Psalms 54:10
Cast down, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city.
Open Psalms 54:10 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Præcipita, Domine ; divide linguas eorum : quoniam vidi iniquitatem et contradictionem in civitate.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καταπόντισον, κύριε, καὶ καταδίελε τὰς γλώσσας αὐτῶν, ὅτι εἶδον ἀνομίαν καὶ ἀντιλογίαν ἐν τῇ πόλει.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 55:10
- בַּלַּ֣ע אֲ֭דֹנָי פַּלַּ֣ג לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם כִּֽי רָאִ֨יתִי חָמָ֖ס וְרִ֣יב בָּעִֽיר
Haydock's commentary
Cast down. Hebrew, "swallow up," as the earth did Dathan. (Calmet)
Septuagint, "drown." (Haydock)
Tongues, as at Babel, that they may not know how to proceed. (Calmet)
Hebrew, "swallow up....the torrent of their tongue." (Bate.)
Pallag, means also to "divide." Absalom was accordingly infatuated by David's friend, 2 Kings xv. 31., and xvii. 7. (Menochius)
City of Hebron, or even of Jerusalem, which caused the king to leave no garrison in it. The city was still more abandoned in our Saviour's regard. (Calmet)
Contradiction. Their counsels agree not. They have their troubles, yet will not amend; but strive to oppress the poor. (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 LV
10. “Sink, O Lord, and divide the tongues of them” ( ver. 9 ). He is referring to men troubling him and shadowing him, and he hath wished this thing not of anger, brethren. They that have wickedly lifted up themselves, for them it is expedient that they be sunk. They that have wickedly conspired, it is expedient for them that their tongues should be divided: to good let them consent, and let their tongues agree together. But if to one purpose there were a whispering against me, he saith, all mine ene mies, let them lose their “one purpose” in evil, divided be the tongues of them, let them not with themselves agree together. “Sink, O Lord, and divide the tongues of them.” Wherefore “sink”? Because themselves they have lifted up. Wherefore “divide”? Because for an evil thing they have united. …
St Gregory Nazianzen On Pentecost
XVI. But as the old Confusion of tongues was laudable, when men who were of one language in wickedness and impiety, even as some now venture to be, were building the Tower; for by the confusion of their language the unity of their intention was broken up, and their undertaking destroyed; so much more worthy of praise is the present miraculous one. For being poured from One Spirit upon many men, it brings them again into harmony. And there is a diversity of Gifts, which stands in need of yet another Gift to discern which is the best, where all are praiseworthy. And that division also might be called noble of which David says, Drown O Lord and divide their tongues. Why? Because they loved all words of drowning, the deceitful tongue. Where he all but expressly arraigns the tongues of the present day which sever the Godhead. Thus much upon this point.