TRV
Augustine of Hippo
Nicene & Post-Nicene · AD 325–500 · 7,530 passages across 62 books
On Psalms
Psalms 25:5
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
"In Your truth guide me:" avoiding error. "And teach me:" for by myself I know nothing, but falsehood. "For You are the God of my salvation; and for You have I waited all the day" [Psalm 25:5]. For dismissed by You from Paradise, and having taken my journey into a far country, [Luke 15:13] I cannot by myself return, unless Thou meetest the wanderer: for my return has throughout the whole tract of this world's time waited for Your mercy.
Psalms 25:6
Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
"Remember Your compassions, O Lord" [Psalm 25:6]. Remember the works of Your mercy, O Lord; for men deem of You as though You had forgotten. "And that Your mercies are from eternity." And remember this, that Your mercies are from eternity. For Thou never wast without them, who hast subjected even sinful man to vanity indeed, but in hope; [Romans 8:20] and not deprived him of so many and great consolations of Your creation.
Psalms 25:7
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.
"Remember not the offenses of my youth and of my ignorance" [Psalm 25:7]. The offenses of my presumptuous boldness and of my ignorance reserve not for vengeance, but let them be as if forgotten by You. "According to Your mercy, be mindful of me, O God." Be mindful indeed of me, not according to the anger of which I am worthy, but according to Your mercy which is worthy of You. "For Your goodness, O Lord." Not for my deservings, but for Your goodness, O Lord.
Psalms 25:8
Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
"Gracious and upright is the Lord" [Psalm 25:8]. The Lord is gracious, since even sinners and the ungodly He so pitied, as to forgive all that is past; but the Lord is upright too, who after the mercy of vocation and pardon, which is of grace without merit, will require merits meet for the last judgment. "Wherefore He will establish a law for them that fail in the way." For He has first bestowed mercy to bring them into the way.
Psalms 25:9
The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
"He will guide the meek in judgment." He will guide the meek, and will not confound in the judgment those that follow His will, and do not, in withstanding It, prefer their own. "The gentle He will teach His ways" [Psalm 25:9]. He will teach His ways, not to those that desire to run before, as if they were better able to rule themselves; but to those who do not exalt the neck, nor lift the heel, when the easy yoke and the light burden is laid upon them. [Matthew 11:30]
Psalms 25:10
All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
"All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth" [Psalm 25:10]. And what ways will He teach them, but mercy wherein He is placable, and truth wherein He is incorrupt? Whereof He has exhibited the one in forgiving sins, the other in judging deserts. And therefore "all the ways of the Lord" are the two advents of the Son of God, the one in mercy, the other in judgment. He then attains unto Him holding on His ways, who seeing himself freed by no deserts of his own, lays pride aside, and henceforward bewares of the severity of His trial, having experienced the clemency of His help. "To them that seek His testament and His testimonies." For they understand the Lord as merciful at His first advent, and as the Judge at His second, who in meekness and gentleness seek His testament, when with His Own Blood He redeemed us to a new life; and in the Prophets and Evangelists, His testimonies.
Psalms 25:11
For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
"For Your Name's sake, O Lord, You will be favourable to my sin; for it is manifold" [Psalm 25:11]. You have not only forgiven my sins, which I committed before I believed; but also to my sin, which is manifold, since even in the way there is no lack of stumbling, You will be made favourable by the sacrifice of a troubled spirit.
Psalms 25:12
What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
"Who is the man that fears the Lord?" from which fear he begins to come to wisdom. "He shall establish a law for him in the way, which he has chosen" [Psalm 25:12]. He shall establish a law for him in the way, which in his freedom he has taken, that he may not sin now with impunity.
Psalms 25:13
His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
"His soul shall dwell in good, and his seed shall, by inheritance, possess the earth" [Psalm 25:13]. And his work shall possess the stable inheritance of a renewed body.
Psalms 25:14
The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
"The Lord is the stay of them that fear Him" [Psalm 25:14]. Fear seems to belong to the weak, but the Lord is the stay of them that fear Him. And the Name of the Lord, which has been glorified throughout the whole world, is a stay to them that fear Him. "And His testament, that it may be manifested unto them." And He makes His testament to be manifested unto them, for the Gentiles and the bounds of the earth are Christ's inheritance.
Psalms 25:15
Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
"My eyes are ever unto the Lord; for He shall pluck my feet out of the snare" [Psalm 25:15]. Nor would I fear the dangers of earth, while I look not upon the earth: for He upon whom I look, will pluck my feet out of the snare.
Psalms 25:16
Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.
"Look upon me, and have mercy upon me; for I am single and poor" [Psalm 25:16]. For I am a single people, keeping the lowliness of Your single Church, which no schisms or heresies possess.
Psalms 25:17
The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
"The tribulations of my heart have been multiplied" [Psalm 25:17]. The tribulations of my heart have been multiplied by the abounding of iniquity and the waxing cold of love. [Matthew 24:12] "O bring Thou me out of my necessities." Since I must needs bear this, that by enduring unto the end I may be saved, bring Thou me out of my necessities.
Psalms 25:18
Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
"See my humility and my travail" [Psalm 25:18]. See my humility, whereby I never, in the boast of righteousness, break off from unity; and my travail, wherein I bear with the unruly ones that are mingled with me. "And forgive all my sins." And, propitiated by these sacrifices, forgive all my sins, not those only of youth and my ignorance before I believed, but those also which, living now by faith, I commit through infirmity, or the darkness of this life.
Psalms 25:19
Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
"Consider mine enemies, how they are multiplied" [Psalm 25:19]. For not only without, but even within, in the Church's very communion, they are not wanting. "And with an unrighteous hate they hate me." And they hate me who love them.
Psalms 25:20
O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
"Keep my soul, and deliver me." Keep my soul, that I turn not aside to imitate them; and draw me out from the confusion wherein they are mingled with me. "Let me not be confounded, for I have put my trust in You" [Psalm 25:20]. Let me not be confounded, if haply they rise up against me: for not in myself, but in You have I put my trust.
Psalms 25:21
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
"The innocent and the upright have cleaved to me, for I have waited for You, O Lord" [Psalm 25:21]. The innocent and the upright, not in bodily presence only, as the evil, are mingled with me, but in the agreement of the heart in the same innocence and uprightness cleave to me: for I have not fallen away to imitate the evil; but I have waited for You, expecting the winnowing of Your last harvest.
Psalms 25:22
Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
"Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles" [Psalm 25:22]. "Redeem Your people, O God," whom You have prepared to see You, out of his troubles, not those only which he bears without, but those also which he bears within.
Psalms 26:1
A Psalm of David. Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.
"Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my innocence" [Psalm 26:1]. Judge me, O Lord, for, after the mercy which You first showed me, I have some desert of my innocence, the way whereof I have kept. "And trusting in the Lord I shall not be moved." And yet not even so trusting in myself, but in the Lord, I shall abide in Him.
Psalms 26:2
Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
"Prove me, O Lord, and try me" [Psalm 26:2]. Lest, however, any of my secret sins should be hid from me, prove me, O Lord, and try me, making me known, not to You from whom nothing is hid, but to myself, and to men. "Burn my reins and my heart." Apply a remedial purgation, as it were fire, to my pleasures and thoughts.