Psalms 82:2
O God, who shall be like to thee? hold not thy peace, neither be thou still, O God.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Deus, quis similis erit tibi ? ne taceas, neque compescaris, Deus :
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Ὁ θεός, τίς ὁμοιωθήσεταί σοι; μὴ σιγήσῃς μηδὲ καταπραύνῃς, ὁ θεός·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 83:2
- אֱלֹהִ֥ים אַל דֳּמִי לָ֑ךְ אַל תֶּחֱרַ֖שׁ וְאַל תִּשְׁקֹ֣ט אֵֽל
Haydock's commentary
To thee? Hebrew, "be not silent to thyself." (Pagnin)
But domi also implies "like;" (Bellarmine) and there would otherwise be a sort of tautology. (Berthier)
Christ on earth was like other men: but when he shall come to judgment, none will be comparable to Him. (St. Augustine)
Amama says this exposition is groundless: but others are of a contrary opinion. (Haydock)
The ancient Greek interpreters seem not to have varied from the Septuagint, though St. Jerome adopts the present Hebrew, "be not silent. Hold," &c., which may express the utmost fervour and want of protection. Thy own cause is now at stake: the enemy wishes to destroy religion. (Calmet)
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 LXXXIII
2. The people of God, then, in this Psalm saith, “O God, who shall be like unto Thee?” ( ver. 1 ). Which I suppose to be more fitly taken of Christ, because, being made in the likeness of men, He was thought by those by whom He was despised to be comparable to other men: for He was even “reckoned among the unrighteous,” but for this purpose, that He might be judged. But when He shall come to judge, then shall be done what is here said, “O God, who is like unto Thee?” For if the Psalms did not use to speak to the Lord Christ, that too would not be spoken which not one of the faithful can doubt was spoken unto Christ. …
St Athanasius Synodal Letter to the Bishops of Africa. (Ad Afros Epistola Synodica.)
Why then do they go on citing the Synod of Ariminum, at which they were deposed? Why do they reject that of Nicæa, at which their Fathers signed the confession that the Son is of the Father’s Essence and coessential with Him? Why do they run about? For now they are at war not only with the bishops who met at Nicæa, but with their own great bishops and their own friends. Whose heirs or successors then are they? How can they call men fathers, whose confession, well and apostolically drawn up, they will not accept? For if they think they can object to it, let them speak, or rather answer, that they may be convicted of falling foul of themselves, whether they believe the Son when He says, ‘I and my Father are one,’ and ‘he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.’ ‘Yes,’ they must answer, ‘since it is written we believe it.’ But if they are asked how they are one, and how he that hath seen th …