ST BRUNO OF SEGNI: COMMENTARY ON PSALM 7
[Argument] This psalm pertains to the humanity of Christ, who, through that in which He was made humble, according to His justice and truth, asks to be judged.
[Title] A Psalm of David, which he sang unto the Lord concerning the words of Cush, the son of Jemini.
[Historical/Literal Note] It should be known, therefore, that Cush is interpreted as "Ethiopian," and this whole psalm is written against Saul, whom he calls an Ethiopian because of his dark morals. Jemini, however, refers to the family of Benjamin, from which Saul descended.
[Commentary] Or, as Father Augustine teaches, Cush is interpreted as "silence," and the son of Jemini is interpreted as "son of the right hand."
Ps 7:1. O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.
[Commentary] The prophet asks to be delivered from all enemies, especially from spiritual wickedness, because carnal foes attack the body, but spiritual ones strive to kill the soul. "Save me" from sin, "deliver me" from the devil, that we may be taken from his power when by the Lord's mercy we are cleansed from the filth of offenses.
Ps 7:2. Lest he tear my soul like a lion, while there is none to deliver, neither to save.
[Commentary] The devil is likened to a lion, and Christ is also compared to a lion. The one snatches to destruction, Christ rescues for salvation. "While there is none to deliver" means: when Christ ceases to help because of our opposing sins, at that time the devil prevails in snatching.
Ps 7:3. O Lord my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands;
[Historical/Literal Note] This verse and the following pertain to Christ, who committed no iniquity, and to David, who twice rendered no evil to Saul when he fell into his hands.
Ps 7:4. If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)
[Commentary] For no one repays unless he has first received something. But this man, full of God and most firm in the virtue of patience and goodwill, asks that if he has rendered evil for evil, he may fall void from his enemies, that is, be emptied of the fruit of great meekness. And not only this, but also what is more serious: if I have repaid, etc., let him pursue.
Ps 7:5. Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.
[Commentary] He calls the enemy the devil, who crushes the souls he seizes, because men can only persecute the body, but the devil persecutes the soul as well, which is worse. As if he had said: If I have rendered evil to enemies, which you forbade, let the honor of the assumed man, who was undoubtedly made in the image of God, be brought down to that dust which the wind drives from the face of the earth, that is, let it be reduced to nothing.
Ps 7:6. Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the indignation of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.
Commentary] Let the Lord arise in anger, who has no anger, that is, in vengeance.
[Historical/Literal Note] Yet this vengeance, which is called anger, ought rather to be turned upon the devil, who is punished as often as a sinner is snatched from him, so that his enemies may feel him through vengeance whom they refused to acknowledge through benefits.
[Commentary] God is exalted when, sinners being converted, the confession of praise is offered to Christ, and this "in the borders," that is, in the possession of the devil, in which Christ is indeed exalted when He is praised by the converted.
Ps 7:7. So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.
[Commentary] The Lord commanded in the precept, that is, in the Gospel, to the disciples: "On the third day I shall rise again, I will go before you into Galilee." He used the past tense for the future because of the certainty of prophecy. "Synagogue" here signifies the gathering of the reprobate, which surrounded Christ by not believing, on account of the rebellious Jews who persecuted Christ.
[Historical/Literal Note] Or, "synagogue" signifies the people of the faithful, who by believing surrounded Christ after the resurrection.
Ps 7:8. And for their sakes return thou on high. The Lord shall judge the people.
[Commentary] "For their sakes," that is, the synagogue, in which Christ could not dwell because of infidelity. "To return" is to go back by the same path from which you came. When he says "shall judge the people," the majesty of the omnipotent Father is shown.
Ps 7:9. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.
[Commentary] When "judge me" is placed, the humility of Christ's humanity, assumed from the womb of Mary, is expressed. It is also certain that He had no sin whatsoever., Because He committed no sin, therefore He shows His innocence.
Ps 7:10. Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
[Commentary] The prophet asks in the person of Christ for the wickedness of sinners to be hastened to its end, that is, that the flesh might quickly be crucified for us, so that His ascension might quickly be glorified. The just one was "established" when He rose from the dead and ascended to the heavenly kingdoms. For it belongs to the power of God both to examine our hearts and to understand bodily desires, that is, to search the hearts and reins.
Ps 7:11. My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.
[Note] A just help, because it is already granted to the just, and is like a medicine preserving salvation.
[Commentary] The humanity also says its help is from God the Father, that He might bestow upon us, who believe in Him, the hope of His piety, which grants both pardon and salvation to the upright in heart.
Ps 7:12. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
[Commentary] God is called a just judge because He gives to each at the end what he has done. Mighty, because no one can resist His will. And patient, because He daily waits for the sinner to turn to repentance. For "to be angry" is said in the manner of judges, since anger is not found in the Divinity. "Every day" means at all the moments in which we commit sins. For where would His glorious patience be if His vengeance immediately followed the fault?
Ps 7:13. If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
[Commentary] "He will whet his sword": the prophet threatens the stubborn Jews who served idol worship, that is, He is about to send His only Son under shining brightness. For we say a sword is "whetted" when it shows now light, now trembling shadows, which is established as coming from Christ's incarnation, when He showed darkness to the faithless and the light of His divinity to the faithful. We understand "bow" as the Scriptures of the New and Old Testament, by which the stubborn are terrified. "He hath bent" is said so that His patience might not be thought lax. "And made it ready" can be said of God so that the very manner of archers might be seen fully expressed.
Ps 7:14. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.
[Commentary] By "bow" we have said the Old and New Testament, from which the effect of death comes to the wicked, who sometimes take from the Scriptures an occasion of death, and by His arrows life is granted. From this bow arrows went forth, namely the apostles, who with most eager souls, that is, burning, transmitted saving precepts like arrows, by which the wicked might be wounded and the faithful healed. "He hath prepared" means he has worked. And who did this? God. Yet behold, etc.
The enemies of Our Lord "travailed with iniquity" when they saw the Lord performing miracles and plotted His death. "Conceived mischief" when He rebuked them with various parables and turned them from their perversity. "Brought forth falsehood" when they said, "Crucify him." The order is inverted. For first by the suggestion of the devil sin is conceived, then travailed with, and finally brought forth.
Ps 7:16. He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
[Commentary] It is called a "pit" because its bottom is hidden, and it is placed here for deceit, which Jewish malice opened because it first wickedly began deceit against Christ. "Digged it" when he perfected it in his own damnation. "Is fallen into the ditch," namely into the place of death.
[Note] For the deceiver is first harmed by the loss of innocence before he harms another by the loss of money.
Ps 7:17. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
[Commentary] For "mischief" is so called as if a taming horror. Here we ought to take "head" for the soul, to which sins are subject and liable when they are restrained from being committed. "Pate" is so called from what turns the hair to the right and left, signifying reason, which is eminent over the mind. If this soul is bowed by sins, it is necessary that iniquity descend upon his pate, that is, above his reason. For when their own sins descend upon the wicked, they are consigned by their own crimes to due punishments.
Ps 7:18. I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.
[Commentary] Confession is said in two ways: when we condemn our sins by satisfaction, or when we celebrate worthy praises to God with exultation. "According to his righteousness" is the justice by which He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble, because He makes the proud bear their own crimes, but deems the humble worthy of absolution. "To sing praise" is to carry out the Lord's commandments and to sing hymns with the voice and the innermost heart.
[PRAYER FROM PSALM 7]
God, Searcher of hearts, deliver us from those who persecute us, and grant us, in expectation of your judgment, a firm guardianship of mind, that we may not render evil for evil to our enemies. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
CONTINUE
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