2025-09-13
Psalterium est quoddam musicum instrumentum quod ex superiori cavitate resonat; et quia instrumento tali psalmorum melos canebatur, ab instrumento suo nomen recte totum opus istud accepit: sicut enim psalterium a superiori resonat, ita et opus hoc totum de superiori, id est de Dei laude, resonat. Intentio autem operis hujus multiplex esse per titulorum singulorum diversitatem ostenditur. Tum enim de Incarnatione, Nativitate, Passione, Resurrectione et cæteris actibus Christi; tum de salvatione bonorum, damnationeque malorum prophetare intendit; in quibus omnibus Dei laudes attenduntur. In Passione enim et cæteris ejus actibus, et in justorum salvatione, humilitatis ipsius et misericordiæ; in impiorum vero damnatione justitiæ laudes esse perpenduntur. Ideoque merito liber iste apud Hebræos Liber Hymnorum dicitur, id est Dei laudum. Hymni vero laudes Dei metrice factæ proprie dicuntur; psalmi autem lyrico metro compositi fuerunt; ut Arator ait:
Psalterium lyrici composuere pedes.
The psaltery is a kind of musical instrument that sounds from its upper chamber. And because the melody of the psalms was played upon this instrument, the whole work quite rightly took its name from it. For just as the psaltery resounds from above, so too this work resounds entirely from above—that is, from the praise of God.
The aim of this work is shown to be manifold, as the variety of the titles of the psalms makes clear. At times it prophesies concerning the Incarnation, Nativity, Passion, Resurrection, and other deeds of Christ; at times concerning the salvation of the good and the condemnation of the wicked. In all these matters the praises of God appear: in Christ’s Passion and his other deeds, and in the salvation of the just, his humility and mercy are praised; in the condemnation of the impious, his justice is praised. For this reason the book is rightly called among the Hebrews the Book of Hymns — that is, of the praises of God. Properly speaking, hymns are praises of God cast in general metrical form; psalms, however, are specifically set in lyric measure, as Arator says:
“The feet of lyric verse composed the psalter.”
Tria vero in divinis sicut in sæcularibus libris considerantur: quia sicut sæculares partim ad Physicam, partim ad Ethicam, partim vero ad Logicam tendunt, sic et divini quidam ad Physicam, ita tamen quod in ipsa Physica denotetur figura, ut in Genesi de mundi origine, et in Ecclesiaste de multis rerum naturis mystice tractatur; quidam autem loco Logicæ ad Ethicam tendunt, ut liber Job, et Beati immaculati, et alii quidam psalmi; quidam vero loco Logicæ et Ethicæ ad Theoricam, id est ad contemplationem tendunt: illi scilicet qui sublimia in se Dei mysteria et a communi cognitione remota continent, sicut Cantica canticorum, in quibus Deus Ecclesiæ, velut sponsus sponsæ, mirabili mysterio loqui introducitur. Liber etiam iste, etsi in quibusdam ad Ethicam, principaliter tamen ad Theoricam tendere videtur, cum præcipue de Incarnationis, Nativitatis cæterorumque Christi actuum mysteriis intendat.
Now three kinds of study are considered in divine writings just as in secular ones. Secular books incline partly to Physics, partly to Ethics, and partly to Logic. So too divine books: some incline to Physics, yet in such a way that figures are disclosed within them—as in Genesis, concerning the origin of the world, and in Ecclesiastes, where the natures of many things are treated mystically. Others, instead of Logic, tend to Ethics—as the book of Job, the psalm Beati immaculati, and certain other psalms. Others, instead of Logic and Ethics, tend to the Theoretic, that is, to contemplation: namely, those which contain within themselves the sublime mysteries of God, hidden from common understanding—such as the Song of Songs, in which God is introduced as speaking to the Church, like a bridegroom to his bride, in a wondrous mystery. The Psalter too, though in some parts it inclines to Ethics, seems chiefly to aim at the Theoretic, since it is especially concerned with the mysteries of Christ’s Incarnation, Nativity, and other deeds.
Plurima quidem prophetiæ genera esse sciendum est: prophetia namque alia per facta, sicut de transitu filiorum Israel cæterisque eorum factis, quæ “omnia (sicut dicit Apostolus) in figura contingebant illis” (1 Cor. x, 11); alia per dicta, sicut Deus Moysi cæterisque Prophetis pluribus per Angelos futura locutus fuisse legitur; alia per revelationem, sicut Ezechieli et Danieli in portentis somniorum multa revelata fuisse dicuntur; alia vero per occultam Sancti Spiritus inspirationem, sicut David prophetæ mystica dominicæ Passionis cæterorumque actuum, non factis aut dictis qualibetve revelatione, intimata fuerunt, sed per occultam Sancti Spiritus inspirationem.
It should be understood that there are many kinds of prophecy. One kind is by deeds, as in the passage of the children of Israel and their other actions, which, as the Apostle says, “all happened to them in figure” (1 Cor. 10:11). Another kind is by words, as when God is read to have spoken of future things through angels to Moses and to many of the other prophets. Another is by revelation, as to Ezekiel and Daniel, to whom many things were shown in the portents of dreams. Yet another is by the hidden inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as in the case of David: the mysteries of the Lord’s Passion and of his other deeds were not made known to him by events, or by spoken words, or by any sort of revelation, but by the secret inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Notandum vero est quod nimia Sancti Spiritus agilitate Prophetæ de futuris quasi de præsentibus et præteritis loquuntur: omne namque futurum Spiritui Sancto præsens est, et quasi præteritum notum. Notandum etiam quod cum in psalmis aliquando orans et humiliter agens introducitur Christus, secundum humanitatem; cum vero sublimiter, secundum Divinitatem accipiendum est.
We must remember that through the Holy Spirit’s marvelous quickness the prophets speak of what is to come as though it were already present or past; for to the Holy Spirit all that is future lies open, as present and as familiar as what has already passed. We must also remember that when the psalms portray Christ praying or acting humbly, it is to be taken of his humanity; but when they present him in exalted tones, it is to be understood of his divinity.
N.-B. — Ex variis libri Psalmorum codicibus, quos præ oculis habuit sanctus Bruno, nullum cum vulgata Bibliæ sacræ editione omnino concordare apertum est; utile nihilominus judicavimus expositionibus singulis singulos juxta præfatam editionem psalmos præponere, ut lectionum varietates cum illa versione probatissima comparare pius lector facile possit.
Note. — Among the many manuscripts of the Psalter that Saint Bruno consulted, it is clear that none agreed completely with the Vulgate edition of Sacred Scripture. Even so, we have thought it helpful to set before each exposition the psalm as given in the Vulgate, so that the devout reader may easily compare the variations of reading with this most trustworthy version.
Beatus vir qui non abiit in consilio impiorum, et in via peccatorum non stetit, et in cathedra pestilentiæ non sedit; Sed in lege Domini voluntas ejus, et in lege ejus meditabitur die ac nocte. Et erit tamquam lignum quod plantatum est secus decursus aquarum, quod fructum suum dabit in tempore suo: Et folium ejus non defluet; et omnia quæcumque faciet prosperabuntur. Non sic impii, non sic; sed tamquam pulvis quem projicit ventus a facie terræ. Ideo non resurgent impii in judicio, neque peccatores in concilio justorum: Quoniam novit Dominus viam justorum, et iter impiorum peribit.
Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence. But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper. Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth. Therefore the wicked shall not rise again in judgment: nor sinners in the council of the just. For the Lord knoweth the way of the just: and the way of the wicked shall perish.