Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary: Psalm 17 (Diligam Te Domine)
Ver. 16. Discovered. The earthquakes were so great, that such dreadful effects might have been expected. These phenomena sometimes make the sea retire, and new islands appear. (Pliny, [Natural History?] i. 84., and xxxi. 5., &c.) --- The Jews supposed that the sea was the common source of all fountains, and that the earth was founded on it, Psalm xxiii. 2., and Ecclesiastes i. 7. (Calmet)
Ver. 17. Sent his angel, &c. --- Waters, which often represent multitudes, (Apocalypse xvii. 15.; Calmet) and afflictions. (Worthington) --- David seemed in danger of perishing. (Calmet)
Ver. 18. For me. He may allude to the giant Jesbibenob, or to Saul, who surrounded him on all sides; (1 Kings xxiii. 26., and 2 Kings xxi. 15.; Calmet) and, in general, to all his temporal or spiritual adversaries. (Worthington)
Ver. 19. Affliction, when my friends joined Absalom. (Theodoret) --- In the rest of this psalm, the prophet chiefly uses words in the obvious sense, yet mystically speaks of Christ, and of the faithful. (Worthington)
Ver. 20. Place, where I was not hemmed in by my enemies. (Haydock) --- Saved me, by repentance, out of his infinite mercy, (Eusebius; St. Athanasius) without any deserts. (Worthington)
Ver. 21. Will reward. St. Jerome, "hath rewarded," (Calmet) yet the edition of 1533 reads retribuet. (Haydock) --- Justice, with respect to my enemies, whom I have not injured; (Calmet) or my sincere desire to serve God. (Theodoret)
Ver. 23. Judgments. Commands, or treatment both of the just and of the wicked.
Ver. 24. Him, by his grace. (Worthington) --- Iniquity, and be careful not to relapse. Others explain it in the past time. I have not shed the blood of my enemy when I could have done it, 1 Kings xxiv. 6, 14. (Calmet) --- Fui immaculatus. (St. Jerome) (Haydock) It seems most probable that David composed this before his fall, as Aberbanel, one of the most learned of the Jews, asserts. If he be only a figure of Jesus Christ, we may easily conceive how the latter might speak thus of his innocence, and declare his abhorrence of all sin, though he was made a sin-offering, having undertaken to expiate the iniquities of mankind. (Berthier)
Ver. 25. And. He repeateth, (ver. 21.) that God will render to every one as he deserves. (Worthington) --- Matthew xvi. That all sins are equal is the error of the Stoics. (Haydock)
Ver. 27. Perverted. No version can properly express this idea. God turns away from those who abandon him, treating every one according to his works. If we do not advance in piety, it is a sign that God perceives something amiss in us. (Berthier) --- He cannot but abhor duplicity, and resist the wicked, Leviticus xxvi. 23, 40., and Proverbs iii. 34. He will make the craft of men turn against themselves, as he evinced in the case of Laban, Joseph's brethren, Pharao, and Saul. Sinners complain of him without reason, Ezechiel xviii. 25. (Calmet) --- Some improperly use this text to shew, that people will adopt the manners of those with whom they associate, (Haydock) though it means that God will treat the good liberally, and the wicked with severity, Leviticus xxvi. 23, 24. (Amama)
Ver. 28. Proud, as thou hast already done. (Calmet) ---
Insignem attenuat Deus,
Obscura promens. (Horat.[Horace?])
Ver. 29. Lamp, giving me hopes of redress, and of the Messias. (Calmet)
Ver. 30. Temptation. David was almost continually assailed by enemies. (Calmet) --- Septuagint peieatesion, signifies "a place of pirates;" denoting what crafty foes he had to encounter, (Berthier) or "a place or time to learn the military exercise," a warfare, Job vii. 1. But gedud, (Haydock) means "a troop," designed to make incursions, as those under Jephte and David. Hebrew, "In thee I will run armed;" (St. Jerome) or, "at the head of my troops." (Calmet) --- "I will break, (Pagnin) or, run through an army." (Montanus) --- No fortification can hold out. (Haydock) --- He alludes particularly to the wall of the Jebusites, which Joab first mounted, though extremely high, 2 Kings v. 6. (Calmet) --- With God's help, every difficulty may be surmounted. (Worthington) --- Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation, as our Saviour admonishes. [Matthew xxvi. 41.]
Ver. 31. As for, might be omitted. (Haydock) --- The conduct of God towards men is irreproachable. He will treat all according to their deserts, and will fulfil his promises of protecting the just. (Eusebius) --- Hebrew, "He is the strong God....his words are pure as gold....He is the shield," &c. (Berthier)
Ver. 32. Our God. Will any one then hinder Him from doing as He has said? (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "Who is the rock but our God?" (Berthier) --- God is often styled a rock, tsur. Yet St. Jerome and Pagnin render it "strong," or "the strong one." (Haydock) --- There is only one Lord and Saviour of all. (Worthington)
Ver. 33. Blameless. Whatever good is in me, comes from his grace, ver. 21, 24. (Haydock) --- God has prevented me from killing Saul and Nabal; He has rescued me from the abyss into which I had fallen. (Calmet)
Ver. 34. Harts. Protestants, "hinds." (Haydock) --- The Hebrews generally prefer to specify the female. Harts are remarkably swift, and this quality was greatly esteemed in a warrior. Asael is praised for it; (2 Kings ii. 18.) and Homer styles his hero "the swift-footed Achilles." (Calmet) --- As harts trample serpents under their feet, says Theodoret, so I treat my enemies. --- High. Hebrew, "my high places," where I have so often baffled the efforts of my persecutors. (Haydock)
Ver. 35. And thou. Chaldean gives the same sense. "He strengthens," &c. (Calmet) --- Hebrew, "and a brazen bow is broken by my arms." (Montanus) --- Protestants, "a bow of steel." Perhaps not knowing that the ancients had the art of making brass answer the same purposes. See Proclus, Hesiod, &c. (Haydock) --- They made all sorts of weapons of it. Job (xx. 24.) seems even to insinuate that it was harder than iron. Our brass is too brittle. To break a bow, often means to obtain a victory, 1 Kings ii. 4., and Jeremias xlix. 5. (Calmet) --- David gained many over a lion or a bear, over Goliath, &c. (Worthington)
Ver. 36. Of thy. The latter word is omitted in some copies of the Septuagint, while others change it into "my." But the Hebrew is agreeable to the Vulgate. (Calmet) --- End. Thou hast preserved me by salutary correction. (St. Augustine) (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "thy goodness shall multiply me" with children. Symmachus, conformably to 2 Kings xxii., has, "my obedience shall lift me up." (Calmet) --- The Hebrew may, however, admit the sense of the Vulgate. --- And thy, &c., is a paraphrase of the former sentiment, or it is borrowed from Theodotion. (Berthier) --- Grabe marks from unto the end, &c., as omitted in Hebrew. (Haydock) --- Luther and the Dutch translate, "When thou humblest me, then thou exaltest me," to shew the salutary effects of suffering. But there is nothing of the kind in the original. (Amama)
Ver. 37. Weakened, or tired. (Chaldean) (Haydock) --- I am now free from danger. All my enterprizes have succeeded, 2 Kings viii. 6., and 1 Paralipomenon xviii. 13. See Proverbs iv. 12. (Calmet)
Ver. 38. I will. Bellarmine would supply "I said I will;" and thus all is connected. But these future victories relate more to Jesus Christ. (Berthier) --- David also continued making fresh conquests, (Haydock) and so entirely subdued his enemies all around, that they were not able to make head, even against his successor.
Ver. 40. Against me. No prince was ever more courageous than David, as the single combat with Goliath evinces. We know not that he ever lost a battle. He refers all the glory to God. (Calmet)
Ver. 41. Upon me. An expression often used to denote a fight, Josue iii. 12., &c. (Calmet) --- God strengthens his servants, and weakens their enemies. (Worthington)
Ver. 42. Lord. This must be understood of Absalom, who offered sacrifices, (2 Kings xv. 12.; Berthier) or of Saul, who, receiving no answer, consulted a witch. The Philistines also brought their gods with them, so that they were taken and burnt; (2 Kings v. 21.) and the other pagans, finding no aid in their idols, might in time of danger, invoke the Lord. (Calmet) --- This is "the testimony of a soul naturally Christian," as Tertullian (Apol. xvii.) speaks, to have recourse to the great and only God, in the utmost distress. (Haydock) --- Deus ut subveniat oratur; ipsa veritas, cogente natura....erumpit. (Lac. Inst. ii. 1.)
Ver. 43. Streets. Thus he treated the Ammonites, &c., 2 Kings viii. 2., and xii. 31. (Calmet) --- Jesus Christ will rule over his enemies with a rod of iron. (Berthier)
Ver. 44. Gentiles. Here he begins to predict the glory of the Messias, though what he says may be applied to himself. David's own people began to revolt, under Absalom and Seba; after he had subdued the most powerful nations around, 2 Kings xx. 1. The chosen people rejected Christ, (Calmet) while the nations were converted. The reprobation of the former was prefigured by those rebels. (Worthington)