1 To the end, a psalm of David. The canticle of Jeremias and Ezechiel to the people of the captivity, when they began to go out.
v.1
VERS. 1.-- *Of Jeremias.* Exalted; and it signifies those who say: *Our conversation is in heaven. Aggoeus,* festal. It signifies those who are rejoicing in hope, who in the remnants of their thoughts keep a feast day to the Lord; *Ezechiel,* the Lord strengthened me, and it signifies those who are strengthened in the Lord; these prophesied the return to Jerusalem. *Of the people of the transmigration.* That is, which passed over from heaven to earth, from perfection to misery and confusion. *When he began.* He begins to go out who begins to love; charity makes a citizen of Jerusalem, cupidity a citizen of Babylon: and so therefore, mingled in body, they are separated in desire. A consolation in exile; lest any despair: because it makes the return certain, and by whom it is, and what riches there are for those who return. He affirms the return, and prays.
2 A hymn, O God, becometh thee in Sion: and a vow shall be paid to thee in Jerusalem.
v.2
VERS. 2.-- *It becometh thee.* Not the gods of the nations, and not elsewhere, save in contemplation, that is, in faith, and there out of good works *the vow shall be paid,* in the heavenly Jerusalem, the vow which those men used to pay to Mars after battles, and to the other gods in this fashion. *Sion.* Sion is the heavenly country, the same is Jerusalem.
3 O hear my prayer: all flesh shall come to thee.
v.3
VERS. 3.-- *Hear my prayer.* He first does what he says is to be done by the rest, namely, *hear. All flesh.* That is, man, that is, out of every kind: poor, rich, men, women, learned, unlearned, boys, old men.
4 The words of the wicked have prevailed over us: and thou wilt pardon our transgressions.
v.4
VERS. 4.-- *The words of the wicked.* In what hope dost thou pray this? Because *to thee all flesh shall come,* not the soul only, but the evil man also. It is necessary that thou hear. For the words of the wicked are the words of the devil and of our first parents Adam and Eve. *They have prevailed.* That is, they cast us into exile, or the pagans persuaded their own rites to their sons, but thou wilt be merciful in the sacrifice of Christ. *The words of the wicked,* that is, we have followed the evil rites and manners of our parents (who, as in age, so in authority, surpass boys). *Thou wilt be merciful.* Propitiation is made through the sacrifice which the priest offered, Christ. The priest and the victim are therefore the same.
5 Blessed is he whom thou hast chosen and taken to thee: he shall dwell in thy courts. We shall be filled with the good things of thy house; holy is thy temple,
v.5
VERS. 5.-- *Blessed is he whom thou hast chosen,* etc. And blessed is every man whom thou hast chosen out of the mass of the lost. *You have not chosen me, but I you*, and thou hast taken him into thy lot, into eternal rest. Or thus, thou wilt be merciful through the blessed man: etc., *as far as* things which cannot be told. *In the good things.* Which things are good, holiness in oneself, equity toward one's neighbour. *The temple.* The Church, or the flesh of Christ.
6 Wonderful in justice. Hear us, O God our saviour, who art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and in the sea afar off.
v.6
VERS. 6.-- *Wonderful.* Not in outward things, like a house of earth, but in justice, which is fairer to the inward eye and more lovely, and which we ought now to hunger for, that then we may be filled with it. *In equity.* When he shall render to each what is worthy, to whom [each] shall also say: *Hear us, thou who art the Saviour. The hope of all.* He describes the praises of God, and his powers. *And in the sea afar off.* Therefore afar off, because in the sea. The sea is spoken of as a figure of the world, bitter with the falsehood of iniquities, and stormy with the tempests of temptations, where the fishes devour one another.
7 Thou who preparest the mountains by thy strength, being girded with power:
v.7
VERS. 7.-- *Preparing the mountains.* For fitting uses. *In thy strength.* Because through them he wrought miracles. How did he prepare them? Girded with power, that is, with Deity, because the humanity of the Word is girded about with majesty, so that what the man had not, the Deity might give. *Girded.* Christ in the midst, girded on every side, because we all alike have him who believe in him, but because faith is not from us, but from him, he is said to be girded with his own might.
8 Who troublest the depth of the sea, the noise of its waves. The Gentiles shall be troubled,
v.8
VERS. 8.-- *Who troublest the depth of the sea.* Behold, he who through those prepared ones wrought it, troubling them unto penitence. The depth of the sea, not the surface, but hearts more deeply sunk, or the hearts of princes. These were troubled, when they saw both their gods and their hopes come to nothing. *The noise.* Sounding with contradiction, tossing with persecution, etc., *as far as* while they perceive that these prevail more than their own gods.
9 And they that dwell in the uttermost borders shall be afraid at thy signs: thou shalt make the outgoings of the morning and of the evening to be joyful.
v.9
VERS. 9.-- *The morning and the evening.* The morning is prosperity, because the morning is glad after the sadness of the night. The evening is adversity; in these a man is tempted, but it is granted him to go out thence, lest he be caught by gains, he to whom riches are God: lest he be terrified by adversities, he for whom the Lord suffered. *Thou wilt delight.* Thou wilt make them delightful even in this life. For if the going out itself does not delight a man, he does not labour to go out thence, but is caught by gains, he to whom the promise of Christ is not pleasing. And he is terrified by adversities, whom he does not delight who was willing to suffer for him, that he might make a going out for him.
10 Thou hast visited the earth, and hast plentifully watered it; thou hast many ways enriched it. The river of God is filled with water, thou hast prepared their food: for so is its preparation.
v.10
VERS. 10.-- *Thou hast visited the earth and hast inebriated it.* Through preachers wilt thou do this, for within thou teachest those to whom they preach. *A river.* Of the deep, for the receiving, it is filled with waters, with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, for thou hast prepared food. *The river of God.* The mercy of God is compared to a river in full flood, etc., *as far as* as it is disposed by him, without whom nothing is done there.
11 Fill up plentifully the streams thereof, multiply its fruits; it shall spring up and rejoice in its showers.
v.11–12
VERS. 11, 12.-- *Its streams.* The Apostles and others, who drank of the river. *Inebriate them,* that they may suffice for themselves and for others. *Multiply,* that through successions preaching may not fail. *The crown of the year,* the whole world, where the Church is. *Its streams. Thou hast prepared,* etc. And, O Lord, etc., *as far as* whereby the Word of God grows. *The crown of the year.* Because the glory of victory belongs to him who conquers the devil. *Of thy bounty,* etc. Let no one glory in his own merits. *Thy fields shall be filled.* Men, because of their evenness, that is, the just. *The hills,* because God raises up the humble *The desert:* all the Gentiles, to whom no prophet was sent.
12 Thou shalt bless the crown of the year of thy goodness: and thy fields shall be filled with plenty.
13 The beautiful places of the wilderness shall grow fat: and the hills shall be girded about with joy,
v.13
VERS. 13.-- *The beautiful places of the wilderness shall grow fat.* When the Apostles came to them, through whom they were made comely.
14 The rams of the flock are clothed, and the vales shall abound with corn: they shall shout, yea they shall sing a hymn.
v.14
VERS. 14.-- *Valleys.* Lowly peoples shall bring forth much fruit. *They shall cry out.* Not in blasphemy, but in a hymn, thence they abound with corn. This psalm is sung at the funerals of the faithful, because it treats of the return from the Babylon of this world to the heavenly country, to which the saints, led forth from the flesh at their death, happily pass over, receiving the single robe, until in the resurrection they be glorified with the robe of a twofold beatitude.