Psalms 71:20
The praises of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Defecerunt laudes David, filii Jesse.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Ἐξέλιπον οἱ ὕμνοι Δαυεὶδ τοῦ υἱοῦ Ἰεσσαί.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 72:20
- כָּלּ֥וּ תְפִלּ֑וֹת דָּ֝וִ֗ד בֶּן יִשָֽׁי
Haydock's commentary
Are ended. By this it appears that this psalm, though placed here, was in order of time the last of those which David composed, (Challoner) as he died soon after. (Menochius)
The subject which he has here treated, (Haydock) concentrated all his thoughts and desires. (Eusebius)
"The prayers of David, son of Jesse, have been summed up." (Theodotion and V Edition.) (Haydock)
It is probable that the collections of the psalms were made at different times; (Berthier) and though many were found after this second book was completed, it was not judged expedient to make any alteration. The Syriac and Arabic pass over this sentence entirely, (Calmet) which might be added by Esdras. (Worthington)
The following psalms have the name of Asaph, &c., in the titles. (Flaminius)
Yet it is certain that David composed some at least, which are place after this. See Psalm cix., &c. (Haydock)
The true David ceaseth not to sing new canticles in his Church. (St. Augustine) (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 Jerome The Letters of St. Jerome, To Marcella
1. To-day, about the third hour, just as I was beginning to read with you the seventy-second psalm, the first, that is, of the third book, and to explain that its title belonged partly to the second book and partly to the third, the previous book, I mean, concluding with the words “the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended,” and the next commencing with the words “a psalm of Asaph”, and just as I had come on the passage in which the righteous man declares: “If I say, I will speak thus; behold I should offend against the generation of thy children,” a verse which is differently rendered in our Latin version: suddenly the news came that our most saintly friend Lea had departed from the body. As was only natural, you turned deadly pale; for there are few persons, if any, who do not burst into tears when the earthen vessel breaks. …
St Ambrose On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter XLIX. We must reserve the likeness of the virtues in ourselves. The likeness of the devil and of vice must be got rid of, and especially that of avarice; for this deprives us of liberty, and despoils those who are in the midst of vanities of the image of God
254. Why, then, dost thou idly spin a web which is worthless and fruitless? And why dost thou build up useless heaps of treasures like spiders’ webs? For though they overflow, they are no good; nay, they denude thee of the likeness of God, and put on thee the likeness of the earthy. If any one has the likeness of the tyrant, is he not liable to condemnation? Thou layest aside the likeness of the Eternal King, and raisest in thyself the image of death. Rather cast out of the kingdom of thy soul the likeness of the devil, and raise up the likeness of Christ. Let this shine forth in thee; let this glow brightly in thy kingdom, that is, thy soul, for it destroys the likeness of all vices. David says of this: “O Lord, in Thy kingdom thou bringest their images to nothing.” For when the Lord has adorned Jerusalem according to His own likeness, then every likeness of the adversary is destroyed.