Psalms 20:13
For thou shalt make them turn their back: in thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Quoniam pones eos dorsum ; in reliquiis tuis præparabis vultum eorum.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ὅτι θήσεις αὐτοὺς νῶτον, ἐν τοῖς περιλοίποις σου ἑτοιμάσεις τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 21:13
- כִּ֭י תְּשִׁיתֵ֣מוֹ שֶׁ֑כֶם בְּ֝מֵֽיתָרֶ֗יךָ תְּכוֹנֵ֥ן עַל פְּנֵיהֶֽם
Haydock's commentary
In thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face: or thou shalt set thy remnants against their faces. That is, thou shalt make them see what punishment remain for them hereafter from thy justice. Instead of remnants, St. Jerome renders it funes, that is cords or strings: viz., of the bow of divine justice, from which God directs his arrows against the faces of his enemies. (Challoner) "Thou wilt strengthen thy cords against their faces;" (St. Jerome) or "thou wilt prepare thy arrows on thy bow-strings," &c. But as bemetharic (Haydock) may also have the sense of the Vulgate, in thy remnants, we need not abandon this version; as it implies that after God shall have put his enemies to flight, he will turn their faces to receive "the last" of his arrows or blows; (Berthier) or He will meet them everywhere. (Haydock)
There seems to be some transposition in Hebrew and the Vulgate, as if we should read in reliquis eorum præparabis vultum tuum. "Thou wilt execute thy vengeance upon their children;" (Calmet) or, as this transposition is unnecessary, "thou shalt make them look at thy children;" (Haydock) the elect, to increase their rage. (Bellarmine; Jansenius)
To behold the glory of the just, which might so easily have been their own, will greatly mortify the reprobate at the last day. (Haydock)
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 XXI
13. “For Thou shalt set them low.” For Thou shalt rank them among those from whom in degradation and contempt Thou wilt turn away. “In Thy leavings Thou shalt make ready their countenance” ( ver. 12 ). And in these things that Thou leavest, that is, in the desires of an earthly kingdom, Thou shalt make ready their shamelessness for Thy passion.
Theodoret Dialogues. The “Eranistes” or “Polymorphus” of the Blessed Theodoretus, Bishop of Cyrus, The Immutable
“The Word ‘was’ is referred to His divinity, the words ‘was made flesh’ to His body, the Word was made flesh not by being reduced to flesh, but by bearing flesh, just as any one might say such an one became or was made an old man, though not so born from the beginning, or the soldier became a veteran, not being previously such as he became. John says, ‘I became,’ or ‘was in the island of Patmos on the Lord’s day.’ Not that he was made or born there, but he says ‘I became or was in Patmos’ instead of saying ‘I arrived;’ so the Word ‘arrived’ at flesh, as it is said ‘the Word was made flesh.’ Hear the words ‘I became like a broken vessel,’ and ‘I became like a man that hath no strength, free among the dead.’”