The Years Of The Web

Anni nostri ut aranea meditabuntur. Ut aranearum telae sunt futiles et caducae, et ad omnen tactum cito pereunt: ita vita nostra fragilis et morti proxima est. Quod quidem melius Aquila interpretatus est, dicens: 'Anni nostri similes loquenti' : quod scilicet ad conpartionem sermonis humani praetereant, dum subsistunt. 'Dextram tuam sic notam fac mihi, et eruditos corde sapientia. Hoc melius Symmachus transtulit, dicens: Dies nostros sic notos fac, ut veniamus corde sapienti.' Precatur ergo, ut tempus vitae nostrae Deus indicet nobis: quo possimus corde sapienti eius nos praeparare iudicio. Sanctus Hieronimus, Commentarioli, Ps LXXXIX

'Our years shall be considered as a cobweb.' 1 Like those threads of the web that are so weak and break, swiftly perishing at the touch of anything, so are our fragile lives near to death. Which Aquila has interpreted better, saying, 'Our years are like a thing spoken,' for indeed they pass away like a piece of human speech which has been spoken, as soon as they come to be. 'Make known your right hand  to me and those wise in heart'. 2 This Symmachus has translated better, saying, 'Our days make known to us, that we may come to wisdom of heart.' He prays therefore that God indicate the time of our life to us, by which we are able with a wise heart to prepare ourselves for judgement. Saint Jerome,The Little Commentary on the Psalms, Psalm 89 1 Ps 89.9 2 Ps 89.12