Psalms 130:2
If I was not humbly minded, but exalted my soul: As a child that is weaned is towards his mother, so reward in my soul.
Open Psalms 130:2 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Si non humiliter sentiebam, sed exaltavi animam meam : sicut ablactatus est super matre sua, ita retributio in anima mea.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- εἰ μὴ ἐταπεινοφρόνουν. καὶ ὕψωσα τὴν ψυχήν μου, ὡς τὸ ἀπογεγαλακτισμένον ἐπὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ, ἕως ἀνταποδώσεις ἐπὶ ψυχήν μου.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 131:2
- אִם לֹ֤א שִׁוִּ֨יתִי וְדוֹמַ֗מְתִּי נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י כְּ֭גָמֻל עֲלֵ֣י אִמּ֑וֹ כַּגָּמֻ֖ל עָלַ֣י נַפְשִֽׁי
Haydock's commentary
So reward, &c. The meaning is, that according to his disposition with regard to humility, so he expected a reward in his soul to return to him, and stick as close to him as the child just weaned, which would willingly never be separated from the mother. (Challoner)
If I was not humble, may my soul be treated like an infant, &c. Hebrew, "If I did not render (or humble and silence) my soul, like an infant weaned from his mother, let my soul be to me as a weaned child." I willingly submit to all thy rigours, if I did not adore thy ways in silence and in humiliation. (Calmet)
The text may be differently rendered. (Berthier)
As children come willingly to their mother, so the child of God approaches to Him, though he may not always find the same sweetness; and he expects that he will be rewarded accordingly. (Worthington)
Gemul means, "a weaned infant, or a reward." (Du Hamel)
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 Ignatius of Antioch Epistle to the Ephesians: Shorter and, Chapter X. Exhortations to prayer,
And pray ye without ceasing in behalf of other men; for there is hope of the repentance, that they may attain to God. For “cannot he that falls arise again, and he that goes astray return?” Permit them, then, to be instructed by you. Be ye therefore the ministers of God, and the mouth of Christ. For thus saith the Lord, “If ye take forth the precious from the vile, ye shall be as my mouth.” Be ye humble in response to their wrath; oppose to their blasphemies your earnest prayers; while they go astray, stand ye stedfast in the faith. Conquer ye their harsh temper by gentleness, their passion by meekness. For “blessed are the meek;” and Moses was meek above all men; and David was exceeding meek. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CXXXI
3. “Lord, my heart was not lifted up, neither were mine eyes raised on high” ( ver. 1 ); “I have not exercised myself in great matters, nor in wonderful things which are too high for me” ( ver. 2 ). Let this be more plainly spoken and heard. I have not been proud: I have not wished to be known among men as for wondrous powers; nor have I sought anything beyond my strength, whereby I might boast myself among the ignorant. As that Simon the sorcerer wished to advance into wonders above himself, on that account the power of the Apostles more pleased him, than the righteousness of Christians.…What is above my strength, he saith, I have not sought; I have not stretched myself out there, I have not chosen to be magnified there. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CXXXI
4. “If I had not lowly thoughts, but have lifted up my soul, as one taken from his mother’s breast, such the reward for my soul” ( ver. 2 ). He seemeth as it were to have bound himself by a curse:…as though he had been going to say, Let it so happen to me. “As one taken away from his mother’s breast, may be my soul’s reward.” Ye know that the Apostle saith to some weak brethren, “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” There are weak persons who are not fit for strong meat; they wish to grasp at that which they cannot receive: and if they ever do receive, or seem to themselves to receive what they have not received, they are puffed up thereby, and become proud thereupon; they seem to themselves wise men. …
St Jerome The Letters of St. Jerome, To Eustochium
One after another they chanted the psalms, now in Greek, now in Latin, now in Syriac; and this not merely for the three days which elapsed before she was buried beneath the church and close to the cave of the Lord, but throughout the remainder of the week. All who were assembled felt that it was their own funeral at which they were assisting, and shed tears as if they themselves had died. Paula’s daughter, the revered virgin Eustochium, “as a child that is weaned of his mother,” could not be torn away from her parent. She kissed her eyes, pressed her lips upon her brow, embraced her frame, and wished for nothing better than to be buried with her.
St John Cassian The Twelve Books on the Institutes of the Cœnobia, and the Remedies for the Eight Principal Faults, Chapter III. Of the Hoods of the Egyptians
There are some things besides in the dress of the Egyptians which concern not the care of the body so much as the regulation of the character, that the observance of simplicity and innocence may be preserved by the very character of the clothing. For they constantly use both by day and by night very small hoods coming down to the end of the neck and shoulders, which only cover the head, in order that they may constantly be moved to preserve the simplicity and innocence of little children by imitating their actual dress. And these men have returned to childhood in Christ and sing at all hours with heart and soul: “Lord, my heart is not exalted nor are mine eyes lofty. Neither have I walked in great matters nor in wonderful things above me. If I was not humbly minded, but exalted my soul: as a child that is weaned is towards his mother.”
St John Cassian The Twelve Books on the Institutes of the Cœnobia, and the Remedies for the Eight Principal Faults, Chapter VI. That the sin of pride is last in the actual order of the combat, but first in time and origin
And so it is most clearly established by instances and testimonies from Scripture that the mischief of pride, although it comes later in the order of the combat, is yet earlier in origin, and is the beginning of all sins and faults: nor is it (like the other vices) simply fatal to the virtue opposite to it (in this case, humility), but it is also at the same time destructive of all virtues: nor does it only tempt ordinary folk and small people, but chiefly those who already stand on the heights of valour. For thus the prophet speaks of this spirit, “His meat is choice.” And so the blessed David, although he guarded the recesses of his heart with the utmost care, so that he dared to say to Him from whom the secrets of his conscience were not hid, “Lord, my heart is not exalted, nor are my eyes lofty: neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonderful things above me. …