12:1 [O quam bonus et suavis est, Domine, spiritus tuus in omnibus !
*H O how good and sweet is thy Spirit, O Lord, in all things!
Ver. 1. O how. Sept. "for incorruptible is thy Spirit;" which S. Athanasius (ad Serap.) adduces as a proof of the Holy Ghost's divinity. C. — God loves the soul of man. Grot.
12:2 Ideoque eos qui exerrant partibus corripis, et de quibus peccant admones et alloqueris, ut relicta malitia credant in te, Domine.]
And therefore thou chastisest them that err, by little and little: and admonishest them, and speakest to them, concerning the things wherein they offend: that leaving their wickedness, they may believe in thee, O Lord.
12:3 [Illos enim antiquos inhabitatores terrae sanctae tuae, quos exhorruisti,
For those ancient inhabitants of thy holy land, whom thou didst abhor,
* Footnote * Deuteronomy 9 : 3
Thou shalt know therefore this day that the Lord thy God himself will pass over before thee, a devouring and consuming fire, to destroy and extirpate and bring them to nothing before thy face quickly, as he hath spoken to thee.* Footnote * Deuteronomy 12 : 29
When the Lord thy God shall have destroyed before thy face the nations, which thou shalt go in to possess, and when thou shalt possess them, and dwell in their land:* Footnote * Deuteronomy 18 : 12
For the Lord abhorreth all these things, and for these abominations he will destroy them at thy coming.
12:4 quoniam odibilia opera tibi faciebant per medicamina et sacrificia injusta,
Because they did works hateful to thee by their sorceries, and wicked sacrifices,
12:5 et filiorum suorum necatores sine misericordia, et comestores viscerum hominum, et devoratores sanguinis a medio sacramento tuo,
*H And those merciless murderers of their own children, and eaters of men's bowels, and devourers of blood from the midst of thy consecration,
Ver. 5. Consecration. Lit. sacrament, or land. That is, the land sacred to thee, in which thy temple was to be established, and man's redemption to be wrought. Ch.
12:6 et auctores parentes animarum inauxiliatarum, perdere voluisti per manus parentum nostrorum :
And those parents sacrificing with their own hands helpless souls, it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our parents,
12:7 ut dignam perciperent peregrinationem puerorum Dei, quae tibi omnium carior est terra.
That the land which of all is most dear to thee, might receive a worthy colony of the children of God.
12:8 Sed et his tamquam hominibus pepercisti, et misisti antecessores exercitus tui vespas, ut illos paulatim exterminarent.
*H Yet even those thou sparedst as men, and didst send wasps forerunners of thy host, to destroy them by little and little.
Ver. 8. Wasps. These were the auxiliaries of the Hebrews. Deut. vii. 20. S. James saved Nisibis from the Persian army, by praying for gnats to descend. Theod. Philot. i. — The inhabitants of Belgrade incensed bees, by fire and smoke, to attack the troops of Amurath. Bonf. iv. dec. 3.
12:9 Non quia impotens eras in bello subjicere impios justis, aut bestiis saevis, aut verbo duro simul exterminare :
Not that thou wast unable to bring the wicked under the just by war, or by cruel beasts, or with one rough word to destroy them at once:
12:10 sed partibus judicans, dabas locum poenitentiae, non ignorans quoniam nequam est natio eorum, et naturalis malitia ipsorum, et quoniam non poterat mutari cogitatio illorum in perpetuum.
*H But executing thy judgments by degrees, thou gavest them place of repentance, not being ignorant that they were a wicked generation, and their malice natural, and that their thought could never be changed.
Ver. 10. Natural. We are all by nature children of wrath. Eph. ii. 3. H. — But the Chanaanites were accursed by Noe, (Gen. ix. 25.) and were brought up in wickedness (Ps. lvii. 4.) by their parents. S. Aug. de Bapt. ii. 8. — Changed. Because they would not employ well the time allowed them. C. — By custom, malice became as it were natural, after nature was corrupted. W.
* Footnote * Exodus 25 : 30
And thou shalt set upon the table loaves of proposition in my sight always.* Footnote * Deuteronomy 7 : 22
He will consume these nations in thy sight by little and little and by degrees. Thou wilt not be able to destroy them altogether: lest perhaps the beasts of the earth should increase upon thee.
12:11 Semen enim erat maledictum ab initio ; nec timens aliquem, veniam dabas peccatis illorum.
*H For it was a cursed seed from the beginning: neither didst thou for fear of any one give pardon to their sins.
Ver. 11. Pardon. Or impunity. C. — "Thou art angry, and yet are tranquil. S. Aug. Conf. i. 4.
12:12 Quis enim dicet tibi : Quid fecisti ? aut quis stabit contra judicium tuum ? aut quis in conspectu tuo veniet vindex iniquorum hominum ? aut quis tibi imputabit, si perierint nationes quas tu fecisti ?
*H For who shall say to thee: What hast thou done? or who shall withstand thy judgment? or who shall come before thee to be a revenger of wicked men? or who shall accuse thee, if the nations perish, which thou hast made ?
Ver. 12. Done? Shall the clay say to the potter, why hast thou made me thus? Is. xlv. 9. and lxiv. 8. We know, that under a just God, no one is miserable, unless he deserve it. v. 15.
12:13 Non enim est alius deus quam tu, cui cura est de omnibus, ut ostendas quoniam non injuste judicas judicium.
For there is no other God but thou, who hast care of all, that thou shouldst shew that thou dost not give judgment unjustly.
* Footnote * 1_Peter 5 : 7
Casting all your care upon him, for he hath care of you.
12:14 Neque rex, neque tyrannus in conspectu tuo inquirent de his quos perdidisti.
Neither shall king, nor tyrant, in thy sight inquire about them whom thou hast destroyed.
12:15 Cum ergo sis justus, juste omnia disponis ; ipsum quoque qui non debet puniri, condemnare, exterum aestimas a tua virtute.
*H For so much then, as thou art just, thou orderest all things justly: thinking it not agreeable to the power, to condemn him who deserveth not to be punished.
Ver. 15. Punished. S. Aug. ep. 106. Some have read incorrectly: "Thou condemnest him who ought not to be punished, and deemest him a stranger to thy virtue," which S. Greg. (Mor. iii. 11.) explains of Jesus Christ, the victim of sinners; others, of people born in sin, (Lyran.) while some would hence prove the decree of reprobation. Duran. — But it is needless to explain a text which the Greek shews to be inaccurate. C.
12:16 Virtus enim tua justitiae initium est, et ob hoc quod Dominus es, omnibus te parcere facis.
For thy power is the beginning of justice: and because thou art Lord of all, thou makest thyself gracious to all.
12:17 Virtutem enim ostendis tu, qui non crederis esse in virtute consummatus, et horum qui te nesciunt audaciam traducis.
For thou shewest thy power, when men will not believe thee to be absolute in power, and thou convincest the boldness of them that know thee not.
12:18 Tu autem dominator virtutis, cum tranquillitate judicas, et cum magna reverentia disponis nos : subest enim tibi, cum volueris posse.]
But thou being master of power, judgest with tranquillity, and with great favour disposest of us: for thy power is at hand when thou wilt.
12:19 [Docuisti autem populum tuum per talia opera, quoniam oportet justum esse et humanum ; et bonae spei fecisti filios tuos, quoniam judicans das locum in peccatis poenitentiae.
*H But thou hast taught thy people by such works, that they must be just and humane, and hast made thy children to be of a good hope: because in judging, thou givest place for repentance for sins.
Ver. 19. Hope. Under a God of such clemency, none should despair.
12:20 Si enim inimicos servorum tuorum, et debitos morti, cum tanta cruciasti attentione, dans tempus et locum per quae possent mutari a malitia :
For if thou didst punish the enemies of thy servants, and that deserved to die, with so great deliberation, giving them time and place whereby they might be changed from their wickedness:
12:21 cum quanta diligentia judicasti filios tuos, quorum parentibus juramenta et conventiones dedisti bonarum promissionum !
With what circumspection hast thou judged thy own children, to whose parents thou hast sworn, and made covenants of good promises?
12:22 Cum ergo das nobis disciplinam, inimicos nostros multipliciter flagellas, ut bonitatem tuam cogitemus judicantes, et cum de nobis judicatur, speremus misericordiam tuam.
Therefore whereas thou chastisest us, thou scourgest our enemies very many ways, to the end that when we judge we may think on thy goodness: and when we are judged, we may hope for thy mercy.
12:23 Unde et illis qui in vita sua insensate et injuste vixerunt, per haec quae coluerunt dedisti summa tormenta.
Wherefore thou hast also greatly tormented them, who, in their life, have lived foolishly and unjustly, by the same things which they worshipped.
12:24 Etenim in erroris via diutius erraverunt, deos aestimantes haec quae in animalibus sunt supervacua, infantium insensatorum more viventes.
For they went astray for a long time in the ways of error, holding those things for gods which are the most worthless among beasts, living after the manner of children without understanding.
* Footnote * Romans 1 : 23
And they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the image of a corruptible man and of birds, and of fourfooted beasts and of creeping things.
12:25 Propter hoc tamquam pueris insensatis judicium in derisum dedisti.
Therefore thou hast sent a judgment upon them, as senseless children, to mock them.
12:26 Qui autem ludibriis et increpationibus non sunt correcti, dignum Dei judicium experti sunt.
But they that were not amended by mockeries and reprehensions, experienced the worthy judgment of God.
12:27 In quibus enim patientes indignabantur per haec quos putabant deos, in ipsis cum exterminarentur videntes, illum quem olim negabant se nosse, verum Deum agnoverunt ; propter quod et finis condemnationis eorum venit super illos.]
*H For seeing, with indignation, that they suffered by those very things which they took for gods, when they were destroyed by the same, they acknowledged him the true God, whom in time past they denied that they knew: for which cause the end also of their condemnation came upon them.
Ver. 27. God. Who destroyed their idols: yet they did not serve him, (W.) which was true of all the pagans. Rom. i. 21. C.