Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary: Psalm 36 (Noli Axmulari)
Ver. 21. Give. Having both the will and the power to be liberal. (Haydock) --- "He shall lend without expecting any advantage, while the wicked falls into such misery as not to be able to pay his debts. This is not always the order of Providence. (Calmet) --- But the just is often enabled by economy to relieve his brethren, at the same time that the libertine wastes his estate, (Berthier) or at least unjustly defers to pay his debts. (Menochius)
Ver. 22. Bless him. The just, (ver. 21.; Prin. disc.) or rather the Lord, ver. 20. (Berthier) --- "Are blessed of him," &c. (St. Jerome) (Chaldean) (Haydock)
Ver. 23. With. Or by the decrees of the Lord. The Hebrew and Septuagint have, "By," para. (Berthier) --- God gives grace to do all good, (Proverbs xvi. 9.; Calmet) and likes the way which He points out. The just also find the greatest consolation in virtue. (Haydock)
Ver. 24. Him. To break the fall. Hebrew, "the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." (Protestants) (Haydock) --- The just man is like a courageous wrestler, who may slip, but yields not. (Origen; Eusebius) --- His fall is not mortal, (Calmet) though he may be guilty of venial sin, Proverbs xxiv. (Worthington)
Ver. 25. Seeking, in vain. (Haydock) --- Roman and Gothic Ps.[Psalters?] read, "wanting." This does not condemn the mendicant orders. (Menochius) --- Nothing was more unusual under the old law than the extreme distress of the just: yet Job and Lazarus were reduced to it. They were not, however, discontent. (Calmet) --- They found the bread of life in conformity to God's will, John iv. 34. (Haydock) --- Their souls were enriched with grace, which was never wanting, as the Fathers explain this passage. (Berthier) (Amos viii. 11.) --- It is certain that there were poor among the Jews; (Deuteronomy xv. 11.) and who would assert that they were all wicked, or the children of such? Yet the prophet had not witnessed (Calmet) any person renowned for virtue reduced to this condition, (Haydock) though he does not deny but it might be possible. (Calmet) --- The proposition may be restrained to those who have been very charitable, and who are not often thereby reduced to want, Daniel iv. 24. (Genebrard) (Menochius) --- But the word just is more comprehensive; and St. Paul gives several instances of persecuted saints (Hebrews xi.) which is confirmed by the parable, or rather by the history, of Lazarus. (Berthier) --- At any rate, the Church is never deprived of the word of God. (St. Augustine) (Worthington)
Ver. 26. Lendeth. "To receive interest," daneizei, from God, Proverbs xix. 17. (St. Augustine, &c.) (Calmet) --- He maketh know the divine word. (Origen)
Ver. 27. Dwell in the land of the living, rather than in that of promise, from which many just people were banished during the captivity. (Berthier) --- He who complies with these two conditions, will inherit heaven. (Worthington)
Ver. 28. Saints. Hebrew, "merciful ones." He will free them from captivity. (Calmet) --- Punished. This sentence seems to be improperly omitted in Hebrew, which otherwise neglects the letter a, as the Chaldean, Syriac, and St. Jerome do as well as a few copies of the Septuagint. The Roman edition with the Arabic and Ethiopic, reads amomoi ekdikethesontai, "the innocent shall be avenged," (Calmet) or "punished;" which is inaccurately put for anomoi ekdiochthesontai, the wicked shall be punished, or "expelled;" (Berthier) though Grabe prefers the former verb. (Haydock) --- St. Cyril acknowledges both readings. (Calmet)
Ver. 31. Supplanted. The devil shall have no advantage over the just, (Calmet) who aim constantly at perfection. (Origen)
Ver. 32. Death, mortificare. Some read perdere, or occidere. The wicked are constantly laying snares for destruction, (Calmet) and to draw others into mortal sin. (Worthington)
Ver. 33. Judged, "by him." Illi seems to be superfluous; (Berthier) or it implies that God will revise the sentence of wicked judges. (Haydock) --- The just have nothing to fear. God will pass an equitable sentence, and the condemnation of men shall do no harm. (Origen) --- The mistakes of human tribunals prove the necessity of a general judgment.
Ver. 34. See the truth of these maxims. (Calmet) --- While the wicked enjoy power they often conceal their injustice, which appears as soon as the veil is removed by death, when people cease to fear them. (Haydock)
Ver. 35. Cedars, &c. Septuagint have read differently from the present Hebrew and present a more beautiful sense. (Calmet) --- Protestants, "and spreading himself like a green bay-tree, (marginal note: or "a green tree that groweth in his own soil,") yet he passed away, and lo," &c. (Haydock) --- Ezrach, denotes an evergreen, (Rabbins) "a laurel covered with verdure." (Calmet) --- Houbigant has "a cedar," ezrach.
Ver. 36. I passed. This is better than the Hebrew, "it has passed," transivit, as a tree changes not its place, and all the ancient interpreters agree with us. (Berthier) --- His place, is not expressed in Hebrew. But it implies that every vestige of the proud is soon lost. This might serve to curb the violence of those who disturb mankind! (Haydock) --- The wicked may here refer to Nabuchodonosor, the devil, Judas, &c. (Calmet) --- We may behold the riches of sinners with our bodily eyes: but if we consider them with the eyes of faith, they presently vanish. (St. Ambrose; St. Augustine)
Ver. 37. Remnants, or rewards. (Worthington) --- Hebrew acharith, "the reward," (Pagnin) "the last end of man is peace," (Montanus; Haydock) or "the posterity (ver. 38.) of such a man shall be happy." (Calmet) --- "There are future things for the peaceful." (Symmachus) --- The expectations of the just are not confined to this world. They have something laid up for heaven, whereas the wicked have nothing. (Haydock) --- These lose all by death; and the thought makes them take refuge in the foolish hope of being annihilated. (Berthier)
Ver. 38. Together. At the last day, (Haydock) or all without exception shall perish; the wicked, with their posterity and riches. (Worthington)
Ver. 39. Salvation. This is an effect of God's grace. (Worthington)
Bible Text & Cross-references:
An exhortation to despise this world; and the short prosperity of the wicked; and to trust in providence.
1 A psalm for David himself.
Be not emulous of evil doers; nor envy them that work iniquity.
2 For they shall shortly wither away as grass, and as the green herbs shall quickly fall.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good, and dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed with its riches.
4 Delight in the Lord, and he will give thee the requests of thy heart.
5 Commit thy way to the Lord, and trust in him, and he will do it.
6 And he will bring forth thy justice as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day. 7 Be subject to the Lord, and pray to him.
Envy not the man who prospereth in his way; the man who doth unjust things.
8 Cease from anger, and leave rage; have no emulation to do evil.
9 For evil doers shall be cut off: but they that wait upon the Lord, shall inherit the land.
10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall not be: and thou shalt seek his place, and shalt not find it.
11 *But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight in abundance of peace.
12 The sinner shall watch the just man: and shall gnash upon him with his teeth.
13 But the Lord shall laugh at him: for he foreseeth that his day shall come.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword: they have bent their bow;
To cast down the poor and needy, to kill the upright of heart.
15 Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bow be broken.
16 Better is a little to the just, than the great riches of the wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken in pieces; but the Lord strengtheneth the just.
18 The Lord knoweth the days of undefiled; and their inheritance shall be for ever.
19 They shall not be confounded in the evil time; and in the days of famine they shall be filled: 20 because the wicked shall perish.
And the enemies of the Lord, presently after they shall be honoured and exalted, shall come to nothing, and vanish like smoke.
21 The sinner shall borrow, and not pay again: but the just sheweth mercy and shall give.
22 For such as bless him shall inherit the land: but such as curse him shall perish.
23 With the Lord shall the steps of a man be directed, and he shall like well his way.
24 When he shall fall, he shall not be bruised, for the Lord putteth his hand under him.
25 I have been young, and now am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread.
26 He sheweth mercy, and lendeth all the day long; and his seed shall be in blessing.
27 Decline from evil, and do good; and dwell for ever and ever.
28 For the Lord loveth judgment, and will not forsake his saints: they shall be preserved for ever.
The unjust shall be punished, and the seed of the wicked shall perish.
29 But the just shall inherit the land, and shall dwell therein for evermore.
30 *The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom; and his tongue shall speak judgment.
31 *The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted.
32 The wicked watcheth the just man, and seeketh to put him to death.
33 But the Lord will not leave him in his hands; nor condemn him when he shall be judged.
34 Expect the Lord and keep his way: and he will exalt thee to inherit the land: when the sinners shall perish thou shalt see.
35 I have seen the wicked highly exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Libanus.
36 And I passed by, and lo! he was not: and I sought him, and his place was not found.
37 Keep innocence, and behold justice; for there are remnants for the peaceable man.
38 But the unjust shall be destroyed together: the remnants of the wicked shall perish.
39 But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in the time of trouble.
40 And the Lord will help them, and deliver them: and he will rescue them from the wicked; and save them, because they have hoped in him.
____________________
*
11: Matthew v. 4.
30: Proverbs xxxi. 26.
31: Isaias li. 7.