Psalms 143:3
Lord, what is man, that thou art made known to him? or the son of man, that thou makest account of him?
Open Psalms 143:3 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Domine, quid est homo, quia innotuisti ei ? aut filius hominis, quia reputas eum ?
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Κύριε, τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὅτι ἐγνώσθης αὐτῷ, ἢ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ὅτι λογίζῃ αὐτόν;
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 144:3
- יְֽהוָ֗ה מָה אָ֭דָם וַתֵּדָעֵ֑הוּ בֶּן אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ וַֽתְּחַשְּׁבֵֽהוּ
Haydock's commentary
To him. Hebrew, "thou dost acknowledge him." (St. Jerome) (Haydock)
In the transport of gratitude, he reflects on his own weakness, Job vii. 17., and Romans viii. 31. (Calmet)
Before Christ, all mankind were undeserving of revelation. (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 CXLIV
4. “Lord, what is man, that Thou hast become known unto him?” ( ver. 3 ). All is included in “that Thou hast become known unto him.” “Or the son of man, that Thou valuest him?” Thou valuest him, that is, Thou makest him of such importance, Thou countest him of such price, Thou knowest under what Thou placest him, over what Thou placest him. For valuing is considering the price of a thing. How greatly did He value man, who for him shed the blood of His only-begotten Son! For God valueth not man in the same way as one man valueth another: he, when he findeth a slave for sale, giveth a higher price for a horse than for a man. …