Psalms 35:4
The words of his mouth are iniquity and guile: he would not understand that he might do well.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Verba oris ejus iniquitas, et dolus ; noluit intelligere ut bene ageret.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἀνομία καὶ δόλος, οὐκ ἐβουλήθη συνιέναι τοῦ ἀγαθῦναι.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 36:4
- דִּבְרֵי פִ֭יו אָ֣וֶן וּמִרְמָ֑ה חָדַ֖ל לְהַשְׂכִּ֣יל לְהֵיטִֽיב
Haydock's commentary
Well, to those in distress, Psalm xl. 2. Though wise enough in worldly concerns, he seemed quite ignorant when any virtuous actions were proposed. (Calmet)
Sometimes ignorance is excusable when a person does his best to obtain knowledge. But when he is negligent, the ignorance is gross, and sinful in proportion to the importance of the thing. If one desire to be ignorant to prevent remorse, this only increases the guilt, and God often leaves such destitute of the ordinary graces which he gives to others; so that they fall into a reprobate sense, and into more horrible sins. (Worthington)
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 A Treatise on Grace and Free Will, The Divine Commands Which are Most Suited to the Will Itself Illustrate Its Freedom
What is the import of the fact that in so many passages God requires all His commandments to be kept and fulfilled? How does He make this requisition, if there is no free will? What means “the happy man,” of whom the Psalmist says that “his will has been the law of the Lord”? Does he not clearly enough show that a man by his own will takes his stand in the law of God? Then again, there are so many commandments which in some way are expressly adapted to the human will; for instance, there is, “Be not overcome of evil,” and others of similar import, such as, “Be not like a horse or a mule, which have no understanding;” and, “Reject not the counsels of thy mother;” and, “Be not wise in thine own conceit;” and, “Despise not the chastening of the Lord;” and, “Forget not my law;” and, “Forbear not to do good to the poor;” and, “Devise not evil against thy friend;” and, “Give no heed to a worth …
St Augustine A Treatise on Grace and Free Will, He Shows that Ignorance Affords No Such Excuse as Shall Free the Offender from Punishment; But that to Sin with Knowledge is a Graver Thing Than to Sin in Ignorance
The excuse such as men are in the habit of alleging from ignorance is taken away from those persons who know God’s commandments. But neither will those be without punishment who know not the law of God. “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.” Now the apostle does not appear to me to have said this as if he meant that they would have to suffer something worse who in their sins are ignorant of the law than they who know it. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XXXVI
3. “The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he would not understand, that he might do good” ( ver. 3 ). Ye see that he attributeth that to the will: for there are men who would understand and cannot, and there are men who would not understand, and therefore understand not. “He would not understand, that he might do good.”