Psalms 34:1
For David himself. Judge thou, O Lord, them that wrong me: overthrow them that fight against me.
Open Psalms 34:1 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Ipsi David. Judica, Domine, nocentes me ; expugna impugnantes me.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Τῷ Δαυείδ. Δίκασον, Κύριε, τοὺς ἀδικοῦντάς ⸆ με, πολέμησον τοὺς πολεμοῦντάς με·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 35:1
- לְדָוִ֨ד רִיבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה אֶת יְרִיבַ֑י לְ֝חַ֗ם אֶת לֹֽחֲמָֽי
Haydock's commentary
David. Some of the Greek copies add, "psalm," and "unto the end." It was composed during the persecutions of Saul, &c., and is applied by the Fathers to Jesus Christ, who quotes ver. 19, (John xv. 25.; Calmet) and it seems to be in the same state with several others, which speak of his sufferings. (Berthier)
The expressions are very animated, and though vengeance was not so strictly forbidden under the old law, (Matthew v. 44.) yet we may explain them as predictions. (Theodoret)
David always evinces the greatest moderation, (Psalm vii. 5.) and treated even Saul with the utmost respect. What he says, therefore, was dictated by a sincere desire of their conversion, and that they might prevent eternal torments; as well as to set the conduct of God in a proper light, and to encourage the virtuous. (Asterius) (Calmet)
His name implies one "beloved," &c., inasmuch as he is a figure of Christ, the conqueror of death and hell. (St. Augustine) (Worthington)
Judge. Hebrew, "plead." I do not wish them to be condemned unheard. (Calmet)
A vindictive person does not thus commit his cause to God. Jesus Christ was all mildness. But in the spiritual warfare, we may well address these words to God, (Berthier) who is often represented as a mighty warrior, Exodus xv. 3. (Calmet)
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 XXXV
2. “Judge Thou, O Lord” (saith he), “them that hurt me, and fight Thou against them that fight against me” ( ver. 1 ). “If God be for us, who can be against us?” And whereby doth God this for us? “Take hold” (saith he) “of arms and shield, and rise up to my help” ( ver. 2 ). A great spectacle is it, to see God armed for thee. And what is His Shield, what are His Arms? “Lord,” in another place saith the man who here also speaketh, “as with the shield of Thy good-will hast Thou compassed us.” But His Arms, wherewith He may not only us defend, but also strike His enemies, if we have well profited, shall we ourselves be. For as we from Him have this, that we be armed, so is He armed from us. But He is armed from those whom He hath made, we are armed with those things which we have received from Him who made us. …
St John Cassian The Conferences of John Cassian. Part I. Containing Conferences I-X, Chapter XXI. Of the fact that devils struggle with men not without effort on their part
But our belief is that they undertake this struggle not without effort on their part. For in their conflict they themselves have some sort of anxiety and depression, and especially when they are matched with stronger rivals, i.e., saints and perfect men. Otherwise no contest or struggle, but only a simple deception of men, and one free from anxiety on their part would be assigned to them. And how then would the Apostle’s words stand, where he says: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against world-rulers of this darkness, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places;” and this too: “So fight I, not as one that beateth the air;” and again: “I have fought a good fight”? For where it is spoken of as a fight, and conflict, and battle, there must be effort and exertion and anxiety on both sides, and equally there must either be in store for …