In the preceding Psalms of this decade, the Psalmist seems to have treated those things which pertain to the state of the kingdom, whose glory he described and to which he invited others. But now, since the glory of this kingdom is hindered by sin, he treats of the abolition of sin. In this Psalm two things must be considered.
First, that in the order of the Psalms this Psalm is the fiftieth, and this is the jubilee number, as is said in Leviticus 27, in which there was a remission of all debts. Hence this number fittingly corresponds to this Psalm, in which he treats of the full remission of sins. Likewise, among the penitential Psalms this one is placed fourth, and this fittingly: for the first pertains to contrition of heart, as where he says in Psalm 6, “Every night I will wash my bed,” and so forth. The second pertains to confession of the mouth, Psalm 31: “I said, I will confess,” and so forth. The third pertains to satisfaction, as in Psalm 37: “I am afflicted,” and so forth. But this fourth pertains to the effect of penance, in which it is shown how penance restores a man to perfection. And therefore, among all the others, this Psalm is most frequently used in the Church, because this one alone implores mercy and thus obtains pardon; and this is easy and can befit anyone. But in the other six penitential Psalms there are certain severe things, such as Psalm 6: “Every night I will wash my bed,” and Psalm 101: “I ate ashes like bread,” and the like, which cannot befit everyone.
The title is such: A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. This history is expressly found in 2 Kings (2 Samuel) chapters 11 and 12. When David was in prosperity, he saw a woman washing herself, desired her, committed adultery, and caused her husband to be killed. This displeased God, and Nathan the prophet was sent to him and led him to detest his sin under the likeness of the lost sheep. And David said, “I have sinned against the Lord,” and his sin was forgiven him. And this is the matter of this Psalm, namely, the remission of sin.
But it should be known that in other Psalms David speaks of other things; as in Psalm 21 (22), “My God, my God,” he speaks by foretelling the Passion of Christ. And thus in different Psalms he speaks of different things; but this Psalm he made on his own account. In it he sets forth the guilt which he made manifest to the world, and likewise the pardon. And thus is fulfilled what the Lord said in 2 Kings 12: “You did this secretly; but I will do this in the sight of all Israel.” The reason for this manifestation is divine mercy; for this manifestation is useful for the just, lest they presume on their own justice. For if David, after so many victories, after the gift of the Holy Spirit, after such familiarity with God and prophecy, sinned, how much must we beware, who are fragile and sinners? As 1 Corinthians 10 says: “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Likewise it is useful for sinners, lest they despair. Proverbs 24: “If you despair, being weary in the day of distress, your strength will be diminished.” For David, after homicide and adultery, recovered the grace of prophecy.
The manner of speaking in the title is also to be noted: when it says “when he came,” it designates pardon, of which the Psalm treats, because through Nathan the Lord heard him and removed his sin. But when it says “when he went in to Bathsheba,” the guilt is designated.
It is also to be noted that although David committed two sins, namely adultery and homicide, Scripture names only adultery. This is for two reasons. First, to show that in searching out and publishing the sins of others we should not be prompt, but very sparing (cf. Proverbs 24). Second, because when someone commits two sins and one is done for the sake of the other, one passes into the species of the other: as when someone commits theft in order to commit fornication, he is said rather to be a fornicator.
This Psalm is divided into two parts. First, he implores mercy. Second, he promises amendment, where he says, “I will teach the unjust.” In the first, he does two things. First, he asks for the relaxation of guilt. Second, he asks for the restoration of holiness and grace, where he says, “For I know my iniquity.”
He therefore first asks for the mercy of God when he says, “Have mercy on me, O God.” It should be known that, as Proverbs 14 says, sin makes peoples miserable. For just as he is not truly happy who abounds in riches, enjoys pleasures, and is strong in honors, but he who enjoys God, so he is not truly miserable who is poor, wretched, weak, and sick, but he who is a sinner. And therefore he who is a sinner says, “Have mercy on me, O God,” you who have mercy on all and hate nothing that you have made (Wisdom 11). And according to the Apostle: “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy” (Romans 9). Therefore, since it belongs to your will to have mercy, have mercy on me, namely on a sinner.
He does not wish to contend, he does not seek to dispute, but he uses the short way: “have mercy.” Nor does he allege causes of mercy, nor services he rendered to God, nor dangers he endured for him, but he implores only the mercy of God; hence he says, “according to your great mercy.” Daniel 9: “Not in our justifications do we present our prayers before your face, but in your many mercies.”
And it is to be noted that one can hope in divine mercy for two reasons: one from consideration of the divine nature; the other from consideration of the multitude of its effects. First, therefore, he shows that he hopes in God’s mercy from consideration of the divine nature, because it is proper to the divine nature to be goodness itself. Hence Dionysius says that God is the very substance of goodness, and Boethius likewise. Therefore nothing else is God’s mercy except goodness related to the repelling of misery. Since then it belongs to goodness to repel misery, and God is goodness itself, I confidently have recourse to mercy.
He calls it “great” because of its incomprehensibility, by which it fills all things: “The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord” (Psalm 32). It has place in all things: the just preserved their innocence by the mercy of God (Augustine: “Lord, I attribute to your grace the evils which I did not commit”); sinners are converted to justice by God’s mercy (1 Timothy 1: “I obtained mercy”); those remaining in sin experience God’s mercy (Lamentations 3: “The mercies of the Lord are many, because we are not consumed”). It is great in sublimity, because “his mercies are over all his works.” It is great in duration: “In everlasting mercy I have had mercy on you” (Isaiah 54). It is great in power, because it made God man, brought God down from heaven to earth, and made the immortal die (Ephesians 2). It is great in effect, because from every misery man can be lifted up by mercy: “Your mercy is great over me, and you have forgiven the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 85; cf. Psalm 31).
Therefore he confidently asks: “Have mercy on me, O God.”
The other reason is from the multitude of effects of mercy from the beginning of the world; and therefore he says, “and according to the multitude of your mercies blot out my iniquity,” as if to say: have mercy on me according as you have in many ways and in many instances had mercy on all men.
“Blot out my iniquity.” Here he sets down the effect of having mercy. Nathan said, “The Lord has taken away your sin” (2 Kings 12). And thus he was secure of pardon; but he wished his sin to be totally eradicated. There remain, however, two effects of sin: namely, the guilt of punishment and the stain in the soul. First, therefore, he asks that the guilt of punishment be removed; hence: “Wash me yet more from my iniquity.”
Therefore, when he says that God will accept sacrifice of justice, this may be understood in a third way, namely, of the Passion of Christ. For then, in the time of grace, God accepts the sacrifice of justice, that is, the oblation of the spotless Lamb, Christ, who is justice itself. For Christ “was made for us wisdom from God, and justice, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1). This sacrifice is that true and perfect sacrifice which all the ancient sacrifices prefigured. Hence all oblations and holocausts of the Law were figures of this one oblation.
Thus, when it is said, Then you will accept sacrifice of justice, oblations, and holocausts, this is fulfilled most perfectly in the sacrifice of Christ, which is offered once in reality and daily in mystery in the Church. For Christ offered himself once upon the altar of the Cross, but this same sacrifice is made present sacramentally upon the altar of the Church. And therefore it is rightly said that God then accepts oblations and holocausts, not as though he were pleased with the blood of bulls and goats, but because in these the one true sacrifice of Christ is represented and applied.
And then they shall lay calves upon your altar, that is, holy men, who, conformed to Christ, offer themselves to God as living sacrifices. For the altar is Christ himself, or the Church, in which Christ is mystically present. Upon this altar are placed calves, that is, strong and simple men, who, bearing the yoke of Christ, offer themselves in martyrdom, in confession, and in holy living. As the Apostle says, “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God” (Romans 12).
These calves are also preachers and martyrs, who, by their doctrine and by their blood, glorify God and build up the Church. For as calves are strong and labor in the yoke, so preachers labor in the yoke of Christ, bearing the burden of souls. And as calves were offered in sacrifice, so martyrs offer their own bodies and lives to God. Hence it is said: “They loved not their lives unto death” (Apocalypse 12).
Thus the whole Psalm is ordered to this end: that through true penance man may be restored to grace, that grace may be preserved, that others may be instructed and converted, and that the Church may be built up and perfected, until at last, in the heavenly Jerusalem, there may be offered to God the perfect sacrifice of eternal praise, where there is no more sin, no more penance, no more tears, but only justice, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Therefore this Psalm is most fittingly used in the Church for the remission of sins, for it contains in itself the whole order of penance: contrition, confession, satisfaction, restoration of grace, perseverance, instruction of others, and final glorification. And in all these, not human merit but divine mercy is the foundation, according to what is said at the beginning: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy.
Thus ends the exposition.
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