Psalm 28 — Bring to the Lord, O you children of God

^28:1a^ A psalm for David, at the finishing of the tabernacle. Bring to the Lord, O you children of God,

^28:1b^ bring to the Lord the offspring of rams.

^28:2^ Bring to the Lord glory and honor; bring to the Lord glory to his name; adore the Lord in his holy court.

^28:3^ The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of majesty has thundered; the Lord is upon many waters. ^28:4^ The voice of the Lord is in power; the voice of the Lord in magnificence.

^28:5^ The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars: yea, the Lord shall break the cedars of Lebanon.

^28:6^ And shall reduce them to pieces, as a calf of Lebanon, and as the beloved son of unicorns.

^28:7^ The voice of the Lord divides the flame of fire; ^28:8^ the voice of the Lord shakes the desert, and the Lord shall shake the desert of Kadesh. ^28:9^ The voice of the Lord prepares the stags, and he will discover the thick woods, and in his temple all shall speak his glory.

^28:10^ The Lord makes the flood to dwell, and the Lord shall sit king forever. The Lord will give strength to his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

256. In the other psalms, the psalmist recalled the trust that he had in God; now here he gives thanks as one who has been delivered.

First are mentioned those parts of the psalm which belong to giving thanks;

second, he remembers the favors he has received, at in you, O Lord, have I hoped (Ps 30:2).

He makes two points regarding the first.

First, he invites others to give thanks.

Second, he himself gives thanks: I will extol you (Ps 29:2).

The title is a psalm for David at the finishing of the tabernacle.

And note the history in 1 Samuel 4, where the sons of Israel in the time of Eli fought against the Philistines, and the ark of God was captured and was in their land for six months until they returned it to Gibeah. And once Saul had died, David brought it and carried it into Jerusalem and built a tabernacle for it and danced before it, as found in 2 Samuel 6. It seems that this psalm was made then.

Mystically, the holy Church is signified by the tabernacle. Behold, the tabernacle of God with men (Rev 21:3). This tabernacle, namely the Church, was torn from the hands of the Philistines, that is, the demons, and those things said in the psalm pertain to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, through which this tabernacle is finished.

Therefore, it is divided into two parts.

In the first part, he invites others to offer thanksgiving to God.

In the second, he remembers the favors: the voice of the Lord is upon the waters.

He makes three points about thanksgiving.

First, he shows to whom it should be offered;

second, who offers;

third, what should be offered.

Therefore he says, bring. But to whom? To the Lord alone, not to others (Exod 22:20). That it should be offered to God alone is said, all things are yours and we have given you what we received of your hand (1 Chr 29:14).

He shows who should offer: O you children of God. The Most High approves not the gifts of the wicked (Sir 34:23). The Lord first had respect to Abel and his offerings (Gen 4:4), since a man should first please God and afterwards bring an offering.

And so he says they are children of God through faith. But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God to those who believe in his name (John 1:12).

They are also children of God through charity. Behold what manner of charity the Father has bestowed upon us (1 John 3:1). They are also children of God through good works. Who are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God (Rom 8:14).

257. Bring to the Lord glory and honor. Here he shows what should be offered.

First, he describes the bodily sacrifice;

second, the spiritual, at bring to the Lord glory.

Offering was made from three kinds of animals: from the cattle, the goats, and the sheep. And more than the rest, the lamb was the most usual sacrifice. So it is said that a lamb was offered every morning and evening (Exod 29:39), since Christ is figured most excellently and distinctly by a lamb. Behold the Lamb of God (John 1:29). And so he says, bring to the Lord the offspring of rams, that is, lambs.

Mystically, the rams are the leaders of the flock, that is, the apostles. The princes of the people are gathered together (Ps 46:10). Their offspring are the faithful. In Jesus Christ, through the Gospel, I have begotten you (1 Cor 4:15). Bring to God, therefore, yourselves, who are the offspring of rams.

258. Bring to the Lord glory to his name. Afterwards, he describes the spiritual sacrifice.

First, he mentions it;

second, he makes it manifest, at bring to the Lord glory to his name.

It should be noted that the Lord desires that these things be offered to him not for his own sake, since he himself said, shall I eat the flesh of bullocks? (Ps 49:13), but so that we may recognize him as the beginning of every good of ours and the end to which all things must be referred. And so a man should offer sacrifice to no one but God.

For God is the end, and we can add nothing to him, and so we should glorify him, so that everything we do, we do for his glory. Do all to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31).

Likewise, God is the beginning, and so we should give him honor. If I be a master . . . where is my honor? (Mal 1:6).

And so he says, bring to the Lord glory and honor. *To the only God be glory and honor (*Tim 1:17). Adore the Lord in his holy court. Here he makes the spiritual sacrifice manifest.

First, he shows how we should give glory to him;

second, how we should give honor to him.

Therefore, he says that God is glorious, and so we should give him glory; so he says, bring to the Lord glory to his name. He is glorious in himself, but his name should be glorious in us, that is, in our recognition that it is glorious.

And when he is glorious and shining in us, we should give him honor, and so he says, adore the Lord in his holy court, that is, in his Church, which is like the heavenly court.

Or, in the court, that is, in the mind. The true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).

259. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. Here he describes the divine favors:

first, those past;

second, those in the future, at the Lord makes the flood.

He considers two things regarding the first.

First, he enumerates past favors.

Second, he ends by giving thanks, at and in his temple.

The past favors can be expounded figuratively and mystically.

They can be expounded figuratively: and so in the first part, he describes two past favors:

in the exodus,

and after the departure from there, at the voice of the Lord breaks the cedars.

First, he remembers the favor of being led out of Egypt.

Second, he shows it.

Therefore, he says, the voice, that is, the power, of the Lord was upon the waters, dividing the sea, as is said in Exodus 14.

And he glorifies this in three ways.

First, on account of his authority: the God of majesty, who is himself majesty. The whole earth shall be filled with his majesty (Ps 17:19; Isa 6:3). He has thundered, since when Moses raised his hand, the wind blew. And he says this wind thundered, since thunder is made by movement of wind.

Likewise, he gives glory on account of what was done in regard to the matter, since he did not dry up a little bit of waters but many waters, namely, the sea. Have you not dried up the sea? (Isa 51:10). She carried them over through a great water (Wis 10:18).

Likewise, he gives glory because of what was done in regard to its effect, in which there was great strength, so that he cast down his enemies. Your right hand, O Lord, has slain the enemy (Exod 15:6). Because of which it is said, the voice of the Lord is in power.

Likewise, another effect is magnificence; hence, he says, the voice of the Lord in magnificence, because he is made to cross through the dry sea. Hence it follows in the same place: magnificent in holiness, terrible and praiseworthy, doing wonders (Exod 15:11).*

260. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. Afterwards, he remembers the past favors which came after the crossing over.

This can be understood to have taken place in two ways:

first, through a removal from evil;

and second, through a gathering together of goods: the voice of the Lord divides.

He makes two points about the removal of evils.

First, he puts forward the favor;

second, the ease of conferring the favor, at and shall reduce them.

Therefore, he says, the voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. The cedars are great men, and it signifies the Amorites who were great and strong. Yet I cast out the Amorite before their face, whose height was like the cedars and who was as strong as an oak (Amos 2:9).

Likewise, throughout the whole land which was promised to them, there were Amorites and other peoples who could not be exterminated and subjugated even up to the time of David. All the Amorites then lived around Lebanon, as Joshua 15 says. And so he says, the Lord shall break the cedars of Lebanon, that is, the Amorites who then lived there, and shall reduce them to pieces as a calf of Lebanon, and Sharon as the son of unicorns.

The Hebrew has, and shall tear them to pieces as a calf of Lebanon and Sharon as the son of buffalo. And the literal sense is that there is a difference between buffalo and cattle, since buffalo are nourished in marshes but cattle in the mountains. For there are many pastures on the mountain of Lebanon in which great cedars grow. There were also calves there and cows. Therefore, he says that it is as easy for the Lord to break the cedars of Lebanon as to break the calf of Sharon. Sharon is a certain place: the beauty of Carmel and Sharon (Isa 35:2). This place is wet, where buffalo are pastured, as if to say, “For he shall break Sharon as the son of buffalo or a calf.”

Mystically, the voice of the Lord is upon the waters implies two favors: namely, conversion and the gifts which are given to the one converted.

The voice of the Lord is in power. This can be explained in two ways according to the mystical sense.

In one way, it refers to the preaching of Christ, and so the conversion of the Jews and the gentiles is treated.

The Jews are indicated when he says, upon the waters. Men are like water, since men flow like water and return no more (2 Sam 14:14). So the voice, that is, the preaching of the Lord, is said to be upon the waters, that is, upon the people of the Jews, because the Jews were converted to God by the teaching of God not yet incarnate but expected.

The conversion of the gentiles follows when he says, the God of majesty has thundered. Thunder is formed in a cloud, in which the Incarnation, which is like a cloud, is signified. Behold, the Lord will ascend upon a swift cloud (Isa 19:1). Therefore, the God of majesty has thundered, that is, the Omnipotent has thundered by preaching from the cloud of his flesh. He shall thunder wonderfully with his voice (Job 37:5). And he says, upon many waters because the voice of the incarnate Lord was not only upon the Jews but upon the gentiles. I have given you to be a light to the gentiles (Isa 49:6).

Or it is upon the waters of baptism, so from the time when Christ was baptized, this song was sung.

The voice of the Lord is in power. Above, the psalmist touched upon the mystery of the conversion of the Jews and gentiles in the mystical understanding; now here he describes the favors that are temporal gifts.

He makes three points about this.

First, he describes the spiritual gifts.

Second, he describes the rooting out of the vices, which follows from them, at the voice of the Lord breaks the cedars.

Third, he describes the accomplishment or progress to goods, at the voice of the Lord prepares the stags.

A difference among spiritual goods is that, of those to whom spiritual gifts are given, they are given to some in order to accomplish what is generally fitting and must be done, and are necessary for salvation. (Cf. ST I-II, q. 68, a. 2.) To others they are given for certain difficult tasks, such as working miracles and such things. (Cf. ST II-II, q. 176, a. 1.)

In regard to the necessary works, he says, the voice of the Lord is in power, that is, the power to fulfill his precepts is given from the authority of the Lord.

In regard to the more difficult, he says, the voice of the Lord in magnificence, that is, power is given from the authority of the Lord for his saints to do great things. Above Israel is his magnificence (Ps 67:35).

The gloss applies this to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Peter Lombard, Magna glossatura (Patrologia Latina [Migne], 191:285).)

First, the conversion of the faithful is attributed to the gift of fear, which is a divine power that urges on the fearful.

Magnificence belongs to the gift of knowledge, to which belongs the knowledge to do great things. How great is he who finds wisdom (Sir 25:13).

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. Here he treats the exclusion of the vices;

and he first touches on the vice of pride;

second, that of concupiscence, at the voice of the Lord divides the flame of fire;

third, the vice of infidelity or contempt, at the voice of the Lord shakes the desert.

Therefore, he first shows the exclusion of pride. So it should be noted that, as fir trees are great, so are cedars, and pride is signified by them. Therefore, he says, the voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, that is, the power of the divine authority is over all the proud. Their pride is brought down to hell (Isa 14:11). Yea, the Lord shall break the cedars of Lebanon, that is, the voice of the Lord is over the arrogant and proud by reducing their power, since through this all kings were converted to Christ. Finally, it is over the cedars of Lebanon, since the majority of the Jews were converted, such as Nicodemus (John 3).

261. Likewise: and shall reduce them to pieces as a calf of Lebanon. Here the completion of their conversion is described.

Mount Lebanon is excellent for pasture, and the priests would pasture cows there because of the abundance of the victims. And so, he shall reduce them to pieces as a calf of Lebanon, that is, he will humiliate them like a calf of Lebanon so that they offer themselves in sacrifice like a calf which was nourished on Mount Lebanon. And this is clear because many martyrs exposed themselves for the sake of Christ. My calves and fatlings are killed (Matt 22:4).

And as the beloved son of unicorns. This can be read in two ways.

The first is so that it signifies the authority to reduce, as if to say, “He will make the beloved like this.” And according to this, beloved is put in the singular to mean the one having authority. This is my beloved son (Matt 3:17). And he will do this as the son of unicorns. That is, the son of the Jews, since the mystery of the Incarnation does this, and the Jews are called unicorns insofar as they gloried in the worship of one God.

Or he is said to be a unicorn because the son is without a mother in his eternal generation and without a father in his temporal generation.

In another way, the beloved, that is, Christ, who, as an example of one suffering this reduction, gave an example of suffering to others. Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow his steps (1 Pet 2:21). And he suffered this not insofar as he is God, but insofar as he is the son of the unicorns, the Jews.

Therefore, now let us return to the literal sense.

262. The voice of the Lord divides the flame of fire. Here he remembers the favors by which they were delivered from the evil inflicted by God.

It is said that because of the murmuring of the people, fire entered part of the camp, and at the raising of Moses’s hands the fire was extinguished (Num 11:1). And this is what he says, the voice, that is, the authority, of the Lord divides, that is, destroys, the flames of fire.

Afterwards, he remembers the favors which move towards the good.

He describes three.

The first favor is the multiplication of the people.

Second is the nourishment of the little ones.

Third is being led through the desert.

Jerome’s text has, the voice of the Lord making the desert fruitful. So it is read in Joshua that none of those who went out from Egypt entered into the promised land except Joshua and Caleb, as is clear in Numbers 14. But all those who entered into it were born in the desert. And so he remembers the favor that the people did not die out, so he says, the voice of the Lord making fruitful, that is, making the desert to bring forth, and in particular the desert of Kadesh, since it was the intention of Moses that they would enter into the promised land immediately after leaving Egypt, and they went to Kadesh. So they sent out scouts and they dissuaded them and feared to enter, and for this sin they all died. And because they were turned aside by this from entering, they all died in the desert.

Or, according to our text, the voice of the Lord shakes the desert, that is, it moves them to generation in the desert of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord prepares the stags. Jerome has, assists the birth of the stags. The Hebrew has, prepares the mules.

Stags live in desert places. And since the children of Israel were in the desert for forty years, they are called stags. Who has made my feet like the feet of stags (Ps 17:34), since the women were able to give birth and nourish.

And he will discover the thick woods, or the narrow passage, because he went before them in the column of fire in the night and of cloud during the day. He led his people through the desert (Ps 135:16).

Mystically, what is said, the voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, signifies the gift of fortitude.

And he puts it here to exclude the sin of concupiscence, since he says, the voice of the Lord divides the flame of fire, namely, of concupiscence. The desire of wisdom brings to the everlasting fire (Wis 6:21). And this nourishes every evil about which is said, all that is in the world is the concupiscence of the eyes (1 John 2:16). And this consumes. It is a fire that devours even to destruction (Job 31:12). Basil explains it in this way. (Basil, Homily on Psalm 28 (Patrologia Graeca [Migne], 29:297–98).)

The voice of the Lord divides, since in the day of judgment, the fire will be divided by divine power because there will be heat without light in the fire enveloping the reprobate. (Cf. ST Supp., q. 97, a. 4.) Fire will shine without heat in the glory of the elect.

And what is said pertains to the gift of counsel.

The voice of the Lord shakes the desert. He puts this here to exclude duplicity or unfaithfulness, namely, that of the gentiles and of the Jews.

In regard to the gentiles, he says, the voice of the Lord shakes the desert, that is, he moves the nations to be converted to faith in him. Many are the children of the desolate, that is, of the gentile people, more than of her who has a husband (Isa 54:1), that is, the synagogue.

In regard to the Jews, he says, the desert of Kadesh, which is interpreted as the holiness of the law, since the Jews, sanctified by the lawgiver, will be converted at the end of the world. Our land is desolate (Isa 1:7).

And this belongs to the gift of understanding.

Afterwards, he remembers the favor which belongs to advancement in goods.

First, he describes the gathering of wisdom;

and second, its act.

Therefore, he says, the voice of the Lord prepares the stags, that is, the holy and perfect men, since as stags repel venomous snakes, the saints repel every sin, and as the deer move through the thorns without being torn, so the saints move through the vanity of the world without delight. Naphtali, a hart let loose, giving words of beauty (Gen 49:21).

And these are prepared by God and not by themselves, and God himself will reveal to them the thick woods, that is, those things which are hidden. You have revealed them to little one (Matt 11:25).

And this belongs to the gift of wisdom.

Afterwards, he concludes by giving thanks for the aforementioned favors, saying, in his temple all shall speak his glory. Young men and maidens, let the old with the younger praise the name of the Lord (Ps 148:12).

Another text has, everyone shall say or speak of his glory. It is true that some have the common gifts, and some the special. And through this special gift anyone may speak of his glory. To him who gives me wisdom will I give glory (Sir 51:23).

263. The Lord makes the flood to dwell. Here he gives thanks for the favors for which he hopes.

First, he remembers the power of the benefactor;

second, he describes the hoped-for favors, at the Lord will give strength to his people.

In Hebrew it has, the Lord sits on the flood, and this has a clear sense, as if to say: “It is true that he made the people of Israel. Has there ever been such power at another time? Indeed, his judgments have been made clear from the beginning!” And he remembers one manifestation, because he brought the flood as a judgment for the sin of mankind.

And the Lord shall sit king forever, judging the people in equity.

Jerome has, the Lord dwells in the flood, or makes it to dwell. When the flood poured in, the earth was emptied of inhabitants. Likewise, he made the earth to be inhabited afterwards, through the dispersal from the multiplication of men.

Mystically, it can be read in three ways.

In one way, flood is an accusative with the infinitive to dwell, since they alone dwelt in the flood in the ark of Noah, and so, by the ark of Noah, the Church and the saints within her, dwelling securely in the tribulation of the flood, were signified.

In another way, on the contrary, the flood inhabits his temple. For the flood is the world, the carnal men are of the world. With a flood that passes by, he will make an utter end (Nah 1:8). Therefore, he will make the flood dwell in his temple when they are converted, and the Lord shall sit king forever, as has been explained above.

In another way he inhabits the flood, that is, the baptismal waters, which he inhabits through the effect of grace.

Afterwards, he calls to mind the favors hoped for.

First are those which belong to advancement;

second, those which belong to the end.

In regard to the first, he says, the Lord will give strength to his people, through which they will be able to prosper. It is he who gives strength to the fallen and increases force in those who are not (Isa 40:29).

In regard to the second, he says, the Lord will bless his people with peace. My people shall sit in the beauty of peace and in the tabernacles of confidence and in wealthy rest (Isa 32:18).