You shall hide them in the secret of your presence from the pride of man: you shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
Read Chapter 31
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
21. "Thou writ protect them in Thy tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues" (ver. 20). But here meanwhile whilst evil tongues murmur against them, saying, Who hath come thence? Thou wilt protect them in the tabernacle, that of faith in those things, which the Lord wrought and endured for us in time.
Face. The malice of the wicked has its limits; while God defends his servants, admitting them as it were into his own presence and tabernacle, where none dare assault them. The Eastern princes did not allow any, but their great favourites to come into their presence. (Calmet) (Esther v. and xv.) (Haydock)
Disturbance. Chaldean, "troops of the strong. "Hebrew, "from the pride or vexations. "God will protect his friends, both from an open attack and from malicious speeches.
Thy is not expressed in Hebrew. (Berthier)
"From the harshness of the great ones thou wilt protect them in the shade, from the contradiction of tongues. "(St. Jerome)
How shall we avoid the danger of being seduced by contradictory teachers, unless we have recourse to the Catholic Church? Tu curre ad Eccles. Cath. et protegeris; (St. Augustine) (Haydock)
Those who are united to God by contemplation and love, cannot be disturbed by men. (Bellarmine; Menochius)
