Psalms 67:34
Who mounteth above the heaven of heavens, to the east. Behold he will give to his voice the voice of power:
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Qui ascendit super cælum cæli, ad orientem : ecce dabit voci suæ vocem virtutis.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ψάλατε τῷ θεῷ τῷ ἐπιβεβηκότι ἐπὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατὰ ἀνατολάς. ἰδοὺ δώσει ἐν τῇ φωνῇ αὐτοῦ φωνὴν δυνάμεως.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 68:34
- לָ֭רֹכֵב בִּשְׁמֵ֣י שְׁמֵי קֶ֑דֶם הֵ֥ן יִתֵּ֥ן בְּ֝קוֹלוֹ ק֣וֹל עֹֽז
Haydock's commentary
On verses 33 to 34
Sing ye to God, is rejected by St. Jerome; but defended by St. Hilary, &c. It seems proper to connect the former sentence after Selah, (Berthier) or may be added instead, to express applause. (Haydock)
East. From Mount Olivet, which is on the east side of Jerusalem. (Challoner)
God fills all places, ver. 5., and Deuteronomy xxxiii. 26. (Calmet)
Religion has gone westward, but will return to the east, Apocalypse xvi. (Tirinus)
Power. That is, he will make his voice to be a powerful voice; by calling from death to life, such as were dead in mortal sin: as at the last day he will, by the power of his voice, call all the dead from their graves. (Challoner)
He will come to judge with great majesty, (Worthington) and his thunder shall resound, as well as the last trumpet, 1 Corinthians xv. 52.
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
38. Henceforward, as if through prophecy all things had been discoursed of which now we see fulfilled, he exhorteth to the praise of Christ, and next He foretelleth His future Advent. “Kingdoms of earth, sing ye to God, psalm ye to the Lord: psalm ye to God, who hath ascended above the Heaven of Heavens to the East” ( ver. 33 ). Or, as some copies have it, “who hath ascended above the Heaven of Heaven to the East.” In these words he perceiveth not Christ, who believeth not His Resurrection and Ascension. But hath not “to the East,” which he hath added, expressed the very spot; since in the quarters of the East is where He rose again, and whence He ascended? Therefore above the Heaven of Heaven He sitteth at the right hand of the Father. …
St John Damascene An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Concerning Worship towards the East
Since, therefore, God is spiritual light, and Christ is called in the Scriptures Sun of Righteousness and Dayspring, the East is the direction that must be assigned to His worship. For everything good must be assigned to Him from Whom every good thing arises. Indeed the divine David also says, Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth: O sing praises unto the Lord: to Him that rideth upon the Heavens of heavens towards the East . Moreover the Scripture also says, And God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed : and when he had transgressed His command He expelled him and made him to dwell over against the delights of Paradise, which clearly is the West. So, then, we worship God seeking and striving after our old fatherland. Moreover the tent of Moses had its veil and mercy seat towards the East. …