Psalm 16 — Hear, O Lord, my justice

^16:1^ The prayer of David. Hear, O Lord, my justice; attend to my supplication. Give ear to my prayer, which proceeds not from deceitful lips. ^16:2^ Let my judgment come forth from your countenance; let your eyes behold the things that are equitable. ^16:3^ You have proved my heart, and visited it by night; you have tried me by fire and iniquity has not been found in me. ^16:4^ That my mouth may not speak the works of men; for the sake of the words of your lips, I have kept hard ways. ^16:5^ Perfect my goings in your paths, that my footsteps be not moved.

^16:6^ I have cried to you, for you, O God, have heard me; O incline your ear to me, and hear my words.

^16:7^ Show forth your wonderful mercies; you who save those who trust in you. ^16:8^ From those who resist your right hand keep me as the apple of your eye. Protect me under the shadow of your wings ^16:9a^ from the face of the wicked who have afflicted me.

^16:9b^ My enemies have surrounded my soul; ^16:10^ they have shut up their fat; their mouth has spoken proudly. ^16:11^ They have cast me forth and now they have surrounded me; they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth. ^16:12^ They have taken me as a lion prepared for the prey; and as a young lion dwelling in secret places.

^16:13^ Arise, O Lord, disappoint him and supplant him; deliver my soul from the wicked one, your sword ^16:14^ from the enemies of your hand. O Lord, divide them from the few of the earth in their life: their belly is filled from your hidden stores. They are full of children and they have left to their little ones the rest of their substance.

^16:15^ But as for me, I will appear before your sight in justice; I shall be satisfied when your glory shall appear.

115. Above, the psalmist described the divine justice and showed that he kept it; here he puts forward a prayer in which he asks to be heard for the sake of justice.

The title is the prayer of David. And this is the first psalm which takes its title from prayer, since this one is entirely a prayer, and therefore he begins from prayer, since prayer is a remarkable refuge in tribulation. They detracted me: but I gave myself to prayer (Ps 108:4).

Now, this psalm is divided into two parts.

In the first part, he prays for his own steadfastness;

in the second, he prays for deliverance from evil, at I have cried to you.

He does two things in praying for his own steadfastness.

First, he begs to be answered;

second, he puts forward his petition: from your countenance.

Now, it should be considered that there are three steps to being answered.

First is that when a petition is made, someone hears the word.

Second is that he attends to the meaning.

Third is that he fulfills what is asked.

Therefore, he first asks to be answered, saying, hear, O Lord, my justice. Hear, Lord God, the supplication of your servant (Dan 9:17).

As a second part of asking to be answered, he describes the merit of the petition, and so he says, my justice, as if to say, “I deserve to be answered.”

The gloss has, justice has a voice before God, by which it penetrates the heavens. (Peter Lombard, Magna glossatura (Patrologia Latina [Migne], 191:178.) The continual prayer of a just man avails much (Jas 5:16). God does not hear sinners; but if a man is a server of God . . . he hears him (John 9:31).

Second, he asks that he attend to the meaning of his prayer: attend to my supplication. The gloss says, supplication, which is for removing the evil. (Peter Lombard, Magna glossatura (Patrologia Latina [Migne], 191:178.)

Another text has, attend to my songs; to their spiritual understanding. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication (Ps 129:2).

Third is that he hear the words of the one praying, and so he says, not from deceitful lips but from straightforward ones. Nor was their deceit in his mouth (Isa 53:9).

But since he hears all things, why is he said to hear certain things and not to hear others? For the Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from the deceitful, and will withdraw himself from thoughts that are without understanding (Wis 1:5).

God is not said to hear any but true words, and not those which come from deceitful lips; therefore, he says, not from deceitful lips. With deceitful lips in the heart (Ps 11:3).

And so deceitful is understood in two ways:

as falseness, in regard to the mouth,

and in regard to the work, when the work does not accord with the word.

The Pharisee who was saying, I am not as the rest of men (Luke 18:10), was not answered; but the other who prayed not with deceitful lips but rightly, was answered, because he went back to his home justified (Luke 18:14).

The gloss says, deceitful lips are those that say, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do the will of my Father. A judge does not give sentence unless he has heard the petition and the pleading of the case.

And so he puts the petition forward here, and he asks for three things:

first, the sentence;

second, the examination of the affair, at you have proved my heart;

and third, the characteristics of the sentence, at perfect my goings.

He makes two points about the sentence.

First, he asks for judgment.

Second, he asks for moderation, at your eyes bowing down to the earth.

Therefore, he says, from your countenance, that is, about your thought, let my judgment come forth, that is, in my favor. Correct me, O Lord, but yet with judgment and not in fury, lest you bring me to nothing (Jer 10:24).

But here he asks that the judgment not be severe: all your justices are like the rag of a menstrual woman (Isa 64:6), but that it be equitable, proportioned to what human nature can endure. And so he says, let your eyes behold the things that are equitable, that is, may they judge with equitable judgment. He shall reprove with equity for the meek of the earth (Isa 11:4). Let him propose equity against me, and let my judgment come to victory (Job 23:7), as if to say, “I do not have to ask for judgment from men, since my case has been examined by you.”

He shows that the case was examined before him when he says, you have proved my heart and visited by night.

First, he gives the order of his examination;

second, he explains what has been found: iniquity has not been found in me.

Therefore, he says, you have proved my heart. There is a difference between proving and examining. To prove is to seek the reason for something done, while to examine is to ask what was done.

Now the reason why something was done pertains more to the heart, but what was done pertains more to the body. Therefore, he says, you have proved my heart, that is, you have shown that it is proved that it was not disturbed on account of the tribulations which I suffer.

When God examines, he does three things.

He proves,

he visits,

and he examines.

He proves when he determines whether one has uprightness of heart. If one does not have it, there is no need to examine him, but when one does have this, he should be examined to find out whether he also has steadfastness. I am the Lord who search the heart and prove the reins: who gives to every one according to his way (Jer 17:10).

Now, this examination is intense and probing, so that nothing can sustain a man unless he is helped by him. For what is my strength, that I can hold out, or what is my end, that I should keep patience? My strength is not the strength of stones, nor is my flesh of brass (Job 6:11–12).

And so he moves on to visitation. I will visit . . . with a rod (Ps 88:33), either to help or to correct. You have visited it by night.

The same thing is by night and by fire, that it disturbs the soul. In the night my bone is pierced with sorrows (Job 30:17), and fire does the same thing.

Or it is by night, that is, in a failure of spiritual understanding. Sometimes, someone has an upright heart but temptation and coldness come upon him. And this happens in the night, and during this the Lord visits him by helping him against temptations and removing his coldness and strengthening him. When my strength shall fail, do not forsake me (Ps 70:9).

Or it is by night, that is, in quiet and silence, and then he visits by consolations. At midnight there was a cry made, “Behold the bridegroom comes” (Matt 25:6).

You have tried me by fire, that is, by tribulation, since then it is clear when he is a good friend who will not fall away. There is a friend for his own occasion, and he will not abide in the day of thy trouble (Sir 6:8).

Now, innocence and perfection are discovered through this examination, since he examines whether innocence is found in him. But it is found in him.

First, he describes his innocence;

and second, his perfection, at iniquity has not been found in me.

But on the contrary: if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). And: who can say, “My heart is clean, I am pure from sin?” (Prov 20:9). For there is no just man upon earth who does good and sins not (Eccl 7:21). The gloss has, not even the infant of one day. (Glossa interlinearis for Eccl 7:21; see also Super Eccl for 7:21.)

It must be said that this is spoken about the iniquity of sin through which we fall away from God during tribulation. The perfection of innocence is found in him, insomuch as he does not speak the works of men, that is, sin, as if to say, “Not only in the heart but also in the mouth iniquity is not found.” And you shall not find iniquity in my tongue, neither shall folly sound in my mouth (Job 6:30). Let no evil speech proceed from your mouth (Eph 4:29).

Or it should be read this way: iniquity has not been found in me that my mouth may not speak, since it continues afterwards, the works of men, as if to say, “You have seen that there is no iniquity in me, and, although it is not appropriate for me to say it, you have seen it.” Let another praise you and not your own mouth, a stranger and not your own lips (Prov 27:2).

Jerome has, you have proved my heart, you have visited by night, you have refined me, and you have not found my thoughts to ascend to my mouth. As if to say, “The disturbance does not progress so as to go from the heart to the mouth as murmuring.”

Next, he describes by what fire he has been tried, when he says, for the sake of the words of your lips, I have kept hard ways. The hard ways are adversities, and I have endured this for the sake of the words of your lips, that is, to keep the words or announce your words. The word of the Lord is made a reproach, and a derision (Jer 20:8).

Jerome has, as wide ways. Thieves seek those ways that turn aside so that they can hide, so also David, when Saul followed him said, he has made my feet like those of harts (Ps 17:34).

Spiritually, this is said about Christ, who was punished between the thieves like a malefactor. If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up to you (John 18:30).

If you begin the verse at for the sake of the works of men . . . I have kept hard ways, you speak of the hard ways which are the works of men. I will show you the way of wisdom; I will lead you by the paths of equity, which, when you have entered, your steps will not be straitened (Prov 4:11–12).

Next, he specifies what he asks for: perfect my goings in your paths, namely, of justice. Where is your fortitude, patience, and the perfection of your ways? (Job 4:6). And this is so that my footsteps, that is, my affections, shall not be moved away from your commandments.

Or Christ asks on behalf of the Church that his pathway be made perfect, and his footsteps, that is, the sacraments, not be moved.

Likewise, since habits are generated from actions, the footsteps of actions are left in the will. (Cf. ST I-II, q. 51, a. 2.)

Or, according to the literal sense, David asks that he not be cast down from the crags through which he flees from Saul. Saul . . . followed him through the most craggy rocks (1 Sam 24:3).

Another text has, sustain my goings in my paths, and may my footsteps not slip.

Or he asks, that Christ, as man, be perfected in the eternal glory of the divinity. Glorify me, Father, with yourself with the glory which I had before the world was (John 17:5).

116. I have cried. Above, the psalmist asked that he be made steadfast in the good; now here he asks that he be delivered from evil.

And he does this in three steps.

First, he asks that his petition be heard.

Second, he puts it down, at show forth your wonderful mercies.

Third, he shows that his petition was heard, at but as for me.

He does two things in asking for his petition to be heard.

First, he describes the hope he has received from God.

Second, out of it, he asks to be heard: O incline your ear to me, and hear my words.

Therefore, he says, I have cried to you for you have heard me. The order seems backwards, since it seems more appropriate to say because I have cried, you have heard me.

And this can be explained in three ways.

One way is according to the gloss: I have cried. In crying out, the intention of the mind is made stronger, and is liberated. (Peter Lombard, Magna glossatura (Patrologia Latina [Migne], 191:181).) Then they cry out who pray with great devotion and freedom of heart. And from where does this come? For you have heard, by giving freedom. Gregory says, God hears no one except him whose soul he inspired to pray, through some devotion. My soul has long coveted to desire (Ps 118:20).

Another explanation is according to Augustine’s City of God where “for” does not mean a cause but a sign, as if to say, that you have heard me is a sign that I cried. (Augustine, City of God 11.14.)

A third way is that when someone is heard once, he asks again and again more trustingly. And so he says, for you have heard me, I have cried.

Jerome says, for you have clearly heard. These two, crying out and being heard, are always connected, since he who so cries out is heard. I cried out of my affliction to the Lord, and he heard me (Jonah 2:3). I cried to you, O Lord, I said, “You are my hope” (Ps 141:6).

Afterwards, he asks to be heard. And he who hears, first listens, and so he says, incline. Since the Lord is in a high place, he ought to incline his head to hear him who is in a low place. The Lord sits in his majesty, and if he should will to treat us according to his own justice, we should not be saved, since all our justices are as the rag of a menstrual woman (Isa 64:6). And so it is fitting that he incline and then hear: incline, O God, your ear and hear (Dan 9:18).

117. Show forth your wonderful mercies. Here he puts down his petition, and it is twofold:

first, for his freedom;

second, for the downfall of his enemies: arise, O Lord, disappoint him.

He makes two points regarding his own deliverance.

First, he asks for deliverance;

second, he adds his need for deliverance, at my enemies.

He asks for three aspects of deliverance.

First, he asks for mercy;

second, for salvation, at who saves;

and third, for the manner of his deliverance, at keep me as the apple of your eye.

Therefore, he mentions the wonderful. That one is freed from a small enemy is not wonderful, but when one is freed from a great evil or enemy, this is wonderful, and he asks here, show forth the wonderful, that is, wonderfully liberate me.

And this is not according to the judgment of men but according to your mercy. Renew your signs and work new miracles. Glorify your hand and your right arm; raise up indignation, and pour out wrath; take away the adversary and crush the enemy (Sir 36:6–9).

And the reason for it is that to do so is yours and proper to you. You who save those who trust in you. No one has hoped in the Lord, and been confounded (Sir 2:11).

And you save from those who resist your right hand. The right hand of God is his power working spiritually in the good. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory (Prov 3:16). Demons or sinners who obstruct spiritual things are said to resist the right hand of God.

Or Christ is said to be the right hand of God—the right hand of the Lord has wrought strength (Ps 117:16)—whom the Jews resist by contradicting his teaching—how does this man know letters, having never learned? (John 7:15)—and by disparaging his works: this man is not of God, who keeps not the Sabbath (John 9:16). He casts out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils (Luke 11:15).

But there is a question in a psalm that contradicts this: you are terrible, and who shall resist you? (Ps 75:8). Therefore, no one can contradict his will. God, whose wrath no man can resist (Job 9:13).

And it should be said that no one can resist him effectively, but someone can have the will or purpose to resist.

Afterwards, he puts down the manner of deliverance, which is carefully and safely, and so he says, keep me as the apple of your eye. The apple of the eye is guarded carefully, since nothing which could damage it is allowed to come close to it; so also God acts in guarding his servant. He led him about and taught him, and he kept him as the apple of his eye (Deut 32:10). He who touches you touches the apple of my eye (Zech 2:8).

Or, according to the gloss, Christ who directs is called the apple of the eye. (Peter Lombard, Magna glossatura (Patrologia Latina [Migne], 191:181).) The power of sight by which we discern good from evil is in the pupil, and Christ distinguishes the faithful from the faithless and the evil from the good.

To show this careful guarding a twofold metaphor is used: that of a shadow and that of wings.

For a shadow refreshes in the heat, just as the guardianship of God refreshes by giving safety.

Also, just as a hen guards her chicks against the bird of prey, so also God’s wings (which are love and mercy) defend the just from the rapacious demon. How often would I have gathered you together as the hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not? (Matt 23:37). Therefore, these wings of God lift us up to the highest things. Mercy and truth shall go before your face, blessed is the people (Ps 88:15). I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you, taking pity on you (Jer 31:3).

Or the apple of the eye is said about the soul, since, just as the pupil which is in the middle of the eye is encircled by much skin to protect it, and a man uses his hand and almost everything he has so that it will not be hurt, so a man should act for the sake of his soul. Skin for skin, and all that a man has he will give for his life (Job 2:4), since, as is said, what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul? (Mark 8:36).

Or, keep me as the apple of your eye, that is, as Christ, protect me under the shadow of your wings, that is, under the protection of the angels. He has given his angels charge over you (Ps 90:11).

Or the two wings are the two arms of Christ extended on the Cross. He spread his wings, and has taken him and carried him on his shoulders (Deut 32:11).

Afterwards, he shows from what he needs to be delivered: from the face of the wicked who have afflicted me, that is, from the power and presence of the demons or from false brothers. In perils from false brothers (2 Cor 11:26).

Who have afflicted me, by temptation and persecution. The Egyptians hated the children of Israel and afflicted them and mocked them (Exod 1:13).

So we should ask to be freed from sin. Flee sin as from the face of a serpent (Sir 21:2).

118. My enemies have surrounded. Here, he describes his need to be delivered, and he considers two things about this.

First, he describes the affliction which he is suffering;

and second, gives an image of the affliction, at they have taken me as a lion.

He describes two aspects of his affliction.

First, he mentions the affliction;

and second, the manner of the affliction, at their fat.

Therefore, he says, my enemies, the demons or the sins, so afflict me that they have surrounded my soul, that is, they have so enclosed me that I cannot find the way to freedom.

And he says, my soul, because they seek nothing but the soul. Bodily enemies seek to take away the life; spiritual enemies seek the soul.

Or, this can be understood about Christ, whose soul the Jews surrounded with their wickedness. They surrounded me like bees (Ps 117:2). Likewise: many dogs have encompassed me; the council of the malignant has besieged me (Ps 21:17).

Afterwards, he describes the manner of his affliction, so he says, they have shut up their fat. In Scripture, fat is sometimes understood to be good, and sometimes understood to be bad.

When good, it signifies devotion of the mind. Let my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness (Ps 62:6).

It is understood to be bad when it signifies wickedness:

first, of the heart;

second, of the mouth;

and third, of deeds.

And so it designates detestable evil. His bowels are full of fat, and his bones are moistened with marrow (Job 21:24).

And this is complex.

Sometimes it is delight in the sin which they do. Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in most wicked things (Prov 2:14).

Likewise, sometimes there is pride and falsity. A vain man is lifted up into pride and thinks himself born free like a wild ass’s colt (Job 11:12).

Likewise, there is sometimes a carnal sensibility. Therefore, he says, they have shut up, that is, in themselves, so they might not grasp the spiritual sense, their fat, that is, their carnal sensibility or pride, or delight.

Jerome has, by their fat, that is, by their abundance of temporal things and worldly power, they have shut me up.

Second, fat can refer to the mouth: their mouth has spoken proudly. And this took place when the Jews spoke against Christ. If you are the king of Israel, save yourself (Luke 23:37; Matt 27:42).

Third, fat may refer to work.

And first, he shows how one advances to work.

Second, he shows its cause: their eyes.

Now, in their working two things are described:

first, a defect;

and second, the intention to harm.

Now, although someone may hold someone else in contempt, he need not intend to do him harm, and so he says, they have cast me forth, that is, they look down on me. He has rejected the cities, he has not regarded the men (Isa 33:8); they compassed me with anxiety on every side (Sir 51:10). And the Jews did this to Christ when they cast him out of their city (Luke 4:29).

And they have surrounded me, gathering to look and to mock as in Acts 7. And the reason for this is that they did not look to God but to earthly things. There is no salvation for him in God (Ps 3:3).

They have set their eyes bowing down to the earth, that is, sinners have fixed the intention of their heart bowing down towards the earth with deliberation and delay. The eyes of fools, that is, of sinners, are in the ends of the earth (Prov 17:24), and so they do not receive the light of grace. The eyes of a wise man are in his head; the fool, that is, the sinner, walks in darkness, that is, in sins (Eccl 2:14). They turned away their eyes that they might not look to heaven (Dan 13:9). And this literally took place among the Jews, when they said, lest the Romans come and take away our place and our nation (John 11:48).

Or, they have set their eyes bowing to the earth, that is, to the flesh of Christ, whose weakness they considered and not his divinity—as if to say, they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth by thinking Christ is man and not God.

A likeness to their activity is given that expresses violence, since as a lion prepared for the prey they have taken me, either from God or the soldiers from Pilate. The likeness expressed deception, since as a young lion dwelling in secret places. A lion attacks in an open field, but a young lion cub waits hidden to feed or to attack the prey already seized. For he was betrayed with a kiss on the night he was captured, condemned by false testimony, and the chief priest tore his garments (Matt 26).

119. Arise, O Lord. Here he adds another petition, that is, for the downfall of his enemies.

He puts forward three things:

first, his petition;

second, an explanation, at deliver my soul;

and third, the reason for his petition, at from your hidden stores.

He does two things in making his petition.

First, he asks concerning the concealment of his help;

second, for the destruction of his adversaries.

Therefore, he says, you seem to sleep while you allow me to be afflicted, but arise, O Lord, disappoint him, so you may help more quickly than he is able to harm, and supplant him, that is, make him fail as though by cunning. Who catches the wise in their craftiness (Job 5:13). The cunning of a man supplants his steps (Prov 19:3).

Supplant him in two ways:

First, by freeing me. In regard to this he says, deliver my soul from the wicked one, since he persecutes me unjustly and so is wicked. Deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man (Ps 42:1).

And the reason for this is that my soul is a sword, that is, a sword sharpened on both sides by which the devil is destroyed. And this is properly said about the soul of Christ. In that day the Lord, with his hard and strong sword, shall visit Leviathan (Isa 27:1). He says, your sword from the enemies of your hand. Add: deliver. Attend to my soul, and deliver it (Ps 68:19).

Or, deliver your sword from the enemies, that is, remove the sword and the power which they have from you. Power is given you from the Lord (Wis 6:4). And they have their will from you. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd (Zech 13:7).

Or, supplant them by their frustration, and deliver my soul from the . . . enemies of your hand, that is, of Christ your Son, for the son is said to be the hand of the father. I will lift up my hand, that is, my son, to heaven (Deut 32:40).

O Lord, divide them from the few of the earth in their life; since they persecute me in order to establish their own kingdom.

There are two versions of this text.

In the Roman version of the psalm, it has, O Lord, disperse them in their life, as if to say, “They have eyes on the earth and so they do evil, but exclude them from the earth which you have given to them.”

But how? Should they only go into one place? No, rather disperse them throughout the whole earth.

Another text has, O Lord, send them away from the few of the earth, as if to say, “Divide them from the earth, and from the few (that is, from the society of the elect), in their life, that is, while they live.”

Or, as is written, it is because they were warned of imminent destruction through the angel, so that the faithful left and went to the kingdom of Agrippa. (Eusebius, Historia ecclesiastica, 3.5 (Sources Chrétiennes, 31:102–3.) And so, divide them from the few, that is, from the Christians, who are set aside.

Their belly is filled from your hidden stores, that is, it is full of unconfessed sins. He who hides his sins shall not prosper (Prov 28:13). If as a man I have hid my sin, and have concealed my iniquity in my bosom (Job 31:33).

Or this is put here as a petition, and the reason for it is twofold, since it can refer to sins or to the favors for which they were ungrateful.

If it is understood in the first way, it is like this: first it describes the abundance given to sinners.

If it is taken in the second way, it shows how the blessings of God have flowed down to the sons.

Therefore, he says in regard to the first, their belly is filled from your hidden stores, that is, from the sins which they have hidden—not that he does not see them, but that he does not desire to see them. Your eyes are too pure, Lord, to look upon evil, and they cannot gaze on iniquity (Hab 1:13).

Their belly is filled, that is, their conscience, or memory, or carnal desire, or sensuality.

They are full of children, that is, of sins, or evil deeds. Evil deeds are called the children of the evil, as good works are the children of the good.

Another text has, they are filled with swine, that is, the uncleanness of sins.

And there is an explanation of this when it says, from hidden stores, and they have left to their little ones the rest of their substance, as if to say, “It has flowed down to their children who have imitated their sins.” For the children that are born of unlawful beds are witnesses of wickedness against their parents in their trial (Wis 4:6).

Or: they are full of children, that is, for the use of their children, and they have left to their little ones the rest of their substance, who bound them to sin insofar as it was in them. His blood be upon us and our children (Matt 27:25).

Or: they are filled with children, that is, on behalf of their children, as though they are so filled with sins that they are enough for them and for their children—that is, the remaining sins which they did not do, they left to be done by their children.

If it is understood in the second way, they received two favors.

The first is spiritual, the law. And so he says, from the hidden stores of your wisdom their belly is filled, that is, their carnal sense. He has not done in like manner to every nation (Ps 147:7).

The second is temporal goods, since they are full of children, and what is more, they left these to them.

Jerome’s text has in this place, deliver my soul from the wicked, that is, as though the wicked is your sword. Woe to the Assyrian, he is the rod of my anger . . . from the men of your hands who have died in the depths, part of which is in life (Isa 10:5–6), as if to say, “Deliver my soul from the wicked one, that is, from Saul, and from the men of your hand, who speak against your hand, who have died in the depths, that is, by sin, the portion of whom is in life, that is, this one, the belly of whom is filled.”

According to the gloss, Saul signifies death, and as David reigned in peace through the death of Saul, so did Christ after his Resurrection, having conquered death. (Peter Lombard, Magna glossatura (Patrologia Latina [Migne], 191:186).)

120. But as for me, I will appear. Here he shows his hope of being heard, and he discusses two things:

namely, the justice which he has,

and the vision of God.

And the one follows the other since he is brought to the vision of God through justice. Who shall dwell in your tabernacle? . . . He who walks without blemish and works justice (Ps 14:1).

Another text has, but I in justice will see your face, and so I will appear before your sight, that is, I will come to see you, and I shall be satisfied when your glory shall appear, that is, when I see you, I will be filled with all good things. Who satisfies your desires with good things (Ps 102:5), that is, with your glory, in which are all good things. The others are satisfied with swine’s flesh, according to the Septuagint. (This is not in the Septuagint, but it is in the Roman Psalter. See Rober Weber, Le Psautier Romain et les autres anciens psautiers latins, Collectanea Biblica Latina (Rome: Abbaye Saint-Jérôme, 1953), 28.)

Our text says, in the land of the saints the wicked shall be taken away so he shall not see the glory of God (Isa 26:10). I shall be satisfied: when he shall appear, we shall be like him (1 John 3:2).