Blessed David uttered this psalm likewise when pursued by Saul. He mentions also Doeg’s wickedness, who personally reported to Saul what happened with Ahimelech the priest and was responsible for that awfully great slaughter. He mentions also the Ziphites and the others who betrayed David to Saul, as the verses themselves will teach.

It is possible for someone reading the actual book of blessed Jeremiah to find in many places agreement between what is said by him or done to him and what is forecast by blessed David in this psalm. The result is that it is also possible to learn from there that the prophet’s accuracy is such that he often states with great precision both the events and the words. In the text, for example, he says let their way be darkness and sliding, while in the prophet Jeremiah it says, Hence let their way be for them sliding in gloom.^[1] In our text he says because they hid their destructive snare for me without cause, whereas there the prophet says on behalf of the people, Observe his intentions to see if he will be led astray and we shall prevail over him.^[2] Again, in our text blessed David says, Unjust witnesses rose up against me and asked me of matters of which I had no knowledge, whereas there it explains that at the time when the Chaldean force went up to Jerusalem the prophet Jeremiah left and traveled to the land of Benjamin to buy bread there, but a certain Irijah detained him . . . and claiming that he was trying to flee to the Chaldeans. And the words said by blessed David, They repaid me evil for good, you will find in similar terms also in the prophet Jeremiah, such as when he prays to God against them, Is evil a recompense for good?^[3] And one who reads closely can find in the book much, both of what happened to him and of what was said by him, that resembles the psalm. In this way, in fact, both the truth and the precision of inspired composition is proven from the harmony of the words and from the similarity of the events.

The inscription of this psalm is clear. But it must refer to spiritual David, who forms the prayer not by reason of divinity but by the humility of assumed flesh, when he humbled himself taking the form of a servant. He does not pray about his suffering but for those beset by afflictions.

The title need not delay us, because it is short and not difficult to understand. . . . This . . . is for David, and the name David means strong of hand or desirable. The psalm is for him who is both strong-handed and desirable, who conquered our death and promised us life. . . . In view of this we are right to listen to his voice, knowing that it is sometimes the voice of his body, sometimes that of the Head. This psalm in particular invokes God’s help against enemies amid the tribulations of this world; and it is undoubtedly Christ who is praying, for once the Head was beset by tribulation, and now it is his body. Nonetheless through these tribulations he gives eternal life to all his members, and in promising it he has made himself desirable to us.

What are we to do with this psalm? If we curse our enemies, we disregard the gospel, in which we are ordered not to curse them but to bless them. If we wish to keep the gospel commands, we would leave behind the psalms in which frequently enemies are cursed. . . . He says, Judge those who harm. . . . Beware lest you think bad things against those who oppose you, but, fixed in faith, pray for your enemies, and pray this prayer of the present psalm, not against flesh and blood but against the spirits of the air who daily harm us, who daily commit wars. Put on sackcloth and humble your spirit through fasting, because they are not conquered unless through prayer and fasting. What do you pray, having put on sackcloth? That the Lord will war and fight those who are against you as you grasp the arms of his own help against invisible enemies.

This statement, as has been noted, refers to the devil and his followers. . . . For when he gives the command, pray for your enemies, this statement does not apply to people. Thus, he asks that they be condemned whom he knows by virtue of his foreknowledge would not come to the remedies of repentance. For in what follows, when he turns his attention to people, he desires that they be converted, not that they perish.

He who conquers in war reduces the enemies to slavery: Christ has overcome the world. Hence, . . . all become his servants.

Armor and shield are the very will of the Lord by which he protects someone in danger and fights back against his enemy.

He indicates through the arms and shield and sword the chastising powers sent by God to help those who fear him.

I will seek no salvation other than the Lord my God. . . . Even in your temporal problems it is God who helps you through human agency, for he is your salvation. . . . All things are subject to him, and he undoubtedly supports our temporal life, differently in the case of each person; but eternal life he gives only from himself. . . . Let us all call on him, brothers and sisters . . . and to open our spiritual ears so that we may hear him saying, I am your salvation. He says it, but some of us are getting deaf, so that when we find ourselves in trouble we prefer to listen to the enemies that harry us.

Dust is indeed an earthy yet very dry and thin substance, which cannot remain in its place when the wind blows, but is lifted into the flowing breezes. So also the desires of sinners, when they have been admonished by the inspiration of the truth, are lifted by the Lord’s help from their earthly vices and brought to the heavenly virtues. So here the desire is expressed for evil people to come to heavenly life through a blessed improvement. . . . This angel afflicts the converted in order that they may be brought into that blessed homeland by the gift of humility. Such affliction is a kindness, since the desire is expressed that it may present itself as a great gift.

Darkness alone is enough to frighten anyone. And everyone is anxious on a slippery surface. But with both together, in darkness and on slippery ground, how can you walk at all? Where will you find firm footing? These two evils are the great scourges of humankind: the darkness of ignorance and the slipperiness of sensuality. . . . The psalmist has not been praying for these calamities to occur but foretelling that they will. And even though, speaking by God’s Spirit, he has cast them in the form of a petition, he does so in the same way that God fulfills the prophecy; for God acts with unerring judgment, a judgment good, just, holy and calm; he is not discomposed by anger, or by bitter jealousy or by any urge to vent his animosity. His intention is solely justice, in the due punishment of vices.

Put them to flight, entrusting the pursuit to the unseen angels. This is the way we also find the Assyrians exterminated by an angel and the way the exterminator destroyed the firstborn of the Egyptians.

I think this speaks about the cross on which the devil falls unknowingly. For if he had known never would he have affixed the Lord of glory to the cross.

There is no one who does evil without first of all doing mischief to himself.

What better thing than God shall be given to me? God loves me; God loves you. Look, he has made you an offer: ask whatever you will. If the emperor were to say to you, Ask whatever you will, you would be blurting out a mouthful of requests for the office of tribune or lordly rank. What splendid possibilities you would pass in review, things you could ask for yourself and distribute to others! But when God invites you, Ask what you will, what request will you make? Cudgel your brains, out with your greed, stretch it as far as you possibly can, widen your desire. It is not just any ordinary person but almighty God who has said to you, Ask what you will. . . . Nothing more precious will you find, though, nothing better, than him who made them all. Ask for him who made them; in him and from him you will have everything he has made. They are all precious because they are all beautiful, but what is more beautiful than he? They are strong, but what is stronger than he? And what he wants most of all to give you is himself. If you have discovered anything better, ask for it. But if you do ask for anything else, you will be insulting him and inflicting loss on yourself, because you will be esteeming something he has made more highly than its Maker, even though the Maker wants to give you himself.

Bones must be understood as strength of spirit and steadfastness of mind. Such things are rightly compared with bones, for just as the body contains bones, so also these qualities strengthen holy desires. So only the bones, which mean firmness, could communicate this mystery, not flesh, which stands for slackness, for only strength of mind can speak such a song of praise.

I shall say no one is like you, he means, and shall confess you to be more powerful than everyone, even those considered strong and powerful; you are capable of rescuing the poor and insignificant and delivering them from their scheming against the odds. . . . You see, both the insignificance by comparison with him of the one who suffers and is rescued and also the might of the schemers brought out his greatness: the more effective the release from the schemers was shown to be, the more powerful did the one who effected it appear.

When Saul under the influence of envy, remember, suspected him of plotting a coup and for that reason maintained a state of war, the slanderers (whom he calls false witnesses) took occasion not to desist from spreading calumny against him. Some of these were Doeg, the Ziphites, and many others in addition to them.

The person of Christ is introduced here, denounced and falsely accused at the tribunal of the chief priests when there rose up evil witnesses against him, and they repaid evil things for good and bereavement for his soul. They were called sons of God but acted wickedly against him.

Fruitless is the soul that births nothing good and does good for no one.

Even if my prayer proved unacceptable to God and was sent back to me on account of the unworthiness of what I prayed for, I nevertheless did everything on my part with the purpose of obeying God.

This is what happens to savages when they are conquered by reason. When words fail them because of the truth, then they gnash their teeth and so communicate their desires by a silent threat. All of this is in the interest of a great act of building up the human race, so that its members may not count it a burden to suffer what they recognize that their own Head has endured.

Certain ones say the power of the teeth is the evil of speech. He wanted his Father to be a witness against those who blasphemed him.

So you will apply this to the suffering of the Lord so that then you may draw out the logic of the explanation having begun, because the passion of the Lord happens so that we may be built up. The more you cling to God, the more the demons beset you with floggings. They tempt you, mock you and gnash their teeth. You call out: Lord, look down and restore my spirit from their evil deeds, my very self from the lions. Our spirit is one in number and disposition. When, therefore, you restore it in good will and you free me from their evil deeds, then I will confess you in the great assembly and the great throng of people, not by summoning solemn processions or by playing roles, but by guarding your respect amongst serious people; in this there will be constant attention by me, and I will praise you before those same people. Therefore, let them not triumph, the evil ones who turn against me, who hate me and wink with indulgent eyes. As I have said, apply these things to the suffering of the Lord so that you do not thoroughly overlook the message of your edification.

Now, he says this not by way of accusation but out of a longing for help. When will you appear, he is saying, and assist the wronged? . . . Render my soul proof against their machinations.

Daily the demons speak peacefully to us. This peace is the fruit of lust, but through anger they devise deceits, just like sweet food on a hook in our sight—it is deadly to eat. They open wide their mouths against me, and lovers of this age daily commit unspeakable crimes, and nothing is thoroughly denounced by anyone.

They make a pretense by uttering words under the guise of peace, but in reality their words are com-pletely full of anger and evil. All the words, in fact, were not of peace, though they seemed to give that impression; rather, they were spoken with complete viciousness under pretense, for they continued hatching plots and schemes against me, planning such things and turning them over in their soul.

What a wonderful patience there was in him who was the greatest Majesty! Was he unable to descend alive from . . . the cross to put his enemies to shame, if after dying he rose from the tomb on the third day? But it was not suitable for the divine power to be moved by the words of those hurling insults, so that consequently they might blush even more when all the predictions were confirmed.

According to our human custom, one often says arise to one who is always awake and always attentive. Since he constantly reviews all things, he is regarded as having paid attention when he punishes.

Since by his long-suffering he gives the impression of sleeping, as it were, he urges him to arise and deliver a verdict in his favor.

Although he had the best case, since he had committed no sins, he still asks that he be judged in mercy to show us, who would not be able to carry out this activity as those without sin, an example of prayer.

Shame is fitting for those who mock their neighbor; thus the inspired author calls it down on their arrogance and boasting.

One who blushes over his own acts is condemned by his own evaluation; one who is confined by the chain of embarrassment serves as his own tormentor.

Those who are baptized into Christ put on Christ; this is justice and wisdom. Those who are baptized into Satan are clothed in confusion and shame.

Persecutors are accustomed to say well done, well done, for our soul, because theirs is a joy for this life and a pleasure that does not last. But the blessed say May the Lord always be exalted, which is eternal and enduring.

While the psalm had this ending, therefore, I beseech those reading it not to incur even the slightest harm from the prayer of the righteous person or make it the occasion for curses against one’s enemies. Instead, realize that the inspired author was adopting the way of life sanctioned by the Law, not by the Gospels. Now, the Law speaks plainly of loving the neighbor and hating the enemy. By contrast, Christ the Lord, to show virtue in its perfection, said, It was said to those of old, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I say to you. Love your enemies and bless those who persecute you.^[1] The divine apostle also said something in harmony with this, Bless and do not curse.^[2] Looking at this difference, therefore, realize what is in keeping with the Law and what with grace. In particular, it was not to deliver a curse that David said this; rather, in inspired fashion he foretold what would clearly come to be. Now, for proof that in keeping with the gospel requirements even he did not take vengeance on those who wronged him, listen to him saying, If I repaid in like fashion those rendering me evil, let me then end up empty-handed before my foes. Let my foe then hunt my soul down, apprehend it, trample my life in the ground and bury my glory in the dust.^[3] And he did not say this without doing it: he put his words into practice, and the actions are clearer than the words. Twice when he had his enemy in his hands, remember, he not only did not do away with him; . . . when he fell in battle, he wept bitterly over him, and the one who brought word of his death he dispatched for exulting and boasting of the execution. Now, I was obliged to recount these events because of those who boast and quote the case of the divine David so that they may have the best values of David as a beneficial model.