What does Psalms Chapter 61 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The Latin incipit is Nonne Deo. The speaker’s petitions, recollections and future declarations retain their distinct wording. Edition interpretations remain separate from verse speech; no universal safety or clinical guarantee is established.

Chapter breakdown

The Latin incipit is Nonne Deo. The separate heading encourages the prophet and others to trust and serve God. The inscription is unto the end, for Idithun, David's psalm, without an assigned choirmaster office. He asks whether his soul shall be subject to God, source of salvation, naming savior and protector and saying he shall be moved no more. He asks how long attackers rush upon a man and kill as if thrusting down a leaning wall and tottering fence. They thought to cast away his price; he ran in thirst. They blessed with mouth and cursed with heart.

He calls his soul to subjection because patience is from God, repeats savior and helper with the declaration he shall not be moved, and names salvation, glory, help and hope in God. He tells the congregation to trust and pour out hearts before their everlasting helper. Sons of men are vain and liars in balances deceiving by vanity. Separate commentary offers two readings: weightless deceit in scales, or false weights preferring temporal to eternal. Neither establishes a clinical remedy through silence.

The speaker forbids trust in iniquity or covering robberies, and setting the heart on abounding riches. God spoke once and he heard two things: power belongs to God and mercy to the Lord, who will render to each according to works. The warnings do not require a new universal doctrine about all wealth or social status.

The story inside

Opening: The Latin incipit is Nonne Deo. Development: The speaker’s petitions, recollections and future declarations retain their distinct wording. Conclusion: Edition interpretations remain separate from verse speech; no universal safety or clinical guarantee is established.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The Latin incipit is Nonne Deo.
2
The speaker’s petitions, recollections and future declarations retain their distinct wording.
3
Edition interpretations remain separate from verse speech; no universal safety or clinical guarantee is established.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 61264–61268
61:2. Shall not my soul be subject to God? for from him is my salvation. 61:3. For he is my God and my saviour: he is my protector, I shall be moved no more.
Lines 61285–61289
61:9. Trust in him, all ye congregation of people: pour out your hearts before him. God is our helper for ever. 61:10. But vain are the sons of men, the sons of men are liars in the balances: that by vanity they may together deceive.
Lines 61300–61304
61:12. God hath spoken once, these two things have I heard, that power belongeth to God, 61:13. And mercy to thee, O Lord; for thou wilt render to every man according to his works.