Psalms 21:27
The poor shall eat and shall be filled: and they shall praise the Lord that seek him: their hearts shall live for ever and ever.
Open Psalms 21:27 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Edent pauperes, et saturabuntur, et laudabunt Dominum qui requirunt eum : vivent corda eorum in sæculum sæculi.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- φάγονται πένητες καὶ ἐμπλησθήσονται, καὶ αἰνέσουσιν Κύριον οἱ ἐκζητοῦντες αὐτόν· ζήσονται αἱ καρδίαι αὐτῶν εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 22:27
- יֹאכְל֬וּ עֲנָוִ֨ים וְיִשְׂבָּ֗עוּ יְהַֽלְל֣וּ יְ֭הוָה דֹּ֣רְשָׁ֑יו יְחִ֖י לְבַבְכֶ֣ם לָעַֽד
Haydock's commentary
Poor. Hebrew hanavim, means also, "quiet and modest men," such as our Saviour calls poor in spirit, Matthew v. 3. These alone ought to partake of the holy sacraments. (Haydock)
The psalmist may allude to the feasts prescribed by the law, (Deuteronomy xii. 7., and xxvi. 11.) and imitated in the love-feasts of the primitive Christians. The sacrifices of thanksgiving were symbols of that of the blessed Eucharist, of which the Fathers explain this text. (Theodoret; St. Augustine, &c.) (Calmet)
Indeed, as it speaks of the times of the new law, this must be the meaning. (Haydock)
It describes that part of the Christian worship, which consists in participating of those sacred mysteries which give life to the humble and worthy receiver, John vi. Protestants explain this eating, to mean "instruction." But that may be given any where; and the psalmist alludes to the public service, which is to be performed in the midst of the Church. Calmet would understand it of David, and of the sacrifices of the old law: which throws all into confusion. (Berthier)
The apostles clearly refer the text to Jesus Christ, who promised to institute the blessed Eucharist, after he had fed the multitudes, (John vi.) and he fulfilled his promise at the last supper. (St. Augustine, ep. cxx. 27.)
This holy doctor observes, that the rich, or the fat ones, have eaten and have adored, (ver. 30.) but yet are not filled, because they disdain to be humble. He speaks not of mere bread and wine, which cannot be lawfully adored; nor of Christ's body on the cross, or in heaven, which "is not eaten, but as it is in the forms of bread and wine on Christ's table, the altar." (Worthington)
Read on
Those who approach unworthily sign their own condemnation, which they bear about in their bodies. (Haydock)
Their. Hebrew, "your," though St. Jerome, Chaldean, Syriac, &c., agree with us. The sense is the same. My friends shall partake of the victims in abundance, after my restoration. "But the text is more naturally explained of the food....which we receive in the blessed Eucharist," and which imparts life eternal. The strong may partake, but they must first become mean in their own eyes. (Calmet)
The faithful and humble only derive benefit from this great sacrament. Its effect is a glorious resurrection in eternal life. (Worthington)
The sounder Protestants maintain that Christ is to be adored "in the symbols, before receiving." (Thorndike) See Answer to Slack, p. 14.
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
Clement of Alexandria The Stromata, or Miscellanies, Chap. I. On Faith
of the speech which denies what is false, and of the dilemma, of that which is concealed, of the Sorites, and of the Crocodilean, of that which is open, and of ambiguities and sophisms. To inquire, then, respecting God, if it tend not to strife, but to discovery, is salutary. For it is written in David, “The poor eat, and shall be filled; and they shall praise the Lord that seek Him. Your heart shall live for ever.” For they who seek Him after the true search, praising the Lord, shall be filled with the gift that comes from God, that is, knowledge. And their soul shall live; for the soul is figuratively termed the heart, which ministers life: for by the Son is the Father known.
St Augustine Book I, Chapter I
1. Great art Thou, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is Thy power, and of Thy wisdom there is no end. And man, being a part of Thy creation, desires to praise Thee, man, who bears about with him his mortality, the witness of his sin, even the witness that Thou “resistest the proud,”, yet man, this part of Thy creation, desires to praise Thee. Thou movest us to delight in praising Thee; for Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee. Lord, teach me to know and understand which of these should be first, to call on Thee, or to praise Thee; and likewise to know Thee, or to call upon Thee. But who is there that calls upon Thee without knowing Thee? For he that knows Thee not may call upon Thee as other than Thou art. Or perhaps we call on Thee that we may know Thee. …
St Augustine Letter CXXX
8. Many holy men and women, using every precaution against those pleasures in which she that liveth, cleaving to them, and dwelling in them as her heart’s delight, is dead while she liveth, have cast from them that which is as it were the mother of pleasures, by distributing their wealth among the poor, and so have stored it in the safer keeping of the treasury of heaven. If you are hindered from doing this by some consideration of duty to your family, you know yourself what account you can give to God of your use of riches. …
St Augustine Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John, Chapter VIII. 13, 14
7. For it is from prophecy that we convince gainsaying pagans. Who is Christ? says the pagan. To whom we reply, He whom the prophets foretold. What prophets? asks he. We quote Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, and other holy prophets: we tell him that they came long before Christ, by what length of time they preceded His coming. We make this reply then: Prophets came before Him, and they foretold His coming. One of them answers: What prophets? We quote for him those which are daily read to us. And, said he, Who are these prophets? We answer: Those who also foretold the things which we see come to pass. And he urges: You have forged these for yourselves, you have seen them come to pass, and have written them in what books you pleased, as if their coming had been predicted. Here in opposition to pagan enemies the witness of other enemies offers itself. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XXII
27. “The poor shall eat, and be filled” ( ver. 26 ). The humble and the despisers of the world shall eat, and imitate Me. For so they will neither desire this world’s abundance, nor fear its want. “And they shall praise the Lord, who seek Him.” For the praise of the Lord is the pouring out of that fulness. “Their hearts shall live for ever and ever.” For that food is the food of the heart.
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Part 1
3. And again he saith, “both all ye earthborn, and sons of men” ( ver. 2 ). The expression “earthborn” he doth refer to sinners; the expression “sons of men” to the faithful and righteous. Ye see then that this distinction is observed. Who are the “earthborn”? The children of the earth. Who are the children of the earth? They who desire earthly inheritances. Who are the “sons of men”? They who appertain to the Son of Man. We have already before explained this distinction to your Sanctity, and have concluded that Adam was a man, but not the son of man; that Christ was the Son of Man, but was God also. For whosoever pertain to Adam, are “earthborn:” whosoever pertain to Christ, are “sons of men.” Nevertheless, let all hear, I withhold my discourse from no one. If one is “earthborn,” let him hear, because of the judgment: another is a “son of man,” let him hear for the kingdom’s sake. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CXXXII
17. Also, “I will satisfy her poor with bread;” what meaneth this, brethren? Let us be poor, and we shall then be satisfied. Many who trust in the world, and are proud, are Christians; they worship Christ, but are not satisfied; for they have been satisfied, and abound in their pride. Of such it is said, “Our soul is filled with the scornful reproof of the wealthy, and with the despitefulness of the proud:” these have abundance, and therefore eat, but are not satisfied. And what is said of them in the Psalm? “All such as be fat upon the earth have eaten and worshipped.” They worship Christ, they venerate Christ, they pray unto Christ; but they are not satisfied with His wisdom and righteousness. Wherefore? Because they are not poor. For the poor, that is the humble in heart, the more they hunger, the more they eat; and the more empty they are of the world, the more hungry they are. …