The Divine Lamp

I wanted to prepare notes for the July 20th Mass (extraordinary form) but found that the missal text of the introit contained a printers error, garbling the text. The introit is based upon Psalm 54 so I decided to post notes on the whole of it.  Please keep in mind that I’m speculating concerning some points.   I’ll post notes on the Mass later, beginning with the gradual.

Psalm 54:3-9

The Psalmist begins by invoking God (O God) to “save me by your name,” and to defend his cause “by your strength” (vs 3). He then invokes God a second time, asking that his prayer be heard and requesting that God “give ear to my prayers” (vs 4). He is motivated by the fact that the “loathsome”(Hebrew=zuwr) have risen against him (vs 5a). Zuwr can refer hostile people in general, or it can refer to people will foul breath. Inasmuch as the Psalmist has just asked God to “give ear to the words of my mouth” both meanings may be intended. Anyone who has ever had someone with bad breath attempt to whisper in their ear can appreciate the humor. Possibly the Psalmist is implying that his enemies engage in hypocritical prayer. If so, the idea would fit nicely with the Gospel reading for today. Those with bad breath are further described as terrifying, and they seek the “life” (Hebrew=nephes) of the Psalmist (vs5b). Nephes generally means breath, and by extension, life; perhaps their is another contrast being drawn between value of the Psalmist’s life-breath and the bad breath of his enemies. But nephes can also refer to a man’s back, and the text could read “the terrifying ones seek the back of my neck.” His head is, as it were, on the chopping block. The problem with the enemies is that “they have not set God before them” (vs 5c). Verse 5 contains a neat word-play in the Hebrew: The enemies have “risen up” (Heb=quwm) against the Psalmist rather than “set up” (Heb=suwm) God before them. An attack against a righteous man is an attack against God (Saul, Saul, Why do you persecute me?)

In marked contrast to the enemies who have not “set God before them”, thereby rejecting God’s presence, the Psalmist states (vs 6a): “God is before me as my helper.” In verse 6b we read (literally): “The Lord lift up my neck.” The image here is that of a benevolent king who raises the humbly bowed head of one of his subjects. The image contrasts nicely with with verse 5c, which spoke of the enemies seeking the back of the Psalmists neck. Because of God’s graciousness and presence, the Psalmist can say: “Turn back the evil upon my enemies: cut them off in your faithfulness” (vs 7).

God’s preservation of the Psalmist will lead him to offer sacrifice and to praise the good name of the Lord (vs 8). This recalss the beginning of the Psalm: “save me by your name” (vs 3). The reason the Psalmist will do this is because: “your named has rescued me from all my troubles, and my eyes look down upon all my foes” (vs 9). The humble petitioner who had his neck lifted up by the Lord can now look down upon those who rose up against him (vs 5a), and sought the back of his neck (vs 5b).