Psalm 54 — Hear, O God, my prayer

^54:1^ Unto the end, in verses, understanding for David. ^54:2^ Hear, O God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication:

^54:3a^ Be attentive to me and hear me.

^54:3b^ I am grieved in my exercise, and am troubled ^54:4^ at the voice of the enemy, and at the tribulation of the sinner. For they have cast iniquities upon me: and in wrath they were troublesome to me.

^54:5^ My heart is troubled within me and the fear of death is fallen upon me. ^54:6^ Fear and trembling are come upon me and darkness has covered me.

^54:7^ And I said, “Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest?”

^54:8a^ Lo, I have gone far off flying away

^54:8b^ and I abode in the wilderness.

^54:9^ I waited for him who has saved me from pusillanimity of spirit, and a storm.

^54:10a^ Cast down, O Lord, and divide their tongues;

^54:10b^ for I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city.

^54:11^ Day and night shall iniquity surround it upon its walls and in the midst thereof are labor ^54:12^ and injustice. And usury and deceit have not departed from its streets.

^54:13^ For if my enemy had reviled me, I would truly have borne with it. And if he who hated me had spoken great things against me, I would perhaps have hidden myself from him. ^54:14^ But you a man of one mind, my guide, and my familiar, ^54:15^ who took sweetmeats together with me: in the house of God we walked with consent.

^54:16a^ Let death come upon them, and let them go down alive into hell.

^54:16b^ For there is wickedness in their dwellings, in the midst of them. ^54:17^ But I have cried to God and the Lord will save me. ^54:18^ Evening and morning, and at noon I will speak and declare and he shall hear my voice. ^54:19^ He shall redeem my soul in peace from those that draw near to me, for among many they were with me. ^54:20^ God shall hear, and the Eternal shall humble them. For there is no change with them, and they have not feared God. ^54:21^ He has stretched forth his hand to repay. They have defiled his covenant; ^54:22^ they are divided by the wrath of his countenance, and his heart has drawn near. His words are smoother than oil, and the same are darts. ^54:23^ Cast your care upon the Lord, and he shall sustain you; he shall not suffer the just to waver forever. ^54:24^ But you, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in you, O Lord.

528. Hear, O God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication. Above, the psalmist showed the insult of enemies against him. Here he lays out his liberation from them.

And first, he asks in general against all enemies.

Second, he asks specifically against certain ones, at deliver me from my enemies (Ps 59:2, 142:9).

Regarding the first, he makes two points.

First, he begs God’s help against the evils that he suffers from enemies.

Second, he gives thanks because he has been heard, at have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me (Ps 56:2).

Regarding the first, he makes two points.

First, he magnifies the evils which he suffers with regard to their sadness;

second, with regard to the continuousness of the tribulation. Have mercy on me, O God, for man has trodden (Ps 55:2).

In this psalm, according to the gloss, the psalmist speaks in his own person, expressing the very tribulations which he was suffering. One could also say that he speaks in the person of the Church, or of the just man, or of Christ, insofar as he bears the form of our infirmity.

The superscription is unto the end, in verses, understanding for David. And the sense of understanding for David is as if he said, “This is David’s understanding, in verses.”

And it is titled from the intellect, in order that he who is in tribulation may know how to perceive the evils which he endures, and the good things to which he looks forward: the heart that knows the bitterness of his own soul (Prov 14:10).

Thus this psalm is divided into three parts.

For first, he lays out the tribulation which he suffered;

second, the malice of enemies, at cast down;

third, he recalls the help God has given him, at but I have cried to God.

Regarding the first, he makes two points.

First, he asks that his prayer be heard.

Second, he lays out the tribulation, at I am grieved.

Thus he says, hear, O God, my prayer. This is when that thing is asserted which the one who redoubles his prayer is seeking. And this is not superfluous because the redoubling of prayer excites the affections. For the continual prayer of a just man avails much (Jas 5:16).

Sometimes, however, what is asked is obtained, even though the prayer is not accepted by God, as when a sinner asks, but in the thing itself which he asks he merits God’s displeasure. *And he gave them their request and sent fullness into their souls (*Ps 105:15). But as yet their meat was in their mouth and the wrath of God came upon them (Ps 77:30–31). Frequently someone permits when angry what he denies when well-disposed.

And therefore, he says, and despise not my supplication.

Someone’s prayer is despised for two reasons.

Either he asks rightly for something that should not be asked,

or he asks not devoutly but with pride. He has had regard to the prayer of the humble and he has not despised (Ps 101:18). The Pharisee’s prayer was despised because he asked with pride (Luke 18). Let my prayer be directed as incense in your sight (Ps 140:2).

529. Be attentive to me and hear me. Here is described the order by which God accepts a prayer when he finds a prayer or petition acceptable, although the one seeking is not accepted through his prayer but the prayer of those who are acceptable is accepted through the petition. Hence Genesis says first, the Lord had respect to Abel, and then, and to his offerings (Gen 4:4).

Be attentive to me, that is, accept me. Or, be attentive to my affliction. I have seen the affliction of my people (Exod 3:7).

And hear me. As Psalm 63:2 says, hear, O God, my prayer, when I make supplication to thee (Ps 63:2).

530. I am grieved. Here he lays out the tribulations.

First, he puts down the cause of the tribulation;

second, its gravity;

third, its remedy.

The cause of his being troubled was the tribulation which he was suffering. This is similar to Christ. My soul is sorrowful even unto death (Matt 26:38, Mark 14:34).

But this tribulation of Christ can be considered

with regard to its fruit,

with regard to its manner,

and with regard to its motive.

The fruit of the holy ones’ tribulation is exercise leading to justice, as with beginners; and therefore, he says, in my exercise, that is, in the tribulation which you allow for the sake of exercise.

I am grieved. But whatsoever shall befall the just man, it shall not make him sad (Prov 12:21). It must be said that the just man is not grieved with the grief of the world, which tends toward death, but with the grief of repentance, which leads to God. (Cf. ST III, q. 85, a. 1.)

One could add that there is one kind of grief that is an emotion, and it follows emotion corporeally, and this kind does not happen to a wise man.

There is another kind of grief that is called a “propassion,” which is a movement kept subordinate to reason, and this grief was in Christ. (Cf. ST III, q. 15, a. 4, resp.)

And there is a twofold exercise towards justice.

One is taken up: exercise yourself unto godliness (1 Tim 4:7).

The other exercise is borne, like this one.

The manner of tribulation is twofold.

One is through words, namely, by threatening.

The other is when tribulation is brought about by persecution through deeds.

Regarding the first, he says, I am troubled at the voice of the enemy. Someone is troubled when the tranquility of his heart is taken away completely: at the voice of the enemy threatening and blaspheming. My inheritance is become to me as a lion in the wood (Jer 12:8).

Regarding the second, he says, at the tribulation of the sinner, namely, at the deeds done to me. Many are those who persecute me (Ps 118:157).

The cause of this tribulation is twofold:

partly the certain malice,

partly the suffering itself.

Regarding the first, he says, for they have cast iniquities upon me, that is, they have executed upon me the iniquity which they planned to perpetrate.

Regarding the second, he says, and in wrath they were troublesome to me. Cursed be their fury (Gen 49:7).

531. My heart is troubled. Here the magnitude of the tribulation is described according to three aspects.

For it is intimate,

great,

and powerful.

When someone wants to show the greatness of his pain, he says that he is “cut to the heart.” And therefore, he says, my heart is troubled within me, as if to say that he is wounded not exteriorly but to his heart. My bowels are in pain (Jer 4:19).

The tribulation is also great because no evil is greater, among things of this world, than death. Therefore, he says, the fear of death is fallen upon me, because Saul wanted to kill him.

The tribulation is also powerful, because fear, when it is strong, has two effects:

one in the body, namely, trembling;

another in the soul, namely, trepidation.

And therefore, he says, fear and trembling are come upon me, that is, upon his strength in relation to his soul, and darkness has covered me, that is, stupefaction has enveloped me.

Or, darkness means evils. They surrounded me like bees (Ps 117:12).

532. And I said, “Who will give me wings?” Above, the psalmist laid out the affliction of heart that he suffered; now he sets out the remedy that he employed.

And this remedy is especially care for contemplation, most of all because he is again engaged in the works of the active life. (Cf. ST II-II, q. 182.) Gregory says, the evils that oppress us here in this life move us to go to God. (Gregory the Great, Moralia, sive expositio in Iob 23.13 (Corpus Christianorum Series Latina, 143:308).)

And regarding this he makes two points.

First, he sets out the desire for the contemplative life.

Second, he shows what he has done to dispose himself for those things.

Third is what he wishes to be accomplished by God.

The second is at lo, God. (The Bible verse should be: ecce elongavi. This is either a textual error or Thomas is answering the questions, “Who will give me wings and to where shall I fly?” “God.”)

He does the third at I waited for him who has saved me.

Three things are required in contemplation:

facility for contemplating,

the act of contemplation,

and its effect.

Facility is denoted by wings. So he says when he is afflicted in the active life, I said, “Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest?” because he perceives that there is no remedy to avoid that affliction except through contemplation and that he does not have facility in avoiding it because he does not have wings by which he may fly away.

And there are three kinds of wings according to the three things that are required for contemplation.

First, the regulation of vicious inclinations is required, which is a certain ordering to contemplation; and this is possessed through the moral virtues. (Cf. ST II-II, q. 180.) Therefore, the wings are moral virtues like patience, humility, and so on. Health is in his wings (Mal 4:2).

Another wing is charity, which with particular power makes us fly to contemplation. And the wings of one were joined to the wings of another (Ezek 1:9).

Another wing is wisdom; and truth is contemplated with the wings of wisdom, because without those wings one contemplating divine things easily falls into errors. About these wings Isaiah says, they shall take wings as eagles (40:31), which signify wisdom by their lofty flight. They are called wings because wings are not possessed from within, and they are given in order that they may be possessed perfectly.

And all these things are given by God. Sometimes they are given to certain people who, although they have wings, have impeded ones, like authorities whose retirement approaches.

And he says, wings like a dove, not like a raven. For the raven did not return to the ark, but the dove returned bearing the branch of a living olive. Those who do not return to the ark through the inclination of holiness fly like ravens, because they think of nothing except themselves, namely, how they can investigate some truth, like philosophers; but those who contemplate and return to their neighbors, teaching the things contemplated, fly like doves who carry the branch of a living olive in their mouths, spreading the oil of mercy to their neighbors. For the dove is a clean animal, lovable and mournful; similarly, the holy ones have affection for their neighbors and have compassion for them. It is also a guileless animal; similarly, the holy ones are guileless. Be therefore guileless as doves (Matt 10:16).

The acts of contemplation are signified by flight: I will fly.

In Sacred Scripture, the progress of good works is designated by the three motions of an animal,

namely, by walking: walk while you have the light (John 12:35);

by running: I have run the way of your commandments (Ps 118:32);

and by flight: they shall fly and not faint (Isa 40:31).

Walking is designated by the moral virtues, by which a man lives humanely; running, by charity; flight, by contemplation.

According to Richard of St. Victor, contemplation is differentiated like flight in birds. (Richard of St. Victor, On the Grace of Contemplation 1.4 (Patrologia Graeca [Migne], 196:68–69).) Sometimes birds fly high, sometimes low, to the right, to the left, forwards and backwards; sometimes they circle. Sometimes they wheel, in a sense suspended, and go forward and backward.

Thus also in contemplation, ascending means considering sublime causes, and descending means considering mundane effects. Going forwards means considering contrary things that apply to many; going backwards is when one considers private things. Going from the right and from the left occurs when one considers certain circumstances; circling, when one considers the accidents of things; but when the individual is signified then one is at rest.

The effect is described when he says, and be at rest, that is, in his consideration. This rest is possessed in this life, when I go into my house, I shall repose (Wis 8:16), and in the fatherland, in peace in the selfsame I will sleep, and I will rest (Ps 4:9).

533. Lo, I have gone far off, flying away. Here the disposition for contemplation is set out.

And first, he shows what he has avoided;

second, what he has preserved.

He has avoided the impediments to contemplation, which are two in particular, namely, busyness with earthly things and with sin.

And these two things are to be avoided doubly,

that is, quickly

and efficaciously.

Quickly, in that one does not delay; and therefore, it should be done immediately. So he says, flying. Flee from sins as from the face of a serpent (Sir 21:2). O flee out of the land of the north (Zech 2:6).

Efficaciously, in that not only the acts of sin but also the occasions of sin are avoided. And therefore, he says, I have gone far off, as if to say, “I have forsaken all occasions of sin.” And do not stay in all the country round about (Gen 19:17).

534. And I abode in the wilderness. Sometimes someone abides in a place of wilderness corporeally, and sometimes in spirit, when he thinks about the things of God even when he is among crowds. I will lead her into the wilderness (Hos 2:14). He shall sit solitary (Lam 3:28).

And this, according to the gloss, can also be interpreted as referring to Christ, who has wings of charity and flew from the Jews and took rest among the nations. (Peter Lombard, Magna glossatura (Patrologia Latina [Migne], 191:509).) He went far off from the Jews and abode in the faith of the nations, which was a certain wilderness.

535. I waited for him. Here he shows what he awaits from God, namely God’s help, which is the completion of his desire. I waited for him who saved me. And this is the reason he says, who saved me.

And why? Because he alone is the savior.

And from what does he save? From the two things by which he seemed moved to take on wings, namely, from the possibility that he would be afflicted among men.

One is sadness of heart, because he believes that he will find rest there. Therefore, he says, from pusillanimity of spirit. The one who seeks to have rest amidst the tumult must be exceedingly brave. Say to the fainthearted: take courage (Isa 35:4).

And from a storm, that is, “Save me from the tribulation of men, temporally as well as spiritually.”

536. Cast down, O Lord. In the preceding part, the psalmist set out what he experienced from evil people; here he treats of their wickedness.

And first, describing the wickedness of sins, he seeks to stop it.

Second, he seeks that it be punished with a penalty, at let death come.

Regarding the first, he makes two points.

First, he seeks that their wickedness be hindered.

Second, he describes it, at for I have seen iniquity.

Evils have a twofold ability and power to harm, stemming from someone’s high status and from the consensus of many about one thing. And this is dangerous, and therefore a double remedy must be applied against this.

First, they must be brought down from their status.

Second, division must be introduced among them.

Regarding the first, he asks, cast down, O Lord, by removing them from their status, as if he were to say, “Throw them down by humiliating them.”

Regarding the second, he says, and divide their tongues, because their wickedness is primarily in the tongue by which they speak arrogantly—do not multiply your speaking lofty things (1 Sam 2:3)—and because through the tongue, by speaking, they consent to evil. And the prefiguration of this division occurred in the Old Testament when the peoples’ languages were divided (Gen 11).

537. For I have seen iniquity. Here he describes their wickedness.

First, he describes the wickedness of the world in general;

second, the wickedness of any particular person among them.

The common wickedness of the world he first describes in general;

second, in particular, at day and night.

In the world there is a twofold ordering:

first, on the part of leaders;

second, on the part of the people.

For a city is ordered when the leaders rule justly and the people obey; otherwise, it is not well-ordered. And the world is such a city: neither do princes rule justly nor does the people obey. But the city of God is well ordered.

In the city, therefore, of the world, I have seen iniquity and contradiction. I have seen iniquity on the part of leaders and judges: your assemblies are wicked (Isa 1:13). And I have seen contradiction directed against prelates: your people is like dirt that is tread underfoot (Isa 41:25).

538. Day and night. Here he shows the particulars of the wickedness of the world.

In any city there are three things:

namely, the walls that encircle it,

the dwellings within,

and the streets.

And the philosopher distinguishes three types of men. (Cf. Aristotle, Politics 2.8, 1267b.)

By the walls can be understood the great men and civil leaders who protect the people, just as walls protect a city. As a city that lies open and is not compassed with walls, so is a man who cannot refrain his own spirit in speaking (Prov 25:28). Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen, that is, leaders and rulers (Isa 62:6). Your princes are faithless (Isa 1:23).

And by day indicates their pursuing wickedness; by night their pondering it.

Or by day means that they seek iniquity in prosperity, and by night means that they seek it in adversity.

So he says, iniquity shall surround it upon its walls, that is the injustice of the leaders shall surround the city of the world, as the walls surround a city.

In the midst of this city is the people, in whose midst are labor and injustice. Or this is a reference to the fact that they do evil: they are so eager to do evil that he says it is like a labor imposed upon them. They have labored to commit iniquity (Jer 9:5). We have wearied ourselves in the way of iniquity (Wis 5:7). And this is a kind of evil, and it is injustice. And this can be understood passively about the injustice which they suffer from, and the labor imposed upon them by, the prelates.

Streets are public places, and they represent those who exercise public functions, like tradesmen, who do injustice openly, for example, by usury: he who has not put out his money for usury (Ps 14:5). And so he says, usury has not departed from its streets.

And tradesmen sometimes do injustice secretly, so he also says, and deceit.

539. If my enemy had reviled me. Here he describes the malice of a particular person and one who is the leader of the multitude. And this perhaps can be referred to Saul or to Doeg the Edomite.

And first, he describes evil which in some way can be tolerated;

second, evil which is not tolerable.

Now, it is somewhat tolerable for a man to suffer persecution from enemies.

And so he first describes persecution by enemies.

And he treats first the aspect of an enemy who is persecuting;

second, the aspect of a persecutor;

third, the aspect of persecution itself.

Now, someone persecuting is called an enemy either when he exercises enmity exteriorly—never trust your enemy (Sir 12:10)—or when he exercises it interiorly by holding his enemy with hatred in his heart: you shall not hate your brother in your heart (Lev 19:17).

Now, a persecutor is different, since he says evil things openly about the one he is persecuting, either by detraction or false oaths. And this sort of persecution is called “reviling.” So he says, if my enemy had reviled me, I would verily have borne with it. Their mouth is full of cursing (Ps 13:3).

Alternatively, a persecutor sometimes does not say evil things openly but rather speaks in an evil way, since he speaks deceptively.

On the part of the one enduring this, there is a also a twofold aspect, since sometimes he hears the reproaches and endures them patiently—you have heard of the patience of Job (Jas 5:11) and I would verily have borne with it—and sometimes he flees from the face of his enemy—I would perhaps have hidden myself from him. Stand not against the face of an injurious person (Sir 8:14). Jesus hid himself (John 8:59).

Therefore, because of the diversity of kinds of persecutors he says, divide their tongues, because I suffer not only from an enemy but also from a friend. It is in regard to this that he says, and if he that hated me had spoken great things against me, I would perhaps have hidden myself from him.

But you a man of one mind, my guide, and my familiar. Here he describes the evil which is not tolerable, that is, that injury be suffered from enemies, since there is nothing more effective at hurting than an intimate friend turned enemy.

And he describes enmity first in regard to internal things;

second, in regard to external familiarity, at who took sweetmeats together with me.

Regarding internal things, he describes the evil in three ways:

first, as relates to harmony of voice. That you stand fast in one spirit (Phil 1:27). And so he says, but you, a man of one mind, as if to say, “You have spoken evil of me,” which is something intellectual. And in this respect he could be speaking of Saul, whose friend he was.

But in the gloss, it is explained mystically in three ways. (Peter Lombard, Magna glossatura (Patrologia Latina [Migne], 191:512).)

In one way, it applies to the faithful.

In another way, it applies to Christ in regard to the Jews.

In a third way, it applies to Christ in regard to Judas.

Therefore, in the first way it can be said by any member of the faithful when he suffers persecution from another member of the faithful.

In the second way, Christ can say it about the Jews who, because they bound themselves to his commands, were of one mind. All things that the Lord has commanded we will do (Exod 24:7).

In the third way, it is said about Judas, who had bound himself to his counsels.

And the phrase my guide can similarly be expounded in three ways.

In one way, with respect to the fact that anyone can be called a guide who at first gives good counsel and help and afterwards threatens persecution. Trust not in a guide (Mich 7:5).

In another way, it can be understood to be said by Christ in regard to the Jews of Judah, who are “my guide” not because they are guiding me but because they are constituted by me as guide of the nations. You are confident that you are a guide (Rom 2:19).

Or it can be understood to be about the priests, who are the people’s guides.

Finally, Christ could be saying to Judas the apostle, “You were constituted a guide by me,” either because he was a guide of the Christian people with the other guides—the princes of Judah are their leaders (Ps 67:28)—or because he was constituted a leader by Christ along with those who preceded Christ wherever he was about to go (Luke 10:1).

And my familiar can also be said by one of the faithful about another of the faithful who took sweetmeats together with me, since they abided together in the Church.

Likewise, any Jew who conversed with Christ with the words of God (Rom 3:2) was known to him.

Likewise, Judas was a familiar, since Christ knew beforehand his malice: one of you is a devil (John 6:71).

Second, friendship consists in external familiarity.

And he first lays this out in bodily and human things;

second, in divine things.

Regarding the first, those who associate with one another at table have friendship together.

And if this verse is understood to be Christ speaking to Judas, then according to the gloss, he shared corporeal bread with Christ at table. (Glossa marginale.) He who ate my bread . . . supplanted me (Ps 40:10).

And he says sweetmeats, since the food of those living together generally sweetens hearts. There is a friend who is a companion at table (Sir 6:10).

Thus this verse can be said about anyone who is a familiar corporeally.

Now there is also spiritual food which Judas ate with Christ, namely the Word of God. With the bread of life and understanding, she shall feed him (Sir 15:3). God calls this food because the words of God are sweeter than any bodily food. How sweet are your words to my palate (Ps 118:103).

Second, he says, in the house of God we walked with consent.

Jerome says, commenting on Matthew, that there is nothing which estranges as much as difference of faith and divine worship. (Aquinas, Super Matt 10:21.) And this was especially true in the time of persecution, when fathers preceded their sons and vice versa. And so unity of faith and religion is the greatest bond of love, and so it is the greatest evil to persecute those who are of the same religion.

And persons can be of different religions in two ways:

either one person is of a completely different religion than another, as when one is Christian and the other Jewish or pagan—and these do not dwell together in the house of God.

Or, the two are of the same religion but do not agree, for example, a Catholic and a heretic.

And he excludes both of these when he says, in the house of God—namely, in the Church, which is the house of God (1 Tim 3:5)—we walked with consent: I beseech you . . . that you all speak the same thing (1 Cor 1:10).

But if we understand it with regard to the Jews, in the house of God means “in Jerusalem.”

And it means the same thing if we take the verse in reference to Judas, because Christ did not repudiate the bond of the Old Law: I am not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill (Matt 5:17).

540. Let death come upon them. Here he asks that the just penalty be administered them.

And first he asks that the penalty be inflicted;

second, he shows their guilt, at for there is wickedness.

Regarding the first, one should know that here the story of Numbers 16 is alluded to, where Dathan and Abiram revolted. Moses made the others step away from them, and he said that, although the Lord can make things new, the earth should open up, and so on, and immediately the earth opened up and swallowed them.

He says, therefore, alluding to that story, let death come upon them, as if he were to say, “Let punishment come upon them, because they created a new sin in persecuting a friend,” that is, Christ.

And this in two ways.

In one way such that the first punishment would be determinative of the other, as if he said, “Let death come,” and such that they would descend to hell.

Or such that there would be two punishments, one death and the other the descent into hell.

For in Numbers, Dathan and Abiram were punished differently—since they were leaders and were swallowed up—than the others, who were killed with fire, because they were in the camp.

Therefore, regarding the lesser ones, he says, let death come upon them.

Regarding the greater ones: let them go down into hell.

And he designates by this a twofold punishment, which the psalmist does not wish but pronounces, one which they will bear in hell after this life, and the other which they suffer here in this life.

After life, they suffer the death of eternal damnation. The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). The death of the wicked is very evil (Ps 33:22).

But even in life they descend into hell, that is, into the chasm of vices. The wicked man, when he has come into the depth of sins (Prov 28:3).

Or, let them go down alive after this life, that is, let them descend to hell with the inclination they have, which is their life.

Or, if it is said optatively, then one explains it thus: death is the death of justice by which one dies interiorly to sin. For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3).

Let them go down alive with the life of justice into hell, that is, the hell of reflection: in the midst of my days I shall go to the gates of hell (Isa 38:10). And whoever thus descends alive through reflection on punishments, in order to avoid them, will not descend in death. Remember your last end (Sir 7:40).

541. For there is wickedness. Here he sets out the reason of the penalty.

First, he sets out their hidden fault;

second, their manifest fault.

He alludes to that story from Numbers: depart, depart from the tents of these wicked men (14:26).

Wickedness means secret sins. Let us walk not in impurities (Rom 13:13). Hence he says, in their dwellings, that is, in secret.

In the midst, that is, in public. They have proclaimed abroad their sin like Sodom (Isa 3:9). If you will put away from you the iniquity that is in your hand (Job 11:14).

Regarding the manifest fault, let not injustice be found in you (1 Kgs 25:28).

Or, elsewhere, there are two kinds of faults:

one occurring in a kind of sudden usurpation,

the other from premeditated malice.

The first sin, by sudden usurpation, is in a sense extrinsic to the person; in Nathan’s parable, the traveler is the concupiscence that suddenly entered David. This is why other textual variants read not in their dwellings, but in their guest-chambers, like sojourners, according to the gloss. (Augustine, Expositions on the Psalms 54.16 (Corpus Christianorum Series Latina, 39:669).) The sense is, “in a way natural (sin),” because he says in the midst of them, that is, in the midst of their heart. (Here Thomas breaks off without completing the Psalm.)

Thanks be to God.