Psalms 131:15
Blessing, I will bless her widow: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
Open Psalms 131:15 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Viduam ejus benedicens benedicam ; pauperes ejus saturabo panibus.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- τὴν χήραν αὐτῆς εὐλογῶν εὐλογήσω, τοὺς πτωχοὺς αὐτῆς χορτάσω ἄρτων·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 132:15
- צֵ֭ידָהּ בָּרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָרֵ֑ךְ אֶ֝בְיוֹנֶ֗יהָ אַשְׂבִּ֥יעַֽ לָֽחֶם
Haydock's commentary
Widow. Whose name is often joined with orphans, and the poor, as the Hebrew Tsedah may imply one "desolate," 1 Timothy v. 5. (Berthier)
The Greek copies vary: some have widow, and others, "prey," which is most commonly given as the sense of the Hebrew. (Haydock)
The poor priests and Levites, who had no land, shall be abundantly supplied. (Calmet)
The Church, though deprived of Christ's visible presence, is replenished with many blessings, and her humble children are relieved with the holy Sacraments. (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 CXXXII
16. “I will bless her widow with blessings, and will satisfy her poor with bread” ( ver. 15 ). Every soul that is aware that it is bereft of all help, save of God alone, is widowed. For how doth the Apostle describe a widow? “She that is a widow indeed and desolate, trusteth in God.” He was speaking of those whom we all call Widows in the Church. He saith, “She that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth;” and he numbereth her not among the widows. But in describing true widows, what saith he? “She that is a widow indeed and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.” Here he addeth, “but she that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth.” What then makes a widow? That she hath no aid from any other source, save from God alone. …
St Gregory Nazianzen Funeral Oration on the Great S. Basil, Bishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia
35. He indeed could neither rain bread from heaven by prayer, to nourish an escaped people in the wilderness, nor supply fountains of food without cost from the depth of vessels which are filled by being emptied, and so, by an amazing return for her hospitality, support one who supported him; nor feed thousands of men with five loaves whose very fragments were a further supply for many tables. These were the works of Moses and Elijah, and my God, from Whom they too derived their power. Perhaps also they were characteristic of their time and its circumstances: since signs are for unbelievers not for those who believe. But he did devise and execute with the same faith things which correspond to them, and tend in the same direction. …
St Ambrose Concerning Widows, Chapter II. The precepts of the Apostle concerning a widow indeed are laid down, such as, that she bring up children, attend to her parents, desire to please God, show herself irreproachable, set forth a ripeness of merits, have been the wife of one man. St. Ambrose notes, however, that a second marriage was not condemned by St. Paul, and adds that widows must have a good report for virtue with all. The reasons why younger widows are to be avoided, and what is meant by its being better to marry than to burn. St. Ambrose then goes on to speak of the dignity of widows, shown by the fact that any injury done to them is visited by the anger of God
13. And what shall I say of human judgments, since in the judgments of God the Jews are set forth as having offended the Lord in nothing more than violating what was due to the widow and the rights of minors? This is proclaimed by the voices of the prophets as the cause which brought upon the Jews the penalty of rejection. This is mentioned as the only cause which will mitigate the wrath of God against their sin, if they honour the widow, and execute true judgment for minors, for thus we read: “Judge the fatherless, deal justly with the widow, and come let us reason together, saith the Lord.” And elsewhere: “The Lord shall maintain the orphan and the widow.” And again: “I will abundantly bless her widow.” Wherein also the likeness of the Church is foreshadowed. …
The Fathers are given as they wrote. Where a passage lays the Passion on the Jewish people, the Church teaches that it cannot be charged against all the Jews then living, nor against the Jews of today, and that all sinners were its authors (CCC 597, 598).