Psalms 86:6
The Lord shall tell in his writings of peoples and of princes, of them that have been in her.
Open Psalms 86:6 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Dominus narrabit in scripturis populorum et principum, horum qui fuerunt in ea.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Κύριος διηγήσεται ἐν γραφῇ λαῶν καὶ ἀρχόντων τούτων τῶν γεγενημένων ἐν αὐτῇ. διάψαλμα.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 87:6
- יְֽהוָ֗ה יִ֭סְפֹּר בִּכְת֣וֹב עַמִּ֑ים זֶ֖ה יֻלַּד שָׁ֣ם סֶֽלָה
Haydock's commentary
Writings. He alone can number the inhabitants: or He will enroll all nations as citizens of Sion. (Calmet)
The New Testament explains the vocation of the Gentiles, and the incarnation of Christ. (Berthier)
The Scriptures are the books of all mankind, as well as of princes. All are equally interested in their contents, and ought to become acquainted with them. Hebrew, "the Lord has numbered, writing down peoples: He was born in it for ever." (St. Jerome)
This refers to Jesus Christ, whose birth is also specified in the preceding verse, (Berthier) as ennobling Sion, far more than that of Homer, Alexander, or Cæsar could do any of the pagan cities, Egypt, &c., ver. 4. (Haydock)
The mystery of the incarnation will shine forth at the last day, as well as the glory of the elect. But these things are already consigned in part to all nations, in the writings of the apostles, (Berthier) and in ecclesiastical history. (Menochius)
Princes, is not here in Hebrew. (Berthier)
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 LXXXVII
7. As though it were said, How do ye know this? All of us have sung these Psalms: and Christ, Man for our sake, God before us, sings within us all. But is this much to say, “before us,” of Him who was before heaven and earth and time? He then, born for our sakes a man, in that city, also founded her when He was the Most High. Yet how are we assured of this? “The Lord shall rehearse it when He writeth up the people” ( ver. 6 ), as the following verse has it. “The Lord shall declare, when He writeth up the people, and their princes.” What princes? “Those who were born in her;” those princes who, born within her walls, became therein princes: for before they could become princes in her, God chose the despised things of the world to confound the strong. Was the fisherman, the publican, a prince? They were indeed princes: but because they became such in her. …
St Ephrem the Syrian Ephraim Syrus: Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh, Hymn I
This is the day that gladdened them, the Prophets, Kings, and Priests, for in it were their words fulfilled, and thus were the whole of them indeed performed! For the Virgin this day brought forth Immanuel in Bethlehem. The voice that of old Isaiah spake, to-day became reality. He was born there who in writing should tell the Gentiles’ number! The Psalm that David once sang, by its fulfilment came to-day! The word that Micah once spake, to-day was come indeed to pass! For there came from Ephrata a Shepherd, and His staff swayed over souls. Lo! from Jacob shone the Star, and from Israel rose the Head. The prophecy that Balaam spake had its interpreting to-day! Down also came the hidden Light, and from the Body rose His beauty! The light that spake in Zachary, to-day shined in Bethlehem!