Psalms 9:15
Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death, that I may declare all thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Sion.
Open Psalms 9:15 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- qui exaltas me de portis mortis, ut annuntiem omnes laudationes tuas in portis filiæ Sion :
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ὅπως ἂν ἐξαγγείλω πάσας τὰς αἰνέσεις σου ἐν ταῖς πύλαις τῆς θυγατρὸς Σιών· ἀγαλλιάσομαι ἐπὶ τῷ σωτηρίῳ σου.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- לְמַ֥עַן אֲסַפְּרָ֗ה כָּֽל תְּהִלָּ֫תֶ֥יךָ בְּשַֽׁעֲרֵ֥י בַת צִיּ֑וֹן אָ֝גִ֗ילָה בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ
Haydock's commentary
Death, from the most imminent dangers. (Haydock)
Daughter. In the places where the inhabitants of Sion assembled, (Berthier) or publicly in the Church. (Worthington)
In hell, the damned would wish to die. (Theodoret)
The gates of death may also signify sin, (Origen) and the bad example of parents. (St. Jerome)
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
Origen Origen's Commentary on Matthew, Chapter XIII
In this place, then, the gates of Hades are spoken of; but in the Psalms the prophet gives thanks saying, “He who lifteth me up from the gates of death that I may declare all thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Zion.” And from this we learn that it is never possible for any one to be fit to declare the praises of God, unless he has been lifted up from the gates of death, and has come to the gates of Zion. Now the gates of Zion may be conceived as opposed to the gates of death, so that there is one gate of death, dissoluteness, but a gate of Zion, self-control; and so a gate of death, unrighteousness, but a gate of Zion, righteousness, which the prophet shows forth saying, “This is the gate of the Lord, the righteous shall enter into it.” And again there is cowardice, a gate of death, but manly courage, a gate of Zion; and want of prudence, a gate of death, but its opposite, prude …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm IX
14. But I ask, what is that cry of the poor, which God forgetteth not? Is it that cry, the words whereof are these, “Pity me, O Lord, see my humiliation at the hands of my enemies”? ( ver. 13 ). Why then did he not say, Pity “us” O Lord, see our humiliation at the hands of “our” enemies, as if many poor were crying; but as if one, Pity “me,” O Lord? Is it because One intercedeth for the Saints, “who” first “for our sakes became poor, though He was rich;” and it is He who saith, “Who exaltest me from the gates of death ( ver. 14 ), that I may declare all Thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Sion”? For man is exalted in Him, not that Man only which He beareth, which is the Head of the Church; but whichsoever one of us also is among the other members, and is exalted from all depraved desires; which are the gates of death, for that through them is the road to death. …
St Ambrose Exposition of the Christian Faith, Chapter II. None can ascend to heaven without faith; in any case, he who hath so ascended thither will be cast out wherefore, faith must be zealously preserved. We ourselves each have a heaven within, the gates whereof must be opened and be raised by confession of the Godhead of Christ, which gates are not raised by Arians, nor by those who seek the Son amongst earthly things, and who must therefore, like the Magdalene, be sent back to the apostles, against whom the gates of hell shall not prevail. Scriptures are cited to show that the servant of the Lord must not diminish aught of his Master's honour
26. Go thy way, therefore, to my brethren, that is, to those everlasting doors, which, as soon as they see Jesus, are lifted up. Peter is an “everlasting door,” against whom the gates of hell shall not prevail. John and James, the sons of thunder, to wit, are “everlasting doom.” Everlasting are the doors of the Church, where the prophet, desirous to proclaim the praises of Christ, says: “That I may tell all thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Sion.”
St Gregory the Great Register of the Epistles of St. Gregory the Great, To the Abbot Eusebius
Let thy Charity believe me that I have been greatly saddened for thy sadness, as though I had myself suffered wrong in thee. But, when I afterwards learnt that, even after the most reverend Maximianus, our brother and fellow-bishop, had restored thee to his favour and communion, thy Love would not accept communion from him, I then knew that what had been done before was just. The humility of God’s servants ought to appear in a time of affliction: but those who lift themselves up against their superiors shew that they scorn to be God’s servants. And, indeed, what he once did ought not to have been done; but still it ought to have been taken by thee with all humility: and again, when he restored to thee his favour, he ought to have been met with thanks. And because it was not so done by thee, I feel that to us in every way there is cause for tears. …