1. Every one who faithfully readeth the Acts of the Apostles, acknowledgeth that this Psalm containeth a prophecy of Christ; for it evidently appeareth that what is here written, "let his days be few, and let another take his office," is prophesied of Judas, the betrayer of Christ. ...For as some things are said which seem peculiarly to apply to the Apostle Peter, and yet are not clear in their meaning, unless when referred to the Church, whom he is acknowledged to have figuratively represented, on account of the primacy which he bore among the Disciples; as it is written, "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven," and other passages of the like purport: so Judas doth represent those Jews who were enemies of Christ, who both then hated Christ, and now, in their line of succession, this species of wickedness continuing, hate Him. Of these men, and of this people, not only may what we read more openly discovered in this Psalm be conveniently understood, but also those thi...
2. The Psalm, then, beginneth thus: "O God, be not silent as to my praise; for the mouth of the ungodly, yea, the mouth of the deceitful is opened upon me" (ver. 1). Whence it appeareth, both that the blame, which the ungodly and the deceitful is not silent of, is false, and that the praise, which God is not silent of, is true. "For God is true, but every man a liar;" for no man is true, except him in whom God speaketh. But the highest praise is that of the only-begotten Son of God, in which He is proclaimed even that which He is, the only-begotten Son of God. But this did not appear, but, when His weakness appeared, lay hid, when the mouth of the ungodly and deceitful was opened upon Him; and for this reason his mouth was opened, because His virtue was concealed: and he saith, "the mouth of the deceitful was opened," because the hatred which was covered by deceit burst out into language.
Praise. Hebrew, "God of my praise "(Calmet)
whom I always adore, under every dispensation of Providence. (Haydock)
Yet the original may agree with the Vulgate, and Christ desires to be glorified, (John xii. 23., and xvii. 5.; Berthier) and styles his passion, his praise. (Theodoret)
David appeals to God's judgment. (Calmet)
Man. The Pharisees, endeavoured to entangle Christ, Matthew xxii. (Worthington)
Saul's courtiers strove, by calumnies, to excite his rage against David. (Calmet) Ver. 3. Cause. Or provocation. (Haydock)
So Catiline gratuito potius malus quam crudelis erat. (Sallust.)
The sanctity of Jesus Christ could not be overwhelmed, or hidden, (Haydock) even with the torrent of abuse thrown upon him.
David. St. Peter attributes it to him, and gives us the key to this psalm, by applying (ver. 8.) to the traitor Judas, Acts i. 16, 20. (Berthier, T. vii.)
Our Saviour seems to allude to it, when he styles Judas, the son of perdition, John xvii. 8. It may also have a reference to Doeg, or Achitophel, who were his forerunners. Ven. Bede thinks it was composed by the Machabees, against apostates. The Church used it in the deposition of bishops, and against the usurpers of ecclesiastical goods: (Grotius) and, in times of ignorance, some thought hereby to discover thieves. The style is very vehement, (Calmet) containing the sentence pronounced by the sovereign judge against the reprobate. (Haydock)
