Psalms 104:22
That he might instruct his princes as himself, and teach his ancients wisdom.
Open Psalms 104:22 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- ut erudiret principes ejus sicut semetipsum, et senes ejus prudentiam doceret.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- τοῦ παιδεῦσαι τοὺς ἄρχοντας αὐτοῦ ὡς ἑαυτόν, καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους αὐτοῦ σοφίσαι.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 105:22
- לֶאְסֹ֣ר שָׂרָ֣יו בְּנַפְשׁ֑וֹ וּזְקֵנָ֥יו יְחַכֵּֽם
Haydock's commentary
Instruct. Hebrew, "bind" by precepts or chains, (Berthier) as he had all power.
Wisdom. Joseph was considered as the oracle of Egypt, and the prime minister. (Calmet)
We cannot doubt but he would strive to undeceive the people with regard to many superstitions. (Theodoret) (St. Augustine)
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
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CV
13. “The king sent and loosed him, the prince of the peoples, and let him go free” ( ver. 20 ). The “king” is the same as “the prince of the peoples:” he “loosed” him from his bonds “and let him go free” from his prison. “He made him lord also of his house: and ruler of all his substance” ( ver. 21 ). “That he might inform his princes like unto himself, and teach his old men wisdom” ( ver. 22 ). The Greek hath, “and teach his elders wisdom.” Which might altogether be rendered to the letter thus; “Might inform his princes like unto himself, and make his elders wise.” The word translated old men being presbyters or elders, not gerontas, old men: and to teach wisdom being from the Greek to sophize, which cannot be rendered by a single word in Latin, and is from the word sophia, wisdom, different from prudence, which is in Greek phronesis. …