The Book of Psalms

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

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- Chapter 64 -

The offending tongue

(James 3:1-12)

Unto the end. A Psalm of David.

Hear, O God, my prayer of supplication. Rescue my soul from the fear of the enemy.

You have protected me from the assembly of the malignant, from a multitude of workers of iniquity.

For they have sharpened their tongues like a sword; they have formed their bow into a bitter thing,

so that they may shoot arrows from hiding at the immaculate.

They will suddenly shoot arrows at him, and they will not be afraid. They are resolute in their wicked talk. They have discussed hidden snares. They have said, “Who will see them?”

They have been searching carefully for iniquities. Their exhaustive search has failed. Man will approach with a deep heart,(a)

(b)

and God will be exalted. The arrows of the little ones have become their wounds,(c)

and their tongues have been weakened against them. All those who saw them have been troubled;

and every man was afraid. And they announced the works of God, and they understood his acts.

The just will rejoice in the Lord, and they will hope in him. And all the upright of heart will be praised.

Footnotes

(a)63:7 The repetition in the phrase ‘defecerunt scrutantes scrutinio’ indicates intensity. It is best expressed by rephrasing the sentence so that the search is the subject: ‘their exhaustive search has failed,’ rather than ‘they have failed in their exhaustive search.’ The meaning is that the wicked have searched for iniquities so as to make an accusation against the just; but they fail to find any true accusation to make.(Conte)

(b)63:7 A deep heart:That is, crafty, subtle, deep projects and designs; which nevertheless shall not succeed; for God shall be exalted in bringing them to nought by his wisdom and power.(Challoner)

(c)63:8 The arrows of children are their wounds:That is, the wounds, stripes, or blows, they seek to inflict upon the just, are but like the weak efforts of children’s arrows, which can do no execution: and their tongues, that is, their speeches against them come to nothing.(Challoner)