Eripe me, Domine, ab homine malo (Deliver me, Lord, from the evil man) is the tract sung before the reading of the Passion during Good Friday's Mass of the Pre-Sanctified.
The text of the chant is from the complete Psalm 139, composed by King David.
Cornelius a Lapide says of this Psalm that "the ancient Fathers Hilary, Jerome, Chrysostom
and Augustine [teach that the theme of this Psalm is] the prayer of the Body of Christ against the Devil and wicked men, who are the instruments or satellites of the Devil." (1)
Dom Guéranger explains in his volume on the Passion that this Psalm "is the cry of distress of the Messiah, who has fallen - through betrayal - into the hands of His enemies." (2)
The Psalmist prays to God to deliver him from evil men, who "have devised iniquities in their hearts" and whose tongues "they have sharpened like a serpent". He trusts that "the Lord will do justice to the needy, and will avenge the poor," while "the just shall give glory to
Thy name: and the upright shall dwell with Thy countenance."
Eripe me, Domine, ab homine malo is here interpreted by an unknown choir, taken from here.
Listen to Eripe me, Domine, ab homine malo
Lyrics:
Latin text:
2. Eripe me, Domine, ab homine malo;
A viro iniquo eripe me.
3. Qui cogitaverunt iniquitates in corde,
Tota die constituebant praelia.
4. Acuerunt linguas suas sicut serpentis;
venenum aspidum sub labiis eorum.
5. Custodi me, Domine, de manu peccatoris,
et ab hominibus iniquis eripe me:
qui cogitaverunt supplantare gressus meos;
6. Absconderunt superbi laqueum mihi,
et funes extenderunt in laqueum;
juxta iter scandalum posuerunt mihi.
7. Dixi Domino: Deus meus es tu;
exaudi, Domine, vocem deprecationis meae.
8. Domine, Domine, virtus salutis meae,
obumbrasti super caput meum
in die belli.
9. Ne tradas me, Domine,
a desiderio meo peccatori;
cogitaverunt contra me;
ne derelinquas me,
ne forte exaltentur.
10. Caput circuitus eorum,
labor labiorum ipsorum operiet eos.
11. Cadent super eos carbones,
in ignem dejicies eos;
in miseriis non subsistent.
12. Vir linguosus non dirigetur in terra,
virum injustum mala capient in interitu.
13 Cognovi quia faciet Dominus
judicium inopis,
et vindictam pauperum.
14. Verumtamen justi confitebuntur nomini tuo;
et habitabunt recti cum vultu tuo.
English translation (3):
2. Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man;
Deliver me from the unjust man.
3. Who have devised iniquities in their heart,
They have designed battles all the day long.
4. They sharpened their tongues like a serpent;
The venom of asps is under their lips.
5. Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the sinner,
and deliver me from the wicked men:
Who have devised to trip up my steps;
6. The proud have hid a snare for me,
And have stretched out ropes for a trap;
They laid a stumbling block for me along the way.
7. I said to the Lord, Thou art my God;
Hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication.
8. O Lord, the strength of my salvation,
Thou hast overshadowed my head
in the day of battle.
9. Do not deliver me, O Lord,
from my desire to the wicked;
they have plotted against me;
do not forsake me,
lest they be exalted.
10. Over the head of those who circle me,
the work of their own lips shall cover them.
11. Coals shall fall upon them,
you shall cast them into the fire;
they shall not remain in their misery.
12. The calumniator shall not prosper in the earth,
the wicked man shall be taken in destruction.
13 I know that the Lord will execute
judgment for the needy,
and vengeance for the poor.
14. But the righteous shall confess thy name;
and the upright shall dwell with thy countenance.
David by Lorenzo Monaco (Piero di Giovanni) (1370-1425)
Cornelius a Lapide, Commentarii in Sacram Scripturam (Commentary on the Holy Scriptures), Volume VII, p. 551,
here. Translated by TIA Desk.
Dom Prosper Guéranger, L'Année Liturgique (The Liturgical Year), Volume 6, p. 560,
here. Translated by TIA Desk.
Music courtesy of Gregobase, here. Cross-referenced with the Officium Majoris Hebdomadae (Office of Holy Week), pp. 304/298-307/301,
here, courtesy of the CMAA's (Church Music Association of America) Chant Resources page,
here, under "Supplemental Chant Books".
English translation was facilitated using the Douay Rheims, here, and the Portuguese Matos-Soares version of the Bible
here.
