Psalms 42:5
To thee, O God my God, I will give praise upon the harp: why art thou sad, O my soul? and why dost thou disquiet me?
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Quare tristis es, anima mea ? et quare conturbas me ? Spera in Deo, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi, salutare vultus mei, et Deus meus.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἵνα τί περίλυπος εἶ, ψυχή, καὶ ἵνα τί συνταράσσεις με; ἔλπισον ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν, ὅτι ἐξομολογήσομαι αὐτῷ· σωτήριον τοῦ προσώπου μου ὁ θεός μου.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 43:5
- מַה תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י נַפְשִׁי֮ וּֽמַה תֶּהֱמִ֪י עָ֫לָ֥י הוֹחִ֣ילִי לֵֽ֭אלֹהִים כִּי ע֣וֹד אוֹדֶ֑נּוּ יְשׁוּעֹ֥ת פָּ֝נַ֗י וֵֽאלֹהָֽי
Haydock's commentary
My God. This word is singular; but the former "Elohim," is plural, to intimate one God in three persons. (Worthington)
Harp. Hebrew cinnor, which Symmachus renders, "the psaltery." The sons of Core were chiefly door-keepers: but they also played on musical instruments. (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 Book XIII, Chapter XIV
15. And so say I too, O my God, where art Thou? Behold where Thou art! In Thee I breathe a little, when I pour out my soul by myself in the voice of joy and praise, the sound of him that keeps holy-day. And yet it is “cast down,” because it relapses and becomes a deep, or rather it feels that it is still a deep. Unto it doth my faith speak which Thou hast kindled to enlighten my feet in the night, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God;” His “word is a lamp unto my feet.” Hope and endure until the night, the mother of the wicked, until the anger of the Lord be overpast, whereof we also were once children who were sometimes darkness, the remains whereof we carry about us in our body, dead on account of sin, “until the day break and the shadows flee away.” “Hope thou in the Lord.” In the morning I shall stand in Thy presence, and contemplate …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XLIII
6. And again, in order that he may draw the sound from that sounding-board below, he addresses his soul: he says, “Why art thou sorrowful, O my soul, and why dost thou disquiet me?” ( ver. 5 ). I am in tribulations, in weariness, in mourning, “Why dost thou disquiet me, O my soul?” Who is the speaker, to whom is he speaking? That it is the soul to which he is speaking, everybody knows: for it is obvious: the appeal is addressed to it directly: “Why art thou sorrowful, O my soul, and why dost thou disquiet me?” The question is as to the speaker. It is not the flesh addressing the soul, surely, since the flesh cannot speak without the soul. For it is more appropriate for the soul to address the flesh, than for the flesh to address the soul.…We perceive then that we have a certain part, in which is “the image of God;” viz. the mind and reason. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CVI
5. Next, since God justifieth, that is, maketh men righteous, by healing them from their iniquities, a prayer followeth: “Remember me, O Lord, according to the favour that Thou bearest unto Thy people” ( ver. 4 ): that is, that we may be among those with whom Thou art well pleased; since God is not well pleased with them all. “O visit me with Thy salvation.” This is the Saviour Himself, in whom sins are forgiven, and souls healed, that they may be able to keep judgment, and do righteousness; and since they who here speak know such men to be blessed, they pray for this themselves.…“Visit us,” then, “with Thy salvation,” that is, with Thy Christ. “To see the felicity of Thy chosen, and to rejoice in the gladness of Thy people” ( ver. 5 ): that is, visit us for this reason with Thy salvation, that we may see the felicity of Thy chosen, and rejoice in the gladness of Thy people. …