(1) Almost all ancient teachers understood this psalm to be about the Antichrist, because it is actually written against the papacy. That is why it has no title, so that it would be a little darker. It speaks of our time, which St. Paul [2 Tim. 3, 1.] calls terrible times, when our Lord God would oppose the Christian church. As Christ also testifies [Luc. 18, 8]: "Do you think that in those days the Son of Man will find faith on earth?" So the prophet also says here: "Your Christian church will then lie on the ground. For all its works are directed to blaspheme God with it, to boast about itself, and to afflict the godly. So also Daniel Cap. 11, 37. 38. says: "He will sit in the temple of God, and will not respect the God of his fathers, but will honor the God of Maussim instead of God" (XXXX), that is, of the fortresses. For the Pope does not want to have the God of the poor and the afflicted. He does not like the God; he wants to set his thing so that it is called fortresses, so that he does not need our Lord God. There the Holy Spirit complains about.
V. 1. Lord, why do you step so far away?
2) Dear Lord God, how can you let your church be so miserably destroyed! 1) For he is at odds with God, as it were. The great heartache causes him to see the miserable abomination. "Why so far away?" 2c. Why do you not give your word?
Berbirgest you in time of need.
3. the word that the Latin text has: Despicis, means: to withdraw, to hide. Our God cannot be found, he says.
V. 2: Because the wicked is rash.
4. He speaks of the ungodly, who are considered holy, wise and righteous according to outward appearances. He pretends to good works and words, and yet there is neither faith nor love in him.
1) zersühlen (sülen) - to rumple; to defile, as of pigs.
him. The Hebrew word Gaah (XXX) means to overpower, to rule, to have the upper hand. You let this happen, he says, that the wicked rule. I would suffer the same to the Ortend, if they would only let us preach.
Must the wretch suffer.
That is, he has to suffer (vastatur). The wretched Christians must suffer. They do not only want to rule, but they also want you to be lost or die with them. The wicked have the power to devastate godliness. "Wretched" means afflicted; as Christ says [Matt. 11:5.], "To the poor the gospel is preached." Methinks also that the word incenditur ["must suffer"] goes to the pope; 3) for it means "to set on fire," as in the book of Judges, Cap. 12, 1., those of Ephraim threaten Jephthah that they will burn his house 4) together with him with fire, that the prophet thereby indicates that the pope shall deal with the poor by fire.
They cling to each other, and devise wicked wiles.
This is the first virtue of the pope and those who follow him: they do not have the word of God, they do not teach it, so they do not respect it. But the thoughts that they undertake, they respect. The word I have rendered "devise" means, when one has something evil in mind. As it is said in Genesis [Deut. 19:18, 19], that if a man should think of something against his brother, it shall be done to him as he thought to do to his brother. They cling to their thoughts. What they devise with their own will they seize upon, and to that they hold fast and keep; there they are above their own will which they have devised. All their teaching is nothing but their thoughts. "We
2) In the Latin edition: "the words" instead of: "the places", that is, here.
3) In the Latin edition: stand.
4) In the Latin edition (Erlanger): veum tuum instead of: (lonauru tuana.
1440 xvn- 90-92. short au[1. on the first 25 psalms. Ps. 10. w. iv, wso-wss. 1441
have come into fire", Ps. 66, 1) 12, which must be called purgatory. Thus Jakob [Probst] 2) of Bremen told me that the papists in the Netherlands had defied with this saying Luc. 6, 38: "Pray, and it shall be given you"; thus we would be justified by the works; there they had stood up, like the stiff-necked horses, apprehendunt, there they stop, amplectuntur, grasp it with the hand, seize it. It also sometimes means to attack, as one attacks a thief. In consiliis [in the Vulgate] is a Hebrew way of speaking, and is as much as consilia, as in gladio is as much as gladium. But this is our consolation, that the Holy Spirit tells us beforehand that we will have such teachers, who will keep what they themselves devise, as there are, purgatory, the mass, indulgences, in sum, the whole papacy. "They will walk according to their own lusts", 2 Petr. 3, 3.
V. 3: For the wicked boasts of his courage.
(7) This then must be preached; what they have set must be called the pulpit, the articles of faith; he that heareth them not must be damned.
And the miser blesses himself, and blasphemes the Lord.
8. ungodliness and avarice are always with each other. Thus Paul says [Phil. 3, 19.]: "Whose belly is their god." Likewise, "A covetous man, which is an idolater" [Eph. 5:5]. And soon after in the 14th Psalm, v. 4. "They that devour my people, that they may feed." Likewise [1 Tim. 6, 5.], "Who think that godliness is a trade." These two things cannot be separated from each other. For as soon as one has fallen away from the faith, he cannot trust God, so one must scratch and scrape to get something over.
The miser blesses himself.
That is, he flatters himself, he caresses himself. It is a fine service, they say now.
1) In the Latin edition: ks. 83.
2) Jakob Prepositus or Provost was first prior in Rotterdam, then in Antwerp. Since 1524 pastor in Bremen.
Thus it is said in Hosea [Cap. 12, 9.]: Praise be to God, "I am rich, I have enough". So now they also say: Praise be to God, we have such a fine state. But by praising their actions in this way, they blaspheme God, calling all that Christ speaks heresy.
V. 4. The wicked is so proud and angry that he asks for no one.
This is the praise of the wicked, that there is no fear of God before their eyes, Ps. 14, 1. 3. So Duke George, the Dukes of B[ayern], 3) Faber, Eck, are sure and fearless, and have hearts like anvils (as Job also says), so sure do they sit; it must be so.
Is so angry.
(11) He has an excellent, high, proud anger; as the pope is angry against the kings, and the monks are also angry. He thus displays a lofty, proud, heavy wrath, that he thinks everyone should fear him, just as H[erzog] J[örg] and the H. v. B.
Ask for no one.
(12) They may preach against it, God also throws in among them at times, but they ask nothing of it; if you tell them and preach to them at length, you only make them more proud.
In all its pitfalls, it considers GOD to be nothing.
13. neither does he ask anything after GOD, as Daniel says [Cap. 11, 37.], "He will not respect his fathers GOD."
V. 5: He continues his work forever.
14 This is stubbornness, that he does not ask about God or anyone else. So he lets our Lord God go, and does what he wants, does his thing forever. For "to go on" means to make an effort for his cause. As: The earth will drive away the
3) In the old translation: "So are prince N., the princes of N., Faber zu Wien, Eck" 2c. In the Latin edition: 8ie v. OeorZius, äuoss L. linder, Laeius sta. A comma should be placed after "L." vuaes L. is to be resolved by: Uuass Lavarias. For our conjecture, compare Luther's letter to Jakob Probst of June 1, 1530. De Wette, vol. IV, p. 27; likewise ß 27 of this psalm. Vabsr is 3oUanns8 Labsr. He was first vicar of the bishop of Constance, later court preacher at Vienna and bishop there, co-author of the eoukutatio of the Augsburg Confession.
HErrn praise, will deal with his praise for and for. And so here: "his doing", which is without God, he is always doing. This is a very big complaint against the pope, as if he had already been there. Such people are also described in the Revelation of John.
Your dishes are far from him.
15 He indicates that there are some who oppose him. There are some who tell him 1) [the pope], but he pays no attention. Likewise: Thy judgments are here, the gospel goeth forth, but they are far from it, and see it not. So we also find that none of them understands either the Ten Commandments, or faith, or the Lord's Prayer. With their decree they go about; but thy judgments are far from them.
He acts defiantly with all his enemies.
This word, puah [XXX], means to speak boldly and confidently, πα^σίάζε^, Proverbs 6:19. Our Latin translation has: proferens mendacia, testis fallax, but it is actually: parrhisiensis, an insolent, brazen tale, like Eck, who speaks freely and defiantly against his adversaries. For now he speaks about us as if we were people in despair and lost. M. Philip, Luther, John Hus, they damnir them with joy. This is a description of a great certainty. Something similar is also said in the prophet Daniel. Münzer was almost such a person, and now Carlstadt.
V. 6 He says in his heart, "I will never lie down.
17 This actually goes to the pabstium. Peter's little ship (they say) sways, but it does not sink. Likewise: The church is founded on a rock, which the gates of hell cannot overpower. The unholy Sylvester also praises it, saying that many people have laid their hands on the papacy, but it still remains in its dignity. The psalm complains about this security. The Turk also boasts, and indeed Pope and Turk are one almost as old as the other.
1) "ihm's" put by us instead of: "ihns" in the original.
It will have no need for and for.
(18) I cannot be in trouble, for I have the God called Maussim in this fortress I abide. But you have a God who is called a crucified and weak God.
V. 7. His mouth is full of cursing.
This is the consolation of Christians, that they have and are subject to such great appearances; yet the Holy Spirit says we are to take it for certain that they are blasphemies, and that their mouth is full of cursing. Eck's, Faber's, Cochläi's sermons prove that they can do no more than blaspheme, profane and curse. I think that one has experienced it well with the ban. The ban should be drawn on this verse.
False and fallacious.
20 For this they lie and deceive; they curse us, they deceive their own. When poor people hear about purgatory for a long time, they only hear lies and lose their money.
His tongue causes trouble and work.
Amal (XXX) and Aven (XX) means misfortune and heartache. This is what false teaching is generally called. This word is also written in the seventh Psalm, v. 15: "He has evil in mind. Thus here their preaching, that is, misfortune and heartache. The poor people get nothing out of it but stupid consciences. I think we have experienced it enough under the papacy.
V. 8. He sits and lurks.
22 This is also one of the right virtues of the pope: he has an evil thing, therefore he does not like to let it come to questioning. Cause, if it would come to the scripture, he would have to be wrong. So now they are shouting: The church, the church has approved it, this testimony is sufficient. Shall one give an account to any one? "He sits," says the text. All his rule is that he creeps up on people and catches them deceitfully. But he shuns the light, and does nothing publicly.
Ju the yards.
23. for they are outside the church. All their activity is directed toward appearances, and with these appearances they catch people. But our cause is weak because it is without all appearance. The Latin text has: In occultis, that is, they condemn not publicly or judicially, but without the matter having been heard and known. It is enough for them that they can say: You have spoken such things as are contrary to the church. But this picture is taken from Moses. The court was outside. Thus the pope, who sits even in outward works to deceive the common people, also to deceive the right saints who contradict him.
He strangles the innocent in secret.
24 Without any judicial process, not publicly. It is not that the pope does not strangle the saints publicly, but that he does not investigate the matter, and condemns it absolutely because the church has so decided.
His eyes hold out his arms.
(25) He fears no one so much as the poor to whom the gospel is preached (Matt. II:5); he does not fear princes and kings so much. So now they look at us alone, that is their only concern, there they deal with alone; because they let themselves think, and the devil also feels it, they will have no rest otherwise.
V. 9. He lurks in secret, like a lion in the den.
(26) Now he brings out their wickedness by a similitude. Above [v. 4 ff.] he said that they are diligent in outward splendor, and by the same seek a just cause to condemn the saints. Here he says how hard and cruel they are, that nothing can help it; as we also learn. If one asks, they are hopeful; if one urges, they despise it; if one admonishes, they push it under the bench.
That he may catch the wretch in his net.
27 This is the net, that they say, He hath spoken against the pope, against the church; so they lead one in. And so they have
Gseorg] and others wanted to do with the emperor, and to take him in such a way, 1) that we could not have come to words after that.
V. 10. He crushes and presses down, and pushes to the ground the poor man with violence.
(28) If they can get hold of only one piece that they can accuse, it does not help, even if they find ten thousand other good pieces with us. Again, if they have one that has an appearance, ten thousand bad pieces do no harm. So Cardinal Cajetan said to me at Augsburg: "Revoke the one article about the merits of the saints and admit that they are a treasure of indulgences; if you revoke it, the rest will be forgiven you. So now they have the piece alone, of the celibate state and opening of the convents, of the nuns 2c. So it goes, if they can catch something for appearances in their courts, then the smashing, pressing down and pushing to the ground follows immediately. Therefore they first set up their own, but then they destroy their adversaries without any right, only with deceit. No other tyrant does this. For the Turk acts by public authority, the others by public right. How is it then that they are so cruel? He answers:
V. 11. He says in his heart: God has forgotten.
(29) Just as the heretics and the enemies of God do: Our Lord God does not think of them, they are rejected and condemned before God. So Eck and the people hold us.
He has hidden his face, he will never see it again.
He may not look at them. This is what they said about John Hus at Costnitz. Such a stubborn mind against us they can grasp in lies and deceit. So far he has described the Antichrist that he teaches lies in peace and uses deceit in war. Now follows the crying out to God, which we should also pray.
1) Compare Luther's letter to Probst of June 1, 1530, De Wette, Vol. IV, p. 27. For this purpose, Duke George, the Dukes of Bavaria, and Margrave Joachim of Brandenburg had traveled to the Emperor in Innsbruck.
1446 L. xvii, R f. Interpretations on the Psalms. W. iv, issi-i-M. 1447
V. 12. Arise, Lord God, lift up your hand, do not forget the wretched.
He must stand up against such abominable blasphemy: Dear Lord God, we must hear this; up, up, dear Lord, so that you do not strengthen their blasphemy.
V. 13. Why should the wicked blaspheme God and say in his heart: You do not ask for it?
(32) Such blasphemy is more grievous to the prophet than violence itself. Now he consoles himself.
V. 14. You see.
33. I know that you see it, that you do not turn away your face.
For you see the misery and wretchedness.
34. I know that you have mercy on the wailing and misery.
It is in your hands.
For it is given into your hands. As the Scripture says of the Lord Christ: "He placed it in the home of him who judges you rightly" [1 Pet 2:23]. As if the prophet wanted to say: "It is with you, we know no better help; because we trust you, help.
The poor command you.
They will return it to you. This is the greatest virtue we have, that we command the matter to God.
You are the orphan's helper.
37. This is an honorific name of God: You have the glory of being called "a father of the fatherless" [Ps. 68:6].
V. 15. Break the arm of the wicked.
Then he teaches him how he should do. "Poor" means dominion, tyranny. Break, he says, the kingdom of destruction.
And look for evil.
39. seek the ungodly heap home for punishment. But this is why he asks to destroy this kingdom, because it is the ungodly being itself. It is the devil's own kingdom. Now he adds the promises.
V. 16. The Lord is King.
40 This is a promise of the end of the world, for he does not speak of the Jews alone, but of all peoples everywhere. The Lord will come and be king forever.
The heathen must perish from his land.
41. You must stop, you pagans.
V. 17. You hear the desire of the wretched, O Lord.
God sees the groaning of the godly more than their words.
Her heart is sure that your ear will notice it.
43. "Their heart", their hope and sighing is sincere; you know that their prayer is righteous; so you also have a soft ear. This we know and desire, and it pleases God.
V. 18: That you may do right to the fatherless and the poor.
44. The poor orphan will also one day come across a judge who will execute his case for him.
That man no longer defies on earth.
Then it will be over with them, their rule will cease. The people on earth shall then no longer have power, but the people from heaven, namely, Christ with His own. This is said about the end of the world. Say Amen for the sake of God, that it may happen soon.
1448 L. xvii, 97-99. Brief au[1. on the first 25 Psalms. Ps. 11. w. iv, iW7-iWs. 1449