Psalms 46:10
The princes of the people are gathered together, with the God of Abraham: for the strong gods of the earth are exceedingly exalted.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Principes populorum congregati sunt cum Deo Abraham, quoniam dii fortes terræ vehementer elevati sunt.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἄρχοντες λαῶν συνήχθησαν μετὰ τοῦ θεοῦ Ἀβραάμ, ὅτι τοῦ θεοῦ οἱ κραταιοὶ τῆς γῆς σφόδρα ἐπήρθησαν.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 47:10
- נְדִ֘יבֵ֤י עַמִּ֨ים נֶאֱסָ֗פוּ עַם֮ אֱלֹהֵ֪י אַבְרָ֫הָ֥ם כִּ֣י לֵֽ֭אלֹהִים מָֽגִנֵּי אֶ֗רֶץ מְאֹ֣ד נַעֲלָֽה
Haydock's commentary
Gods. Judges appointed by the king of Persia over the Jews, &c., (Calmet) or rather the apostles, who were more than men, (St. Jerome) and exercised a greater power than any earthly monarch. (Calmet)
The richest princes have submitted to the God of Abraham, whose seed was to prove a blessing to all, Genesis xviii. 18. Hebrew as it is now pointed, "the princes of the people are gathered unto the people of the God of Abraham, for He is far elevated above the gods, the shields of the earth," as kings are often styled. (Calmet)
Protestants, "for the shields of the earth belong unto God: He is greatly exalted;" or (Septuagint) "the earthly potentates, who are of God, have been," &c.
We might explain the Vulgate in the same sense, if Dei were substituted for Dii, (Haydock) as it should be. (Calmet)
Dei sunt optimates terræ, & ipse summe elevatus est. (Houbigant)
St. Jerome agrees with the Vulgate, (Haydock) which is the clearest, (Berthier) only he renders ham, "the people" of the God, as it may also signify, and retains the word shields, which we explain the strong gods, or the "strong ones of God." (Haydock)
The blessed Trinity is not divided, but more distinctly professed in baptism than it was under the law. (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 Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XLVII
10. “The princes of the peoples are gathered together unto the God of Abraham” ( ver. 9 ). The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. True it is, God said this, and thereupon the Jews prided themselves, and said, “We are Abraham’s children;” priding themselves in their father’s name, carrying his flesh, not holding his faith; by seed cleaving to Him, in manners degenerating. But the Lord, what said He to them so priding themselves? “If ye are Abraham’s children, do the works of Abraham.” Again…“The princes of the peoples:” the princes of the nations: not the princes of one people, but the princes of all people have “gathered together unto the God of Abraham.” Of these princes was that Centurion too, of whom but now when the Gospel was read ye heard. For he was a Centurion having honour and power among men, he was a prince among the princes of the peoples. …
The Fathers are given as they wrote. Where a passage lays the Passion on the Jewish people, the Church teaches that it cannot be charged against all the Jews then living, nor against the Jews of today, and that all sinners were its authors (CCC 597, 598).