Psalms 33:21
The Lord keepeth all their bones, not one of them shall be broken.
Open Psalms 33:21 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Custodit Dominus omnia ossa eorum : unum ex his non conteretur.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Κύριος φυλάσσει πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτῶν, ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐ συντριβήσεται.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 34:21
- שֹׁמֵ֥ר כָּל עַצְמוֹתָ֑יו אַחַ֥ת מֵ֝הֵ֗נָּה לֹ֣א נִשְׁבָּֽרָה
Haydock's commentary
Broken. Their virtue which is denoted by the bones, (Menochius) shall not sink under torments. So Christ encouraged his disciples, by assuring them that a hair of their head should not perish, Matthew x. 30. (St. Augustine) (Calmet)
The elements of our bodies cannot be divided or destroyed by human force, so as to prevent their resurrection. The identical bodies shall rise again, though they may have been subject to many changes, reduced to ashes, or consumed by wild beasts. This mystery has often offended incredulous philosophers. Jesus Christ is the just, by excellence; and this prediction was fulfilled in his person, as St. John (xix. 36.) does not confine himself to the type of the paschal lamb. (Berthier)
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 XXXIV
23. “The Lord keepeth all their bones: not one of them shall be broken” ( ver. 20 ): this also, Brethren, let us not receive carnally. Bones are the firm supports of the faithful. For as in flesh our bones give firmness, so in the heart of a Christian it is faith that gives firmness. The patience then which is in faith, is as the bones of the inner man: this is that which cannot be broken. “The Lord keepeth all their bones: not one of them shall be broken.” If of our Lord God Jesus Christ he had said this, “The Lord keepeth all the bones of His Son; not one of them shall be broken;” as is prefigured of Him also in another place, when the lamb was spoken of that should be slain, and it was said of it, “Neither shall ye break a bone thereof:” then was it fulfilled in the Lord, because when He hung upon the Cross, He expired before they came to the Cross, and found His Body lifeless already …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XXXV
11. O Body of Christ, Holy Church, let all thy bones say, “Lord, who is like unto thee?” And if the flesh under persecution hath fallen away, let the bones say, “Lord, who is like unto Thee?” For of the righteous it is said, “The Lord keepeth all their bones; not one of them shall be broken.” Of how many righteous have the bones under persecution been broken? Finally, “The just shall live by faith,” and “Christ justifieth the ungodly.” But how justi fieth He any except believing and confessing? “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Therefore also that thief, although from His theft led to the judge, and from the judge to the cross, yet on the very cross was justified: with his heart he believed, with his mouth he confessed. …