Psalm 20 — In your strength, O Lord, the king shall joy

^20:1^ Unto the end. A psalm for David. ^20:2^ In your strength, O Lord, the king shall joy, and in your salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly.

^20:3^ You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld from him the will of his lips.

^20:4^ For you have preceded him with blessings of sweetness; you have set on his head a crown of precious stones. ^20:5^ He asked life of you and you have given him length of days forever and ever.

^20:6^ His glory is great in your salvation; glory and great beauty you have laid upon him. ^20:7^ For you shall give him to be a blessing forever and ever; you shall make him joyful in gladness with your countenance.

^20:8^ For the king hopes in the Lord and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.

^20:9^ Let your hand be found by all your enemies; let your right hand find out all those who hate you.

^20:10^ You shall make them as an oven of fire, in the time of your anger; the Lord shall trouble them in his wrath, and fire shall devour them.

^20:11^ You shall destroy their fruit from the earth: and their seed from among the children of men.

^20:12^ For they have intended evils against you; they have devised counsels which they have not been able to establish. ^20:13^ For you shall make them turn their back; in your remnants you shall prepare their face.

^20:14^ Be exalted, O Lord, in your own strength; we will sing and praise your power.

166. Above, in the preceding psalm, a petition was made for the exaltation of the king; now here it is as though, having heard it, he announces it.

The title is unto the end. A psalm for David.

Therefore, this psalm is divided into two parts.

In the first, he announces the exaltation of the king;

in the second, the casting down of the enemies, at let your hand be found.

He makes three points in announcing the exaltation of the king.

First, he announces the joy of the king.

Second, he describes the cause of his joy, at you have given him his heart’s desire.

Third, he describes how he merits this cause, at for the king hopes in the Lord.

This psalm can be explained about Christ, who is the king, and about David who was a figure of him, and so it can be explained about both:

about Christ, according to the truth,

and about David, according to the figure.

Now, there is a twofold joy:

one from God

and one from the favors of God.

In regard to the first, he says, O Lord, God the Father, the king, that is Christ, shall rejoice in your strength, that is, your divinity. Give to the king your judgment, O God (Ps 71:2). And he rejoiced then when he conquered the devil and death by his death, and when he accomplished wonders, and when he ascended into heaven. God is ascended with jubilee (Ps 46:6). A king shall reign and be wise (Isa 23:5). Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:24).

It is similar if it is said about David: O Lord God, the king, namely, David and the other saints, shall rejoice in your strength. We will be glad and rejoice in you, remembering your breasts (Song 1:3).

In regard to the second, he says, and in your salvation, that is, in your attainment of the salvation accomplished through you. Christ principally rejoices in this, that you save the human race through him. He shall save his people (Matt 1:21).

167. You have given him his heart’s desire. Here he puts down the cause of joy, which is the fulfillment of his desire. The desire that is accomplished delights the soul (Prov 13:19). As desire is related to joy, so movement is to that rest which is reached by movement.

He first puts down the fulfillment of desire.

Second, he discusses those things in which desire has been fulfilled, at for you have preceded him.

Now there is a twofold desire:

one which is only in the heart,

another which is expressed with the mouth,

and both are fulfilled because God hears before something is spoken.

In regard to the first, he says, you have given him his heart’s desire. With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you (Luke 22:15). This is said about any just man.

In regard to the second desire, he says, and the will of his lips, that is, what is expressed by the lips, you have not withheld from him, since you heard him. He was heard for his reverence (Heb 5:7). My counsel shall stand, and all my will shall be done (Isa 46:10).

168. For you have preceded him. Here he describes the things by which desire is fulfilled.

First, he speaks about the fulfillment of the desire of the heart;

second, about the fulfillment of the desire of the mouth, which is the same as the desire of the lips: he asked life of you.

Now this involves a twofold favor.

And so he first describes the interior spiritual favor, which is the gift of grace, and in regard to this he says, for you have preceded him with blessings of sweetness. To bless is to speak what is good, and for God, to speak is to act. So by the blessing of God should be understood the infusion of goodness. I will bless you and multiply your seed (Gen 22:17). I will bless him, and multiply him, and increase him exceedingly (Gen 17:20). Therefore, this blessing is sweet. O how good and sweet is your spirit in us (Wis 12:1).

Therefore, with blessings of sweetness, that is, with the goods of grace, and in freedom from sin, you have preceded him, that is, Christ, in time, since he was full of every grace from the beginning of his conception. We saw him . . . full of grace and truth, as the only begotten of the Father (John 1:14), since as soon as he was conceived he was united to the divine nature, and as just quickly he was full of grace.

Likewise, you have preceded him in quantity, since he received grace before all others and not according to a measure. For the saints are said to have been preceded. Not as though we had loved God, but because he has first loved us (1 John 4:10). She precedes those who covet her (Wis 6:14).

And so David, in the figure of Christ, preceded us by a special grace, since he was anointed as king while he was still a boy, before he himself had thought about the kingship.

He shows the exterior favor, saying, you have set on his head a crown of precious stones.

If this refers to Christ, this is the sense: you have set on his head a crown of precious stones, that is, you have made him king. Now a crown is a sign of royal dignity, since, as is said, they shall see the king in his beauty (Isa 33:17). Go forth daughters of Zion, and see the king . . . in the diadem, wherewith his mother crowned him (Song 3:11), that is, the divinity. Because of this, he says it is of precious stones, that is, of the divinity, since my kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). Jerome has, of fine, that is, most pure, gold. There was a crown given him (Rev 6:2).

Or, the crown of precious stones is the apostles, since they are called precious stones because of the preciousness of their doctrine. On his, namely Christ’s, head a crown of twelve stars (Rev 12:1). Much experience is the crown of old men (Sir 25:8). So the company of apostles is like the crown of Christ.

Or, you have set on his head a crown, that is, the Church. A diligent woman, that is, the Church, is a crown to her husband (Prov 12:4), that is, Christ. Or this can be said about any saint, since the crown, or reward, is God himself. In that day the Lord of hosts shall be a crown of glory (Isa 28:5). It is of stones because of its solidity, which are precious since David was crowned by God himself according to the literal sense.

Afterwards, he shows how the petition of his lips is fulfilled, so he says, he asked life of you when he asked for the resurrection from you. But you, O Lord, have mercy on me, and raise me up again and I will requite them (Ps 40:11). And this is given to him. Ask of me and I will give you the gentiles for your inheritance (Ps 2:9). Everyone who asks receives (Luke 11:10).

Similarly, any of the saints asks for this, namely life, and especially eternal life. One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after (Ps 26:4), and David also asks for this.

Afterwards he shows how the petition is fulfilled for others, so he says, you have given him length of days forever and ever.

He asked that his body, the Church, be preserved for length of days, and God gave this to him. Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world (Matt 28:20). For David asked for this. In addition, you did speak of the house of your servant for a long time to come (2 Sam 7:19).

169. His glory is great in your salvation. Here the accomplishment of these goods is described, and he makes two points about this.

First, he describes the exaltation of this king who is foretold, in which the blessing is begun;

second, he describes its greatness, at glory and great beauty.

I say that you have made him excel, but even more than this, since his glory, namely of Christ and of man, is great in your salvation, that is, in the Word to which human nature is united.

Or, his glory is great among men, and in your salvation, since you have raised him up. In the days of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears . . . and supplications (Heb 5:7).

Or, his glory is great in your salvation, that is, in your help, in which you established him so that he would have great glory.

He explains this in three ways.

First, in relation to himself, and so he says, glory and great beauty you have laid upon him. This beauty was indeed laid upon Christ in his Resurrection, as was glory in the admiration of others.

Or, they can be taken as meaning the same thing, glory and great beauty you have laid upon him. Clothe yourself with beauty, and set yourself up on high and be glorious (Job 40:5).

Second, he considers his glory in relation to others; so he says, for you shall give him to be a blessing forever and ever, since the blessing for all others is derived from him. In your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed (Gen 22:18).

Third, he considers it in relation to God, so he says, you shall make him joyful in gladness with your countenance, that is, you shall make Christ as man joyful with everlasting joy, and in your countenance, that is, in the vision of your countenance. You shall fill me with joy with your countenance (Ps 15:11).

Or he laid glory upon him when he gave his saints the ability to work miracles, and this is upon Christ since the whole Christ is brought to glory, because he blessed them and because he led them to his vision. You shall see and your heart shall rejoice (Isa 66:14). Your joy no man shall take from you (John 16:22).

170. For the king hopes in the Lord. Above, the psalmist announced the exaltation of Christ the king; now here he declares his worthiness of this.

Now this was merited by Christ, insofar as he is man, and no just man places his hope in anyone except God. Blessed be the man who hopes in the Lord, and the Lord shall be his confidence (Jer 17:7). And so, because he has hoped in the Lord he shall not be moved. Those who trust in the Lord shall be like Mount Zion (Ps 124:1) because hope in God is the foundation. None who trust in him fail in strength (1 Macc 2:61). And so it is compared to an anchor.

But it should be noted that there are three things which should move someone to hope in the Lord.

First is divine providence. A man does not tend to hope in regard to those things which do not pertain to his care; however, our care does pertain to God, so he says, he hopes in the Lord, to whom governance belongs.

Second is mercy. His mercy is from generation to generation (Luke 1:50).

Third is power, and so he says, of the Most High. Psalm 90:1 says: he who dwells in the aid of the Most High.

171. Let your hand be found. Above, the psalmist foretold the exaltation of the king; now here he treats the downfall of enemies, and he considers two aspects of this.

First, he describes the downfall of the enemies.

Second, he reaches the conclusion: be exalted.

He addresses two points in regard to their downfall.

First, he describes the punishment of the enemies;

and second, their guilt: for they have intended evils.

He considers two aspects of their punishment.

First, he describes the infliction of their punishment;

and second, the punishment itself: you shall make them as an oven.

The hand of God is the inflictor of punishment, so he says, let your hand be found by all your enemies.

Jerome has, let the right hand of God find his enemies, hating, but here there seems to be repetition by the psalmist, since “the hand” and “the right hand” of God are the same, as are “an enemy” and “hating.” This is typical of the Psalms. (Here Thomas recognizes poetic parallelism, a key poetic feature of the Psalms.)

Or, if they are distinguished, every right hand is a hand but every hand is not a right hand. Therefore, by the hand of God should be understood the operative power of God, and this is the particular right hand by which the good are exalted in spiritual goods. Length of days is in her right hand (Prov 3:16). The left is that which punishes the evil and gives temporal bounty. In her left hand, riches (Prov 3:16). Therefore, he says, let the hand, that is power, be found, that is, let it hand over to his will all your enemies. For all this his indignation is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still (Isa 9:12). And it is his right hand, since that God punishes enemies pertains to the right hand insofar as the punishment is ordered to the salvation of the elect. Therefore, insofar as it punishes the evil, it is called the hand, and insofar as it is ordered to the good of the just it is call the right.

Or, the right is both Christ and the hand, so let your hand, that is, Christ, be found, that is, recognized for the good by those who are his friends, namely, the nations. They have found me who sought me not (Isa 65:1; Rom 10:20).

Or, let it be found, in the experience of evil, that is, may it be recognized by your enemies, that is, the Jews, in the judgment, when he will come to judge. They shall see the Son of Man coming (Luke 21:27). And let your right hand, that is, your Son, be found, that is, punish, all those who hate you.

172. You shall make them as an oven. Here the punishment of the enemies is described:

first, in regard to evils inflicted on them;

second, in regard to goods taken from them: you shall destroy their fruit.

Now, he describes a threefold order of punishment, and it is clear that it is applied to the mystical sense, since in the future judgment there will be three things.

First, there will be fire burning the face of the earth. It shall burn his enemies round about (Ps 96:3). So he says, you shall make them as an oven of fire, namely, in the time of your anger, that is, of Christ who will appear at that time to judge. Let my judgment come forth from your countenance (Ps 16:2). And he says, as an oven, as though oppressed by fire on all sides. As the grass . . . which is today, and tomorrow is cast into the oven (Matt 6:30).

Or it is as an oven, that is, containing fire within itself, and through this is understood the fire which the evil suffer interiorly from their depraved desires and anger. Good desire is a good fire. From above he has sent fire into my bones (Lam 1:13). Evil desire is an evil fire. Fire has fallen on them and they shall not see the sun (Ps 57:9), that is, they always burn in the knowledge of their wickedness. They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by the baker (Hos 7:4). Adulterers are all those who unite themselves inordinately to things other than God. The baker is the devil, who supplies evil thoughts as a baker supplies wood. Our skin was burnt as an oven, by reason of the violence of the famine (Lam 5:10). And this will be in the time of your face, that is, in the time of your manifestation for judgment.

Second comes the discussion about judgment, in which he will reproach the wicked for their sins and impose the sentence of damnation, either vocally or mentally. And so, the Lord shall trouble them in his wrath, that is, he will bring about the disturbance of sadness from the evils introduced and the goods removed.

Third, they will be wrapped about with fire, thus: and fire shall devour them. A fire that is not kindled, by human wind, but which is kindled by divine power, shall devour them (Job 20:26). So Jerome has, they have been cast down. All these can apply to David well enough.

173. You shall destroy their fruit. Here the deprivation of goods is described.

The goods which men have in this world are certain things that men desire to enjoy during this life and certain things that they desire to leave after them, and they lose both.

And so, in regard to the first, he says, you shall destroy their fruit from the earth, those things from which they seek enjoyment. Their hope is vain (Wis 3:11). What fruit had you then in those things, of which you are now ashamed? (Rom 6:21).

In regard to the second, he says he will make their seed perish from among the children of men, namely from the society of the saints. I will destroy Babylon (Isa 14:22). And this will come about, since, as is said, every work that is corruptible shall fail in the end (Sir 14:20). For dreadful are the ends of a wicked race (Wis 3:19).

174. For they have intended evils. Here the guilt of sinners is treated, and it is described in two parts:

first, in regard to their effort to act, and in regard to this he says, for they have intended, since even if they might not be able to accomplish it, nevertheless they planned how to do evil. They repaid me evil (Ps 34:12).

Or, they have intended, since they desire to bring upon others the evils threatening them.

For a double evil hung over the Jews:

the first being the evil of punishment, and they intended to turn this back upon Christ when they killed Christ so that the Romans would not take away their dominion.

Second, the evil of guilt threatened them. You are of your father the devil (John 8:44). They also turned this upon Christ when they said, do we not say well that you are a Samaritan and have a devil? (John 8:48). They were demoniacs, and they placed that sin upon Christ.

Second, the guilt of the Jews or of sinners is described in regard to their effort to scheme, so he says, they have devised counsels, that is, they considered how they might destroy his faith. They had devised counsel against me (Jer 11:19). It is said about the Cross, blessed is the wood by which justice comes (Wis 14:7). But they were not able to establish it, that is, they were not able to carry out their plans. Take counsel together and it shall be defeated (Isa 8:10). Why? Since there is no counsel against the Lord (Prov 21:30).

And he assigns a reason for the remark that they were unable to establish their plans, saying, on the contrary, you shall make them turn their back.

The text of Jerome is clearer, for you shall put the shoulder to them, you will strengthen your borders against their faces.

There are two ways that enemies may fail to establish their counsels against someone.

The first is if they are conquered by him.

Another way is if the bounds of the enemy are made firm, and so he says, they were not able to establish their counsels, for you shall make them turn their back, that is, they will flee before you.

Likewise, the strength of your border is against their faces. This is spiritually understood about Christ, whose borders no one is able to disturb. No man shall pluck them out of my hand (John 10:28).

And our text has, in your remnants you shall prepare their face, that is, against their faces, according to the gloss.

Above, the psalmist described the future punishment of the evil; but here he describes their present punishment.

And there is a twofold spiritual punishment which is in the soul,

namely, turning aside from God

and turning towards evil.

In regard to the first, he says, according to your providence, you shall make them turn their back.

In regard to the second, he says, in your remnants you shall prepare their face.

And this can be explained in many ways, according to the gloss. (Peter Lombard, Magna glossatura (Patrologia Latina [Migne], 191:224).)

In one way it is about those things which Christ left, namely the temporal goods which he scorned. My kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), since you leave their faces in the desire of these temporal things, that is, you prepared for their intention that they would kill Christ for this, as they said: lest perhaps the Romans come and take away . . . our nation (John 11:48).

Or it is in their remnants, that is, the tribes which you left which would be converted. In him the gentiles shall hope (Rom 15:12). You shall prepare their face, that is, your knowledge, which is theirs—that is, belonging to the Jews (that is, promised to them).

Or, the last parts of the life of Christ are said to be his remnants, that is, his Passion and death, and his intention to undergo his Passion was prepared for these by their evil.

Or it is a preparation of the face for good, that is, for the remnant of the Jews who will be converted. A remnant shall be saved (Rom 9:27). And although they seem to be placed so their backs are turned, nevertheless, a remnant will be converted and understand.

175. Be exalted, O Lord. Here is the conclusion.

First, he asks for that which pertains to God;

second, he promises that which belongs to us.

Therefore, he says, be exalted, O Lord, in your own strength, namely, so that the king may rejoice in it. Let your hand be exalted, and let them not see . . . and be confounded (Isa 26:11).

Nevertheless, according to the mystical sense, be exalted, Christ, in the Resurrection, which will take place in your own strength. I have power to lay down my soul, and . . . to take it up again (John 10:18), through the Resurrection and Ascension.

Be exalted, which will take place in your own strength. Walking in the greatness of his strength (Isa 63:1). And we will sing, that is, interiorly, and praise, exteriorly, your power.

Or, we will sing, that is we will preach and announce the excellence of your power. That you may declare his virtues, who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Pet 2:9).