Explained in public lecture from March 1531; printed 1548.
Short preface [Luther's) on the second Psalm.**)
We, who serve the church and have the teaching office upon us, are truly in a very low and bad position, if we compare ourselves with other classes and follow the judgment of the world. For for our toil and labor we generally reap only hatred, and are not only proudly despised, but also bravely starve, while others have plenty and abundance and are held in exceedingly high esteem. We find, however, that for this reason the best minds abandon our studies and follow the professions (artes) that are profitable and bring honorable positions. But if you look at the matter in the
If a theologian, however miserable and despised, considers the right way, he is better off (meliore loco) than all teachers in other classes. For as often as he performs his office, he not only renders a glorious service to his neighbor, which surpasses all the services of all men, however delicious and useful they may be, but he also offers the most pleasing sacrifice to God in heaven, and is in truth called and is a priest of the Most High. For everything that a theologian does in the church serves to spread the knowledge of God and the blessedness of mankind.
*) This interpretation has been set so far in the year 1532, on the basis of the information of Veit Dietrich (Col. 78): "by v. Martin Luther publicly presented in the year 1532, in the month of March". So also Köstlin, Martin Luther, 3rd ed., vol. II, p. 271, but with the Cautel: "Concerning his lectures we are however not completely clear for this and the next following years [1531 ff.]." However, it will most likely read 1531 instead of 1532, because the year 1532 does not seem permissible to us. In the interpretation itself Luther says (Lrl. opp., Dom. XVIII, p. 84!: "Zwingli and Carlstadt are now causing riots.... Therefore I have no doubt that they will also suffer punishment for this ungodliness and finally learn with their great harm that Christ reigns." These words show irrefutably that Zwingli was still alive at the time. He fell in the battle of Kappel on October I, 1531. That Luther already had news of Zwingli's death in 1531, we see from his letter to Amsdorf of December 28, 1531 (De Wette, Vol. IV, p. 322). In May of the same year (1531) Carlstadt had arrived in Switzerland (Waleb, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XX, Introduction, p. 28). Since Luther mentions Carlstadt together with Zwingli in the words quoted, we assume that these lectures in the year 1531
**In the Latin editions, a Latin translation of the second Psalm by Luther precedes this preface.
Since rmn by the grace of God the abominations of the godless sacrifice of the papists, namely the masses, are done away with, which alone (solas) the godless pope with his teachers adorned with the name of a sacrifice, and since now the right worship is restored, namely the preaching of the word of God, by which GOD is rightly known and adorned, then I too, as one of the number of the priests of GOD, have wanted to take the second Psalm into my hands and interpret it, not only to teach you and learn for myself, but also so that I may offer a pleasing sacrifice to GOD. For why should I not call this work, which I take upon myself for the sake of the Church of Christ, and which is directed entirely to the glory of God and the blessedness of men, and which is commanded us in the second and third commandments? For how can we use God's name in a more holy way than when we instruct ourselves and others with the word of God? How can we better spend time and better sanctify the holiday than by
By alleviating the unavoidable and exceedingly severe hardships at this miserable time through the comforts of Scripture?
Let us, therefore, put our effort and work together, and let us, you with hearing, I with teaching, as our profession entails, render to God this service which He requires of us everywhere, so that through this action of the Word of God both faith may be strengthened in ourselves and the glory of God may be spread. This is a sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to God. In these "farrows of the lips," as the prophet [Hosea, Cap. 14, 3.] speaks, He delights more than in all works, no matter how much they cost and how difficult they are. Therefore it behooves us to approach this work, which is so holy, so necessary and useful, with a joyful heart. For we are sure that while we are doing this, we are not only not sinning, but we are also engaged in the most holy works, which will bear a certain fruit, and an eternal fruit at that.
around the time given by Dietrich, which is confirmed by the first words of the interpretation of the 51st Psalm (according to the reading of the Wittenbergers and the Jenaers): Pinarravimu8 proxirno vore p8alUaum gtzeunäunn. The Erlanger has instead of: proxinao V6l'6 only: proximk. Veit Dietrich rewrote the same and published them in 1546 under the title: Xarratio ?8a1nai 860uncii, n Ueveroncio D. Nartino Initiier", clietntn, et eoUeetn n Vito Itieoäorn Xoriber^. Xarratio Oap. noni Ü8aiae a. O. Martine" ttutkero ckietata, et a 4oiianno kVedero oolieeta. (6urn praek. Viti Diieoäori aU Oeor^. Vogler, et 4o. I'reäeri nck Xiooi. ^.M8äortiurn, lipmcopuin ^uindergen8em.) ^Vitekergue per 4c "Uanrmrn OutU. 1546. octav. In Dietrich's letter to Georg Vogler there is a very important passage, which we therefore place here: "With this intention of preserving the right doctrine and also to propagate it to the descendants] I have published many interpretations of Martin Luther. So that no one doubts the fidelity (üäo) of these, he should know that those which have been published by me in the printing houses of the Wittenberg University up to this year 1546, have all been read over and improved by the author himself. And because, God willing, I will continue to publish several more of his works (monurnenta), I will prove the fidelity that I owe, and will not take care of these editions alone, but will take the learned and honest men Caspar Cruciger and Georg Rörer along with me, so that they may give their expert opinion (een8yre8) and testimony about them. For to these men is known what his opinion was in all articles of doctrine, and their fidelity and earnestness is so great that they do not want Luther's speeches to be recited by me in such a way as Plato recounts that of Socrates, or as he recounts in the Xtiantioo the narrative of the Egyptian priest." A single edition of the second psalm organized Joh. Jakob Rambach at Halle in 1728 under the title: Martini Outiieri cornin6ntariu8 8uoouienti88iinu8 in p8g,iinnin 8eonnclnm in U8nin eoruin, oni saori8 Utterm opsrantur, 86parntiin 6(1itn8. Euro aniinnctwrmoniinm ot prooomio äo iatina Ontderi clio tiono. Octav. A German translation of this text appeared in Magdeburg in 1550 in quarto under the title: "Der ander Psalm Davids durch D. Martin Luther, in which he so masterfully responds to the scandals and trades of the world's scholars of the present time, and presents such rich consolation, teaching and instruction to the poor, afflicted Christians, as if the Holy Spirit had especially pointed his fingers to these times and days. In the Gesammtansgaben, this interpretation is found in Latin: in the Wittenberg (1549), Tom. Ill, toi. 4374," with Dietrich's attribution to Vogler; in the Jena one (1603), Norn. IV, toi. 734, without the same, and in the Erlangen exeZ. opp., Dom. XVIII, p. 1, with the aforementioned attribution. The old translation is printed in the Altenburger, vol. V, p. 1134; in the Leipziger, vol. VI, p. 1 and in Walch, vol. V, Col. 104. We have retranslated according to the Erlanger, comparing the Wittenberger and the Jenaer. Like Walch, we have omitted the letter to Vogler, because only the passage given above is of importance to us.