Psalm 23 — The earth is the Lord’s

^23:1^ On the first day of the week, a psalm for David. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and all those who dwell therein. ^23:2^ For he has founded it upon the seas and has prepared it upon the rivers.

^23:3^ Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord or who shall stand in his holy place?

^23:4^ The innocent in hands, and clean of heart, who has not taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor.

^23:5^ He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Savior. ^23:6^ This is the generation of those who seek him, of those who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

^23:7^ Lift up your gates, O you princes, and be you lifted up, O eternal gates, and the King of Glory shall enter in. ^23:8^ Who is this King of Glory? The Lord who is strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. ^23:9^ Lift up your gates, O you princes, and be you lifted up, O eternal gates and the King of Glory shall enter in. ^23:10^ Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of Glory.

206. Having described tribulations and the divine help, here the psalmist commends the power of his helper.

There is no new title in the Hebrew, but in the Latin, on the first day of the week is added.

It should be known here that the third commandment as said in Exodus is remember that you keep holy the sabbath day (Exod 20:8). For God made the heaven and the earth and all that is in them in six days, and on the seventh he rested. So also we should rest on the seventh day out of reverence. Thus all the days of the week are named from the Sabbath, so that the Lord’s day is called the first of the Sabbath. When it began to dawn towards the first day of the Sabbath (Matt 28:1). And from this, the whole week is named from the Sabbath. I fast twice in a Sabbath (Luke 18:12). So, here the psalmist on the first day of the week remembers those things which belong to the first of the week, that is, to the Lord’s day.

Three things were accomplished on it:

the creation of the world,

the production of light,

and the Resurrection of Christ, which is related in the Gospel (Matt 28).

Therefore, the psalmist treats these: the power of the Creator and the glory of the Resurrection.

Perhaps this psalm was sung on the first day of the week, but that would seem to be out of order. Nevertheless, it must be known that in the time of David, God was worshipped in Judea alone, but David, knowing that God is the God of the whole earth, and seeing in a prophetic spirit that in the future he would be worshipped in the whole world, made this psalm and writes this about it.

Therefore, this psalm is divided into three parts.

In the first part, he describes his universal dominion.

In the second part, he describes or shows how men draw near to God: who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord.

In the third part, he prophesies the future worship of God throughout the whole world: lift up your gates.

He makes two points concerning his universal dominion.

First, he shows that the dominion of the Lord is universal.

Second, he describes its sign or cause, at for he has founded it upon the seas.

Or it can be divided this way, so that in the psalm he treats three things:

first, creation;

second, illumination, at who shall ascend;

and third, the Resurrection, or the glorification of the resurrected one, at lift up your gates.

He makes two points about creation.

First, he describes the power of the Creator;

second, he adds the reason: for he has founded it upon the seas.

Now, it should be known that the earth can be understood in two ways:

either as one element,

or as it is the dwelling place of men,

and in either sense it is under the divine dominion.

In the first way, some do not extend divine providence to corruptible things, but only to the heavens. The clouds are his cover; he walks about the poles of heaven and he does not consider our things (Job 22:14). The Lord has forsaken the earth, and the Lord sees not (Ezek 9:9). The psalm says, you lie, since the earth is the Lord’s, namely, the element itself over which he has dominion.

Or he speaks of the earth, that is, the Church, which is the good earth which brings forth much fruit. Who has poised with three fingers the bulk of the earth, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? (Isa 40:12).

But he adds, the fullness thereof. The earth was void and empty (Gen 1:2), since it was not yet full of trees and the other things which belong to the ornamentation of the earth, like plants and herbs.

Or he says, the fullness of the earth, that is, the fullness of the grace of the Church. And this is Christ who has brought all the fullness of grace in himself. Your face is full of graces (Esth 15:17). Of his fullness we have all received (John 1:16).

In the second way, the world—that is, our habitable earth—is God’s. He shall judge the world in equity, and the people in justice (Ps 9:9). He did not create it (namely, the earth) in vain; he formed it to be inhabited (Isa 45:18). The center is the deepest place in the world, to which the earth’s weight tends and all things fall towards it. And the psalm says, who founded the earth upon its own bases (Ps 103:5), since it tends there through its weight, and it is upon nothing, since it rests upon nothing. And he says, he has poised with three fingers the bulk of the earth (Isa 40:12), by its coldness and the cohesion of its parts. But because earth is an element, it also comes about from a mixture of other elements. Now earth is dry and cold, so neither from motion nor from flux is it made one continuous part, but it needs another moist element containing and connecting it, and so it is founded or strengthened upon the waters. And since it seems water can be generated in any part of the earth, the whole earth is generally said to be founded upon the waters, on account of which he says, he has founded it upon the seas.

Or, just as a foundation secures a building, so the water secures the earth so it is not disconnected. For the discontinuities in the earth happen because the water, which is liquid and heavy, flows through the whole earth.

Likewise by the earth is designated the Church and all those dwelling in it, namely, the faithful, and we are all of Christ. Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s (Rom 14:8), as the Apostle says.

Afterwards, he gives the cause of what he said above, that he has founded it upon the seas, as if to say, “It is an artifact, because an artisan made it.” But God made the earth and all those things which are in it. Therefore, the earth and the fullness thereof are his.

But some say that the providence of God does not extend to earthly things. (Cf. ST I, q. 103, a. 5.)

But against this is the sign of a great providence in the ordering of the waters in relation to the earth, since lighter elements should be above the heavier. Therefore, just as the air encircles the water, so the water should encircle the earth. And the philosophers give many reasons for this. But the cause is divine providence, so that it should be a dwelling for men and animals. So Moses, in the beginning when he wrote down the creation of things, wrote that the earth was first unformed, so the earth was void, that is, unformed, and empty of trees, and so he describes it as encircled or covered with water, and darkness, that is, water, was upon the face of the deep, that is over the earth, and the spirit of the Lord, that is, air, was upon the waters (Gen 1:2).

Or the earth was void, that is, unseen under the waters, so it follows, let the waters be gathered together . . . and let the dry land appear (Gen 1:9), as if to say, “Since the earth is first in the order of the elements, it was made to rest upon the waters by divine providence, so that men and animals could live on it, but let the waters, nevertheless, occupy the earth insofar as they continue as the seas.”

So he says, he has founded it upon the seas, that is, beside them, as is said in other places. Upon the rivers of Babylon, that is, beside the river of Babylon, there we sat (Ps 136:1).

He founded it, that is, he established it as firm, so that the sea would not overtake it. I made doors and bars for the sea and I said, “Up to here you shall come, and shall go no further, and here you shall break your swelling waves” (Job 38:10–11). I have set the sand a bound for the sea, an everlasting ordinance, which it shall not pass over (Jer 5:22).

And has prepared it upon the rivers, that is, next to the rivers, and he says, prepared, not founded, since its preparation requires that it be watered by a river. The river of God is filled with water; you have prepared their food for so is its preparation, fill up plentifully its streams (Ps 64:10–11).

Or the Church was founded upon the seas, that is, upon tribulations. Wonderful is the surging of the sea (Ps 92:4).

And it is upon the rivers, that is, the persecutions which prepared the Church for the crowns of martyrs.

Or it is upon the seas, that is, upon bitterness, but nevertheless he has prepared his consolation with the river of consolation. The stream of the river makes joyful (Ps 45:5).

207. Who shall ascend into the mountain? As if to say: “He is great, and how will anyone ascend to him?” What is man, said I, that he can follow the King his maker? (Eccl 2:12). And so he teaches the way to reach it.

He makes two points regarding this.

First, he puts forward a question;

and second, a response, at the innocent in hands.

In the question he asks two questions:

namely, about the way or movement: who shall ascend;

and about the end: or who shall stand in his holy place?

The mountain here signifies the height of divine justice or majesty. Your justice is as the mountains of God (Ps 35:7). Therefore, the mountain is the height of the divine majesty, or the sublimity of Christ, who is called a mountain. In the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of mountains, and it shall be exalted (Isa 2:2).

Therefore, who shall ascend so far as to come to Christ and God? The holy men who prepare ascents in their heart, as the psalmist says.

Also, who shall be able to stand there, where he himself is, which is the holy place, the place of glory? The place of our sanctification, the hope of Israel (Jer 17:12–13). The place where you are standing is holy ground (Exod 3:5), as if to say, “Who can stand there?”

But he says in another place, our feet were standing in your courts, O Jerusalem (Ps 121:2). So afterwards the response is given.

208. The innocent in hands. And first he shows this answer in general;

and second, in particular: this is the generation.

He makes two points about this.

First, he sets down the merit;

second, the reward, at he shall receive.

In respect to the merit, there is one which belongs to him who is innocent in works, so he says, innocent in hands. The innocent shall be saved, and he shall be saved by the cleanness of his hands (Job 22:30). I have walked in my innocence (Ps 25:1).

Another pertains to purity of heart, and in regard to this he describes two things:

that the pure heart is guarded from inward concupiscence, so he says, and clean of heart. Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God (Matt 5:8).

And he is guarded from every desire for temporal things: who has not taken his soul in vain, that is, he who has not poured it out upon vain things or who does not glory vainly in his strengths or who does not allow his sensuality to reach consent to sin.

Jerome has, who do not exalt in vain, since some show pride coming from worldliness of heart. Lord, my heart is not exalted (Ps 130:1).

Likewise, it pertains to the truth of the lips, so it follows, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor. Love not a false oath (Zech 8:17).

209. He shall receive a blessing. Here he describes the reward.

Now a reward consists in two things:

namely, in the obtaining of goods: he shall receive a blessing, that is, goods, from God. The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the just (Prov 10:6). To this you are called, that you may inherit a blessing (1 Pet 3:9).

Likewise, it consists in deliverance from evils, so he says, and mercy from God his Savior, who delivers from misery.

Or it can be taken in another way: the innocent in hands is able to approach, since he is innocent because he shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy, since he avoids sins. It is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy (Rom 6:16).

Afterwards, he shows this way in general: this is the generation of those who seek the Lord, as if to say, “In general, there are many of this sort, and these are the whole generation of those seeking God who are innocent.” Therefore, Scripture speaks about the good as one generation. This generation, namely, of the good, shall not pass (Matt 24:34).

And he describes it in two ways: namely, from its eagerness, since it seeks nothing except God, so he says, of those who seek God, even in this life. Seek the Lord while he may be found (Isa 55:6).

To what end? That they may come to the vision of him, so it follows, of those who seek the face of the God of Jacob. I have seen God face to face and my soul has been saved (Gen 32:30).

210. Lift up your gates. This is the third part of the psalm, in which he prophesies that in the future God will be worshipped throughout the whole world, as the literal sense explains.

God is said to dwell in men by faith: that Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts (Eph 3:17). And through charity: he who abides in charity abides in God and God in him (John 4:16).

Likewise, one is said to enter who begins to be where he was not before. Therefore, God enters into us when we begin to have faith in him. (Cf. ST I, q. 43, a. 3.)

Formerly, the whole world lacked faith in God, and this happened because of two obstacles:

namely, because of the early laws,

and because of ancient custom.

The first occurred because individual cities proposed for themselves laws about idolatry and established particular gods. And this worship became hardened by age, for they ministered to the demons.

Likewise, the angels were worshipped, who were called the host of heaven. And these obstacles were the gates or doors which, being closed, prohibited entry into the house.

Now he makes three points.

First, he announces what will come to be in the future.

Second, he proposes a question.

Third, he gives a response.

Therefore, he says, O you princes, that is, O evil men, or O demons, lift up your gates, that is, take away the obstacles which you placed there to stop men from drawing near to God.

Jerome has, elevate, as if to say, “remove.” You who lift me up from the gates of death that I may declare your preaching in the gates of the daughter of Zion (Ps 9:15).

And O eternal gates, that is, eternal and ancient obstacles, be you lifted up, that is, be removed. You enlighten wonderfully from the everlasting hills (Ps 75:5). As if to say, “You remove the ancient obstacles from the hearts of men,” and then he who is the king of glory will enter into the world through faith and charity and worship.

Or, it can be said that there are two types of gates, of which some are evil, which shut off access to life, and others are good, by which the way of life is opened. Open (Ps 117:19) the ways of life (Ps 15:11), that is, of justice. The evil gates are sins, but the good are virtues.

Therefore, he says, lift up your gates, O you princes, that is, open them and remove sin and obtain the eternal, that is the eternal gifts from the eternal God.

Be you lifted up, in our hearts, and the king of glory shall enter in. He speaks prophetically, since from the beginning all did not immediately believe, but some doubted. As if to say, “In whom do you desire to believe and whom do you desire to obey? Surely not the God of the Jews?” I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go (Exod 5:2).

And he shows this when he says, who is this King of Glory?

And he responds, the Lord who is strong and mighty.

Any king appears glorious on account of three things.

First, he acquires it through great strength, so he says, strong. The very strong hand shall bear rule (Prov 12:24). If strength be demanded, he is most strong (Job 9:19).

Second is on account of power, and he shows this when he says, the Lord mighty, since the most powerful has dominion. God does not cast away the mighty (Job 36:5). His power is an everlasting power (Dan 7:14).

Third is that he is good in battle, so he says, the Lord mighty in battle, since he conquered death and the devil in all. The lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed (Rev 5:5).

Or he is strong in his own nature, mighty in jurisdiction over his own, and mighty against adversaries.

Therefore, when he says a second time, lift up your gates, O you princes, and be you lifted up, O eternal gates and the King of Glory shall enter in, it should be understood that this is a repetition so his hearers may not disagree about who this powerful one is.

Or it refers to the princes, that is, the demons, the first time, but here, this refers to the good angels who, because of their dignity, did not want earlier to be worshipped by the men who were worshipping them. They adored all the host of heaven (2 Kgs 17:16). As if to say, “Remove the obstacles on account of which men worship you.” And so he says here, The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.

Now in the gloss there is another explanation. (Peter Lombard, Magna glossatura (Patrologia Latina [Migne], 191:251).) Christ descends to hell and ascends into heaven, and here he prophesies these two things.

And first he admonishes the infernal regions to open, so he says, lift up. O infernal princes, open your gates, and be you lifted up. And the King of Glory shall enter in.

But, when the demons ask, who is this king of glory?, he responds: he who is strong and mighty in battle against you.

Second, he admonishes the citizens to open the gates of paradise for us. So Christ responds as though with the voice of a herald, bearing the repayment, directing his voice to heaven, saying, O you heavenly princes, lift up, that is, open, your doors. And he shall enter in.

And to those asking, he says, the Lord of hosts, he is the King of Glory. Now, it should be known, as Dionysius says, that it should not be understood that the angels were ignorant of the mystery of the Incarnation, but wondering, they said, who is this king of glory? since the glory of Christ surpasses all thought. (Dionysius, The Heavenly Hierarchy 4 (Patrologia Graeca [Migne], 3:177–182).) For sometimes Christ himself teaches about himself through Scripture. I who speak justice (Isa 63:1).

Now here, not he, but others—namely, the angels—respond saying about him, the Lord of hosts, since some angels receive illumination immediately from God. (Dionysius, The Heavenly Hierarchy 8 (Patrologia Graeca [Migne], 3: 205–212).) I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high . . . and the temple was filled (Isa 6:1–3). Others receive it from them, as the middle and the lower, and these were responded to by other angels.