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*H A psalm of David against Goliath. BLESSED be the Lord my God, who teacheth my hands to fight, and my fingers to war.
Ver. 1. Goliath. Heb. has simply, "of David." H. — S. Hilary thinks that the Sept. added the rest by inspiration, (C.) because this was David's first exploit in war. W. — But others pay no deference to this part of the title. The Chaldee, however, seems to allude to the same victory, (v. 10.) and the Syriac to that which David obtained over Asaph, brother of Goliath. 1 Par. xx. 5. C. — David prays that he may overcome the Philistines, and gives thanks in Ps. xvii. Ferrand. — These two psalms are very much alike, and this seems to have been written after the rebels were discomfited, while the 17th expresses the sentiments of the prophet, towards the end of his life, for all his victories. C. — Zorobabel after the defeat of God, (Ezec. xxxviii. Orig.) or the Machabees; (Greek paraphrast.) or Jesus Christ might adopt these sentiments. Holy Fathers. — Kimchi and Goan refer the psalm to the Messias. C. — God. Heb. "rock." — Fingers. Which chose the five pebbles. He was to exert himself, and yet to acknowledge that all success came from God. Bert. — He had not been trained to war, when he overcame Goliath. W.
*H My mercy, and my refuge: my support, and my deliverer: My protector, and I have hoped in him: who subdueth my people under me.
Ver. 2. Mercy. "All the titles of God remind us of his benefits." S. Jer. — My people. After the defeat of the rebels, (C.) and the death of Isboseth. Bert. — Heb. may also be "peoples," as Ps. xvii. (Syr. &c.) including them, and the various nations that were subdued by David. C. — Conquerors are generally in confusion, while those who keep their passions under are free. 2 Cor. iii. 17. Bert.
*H Lord, what is man, that thou art made known to him? or the son of man, that thou makest account of him?
Ver. 3. To him. Heb. "thou dost acknowledge him." S. Jer. H. — In the transport of gratitude, he reflects on his own weakness. Job vii. 17. Rom. viii. 31. C. — Before Christ, all mankind were undeserving of revelation. W.
*H Man is like to vanity: his days pass away like a shadow.
Ver. 4. Vanity. Heb. hebel, "nothing, a vapour," &c. Eccle. i. 1. Jam. iv. 15. H. — Our lives resemble a shadow, which is the less distinct, the more it increases. Bert. — As it cannot subsist of itself, so neither can man without God. W.
*H Lord, bow down thy heavens and descend: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Ver. 5. Mountains. The proud, (Orig.) spirits. S. Hil. — Come to my assistance, as thou didst appear on Sinai. Ex. xix. 16. Ps. xvii. 8. C. — This is a poetical description of God's aid.
*H Put forth thy hand from on high, take me out, and deliver me from many waters: from the hand of strange children:
Ver. 7. Waters. Of tribulation. W. — Children. My rebellious subjects, (H.) who lead bad lives in the true Church. W. — Foreign nations continued faithful, while Israel rose up against their sovereign.
*H Whose mouth hath spoken vanity: and their right hand is the right hand of iniquity.
Ver. 8. Iniquity. Heb. "lying." They have sworn fidelity, and have prevaricated. C. — They adhere not to their engagements of keeping God's law. W.
*H To thee, O God, I will sing a new canticle: on the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings I will sing praises to thee.
Ver. 9. New. More excellent. Bert. — Psaltery. Heb. "on the Nebel of ten strings," (H.) the chief instrument, fit for a new canticle of thanksgiving. W.
*H Who givest salvation to kings: who hast redeemed thy servant David from the malicious sword:
Ver. 10. Kings. Their power cannot protect them. H. — Hast. Several read, "wilt redeem." — Malicious. Heb. "his servant from the evil sword" (Mont.) of Goliath, (Chal.) or of Saul, (Bert.) and all his other enemies. H. — He represents himself in the midst of danger, from the rebels. C.
*H Deliver me, And rescue me out of the hand of strange children; whose mouth hath spoken vanity: and their right hand is the right hand of iniquity:
Ver. 11. Children. Both Jews and Christians who live ill, are like strangers, who frame to themselves a temporal felicity, making riches and pleasures their god. W.
*H Whose sons are as new plants in their youth: Their daughters decked out, adorned round about after the similitude of a temple:
Ver. 12. Whose. Heb. "our." This makes quite a different sense from the ancient versions, which refer what follows to the rebels, who had no cause to complain of David's government, v. 14. C. — S. Jerom, however, agrees with the Heb. "that our sons may be," &c. Prot. asher means "whose (v. 11.) and that." H. — If we supply, they said, the text and versions will give the same sense, (Geneb. Bert.) as it is inserted v. 15. H. — Decked. Heb. "our daughters, like corner-stones cut like a temple," (Mont.) or "palace." Prot.
*H Their storehouses full, flowing out of this into that. Their sheep fruitful in young, abounding in their goings forth:
Ver. 13. That. The partitions are too small; or fresh fruit come before the old ones are consumed. Lev. xxvi. 10. C. — Fruitful. Heb. "our sheep (or small cattle, pecudes) producing a thousand, bringing forth ten thousand, in our streets." Pagn.
*H Their oxen fat. There is no breach of wall, nor passage, nor crying out in their streets.
Ver. 14. Fat. Heb. "our bulls (oxen or cows) are burdened." &c. — Of wall. Sym. "nor burying nor mourning in their places." The other interpreters cited by Theodoret, have also "their." C. — Passage. Of the enemy. H.
*H They have called the people happy, that hath these things: but happy is that people whose God is the Lord.
Ver. 15. They. Heb. "happy the people, to which such things belong; happy," &c. S. Jer. H. — This text speaks all along of the temporal blessings attending the virtuous. C. — But the Sept. being convinced that these were rather the sentiments of David's enemies, give it this turn, (Bert.) and shew, that real happiness consists rather in the possession of God, as the psalmist intimates, by the concluding sentence. H. — Worldlings are satisfied with temporal advantages. Ps. lxxii. 4. — But the saints take God for their reward. C. — The devil promises riches, that he may kill, and Christ promises poverty, to save us. S. Jer. — True happiness consists in preferring God before all. W.
* Summa
*S Part 2, Ques 2, Article 8
[I-II, Q. 2, Art. 8]
Whether Any Created Good Constitutes Man's Happiness?
Objection 1: It would seem that some created good constitutes man's happiness. For Dionysius says (Div. Nom. vii) that Divine wisdom "unites the ends of first things to the beginnings of second things," from which we may gather that the summit of a lower nature touches the base of the higher nature. But man's highest good is happiness. Since then the angel is above man in the order of nature, as stated in the First Part (Q. 111, A. 1), it seems that man's happiness consists in man somehow reaching the angel.
Obj. 2: Further, the last end of each thing is that which, in relation to it, is perfect: hence the part is for the whole, as for its end. But the universe of creatures which is called the macrocosm, is compared to man who is called the microcosm (Phys. viii, 2), as perfect to imperfect. Therefore man's happiness consists in the whole universe of creatures.
Obj. 3: Further, man is made happy by that which lulls his natural desire. But man's natural desire does not reach out to a good surpassing his capacity. Since then man's capacity does not include that good which surpasses the limits of all creation, it seems that man can be made happy by some created good. Consequently some created good constitutes man's happiness.
_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xix, 26): "As the soul is the life of the body, so God is man's life of happiness: of Whom it is written: 'Happy is that people whose God is the Lord' (Ps. 143:15)."
_I answer that,_ It is impossible for any created good to constitute man's happiness. For happiness is the perfect good, which lulls the appetite altogether; else it would not be the last end, if something yet remained to be desired. Now the object of the will, i.e. of man's appetite, is the universal good; just as the object of the intellect is the universal true. Hence it is evident that naught can lull man's will, save the universal good. This is to be found, not in any creature, but in God alone; because every creature has goodness by participation. Wherefore God alone can satisfy the will of man, according to the words of Ps. 102:5: "Who satisfieth thy desire with good things." Therefore God alone constitutes man's happiness.
Reply Obj. 1: The summit of man does indeed touch the base of the angelic nature, by a kind of likeness; but man does not rest there as in his last end, but reaches out to the universal fount itself of good, which is the common object of happiness of all the blessed, as being the infinite and perfect good.
Reply Obj. 2: If a whole be not the last end, but ordained to a further end, then the last end of a part thereof is not the whole itself, but something else. Now the universe of creatures, to which man is compared as part to whole, is not the last end, but is ordained to God, as to its last end. Therefore the last end of man is not the good of the universe, but God himself.
Reply Obj. 3: Created good is not less than that good of which man is capable, as of something intrinsic and inherent to him: but it is less than the good of which he is capable, as of an object, and which is infinite. And the participated good which is in an angel, and in the whole universe, is a finite and restricted good. ________________________
*S Part 2, Ques 5, Article 3
[I-II, Q. 5, Art. 3]
Whether One Can Be Happy in This Life?
Objection 1: It would seem that Happiness can be had in this life. For it is written (Ps. 118:1): "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord." But this happens in this life. Therefore one can be happy in this life.
Obj. 2: Further, imperfect participation in the Sovereign Good does not destroy the nature of Happiness, otherwise one would not be happier than another. But men can participate in the Sovereign Good in this life, by knowing and loving God, albeit imperfectly. Therefore man can be happy in this life.
Obj. 3: Further, what is said by many cannot be altogether false: since what is in many, comes, apparently, from nature; and nature does not fail altogether. Now many say that Happiness can be had in this life, as appears from Ps. 143:15: "They have called the people happy that hath these things," to wit, the good things in this life. Therefore one can be happy in this life.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Job 14:1): "Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries." But Happiness excludes misery. Therefore man cannot be happy in this life.
_I answer that,_ A certain participation of Happiness can be had in this life: but perfect and true Happiness cannot be had in this life. This may be seen from a twofold consideration.
First, from the general notion of happiness. For since happiness is a "perfect and sufficient good," it excludes every evil, and fulfils every desire. But in this life every evil cannot be excluded. For this present life is subject to many unavoidable evils; to ignorance on the part of the intellect; to inordinate affection on the part of the appetite, and to many penalties on the part of the body; as Augustine sets forth in De Civ. Dei xix, 4. Likewise neither can the desire for good be satiated in this life. For man naturally desires the good, which he has, to be abiding. Now the goods of the present life pass away; since life itself passes away, which we naturally desire to have, and would wish to hold abidingly, for man naturally shrinks from death. Wherefore it is impossible to have true Happiness in this life.
Secondly, from a consideration of the specific nature of Happiness, viz. the vision of the Divine Essence, which man cannot obtain in this life, as was shown in the First Part (Q. 12, A. 11). Hence it is evident that none can attain true and perfect Happiness in this life.
Reply Obj. 1: Some are said to be happy in this life, either on account of the hope of obtaining Happiness in the life to come, according to Rom. 8:24: "We are saved by hope"; or on account of a certain participation of Happiness, by reason of a kind of enjoyment of the Sovereign Good.
Reply Obj. 2: The imperfection of participated Happiness is due to one of two causes. First, on the part of the object of Happiness, which is not seen in Its Essence: and this imperfection destroys the nature of true Happiness. Secondly, the imperfection may be on the part of the participator, who indeed attains the object of Happiness, in itself, namely, God: imperfectly, however, in comparison with the way in which God enjoys Himself. This imperfection does not destroy the true nature of Happiness; because, since Happiness is an operation, as stated above (Q. 3, A. 2), the true nature of Happiness is taken from the object, which specifies the act, and not from the subject.
Reply Obj. 3: Men esteem that there is some kind of happiness to be had in this life, on account of a certain likeness to true Happiness. And thus they do not fail altogether in their estimate. ________________________
FOURTH