Psalms 67:15
When he that is in heaven appointeth kings over her, they shall be whited with snow in Selmon.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Dum discernit cælestis reges super eam, nive dealbabuntur in Selmon.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐν τῷ διαστέλλειν τὸν ἐπουράνιον βασιλεῖς ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς, χιονωθήσονται ἐν Σελμών.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 68:15
- בְּפָ֘רֵ֤שׂ שַׁדַּ֓י מְלָ֘כִ֤ים בָּ֗הּ תַּשְׁלֵ֥ג בְּצַלְמֽוֹן
Haydock's commentary
Kings over her. That is, pastors and rulers over his Church, viz., the apostles, and their successors. Then by their ministry shall men be made whiter than the snow, which lies on the top of the high mountain Selmon, (Challoner) which is in the tribe of Ephraim, shaded with trees, Judges ix. 48. (Worthington)
Discern it, may also mean, "judgeth," (Haydock) or "divideth," as St. Jerome translates; and may intimate, that when God shall have exterminated the kings, who attacked his chosen race, it should appear more glorious. (Haydock)
In the first year of Cyrus, who had been commissioned by God, with Darius the Mede, to punish Babylon, (Daniel v.) the Jews were liberated. (Tirinus)
Where a note speaks of the Jewish people, the Church teaches that the Passion 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).
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 LXVIII
18. “While He that is above the heavens distinguisheth kings over Her, with snow they shall be made white in Selmon” ( ver. 14 ). While He “above the heavens,” He that ascended over all heavens that He might fulfil all things, “while He distinguisheth kings over Her,” that is, over that same “Dove silvered.” For the Apostle continueth and saith, and “He hath Himself given some for Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers.” For what other reason is there to distinguish kings over Her, save for the work of the Ministry, for the edification of the Body of Christ: when she is indeed Herself the Body of Christ? But they are called kings from ruling: and what more than the lusts of the flesh, that sin may not reign in their mortal body to obey the desires thereof, that they yield not their members instruments of iniquity unto sin, but yield themselves to …