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Footnotes

1. Psalm 70:1 The psalmist’s cry is that of all who cannot endure suffering any longer and have no hope except in God. He calls upon God to come to his aid quickly. It is a slightly revised duplicate of Ps 40:14-18.
   Every Christian (and the whole Church) can naturally recite this psalm in his or her own right as one really (though not yet completely) saved.
2. Psalm 70:1 For the director: these words are thought to be a musical or liturgical notation. For remembrance: see note on Ps 38:1.
3. Psalm 70:2 Distress can remind a person of his attachment to sin. Is there any reason why people should vilify the person who acknowledges his faults? Realizing his strong attraction toward evil, the psalmist cries out to God, and the poor man rediscovers with astonishment the joyous assurance that God thinks about him.
4. Psalm 70:3 The psalmist prays for the downfall of his enemies, somewhat as Christians pray for the kingdom of God to come, which includes the petition that the Lord will come to vindicate his own and avenge the wrongs done by his enemies (see 2 Thes 1:5-10; see also notes on Pss 5:11; 35).
5. Psalm 70:4 Aha! Aha!: the mocking words of the psalmist’s adversaries.
6. Psalm 70:5 When the Lord works his deliverance, his people will rejoice in his salvation (see Ps 35:27) and give him praise.
7. Psalm 70:6 Poor and needy: see note on Ps 34:7. My help and my deliverer: the salvation promised the faithful (see Isa 25:9), first conceived as natural with reference to the Exodus or the return from the Exile, was later conceived as spiritual without restriction of space or time (see Pss 18:3; 19:15).
8. Psalm 71:1 Accustomed to being exposed to malevolence, an aged person, probably a cantor in the service of the temple, casts a look backward. From his childhood, every day of his long life he has endeavored to remain faithful to the Lord and to live in union with him; he has made praise of God his life companion. Profoundly confident, he begs God to come to his aid, resolute in his will to praise him with all his might. This lament resembles the “confessions” of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 17:14-18) and could have been later applied to Israel itself. We could regard it as primarily a prayer of fidelity in difficult moments of old age; it is a fine prayer for the evening of life.
   This supplication is appropriate for Christians in their temporal and spiritual trials, and even more on the lips of the Church who is looked upon by her enemies as old, failing, and vulnerable to receive the finishing blow.
9. Psalm 71:6 My praise . . . to you: an alternative translation is: “my hope has always been in you.”
10. Psalm 71:7 I have become a portent to many: more by his trials (see Ps 31:12; Deut 28:46; Isa 52:14) than by the benefits received from God, for people are surprised to see a righteous person suffering.
11. Psalm 71:13 A prayer for the divine justice to be done (see notes on Pss 5:11; 35).
12. Psalm 71:15 A vow to offer praise to God for his help (see note on Ps 7:18).
13. Psalm 71:15 The psalmist does not know the full extent of God’s goodness toward him. For God’s acts of salvation, consisting of his mighty deeds (v. 16) and marvelous works (v. 17), are too numerous to count (see Pss 40:6; 139:17f).
14. Psalm 71:16 Mighty deeds . . . righteousness: God’s “mighty deeds” on behalf of his people flow from his “righteousness”—and show forth that righteousness (see also v. 24). See also note on Ps 9:2.
15. Psalm 71:18 Youth . . . old and . . . gray: this passage can be applied without difficulty to Israel to whom the Prophets apply images of youth (see Jer 2:2; Hos 2:15) and old age (see Isa 46:4; Hos 7:9; see also Ps 129:1f). Might: literally, “arm,” a prophetic image (see Isa 51:9; 53:1), used often with respect to the miracles of the Exodus. This passage (see Pss 22:31f; 78:5f; 102:19) shows how conscious the psalmists were of being bearers of tradition.
16. Psalm 71:20 From the depths of the earth: the realm of the dead, which is entered by the grave (see note on Ps 30:2).
17. Psalm 71:22 I will also praise: a vow to praise God for his help (see note on Ps 7:18). Holy One of Israel: a frequent expression of the Book of Isaiah but used infrequently in the Psalter (see Pss 78:41; 89:19).
18. Psalm 72:1 Only the expected Savior will fulfill all the hopes placed on the ideal leader described in this psalm, of whom the Prophets also speak (see Isa 9:7; 11:1-9; Jer 23:5f; 33:15f; Zec 9:9-17). The portrait bears more than one facet of King Solomon the Sage, but it is Messianic, i.e., it sketches a mysterious King who is to come. Promised a reign without end (v. 5), he will rescue the needy and poor from oppression and uphold their rights (vv. 12-14). He will establish definitive peace (v. 7), and the pagan nations that he subdues—even the most distant—will come to do homage to him (vv. 10-11). Finally, he will rule over the idealized Promised Land (v. 8) and transform it into a new heavenly paradise (vv. 6, 16).
    Since Israel has never yielded to the temptation to make gods out of its kings, this king, too, is not divinized; the psalmist prays for him. This psalm is like a chart or mirror for a true reign in the name of God. It will be marked by the work of justice and peace, the effort for the deliverance of the poor and needy.
    In proclaiming the Beatitudes, Jesus was to provide the authentic content of this perfect happiness that is promised for the reign of the Messiah. In the adoration of the Magi, Matthew (Mt 2:11) sees a visit from pagan kings who prostrate themselves at the feet of the promised Savior (vv. 10-11); hence, this psalm is read in the Liturgy during the Epiphany time.
19. Psalm 72:2 Righteousness will rain down God’s blessings on the people (see Pss 5:13; 65:10-14; 133:3; Lev 25:19; Deut 28:8).
20. Psalm 72:8 From sea to sea: the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. The river is the Euphrates. Both details indicate the universality of the Messianic reign. Ends of the earth: an alternative translation is: “end of the land.”
21. Psalm 72:9 His foes: literally, “the Beast,” a word referring to the tribes of the Arabian Desert, east of the Promised Land. Lick the dust: a sign of abject fear and defeat (see Mic 7:17).
22. Psalm 72:10 All kings, whether near or far, will acknowledge the Messiah’s rule. Tarshish: a seaport located in southern Spain, hence to the far west; Sheba: a city of southwest Arabia, hence to the far south; Seba: probably a region in modern Sudan, south of Egypt (see Gen 10:7; Isa 43:3). This verse is applied by Matthew to the visit of the Magi at Christ’s birth (see Mt 2:11).
23. Psalm 72:15 The psalmist prays that the Messiah-King may enjoy a long and prosperous reign acknowledged by the whole world and be a blessing for all the nations.
24. Psalm 72:15 May people pray . . . and invoke blessings: an obscure passage. As it is translated, it means: may the people pray for the Messiah, that he will benefit the poor with the treasures he has received, and may they bless and thank him. But Israel could also pray to ask God for a perfect Messiah and so offer vows for the extension of the Messianic kingdom (see Ps 61:8f). Hence, one could also translate: “He [the Messiah] will pray [intercede] for him [the poor] / and bless him” (see 1 Ki 8:14, 28).
25. Psalm 72:16 Fertility of the land was one of the blessings of the Messianic age (see Hos 14:6f; Am 9:13). May its crops . . . Lebanon: may its crops possess the same vital power that the majestic cedars of Lebanon display.
26. Psalm 72:17 Name: see note on Ps 5:12. All peoples: an echo of the promise to the patriarchs (see Gen 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14).
27. Psalm 72:18 This doxology is not part of the psalm; it concludes the second of the five Books of the Psalter (see Pss 41:14; 89:53; 106:48; 150). Praise of the Lord is the most profound religious attitude and ends every authentic prayer.
28. Psalm 72:20 Colophon added by a redactor.
29. Psalm 73:1 This third Book of the Psalter combines the collections of psalms of Asaph (probably a choral leader in the Jerusalem temple; see 1 Chr 25:2-6; 2 Chr 29:30) with the end of the Psalter of the Sons of Korah, which began in the second Book (Pss 42–49). The prayers are varied in accord with the experience of believers; we pass from the lament of the innocent to the exultation after victory. We read, by turns, canticles of Zion, chants of joy and hope, and historical retrospectives that often take the tone of great national lamentations. Each prayer expresses in a new way the longing for God and his salvation.
30. Psalm 73:1 The psalmist is taken back by the prosperity of the wicked and the sufferings of the righteous (see Job; Eccl 7:15; Jer 12:1; Mal 3:15). Those who make sport of God seem to succeed in life much more than believers, and their example becomes a scandal for the righteous and the wise: what is the good of remaining faithful? Still he knows that no one should deny God. Tempted by doubt, the faithful psalmist reflects and seeks light in God’s presence; in such a meditation, his faith deepens and a conviction imposes itself on him with new force: human glory has no tomorrow, but the friendship of God remains forever precious; it cannot end or deceive. The psalmist-sage who expresses himself here begins to suspect that the joy of being with the Lord could become eternal happiness (v. 24).
    In times of trouble, at moments when people grow weary of being faithful, this psalm brings the grace of refreshment to the interior life.
31. Psalm 73:1 Asaph: see notes on Pss 73–89.
32. Psalm 73:1 The upright: literally, “Israel,” i.e., the group of the “poor” (see v. 15; Pss 72:2ff; 149:4; 1 Mac 1:53; Isa 49:3, 13). Pure in heart: see note on Ps 24:4. Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
33. Psalm 73:2 Like many of the godly, the psalmist envied the prosperity of the wicked and their arrogance. Everything seemed to go well for them. They experienced “prosperity,” i.e., well-being, full family life, and success in business. Hence, the psalmist was miserable, filled with self-pity and discontent with God’s justice. But, although he almost lost his foothold on the “way” of the Lord, he righted himself with the help of the Lord, who sustains his saints (see Ps 37:23ff).
34. Psalm 73:2 I nearly lost my balance: see note on Ps 37:30-31.
35. Psalm 73:4 The psalmist describes the reasons that led the godly to envy the wicked. Evildoers seem to be carefree and unconcerned for the future. They have wealth and power and enjoy freedom of movement and speech. They appear untouched by life’s frustrations: frailty, adversities, diseases, and hard labor. They disregard God and his laws with apparent impunity. They decree what can be done on earth and even what God can do in heaven. In short, it seems that God lets the wicked get away with their wickedness. Hearts: see note on Ps 4:8.
36. Psalm 73:10 From the mistaken viewpoint of an afflicted person, the wicked enjoy power, glory, and prosperity without end.
37. Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is unclear. Another translation is: “So the people turn to them / and find no fault in them.”
38. Psalm 73:13 The psalmist begins to have doubts about his effort to keep himself holy (see Pss 24:4; 119:9). He questions himself about the troubles and sufferings that he experiences while the wicked seem to have no such problems.
39. Psalm 73:15 If he had expressed in public what he had been thinking, the psalmist would have denied the ancestral traditions and beliefs (see note on Ps 139:19-24) and betrayed the “poor.” For the Lord is a father to Israel (Ex 4:22; Isa 63:16; Hos 11:1).
40. Psalm 73:16 Understanding did not come to the psalmist until he entered into the sanctuary of God. There he regained his perspective in the light of God’s greatness, glory, and majesty. He realized once again that the Lord is just and will judge the wicked in accord with their evil deeds.
41. Psalm 73:17 Sanctuary of God: literally, “the divine sanctuaries.” Rather than the temple (see Jer 51:51) where he would have been enlightened by God, or the divine mysteries (see Wis 2:22) in which he would have received revelation, this expression indicates the teaching contained in the Scriptures, the abode of wisdom (see Ps 119:130; Prov 9:1ff; Sir 39:1).
42. Psalm 73:18 In reality, God makes the state of the wicked so precarious that they will not be stable but will vanish like the figures of a dream. The assurance of Scripture is that the wicked will incur sudden and complete judgment. They will be assailed by all kinds of terrors and death itself.
43. Psalm 73:21 The psalmist stresses his former embittered state once again. In his grief he was irrational (see Ps 94:8) and not ruled by wisdom; he was like the fools who are compared to brute beasts (see Ps 49:13, 21; Isa 1:2f). He was assailed by doubt and mired in self-pity—but God used this experience to make him a better person and bring him closer to himself. Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
44. Psalm 73:23 The psalmist’s experience of anguish is transformed into the joy of God’s presence and his greatness. God protects him by holding his right hand (v. 23; see Ps 63:8; Isa 41:10, 13; 42:6; Jer 31:32), by strengthening his resolve (rock, v. 26; see Ps 18:3), and by taking care of all his needs (portion, v. 26; see Ps 16:5). God gives his servant wisdom and insight (counsel) as he journeys toward everlasting glory (v. 24; see Ps 32:8).
45. Psalm 73:24 Receive me into glory: is it a question here of heavenly glory? The text does not make this clear. It states that God will preserve the righteous from a brutal and premature death and rehabilitate them (see Job 19:9; 29:18; 42:7), while he despises the wicked who will suddenly disappear (v. 18f). Nothing obliges us to give the verb “receive” a stronger meaning than in Pss 18:17 (“snatched me up”) and 49:16 (“take”—see also note there) based on the assumption into heaven of Enoch (Gen 5:24; Sir 44:16) and Elijah (2 Ki 2:3; Sir 48:9). However, as in Ps 16:9f, the psalmist’s fervor and the demands of his love for God lead him to long never to be separated from him; it constitutes a stage in the explicit belief in the resurrection, attested in Dan 12:2.
46. Psalm 73:26 My heart and my flesh: the whole being (see Ps 84:3). Heart: see note on Ps 4:8. Portion: as a Levite, the psalmist has the Lord for his portion (or inheritance) of the Promised Land, i.e., he lives off the tithes that the people present to the Lord (see Num 18:21-24; Deut 10:9; 18:1-8).
47. Psalm 73:27 The psalmist now understands that all who are unfaithful to God must perish. Their judgment is a consequence not only of their failure to profess faith in God but also of their immoral and unjust practices.
48. Psalm 73:28 I will proclaim all your works: the psalmist expresses the vow to praise the Lord’s mercies (see note on Ps 7:18). At the gates of the Daughter of Zion: this phrase is added to the final line of the Septuagint. It is taken from Ps 9:15, which may be a liturgical adaptation.