Exurgat Deus.
The glorious establishment of the church of the New Testament,
prefigured by the benefits bestowed on the people of Israel.
67:1. Unto the end, a psalm of a canticle for David himself.
67:2. Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered: and let them
that hate him flee from before his face.
67:3. As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish away: as wax melteth
before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
67:4. And let the just feast, and rejoice before God: and be delighted
with gladness.
67:5. Sing ye to God, sing a psalm to his name, make a way for him who
ascendeth upon the west: the Lord is his name. Rejoice ye before him:
but the wicked shall be troubled at his presence,
Who ascendeth upon the west. . .Super occasum. St. Gregory understands
it of Christ, who after his going down, like the sun, in the west, by
his passion and death, ascended more glorious, and carried all before
him. St. Jerome renders it, who ascendeth, or cometh up, through the
deserts.
67:6. Who is the father of orphans, and the judge of widows. God in his
holy place:
67:7. God who maketh men of one manner to dwell in a house: Who
bringeth out them that were bound in strength; in like manner them that
provoke, that dwell in sepulchres.
Of one manner. . .That is, agreeing in faith, unanimous in love, and
following the same manner of discipline. It is verified in the servants
of God, living together in his house, which is the church. 1 Tim.
3.15.--Ibid. Them that were bound, etc. . .The power and mercy of God
appears in his bringing out of their captivity those that were strongly
bound in their sins: and in restoring to his grace those whose
behaviour had been most provoking; and who by their evil habits were
not only dead, but buried in their sepulchres.
67:8. O God, when thou didst go forth in the sight of thy people, when
thou didst pass through the desert:
67:9. The earth was moved, and the heavens dropped at the presence of
the God of Sina, at the presence of the God of Israel.
67:10. Thou shalt set aside for thy inheritance a free rain, O God: and
it was weakened, but thou hast made it perfect.
A free rain. . .the manna, which rained plentifully from heaven, in
favour of God's inheritance, that is, of his people Israel: which was
weakened indeed under a variety of afflictions, but was made perfect by
God; that is, was still supported by divine providence, and brought on
to the promised land. It agrees particularly to the church of Christ
his true inheritance, which is plentifully watered with the free rain
of heavenly grace; and through many infirmities, that is, crosses and
tribulations, is made perfect, and fitted for eternal glory.
67:11. In it shall thy animals dwell; in thy sweetness, O God, thou
hast provided for the poor.
In it, etc. . .That is, in this church, which is thy fold and thy
inheritance, shall thy animals, thy sheep, dwell: where thou hast
plentifully provided for them.
67:12. The Lord shall give the word to them that preach good tidings
with great power.
To them that preach good tidings. . .Evangelizantibus. That is, to the
preachers of the gospel; who receiving the word from the Lord, shall
with great power and efficacy preach throughout the world the glad
tidings of a Saviour, and of eternal salvation through him.
67:13. The king of powers is of the beloved, of the beloved; and the
beauty of the house shall divide spoils.
The king of powers. . .That is, the mighty King, the Lord of hosts, is
of the beloved, of the beloved; that is, is on the side of Christ, his
most beloved son: and his beautiful house, viz., the church, in which
God dwells forever, shall by her spiritual conquests divide the spoils
of many nations. The Hebrew (as it now stands pointed) is thus
rendered, The kings of armies have fled, they have fled, and she that
dwells at home (or the beauty of the house) shall divide the spoils.
67:14. If you sleep among the midst of lots, you shall be as the wings
of a dove covered with silver, and the hinder parts of her back with
the paleness of gold.
If you sleep among the midst of lots (intermedios cleros, etc.). . .Viz.,
in such dangers and persecutions, as if your enemies were casting
lots for your goods and persons: or in the midst of the lots,
(intermedios terminos, as St. Jerome renders it,) that is, upon the
very bounds or borders of the dominions of your enemies: you shall be
secure nevertheless under the divine protection; and shall be enabled
to fly away, like a dove, with glittering wings and feathers shining
like the palest and most precious gold; that is, with great increase of
virtue, and glowing with the fervour of charity.
67:15. When he that is in heaven appointeth kings over her, they shall
be whited with snow in Selmon.
Kings over her. . .That is, pastors and rulers over his church, viz.,
the apostles and their successors. Then by their ministry shall men be
made whiter than the snow which lies on the top of the high mountain
Selmon.
67:16. The mountain of God is a fat mountain. A curdled mountain, a fat
mountain.
The mountain of God. . .The church, which, Isa. 2.2, is called The
mountain of the house of the Lord upon the top of mountains. It is here
called a fat and a curdled mountain; that is to say, most fruitful, and
enriched by the spiritual gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost.
67:17. Why suspect, ye curdled mountains? A mountain in which God is
well pleased to dwell: for there the Lord shall dwell unto the end.
Why suspect, ye curdled mountains?. . .Why do you suppose or imagine
there may be any other such curdled mountains? You are mistaken: the
mountain thus favoured by God is but one; and this same he has chosen
for his dwelling for ever.
67:18. The chariot of God is attended by ten thousands; thousands of
them that rejoice: the Lord is among them in Sina, in the holy place.
The chariot of God. . .Descending to give his law on mount Sina: as also
of Jesus Christ his Son, ascending into heaven, to send from thence the
Holy Ghost, to publish his new law, is attended with ten thousands,
that is, with an innumerable multitude of joyful angels.
67:19. Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive;
thou hast received gifts in men. Yea for those also that do not
believe, the dwelling of the Lord God.
Led captivity captive. . .Carrying away with thee to heaven those who
before had been the captives of Satan; and receiving from God the
Father gifts to be distributed to men; even to those who were before
unbelievers.
67:20. Blessed be the Lord day by day: the God of our salvation will
make our journey prosperous to us.
67:21. Our God is the God of salvation: and of the Lord, of the Lord
are the issues from death.
The issues from death. . .The Lord alone is master of the issues, by
which we may escape from death.
67:22. But God shall break the heads of his enemies: the hairy crown of
them that walk on in their sins.
67:23. The Lord said: I will turn them from Basan, I will turn them
into the depth of the sea:
I will turn them from Basan, etc. . .I will cast out my enemies from
their rich possessions, signified by Basan, a fruitful country; and I
will drive them into the depth of the sea: and make such a slaughter of
them, that the feet of my servants may be dyed in their blood, etc.
67:24. That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thy enemies; the
tongue of thy dogs be red with the same.
67:25. They have seen thy goings, O God, the goings of my God: of my
king who is in his sanctuary.
Thy goings. . .Thy ways, thy proceedings, by which thou didst formerly
take possession of the promised land in favour of thy people; and shalt
afterwards of the whole world, which thou shalt subdue to thy Son.
67:26. Princes went before joined with singers, in the midst of young
damsels playing on timbrels.
Princes. . .The apostles, the first converters of nations; attended by
numbers of perfect souls, singing the divine praises, and virgins
consecrated to God.
67:27. In the churches bless ye God the Lord, from the fountains of
Israel.
From the fountains of Israel. . .From whom both Christ and his apostles
sprung. By Benjamin, the holy fathers on this place understand St.
Paul, who was of that tribe, named here a youth, because he was the
last called to the apostleship. By the princes of Juda, Zabulon, and
Nephthali, we may understand the other apostles, who were of the tribe
of Juda; or of the tribes of Zabulon, and Nephthali, where our Lord
began to preach, Matt. 4.13, etc.
67:28. There is Benjamin a youth, in ecstasy of mind. The princes of
Juda are their leaders: the princes of Zabulon, the princes of
Nephthali.
67:29. Command thy strength, O God confirm, O God, what thou hast
wrought in us.
Command thy strength. . .Give orders that thy strength may be always with
us.
67:30. From thy temple in Jerusalem, kings shall offer presents to
thee.
67:31. Rebuke the wild beasts of the reeds, the congregation of bulls
with the kine of the people; who seek to exclude them who are tried
with silver. Scatter thou the nations that delight in wars:
Rebuke the wild beasts of the reeds. . .or the wild beasts, which lie
hid in the reeds. That is, the devils, who hide themselves in order to
surprise their prey. Or by wild beasts, are here understood
persecutors, who, for all their attempts against the Church, are but as
weak reeds, which cannot prevail against them who are supported by the
strength of the Almighty. The same are also called the congregation of
bulls (from their rage against the Church) who assemble together all
their kine, that is, the people their subjects, to exclude if they can,
from Christ and his inheritance, his constant confessors, who are like
silver tried by fire.
67:32. Ambassadors shall come out of Egypt: Ethiopia shall soon stretch
out her hands to God.
Ambassadors shall come, etc. . .It is a prophecy of the conversion of
the Gentiles, and by name of the Egyptians and Ethiopians.
67:33. Sing to God, ye kingdoms of the earth: sing ye to the Lord: Sing
ye to God,
67:34. Who mounteth above the heaven of heavens, to the east. Behold he
will give to his voice the voice of power:
To the east. . .From mount Olivet, which is on the east side of
Jerusalem.--Ibid. The voice of power. . .That is, he will make his voice
to be a powerful voice: by calling from death to life, such as were
dead in mortal sin: as at the last day he will by the power of his
voice call all the dead from their graves.
67:35. Give ye glory to God for Israel, his magnificence, and his power
is in the clouds.
67:36. God is wonderful in his saints: the God of Israel is he who will
give power and strength to his people. Blessed be God.