Behold, how fine and lovely it is.
Although this psalm is short, it is also bright and clear enough as far as the matter and the meaning are concerned, with the exception of two foreign (barbaris) or rather holy and Hebrew figurative speeches (figuris), which are taken from things that are completely unknown among the pagans. For one must not call that which the Holy Spirit has wanted to use strange; rather, we want to call the dainty speech of the Greeks something strange (barbariem), since it is connected with godlessness and ignorance in relation to God. Now, as for the content, he praises the harmony or love in both regiments, the spiritual and the corporal, but mainly in the spiritual, and gives thanks to God for it. For this is not only an exceedingly beautiful gift, that the church is in harmony and the temporal government in peace, but also the source and origin of the greatest goods.
You might ask, where did David learn this, that this is so great and useful? But if you look at his history, it is easy to see that the teachers of this knowledge were Saul, Doeg and other violent people (Centauros [Ps. 52:2]) in the court of Saul, the previous king; likewise Absalom, Ahithophel; that is, David learned through many trials and long experience that there is nothing better than harmony and peace.
a quiet life. For it is true what is said in the proverb: Those have air to war who have never gone through it. For the young people, who still have ardent youthful blood, think that there is nothing more beautiful than war glory and victory, through which they can become famous. These carnal movements easily pass away afterwards, when such people experience their own and their own misfortune. But before the misfortune, the world does not realize what benefit peace creates; and indeed war is something sweet to those who have not experienced it, as the histories show, in which rebellious heads often denounce peace. Because people are generally sleepy and cowardly in good peace, they desire war as a seed of glory and an opportunity to show their bravery.
This attitude is implanted in us by sin, that we utterly disregard and flee the divine, necessary and best gifts of God, and freely pursue the devil's harm and misfortune, as is also said in a German proverb that men often strive to bring about misfortune for themselves, and in the Proverbs of Solomon [Cap. 20, 14.]: "Evil, evil, one speaks when one has it." For hearts are weary of the best things, because there is much of them. Although therefore the
Although peace is in truth the most exquisite of all goods, nature is so depraved that it prefers war. But just as the world cannot stand peace, so it can stand war even less. In peace one complains about the sluggish nature, in war one desires peace again. Now that the heathen call peace a golden one, that they say that through harmony small things become great, but through discord even the greatest fall apart, they do not believe that this is true, although they have learned it by experience, nor do they follow it, otherwise they would not seek an opportunity for war, and disturb the peace. What then should they do in spiritual things, which they do not understand at all, since they do not understand their visible things, both the good that peace brings and the evil that war brings, since they are weary of peace and rejoice at the occasion for unrest and wars, against their own judgment?
Now it is an exceedingly great gift to have peace, both in the world government and in the church, but after that it is also a gift when one recognizes that it is a gift. For one can see many who have peace and obedient subjects, but still do not enjoy this gift. Thus the duke in our neighborhood, 1) an outstanding persecutor and enemy of the gospel, has peace and a well-ordered secular regiment, but in the midst of this peace he has a restless spirit, since out of hatred for the Word he is always seeking new opportunities to reproach and destroy our religion. How much more would it behoove him to recognize the gift of peace and to use it with thanksgiving. We therefore exhort to gratitude not only for this gift, but also toward God, who gives us both peace and other things, so that we may learn how great peace and harmony are, that we attribute the same to God as the author, lest we become like the world, which does not recognize this gift, but forgets even in the use of God's gift, and is restless until it has caused a disturbance. May the Lord therefore grant us a better
1) Duke George of Saxony.
Life. For God knows that this life is completely and utterly useless, in which we not only do not keep the best things, nor do we seek to keep them, but do not even recognize that they are gifts. For neither the worldly nor the ecclesiastical authorities can ensure that we keep the gift we have, but people, as if they were blind and deaf, do not do what they approve of, but rather what sin in their nature and the devil drive them to do.
Thus it is not up to man, nor even to an angel, who is a better creature, but up to God alone to maintain the rulers (imperia), so that they do not fall completely over the heap through war and rebellion. He not only gave and restored peace, but also maintains it alone, even when we oppose the rebels in the worldly regime, but the swarm spirits in the Church of God. This Psalm calls upon us to recognize this gift, and exhorts us to give thanks for this gift, since it is in God's hands that we at least have some peace. But thanks be to God that we have this knowledge and know that peace is God's gift, even though we cannot govern and maintain it with our own strength. For this is not to make us despair of the lusts and wickedness of men, but rather to make us pray all the more diligently that the Lord may preserve and defend against Satan and wicked men what He has given. But let us come to the Psalm.
V. 1. Behold, how fine and sweet it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.
He has been in dangers and has learned by experience in turmoil and other disturbances not only how great an evil there is in discord and erroneous doctrine, but also how much good there is in harmony and sound doctrine. Therefore, he firmly holds that God preserves, governs and blesses these things. For I understand this Psalm from both areas, namely from the peace of the worldly regime and the church, as they are also connected by nature. For the peace of the worldly regime is also the peace of the church because of it.
that in peace the word can be spread. He calls both the citizens and the priests "brothers". These are then in harmony when they feed the people with one and the same doctrine, when they do not quarrel with one another, and spread the wholesome doctrine as from one mouth, and the people believe the word. This peace in the church is a special gift and good, which is not only lovely, but also useful and honorable. So also in the secular government, when the reputation of the laws is firm, and the authorities diligently care for their subjects, while the subjects hold their authorities as dear as children hold their parents, and obey their commands (auctoritati). This psalm exhorts us to learn to recognize these gifts and to give thanks for them.
V. 2. Like the delicious balm that flows down from Aaron's head into all his beard, which flows down into his garment.
This is the foreign speech (babaries) of the Holy Spirit; if he is foreign to us, then we are foreign to him. Furthermore, the passage 2 Mos. 30, 23-30. is known, in which Moses is commanded to prepare this special ointment, with the prohibition, which is added, that this be done by no one else, nor be used for any other purpose than to anoint the highest priest. With this anointing oil this psalm compares peace, because it is a particularly holy and divine thing, which cannot be prepared or maintained by any human powers. For even though it is given to the ungodly, as we see in the kingdoms that are outside the church, it is in truth a gift of God and supremely holy, because it is to serve primarily for the holy use of spreading the worship of God, for preserving fidelity in marriage, for raising children, and for taking proper care for the maintenance of all respectability. If this could be persuaded to the fanatical people who disturb the peace of the Church with new and inconsistent doctrines of the Sacraments and other articles, namely, that the peace of the Churches is holy, and GOtte an exceedingly pleasant balm, completely separated from unholy: Uses: mean
Wouldn't you think that they would act more carefully? But because they do not believe this, nor do they allow themselves to be persuaded of it, they consider him to be nothing. 1) That which they have sacrilegiously thought, they sacrilegiously pour out, and use this holy balm for unholy uses, that they may gain honor and a great name; yea, concord, the most holy thing, they hold to be a disgrace, and treading it under foot like dung, they do not use it as an ointment for the head. But how much different is the opinion of the Holy Spirit, who would have us esteem peace most highly and consider it the greatest sanctuary, as he indicates by the similitude presented in the most beautiful words.
But he expressly says "from the head", so that he indicates a right and quite intimate agreement. For if you look at the likeness, Aaron is first anointed on his head, then the anointing oil flows into his beard, and finally it comes down into the hem of his garment. So why does he mention the head? Certainly to show that where there is no unity, just as when there is no head in a kingdom, one goes here and the other there. But the church has Christ as its head. Therefore this balm, that is, the united teaching, must flow like a delicious anointing oil through the unity of the Spirit into the beard, that is, on the men who administer the office of teaching. For this means the beard that surrounds the mouth, the instrument for teaching. From there it is to flow upon the hems of the garment, that is, upon the rest of the Church, which is the garment of Christ. In this way the Holy Spirit desires that concord be thought a holy and exceedingly noble thing. But it is well known how few there are who allow themselves to be persuaded of this. For who does not see that the clamorous spirits, of whom Basil says very finely that they hum with their tongues (xx γλώσσx βομβαί- vetv), regard this for their some honor, that they destroy concord? These turn back the psalm, and sing in their hearts, Behold, how fine and sweet it is to divide the brethren,
1) Here the Latin editions have no jnterpunction sign.
that they do not dwell together in harmony, but one falls here, the other there. For they do not consider peace and harmony a balm, therefore they are always seeking new things, and do not think that they can be teachers or shepherds of the churches unless they depart from us and devise something new. We must flee from them and be careful not to be like them, but learn that the unity of the churches is a gift from God, which we must cherish, increase and protect with all our strength. For there is nothing more beautiful in the eyes of God and the angels than when they see that the teachers and masters of the churches are of one mind and teach and believe the same.
Of course, the pope has a beautiful harmony with his own, because even thieves and robbers are in harmony with each other, like Judas with the Pharisees. But this is not the harmony which this psalm praises. For the psalm praises the harmony that is among those who have the pure word. Therefore, it does not use any term in general, but one that refers to Aaron, who is appointed priest by God's voice, and specifically says of the beard that is joined to the mouth, to indicate that the unity of the teachers is poured out through the whole body of the church, that not only the body itself is refreshed, but the smell spreads everywhere, and the good name of the church is praised before God and the people who recognize this gift.
V. 3. like the dew that falls from Hermon on Mount Zion. For there the Lord promises blessing and life forever and ever.
"Hermon" is a mountain range which is close to Lebanon, therefore in another place [Ps. 42, 7.] he calls the land Hermonim Judea, which is surrounded by these mountains. As for this likeness, I believe that the prophet is speaking in a common way. For since the mountains seem to touch the sky to those who look at them from afar, it also seems as if the dew that falls from the sky or from the clouds falls from the higher mountains to the lower ones.
hill. Therefore he says that the dew of Hermon falls down on the mountains of Zion, because it seems to be so to those who see it from afar. But I think that this part of the verse refers to the worldly harmony, as the previous simile refers to the church, that God refreshes empires and kingdoms by peace, as the seeds and herbs are refreshed by the morning dew. The beginning of peace is with the princes themselves, as with Mount Hermon; from there it flows to the individual (privatos) citizens and the whole community, which is refreshed as by dew, so that everything is in bloom. For as by dew all that grows out of the earth becomes green again and increases, so by concord things increase, however small they may be. On the other hand, just as in great heat and blaze everything withers and perishes, so wars, riots and unrest destroy communities. This experience has also taught the heathen, and still teaches it, and yet we also experience in our people that they are tired of the long peace and are weighed down by it, and they seem unable to bear it, just as if it were an unbearable burden. Therefore, not only diligent exhortations through preaching are necessary, but also unceasing prayer, as the prophet now adds: "There the Lord promises blessing and life" 2c. 1) (For so [vitas] is written in the Hebrew [instead of vitam in the Vulgate]), that is, where GOD will dwell, where there is harmony. This is truly a glorious praise with which He adorns peace, and hearts should be encouraged by this praise to pursue peace, since they hear that GOD wants to dwell with such princes and teachers who love peace and help to achieve it. Therefore, it follows that where there are enemies of peace and who delight in unnecessary wars, such as the violent people at court (Centauri aulici) and the rebellious peasants, the devil dwells there with his angels,
1) Instead of "ete. in the Erlanger, the Wittenberger and the Jenaer read: illis. The latter is undoubtedly wrong, because this is neither in Hebrew nor in the Vulgate. The following remark, which we have put in parenthesis, refers to the word vitas instead of vituni in the Vulgate.
2144 L. XL, 300-302. Au[1. on the 15 songs in the higher choir. Ps. 133. w. IV, 2976-2979. 2145
and that there God promises the curse, death and destruction.
There is an emphasis on the word "life," for it is in the majority like Ps. 63,1 ) 4 For it denotes in general all that lives, or all the estates of life, priests, Levites, believers, authorities, artisans, citizens, peasants 2c. as if to say: all kinds of life, all estates, and all estates will be enriched by peace. This is truly a glorious promise. But is it not we who despise it so gloriously? Many are deliberately looking for occasions to disturb the churches; in the secular regime we learn how great the contempt for the laws 2) is. Through all this we force God, as it were, that He cannot promise us blessings and life. Therefore, we are subjected to many misfortunes because we despise the blessings that are so abundantly offered to us, even though the world is not healed even by misfortunes and punishments (flagellis). For what was the use of the Jews being so often afflicted with misfortunes of all kinds? Therefore, they finally had to be disturbed from the bottom up. Thus Lot preached to Sodom in vain, Noah preached to the first world in vain. The same danger also threatens us Germans: through
1) Erlanger: ks. 62.
2) Erlanger: lexem instead of: le^nra.
Pestilence, war and famine will not punish us, nor will they make us better, so our downfall will follow.
Therefore, this psalm is a price of peace, so that we may consider it an exceedingly high and holy gift, and rather let everything else come into danger than that we should stand by rebellious and nefarious people. For even if one has to suffer something, it must be borne with equanimity, since everything is set right through peace, as someone has said so well that nothing is bought more cheaply than peace, because it bears the richest fruit for the one who buys it. In private matters we often learn that if someone bears a loss of ten or twenty florins with equanimity in order to keep peace, he thereby takes good care of his possessions, while another, who gives peace to it by chasing ten florins with quarreling and strife, often loses a hundred or more. If this happens in private matters, what do you think happens in the administration of communities and great empires? Therefore, we should learn to value peace and be grateful to God for such a great gift in the secular government and in the church. Then it will happen that we too will become aware of the promise of blessing and life, as the Holy Spirit promises. Amen.