My heart is overflowing with a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made concerning the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready scribe.
Read Chapter 45
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
4. "Mine heart hath uttered a good word" (ver. 1). Who is the speaker? The Father, or the Prophet? For some understand it to be the Person of the Father, which says, "Mine heart hath uttered a good word," intimating to us a certain unspeakable generation. Lest you should haply think something to have been taken unto Him, out of which God should beget the Son (just as man takes something to himself out of which he begets children, that is to say, an union of marriage, without which man cannot beget offspring), lest then you should think that God stood in need of any nuptial union, to beget "the Son," be says, "Mine heart hath uttered a good word." This very day thine heart, O man, begets a counsel, and requires no wife: by the counsel, so born of thine heart, thou buildest something or other, and before that building subsists, the design subsists; and that which thou art about to produce, exists already in that by which thou art going to produce it; and thou praisest the fabric that as ...
3. For it goes on, "For the things that shall be changed, to the sons of Korah for understanding; a song for the beloved." For that "beloved" One was seen by His persecutors, but yet not for "understanding." For "had they known Him, they would never have crucified the Lord of Glory." In order to this "understanding," other eyes were required by Him when He said, "He that seeth Me, seeth My Father also." Let the Psalm then now sound of Him, let us rejoice in the marriage-feast, and we shall be with those of whom the marriage is made, who are invited to the marriage; and the very persons invited are the Bride herself. For the Church is "the Bride," Christ the Bridegroom. There are commonly spoken by balladists certain verses to Bridegrooms and Brides, called Epithalamia. Whatever is sung there, is sung in honour of the Bride and Bridegroom. Is there then no Bridechamber in that marriage-feast to which we are invited? Whence then does another Psalm say, "He hath set up His tabernacle in t...
2. Why need I explain what is meant by, "for the things that shall be changed"? Every one who is himself "changed," recognises the meaning of this. Let him who hears this, "for the things that shall be changed," consider what was before, and what is now. And first let him see the world itself to be changed, lately worshipping idols, now worshipping God; lately serving things that they themselves made, now serving Him by whom they themselves were made. Observe at what time the words, "for the things that shall be changed," were said. Already by this time the Pagans that are leftare in dread of the "changed" state of things: and those who will not suffer themselves to be "changed" see the churches full; the temples deserted; see crowds here, and there solitude They marvel at the things so changed; let them read that they were foretold; let them lend their ears to Him who promised it; let them believe Him who fulfils that promise. But each one of us, brethren, also undergoes a change from...
1. This Psalm, even as we ourselves have been singing with gladness together with you, we would beg you in like manner to consider with attention together with us. For it is sung of the sacred Marriage-feast; of the Bridegroom and the Bride; of the King and His people; of the Saviour and those who are to be saved. ...His sons are we, in that we are the "children of the Bridegroom;" and it is to us that this Psalm is addressed, whose title has the words, "For the sons of Korah, for the things that shall be changed."
Uttered. Hebrew rachash, "boileth "as one unable to contain himself. (Berthier)
Speak, or "dedicate "dico, (Haydock) though here it only means to speak. (Calmet)
He addresses the object of his praise, instead of invoking the muses. (St. Jerome)
Swiftly. I have not to meditate. (Calmet)
The Holy Spirit moves my tongue, (2 Peter i. 21.) as fast as my hands can write, Jeremias xxxvi. 18., and 4 Esdras xiv. 39. (Haydock)
High mysteries, in honour of the great king, occupy my thoughts, and to him I refer this canticle. (Worthington)
For them that shall be changed, i.e., For souls happily changed, by being converted to God; (Challoner) or it may allude to the variety of speakers here introduced. (Berthier)
Protestants leave shoshannim, which some translate, "on the lilies "(Aquila; St. Jerome) or "instrument of six strings. "(Calmet)
The beloved, viz., our Lord Jesus Christ. (Challoner)
Hebrew, "of loves "or of the young women, friends of the bride, (yedidoth) who sung the Epithalamium, as we see in the 18th Idyl of Theocritus. The Jews formerly explained this psalm of the Messias, as well as all the Fathers after the apostles, Hebrew, i. 8. Many passages cannot refer to Solomon's marriage with the daughter of Pharao, though some might be referred to that event, as a figure of Christ's union with his Church. (Calmet)
The whole had better be understood of Christ, (Berthier) being intended for the instruction of all converts from paganism and schism. (Worthington)
