Psalm 43 — We have heard, O God, with our ears

^43:1^ Unto the end, a psalm for the sons of Korah, to give understanding. ^43:2^ We have heard, O God, with our ears, our fathers have declared to us the work you have wrought in their days, and in the days of old. ^43:3^ Your hand destroyed the gentiles, and you planted them; you did afflict the people and cast them out. ^43:4^ For they got not the possession of the land by their own sword; neither did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your countenance, because you were pleased with them.

^43:5^ You are yourself my king and my God, who commands the saving of Jacob. ^43:6^ Through you we will push down our enemies with the horn, and through your name we will despise those who rise up against us.

^43:7^ For I will not trust in my bow; neither shall my sword save me. ^43:8^ But you have saved us from them that afflict us and have put them to shame that hate us.

^43:9^In God shall we glory all the day long, and in your name we will give praise forever.

^43:10^ But now you have cast us off, and put us to shame, and you, O God, will not go out with our armies.

^43:11^ You have made us turn our back to our enemies, and they that hated us plundered for themselves. ^43:12^ You have given us up like sheep to be eaten; you have scattered us among the nations. ^43:13^ You have sold your people for no price, and there was not much in the exchange of them.

^43:14^ You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us. ^43:15^ You have made us a byword among the gentiles, a shaking of the head among the people.

^43:16^ All the day long my shame is before me, and the confusion of my face has covered me ^43:17^ at the voice of him who reproaches and detracts me, at the face of the enemy and persecutor.

^43:18^ All these things have come upon us, yet we have not forgotten you, and we have not done wickedly in your covenant. ^43:19^ And our heart has not turned back, neither have you turned aside our steps from your way.

^43:20^ For you have humbled us in the place of affliction, and the shadow of death has covered us. ^43:21^ If we have forgotten the name of our God, and if we have spread forth our hands to a strange god, ^43:22^ shall not God search out these things? For he knows the secrets of the heart. Because for your sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

^43:23^ Arise, why do you sleep, O Lord? Arise, and cast us not off to the end. ^43:24^ Why do you turn your face away? And forget our want and our trouble? ^43:25^ For our soul is humbled down to the dust; our belly cleaves to the earth. ^43:26^ Arise, O Lord, help us and redeem us for your name’s sake.

440. Above, the psalmist demonstrated his desire for God; here he proceeds to pray against the affliction of the whole people.

The title is unto the end, a psalm for the sons of Korah, to give understanding.

The sons of Korah are the sons of Christ’s Passion, and these properly are the martyrs, since they imitate Christ. Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example (1 Pet 2:21). And this especially befits the martyrs.

It is true that all goods, temporal and spiritual, are given by God. The temporal are lesser goods, and the spiritual are greater. A father gives small things to small sons, but great things to mature sons.

And God also acts thus, for when men were in a state of childhood, he gave them small things, that is, temporal things, as is clear in the Old Testament. They were as children under a pedagogue (Gal 3:25), that is, under the observances of the law. If you are willing and will listen to me, you shall eat the good things of the land (Isa 1:19).

But to those in the New Testament who were mature, he promised not temporal goods but harsh afflictions, and this with the hope of spiritual things. Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you (Luke 6:22). And so it is his intention to draw the men of the New Covenant away from the desire for earthly prosperity promised in the Old Covenant.

Therefore, this psalm is divided into three parts.

First, it treats past prosperity;

second, present adversity, at but now you have cast us off;

third, he asks help against them both, at arise.

Regarding the first, he first enumerates the favors granted to those living in ancient times,

and, second, shows that he has a hope of greater things, at you are yourself.

Regarding the first, he makes three points.

He puts down first the hearing of these favors;

second, the hearing of their time, at the work which;

third, he describes the favor itself, at your hand.

Concerning the first, he first puts down the way of hearing;

second, those from whom they heard.

Now he puts forward an invocation of the divine name when he says, O God. And this psalm proceeds through the mode of prayer, which is the ascent of the mind to God.

Or because in this psalm he treats prosperity and adversity. In adversity, a man defers to God as he would to his defender. In my trouble, I cried to the Lord (Ps 119:1). In prosperity, he invokes God with joy. As a thirsty traveler, she has reached the fountain (Sir 26:15).

We have heard. Listening is necessary for wisdom. If you love to hear, you shall be wise (Sir 6:34), for it is also necessary for the wise man himself. A wise man shall hear and shall be wiser (Prov 1:5). So it is necessary for everyone, since no one is sufficient to think of everything that pertains to wisdom, and so no one is so wise so as not to be instructed by another, since if he hears something good, he is helped by receiving it; if he hears something evil, he is helped by understanding what is better.

With our ears. He hears with his own ears who hears with ears subject to reason. This is why he is called a man: he has reason. When ears are subject to reason, they are human; when they are not subject to reason, they are brutish. He who has ears to hear, let him hear (Luke 8:8), that is, let him consider.

Our fathers have declared to us. Here, he demonstrates that he has listened to those who wished to teach the truth, because they are fathers. Ask your fathers and they will declare to you (Deut 32:7). Also, those who could teach the truth because they are old. In the ancient is wisdom (Job 12:12).

The work you have wrought in their days. Here, he lays out the time in which he heard these things. Certain favors are ancient because the ancient ones saw them; whence he says, and in the days of old.

Your hand. Here, he lays out the favor itself.

Second, he lays out the ordering of the favor and the cause of the favor.

In a favor we consider the work and the fruit of the work.

The work of divine power is that he expelled the nations before them; this is why he says, your hand, that is, your power. For through God’s members is signified the action which we exercise through them. He destroyed the gentiles, that is, he physically destroyed those living in the promised land. Scatter them by your power (Ps 58:12).

The fruit is that they succeeded them. He shall break in pieces many and innumerable and shall make others stand in their stead (Job 34:24). So he says, and you planted them. You shall bring them in and plant them (Exod 15:17). Whatever is planted is rooted so that it may bear fruit. He looked for it to bring forth grapes, and it brought forth sour grapes (Isa 5:2).

You afflicted the people. Here is the way and the ordering of the favor, since it was not immediately destroyed, since the earth would have been uncultivated and wild beasts many. And so he consumed them little by little.

So he says, you afflicted the people, both through war and through beasts and hornets. I sent before you hornets (Josh 24:12). You sent wasps, forerunners of your host (Wis 12:8).

And you cast them out, thus afflicting them little by little. He cast out the gentiles before them (Ps 77:54).

For they got not the possession of the land by their own sword. Here, he lays out the cause of the favor.

And first, he excludes the supposed cause;

second, he puts forward the true cause.

The supposed cause could be the strength of the people which expelled them; and so, setting aside this explanation, he says, not by their own sword.

The strength of man is twofold:

one type is from his experience with arms, and he excludes this: they got not the possession of the land by their own sword. The children of Israel trust not in their spears (Jdt 7:8). And it follows afterwards that they did not defeat with the sword (cf. Jdt 7:9).

Another form of strength is natural power, and he excludes this by saying, neither did their own arm save them, that is, their own power. The king is not saved by a great army (Ps 32:16). Lest they should say, “Our mighty hand and not the Lord has done these things” (Deut 32:27).

The true cause is that it was done by God, so he says, but your right hand and your arm.

And he puts down four points. Three have to do with the execution, and the fourth with the effect.

If a king desires to help anyone, he does three things for him.

First, he gives him his favor;

second, he devotes help to his effort;

third, he gives advice to direct it.

God acted in this way for them.

For first, he was favorable to them and gave them prosperity. And this is signified by the right hand, which signified prosperity. Your right hand is magnified (Exod 15:6).

Likewise, he gave them help, and this is signified in the arm. He has showed might in his arm (Luke 1:51).

Third, he directed them: and the light of your countenance, that is, proceeding directly from your providence.

The fourth pertains to the effect. Because you were pleased with them, as if to say, “Why did he do this for us? Certainly not because of our own merits? No.” Say not in your heart, when the Lord your God shall have destroyed them in your sight, “For my justice the Lord has brought me in to possess this land” (Deut 9:4).

But this came about because of the grace of God. Because you were pleased with them, that is, O God, your good favor was with them. For so it has seemed good in your sight (Matt 11:26).

441. You are yourself my king and my God. Here, he lays out the hope which he has for a greater favor, which arises from hope in God himself.

And so he makes three points.

He first puts forward the cause of hope;

second, his confidence, at through you we will push down our enemies;

third, his thanksgiving, at in God shall we glory.

He makes three points regarding the first.

He first lays out God’s immutability;

second, his governance;

third, his experience of the divine help.

He demonstrates God’s immutability in that God did this for the fathers, and so, since his power is undiminished, he is able to do even greater things for him, so he says, you yourself are my king and my God, who are not diminished.

Likewise, the care of man belongs to you as it did then, so he says, my king, you who defend and govern, and my God, who provide for me. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one God (Deut 6:4). Therefore, I trust, just as they trusted.

Likewise, hope’s cause is from experience, since you alone are he who saves, so he says, who command the saving of Jacob. And he says this because in some instances he saved through others, but here he himself saves. Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will come and save us (Isa 25:9).

Through you we will push down our enemies. Here he puts forward the confidence which he has in God.

And first, he proposes what he should hope for;

second, he demonstrates that he attributes this to God;

third, he proposes the cause.

Now he hopes for help against enemies, against whom one has two types of help.

One is so that he may conquer the enemy, and in regard to this he says, through you, that is, through your power, not our own, we will push down with the horn, that is, our enemies, either in the present or in the future.

And he says horn metaphorically, since the fighting power of the cow is in the horn.

And he says, we will thresh down, because just as on the threshing floor the husks are separated from the grain, so in judgment the evil will be taken away and the good will remain.

The other kind of help is so that he will not be conquered by the enemy, and in regard to this he says, in your name we will despise those who rise up against us, that is, we will despise, through your power, all our enemies, in the future or in the present, because they will be not able to harm us at all.

442. For I will not trust in my bow. In the preceding verse, the psalmist laid out his hope of repulsing the enemy; now here, he shows his reason for saying this, namely, through you we will push down our enemies.

And so he demonstrates that he does not hope in himself, since I will not trust in my bow. For it is said, the bow of the mighty is overcome (1 Sam 2:4).

Neither does he hope in his sword: neither shall my sword save me. Let their sword be broken (Ps 36:15).

For these two things are wielded in battle: a bow at a distance, so by a bow is signified the astuteness of a man through which a man provides for himself in the future, as if to say, “I will not hope in my own providence.” A sword is wielded against those who are near; in it power is signified, as if to say, “I hope not in my own power but in you.” From where do you have this hope? From God.

And he shows it through experience. But you have saved us from those who afflict us, either in the present, since even if they harm us corporeally, they nevertheless cannot harm us spiritually, or in the future.

The saints are afflicted in two ways.

Sometimes in bodily words or deeds: her rival also afflicted her (1 Sam 1:6).

Sometimes they are afflicted spiritually, when those who live with them sin.

And they are delivered by God from these afflictions. You have put to shame those who hate us, while they cannot accomplish their intention against us, and they are put to shame here, and they will be put to shame in the future. Behold all who fight against you shall be confounded and ashamed (Isa 41:11).

443. In God shall we glory. Here is laid out the act of thanksgiving.

And first he lays out the praise by which they themselves are praised.

Second, he puts forward the praise by which they shall praise.

For in the first they shall praise and be praised, so he says, all the day long, that is, eternally, and this praise is holy because it is not for themselves but for God. You are my praise (Jer 17:14). Praise the Lord in his holy places (Ps 150:1).

Likewise, it will be continuous, since it is all the day long, that is, the day of eternity. Better is one day in your courts above thousands (Ps 83:11).

I say they will be praised by Christ. Everyone who shall confess me before me, I will also confess (Matt 10:32), that is, I will praise him before my Father.

Jerome has, in God they will praise, since the saints in the fatherland will praise God in considering his goodness and they will confess by giving thanks for his favors.

444. But now you have cast us off. Here, he lays out the adversity of the saints of the New Testament.

And first, he lays out the adversity which they suffer;

second, their patience and constancy, at all these things have come upon us.

Now, concerning the adversity of the saints, he first touches on the cause of their adversity, namely, the withdrawal of divine help.

Second, he touches on its ordering, at you have made us turn.

A holy man has three things in God.

First, his refuge. Lord, you have been our refuge (Ps 89:1). The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the just runs to it and shall be exalted (Prov 18:10).

Second, in God he has glory. You are my glory (Ps 3:4).

Third, his help. My help is from the Lord (Ps 120:2).

Now, sometimes it seems in exterior things that a man does not have a refuge in God, and so he says, but now you have cast us off, since formerly you were a refuge, and this is because you are not defending us from attack. The Lord has cast off his altar (Lam 2:7). Nevertheless, he does not cast them off in regard to interior things, since the Lord will not cast off his people (Ps 94:13).

Likewise, you are not my glory, since you have put us to shame; you seem to put us to shame in exterior things when you allow us to experience shame.

Likewise, you were accustomed to give counsel and help, but now you no longer do so, since you, O God, will not go out with our armies. And this is spoken in the manner of a leader.

It was customary in the Old Testament that, when God helped the people fight, God would go out before the people. You went forth for the salvation of your people (Hab 3:13). This does not signify local motion in God, but the progress of his providence in exterior things.

But now God does not go out, because he allows us to succumb to our enemies. And he does this to lead us away from earthly things, since if there were always prosperity in temporal things, man would serve God for these. And if this were our intention, it will be frustrated in these. Therefore, so that our love may not be mercenary, and our intention not directed to corporeal things, he withdraws this from his friends.

445. You have made us turn our back. Here, he lays out the ordering of adversity for holy men.

This is in regard to two things:

namely, in regard to the consolation which they do not have,

and in regard to the affliction which they suffer.

Men who go to war flee,

are captured,

are killed,

are scattered,

and are sold.

In regard to the first, he says, you have made us turn our back to our enemies, that is, you have made us flee. One way may you go out against them, namely, your enemies, and flee seven ways (Deut 28:25).

This particularly pertains to the holy martyrs, since in persecution some who were not able to endure turned away from the faith. It had been better for them not to have known the way of justice than after they have known it to turn back (2 Pet 2:21). Some fled. If they persecute you in this city, flee into another (Matt 10:23).

In regard to the second, he says, and those who hate us plundered for themselves. We are delivered to spoil (Tob 3:4). But this is a people that is robbed and wasted (Isa 42:22). For this happens to the saints, since some are plundered by the devil, namely, those who denied the faith; likewise, others who fled were captured by enemies.

In regard to the third, he says, you have made us a reproach, and this is because they killed us physically.

In regard to the fourth, he says, you scattered us among the nations, since this happened to the Jews literally. You have been scattered (Deut 28:25) into every wind (Jer 49:32). The holy martyrs were similarly scattered.

In regard to the fifth, he says, you have sold your people for no price, since the martyrs were killed in this way with no price, namely, no great one. In this it is demonstrated that they were considered worthless. You were sold gratis (Isa 52:3).

And there was not much in the exchange of them. Jerome has, you made no profit. An investor gives little and receives much; as if to say, “Not many were lucrative to you, since few were converted; thus more died than were converted.”

Or he says there were not many of those others who in their death sang psalms to God. The ways of Zion mourn, because there are none who come to the solemn feast (Lam 1:4).

446. You have made us a reproach. Above, the psalmist laid out the oppression of the saints; here, he describes their vilification.

First, he describes the vilification which they suffered externally.

Second, he shows what results in the heart, at all the day long my shame.

Regarding the first, he describes the progress of vilification on the part of man’s worthlessness, and on the part of the thing’s worthlessness.

On the part of man’s worthlessness is that a revilement is first said to another, namely, that he is a thief or adulterer.

Second, he suffers derision.

Third, it grows into a tale, that is, into infamy.

It comes about with the cooperation of various people,

since first, it is from his friend;

second, it moves on to others;

third, it is published widely.

And he says in regard to the first, you have made us a reproach to our neighbors, that is, to our brothers and relatives, since the saints are said to be sacrilegious, murderous, or other such things.

And this illusion is nurtured by agreement—so he says, a scoff—and by a word, so he says, and derision. Scoffing takes place when someone derides another by wrinkling his nose; derision when he speaks words of blame jokingly or joyfully. (Cf. ST II-II, q. 75, a. 1, ad 1.) I have become a laughing-stock all the day; all scoff at me (Jer 20:7).

And he says, to those who are round about us, as though we have been brought into scorn and made a reproach not only for those who are near but also for others. For so the holy martyrs were derided by all. We are made as the refuse of this world (1 Cor 4:13).

In regard to the third, they are laughed at, since men speak about them as though with a mocking song, so he says, you have made us a byword among the gentiles.

When an evil is brought to bear upon another, it becomes a parable, and it is said, “May it happen to you as it did to this one.” And those who are treated badly become a reproach. So some may have said, “May it happen to you as it did to Lawrence and others.” And so he says, you have made us a byword among the gentiles, that is, an example of evil and of reproach. He has made me as a byword to the people (Job 17:6). This house shall be made an example (1 Kgs 9:8).

Likewise, this happened by deed and by agreement, so he says, a shaking of the head among the people. And those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads (Matt 27:39). They have spoken with the lips and wagged the head (Ps 21:8).

Or you have made us like Christ, that is, you have made us suffer what Christ suffered, as if to say, “As the gentiles moved their heads, blaspheming Christ, so they did to us.”

447. All the day long my shame is before me. Here, he treats what was born in the heart from external derision.

And first, he describes shame.

Second, he adds its cause, at at the voice.

First, he describes the shame, and he says, all the day long my shame is before me, that is, it is continually in my sight.

Or, it is against me, that is, against that which is due to me, namely, the honor which is due to the virtuous.

According to the Philosopher, shame is fear about what is base. (Aristotle, Ethics 4.9, 1128b.)

Now there is a twofold baseness.

The first truly is base, and this is the baseness of sin, and shame about this does not befall the virtuous, since they do not have within themselves consciousness of sin, about which they could be ashamed. But it does befall the wicked: what fruit, therefore, did you have then in those things of which you are now ashamed? (Rom 6:21).

Another kind of baseness depends on one’s own estimation, namely, debasement or derision that one suffers externally, and this can exist even in perfected persons, and it is this of which he says, all the day long. (Cf. ST II-II, q. 144, a. 4, ad 3.)

The sign of shame is redness in the face. Shame is the fear of embarrassment; and this passion stirs up the vital spirits and so the blood is altered. And the shameless are pallid, and those who are ashamed are ruddy.

Nevertheless, the timid who fear death become pallid but not those who fear derision. And the reason is that nature draws itself back to the place where there is a defect, so when someone is afraid for his life, his blood and spirit withdraw to the principle of life, namely, the heart. But when he fears something external, the spirit and blood draw themselves to the exterior.

Therefore, he says, and the confusion of my face has covered me, that is, it has covered my face with redness. And he says the confusion of my face because it begins in the face, but when it is so great that it involves the entire body, it is caused by being trampled underfoot and vilified.

In regard to the second, he says, at the voice of him who reproaches. Reproach is when someone throws something derisive back in someone’s face. All the day long my enemies reproached me (Ps 101:9). Detraction is hidden backbiting. If a serpent bites in silence, he is nothing better than he who backbites secretly (Sir 10:11).

So it happens to the saints in the time of persecution, for Maximus had evil women apprehended and had them confess that Christians had done evil things with them, (Cf. Eusebius, Historia ecclesiastica, 9.5.2 (Sources Chrétiennes, 55:50–51).) so he says, at the voice of him who reproaches.

They also reproached Christ, both in himself and in his members.

And so he says, at the face of the enemy and persecutor. He says enemy because hatred is the cause of persecution. We are persecuted, for justice, and we suffer it (1 Cor 4:12).

448. All these things have come upon us. Here he demonstrates their perseverance in the good.

And he puts forward their constancy in two things. A man should persist in those things which pertain to faith, and in good work.

And he says that they have never dismissed faith from their hearts despite all these things which have come upon us, that is, because of all the aforementioned adversities. So he says, yet we have never forgotten you. All your waves you have brought in upon me (Ps 87:8).

Neither did they desert the divine worship, so it follows, and we have not done wickedly in your covenant, that is, we have not dismissed the knowledge which we have about you through faith.

The covenant of God is the pact begun with him in the law and in baptism, so he who acts against the observance of divine worship commits iniquity against God’s covenant. And the martyrs did not do this.

Jerome has, and they did not lie against you, because they did not offend against him in word. Be steadfast in your covenant (Sir 11:21).

Likewise, they are constant in the good works of justice, which proceed from an upright heart, and so he says, our heart has not turned back through the loss of charity. No man putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). They have gone away backwards (Isa 1:4), namely, sinners.

But the charity of the martyrs was in no way diminished in regard to their works. And he says, neither have you turned aside our steps from your way, as if to say, “You have not allowed our actions to turn aside from the way of your justice.” This is the way, walk in it (Isa 30:21).

Or, according to another text, you have turned our steps away, that is, our steps are what our nature in itself leads to, according to concupiscence. And thus, since it leads to the ways of our heart, in which we should not walk, you have turned such ways away from your way.

449. For you have humbled us. Above, the psalmist described the evils which the saints suffer and their constancy; now here he gives the reason for what was said.

And this can be taken to follow in continuity with what came above in two ways, according to the two senses which were given for nor have you turned aside our steps, that is, the ways by which we seek what is of the flesh. According to this, it is in continuity, as if saying, “You have not permitted us to turn aside into those ways which are of the flesh, for you have humbled us in the place of affliction, that is, of the world.” I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity (Eccl 1:14).

And in this, God humbles his saints in two ways,

namely, with the virtue of humility: I humbled my soul with fasting (Ps 34:13);

and with forced humiliation: they humbled his feet in fetters (Ps 104:18).

In regard to the second, he says, and the shadow of death has covered us, that is, an indication of future death, for the shadow comes first and afterwards we have the corresponding death.

Or the shadow of death is the sinners who are in darkness and have subjected us to themselves and to their service. The stone that is in darkness and the shadow of death; the flood divides the people that is on a journey (Job 28:3–4).

If we have forgotten. Here, he proves what he said.

And first, he proposes those things.

Second, he lays out the divine judgment.

Third is the evident sign.

Therefore, he says, I said that we have not forgotten you. If we have forgotten the name of our God. If, that is, we have not.

Likewise: if we have spread out our hands to a strange God. Strange, that is, not of the divine nature or of the rites of the Jews, as if to say, “If we have invoked them as gods,” which is to do iniquity against the covenant of God. And if we have done these things, the judgment of God is required.

And the judgment of God is sufficient for what is required, so he says, shall not God search out these things? As if to say, “Indeed, since he himself knows all things.”

So it continues: for he knows the secrets of the heart. The heart is perverse above all things, and unsearchable, who can know it? (Jer 17:9). As if to say, “God alone can.”

Likewise, he proves this through clear evidence, since if they had desired to fall away, the saints would have suffered no evils in this world such as they now suffer.

And first he puts forward the cause of their suffering, since this cause determines whether their death is martyrdom, and so he says, for your sake we are killed all the day long. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a railer, or a coveter of other men’s things. But if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed (1 Pet 4:15–16).

Second, he puts forward the evils which they suffer.

And first, he shows that these evils are from the punishment’s severity, duration, and opinion about it.

The severity of the punishment is we are killed.

Its duration is all the day long. I die daily by your glory (1 Cor 15:31).

The opinion about it is that they believed that they were killing not blessed people but evil ones deserving of death, and so he says, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter, either in regard to their usefulness to men or in regard to the patience of the martyrs, as if to say, “Why are we killed all day long, and nevertheless we do not cry out, but we endure like sheep led to the slaughter? Because it was so with Christ.”

450. Arise, why do you sleep, O Lord? Here, he invokes God’s help.

And the question of someone marveling is put forward first;

second, a petition for divine help.

Therefore, we wonder that he permits his saints to be so afflicted. And this can be because of a defect either of will or of mind.

It happens that someone does not will something for two reasons,

either from laziness

or from contempt.

In regard to laziness, he says, why do you sleep, O Lord? As if to say, “Certainly you do not allow us to be afflicted out of laziness?” And he is said to sleep because of the effect of his inaction. Behold he shall neither slumber nor sleep, who keeps Israel (Ps 120:4).

In regard to the second, he says, and cast us off not to the end, namely, finally, even though you might seem to cast us off for a time. And this is said about Christ, so that it may be our word, as if to say, “You have hidden yourself, and you have not yet arisen in the faith of the nations. Rise up in them, and we will not be cast off by them.”

Why do you turn your face away? A defect in understanding happens in two ways.

Either because he does not see, and so he says, turn away. When God helps, he seems to see; when he does not, he seems to turn away. Seeing, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt (Acts 7:34; Exod 3:7). Turn not away your face from me (Ps 26:9).

Or he says, why do you turn your face away, so that we may not see, for if we saw, we would not suffer something evil.

Or because he forgets, and so he says, you forget our want and our trouble.

Here, he enumerates the evils which we suffer. And there are three evils:

in exterior things,

in body,

and in soul.

In regard to the first, he says, you forget our want, since literally they were poor because their goods were taken away. You took with joy being stripped of your own goods (Heb 10:34).

In regard to the second, he says, our trouble, since many are the tribulations of the just (Ps 33:20).

In regard to the third, he says, for our soul is humbled down to the dust.

Some are humbled in soul,

others in body,

others in their spirit within.

And so he says, our belly cleaves to the earth. And he puts the belly as standing for the whole body.

Or, our soul is humbled down to the dust refers to the effect in spiritual things, since the soul, that is, the thought process of the soul, thinks earthly things. You shall speak out of the earth and your speech shall be heard out of the ground (Isa 29:4). And our belly, that is, our sensuality, clings entirely to the earth.

Or it can be taken otherwise: for our soul is humbled means that the holier among us have been humbled by the dust, that is, by the sinner. Like the dust, which the wind drives (Ps 1:4). Likewise, the belly, that is, the weak among us, cling to earthly men, since they have grown distant from the faith.

Against this forgetfulness he says, help us.

Against the sleeping he says, arise.

Against the evils he says, and redeem us for your name’s sake.