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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.

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De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput XIX: De psalmo sexagensimo octavo, in quo Iudaeorum infidelitas et pertinacia declaratur.

Sed ut Iudaei tam manifestis huius prophetiae testimoniis etiam rebus ad effectum tam clarum certumque perductis omnino non cedant, profecto in eis illud impletur, quod in eo psalmo, qui hunc sequitur, scriptum est. Cum enim et illic ex persona Christi, quae ad eius passionem pertinent, prophetice dicerentur, commemoratum est, quod in euangelio patuit: Dederunt in escam meam fel et in siti mea potum mihi dederunt acetum. Et uelut post tale conuiuium epulasque sibi huiusce modi exhibitas mox intulit: Fiat mensa eorum coram ipsis in muscipulam et in retributionem et in scandalum; obscurentur oculi eorum ne uideant, et dorsum eorum semper incurua, et cetera, quae non optando sunt dicta, sed optandi specie prophetando praedicta. Quid ergo mirum, si haec manifesta non uident, quorum oculi sunt obscurati, ne uideant? Quid mirum, si caelestia non suspiciunt, qui ut in terrena sint proni, dorsum eorum semper incuruum est? His enim uerbis translatis a corpore uitia intelleguntur animorum. Ista de psalmis, hoc est de prophetia regis Dauid, satis dicta sint, ut aliquis modus sit. Ignoscant autem qui haec legunt et cuncta illa nouerunt, et de his, quae fortasse firmiora me praetermisisse uel intellegunt uel existimant, non querantur.