Psalms 16:14
From the enemies of thy hand. O Lord, divide them from the few of the earth in their life: their belly is filled from thy hidden stores. They are full of children: and they have left to their little ones the rest of their substance.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- ab inimicis manus tuæ. Domine, a paucis de terra divide eos in vita eorum ; de absconditis tuis adimpletus est venter eorum. Saturati sunt filiis, et dimiserunt reliquias suas parvulis suis.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἀπὸ ἐχθρῶν τῆς χειρός σου· Κύριε ἀπολύων ἀπὸ γῆς, διαμέρισον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτῶν· καὶ τῶν κεκρυμμένων σου ἐπλήσθη ἡ γαστὴρ αὐτῶν, ἐχορτάσθησαν ὑείων καὶ ἀφῆκαν τὰ κατάλοιπα τοῖς νηπίοις αὐτῶν.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 17:14
- מִֽמְתִ֥ים יָדְךָ֨ יְהוָ֡ה מִֽמְתִ֬ים מֵחֶ֗לֶד חֶלְקָ֥ם בַּֽחַיִּים֮ וצפינך תְּמַלֵּ֪א בִ֫טְנָ֥ם יִשְׂבְּע֥וּ בָנִ֑ים וְהִנִּ֥יחוּ יִ֝תְרָ֗ם לְעוֹלְלֵיהֶֽם
Haydock's commentary
Divide them from the few, &c. That is, cut them off from the earth, and the few trifling things thereof; which they are so proud of, or, divide them from the few; that is, from thy elect, who are but few; that they may no longer have it in their power to oppress them. It is not meant by way of a curse or imprecation; but, as many other similar passages in the psalms, by way of a prediction, or prophecy of what should come upon them, in punishment of their wickedness.
Thy hidden stores: thy secret treasures, out of which thou furnishest those earthly goods, which with a bountiful hand thou hast distributed both to the good and the bad. (Challoner)
Of children. Hebrew, "their children are satiated." (Houbigant) (Berthier)
Some copies read ueion, (Roman Septuagint) instead of uion. "They have been filled with hogs' flesh." The mistake was easy in Greek. (Calmet) St. Jerome agrees with the Vulgate. (Haydock)
A numerous family was the great desire of the Jews. David is willing to forego every temporal advantage, and only prays that he may live in his own country, and attend the divine worship in the tabernacle. This was the glory of Israel, ver. 15., and 1 Kings iv. 21. (Calmet)
He predicts the final separation of the wicked from the elect, which sometimes begins in this life. Their worldly joys are hidden or disapproved by God. (Worthington)
They feed on the poor servants of our Lord, (Haydock) whose life is hidden. (Menochius)
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 XVII
13. “Deliver My soul from the ungodly.” Deliver My soul, by restoring Me after the death, which the ungodly have inflicted on Me. “Thy weapon: from the enemies of Thine hand” ( ver. 14 ). For My soul is Thy weapon, which Thy hand, that is, Thy eternal Power, hath taken to subdue thereby the kingdoms of iniquity, and divide the righteous from the ungodly. This weapon then “deliver from the enemies of Thine hand,” that is, of Thy Power, that is, from Mine enemies. “Destroy them, O Lord, from off the earth, scatter them in their life.” O Lord, destroy them from off the earth, which they inhabit, scatter them throughout the world in this life, which only they think their life, who despair of life eternal. …