Chapter 59

Ps.59:1. In the end, about those who want to change, for the pillars of David, for the teaching Ps.59:2. Once upon a time he burned the middle of Syria and Syria of Sobal, and Joab returned and smote twelve thousand salts into the wilds. Since the history of this event is clear from its detailed description in the second book of Kings, we will say from it what is necessary in that the face of David is attached to the face of the Lord, who in recent times gave everything change and renewal and trampled upon foreign peoples, that is, spiritual forces. For Scripture teaches us this, saying: “for learning.” Therefore, we learn from the psalm that while He who is of the seed of David in the flesh trampled down the enemies and the pagans made His own, the Jewish people, having felt the punishment that befell them for Christ, themselves begin to convert, asking that they too be worthy of grace through Christ. But first of all, he mourns his misfortune, which he suffered for his wickedness before Christ, which is why he says: Ps.59:3. God, you rejected us, and you deposed us, you were angry, and you showed compassion to us. You punished us for our wickedness before You. But “thou hast shown us mercy.” He says “incentive” instead of “indulgence”. Or in other words: “thou hast shown mercy,” made us poor and pitiful, so that it is time to show mercy to us for our misfortunes. Ps.59:4. You shook the earth and confused you. He means Jerusalem, because it was besieged and the church in it was destroyed. Or he also means their mental land, which shook after God turned away from them. Heal her contrition as you move. Again describes the events that happened to the Jews. Ps.59:5. You showed your people to be cruel. With many disasters, he says, as if through some wine, You put us to sleep, and filled our souls with painful sensations. Thou hast given us to drink the wine of tenderness. Aquila translated this: “You gave us the wine of sleep.” He calls the wine of tenderness the punishments foretold to them in the divine Scriptures for their wickedness before Christ. For by reading the Scriptures and learning by experience what was foretold, their conscience is touched. Ps.59:6. Thou hast given a sign to those who fear Thee, so that they may flee from the sight of the bow. A sign is that enlightenment in which a person can distinguish between spirits, also good and evil. Having acquired this knowledge, we avoid the worst, moving away from evil deeds and from the evil spirit. Or: just as we suffer punishment for our wickedness, so those who fear You have received a sign (obviously how we are sealed) that they are not the ones who are threatened with all punishments. The image of this sign was the blood of sheep, with which the door frames were anointed in Egypt. Ps.59:8. God spoke in His Holy One. This is similar to what was said: “in the last day he spoke to us in the Son” (Heb. 1:2). For He is the Holy One of God and the Father. What did he say, and to whom did he say it? since David in one of the previous psalms prayed, saying: “Be exalted into heaven, O God, and Thy glory be throughout all the earth” (Ps. 56:6); then God responds to this by saying that he will “divide Sikim,” that is, the capital of the kingdom of Israel, which was in Sikim, and which He gave to foreign peoples who believed in Him. Divine Scripture calls “Judalia” the dwelling place of all people. I will measure this entire vale into a tabernacle for Me, that is, I will make it overflowing with churches. Ps.59:9. Mine is Gilead, and Mine is Manasseh. The words “Gilead” and “Manasseh” mean that at His coming He preaches grace to the Jews first. But Ephraim and Judah, the two royal tribes in Israel, will also receive grace. It is said: “the strength of My head” instead of: “the strength of My power,” because Ephraim was the strength of that over which He ruled, that is, Israel, for from Ephraim came the kingdom of Israel. Ps.59:10. Moab is the konob of my hope. Konob is a vessel. He says that the Moabites too, i.e. a previously godless people will place their hope in God. I will stretch my boot on Idumea, that is, I will also pass through Idumea, and Idumea was also inhabited by foreign people. And by this he lets us know that the pagans will also accept faith in Him, which is why he says: “The foreign women have submitted to me.” Ps.59:11. Who will lead me into the city of enclosure? The Prophet, taught by the Spirit that the Gentiles will also receive grace, says: “Who will bring me into the city of enclosure? “The city of protection” refers to the Church, fenced by God’s power. The prophet says this as if on behalf of the Jewish people who are repenting and wishing to accept faith in Christ. Or who will guide me to Edom? Explains what kind of fence this is. This is Idumea. Idumea means all the tribes that have received grace. Ps.59:12. Is it not You, O God, who rejected us? Who else will lead us into the city of enclosure, except You yourself, who cast us out of Your dwelling for our iniquities? Ps.59:13. Give us help from sorrow: and human salvation is in vain. It is not with human help, he says, that we hope to be freed from the sorrows that have befallen us, but with Your help alone. And “human salvation is vain,” because everyone who hopes for salvation from man feeds on vain hope. Symmachus translated this more clearly, adding a conjunction and saying: “Give us help from sorrows, for human salvation is vain.” Ps.59:14. Let us create strength in God. Help us,” he says, “in our bad situation, because You alone can put an end to disasters.” Human benefits are vain without Your wave. Therefore, let us implore God’s Providence and place our trust in God’s power. For it alone is sufficient to put an end to misfortunes and destroy the power of those who attack us. And they seem to mutually encourage each other to have the hope of salvation in God alone. That is why it is said: as soon as we are confirmed in the hope of being able to help in God, then we will see that our enemies are nothing. You might be interested in: