TITLE OF THE TWENTY-SIXTH PSALM: OF DAVID BEFORE HE WAS ANOINTED
Ps 27:1 The psalm of David before he was anointed.... Here we are sent to the history of David, who was anointed three times: first in Bethlehem in his father's house, which was a sign that he had been chosen king by God; second, after the death of Saul, at Hebron, that he might reign over the tribe of Judah; third, indeed, that he might reign over all Israel. But all these things preceded as a figure of the Church. For the sons of the Church are anointed in baptism with sacred oil, that it may be designated that they are chosen by the Lord, so that they who were servants of the devil may become kings of themselves spiritually. Second, they are anointed by bishops, that by receiving more copiously the grace of the Holy Spirit, they who have already become Judah, that is, confessing God, may be more and more kings of themselves. Third also, they will be anointed by God in future eternal beatitude in every way, so that they who will then be Israel may be kings with His help, so that neither visible nor invisible enemies may in any way dominate them.
But here the assembly of the faithful seems to be speaking, which in the preceding psalm spoke of the benefits already given to it by God, may arrive at the eternal anointing, and this for the instruction of others, so that those who have the same things from God may know they have them, and those who do not yet have them may strive in every way to have them. It also shows that it wholly awaits that anointing, for the obtaining of which it prays, and that we also should await it and pray for it. This is briefly denoted in the title thus: this psalm is to be attributed to David, that is, to the most perfect Church, treating of things received from God before it was anointed, that is, before it was anointed by God with that most perfect anointing. But eternal beatitude is rightly called an anointing because through it one will be healed from all corruptibility, just as the sick are customarily healed by anointing.
Now this psalm has this beginning:
Ps 27:1 cont. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?
"THE LORD IS MY ILLUMINATION" - it is said as if to say: He has illuminated me with faith in baptism. "And my salvation" - and this also emphatically, that is, He Himself saved me from sins. And since He has already bestowed these things, what invisible enemy shall I fear to overcome me? None, certainly. "And the Lord is the protector of my life" - which is to say: to me who was dead in Adam originally in soul, He has restored life, and He Himself is the protector of that life lest I lose it by sinning criminally. Therefore, from what visible enemy, being assailed, shall I be afraid?
Ps 27:2 Whilst the wicked draw near against me, to eat my flesh. My enemies that trouble me, have themselves been weakened, and have fallen.
"While those who are harmful to me in will, even if they cannot in act, existing over me," that is, superior and worthier than me as to the body, "approach," that is, prepare themselves "to eat," that is, to consume with tribulations "my flesh" - from none shall I tremble, understand. Or "eat my flesh" is thus expounded: they approach, I say, to this effect, although they did not intend to come to eat my flesh with the tribulations inflicted on me, that is, to consume and reduce to nothing my carnal wills, lest when I am tribulated it may be permitted to them to do anything they wish to me. Whence also in the previous psalm he prayed thus: "Burn my reins" (Psalm 25:2).
And rightly I will not tremble, considering this about the enemies, namely "those who trouble me" - they themselves who through this seem to others powerful and exalted and firm in dominion, rather "through this have been weakened," that is, have seemed to me already weak and miserable, and to say more, "they have already fallen" to me, that is, I have already foreseen their future fall.
Ps 27:3 If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear. If a battle should rise up against me, in this will I be confident.
But he expounds how they approach: I say I will not tremble while they approach, and it is true. For "if camps should stand against me," that is, if multitudes of enemies appear to fight against me with tribulations, "my heart will not fear" so as to yield through fear. It is said from the similitude of enemies who, when they wish to enter into battle with someone, first entering his land, encamp there. I say I will not fear the standing camps, and even, to say more, "if war should rise up against me" in tribulations, I not only say I will not fear, but even "in this I," who perhaps will seem fearful to the enemies, "will hope," that is, through this battle in which I will act manfully, I hope to obtain one thing which I await from the Lord.
Psa 27:4 One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple.
And truly I await one thing, because "one thing I have asked of the Lord," both in deed and in voice and in affection, namely eternal beatitude, and this I will seek as the merit of my life. And he expresses that beatitude through its parts, namely: I will seek this, "that I may dwell in the house of the Lord," that is, in the heavenly Jerusalem, and not for an hour but "all the days of my life," that is, in the eternity which my life enjoys, namely Christ. Whence the Apostle: "When Christ your life shall appear, then you also shall appear with Him in glory" (Col. 3:4).
And also I will seek "that, constituted in the house of the Lord, I may see perfectly the will of the Lord," which I cannot see perfectly here. Whence the Apostle: "Now I know in part, then I shall know even as I am known" (1 Cor. 13:12). "And seeing the will, may I visit," that is, may I see "His temple," namely the body of the man which was the temple of Divinity. Whence the same in the Gospel: "Destroy this temple and after three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19).
Psa 27:5 For he hath hidden me in his tabernacle; in the day of evils, he hath protected me in the secret place of his tabernacle.
I say that I will seek these things, and this is the confidence of such benefits which He has already bestowed on me, "because He has hidden me in His tabernacle," that is, He has already placed me in the secret of His tabernacle, namely in the faith and hope of beatitude which I will have through Christ, who is the tabernacle of God - which beatitude is now hidden from us but will someday appear. Whence the Apostle: "Faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not" (Heb. 11:1), and thus he says of beatitude: "Your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3).
And not only has He hidden me, but also He has "protected me," placed in the secret of His tabernacle, "in the day of evils," that is, in this time in which all evils abound, He has defended me by His grace lest I should yield. Whence the Apostle: "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Eph. 5:16).
Ps 27:6 He hath exalted me upon a rock: and now he hath lifted up my head above my enemies. I have gone round, and have offered up in his tabernacle a sacrifice of jubilation: I will sing, and recite a psalm to the Lord.
And not only has He hidden and protected, but also "He has exalted me," placed "on a rock," that is, in Christ who is firm as a rock, or on a rock, that is, in constancy and fortitude exalted in virtues. And he expresses when exalted: I say "He has exalted," and indeed "now" in time, during persecutions when I seem utterly depressed, "He has exalted my head," that is, my mind, although He permitted my body to be depressed, "above my enemies," which is to say: I am more exalted in virtues against them than they in tribulations against me.
Having shown the benefits of God's grace granted to him, through which he has confidence of obtaining beatitude, he also shows the merits of free will thus: Not only with this confidence do I hope to obtain the beatitude which I seek because He has hidden, protected, and exalted me, but because "I have gone around," that is, lest I be rash or remiss, I have diligently investigated how I ought to sacrifice to Him. And "placed in His," that is, in the faith of Christ, "in His tabernacle, I have immolated to Him a sacrifice of jubilation," virtues and good work, which sacrifices cry out much to the Lord, as Prosper says: "Nor will there be a sweeter odor from Christ's example / Than when man offers the libations of chaste behavior / And from the gift of virtues consecrates sacred things."
When he says "sacrifice of jubilation," it is the same as if he said a sacrifice very worthy of being heard, from the similitude of those who cry out much and obtain more quickly than those who act remissly. He says "I have gone around" from the similitude of those who, when they investigate something diligently, are accustomed to go around much.
Not only have I gone around and immolated, but still "I will sing to the Lord," that is, I will think well of Him, which will be sweet to Him like a song. Not only will I sing, but also "I will say a psalm," that is, I will set forth my good work to attract others by my example. He rightly puts "I will say," for things said are in evidence, but thoughts are in secret.
Ps 27:7. Having shown the benefits and merits by which he trusts to obtain beatitude, he prays that he may attain it thus: I have said (ver. 4) "one thing I have asked" and I will seek, and You, "Lord, hear my voice with which I have cried," that is, I have acted with a cry, not remissly in deserving You. And hear me not for these things alone, but "have mercy on me and hear me," that is, mercifully hear me.
Ps 27:8. I say I have cried; truly my voice was a cry. For while I acted with my voice, I had nothing else in my heart, but "my heart said to You" the same thing as my mouth; otherwise my voice would not have been a cry but remiss. Or thus: I say I have cried, and not with my mouth, but "my heart said to You" this.
Ps 27:8 cont. Ps 27:9. And he expresses what it said: O Lord, "my face has sought You," which is to say: diligently, both in deed and in affection, I have sought that I may see You face to face, whom I now see in an enigma. And still, "Lord, I will seek Your face" by thinking well and working well. Therefore "do not turn away Your face from me" in the future, even if You turn it away now.
Ps 27:9 cont. But what he adds, "do not decline," is the same as "do not turn away Your face," but he repeats it to add thus: "do not decline Your face," namely "in anger," that is, on account of the anger which You have toward me for my sins, because You will decline from none unless You appear angry to him. Whence the Psalmist elsewhere: "Then shall He speak to them in His anger" (Ps. 2:5).
I say "do not decline from me Your servant," as if to say: it is not worthy that You should decline, since I am Your servant, obedient to You in all things as far as I can. I pray that You not decline, but rather "be my helper" for working well, and thus as helper "do not forsake me" in free will alone, because by myself I would be insufficient. And if You ever forsake me, so that when I have fallen I may not doubt that I am insufficient - just as You forsook Peter denying You, lest he afterwards trust in himself, for he had said, trusting in himself: "Even if I should have to die with You, I will not deny You" (Matt. 26:35) - at least "do not despise me," that is, do not so forsake me that You do not help afterwards, as You despised Judas.
Ps 27:10. And You ought not to despise, because You are "God," that is, Creator, "my Savior," that is, Savior - as if to say: because I have You alone as God and Creator. And it is necessary that You not forsake and despise, "because my father and my mother," namely Adam and Eve, "have forsaken me," that is, have cast me down into death, from the similitude of a father and mother who, by abandoning and exposing a small infant, kill him as far as they can, for he would perish by hunger unless another helped him. Thus also Adam and Eve, who by their good example ought to have instructed us to obey God and thus drawn us with themselves to life, by failing in themselves forsook us from instruction and thus drew us to death.
I say that they forsook me, "but the Lord has taken me up" as one weak, to sanctify, that is, to lead back to immortality. And he makes this apostrophe so that those who have been taken up may not attribute this to themselves, to the Lord's example, and those not taken up may in every way endure to be taken up.
Ps 27:11 (Douay-Rheims) After the apostrophe, he returns to prayer thus: I say, Lord, because You have taken me up, lest having been taken up I again become weak, Lord, "set for me," placed in Your way, that is, in the way of Your people, namely in fulfillment, which way leads to life, "set a law" of traveling, that is, moderation, lest I go back or to the right or to the left. To go back is said of one who fails entirely; to the right, one who, while intending too much in holiness, exceeding the measure, cannot attain what he has proposed - like the hermit John the Little who failed by attempting to live like an angel. And this is rightly called going to the right, for by the right hand good things are customarily designated, and virtues are good. But to go beyond in virtue seems to approach evil, for one who is weak in any virtue is strained beyond measure. To the left is said of one who, even if not entirely, yet is remiss too much in virtue, because vices designate evils, for evils are often denoted by the left. To be remiss in virtue too much is characteristic of the vicious, for no saint is remiss too much in virtue; therefore to be remiss is rightly called going to the left.
But to go forward in God's way is said of one who is deflected neither by being too remiss nor by exceeding, but proceeds in the way in equal manner. The way of God means the common precepts without which no one will be saved, as we expounded in Psalm 24.
I say "set a law" in the way, and not only this, but also "direct me," that is, make me go "in the right path." The right path means the singular precepts which pertain to the few, as was said in the same psalm. And this which I pray - set a law and direct - I do "because of my enemies" who wish to deflect me; deliver me from them lest they prevail over me. And thus, by delivering, "do not deliver me into the souls," that is, into the wills "of those who trouble me," which is to say: even if You permit me to be tribulated by them, nevertheless do not allow them to accomplish in me entirely what they wish, namely to deflect me.
Ps 27:12. I pray "do not deliver me," and I must pray this "because unjust witnesses have risen up against me" tribulating, suggesting, that is, those who testify unjust things both in deed and in words, namely that to adhere to worldly things is the highest good. "And iniquity," that is, they themselves called by emphasis iniquity, "has lied" to deflect me, "to itself," affirming that goods are evil, that is, that vices are goods, also that evils are goods, that is, that virtues are evils.
I say "it has lied," and this not to my disadvantage but "to itself," that is, to its own damnation. For "the mouth that lies kills the soul" (Wis. 1:11).
Ps 27:13. Having made his prayer, lest he seem to have prayed from diffidence, he declares that he firmly believes he will obtain what he prayed for, thus: I have prayed, O hearers, that God not turn away His face, and I prayed this not from diffidence, for "I believe to see," that is, that I will see "the good things of the Lord," that is, His face and will, which are truly good things, and this not in the present life but "in the land of the living," that is, in paradise, where no one will dwell unless living perpetually.
Ps 27:14. Therefore, my hearer, by my example "wait for the Lord," believing that He will give you the same good things. Whence the Apostle: "Do not lose your confidence, which has great recompense" (Heb. 10:35). I say "wait," and in waiting do not be remiss in works but "act manfully," working, praying, thinking well. And when you have acted manfully, do not cease from weariness, but "let your heart be strengthened" in this. For "he who shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved" (Matt. 10:22). And if the Lord delays, "endure," that is, patiently await "the Lord;" do not murmur.
CONTINUE
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