Psalms 5:11
Their throat is an open sepulchre: they dealt deceitfully with their tongues: judge them, O God. Let them fall from their devices: according to the multitude of their wickedness cast them out: for they have provoked thee, O Lord.
Open Psalms 5:11 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Sepulchrum patens est guttur eorum ; linguis suis dolose agebant : judica illos, Deus. Decidant a cogitationibus suis ; secundum multitudinem impietatum eorum expelle eos, quoniam irritaverunt te, Domine.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- κρῖνον αὐτούς, ὁ θεός· ἀποπεσάτωσαν ἀπὸ τῶν διαβουλιῶν αὐτῶν· κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἀσεβειῶν αὐτῶν ἔξωσον αὐτούς, ὅτι παρεπίκρανάν σε, Κύριε.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- הַֽאֲשִׁימֵ֨ם אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים יִפְּלוּ֮ מִֽמֹּעֲצ֪וֹתֵ֫יהֶ֥ם בְּרֹ֣ב פִּ֭שְׁעֵיהֶם הַדִּיחֵ֑מוֹ כִּי מָ֥רוּ בָֽךְ
Haydock's commentary
Sepulchre, which never says there is enough, Proverbs xxx. 15. (Calmet)
Dealt, &c. St. Paul authorizes this version, (Romans iii. 13.) though the Hebrew be rendered, "they flatter cunningly;" (Berthier) or "they sharpen their tongue," and polish it like a sword, that it may cut more easily. This may be applied to heretics. (Sts. Athanasius, Chrysostom, and Jerome) (Calmet)
Judge, or "condemn them." Hebrew may be explained as a prediction. (Berthier)
The Holy Ghost could not dictate an imprecation or desire of revenge. But David might beg that God would frustrate the designs of his enemies; and, by treating them with some severity, hinder the execution of their wicked schemes, which would bring on their own ruin. (St. Chrysostom; St. Augustine) (Calmet)
Though the just desire the conversion of all, yet if any die impenitent, they approve of God's judgment, manifested at the end of the world. (Worthington)
Provoked. Hebrew, "rebelled against." I forgive them for what they have done to me. But I grieve at thy offence; make them return to a sense of their duty. (Calmet)
He might abhor the enemies of salvation, the world, &c., whom Christ has condemned. (Berthier)
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 V
13. “Judge them, O God: let them fall from their own thoughts” ( ver. 10 ). It is a prophecy, not a curse. For he does not wish that it should come to pass; but he perceives what will come to pass. For this happens to them, not because he appears to have wished for it, but because they are such as to deserve that it should happen. For so also what he says afterwards, “Let all that hope in Thee rejoice,” he says by way of prophecy; since he perceives that they will rejoice. Likewise is it said prophetically, “Stir up Thy strength, and come:” for he saw that He would come. Although the words, “Let them fall from their own thoughts,” may be taken thus also, that it may rather be believed to be a wish for their good by the Psalmist, whilst they fall from their evil thoughts, that is, that they may no more think evil. But what follows, “drive them out,” forbids this interpretation. …
St Gregory Nazianzen On Pentecost
IX. The Holy Ghost, then, always existed, and exists, and always will exist. He neither had a beginning, nor will He have an end; but He was everlastingly ranged with and numbered with the Father and the Son. For it was not ever fitting that either the Son should be wanting to the Father, or the Spirit to the Son. For then Deity would be shorn of Its Glory in its greatest respect, for It would seem to have arrived at the consummation of perfection as if by an afterthought. …