Psalms 14:4
In his sight the malignant is brought to nothing: but he glorifieth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his neighbour, and deceiveth not;
Open Psalms 14:4 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Ad nihilum deductus est in conspectu ejus malignus ; timentes autem Dominum glorificat. Qui jurat proximo suo, et non decipit ;
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐξουδένωται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ πονηρευόμενος, τοὺς δὲ φοβουμένους Κύριον δοξάζει· ὁ ὀμνύων τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἀθετῶν·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 15:4
- נִבְזֶ֤ה בְּֽעֵ֘ינָ֤יו נִמְאָ֗ס וְאֶת יִרְאֵ֣י יְהוָ֣ה יְכַבֵּ֑ד נִשְׁבַּ֥ע לְ֝הָרַ֗ע וְלֹ֣א יָמִֽר
Haydock's commentary
Nothing. He despises all wickedness, though done by kings, whose power he considers as the means of destruction, 1 Kings xv. 26., and Luke xxiii. 9. The wicked dares not appear before an upright judge, like David, Psalm c. 2. Hebrew may be "the wicked is despised." (St. Jerome) (Haydock)
Those who follow the Jews, have "he thinks meanly of himself," which is very good; but the sense of the Vulgate seems more pointed, (Calmet) though the other contains a noble maxim of the gospel. (Berthier)
Protestants, "in whose eyes a vile person is contemned." The sinner is the only person who is truly vile, in the opinion of the just, who forms not his opinion on outward appearances. (Haydock)
Lord. Glory is the reward of good works. (Worthington)
Neighbour. This sense is conformable to the Hebrew without points, (Geneb.) and more beautiful than that of the Rabbins, "against his own interest," (Junius) "to do evil," (Ainsworth) "friendship," (Symmachus) or "to afflict himself." (St. Jerome)
We find such vows strongly enforced, Number xxx. 3., and Deuteronomy xxiii. 21. (Calmet)
Protestants, "that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not." (Haydock)
It were to be wished that oaths were not necessary. (Calmet)
But when they are, the Lord must be the arbiter of truth, and not idols; as by swearing, we testify that we believe God is the sovereign truth, and thus honour his name. See Leviticus xix 12., and Matthew v. 33. (Haydock)
Where a note speaks of the Jewish people, the Church teaches that the Passion 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).
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 Letter CXXV
3. For as to the proposal in your letter that we should discuss together the obligation of an oath which has been extorted by force, I beseech you, let not the method of our discussion involve in obscurity things which are perfectly clear. For if inevitable death were threatened in order to compel a servant of God to swear that he would do something forbidden by laws both human and divine, it would be his duty to prefer death to such an oath, lest he should be guilty of a crime in fulfilling his oath. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XV
4. “The malicious one hath been brought to nought in his sight” ( ver. 4 ). This is perfection, that the malicious one have no force against a man; and that this be “in his sight;” that is, that he know most surely that the malicious is not, save when the mind turns itself away from the eternal and immutable form of her own Creator to the form of the creature, which was made out of nothing. “But those that fear the Lord, He glorifieth:” the Lord Himself, that is. Now “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” As then the things above belong to the perfect, so what he is now going to say belongs to beginners.
St John Chrysostom Homilies on First Corinthians, Homily XXIX
[9.] Therefore am I ashamed that among the foolish heathen there are those that practise this philosophy, if not in deeds, yet so far at least as judgment goes; and who know the perishable nature of things present: whereas amongst us some do not even understand these things, but have their very judgment corrupted: and this while the Scripture is ever and anon sounding in our ears, and saying, “In his sight the vile person is contemned, but he honoreth them that fear the Lord: ( Ps. xv. 4 .) the fear of the Lord excelleth every thing; fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole of man: ( Eccles. xii. 13 ;) be not thou envious of evil men; ( Ps. xlix. 16 ;) all flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass;” ( Is. xl. 7 .) For these and such-like things though we hear every day, we are yet nailed to earth. …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, Colossians 3:16,17
“Teaching,” he saith, “and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” Mark also the considerateness of Paul. Seeing that reading is toilsome, and its irksomeness great, he led them not to histories, but to psalms, that thou mightest at once delight thy soul with singing, and gently beguile thy labors. “Hymns,” he saith, “and spiritual songs.” But now your children will utter songs and dances of Satan, like cooks, and caterers, and musicians; no one knoweth any psalm, but it seems a thing to be ashamed of even, and a mockery, and a joke. There is the treasury house of all these evils. For whatsoever soil the plant stands in, such is the fruit it bears; if in a sandy and salty soil, of like nature is its fruit; if in a sweet and rich one, it is again similar. So the matter of instruction is a sort of fountain. …