Book List
Prev Psalms Chapter 102 Next
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150

Click *H for Haydock Commentary.
Click * Footnote to expand footnote
Click any word in Latin to activate the parser. Then click on the display to expand the parser.

102:1 Ipsi David. [Benedic, anima mea, Domino, et omnia quae intra me sunt nomini sancto ejus.
*H For David himself. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and let all that is within me bless his holy name.


Ver. 1. Himself. All agree that David wrote this psalm as a model of resignation. The occasion is not known. Bert. — It may express the sentiments of the captives, (C.) or of converts to Christianity, (Euseb.) and is written with inimitable sweetness.

102:2 Benedic, anima mea, Domino, et noli oblivisci omnes retributiones ejus.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all he hath done for thee.
102:3 Qui propitiatur omnibus iniquitatibus tuis ; qui sanat omnes infirmitates tuas :
*H Who forgiveth all thy iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases.


Ver. 3. Diseases. He had described captivity as an illness. Ps. ci. C. — God graciously forgives sin, and removes bad habits. He preserves us from falling, and grants us the victory, with all our reasonable requests. W.

102:4 qui redimit de interitu vitam tuam ; qui coronat te in misericordia et miserationibus :
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction: who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion.
102:5 qui replet in bonis desiderium tuum ; renovabitur ut aquilae juventus tua :
*H Who satisfieth thy desire with good things: thy youth shall be renewed like the eagle's.


Ver. 5. Eagle's. Which get fresh feathers every year, like other birds. Is. xl. 31. C. — The eagle retains its vigour for a long time, (H.) though many fabulous accounts have been given of its renovation. Bert. — The new birth in baptism, (Theod.) or by faith, (Euseb.) or the resurrection of Christ are thus insinuated, (S. Leo, ser. i.) as well as (H.) our resurrection and state of grace. The one is necessarily connected with the other, and both senses are good. W.

102:6 faciens misericordias Dominus, et judicium omnibus injuriam patientibus.
*H The Lord doth mercies, and judgment for all that suffer wrong.


Ver. 6. Mercies. Heb. "Justice" in protecting the innocent.

102:7 Notas fecit vias suas Moysi ; filiis Israel voluntates suas.
He hath made his ways known to Moses: his wills to the children of Israel.
102:8 Miserator et misericors Dominus : longanimis, et multum misericors.
The Lord is compassionate and merciful: longsuffering and plenteous in mercy.
* Footnote * Exodus 34 : 6 And when he passed before him, he said: O the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, patient and of much compassion, and true,
* Footnote * Numbers 14 : 8 If the Lord be favourable, he will bring us into it, and give us a land flowing with milk and honey.
102:9 Non in perpetuum irascetur, neque in aeternum comminabitur.
*H He will not always be angry: nor will he threaten for ever.


Ver. 9. Ever. He executes his threats, but soon pardons us. C. — Heb. "he will not plead always, nor watch to surprise us for ever;" (C.) or "retain" his anger. Bert. — He is inclined to pity us, and only inflicts a temporal punishment on the penitent, as Christ has paid their ransom. W.

102:10 Non secundum peccata nostra fecit nobis, neque secundum iniquitates nostras retribuit nobis.
*H He hath not dealt with us according to our sins: nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.


Ver. 10. Iniquities. Which deserved eternal reprobation.

102:11 Quoniam secundum altitudinem caeli a terra, corroboravit misericordiam suam super timentes se ;
*H For according to the height of the heaven above the earth: he hath strengthened his mercy towards them that fear him.


Ver. 11. Earth. There is no proportion between God's mercy and our crimes. C. — Sins are perfectly washed away, (W.) and not barely covered, as the east cannot be the west. Bert. — Sin remitted "sets for ever." S. Aug.

102:12 quantum distat ortus ab occidente, longe fecit a nobis iniquitates nostras.
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our iniquities from us.
102:13 Quomodo miseretur pater filiorum, misertus est Dominus timentibus se.
As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him:
102:14 Quoniam ipse cognovit figmentum nostrum ; recordatus est quoniam pulvis sumus.
*H For he knoweth our frame. He remembereth that we are dust:


Ver. 14. He remembereth. Rom. Sept. and psalter, &c. "Remember." Other copies agree with us. C. — God compassionates the frailty of those who fear him. Origen falsely inferred from v. 9. that the devils and the damned would one day be saved. But this is contrary to Scripture. v. 17. Matt. xxv. Apoc. xx. &c. W.

102:15 Homo, sicut foenum dies ejus ; tamquam flos agri, sic efflorebit :
Man's days are as grass, as the flower of the field so shall he flourish.
102:16 quoniam spiritus pertransibit in illo, et non subsistet, et non cognoscet amplius locum suum.
*H For the spirit shall pass in him, and he shall not be: and he shall know his place no more.


Ver. 16. In him. Or "over it;" the flower. Or the spirit of God's indignation will overwhelm him. The soul of man departs, and cannot naturally be reunited with the body, though it greatly desire that union. C. — The longest life is but like the duration of a flower, (Is. xl. 6. H.) and the splendour of the noblest families is no better in the sight of God. S. Aug.

102:17 Misericordia autem Domini ab aeterno, et usque in aeternum super timentes eum. Et justitia illius in filios filiorum,
*H But the mercy of the Lord is from eternity and unto eternity upon them that fear him: And his justice unto children's children,


Ver. 17. Justice. In protecting the oppressed, (C.) and rendering to every one according to his deserts abundantly. H. — God never punishes more than a person's crimes have merited. Ex. xx. 5. and xxxiv. 6. C.

102:18 his qui servant testamentum ejus, et memores sunt mandatorum ipsius ad faciendum ea.
To such as keep his covenant, And are mindful of his commandments to do them.
102:19 Dominus in caelo paravit sedem suam, et regnum ipsius omnibus dominabitur.
*H The lord hath prepared his throne in heaven: and his kingdom shall rule over all.


Ver. 19. All. When Christ shall sit in judgment, (Bert.) and the wicked be suffered no longer to disturb the order of things, and the joy of the elect. H.

102:20 Benedicite Domino, omnes angeli ejus : potentes virtute, facientes verbum illius, ad audiendam vocem sermonum ejus.
*H Bless the Lord, all ye his angels: you that are mighty in strength, and execute his word, hearkening to the voice of his orders.


Ver. 20. His angels. You who have executed the orders of God for our delivery, help us to return him thanks. C. — Hearkening. Lit. "to hear," (H.) or that all may learn to obey God's mandates when they perceive how carefully the angels put them in execution. Bert.

102:21 Benedicite Domino, omnes virtutes ejus ; ministri ejus, qui facitis voluntatem ejus.
*H Bless the Lord, all ye his hosts: you ministers of his that do his will.


Ver. 21. Hosts. Sun, &c. which never deviate from their regular course.

102:22 Benedicite Domino, omnia opera ejus : in omni loco dominationis ejus, benedic, anima mea, Domino.]
*H Bless the Lord, all his works: in every place of his dominion, O my soul, bless thou the Lord.


Ver. 22. Soul. In vain should we behold all nature praising God, if we neglected that duty. Bert. — All the works of the Most High praise him, being under his dominion. W.

Prev Next