Text is from “The Psalms And New Testament”.
Douay-Rheims version.
Translated From The Latin Vulgate.
Diligently compared with The Hebrew, Greek,
and other Editions in divers languages.
The New Testament.
First published by The English College at Rheims, 1582 A.D. And The Psalms. From The Old Testament. First published by The English College, at Douay, 1609 A.D.
With annotations and references.
The whole revised and diligently compared with
The Latin Vulgate by The Servant of God,
Richard Challoner, 1749-1752 A.D.
Published by The Baronius Press, London MMVII.
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The Book of Psalms.
The Psalms are called by the Hebrews “TEHILLIM”, that is, Hymns of Praise. The author of a great part of them, at least, was King David. But many are of the opinion that some of them were authored by Asaph, and others whose names
are prefixed in the titles.
“Quare Fremuerunt”.
The Vain Efforts Of Persecutors
Against Christ And His Church.
Why have the Gentiles raged,
and the people devised vain things ?
The Kings of the Earth stood up,
and the Princes met together,
against The Lord, and against His Christ.
Let us break their bonds asunder:
And let us cast away their yoke from us.
He that dwelleth in Heaven shall laugh at them:
And The Lord shall deride them.
Then shall He speak to them in His anger,
and trouble them in His rage.
But I am appointed King by Him over Sion,
His holy mountain, preaching His commandment.
The Lord hath said to me:
Thou art my son,
this day have I begotten thee.
Ask of Me,
and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance,
and the utmost parts of the Earth for thy possession.
Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron,
and shalt break them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
And now, O ye Kings, understand:
Receive instruction, you that judge the Earth.
Serve ye The Lord with fear:
And rejoice unto Him with trembling.
Embrace discipline,
lest at any time The Lord be angry,
and you perish from the just way.
When His wrath shall be kindled in a short time,
Blessed are all they that trust in Him.
Zephyrinus always dials in on the important things. Psalm 2, "Why do the nations rage?"
ReplyDeleteThe first 3 Psalms of the Psalter seem to sum up the entire meaning of the Scriptures: Psalm 1, “Beatus Vir” (the Latin Psalter title), or “The Two Ways”, “ Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners…But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night;” Psalm 2 “Quare fremuerunt.” “The vain efforts of persecutors against Christ and his church,” (Quoted by Zephyrinus here); and lastly, Psalm 3: “Domine, quid multiplicati.” “How many are my enemies, O Lord!” “Mystically, the passion and resurrection of Christ.” (The titles and short explanations are from the English Douai-Rheims version).
But Psalm 2 which Zephyrinus highlights here especially well describes the recently completed Lent and Holy Week season, and in a macrospheric sense the present condition of the world: The nations rage, the peoples utter folly, and the Kings of the Earth are arrayed against the Christ and God the Father. Information storage, which was once innocent and freely available to all for the public good, has become a secreted weapon of power by the new Kings of the Earth of this age. Medical advancement formerly advanced for the common good has become a designation of power for a new Princely class. And philosophies, especially of epistemology and political science, are degraded into utterly “vain things,” devised to deceive and subjugate the peoples with strange new definitions of man and woman, "equity," and "the common good."
But take heart, O pilgrim, have no fear: Psalm 2 foretells the outcome, no matter how bleak it seems, as the folly of the peoples and the grab for power of the Kings of the Earth reaches its apogee: The Lord speaks to His Anointed: 9. “Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron, and shalt break them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 10 And now, O ye kings, understand: receive instruction, you that judge the earth: Blessed are all they that trust in Him.”
"When it gets really dark, you can see the stars." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson, poet Comment by Dante P
A most eloquent and interesting Comment from Dante Peregrinus for which we are most grateful.
DeleteIndeed, Psalm 2 does appear to address today's modern worries, concerns, and intrigues.
This Psalm appears over the entrance to the Chapel in Chislehurst, Kent, where, formerly, Emperor Napoleon III's catafalque lay in State, prior to being translated to Saint Michael's Abbey, Farnborough, Hampshire.
@ Zephyrinus: This commenter thought he had recalled that esteemed Zephyrinus had noted Ps. 2 is indeed engraved over the entrance to the funerary chapel of Emperor Napoleon’s initial resting place at S. Mary’s at Chislehurst—but this writer was a bit uncertain if he had confused it with the final resting place of the Emperor at S. Michael’s Abbey, Farnborough, Hampshire. Thank you for the clarification. -Note by Dante P
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