Psalms 103:14
Bringing forth grass for cattle, and herb for the service of men. That thou mayst bring bread out of the earth:
Open Psalms 103:14 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- producens fœnum jumentis, et herbam servituti hominum, ut educas panem de terra,
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐξανατέλλων χόρτον τοῖς κτήνεσιν καὶ χλόην τῇ δουλείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοῦ ἐξαγαγεῖν ἄρτον ἐκ τῆς γῆς·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 104:14
- מַצְמִ֤יחַ חָצִ֨יר לַבְּהֵמָ֗ה וְ֭עֵשֶׂב לַעֲבֹדַ֣ת הָאָדָ֑ם לְה֥וֹצִיא לֶ֝֗חֶם מִן הָאָֽרֶץ
Haydock's commentary
Service. Cattle, or beasts of burden, are thus fed for man's service, though he may also eat legumes, &c. (Calmet)
Bring. God gives the increase, 1 Corinthians iii. 7. (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
The Apostolic Constitutions Book IV, Sec. I. On Helping the Poor
V . We exhort, therefore, the widows and orphans to partake of those things that are bestowed upon them with all fear, and all pious reverence, and to return thanks to God who gives food to the needy, and to lift up their eyes to Him. For, says He, “Which of you shall eat, or who shall drink without Him? For He openeth His hand, and filleth every living thing with His kindness: giving wheat to the young men, and wine to the maidens, and oil for the joy of the living, grass for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men, flesh for the wild beasts, seeds for the birds, and suitable food for all creatures.” Wherefore the Lord says: “Consider the fowls of heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns, and your Father feedeth them. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CIV
18. “Bringing forth grass for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men” ( ver. 14 ). This is true, I perceive; I recognise the creation: the earth doth bring forth grass for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men. But I perceive the words, “Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox which treadeth out the corn: Doth God take care for oxen? For our sakes therefore the Scripture saith it.” How then doth the earth bring forth grass for the cattle? Because “the Lord hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel.” He sent preachers, saying unto them, “Eat such things as are set before you of them: for the labourer is worthy of his hire.”…They give spiritual, they receive carnal things; they give gold, they receive grass.…“If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things?” This the Apostle said, a …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans, Homily XXVIII on Rom. xv. 8
That is, that ye may get clear of that heartlessness ( ἀθυμίας ) towards one another, and may never be cast down by temptations. And this will be by your abounding in hope. Now this is the cause of all good things, and it comes from the Holy Ghost. But it is not simply from the Spirit, but on condition of our contributing our part also. This is why he says, “in believing.” For this is the way for you to be filled with joy, if ye believe, if ye hope. Yet he does not say if ye hope, but, “if ye abound in hope,” so as not to find comfort in troubles only, but even to have joy through the abundance of faith and hope. And in this way, ye will also draw the Spirit to you. In this way, when He is come ye will continually keep to all good things. …