Psalms 113:1

Alleluia. This word is placed at the end of the preceding psalm in Hebrew, though it seems to have been there originally, (Haydock) as [in] ver. 2., we find his, with reference to "the Lord," who has not been otherwise mentioned before. (Houbigant) --- The psalm may be joined with the former to ver. 9, when the Hebrew begins a fresh one, relating to the captives, with the two which follow. (Calmet) the division is of no great importance, (Berthier) and we cannot easily decide whether it be here necessary. (Haydock) --- The Hebrew copies have not been always uniform, no more than the Greek in this place. (Calmet) --- Barbarous. Cruel, (Berthier) or which spoke a language unknown to them. (Symmachus and Aquila) --- Barbarus his ego sum, quia non intelligor ulli. (Ovid de Pont.) (1 Corinthians xiv. 11.) --- The Greeks styled all others barbarians, (Fest.) as the Egyptians did. (Herodotus ii.) --- Joseph at first did not understand the language of the latter, (Psalm lxxx. 6.) and spoke to his brethren by an interpreter, Genesis xlii. 22. Lohez, denotes one who speaks an unknown tongue, which Chaldean expresses by the word borbra, "a stranger, or desert." (Calmet) --- Infidels, and those who persecute the true religion, are styled barbarous, though otherwise the Egyptians were very polite and learned. (Worthington)