O LORD, rebuke me not in your wrath: neither chasten me in your hot displeasure.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
2. "O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine indignation; neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure" (ver. 1). For it will be that some shall be chastened in God's "hot displeasure," and rebuked in His "indignation." And haply not all who are "rebuked" will be "chastened;" yet are there some that are to be saved in the chastening. So it is to be indeed, because it is called "chastening," but yet it shall be "so as by fire." But there are to be some who will be "rebuked," and will not be "corrected." For he will at all events "rebuke" those to whom He will say, "I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat." ... "Neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure;" so that Thou mayest cleanse me in this life, and make me such, that I may after that stand in no need of the cleansing fire, for those "who are to be saved, yet so as by fire." Why? Why, but because they "build upon the foundation, wood, stubble, and hay." Now they should build on it, "gold, silver, and precious stones;" and should have nothing to ...
1. What doth this recollection of the Sabbath mean? What is this Sabbath? For it is with groaning that he "calls it to recollection." You have both heard already when the Psalm was read, and you will now hear it when we shall go over it, how great is his groaning, his mourning, his tears, his misery. But happy he who is wretched after this manner! Whence the Lord also in the Gospel called some who mourn blessed. "How should he be blessed if he is a mourner? How blessed, if he is miserable?" Nay rather, he would be miserable, if he were not a mourner. Such an one then let us understand here too, calling the Sabbath to remembrance (viz.), some mourner or other: and would that we were ourselves that "some one or other"! For there is here some person sorrowing, groaning, mourning, calling the Sabbath to remembrance. The Sabbath is rest. Doubtless he was in some disquietude, who with groaning was calling the Sabbath to remembrance. ...
Wrath. God is incapable of passion: but man deserves to be treated with the utmost rigour; and this David deprecates, begging that God would act rather like a physician in his regard. (Theodoret) (Calmet)
The same petition occurs in psalm vi.; and this ought to caution people not to make imprecations, since God's judgments are so terrible. (Berthier)
St. Augustine and St. Gregory explain this text of the fire of hell, and of purgatory, 1 Corinthians iii. 15. (Haydock)
Though some be saved by the latter, "yet is that fire more grievous than whatever man can suffer in this life. "(St. Augustine)
"I esteem that transitory fire more intolerable than all present tribulation. "(St. Gregory) (Worthington)
We may therefore pray, "Here burn", with the same St. Augustine who assures us, (Gen. con. Man. ii. 20.) that "he who cultivates not the field of his soul, will, after this life, experience either the fire of purgatory or eternal punishment. "(Haydock)
For a remembrance, viz., of our miseries and sins; and to be sung on the sabbath-day. (Challoner)
This sabbath might also allude to the indolent rest which occasioned the fall of David, 2 Kings xi. 1. (Haydock)
Hebrew mentions not the sabbath; and it is not known (Calmet) why the Septuagint made this addition. The prophet may have Christ suffering for our sins in view, (Berthier) though he probably composed this psalm, when he was afflicted with an illness after this fall. (Rab. Muis) (Calmet)
It contains an excellent model for penitents, (Calmet) to enable them to regain peace of conscience, (St. Gregory) and paradise, from which they are banished by sin. (St. Augustine)
This remembrance (Worthington) is most essential. (Haydock)
