Psalms 13:5
They have not called upon the Lord: there have they trembled for fear, where there was no fear.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Dominum non invocaverunt ; illic trepidaverunt timore, ubi non erat timor.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐκεῖ ἐδειλίασαν φόβῳ οὗ οὐκ ἦν φόβος· ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἐν γενεᾷ δικαίᾳ.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 14:5
- שָׁ֤ם פָּ֣חֲדוּ פָ֑חַד כִּֽי אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים בְּד֣וֹר צַדִּֽיק
Haydock's commentary
Where. This expression refers to there, which is in Hebrew, though this last part of the verse is wanting. (Capel.)
It is in Psalm lii. 6, and this renders the former omission (ver. 3.) more credible. (Berthier)
When Cyrus approached to besiege Babylon, Nabonides, the king, met him, and gave him battle; but losing the victory, he, in a panic, retreated to Borsippe, and abandoned the defence of his capital. (Beros. apud Jos. con. Ap. 1.[Josephus, contra Apion i.?]) The citizens were in the utmost consternation, Isaias xiii., and xxi., &c. (Calmet)
But the wicked tremble at the prospect of temporal losses, (Menochius) and at shadows, while they boldly affront the Deity. Unbelievers find difficulties in the Catholic doctrines, which are frequently attributed to their own mistakes. (Haydock)
The pagans would not believe in God, but trembled before idols; which cannot hurt the faithful. (Worthington)
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 XIV
6. “They have not called upon the Lord.” For he doth not really call upon Him, who longs for such things as are displeasing to Him. “There they trembled for fear, where no fear was” ( ver. 5 ): that is, for the loss of things temporal. For they said, “If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him; and the Romans will come, and take away both our place and nation.” They feared to lose an earthly kingdom, where no fear was; and they lost the kingdom of heaven, which they ought to have feared. And this must be understood of all temporal goods, the loss of which when men fear, they come not to things eternal.