Psalms 35:6
O Lord, thy mercy is in heaven, and thy truth reacheth, even to the clouds.
Open Psalms 35:6 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Domine, in cælo misericordia tua, et veritas tua usque ad nubes.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Κύριε, ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ τὸ ἔλεός σου, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθειά σου ἕως τῶν νεφελῶν·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 36:6
- יְ֭הוָה בְּהַשָּׁמַ֣יִם חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ אֱ֝מֽוּנָתְךָ֗ עַד שְׁחָקִֽים
Haydock's commentary
Clouds. The mercy of God is great, and his fidelity indisputable. Some think these were concealed till the coming of the Messias; (Psalm lxxxiv. 11.; St. Bernard) and many of the Fathers accuse Aristotle of confining Providence to the regions above the moon, by perverting this text. (St. Clement of Alexandria, strom. 5., &c.)
But Gesner has produced 30 passages from that author which prove both a general and particular Providence. (Calmet)
God does not leave the most wilful sinner without some good motions, and sufficient grace, that they may repent if they do not harden their own hearts. He has promised such helps, and is most faithful and desirous to receive again the penitent sinner. (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
Clement of Alexandria The Stromata, or Miscellanies, Chapter XIV. Greek Plagiarism from the Hebrews
And the introduction of “chance” was hence suggested to Epicurus, who misapprehended the statement, “Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity.” And it occurred to Aristotle to extend Providence as far as the moon from this psalm: “Lord, Thy mercy is in the heavens; and Thy truth reacheth to the clouds.” For the explanation of the prophetic mysteries had not yet been revealed previous to the advent of the Lord.
St Augustine Book XIII, Chapter XV
18. Other “waters” there be “above” this “firmament,” I believe immortal, and removed from earthly corruption. Let them praise Thy Name, those super-celestial people, Thine angels, who have no need to look up at this firmament, or by reading to attain the knowledge of Thy Word, let them praise Thee. For they always behold Thy face, and therein read without any syllables in time what Thy eternal will willeth. They read, they choose, they love. They are always reading; and that which they read never passeth away. For, by choosing and by loving, they read the very unchangeableness of Thy counsel. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XXXVI
6. “Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens, and Thy truth reacheth even unto the clouds” ( ver. 5 ). I know not what Mercy of Him he meaneth, which is in the heavens. For the Mercy of the Lord is also in the earth. Thou hast it written, “The earth is full of the Mercy of the Lord.” Of what Mercy then speaketh He, when He saith, “Thy Mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens”? The gifts of God are partly temporal and earthly, partly eternal and heavenly. Whoso for this worshippeth God, that he may receive those temporal and earthly goods, which are open to all, is still as it were like the brutes: he enjoyeth indeed the Mercy of God, but not that which is excepted, which shall not be given, save only to the righteous, to the holy, to the good. …