Psalms 93:15
Until justice be turned into judgment: and they that are near it are all the upright in heart.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- quoadusque justitia convertatur in judicium : et qui juxta illam, omnes qui recto sunt corde.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἕως οὗ δικαιοσύνη ἐπιστρέψῃ εἰς κρίσιν, καὶ ἐχόμενοι αὐτῆς πάντες οἱ εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ. διάψαλμα.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 94:15
- כִּֽי עַד צֶ֭דֶק יָשׁ֣וּב מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וְ֝אַחֲרָ֗יו כָּל יִשְׁרֵי לֵֽב
Haydock's commentary
Until justice be turned into judgment, &c. By being put in execution: which will be agreeable to all the upright in heart. (Challoner)
They will be round the tribunal, and sit as judges with Christ. Hebrew ci had, "For to," may have been originally ad ci, "Until." (Haydock)
This does not imply that the just will not be protected afterwards. Cyrus was a figure of the Messias, and all his counsellors, or the Jews, attached themselves to him, when he punished the Babylonians, Isaias xli. 2., and liii. 11. (Calmet)
The Church will never be rejected by a just God, whose judgments must take place, and be pleasing to the righteous. (Worthington)
Where a note speaks of the Jewish people, the Church teaches that the Passion cannot be charged against all the Jews then living, nor against the Jews of today, and that all sinners were its authors (CCC 597, 598).
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 Letter XLVIII
2. We exhort you in the Lord, brethren, to be stedfast in your purpose, and persevere to the end; and if the Church, your Mother, calls you to active service, guard against accepting it, on the one hand, with too eager elation of spirit, or declining it, on the other, under the solicitations of indolence; and obey God with a lowly heart, submitting yourselves in meekness to Him who governs you, who will guide the meek in judgment, and will teach them His way. Do not prefer your own ease to the claims of the Church; for if no good men were willing to minister to her in her bringing forth of her spiritual children, the beginning of your own spiritual life would have been impossible. …
St Augustine On the Holy Trinity, Man Was to Be Rescued from the Power of the Devil, Not by Power, But by Righteousness
17. But the devil was to be overcome, not by the power of God, but by His righteousness. For what is more powerful than the Omnipotent? Or what creature is there of which the power can be compared to the power of the Creator? But since the devil, by the fault of his own perversity, was made a lover of power, and a forsaker and assailant of righteousness, for thus also men imitate him so much the more in proportion as they set their hearts on power, to the neglect or even hatred of righteousness, and as they either rejoice in the attainment of power, or are inflamed by the lust of it, it pleased God, that in order to the rescuing of man from the grasp of the devil, the devil should be conquered, not by power, but by righteousness; and that so also men, imitating Christ, should seek to conquer the devil by righteousness, not by power. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XCIV
14. “Until righteousness,” he saith, “turn again unto judgment, and all they that have it are right in heart” ( ver. 15 ). Listen now, and gain righteousness: for judgment thou canst not yet have. Thou shouldest gain righteousness first; but that very righteousness of thine shall turn unto judgment. The Apostles had righteousness here on earth, and bore with the wicked. But what is said unto them? “Ye shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Their righteousness therefore shall turn unto judgment. For whoever is righteous in this life, is so for this reason, that he may endure evils with patience: let him suffer patiently the period of suffering, and the day of judging cometh. But why do I speak of the servants of God? The Lord Himself, who is the Judge of all living and dead, first chose to be judged, and then to judge. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CVI
4. But unless there were some difference between judgment and righteousness, we should not read in another Psalm, “Until righteousness turn again unto judgment.” The Scripture, indeed, loveth to place these two words together; as, “Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His seat;” and this, “He shall make thy righteousness as clear as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day;” where there is apparently a repetition of the same sentiment. And perhaps on account of the resemblance of signification one may be put for the other, either judgment for righteousness, or righteousness for judgment: yet, if they be spoken of in their proper sense, I doubt not that there is some difference; viz. that he is said to keep judgment who judgeth rightly, but he to do righteousness who acts righteously. …