Psalms 88:39
But thou hast rejected and despised: thou hast been angry with thy anointed.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Tu vero repulisti et despexisti ; distulisti christum tuum.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- σὺ δὲ ἀπώσω καὶ ἐξουδένωσας, ἀνεβάλου τὸν χριστόν σου·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 89:39
- וְאַתָּ֣ה זָ֭נַחְתָּ וַתִּמְאָ֑ס הִ֝תְעַבַּ֗רְתָּ עִם מְשִׁיחֶֽךָ
Haydock's commentary
Rejected. In all kingdoms, there are some interruptions, and God did not fail in his promises. He still maintained the sceptre in Juda, though not with the same splendour at all times. (Berthier)
Angry. Or literally, "hast deferred." Distulisti. (Haydock)
The Israelites ardently wished for the coming of the Messias. The psalmist here contrasts the present forlorn condition of the people with the preceding promises; and bewails the fate of Sedecias, who was slain at a distance from home. Distulisti. See Psalm lxxvii. 21., and lxii. (Calmet)
Thou hast been angry with thy Christ, (king Sedecias) and even with our Redeemer, in some sense, (Calmet) as He was treated thus, in consequence of the sins of mankind. (Eusebius, &c.)
The promises were not fulfilled in David, that we may look farther. Solomon seemed to answer all his expectations. But he fell, and God had not him but Christ in view. The kingdom and sacrifices of the Jews are no more. Christ was not taken from them, but deferred. Some Jews and many Gentiles believed in him, ver. 47., &c. (St. Augustine) (Worthington)
Anointed. Thou hast despised us, and delayed the coming of the Messias. We cannot accuse the psalmist of impatience, as a late commentator has done, his words being dictated by the Holy Ghost. He expostulates with love and confidence, (Berthier) and comforts himself with the thought, that the coming of the Messias is only delayed. (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 Augustine City of God, How Different the Acts in the Kingdom of the Earthly Jerusalem are from Those Which God Had Promised, So that the Truth of the Promise Should Be Understood to Pertain to the Glory of the Other King and Kingdom
That it might not be supposed that a promise so strongly expressed and confirmed was fulfilled in Solomon, as if he hoped for, yet did not find it, he says, “But Thou hast cast off, and hast brought to nothing, O Lord.” This truly was done concerning the kingdom of Solomon among his posterity, even to the overthrow of the earthly Jerusalem itself, which was the seat of the kingdom, and especially the destruction of the very temple which had been built by Solomon. But lest on this account God should be thought to have done contrary to His promise, immediately he adds, “Thou hast delayed Thy Christ.” Therefore he is not Solomon, nor yet David himself, if the Christ of the Lord is delayed. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm LXXXIX
33. These promises, so sure, so firm, so open, so unquestioned, were made concerning Christ. For although some are mysteriously veiled, yet some are so clear, that all that is obscure is easily revealed by them. Such being the case, see what follows: “But Thou hast approved and brought to nothing and forsaken Thine Anointed” ( ver. 38 ). “Thou hast overthrown the testament of Thy servant, and profaned His holiness on the ground” ( ver. 39 ). “Thou hast broken down all His hedges, and made His strongholds a terror” ( ver. 40 ).…How is this? Thou hast promised all those things: and Thou hast brought to pass their reverse. Where are now the promises which but a little before filled us with delight? which we so joyfully applauded, which we so fearlessly made our boast of? It is as if one promised, and another destroyed. …
St Ambrose Exposition of the Christian Faith, Chapter XIV. The Son is of one substance with the Father
121. Of Him the Scripture saith, in the passage cited, in order to discover the mysteries of the Incarnation: “But Thou hast rejected, O Lord, and counted for nought, Thou hast cast out Thy Christ. Thou hast overthrown the covenant made with Thy Servant, and trampled His holiness in the earth.” What was it, in regard whereof the Scripture called Him “Servant,” but His flesh? seeing that “He did not hold equality with God as a prey, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made into the likeness of men, and found in fashion as a man.” So, then, in that He took upon Himself My nature, He was a servant, but by virtue of His own power He is the Lord.