Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary: Psalm 77 (ATTENDITE)
Ver. 43. Signs. The turning the rod into a serpent. The rest of the signs were also plagues. (Worthington)
Ver. 44. Showers. Hebrew, "floods." (Haydock) --- Many have asserted that it does not rain in Egypt: but pretty heavy showers fall, even above Cairo, (Vansleb.; Calmet) though seldom. (Worthington)
Ver. 45. Flies. Cænomyiam. Many copies of the Septuagint have kynomiam, "the dog-fly," which St. Jerome, (Calmet) and St. Augustine properly correct. (Berthier) (Exodus viii. 24.)
Ver. 46. Blast. Hebrew also "the bruchus," (Haydock) a sort of locust, which does great damage in the East. (Calmet) --- Chasil may signify both. (Berthier) --- Ovid speaks of the blast:
Interea crescat scabræ rubiginis expers. (Fast. 1.)
Ver. 47. Vineyards. Herodotus (i. 77.) says, the Egyptians use "ale, because they have no vines." But he is contradicted by Athenæus, &c. --- Trees. Hebrew shikmoth, is supposed to mean sycamore trees. (Calmet)
Ver. 48. Fire. St. Jerome, "who gave their pastures to the hail, and their cattle to the birds." Reshaphim is also rendered "coals," by Pagnin. It may denote the thunderbolts. (Haydock)
Ver. 49. Angels. Hebrew, "messengers of evil," (Tirinus) as the Septuagint may also signify the good angels. (Amama) --- He ordered Moses and Aaron to denounce his judgments, which he executed either by the devils, (Origen; Worthington) or by the blessed spirits. (St. Ambrose; Exodus xii. 29., and Wisdom xviii. 14.) --- Hence from the effect, (Bellarmine) they may have the appellation of evil. (Theodoret) (Calmet) --- The other plagues are thus briefly mentioned. (Menochius) (Worthington)
Ver. 51. Labour. "The first-born," (St. Jerome; Genesis xlix. 3., and Proverbs v. 9.) and their best effects. (Calmet) --- This was the tenth plague. Cham was the father of Misraim, who peopled Egypt. (Worthington)
Ver. 53. Not, after they saw the Egyptians destroyed, whom they had feared greatly before. In the desert they enjoyed rest, while their enemies were in the utmost confusion, (Berthier) having lost their king. (Haydock)
Ver. 54. Mountain. Hebrew, "term." Oros, with the soft spirit, means a mountain, (Berthier) and the Vulgate has taken it in this sense in both places, as the Greek accents and spirits are not of greater antiquity or consequence than the Hebrew vowel points. (Haydock) --- The land of Chanaan was very different from that of Egypt, being full of mountains, Deuteronomy iii. 25., and Ezechiel xxxvi. 2. But Sion may be here meant. --- Line. Thus were lands measured, Josue xiii. 8., and xvii. 5. (Calmet) --- God had made a particular choice of this hilly country for his people, (Worthington) and for the chief seat of religion. (Menochius)
Ver. 57. The covenant, is omitted in many Greek and Latin copies, as well as in Hebrew. (St. Jerome, ad Sun.) --- Yet it is found in the Vatican edition, (Calmet) as well as in the Alexandrian, esunthetesan. (Haydock) --- Bow, which hits not the mark. It alludes to the faithless Israelites, (Calmet) particularly to Ephraim, ver. 9., Osee vii. 6., and Jeremias ix. 3. The bow of Jonathan was not such, 2 Kings i. 22. (Calmet) --- A bad bow misses the aim, or breaking, wounds the person who uses it. (Menochius) --- These people hurt themselves by their treachery. (Worthington)
Ver. 58. Hills. The high places, in which they imitated the pagans, and which brought on their ruin, Leviticus xxvi. 30. With so much difficulty are people taught to serve God in spirit and truth. They foolishly imagined that they would be nearer the gods. (Berthier) --- Things. Protestants, "images." They have not forgotten to insert this word as usual, to make the ignorant believe that all images are forbidden! (Haydock)
Ver. 59. Heard. So he did the crimes of Sodom, Genesis xviii. 20. (Calmet) --- Reduced. Hebrew, "abhorred exceedingly several in Israel." (Haydock) --- The people were not exterminated; but greatly reduced in the time of the judges. (Worthington)
Ver. 60. Silo. Where it had remained about 350 years, (Berthier) before the ark was removed, never to be replaced there. (Haydock) --- The tabernacle was afterwards at Nobe, and at Gabaon; whence it was probably removed to the treasury of the temple, (Calmet) and was hidden by Jeremias, 2 Machabees i., and Josue xviii. 1. (Berthier) --- God gave his oracles more particularly where the ark, (Worthington) or the tabernacle, was found. (Haydock)
Ver. 61. Their. Hebrew, "his." (Houbigant) --- The ark was an earnest of God's protection, (Haydock) and the glory of Israel, 1 Kings iv. 21.
Ver. 62. Sword. So that they could not escape. --- Despised. Hebrew hithhabar, is rendered distulit by St. Jerome, (ver. 21, 59.; Calmet) or non distulit, "he did not delay" to punish, as Erasmus reads. (Haydock)
Ver. 63. Fire of God's indignation, (Menochius; Worthington) or of war. --- Lamented. St. Jerome, "its virgins no one bewailed." (Haydock) --- He seems to have read éullu, with the Septuagint. Others translate, (Berthier) "did not mourn," though they were now deprived of the hopes of marrying, (Calmet) or "the virgins were not praised" in the canticles used at the marriage-feast, (Chaldean, &c.) non epithalamio celebratæ sunt, (Montanus) or "married." (Pagnin) (Haydock) --- There was no time to bewail the death of the young men, or the captivity of the women. (Calmet) --- Each one was too solicitous for his own safety. (Haydock)
Ver. 64. Priests. Ophni and Phinees, (1 Kings iv. 11.; Calmet) the origin of this calamity, (Haydock) and the high priest himself broke his neck. (Worthington) --- Mourn, plorabantur, intimates rather that the people did not mourn for him. But the Hebrew has this meaning also, fleverunt, (Montanus) sunt fletæ. (St. Jerome) (Haydock) --- The widow of Phinees died on hearing the sad news; and Eusebius seems to think that grief killed Ophni's widow likewise. (Calmet)
Ver. 65. Surfeited. St. Jerome, Chaldean, &c., agree in this sense. But Hebrew may admit another, not quite so harsh, (Calmet) "like a hero who shouts for (Montanus) or sing after wine;" (Haydock) dialalon ex oinou, "rendered talkative by wine." (Symmachus) --- God allowed the Philistines to prosper for a time; but, at last, he covered them with ignominy. (Haydock) --- We must reflect that the Oriental languages are bolder in their expressions than ours, and that this is simply a comparison, not more astonishing than that used by our Saviour, when he says that he will come like a thief in the night. (Berthier) --- If the Spirit of God had not consecrated such comparisons, no one durst have used them. (St. Augustine) --- God rose to punish the infidels, and to preserve his Church. (Worthington) --- The psalmist speaks of him as of a man invigorated by wine, and filling all with confusion. (Menochius)
Ver. 66. Parts. As they were fleeing, (Berthier) or with emerods. (Chaldean, &c.) (Calmet) (1 Kings v. 10.)
Ver. 67. Ephraim. Who had been preferred before his elder brother, and yet proved the most inclined to idolatry, ver. 9. (Haydock) --- This tribe was deprived first of the ark, and then of the tabernacle, which were its greatest glory, and this strongly indicated the divine displeasure. (Calmet)
Ver. 68. Sion. The ark was removed from Cariathiarim, in the tribe of Juda, to the house of Obededom, for three months, and afterwards to the palace or tabernacle on Sion, (Haydock) which God had probably chosen for its fixed abode, towards the beginning of David's reign. (Calmet)
Ver. 69. As of unicorns. That is, firm and strong, like the horn of the unicorn. This is one of the chief of the propositions of this psalm, fore-shewing the firm establishment of the one, true, and everlasting sanctuary of God, in his Church. (Challoner) (Menochius) --- It was preserved before Christ, and will remain till the end of time. (Worthington) --- The temple was not built by David: but the spot was consecrated for it, (2 Kings xxiv.) and the ark was placed on Sion; which was the land which he had founded for ever for this purpose. Hebrew ramim, means "unicorns, (Chaldean; St. Jerome) heights, (Montanus) palaces," (Pagnin) &c. Santificium and sanctuarium, have the same import. (Haydock) --- In the land. Hebrew, "as the land." Septuagint have read b for c, as well; (Berthier) and it is observable that Montanus translates the latter, though the former occur in the Hebrew text below, edition 1632: so easily may these letters be confounded! (Haydock) --- The temple was to have the same stability as the earth, and was but one, like the horn of the unicorn, which is most solid and beautiful. (Calmet) --- Yet this could not be understood of the material temple, which was the most magnificent structure in the world. It was fulfilled in the Church of Jesus Christ, who is also the true David, ver. 72. (Haydock) --- The crowning of David, who was his figure, was a great blessing to Israel. (Worthington)
Ver. 70. Young. Hebrew also, "giving milk." David was actually with his father's flocks, when he was sent for by Samuel. Saul was also engaged in the pursuits of a country life when he was chosen king: and it would indeed have been difficult to find people of another description among the Israelites, as all followed some business. Crœsus observed that he first of his race (Gyges) obtained his liberty and the throne at the same time, as he had kept the flocks of the preceding king. (Xenophon vii.)