues, whether human or angelic, now happily enjoying God, who did not walk in the coun...

  It must be remembered, however, that, as has been shown, the tropological or moral sense of Scripture is when those things which are written or read about Christ or the Saints are drawn to the moral instruction of individuals. For whatever was written about Christ, our head, was written for our instruction. Not only the things written about Christ but also those read about His saints must be drawn towards imitation, according to Augustine. Finally, it is most useful to understand Sacred Scripture tropologically, inasmuch as in this way, by commemorating or speaking of Christ and the Saints, we praise them so that what is written is applied to our own edification. And thus, by recognizing our own imperfection, we may grieve in a healthy way, and strive to imitate the perfection of those we praise. Now, the tropological exposition of this psalm does not differ from the first, or literal exposition, except that just as the literal exposition teaches what has been done, this one inst...

  Exposition of the Same First Psalm According to the Allegorical Interpretation, That Is, Concerning Christ. As has been shown, sacred Scripture is interpreted allegorically when what is written in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms is interpreted concerning Christ, which is to be understood about those Scriptures that are not literally interpreted concerning Christ. Therefore, this Psalm, which can be understood literally about any just man and the wicked in general, can very fittingly be interpreted allegorically about Christ. For it says: "Blessed is the man" —namely, Christ—who from the first instant of His conception in the Virgin Mother was a perfect and blessed man: perfect not by reason of His age, but because of the fullness of grace, the eminence of virtues, and the perfection of wisdom. In all these, the soul of Christ was created perfect. He did not grow in these qualities concerning their possession but concerning their exercise, as it is written: "The L...

  Concerning the First (Namely, Literal) Exposition of the First Psalm: "Blessed is the Man Who Has Not Walked." Preface Ezra, the pious scribe who also shone with a prophetic spirit, is said to have restored the canonical books of the Old Testament that were burned by the Babylonians, through revelation by the Holy Spirit—except for the Pentateuch, that is, the five books of Moses, which he found among the Samaritans. Therefore, he restored the Psalter and prefixed this first Psalm as a kind of preface or prologue to the Book of Psalms, as is commonly said. Hence, he did not assign a title to this Psalm, since this Psalm serves as the title of the following book, because it contains the summary and subject matter of the entire book and discusses in general terms what is treated in detail throughout the book. Chapter 1 This Psalm can be understood literally as referring to any virtuous person. And the things that follow about the impious and their vanity and torments can be e...

Psalm I: The Opposite Fate of the Just and the Wicked This psalm has no introductory title. Since Jeremiah knew of it and even paraphrased a part of it (compare Ps 1:3-4 with Jeremiah 17:5-8 ), it is clearly older than his time. Some of the Church Fathers, several manuscripts of the Septuagint, and various modern authors attribute it to David, and there is nothing in the content or style that contradicts this view. The psalm develops a familiar idea, repeated many times in the Bible, especially in the Book of Proverbs: true happiness is found only in union with God through faithful obedience to the Law; outside of this, there is only deep misery. This makes the psalm an excellent introduction to the Psalter (Saint Basil calls it "a brief prologue"; Saint Jerome, "the preface of the Holy Spirit"), since the entire Book of Psalms, from the first to the last, expresses a resounding "Yes and Amen" to the commands of the Law. The psalm divides into ...

  PSALM 1: THE TWO PATHS Introduction and overview In this psalm, which serves as a sort of introduction to the Psalter, one of the most fundamental thoughts of Hebrew speculation finds expression. The just man, it tells us, prospers in all things, while the wicked man’s life ends in failure. The psalm, however, dwells rather on the success of the just than on the failure of the wicked. It depicts the ideally just man first negatively (verse 1), then positively (2-3), and then in contrast with the wicked (4-5). The just man show no tendency to adopt the ideas of the godless who set no value on the Law, or to associate himself with the sinners who openly oppose the Law, or help in spreading the corruption of those who sneer at the Law’s requirements. His heart is fixed on the Law, and he constantly murmurs to himself it precepts. His life is rich in works of the Law, so that it reminds one of the verdure of the tree that blooms and bears fruit beside the running water...

  o see notes (mine ant others) on other Psalms click on the link “Notes on Psalms” listed beneath my blog’s title. 1. “Blessed is the man that hath not gone away in the counsel of the ungodly” (verse 1). This is to be understood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Man.(1) “Blessed is the man that hath not gone away in the counsel of the ungodly,” as “the man of earth did,”(2) who consented to his wife deceived by the serpent, to the transgressing the commandment of God. “Nor stood in the way of sinners.” For He came indeed in the way of sinners, by being born as sinners are; but He “stood” not therein, for that the enticements of the world held Him not. And hath not sat in the seat of pestilence.” He willed not an earthly kingdom, with pride, which is well taken for “the seat of pestilence;” for that there is hardly any one who is free from the love of rule, and craves not human glory. For a “pestilence” is disease widely spread, and involving all or nearly all. Yet “t...

  PSALM 1 THE HAPPINESS OF THE JUST: AND THE EVIL STATE OF THE WICKED Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence: In the first and second verses the prophet teaches that happiness, as far as it is attainable in this world, is only to be had in conjunction with true justice. As the apostle teaches (Rom. 14) “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but justice and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” For the truly just are alone the friends of God, nay more, his children, and thus heirs of the kingdom, happy in the hope that belongs to the most perfect happiness, meanwhile, here below enjoying that solid joy and peace “that surpasseth all understanding.” In this first verse he gives a negative description of the just man; in the second an affirmative, briefly stating here that he is just and thence happy who declines from evil and doeth good. Observe attentively an...