Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary: Psalm 88 (Misericordias Domini)
Ver. 30. Heaven. This can only be verified in Christ, who rules over all, and gives power to his Church unto the end. The family of David has been confounded with the rest of the nation for nearly 2,000 years. (Calmet) --- The temporal dominion of those princes has ceased in Jechonias, (Du Hamel) like that of other monarchs; so that God had in view a different throne, (Berthier; ver. 5.) and the Messias, who would render the kingdom of David perpetual, (Menochius) in a spiritual sense. (Haydock)
Ver. 31. And if. God foresaw the prevarications of the Israelites and Christians: But he speaks this to shew their free-will, and that he would treat them as children, (Berthier) and not with the utmost severity, (Calmet) unless they proved obstinate, 2 Kings vii. 14. (Haydock) --- Some shall always continue faithful, and shall be glorified, while the bad shall be cast away. (St. Augustine) --- Christ will never lose his Church. (Worthington)
Ver. 34. From him. David. Many ancient psalters read, "from them." (Calmet) --- God, by degrees, punished the Jews, by depriving them of their kings; though the family of David was preserved, and some share of power remained till Christ's coming. (Berthier)
Ver. 36. Holiness. Or by myself , having nothing greater, Hebrews vi. 13. (Calmet) --- I will not. Literally, "if I lie," which is a Hebrew idiom, (Berthier) implying as much. (Worthington) --- I have sworn irrecoverably, once for all. (Menochius)
Ver. 38. Witness. Which may refer to the throne, or to the sun, (Calmet) or to the rainbow. (Berthier) (Du Hamel) --- As long as the stars subsist, so long shall his throne be established. (Calmet) --- The Church shines like the sun, and is easily known. (Berthier) --- God, (Eusebius) or Christ, attests the promises. (St. Jerome) (Isaias lv. 4., and Apocalypse i. 5.) --- The rainbow was assigned as a memorial, that the world should no more be drowned, Genesis ix. The other covenants made by God have no less stability. (Haydock) --- Christian souls may shine in virtue, like the sun, or full moon, (Worthington) particularly (Haydock) after the resurrection, when they will be perfect, and not liable to change. (St. Augustine)
Ver. 39. Rejected. In all kingdoms, there are some interruptions, and God did not fail in his promises. He still maintained the sceptre in Juda, though not with the same splendour at all times. (Berthier) --- Angry. Or literally, "hast deferred." Distulisti. (Haydock) --- The Israelites ardently wished for the coming of the Messias. The psalmist here contrasts the present forlorn condition of the people with the preceding promises; and bewails the fate of Sedecias, who was slain at a distance from home. Distulisti. See Psalm lxxvii. 21., and lxii. (Calmet) --- Thou hast been angry with thy Christ, (king Sedecias) and even with our Redeemer, in some sense, (Calmet) as He was treated thus, in consequence of the sins of mankind. (Eusebius, &c.) --- The promises were not fulfilled in David, that we may look farther. Solomon seemed to answer all his expectations. But he fell, and God had not him but Christ in view. The kingdom and sacrifices of the Jews are no more. Christ was not taken from them, but deferred. Some Jews and many Gentiles believed in him, ver. 47., &c. (St. Augustine) (Worthington) --- Anointed. Thou hast despised us, and delayed the coming of the Messias. We cannot accuse the psalmist of impatience, as a late commentator has done, his words being dictated by the Holy Ghost. He expostulates with love and confidence, (Berthier) and comforts himself with the thought, that the coming of the Messias is only delayed. (Worthington)
Ver. 40. Overthrown the covenant, &c. All this seems to relate to the time of the captivity of Babylon, in which, for the sins of the people and their princes, God seemed to have set aside for a while the covenant he had made with David. (Challoner) --- Yet he did not in effect, ver. 39. (Haydock) --- Sanctuary. The temple, (Theodoret) or according to the Hebrew, "the diadem," by which the king was "set apart" from the common people, and rendered sacred, Psalm cxxxi. 18. (Berthier) --- The psalmist speaks in the person of the weak, who complained, (Worthington) that the kingdom was a prey to invaders, and the Church oppressed by infidels. (Worthington) (Tirinus)
Ver. 41. Fear. All his forts can afford no refuge. The country is like an abandoned vineyard. The Assyrians and Chaldeans have ruined it, and the neighbouring nations of Samaria and Edom take possession of it. (Calmet) --- Thou leadest on their armies, and renderest our efforts useless. (Menochius) --- This conduct of God proceeded from mercy. This severe chastisement awakened his people, who after the captivity were more tractable. (Chaldean) (Berthier) (Calmet)
Ver. 45. Cease. The priests are absent; and he cannot be purified in the temple. --- Purification may here denote the royal ornaments. (Pagnin) (Calmet) (Menochius)
Ver. 46. Time. Hebrew, &c., "youth." (St. Jerome) (Haydock) --- Joachim was only seventeen years old when he came to the throne, which he occupied three months. (Amama) --- The four last kings of Juda reigned but a short while, and most of them came to an untimely end. Instead of chronou, the Roman Septuagint, St. Augustine, &c., read thronou, "of his throne," or reign. (Calmet) --- The Vulgate seems more natural, as the throne of David had subsisted above 400 years, so that it was not overturned in "its youth," or commencement, though the number of ages, promised to it, seemed now to be abridged. (Berthier)
Ver. 47. How long. Here the third part, or the prayer of the psalmist, begins. (Calmet) --- Away. Another interrogation might then commence, "shall it be unto the end?" (Haydock) --- In this prayer he foretells that God will regard our weakness, and preserve his Church. (Worthington)
Ver. 48. Remember what. Hebrew ani, "I." As this seems odd, Houbigant substitutes, adni, "Lord." (Berthier) --- Substance is. That Christ will assume our nature, (St. Augustine, City of God xvii. 9, 11.) or "how long I shall live." (Montanus) --- Even the world "passes" like a shadow, 1 Corinthians vii. (Amama) --- "Be mindful of me from the depth: else why hast thou in vain created the sons of men?" (St. Jerome) (Haydock) --- In vain. To spend their days in misery? or rather, "are not all created subject to vanity?" If thou do not succour us, we shall presently perish, and who will glorify thy name on earth? (Psalm cxliii. 4.) (Calmet) --- Will thy providence take no care of us? (Berthier) --- If the Messias come not, we cannot be saved, and we shall appear to have been created in vain. (Menochius)
Ver. 50. David. He was a man according to thy own heart, and thy promises to him were absolute. Ethan speaks not of the other kings, or of the people, who might have justly irritated the Lord. He excuses their failings, by the consideration of their mortal and frail nature, ver. 49. (Calmet)