Psalms 112:9
Who maketh a barren woman to dwell in a house, the joyful mother of children.
Open Psalms 112:9 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Qui habitare facit sterilem in domo, matrem filiorum lætantem.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ὁ κατοικίζων στεῖραν ἐν οἴκῳ, μητέρα τέκνων εὐφραινομένων.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 113:9
- מֽוֹשִׁיבִ֨י עֲקֶ֬רֶת הַבַּ֗יִת אֵֽם הַבָּנִ֥ים שְׂמֵחָ֗ה הַֽלְלוּ יָֽהּ
Haydock's commentary
Children. Anna and Elizabeth, who were naturally barren, were blessed with what they so eagerly desired, by the divine power. (Haydock)
It may be understood of the Gentile world, after it had embraced the faith, (St. Jerome; Galatians iv. 17.; St. Chrysostom) or of the captives, (Isaias lvi. 1., and xlix. 21., and Psalm lxvii. 7.; Calmet) though Isaias may also refer to the Church. (Haydock)
Joseph was wonderfully advanced in glory, and Sara, Rebecca, &c., were made fruitful.
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 CXIII
7. What then, brethren, if we have already heard of those humble things which are in heaven, lifted up from the mire, that they might be set with the princes of the people; have we by consequence heard nothing of the humble things which the Lord beholdeth on the earth? For those friends who will judge with their Lord are fewer, while those whom they receive into everlasting habitations are more in number. For although the whole of a heap of corn compared with the separate chaff may seem to contain few in number; yet considered by itself, it is abundant.…The Church then speaketh thus in that sense, wherein she seemeth to bear no offspring among those crowds who have not given up all things, that they might follow the Lord, and might sit upon the twelve thrones. …
St Gregory of Nyssa On Virginity, Chapter XIII
But seeing that Paradise is the home of living spirits, and will not admit those who are dead in sin, and that we on the other hand are fleshly, subject to death, and sold under sin, how is it possible that one who is a subject of death’s empire should ever dwell in this land where all is life? What method of release from this jurisdiction can be devised? Here too the Gospel teaching is abundantly sufficient. We hear our Lord saying to Nicodemus, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” We know too that the flesh is subject to death because of sin, but the Spirit of God is both incorruptible, and life-giving, and deathless. As at our physical birth there comes into the world with us a potentiality of being again turned to dust, plainly the Spirit also imparts a life-giving potentiality to the children begotten by Himself. …