Traduction Masquer
La cité de dieu

CHAPITRE XIX.

LE PSAUME SOIXANTE-HUIT MONTRE L’OBSTINATION DES JUIFS DANS LEUR INFIDÉLITÉ.

Certes, les Juifs ne résisteraient pas à des témoignages si clairs confirmés par l’événement, si la prophétie du psaume soixante-huit ne s’accomplissait en eux. Après que David a introduit Jésus-Christ, qui dit, en parlant de sa passion, ce que nous voyons accompli dans l’Evangile : « Ils m’ont donné du fiel à manger, et du vinaigre à boire quand j’ai eu soif ¹ » ; il ajoute: « Qu’en récompense leur table devienne un piège et une pierre d’achoppement; que leurs yeux « soient obscurcis, afin qu’ils ne voient point, et chargez-les de fardeaux qui les fassent marcher tout courbés », et autres malheurs qu’il ne leur souhaite pas, mais qu’il leur prédit comme s’il les leur souhaitait. Quelle merveille donc qu’ils ne voient pas des choses si évidentes, puisque leurs yeux ne sont obscurcis qu’afin qu’ils ne les voient pas? quelle merveille qu’ils ne comprennent pas les choses du ciel, eux qui sont toujours accablés de pesants fardeaux qui les courbent contre terre? Ces métaphores prises du corps marquent réellement les vices de l’esprit. Mais c’est assez parler des psaumes, c’est-à-dire de la prophétie de David, et il faut mettre quelques bornes à ce discours. Que ceux qui savent toutes ces choses m’excusent et ne se plaignent pas de moi, si j’ai peut-être omis d’autres témoignages qu’ils estiment encore plus forts.

Traduction Masquer
The City of God

Chapter 19.--Of the 69th Psalm, in Which the Obstinate Unbelief of the Jews is Declared.

But when the Jews will not in the least yield to the testimonies of this prophecy, which are so manifest, and are also brought by events to so clear and certain a completion, certainly that is fulfilled in them which is written in that psalm which here follows. For when the things which pertain to His passion are prophetically spoken there also in the person of Christ, that is mentioned which is unfolded in the Gospel: "They gave me gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar for drink." ¹ And as it were after such a feast and dainties in this way given to Himself, presently He brings in [these words]: "Let their table become a trap before them, and a retribution, and an offence: let their eyes be dimmed that they see not, and their back be always bowed down," ² etc. Which things are not spoken as wished for, but are predicted under the prophetic form of wishing. What wonder, then, if those whose eyes are dimmed that they see not do not see these manifest things? What wonder if those do not look up at heavenly things whose back is always bowed down that they may grovel among earthly things? For these words transferred from the body signify mental faults. Let these things which have been said about the Psalms, that is, about king David's prophecy, suffice, that we may keep within some bound. But let those readers excuse us who knew them all before; and let them not complain about those perhaps stronger proofs which they know or think I have passed by.