TRV
Augustine of Hippo
Nicene & Post-Nicene · AD 325–500
7,530 passages across 62 books of the Bible · Who was this?
On Psalms
20 of 2,560-
Psalms 17:2
"Let My judgment from Your countenance go forth." From the enlightening of the knowledge of You, let Me judge truth. Or at least, let My judgment go forth, not in deceitful lips, from Your countenance, that is, that I may not in judging utter anything else than I understand in You. "Let My eyes see equity:" the eyes, of course, of the heart.
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Psalms 17:3
"You have proved and visited Mine heart in the night-season" [Psalm 17:3]. For this Mine heart has been proved by the visitation of tribulation. "You have examined Me by fire, and iniquity has not been found in Me." Now not night only, in that it is wont to disturb, but fire also, in that it burns, is this tribulation to be called; whereby when I was examined I was found righteous.
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Psalms 17:4
"That My mouth may not speak the works of men" [Psalm 17:4]. That nothing may proceed out of My mouth, but what relates to Your glory and praise; not to the works of men, which they do beside Your will. "Because of the words of Your lips." Because of the words of Your peace, or of Your prophets. "I have kept hard ways." I have kept the toilsome ways of human mortality and suffering.
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Psalms 17:4
What the Lord has commanded seems hard and harsh, that any who wish to follow him should deny themselves. But nothing can be hard and harsh that is commanded by one who helps us to do what he commands. You see, both these things are true, both what is said to him in the psalm: “Because of the words of your lips I have kept to hard ways”; and what he himself said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The fact is, whatever is hard in the commandments is made easy by charity.
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Psalms 17:5
"To perfect My steps in Your paths" [Psalm 17:5]. That the love of the Church might be perfected in the strait ways, whereby she arrives at Your rest. "That My footsteps be not moved." That the signs of My way, which, like footsteps, have been imprinted on the Sacraments and Apostolical writings, be not moved, that they may mark them who would follow Me. Or at least, that I may still abide fixedly in eternity, after that I have accomplished the hard ways, and have finished My steps in the straits of Your paths.
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Psalms 17:6
"I have cried out, for You have heard Me, O God" [Psalm 17:6]. With a free and strong effort have I directed My prayers unto You: for that I might have this power, You have heard Me when praying more weakly. "Incline Your ear to Me, and hear My words." Let not Your hearing forsake My humiliation.
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Psalms 17:7
"Make Your mercies marvellous" [Psalm 17:7]. Let not Your mercies be disesteemed, lest they be loved too little. "Who savest them that hope in You from such as resist Your right hand:" from such as resist the favour, whereby You favour Me.
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Psalms 17:8
"Keep Me, O Lord, as the apple of Your eye": which seems very little and minute: yet by it is the sight of the eye directed, whereby the light is distinguished from the darkness; as by Christ's humanity, the divinity of the Judgment distinguishing between the righteous and sinners. "In the covering of Your wings protect Me." In the defence of Your love and mercy protect Me.
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Psalms 17:9
"From the face of the ungodly who have troubled Me."
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Psalms 17:10
"Mine enemies have compassed about My soul;" "they have shut up their own fat" [Psalm 17:10]. They have been covered with their own gross joy, after that their desire has been satiated with wickedness. "Their mouth has spoken pride." And therefore their mouth spoke pride, in saying, "Hail, King of the Jews," [Matthew 27:29] and other like words.
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Psalms 17:11
"Casting Me forth they have now compassed Me about" [Psalm 17:11]. Casting Me forth outside the city, they have now compassed Me about on the Cross. "Their eyes they have determined to turn down on the earth." The bent of their heart they have determined to turn down on these earthly things: deeming Him, who was slain, to endure a mighty evil, and themselves, that slew Him, none.
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Psalms 17:12
"As a lion ready for prey, have they taken Me" [Psalm 17:12]. They have taken Me, like that adversary who "walks about, seeking whom he may devour." [1 Peter 5:8] "And as a lion's cub dwelling in secret places." And as his cub, the people to whom it was said, "You are of your father the devil:" [John 8:44] meditating on the snares, whereby they might circumvent and destroy the just One.
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Psalms 17:13
"Arise, O Lord, prevent them, and cast them down" [Psalm 17:13]. Arise, O Lord, Thou whom they suppose to be asleep, and regardless of men's iniquities; be they blinded before by their own malice, that vengeance may prevent their deed; and so cast them down.
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Psalms 17:14
"Deliver My soul from the ungodly." Deliver My soul, by restoring Me after the death, which the ungodly have inflicted on Me. "Your weapon: from the enemies of Your hand" [Psalm 17:14]. For My soul is Your weapon, which Your hand, that is, Your eternal Power, has taken to subdue thereby the kingdoms of iniquity, and divide the righteous from the ungodly. This weapon then "deliver from the enemies of Your hand," that is, of Your Power, that is, from Mine enemies. "Destroy them, O Lord, from off the earth, scatter them in their life." O Lord, destroy them from off the earth, which they inhabit, scatter them throughout the world in this life, which only they think their life, who despair of life eternal. "And by Your hidden things their belly has been filled." Now not only this visible punishment shall overtake them, but also their memory has been filled with sins, which as darkness are hidden from the light of Your truth, that they should forget God. "They have been filled with swine's flesh." They have been filled with uncleanness, treading under foot the pearls of God's words. "And…
"Deliver My soul from the ungodly." Deliver My soul, by restoring Me after the death, which the ungodly have inflicted on Me. "Your weapon: from the enemies of Your hand" [Psalm 17:14]. For My soul is Your weapon, which Your hand, that is, Your eternal Power, has taken to subdue thereby the kingdoms of iniquity, and divide the righteous from the ungodly. This weapon then "deliver from the enemies of Your hand," that is, of Your Power, that is, from Mine enemies. "Destroy them, O Lord, from off the earth, scatter them in their life." O Lord, destroy them from off the earth, which they inhabit, scatter them throughout the world in this life, which only they think their life, who despair of life eternal. "And by Your hidden things their belly has been filled." Now not only this visible punishment shall overtake them, but also their memory has been filled with sins, which as darkness are hidden from the light of Your truth, that they should forget God. "They have been filled with swine's flesh." They have been filled with uncleanness, treading under foot the pearls of God's words. "And they have left the rest to their babes:" crying out, "This sin be upon us and upon our children." [Matthew 27:25] -
Psalms 17:15
Why talk about those treasures of wisdom and knowledge, about those divine riches, if not because they are what suffices us? And why talk about that multitudinous sweetness, if not because it is what satisfies us?… In one of the psalms somebody, one of us, or in us, or for us says to him, “I will be satisfied when your glory is revealed.” … He will convert us and show us his face, and “we shall be saved”; we shall be satisfied, and it will suffice us.
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Psalms 17:15
When shall we be satisfied?… “When your glory is revealed.” Now though, the glory of our God, the glory of our Christ, is concealed; and with it is concealed ours also. But “when Christ appears, your life, then you too will appear with him in glory.”
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Psalms 17:15
"But I shall appear in Your righteousness in Your sight" [Psalm 17:15]. But I, Who have not appeared to them that, with their filthy and darkened heart, cannot see the light of wisdom, "I shall appear in Your righteousness in Your sight."
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Psalms 17:15
What this future glory will be like, however, how richly it will flourish, with what splendor it will blaze out, while we can sing its praises, we cannot possibly explain. Why not? Because we read, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it come up into the human heart, what things God has prepared for those who love him.” So if that is what has to be said about the eternal good things of heaven, … what must God himself be, who has prepared such great and wonderful things? What, I repeat, must almighty God be like? What but unfathomable, inexpressible, incomprehensible, surpassing all things, beyond all things, apart from all things? He excels, after all, every one of his creatures; he goes far beyond everything he has made; he surpasses the whole universe. I mean, if you are looking for greatness, he is greater; if for beauty, he is more beautiful still; if for delightfulness, he is still more delightful; if for splendor, he is more brilliant; if for justice, he is more just; if for strength, he is stronger; if for fatherly care, he is kinder. Reason, after all, in no way allows u…
What this future glory will be like, however, how richly it will flourish, with what splendor it will blaze out, while we can sing its praises, we cannot possibly explain. Why not? Because we read, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it come up into the human heart, what things God has prepared for those who love him.” So if that is what has to be said about the eternal good things of heaven, … what must God himself be, who has prepared such great and wonderful things? What, I repeat, must almighty God be like? What but unfathomable, inexpressible, incomprehensible, surpassing all things, beyond all things, apart from all things? He excels, after all, every one of his creatures; he goes far beyond everything he has made; he surpasses the whole universe. I mean, if you are looking for greatness, he is greater; if for beauty, he is more beautiful still; if for delightfulness, he is still more delightful; if for splendor, he is more brilliant; if for justice, he is more just; if for strength, he is stronger; if for fatherly care, he is kinder. Reason, after all, in no way allows us to equate the thing made with its maker or the work with its craftsman. -
Psalms 18:1
Christ, then, and the Church, that is, whole Christ, the Head and the Body, says here, "I will love You, O Lord, My strength" [Psalm 18:1]. I will love You, O Lord, by whom I am strong.
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Psalms 18:1
Take care not to let trust in your own strength steal on you, for you are human, and “cursed be everyone who puts his hope in man.” But put your trust fully and with your whole heart in God, and he will be your strength; trust him lovingly and gratefully and say to him humbly and faithfully, “I will love you, O Lord, my strength,” because that very charity of God, when it is perfected in us, “casts out fear.”