Psalms 32:7
Gathering together the waters of the sea, as in a vessel; laying up the depths in storehouses.
Open Psalms 32:7 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Congregans sicut in utre aquas maris ; ponens in thesauris abyssos.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- συνάγων ὡς ἀσκὸν ὕδατα θαλάσσης, τιθεὶς ἐν θησαυροῖς ἀβύσσους.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 33:7
- כֹּנֵ֣ס כַּ֭נֵּד מֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם נֹתֵ֖ן בְּאֹצָר֣וֹת תְּהוֹמֽוֹת
Haydock's commentary
As in. This is agreeable to St. Augustine, and some ancient psalters; though the Septuagint have "like a bottle" made of leather, osei askon. Moderns would translate, "like a heap." But Symmachus and St. Jerome agree with us, (see Psalm lxxvii. 13.; Calmet) as well as the Chaldean and Houbigant. God has made the bed of the sea capable of containing such quantities of water, some of which evaporate and descend again from the clouds, to make the earth fruitful. Yet many take no notice of this admirable economy. (Berthier)
Theodoret and St. Athanasius understand the clouds to be meant by this vessel; but the former sentiment seems better. These waters, as well as hail, &c., are instruments of God's vengeance, Deuteronomy xxxii. 34. The depths have the same import. God calls them forth at pleasure, (Amos v. 8., and Genesis vii. 11.) and confines them within bounds, Job xxxviii. 11.
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 XXXIII
7. “He gathereth the waters of the sea together as into a bottle:” He gathered the people of the world together, to confession of mortified sin, lest through pride they flow too freely. “He layeth up the deep in storehouses” ( ver. 7 ): and keepeth in them His secrets for riches.
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans, Homily XVIII on Rom. x. 14, 15
Since they pressed him with another objection again to this effect, that if these were the persons sent upon the mission by God, all ought to have hearkened to them: observe Paul’s judgment, and see how he shows that this very thing which made the confusion, did in fact do away with confusion and embarrassment. What offends you, O Jew, he would say, after so great and abundant evidence, and demonstration of the points? that all did not submit to the Gospel? Why this very thing, when taken along with the others, is of force to certify thee of the truth of my statements, even in that some do not believe. For this too the prophet foretold. Notice his unspeakable wisdom too; how he shows more than they were looking for, or expected him to have to say in reply. For what is it that you say? he means. Is it that all have not believed the Gospel? Well! Isaiah foretold this too from of old. …
St Gregory the Great Book XI, To Isacius, Bishop of Jerusalem
But that men of a right faith are advanced to sacred orders, thanks should be given without cease to the same Almighty God, and prayer should ever be made for the life of our most pious and Christian lord the Emperor, and for his most tranquil spouse, and his most gentle offspring, in whose times the mouths of heretics are silent, since, though their hearts seethe in the madness of perverse opinion, yet in the time of the orthodox Emperor they presume not to speak out the wrong opinions which they hold; so that we plainly see fulfilled what is written, Gathering the waters of the sea together as in a bottle ( Ps. xxxii. 7 ). For the water of the sea is gathered together as in a bottle, because whatever wrong opinions the bitter science of heretics entertains at the present day it keeps within the breast, and presumes not to express them openly. …
The Fathers are given as they wrote. Where a passage lays the Passion on the Jewish people, the Church teaches that it 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).