The Seven Penitential Psalms - Ps 37/3: verses 14&15

I said in the Introduction to Psalm 37 that it deals primarily with God’s punishment of us here and now.

Our first instinct, when faced with suffering and persecution is to ask God to have mercy on us, to heal our wounds and grant us the joy that comes with forgiveness of our sins, as the Psalmist does in the first two penitential psalms, Psalms 6&31. More, we naturally seek vindication in the face of our enemies, as the psalmist requests in some of the later penitential psalms.

Punishment and suffering in this life

This psalm, however, is a reminder that sin incurs punishment too, and that while not every suffering we face in the here and now is a punishment (remember Job!), some sufferings are punishments necessary for our own good.

The psalm is also an important reminder of the Gospel injunction: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

And the first kind of punishment, dealt with in today's verses, is false accusations against one.  So how should one respond?

The text

The first half of the psalm describes the speaker’s sufferings, with the verses immediately prior to the verses we will consider today talking about his rejection by friends and neighbours, and the plotting of enemies against him. Verses 14 &15 talk about his response, which is to keep silence, as Our Lord did in the face of the false accusations made against him.

14	V/NV	Ego autem tamquam surdus non audiébam: * et sicut mutus non apériens os suum.
	JH	Ego autem quasi surdus non audiebam; et quasi mutus non aperiebam os meum.

15	V/NV	Et factus sum sicut homo non áudiens: * et non habens in ore suo redargutiónes.
	JH	Et eram quasi homo non audiens, nec habens in ore suo redargutiones.

Verses 14&15 say essentially the same thing in different words: the speaker becomes deaf (non audiebam=was not hearing; non audiens = not hearing; surdus=deaf) and dumb (mutus=dumb; not offering a defense= non habens in ore suo redargutiones).

A reasonably literal translation would be: “But I was hearing, like a deaf man, and like a mute not opening his mouth.  I was like a man not hearing, and not having rejoinders in his mouth.” A more poetic translation, from the Collegeville translators of the Monastic Diurnal is:“But I am as one deaf and do not hear; and as one dumb, that openeth not his mouth. I am become like a man that heareth not, and that hath no reproofs in his mouth.”

tamquam or tanquam, adv. of comparison, sometimes followed by sic or ita, as, just as, like, as it were.

surdus, a, um, deaf. 37,14 Ego autem tamquam surdus non audiebam. But I, as a deaf man, heard not.

audio, ivi or li, Itum, ire (connected with auris),  to hear.

mutus, a, um, dumb, unable to speak. 37,14 Ego autem tamquam surdus non audiebam: et sicut mutus non aperiens os suum. But I, as a deaf man, heard not: and I was as a dumb man that opened not his mouth.

aperio, periii, pertum, ire,  to open.

os, oris, n., the mouth
redargutio, onis, (redarguo, to maintain the contrary), a retort,rejoinder, reply to accusations; rebuttals, defense

Verses 14&15 say essentially the same thing in different words: the speaker becomes deaf (non audiebam=was not hearing; non audiens = not hearing; surdus=deaf) and dumb (mutus=dumb; not offering a defense= non habens in ore suo redargutiones).

A reasonably literal translation would be:

“But I was hearing, like a deaf man, and like a mute not opening his mouth
I was like a man not hearing, and not having rejoinders in his mouth”

A more poetic translation, from the Collegeville translators of the Monastic Diurnal is:

“But I am as one deaf and do not hear; and as one dumb, that openeth not his mouth. I am become like a man that heareth not, and that hath no reproofs in his mouth.”

Why does he offer no defense?

We are generally entitled to defend ourselves rather than simply stand there and accept the evil that others do to us. So why does the speaker here offer no defense? The psalm suggests several possible answers. The first and most obvious is suggested by the verses immediately prior: the charges against him may be fabricated, and his accusers will not give him a fair trial – what he says can make no difference to the outcome.

Of course, the only person who can truly claim total innocence is Our Lord, hence the Christological interpretation of this psalm - our Lord accepts the punishment on our behalf even though he is totally innocent.  Still, the psalmist goes on to explain why this may still be an appropriate response for us even if there is some grain of truth mixed in with the lies, or where we are not guilty of what we are accused of - but are guilty of some other crime.

One reason is that the evil of the accusers could lead one into sin. St John Cassian comments in his Institutes:

“as the Psalmist says: "I was like a deaf man and heard not and as one that is dumb who doth not open his mouth; and I became as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth there are no reproofs," so you also should walk as one that is deaf and dumb and blind, so that--putting aside the contemplation of him who has been rightly chosen by you as your model of perfection--you should be like a blind man and not see any of those things which you find to be unedifying, nor be influenced by the authority or fashion of those who do these things, and give yourself up to what is worse and what you formerly condemned. If you hear any one disobedient or insubordinate or disparaging another or doing anything different from what was taught to you, you should not go wrong and be led astray by such an example to imitate him; but, "like a deaf man," as if you had never heard it, you should pass it all by…”

Worse, we could be drawn into sin by the fury of our response, as St Robert Bellarmine points out:

"Another reason why he chose to be silent and deaf. It is better for me to have patience, and trust in God's assistance, for fear, by getting into impatience, and returning malediction for malediction, God may desert me...”

Thirdly, the psalm, in the very next verse instructs us to cultivate always the virtue of hope, and look to God, not man for our vindication and salvation. St Robert Bellarmine comments:

“…because he considered it would be of more service to him to put his trust in God, than in any defense he could set up for himself. I was silent, "for in thee, O Lord, have I hoped." I paid no attention to all the false and idle abuse so heaped upon me; because I was conscious that you, who are the just judge, giving to everyone according to his works, and in whom I have always hoped, was looking at, and hearing every¬thing; and as I did put my trust in thee, "thou wilt hear me, O Lord, my God," and deliver me from their "unjust lips, and deceitful tongue."

The next part of this series will look at the further reason the psalmist adduces for standing deaf and dumb to the attack on him, namely accepting it as our deserved punishment for other sins.

Psalm 37: Domine, ne in furore

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Psalmus David, in rememorationem de sabbato.	A psalm for David, for a remembrance of the sabbath.
1 Dómine, ne in furóre tuo árguas me, * neque in ira tua corrípias me.	1 Rebuke me not, O Lord, in your indignation; nor chastise me in your wrath.
2  Quóniam sagíttæ tuæ infíxæ sunt mihi: * et confirmásti super me manum tuam.	2 For your arrows are fastened in me: and your hand has been strong upon me.
3  Non est sánitas in carne mea a fácie iræ tuæ: * non est pax óssibus meis a fácie peccatórum meórum.	3 There is no health in my flesh, because of your wrath: there is no peace for my bones, because of my sins.
4  Quóniam iniquitátes meæ supergréssæ sunt caput meum: * et sicut onus grave gravátæ sunt super me.	4 For my iniquities have gone over my head: and as a heavy burden have become heavy upon me.
5 Putruérunt et corrúptæ sunt cicatríces meæ, * a fácie insipiéntiæ meæ.	5 My sores are putrefied and corrupted, because of my foolishness.
6  Miser factus sum, et curvátus sum usque in finem: * tota die contristátus ingrediébar.	6 I have become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I walked sorrowful all the day long.
7  Quóniam lumbi mei impléti sunt illusiónibus: * et non est sánitas in carne mea.	7 For my loins are filled with illusions; and there is no health in my flesh.
8  Afflíctus sum, et humiliátus sum nimis: * rugiébam a gémitu cordis mei.	8 I am afflicted and humbled exceedingly: I roared with the groaning of my heart.
9  Dómine, ante te omne desidérium meum: * et gémitus meus a te non est abscónditus.	9 Lord, all my desire is before you, and my groaning is not hidden from you.
10  Cor meum conturbátum est, derelíquit me virtus mea: * et lumen oculórum meórum, et ipsum non est mecum.	10 My heart is troubled, my strength has left me, and the light of my eyes itself is not with me.
11  Amíci mei, et próximi mei * advérsum me appropinquavérunt, et stetérunt.	11 My friends and my neighbours have drawn near, and stood against me.
12  Et qui juxta me erant, de longe stetérunt: * et vim faciébant qui quærébant ánimam meam.	12 And they that were near me stood afar off: And they that sought my soul used violence.
13  Et qui inquirébant mala mihi, locúti sunt vanitátes: * et dolos tota die meditabántur.	13 And they that sought evils to me spoke vain things, and studied deceits all the day long.
14  Ego autem tamquam surdus non audiébam: * et sicut mutus non apériens os suum.	14 But I, as a deaf man, heard not: and as a dumb man not opening his mouth.
15  Et factus sum sicut homo non áudiens: * et non habens in ore suo redargutiónes.	15 And I became as a man that hears not: and that has no reproofs in his mouth.
16  Quóniam in te, Dómine, sperávi: * tu exáudies me, Dómine, Deus meus.	16 For in you, O Lord, have I hoped: you will hear me, O Lord my God.
17  Quia dixi: Nequándo supergáudeant mihi inimíci mei: * et dum commovéntur pedes mei, super me magna locúti sunt.	17 For I said: Lest at any time my enemies rejoice over me: and whilst my feet are moved, they speak great things against me.
18  Quóniam ego in flagélla parátus sum: * et dolor meus in conspéctu meo semper.	18 For I am ready for scourges: and my sorrow is continually before me.
19  Quóniam iniquitátem meam annuntiábo: * et cogitábo pro peccáto meo.	19 For I will declare my iniquity: and I will think for my sin.
20  Inimíci autem mei vivunt, et confirmáti sunt super me: * et multiplicáti sunt qui odérunt me iníque.	20 But my enemies live, and are stronger than I: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
21  Qui retríbuunt mala pro bonis, detrahébant mihi: * quóniam sequébar bonitátem.	21 They that render evil for good, have detracted me, because I followed goodness.
22  Ne derelínquas me, Dómine, Deus meus: * ne discésseris a me.	22 Forsake me not, O Lord my God: do not depart from me.
23  Inténde in adjutórium meum, * Dómine, Deus, salútis meæ.	23 Attend unto my help, O Lord, the God of my salvation.

You can find the next set of notes on Psalm 37 here.