The whole Church, and every just person, gratefully confesseth, that by God's protection they are secure, without which none could escape ruin.The whole Church, and euerie iuſt perſon, gratfully confeſſeth, that by Gods protection they are ſecure, without which none could eſcape ruine.✦

A gradual Canticle.A gradual Canticle.Canticum graduum. Nisi quia Dominus erat in nobis, dicat nunc Israël,

2But that our Lord was in us, let Israel now say: but that our Lord was in us,BVt that our Lord a was in vs, let Iſrael now ſay : but that our Lord was in vs,nisi quia Dominus erat in nobis : cum exsurgerent homines in nos,

3When men rose up against us, perhaps they had swallowed us alive:b When men roſe vp againſt vs, c perhaps they had ſwalowed vs d aliue :forte vivos deglutissent nos ; cum irasceretur furor eorum in nos,

1609 marginmen. we could not have escaped the force of our enemies. · perhaps. The word [perhaps] doth not here import a doubt, or uncertainty, but in modest manner of asseveration, leaveth the judgement of the event that should happen (if God did not protect his servants) to their own consideration: which is an usual phrase in most languages. · alive. So suddenly should the weak, without God's protection, be destroyed, as men are devoured and swallowed up by ravening wild beasts, even before they be throughly dead. So was Jonas swallowed into the whale's belly.b we could not haue eſcaped the force of our enimies. · c The word [perhaps] doth not here import a doubt, or vncertaintie, but in modeſt maner of aſſeueration, leaueth the iudgement of the euent that ſhould hapen (if God did not protect his ſeruantes) to their owne conſideration: which is an vſual phraſe in moſt langnages. · d So ſudainly ſhould the weake, without Gods protection, be deſtroyed, as men are deuoured & ſwalowed vp by rauening wild beaſtes, euen before they be throughly dead. So was Ionas ſwalowed into the whales bellie.

4When their fury was angry against us, perhaps water had swallowed us.When their furie was angrie againſt vs, perhaps e water had ſwalowed vs.forsitan aqua absorbuisset nos ;

5Our soul hath passed through a torrent: perhaps our soul had passed through an intolerable water.Our ſoule hath paſſed through f a torrent : perhaps our ſoule had paſſed through an intolerable water.torrentem pertransivit anima nostra ; forsitan pertransisset anima nostra aquam intolerabilem.

6Blessed be our Lord which hath not given us, for a prey to their teeth.Bleſſed be our Lord which hath not geuen vs, for a pray to their teeth.Benedictus Dominus, qui non dedit nos in captionem dentibus eorum.

7Our soul as a sparrow is delivered from the snare of the fowlers: The snare is broken, and we are delivered.Our ſoule as a ſparow is deliuered from the ſnare of the fowlers : The ſnare is g broken, and we are deliuered.Anima nostra sicut passer erepta est de laqueo venantium ; laqueus contritus est, et nos liberati sumus.

8Our help is in the name of our Lord, who made heaven and earth.Our helpe is in the name of our Lord, who made heauen and earth.Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini, qui fecit cælum et terram.

The reading text follows the 1582 first edition.

St. Robert Bellarmine’s commentary on Psalms 123 — verse-by-verse exposition→

Chapter 123 of 150