ARGUMENT

ARG. THOMAS. That CHRIST repays evil to the ungodly for their craft. The voice of the Prophet to GOD touching the Jews. The voice of CHRIST to the FATHER touching the Jews. Or, the voice of the Apostles touching the present judgment or the future one, to the FATHER. Compline prayers. For greater works.

VEN. BEDE. Whereas in the former titles David only appears in the inscription; here he has added Son of Jesse, doubtless that we may understand that David who was Solomon’s father. Therefore the temporal Praises offered to the LORD under the Law by animal sacrifices and musical instrumentation, are ended and changed; because now the Catholic Church accomplishes her sacred psalmody in the immolation of the Body and Blood of CHRIST. The Synagogue did indeed worship the LORD, but had fallen into most evil thoughts through seeing the ungodly flourish. In its person Asaph himself speaks in this Psalm, who in his name contains the meaning Synagogue;1 for he is about to speak many things of the Gentile people and of those who have received the Law of the LORD, which are uttered profitably for our correction, lest we be defiled with such thoughts. Otherwise: That The Praises of David, son of Jesse, are ended, belongs to the close of Psalm 71. (72.); and Psalm, which follows, is the beginning of the next one. Asaph, as we have said, speaks throughout the Psalm in type of the Synagogue. In the first part he declares that he was jealous of this world’s happiness, beholding the peace of sinners, marvelling why such prosperity fell to the lot of GOD’S enemies and heathens, that they seemed to stretch forth their mouth unto the heaven: Truly God is loving unto Israel! In the second part, he says that his people would return to wholesome counsel, and be ashamed of the wickedness of their former thought, till it should attain to understand and behold the last end of the ungodly: Therefore His people return hither, (A. V.) and so on. Thirdly; he witnesseth that evil shall befall the ungodly because of their deceits, because they shall be seen to cause scandals to holy men by their happiness; yet he declares that by GOD’S goodness he hath been delivered from these evils: Truly because of their deceits. (Vulg.) Fourthly; he states how, by GOD’S mercy, he attained perfect understanding: Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of Thee.

SYRIAC PSALTER. Composed by Asaph the recorder, on the death of Absalom. Moreover, a confession of human weakness, and of the prosperity of the ungodly, and the longsuffering of GOD.

EUSEBIUS OF CÆSAREA. A prophecy of the kingdom and longsuffering of GOD. A confession of human weakness at the prosperity of the ungodly, and of GOD’S longsuffering.

S. ATHANASIUS. A Psalm in narration.