The unjust [has] said within himself that he would
sin: there is no fear of God before his eyes. For in his sight he [has] done deceitfully,
that his iniquity may be found unto hatred. The words of his mouth
are iniquity and guile: he would not understand that he might do well. He [has] devised
iniquity on his bed; he [has] set himself on every way that is not good: but
evil he [has] not hated.[1]
The numerous times I have read this
passage and similar passages, I have always related them to the
non-believer. In other words, this
passage did not apply to me. It would be
one of those passages that applies to the other guy. As far as myself, I could take a permanent
marker and mark it out because it did not apply to me. Or does it? As I have said other times, we see ourselves
in the best light.
Let’s look at a different version of
Scripture, the Revised Standard Version: Transgression
speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his
eyes.
For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his
iniquity cannot be found out and hated. The
words of his mouth are mischief and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do
good. He plots mischief while on his
bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he spurns not evil.[2] The word transgression
strikes out at me. Is there
transgression within me? Of course. If we
say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.[3] The
word transgression makes me begin to
squirm. Transgression speaks, and I
do. Could it be that this passage is
meant directly for me?
Let’s see what the New American
Bible has to say: Sin directs the heart
of the wicked man; his eyes are closed to the fear of God. For he lives with the delusion: his guilt will
not be known and hated. Empty and false
are the words of his mouth; he has ceased to be wise and do good. On his bed he hatches plots; he sets out on a
wicked way; he does not reject evil.[4] Ouch. Sin directs the
heart of the wicked man. Do I
sin because sin is directing me?
Now,
sin directs the heart of the wicked man.
However, is it possible that this refers
to sin directing the heart of the non-believer; but, since I am a believer, sin
does not direct my heart, although I still sin?
The problem is: I would be pointing fingers, making this passage to not
apply to myself but others. It might
even cause me to attempt to judge whether someone is a believer or not. Even some commentaries can, if not read
carefully, add fuel to the problem.
The Catholic Commentary says about
Psalm 36: “The wickedness wrought by a godless man is contrasted with God’s
goodness and kindness. The psalmist prays that he may be protected from
evil-doers, who ride for a fall… ‘Transgression’
is personified; it is an evil oracle whispering temptation to a reprobate man,
telling him that God never seeks out a sinner’s iniquity, and does not hate him…
Another interpretation is that the
wicked man flatters himself at finding that his iniquity is an object of hatred… He ceases to think of doing good, like the
fool in (Psalm) 13:2.”[5] I am not godless, correct, because I am a
believer and have been baptized?
Therefore, this can fuel the thought that this portion of the psalm does
not apply to me.
Now, Fr. George Haydock, in his
commentary, as a different take on this psalm.
He says: “I am inwardly convinced how great the malice of the wicked may
be. It touches me to the very heart… The wicked are bent on evil, and this fills
the virtuous with grief… They sin
publicly (Ps 13:1) and on purpose, preferring vice before virtue, and constantly
bent on doing evil, so that they become odious to all.”[6] This is correct. However, it still could cause a great
problem: We could see the sins of others as greater than our own, making
ourselves better than them.
Let us look, first, as this psalm
applying to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Looking down upon mankind, God sees how destitute mankind is. This portion of the psalm shows the state of
the human race. It is to this that we
can apply Fr. Haydock’s comments. Because
of this state, He becomes Incarnate to save us.
He is perfectly holy, without sin.
We are with sin; therefore, we need to view this as applying to us,
individually.
St. Robert Bellarmine, commenting
upon Verse 1, the unjust hath said within
himself, that he would sin: there is no fear of God before his eyes, says: “The prophet tells us the two
primary roots of sin, one of which is in the will, whereby we determine on
committing sin; the other is in the understanding, that does not consider the
fear of the Lord forbidding sin. ‘The
unjust [has] said within himself,’ that is, with himself, in his heart he
determined to sin; that is, consented in his heart to sin. ‘The fear of God is not before his eyes.’ He so consented because, in his heart, he did
not think of the fear of the Lord, who sees everything. Fear is used here for the object of it; that
is, he did not think that God was just, powerful, and all seeing—for, if he did,
he would be more afraid of one so powerful. When we fear anyone, we are afraid to do
anything bad in his presence; and, thus, he who fears God dares not to sin
interiorly, for God searches even our hearts.”[7] Hence, we sin because of our will and our
understanding. We are not afraid to sin
in his presence. No thing nor no person
can force us to sin. When we sin, it is
because it is our will to sin. We can
accept death as a preference to sin, which our Lord and the martyrs did. Of course, we can reject this notion that the
fear of the Lord is not before our eyes; however, the fact remains: We are not
the ultimate Judge regarding this. It is
much better for us to recognize a sin, confess it, and repent rather than deny
it and not repent.
St. Augustine tells us, regarding
this verse: “Not of one man, but of a race of ungodly men he speaks, who fight
against their own selves by not understanding… so [that] they may live well--not
because they cannot but because they will not. For it is one thing when one endeavors to
understand something and, through infirmity of flesh cannot--as says the
Scripture in a certain place, “For the corruptible body presses down the soul,
and the earthly tabernacle weighs down the mind that muses upon many things”
(Wisdom 9:15)--but another when the human heart acts mischievously against
itself so that what it could understand, if it had but good will thereto. It understands not, not because it is
difficult but because the will is contrary. But so
it is when men love their own sins and hate God’s commandments. For the Word of God is your adversary if you
be a friend to your ungodliness. But, if
you are an adversary to your ungodliness, the Word of God is your friend, as
well as the adversary of your ungodliness.…”[8] If we can see our wickedness and are
repentant, confessing it, we have hope.
Regarding the second verse, for in his (God’s) sight he hath done deceitfully, that his iniquity may be found unto
hatred, St. Bellarmine explains: “In this verse, he proves his assertion,
that the unjust man does not possess the fear of the Lord: for in his sight he
has done deceitfully with God himself and with all men, ‘so that his iniquity
may be found unto hatred’ and not for pardon, a thing he certainly would not
have done had he feared God. For who
would dare to transgress in the presence of a judge for whom he entertained the
slightest fear?”[9] This should cause concern to begin to build
for we are beginning to see how obstinate we truly are. What St. Augustine says can apply to us as
well: “There are men who, as it were, endeavor
to seek out their iniquity and fear to find it because, if they should find it,
it is said to them, ‘Depart from it: This you did before you knew; you did
iniquity being in ignorance; God gives pardon: now you have discovered it,
forsake it, that to your ignorance pardon may easily be given; and that with a
clear face you may say to God, ‘Remember not the sins of my youth and of my
ignorance (Ps 25:7).’ Thus he seeks it;
thus he fears lest he find it; for he seeks it deceitfully.”[10] We have “pet” sins that we just do not desire
to stop, because we enjoy them. Augustine
goes on: “Now, many ‘work deceitfully to find out their iniquity;’ they work
not from their heart to find it out and hate it. But because in the very search after iniquity
there is deceit, in the finding it there will be defense of it.”[11] When we become aware that what we enjoy is
sin, we will then defend it or make excuses for it. Fr. George Haydock, in his commentary, writes:
“Sometimes ignorance is excusable when a person does his best to obtain
knowledge. But, when he is negligent, the ignorance is gross and sinful in
proportion to the importance of the thing. If one desires to be ignorant to prevent
remorse, this only increases the guilt, and God often leaves such [persons] destitute
of the ordinary graces which he gives to others so that they fall into a
reprobate sense and into more horrible sins.”[12]
The
words of his mouth are iniquity and guile: he would not
understand that he might do well.
The words he would not understand
attributes this to our will. Augustine
explains: “For there are men who would understand and cannot, and there are men
who [desire to] not understand and, therefore, understand not.”[13]
He
[has] devised iniquity on his bed; he [has] set himself on every way that is
not good: but evil he [has] not hated. Augustine
explains that this he has set himself
means that the individual has sinned perseveringly.[14] St. Alphonsus de Liguori writes: “The wicked
man has said in his heart, or has resolved (as is explained by Bellarmine and
Mattei), to sin freely; and he acts thus because he has no longer the fear of
God before his eyes.”[15] We know that God is all knowing;
nevertheless, are we fearful when we sin?
No. We often hold our sins
separate from our heart, our heart being good.
Nevertheless, our Lord tells us: “Either
make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit
bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! how can you speak
good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaks. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil
man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of
judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by
your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”[16] Elsewhere,
our Lord tells us, “Not everyone who says
to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the
will of my Father who is in heaven,”[17] and “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?[18]
St. Alphonsus de Liguori that the
perverse man “does not wish to understand what is good so as not to be obliged
to practice it.[19] Often, we place ourselves above God. We do this when we desire to dictate what is
evil and what is not. There is no fear
of God. “On his bed, he premeditates to
do evil, and he gives himself to every wicked means; for, far from hating evil,
he loves it.”[20]
John Cassian teaches us: “It is most
clearly established by instances and testimonies from Scripture that the
mischief of pride, although it comes later in the order of the combat, is yet
earlier in origin and is the beginning of all sins and faults. Nor is it (like the other vices) simply fatal
to the virtue opposite to it (in this case, humility), but it is also at the
same time destructive of all virtues: nor does it only tempt ordinary folk and
small people, but chiefly those who already stand on the heights of valor.”[21] We speak of humbling ourselves, but our “humbling”
is just pride. Only God can make us
humble. Humility comes from the Humble
One.
We need to know this in order that
we may learn that we are sick. “Those who are well have no need of a
physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire
mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
[22] Oh, what sweet words! We do not have to despair. Psalm 36 goes on to say: Lord, your mercy reaches to heaven; your fidelity, to the clouds. Your justice is like the highest mountains; your
judgments, like the mighty deep; human being and beast you sustain, Lord. How precious is your mercy, O God! The children of Adam take refuge in the shadow
of your wings. They feast on the rich
food of your house; from your delightful stream you give them drink. For with you is the fountain of life, and in
your light we see light. Show mercy on
those who know you, your just defense to the upright of heart.[23] This comes to through the gift of the Church,
the Word, and the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. We will not see perfection immediately. We must grow.
What happens immediately in eternity is played out, most often, slowly
in time. We must persevere.
As a result, in the concluding verse
of Psalm 25, let us see the proud, wicked, and evil doers as the pride and sins
within us. They are our worst
enemies. Do not let the foot of the proud overtake me, nor the hand of the
wicked disturb me. There make the
evildoers fall; thrust them down, unable to rise [24] In this way, we will
greatly benefit from this psalm, making it very applicable to us, leading us to
salvation. It will also cause us to
mourn for our neighbor, because of his ignorance or obstinance. Our neighbors are just like us, and we should
pray for them. We should teach them if
they are willing to listen. However, if
they are not willing, we should pray for them.
Perhaps, God will have mercy upon them and reveal his truth to them.
[1] The Holy Bible,
Translated from the Latin Vulgate, (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible
Software, 2009), Ps 35:2–6.
[2]
Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible:
Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, (New York: National
Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), Ps 36:1–4.
[3] The Holy Bible,
Translated from the Latin Vulgate, (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible
Software, 2009), 1 Jn 1:8.
[4] New American Bible,
Revised Edition., (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops, 2011), Ps 36:2–5.
[5] T.
E. Bird, A Catholic Commentary on Holy
Scripture, 1953, 454.
[6] George Leo Haydock, Haydock’s Catholic Bible Commentary,
(New York: Edward Dunigan and Brother, 1859), Ps 35:2.
[8]
Augustine of Hippo, Saint Augustin:
Expositions on the Book of Psalms, 1888, 8, 86.
[9] Saint Robert Bellarmine. A Commentary on the Book of
Psalms (Illustrated) (p. 160). Aeterna Press. Kindle Edition.
[10]
Augustine of Hippo, Saint Augustin:
Expositions on the Book of Psalms, 1888, 8, 86.
[11] Ibid.,
86–87.
[12]
George Leo Haydock, Haydock’s Catholic
Bible Commentary, (New York: Edward Dunigan and Brother, 1859),
Ps 35:4.
[13]
Augustine of Hippo, Saint Augustin:
Expositions on the Book of Psalms, 1888, 8, 87.
[14] Ibid.
[15]
Alphonsus de Liguori, The Divine Office:
Explanation of the Psalms and Canticles, ed. Eugene Grimm, The
Complete Works of Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, Third Edition., (New York;
Cincinnati; Chicago; London; Dublin: Benziger Brothers; R. Washbourne; M. H.
Gill & Son, 1889), 110.
[16]
Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible:
Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, (New York: National
Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), Mt 12:33–37.
[17] Ibid.,
Mt 7:21.
[18] Ibid.,
Lk 6:46.
[19]
Alphonsus de Liguori, The Divine Office:
Explanation of the Psalms and Canticles, ed. Eugene Grimm, The
Complete Works of Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, Third Edition., (New York;
Cincinnati; Chicago; London; Dublin: Benziger Brothers; R. Washbourne; M. H.
Gill & Son, 1889), 111.
[20] Ibid.
[21]
John Cassian, Sulpitius Severus, Vincent
of Lérins, John Cassian, 1894, 11, 281.
[22]
Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible:
Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, (New York: National
Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), Mt 9:12–13.
[23] New American Bible,
Revised Edition., (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops, 2011), Ps 36:6–11.
[24] Ibid., Ps 36:12–13.
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