Psalms 21

"O Lord, the King shall rejoice in Your strength" [Psalm 21:1]. O Lord, in Your strength, whereby the Word was made flesh, the Man Christ Jesus shall rejoice. "And shall exult exceedingly in Your salvation." And in that, whereby Thou quickenest all things, shall exult exceedingly.

Our belief that there are two natures in Christ the Lord, one divine and one human, is a matter of salvation. These two natures endure without change in one person for ever. This statement of faith bears frequent repetition, because, when it is frequently heard and believed, it brings life. In the initial narrative of this psalm, the words of the prophet are directed toward God the Father concerning the Lord's incarnation. The second part describes his diverse virtues and glory, describing his life from the point at which he suffered until he attained the height and peak of all things by the Father's gracious gift. In the third, the same prophet turns to the Lord Christ, and here in the manner of those who make wishes, he asks that what he knows is to come will be done at the judgment.

I think that these words had been prophesied by those who had spoken long before David. Since David had learned from the lofty oracles that those words were looking not only at the strength of his own salvation but also that which was going to come forth from his seed, concerning which he said he would rejoice and praise with enthusiasm. Having been assured of those things and the enemies having been thoroughly subjugated with mighty power, to you, God, the author of the victory, he grants the prize of his victory. And he rejoices and praises as he is snatched from the snares of the enemies, nor does he rejoice so much in his own deliverance as in that salvation sent from you. As he seeks your deliverance with lofty vows from his own lips, he will entreat you often for the advent of his deliverance; his prayer frequently uttered, he never fails in hope, nor will his request be in vain.

Above, in the preceding Psalm, a petition was made for the exaltation of the king: but here, as though heard, he foretells it. The title is "Unto the end, a Psalm of David." This Psalm is therefore divided into two parts. In the first he foretells the exaltation of the king. In the second, the casting down of enemies, at "Let your hand be found." Concerning the first he does three things. First he foretells the joy of the king. Second he sets forth the cause of the joy, at "The desire." And third, the merit of the cause, at "For the king hopes in the Lord." This Psalm is expounded of Christ who is king, and of David who was his figure; and therefore it can be expounded of both: of Christ according to truth, of David according to figure. There is therefore a twofold joy: one concerning God, another concerning God's benefit. As to the first he says: O Lord God the Father, "the king," that is, Christ, "shall rejoice in your strength," that is, of your divinity: Ps. 71: "O God, give your judgment to the king." And he then rejoiced when he conquered the Devil and death by his own death: and when he worked miracles, and when he ascended into heaven: Ps. 46: "God has ascended with jubilation": Jer. 23: "A king shall reign and be wise," etc. 1 Cor. 1: "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." Likewise if this is said of David: O Lord God, "the king," namely David and other saints, "shall rejoice in your strength": Song 1: "We will rejoice and exult in you, mindful of your breasts." As to the second he says, "And over your salvation," etc., that is, over the attainment of salvation accomplished through you. Especially Christ will exult through this, that through him you save the human race: Mt. 1: "He himself shall save his people."

"You have given Him the desire of His soul" [Psalm 21:2]. He desired to eat the Passover, [Luke 22:15] and to lay down His life when He would, and again when He would to take it; and You have given it to Him. [John 10:18] "And hast not deprived Him of the good pleasure of His lips." "My peace," says He, "I leave with you:" [John 14:27] and it was done.

Having prophesied the promises made earlier to David, he then explains the reason why these things are going to happen. For what is that reason unless hope in God in which the one who has received mercy does not falter and in that very hope granted by God most high he does not waver from a firm and steady foundation?

"The desire." Here the cause of the joy is set forth, which is the fulfillment of desire: Prov. 13: "A desire fulfilled delights the soul." As desire relates to joy, so does motion relate to rest, which is reached through motion. Hence first the fulfillment of desire is set forth. Second, the things in which the desire is fulfilled are set forth, at "For you have anticipated him." Now there is a twofold desire: one which is only in the heart, another which is expressed by the mouth: and both are fulfilled, because God hears even before one prays. As to the first he says, "You have granted him the desire of his heart": Lk. 22: "With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you"; and this is said of every just man. As to the second he says, "And you have not defrauded him of the will of his lips," that is, what he expressed through his lips: you have not defrauded him, because you heard him: Heb. 5: "He was heard because of his reverence": Is. 46: "My counsel shall stand, and all my will shall be accomplished."

And what is here more fitly understood than that very desire of good of which we are speaking? For good begins then to be longed for when it has begun to grow sweet. But when good is done by fear of penalty, not by the love of righteousness, good is not yet well done. Nor is that done in the heart that seems to be done in the act, when a person would rather not do it if he could evade it with impunity. Therefore the "blessing of sweetness" is God's grace, by which is caused in us that what he prescribes to us delights us, and we desire it—that is, we love it; in which if God does not precede us, not only is it not perfected but it is not even begun, from us. For if without him we are able to do nothing, we are able neither to begin nor to perfect, because to begin, it is said, "His mercy shall prevent me"; to finish, it is said, "His mercy shall follow me."

"For You have presented Him with the blessings of sweetness" [Psalm 21:3]. Because He had first quaffed the blessing of Your sweetness, the gall of our sins did not hurt Him. " Diapsalma. You have set a crown of precious stone on His Head." At the beginning of His discoursing precious stones were brought, and compassed Him about; His disciples, from whom the commencement of His preaching should be made.

He indicates that humanity is ever adorned with the anticipatory grace of the Godhead, because no one offers anything to God first unless what is good is granted by a heavenly gift.

Christ is the crown of the rational nature.

The crown of the Lord is the church gathered from the various nations, about which Paul in the person of the believers says, "My joy and my crown."

"For." Here he sets forth the things in which the desire is fulfilled. And first he speaks of the fulfillment of the desire of the heart. Second, of the fulfillment of the desire of prayer, which is the same as the desire of the lips, at "the life." Now there is a twofold benefit; and therefore first he sets forth the interior spiritual benefit, which is the benefit of grace: and as to this he says, "For you have anticipated him with blessings of sweetness." To bless is to speak good; and the speaking of God is his doing. Hence in the blessing of God is understood the infusion of goodness: Gen. 26: "I will bless you, and I will multiply your offspring," etc. And 17: "I will bless him, and I will multiply him, and I will increase him exceedingly." This blessing therefore is sweet: Wis. 12: "O how good and sweet is your spirit within us." Therefore "with blessings of sweetness," that is, with the goods of grace and with immunity from sins, "you have anticipated him," that is, Christ, in time: because from the beginning of his conception he was full of every grace: Jn. 1: "We saw him full of grace and truth, as the only-begotten of the Father": because as soon as he was conceived he was united to the divine nature, and just as soon was he full of grace. Likewise, "you have anticipated him" in quantity: because above all others he received grace, and not by measure. The saints too are said to be anticipated: 1 Jn. 4: "Not as though we have loved God, but because he first loved us": Wis. 6: "He anticipates those who desire him." And so in the figure of Christ, David was anticipated by special grace: because he was anointed king while he was still a boy, before he himself thought of the kingdom. The exterior benefit he shows by saying, "You have set upon his head a crown of precious stone." If these words refer to Christ, then the sense is: "You have set upon his head a crown of precious stone," etc., that is, you have made him king. The crown is the sign of royal dignity: because, as it says in Is. 33: "They shall see the king in his beauty": Song 3: "Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and see the king in the diadem with which his mother crowned him," that is, his divinity. On account of this he says "of precious stone," that is, of divinity: because his kingdom is not of this world, Jn. 18. Jerome has "of pure gold," that is, the purest: Rev. 6: "A crown was given to him." Or the crown of precious stone is the apostles: who are called precious stones on account of the preciousness of their teaching: Rev. 12: "On his head," namely Christ's, "a crown of twelve stars." Sir. 25: "The crown of the aged is great experience." Hence the company of the apostles is like a crown of Christ. Or, "you have set upon his head a crown," that is, the Church: Prov. 12: "A diligent woman," that is, the Church, "is a crown to her husband," that is, to Christ. Or this can be said of any saint: because the crown, or reward, is God himself: Is. 28: "In that day the Lord shall be a crown of glory." "Of stone," on account of its solidity, "precious," because David was literally crowned by God himself.

He sought life; he lived as a man. Having been limited in life, in death he received length of days not just to old age but to eternity.

"He asked life; and You gave Him:" He asked a resurrection, saying, "Father, glorify Your Son;" [John 17:1] and You gave it Him, "Length of days for ever and ever" [Psalm 21:4]. The prolonged ages of this world which the Church was to have, and after them an eternity, world without end.

"He asked life of Thee, and Thou gavest him length of days for ever and ever;" indicating that it is the Father of all who imparts continuance for ever and ever on those who are saved. For life does not arise from us, nor from our own nature; but it is bestowed according to the grace of God. And therefore he who shall preserve the life bestowed upon him, and give thanks to Him who imparted it, shall receive also length of days for ever and ever. But he who shall reject it, and prove himself ungrateful to his Maker, inasmuch as he has been created, and has not recognised Him who bestowed [the gift upon him], deprives himself of [the privilege of] continuance for ever and ever.

Next he shows how the petition of his lips is fulfilled: hence he says, "He asked life of you," when he asked you for the resurrection: Ps. 40: "But you, O Lord, have mercy on me, and raise me up, and I will repay them." And this was given to him: Ps. 2: "Ask of me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance": Lk. 11: "Everyone who asks receives." Likewise every saint also asks for this, namely life, and especially eternal life: Ps. 26: "One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek," etc., and David likewise asks for this. Second, it is shown how the petition is fulfilled with regard to others; hence he says, "You have granted him," etc. He asked that his body, namely the Church, be preserved "in length of days": and God granted him this. Mt. 28: "Behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the age." David also asked for this, in 2 Kgs. 7: "Moreover he spoke concerning the house of his servant for a long time to come."

Great is his glory. In what way is it great? Not in the assumption of deity but in the salvation of humanity.

"His glory is great in Your salvation" [Psalm 21:5]. Great indeed is His glory in the salvation, whereby You have raised Him up again. "Glory and great honour shall Thou lay upon Him." But You shall yet add unto Him glory and great honour, when You shall place Him in heaven at Your right hand.

"Great." Here the consummation of goods is set forth: and concerning this he does two things. First he sets forth the magnification of this anticipated king, in whom the blessing was begun. Second he explains the greatness, at "glory and great beauty." I say that you have anticipated him, etc., but still more: because "his glory," namely of Christ and of man, "is great in your salvation," that is, in the Word to which human nature was united. Or, "great is his glory" among men: and this "in your salvation," because you raised him up: Heb. 5: "In the days of his flesh, prayers and supplications," etc. Or "great is his glory in your salvation," that is, in your help: in which it was established that he should have great glory; and he explains this in three ways. First, by comparison with himself; and therefore he says, "You have laid upon him glory and great beauty," which beauty was laid upon Christ in his resurrection, and glory in the admiration of others. Or, taking them as the same thing, "you have laid upon him glory and great beauty": Job 40: "Adorn yourself with beauty, and raise yourself up on high, and be glorious." Second, in comparison with others; hence he says, "For you shall give him to be a blessing forever and ever," because through him blessing was derived to all others: Gen. 22: "In your seed all nations shall be blessed." Third, in comparison with God; hence he says, "You shall make him joyful in gladness with your countenance," that is, he makes Christ the man joyful with everlasting joy: and "with your countenance," that is, in the vision of your face: Ps. 15: "You shall fill me with joy with your countenance." Or he laid glory upon him when he gave his saints the power to work miracles: and this is attributed to Christ, because it was all done for the glory of Christ, namely that he blessed them, and that he brought them to his own vision: Is. 66: "You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice": Jn. 16: "Your joy no one shall take from you."

"For You shall give Him blessing for ever and ever." This is the blessing which You shall give Him for ever and ever: "You shall make Him glad in joy together with Your countenance" [Psalm 21:6]. According to His manhood, You shall make Him glad together with Your countenance, which He lifted up to You.

For that reason you placed glory and great honor on him, and you gave him eternal blessing, because he hoped in the Lord and in his mercy he was not deeply disturbed.

"For the King hopes in the Lord." For the King is not proud, but humble in heart, he hopes in the Lord. "And in the mercy of the Most Highest He shall not be moved" [Psalm 21:7]. And in the mercy of the Most Highest His obedience even unto the death of the Cross shall not disturb His humility.

"For." Above the Psalmist announced the exaltation of Christ the king; here he declares the merit of this: and this merit is that Christ, insofar as he is man, and every just person, places his hope in God alone: Jer. 17: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord shall be his confidence." And therefore, because he hoped in the Lord, "he shall not be moved": Ps. 124: "Those who trust in the Lord," etc. Because hope in God is a firm foundation: 1 Mac. 2: "All who hope in him shall not be weakened." Therefore this is compared to an anchor. But it should be noted that there are three things that ought to move us to hope in the Lord. First, divine providence. A man does not usually hope in those to whom his care does not pertain. But our care pertains to God; therefore he says "he hopes in the Lord," whose task it is to govern. Second is mercy: Lk. 1: "His mercy is from generation to generation." Third is power; and therefore he says "of the Most High": Ps. 90: "He who dwells in the aid of the Most High."

From the place [of exaltation] the Father says to his Son, "Let your hand be found by all your enemies; let your right, which received the nails on the cross, find those who hated you; discard them as earthen vessels in a fire in the time of your appearance. Then in your wrath you will throw them into disorder, and the fire will devour them."

"Let Your hand be found by all Your enemies." Be Your power, O King, when You come to judgment, found by all Your enemies; who in Your humiliation discerned it not. "Let Your right hand find out all that hate You" [Psalm 21:8]. Let the glory, wherein Thou reign at the right hand of the Father, find out for punishment in the day of judgment all that hate You; for that now they have not found it.

They are only called enemies as long as they are led astray by the devil's enticements. But when they return to Christ the Lord, they are called servants, children and friends.

"Let your hand be found." Above the Psalmist foretold the exaltation of the king; here he treats of the casting down of enemies: and concerning this he does two things. First he sets forth the casting down of enemies. Second he draws a conclusion, at "Be exalted." Concerning the first he does two things. First he proposes the punishment of enemies. Second, their guilt, at "For," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth the infliction of punishment. Second, the punishment itself, at "You shall make them," etc. The one who inflicts punishment is the hand of God; hence he says, "Let your hand be found by all your enemies." Jerome has "Let the right hand of God find his hating enemies"; but this seems to be a repetition by the Psalmist, because the hand and the right hand of God are the same, as are enemy and one who hates. And this is customary in the Psalms. Or if a distinction is made, every right hand is a hand; but not every hand is a right hand. By the "hand" of God, therefore, is understood the operative power of God: and this is a certain "right hand" by which he exalts the good in spiritual goods. Prov. 3: "Length of days is in her right hand." The "left hand" is that by which he punishes the wicked and bestows temporal things. Ibid.: "In her left hand are riches." He says therefore, "your hand," that is, your power, "let it be found," that is, let it deliver at will, all enemies. Is. 9: "In all these things his fury is not turned away, but his hand is still stretched out." "And your right hand"; because the fact that God punishes the wicked pertains to the right hand, insofar as such punishment is ordered to the salvation of the elect. So therefore, insofar as he punishes the wicked, it is called the "hand"; and insofar as it is ordered to the good of the just, it is called the "right hand." Or the right hand is Christ, and the hand as well; hence, "your hand," that is, Christ, "let it be found," that is, let it be known for good by those who are your friends, namely the nations. Rom. 10; Is. 65: "They found me who did not seek me." Or for evil: "Let it be found," etc., that is, let it be known by your enemies, that is, the Jews, in the judgment, when he comes to judge. Lk. 21: "They shall see the Son of Man coming," etc. "And your right hand," that is, your Son, "shall find," that is, punish, "all who hate you."

"You shall make them like a fiery oven:" You shall make them on fire within, by the consciousness of their ungodliness: "In the time of Your countenance:" in the time of Your manifestation. "The Lord shall trouble them in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them" [Psalm 21:9]. And then, being troubled by the vengeance of the Lord, after the accusation of their conscience, they shall be given up to eternal fire, to be devoured.

An oven is a round structure made of bronze for baking bread.… Sinners are rightly compared with it, since at the coming judgment they will be tormented both with mental grief and with punitive pain, because with a stubborn mind they have lived in opposition to the Lord's laws. The time of the Lord's anger is the day of judgment when the Son of Man will be seen by all, but only the righteous will look on him also through the contemplation of his divinity.… Earlier, in praise for the Lord Christ, the psalmist described the honor and glory of Christ through the diverse character of his graces. Now … he says that his enemies will be afflicted with various punishments so that they might be rendered as disgusting as he is marvelous.… They will be sentenced to be devoured by undying flames. No delay accompanies the Lord's command, but as soon as he determines it, it is completed.

"You shall make them." Here the punishment of the enemies is set forth. And first as to the evils inflicted upon them; second as to the goods taken from them, at "their fruit." He sets forth a threefold order of punishment: and if it is referred to the mystery, it is clear: because in the future judgment there will be three things. First there will be a fire burning the surface of the world. Ps. 96: "He shall set fire around his enemies": therefore he says, "You shall make them like a furnace of fire," namely, "in the time of your countenance," that is, of Christ, at which time he will appear for judgment. Ps. 16: "From your countenance let my judgment come forth," etc. And he says "like a furnace," as though oppressed by fire on every side. Mt. 6: "Like the grass which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the furnace." Or "like a furnace," that is, containing fire within itself; and by this is understood the fire that the wicked will suffer interiorly from evil desire and anger. A good affection is a good fire. Lam. 1: "From on high he sent fire into my bones," etc. An evil affection is an evil fire. Ps. 57: "Fire has fallen upon them, and they have not seen the sun," that is, they always burn in the conscience of their impiety. Hos. 7: "All adulterers like a furnace heated by the baker." All who join themselves to anything other than God in a disordered way are adulterers. The baker is the Devil, who supplies evil thoughts: just as a baker supplies wood. Lam. 5: "Our skin is scorched like a furnace because of the storms of famine." And this "in the time of your countenance," that is, in the time of your manifestation for judgment. Second is set forth the debate of the judgment: in which he will reproach the wicked for their sins, and pronounce the sentence of damnation, whether vocally or mentally. And therefore "the Lord in his wrath shall trouble them," that is, he shall bring upon them the disturbance of sorrow over the evils inflicted and the goods taken away; third, they shall be enveloped by fire: hence, "and fire shall devour them." Job 20: "A fire that is not kindled shall devour them," namely, not by human breath; but it shall be kindled by divine power: hence Jerome has "you have cast them down." All these things can be applied quite fittingly to David.

"Their fruit shall You destroy out of the earth." Their fruit, because it is earthly, shall You destroy out of the earth. "And their seed from the sons of men" [Psalm 21:10]. And their works; or, whomsoever they have seduced, You shall not reckon among the sons of men, whom You have called into the everlasting inheritance.

But the seed of the godless and the fruit of the wicked are their words, teachings and unrighteous writings, which they have disseminated through people after they are forgotten. God, being good, scatters each one and destroys them from the midst so that neither the fruit nor the seed of the wicked remains.

"Their fruit." Here the deprivation of goods is set forth. The goods that men have in this world are of two kinds: some by which men desire to enjoy themselves in this life, and some they wish to leave behind them: and they shall lose both. And therefore, as to the first he says, "You shall destroy their fruit from the earth," which they sought to enjoy. Wis. 3: "Vain is their hope," etc. Rom. 6: "What fruit," etc. As to the second he says, "their seed," namely shall perish, "from among the children of men," namely from the company of the saints. Is. 14: "I will destroy Babylon," etc., and this happens because, as it says in Sir. 14: "Every corruptible work shall fail in the end." Wis. 3: "The nations of the wicked are of dire consummation," etc.

"Because they turned evils against You." Now this punishment shall be recompensed to them, because the evils which they supposed to hang over them by Your reign, they turned against You to Your death. "They imagined a device, which they were not able to establish" [Psalm 21:11]. They imagined a device, saying, "It is expedient that one die for all:" [John 11:50] which they were not able to establish, not knowing what they said.

Another evil counselor is one who turns good things into evil. The Psalm says: 'For they turned evils against you; they devised counsels which they were unable to establish; for you shall make them turn their back.' It is evil when someone says something by which the counsel of Christ could be considered evil — as when someone condemns the counsel of entering holy religious life. It is foolish, dangerous, pernicious, and reckless to turn into evil that which Christ declared good.

To divert evils that loom over some people, we mean to push them aside to another place where there is no iniquity to punish. This is exactly what happened with the suffering of the Lord. For when the Jews believed that Roman power would be a threat to them if they had accepted the Lord Savior as King, it seemed right to them to divert those evils upon him which they believed would befall them when the Romans took up the role of avengers. "They came up with a plan" saying, "It is expedient that one man die for all." "But this they were not able to establish," that is, to complete according to their vow. For without knowing it, they spoke the truth. It was necessary that one should die for all. The truth was indeed uttered, but with an evil vow. Therefore they will suffer punishment for such a deed, because they did not have a pure conscience.

"For." Here the guilt of sinners is set forth, and it is described in two respects. First, as to the endeavor of their work; and as to this he says here: "For they have turned," etc.: because although they cannot accomplish it, still they endeavor as much as they can to inflict evils. Ps. 34: "They repaid me evil." Or, "they have turned," because the evils threatening them they wish to inflict on others. For a twofold evil was threatening the Jews: namely, the evil of punishment: and they tried to turn this upon Christ, when, lest the Romans take away their dominion, they killed Christ. Second, the evil of guilt was threatening them. Jn. 8: "You are of your father the Devil"; and they twisted this against Christ when they said, Jn. 8: "Do we not say rightly," etc. They themselves were possessed by demons, and they imputed sin to Christ. Second, the guilt of the Jews or of sinners is described as to the endeavor of thought: hence he says, "They devised plans," etc., that is, they planned to destroy his faith. Jer. 11: "They devised a plan," etc. Of this wood it is said in Wis. 14: "Blessed is the wood through which justice is done": but "they did not establish it," that is, they could not bring their plan to completion. Is. 8: "Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to nothing," etc. Why? "Because there is no counsel against the Lord," Prov. 21.

"Turned away" [is] an expression properly applied to the sinner, for "Cain went out from the face of the Lord," and the psalmist says, "You will make them turn their back." One who is righteous does not turn away from the Lord but runs to meet him and says, "My eyes are ever toward the Lord." And when the Lord said, "Whom shall I send?" Isaiah offered himself of his own accord and said, "Behold, here I am."

"For You shall set them low." For You shall rank them among those from whom in degradation and contempt You will turn away. "In Your leavings You shall make ready their countenance" [Psalm 21:12]. And in these things that Thou leavest, that is, in the desires of an earthly kingdom, You shall make ready their shamelessness for Your passion.

And he assigns the reason for this statement, why they did not establish their counsel, saying "their back." Jerome's text is clearer: "For you shall set them as a shoulder, your boundaries firm against their face." It can happen in two ways that enemies do not establish their plans against someone. In one way, if they are conquered by him. In another way, if the boundaries of the one attacked are made firm; and therefore he says, they could not establish their plan: "For you shall set them as a back," that is, they shall flee before you. Likewise, "you shall make firm your boundaries against their face." This is understood spiritually of Christ, whose boundaries no one could breach. Jn. 10: "No one shall snatch them out of my hand." And in our text it reads, "In your remnants you shall prepare their countenance," that is, against their countenance, according to the Gloss. Above the Psalmist set forth the future punishment of the wicked; here he sets forth their present punishment. And there is a twofold spiritual punishment, which is in the soul: namely, according to aversion from God, and according to conversion to evil. As to the first he says, "You, according to your providence, shall set them as a back." As to the second he says, "In your remnants you shall prepare their countenance." And this is explained in many ways, according to the Gloss. In one way, concerning those things which Christ left behind, namely the temporal things he scorned. Jn. 18: "My kingdom is not of this world"; because in the desire for temporal things you shall leave their countenance, that is, you shall prepare their intention, so that on account of this they kill Christ, as when they said, Jn. 11: "Lest perhaps the Romans come," etc. Or "in their remnants," that is, in the nations which you leave to be converted. Rom. 15: "In him the nations shall hope." "You shall prepare their countenance," that is, the knowledge of you, which is "theirs," that is, of the Jews, that is, promised to them. Or the remnants of Christ are called the last things of his life, that is, his passion and death; and in these their evil intention toward his passion was prepared. Or the preparation of the countenance is for good, that is, "in the remnants" of the Jews who will be converted. Rom. 9: "The remnant shall be saved." And although they are set as a back for now, yet the remnant will be converted and will know.

"Be Thou exalted, O Lord, in Your strength" [Psalm 21:13]. Be Thou, Lord, whom in humiliation they did not discern, exalted in Your strength, which they thought weakness. "We will sing and praise Your power." In heart and in deed we will celebrate and make known Your marvels.

To sing means to proclaim the words of the Lord with the mouth. To make music on the harp means to fulfill the divine commands faithfully through good works.

Exalted though you are, then, you are shown to be more exalted through your power and in outdoing all the arrogant, as by inflicting the blow on them from on high. For this reason we shall not cease singing your praises always.

Not for being lowly is God exalted, nor does he receive what he does not possess; instead, what he possesses he reveals … your exaltation is revealed in your ineffable power, which we shall continue to celebrate and sing, recounting your marvelous works.

"Be exalted." Here the conclusion is set forth. And first he asks for what pertains to God's part; second, he promises what pertains to our part. He says therefore, "Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength," so that in it the king may rejoice. Is. 26: "Let your hand be exalted, that they may not see, and let them be confounded." Yet according to the mystery: "Be exalted," O Christ, in the resurrection, which will be "in your strength." Jn. 10: "I have the power to lay down my life, and to take it up again," through the resurrection and ascension. "Be exalted," which will be "in your strength." Is. 63: "Walking in the greatness of his strength." And we "shall sing," namely interiorly, "and chant," exteriorly, "your mighty deeds." Or, "we shall sing," that is, we shall proclaim and announce the excellence of your power. 1 Pet. 2: "That you may declare his mighty deeds, who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."