Augustine of Hippo — Commentary on Scripture

Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

"Look on me, and hear me, O Lord my God" [Psalm 13:3]. "Look on me," refers to what was said, "How long" dost "Thou turn away Your face from me." "Hear," refers to what was said, "How long will You forget me to the end? Lighten my eyes, that I sleep not in death." The eyes of the heart must be understood, that they be not closed by the pleasurable eclipse of sin.

Psalms 13:4

Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

"Lest at any time mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him" [Psalm 13:4]. The devil's mockery is to be feared. "They that trouble me will exult, if I be moved;" the devil and his angels; who exulted not over that righteous man, Job, when they troubled him; because he was not moved, that is, did not draw back from the steadfastness of his faith. [Job 2:3]

Psalms 13:5

But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

"But I have hoped in Your mercy" [Psalm 13:5]. Because this very thing, that a man be not moved, and that he abide fixed in the Lord, he should not attribute to self: lest when he glories that he has not been moved, he be moved by this very pride.

Psalms 13:6

I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

"My heart shall exult in Your salvation;" in Christ, in the Wisdom of God. "I will sing to the Lord who has given me good things;" spiritual good things, not belonging to man's day. "And I will chant to the name of the Lord most high" [Psalm 13:6]; that is, I give thanks with joy, and in most due order employ my body, which is the song of the spiritual soul. But if any distinction is to be marked here, "I will sing" with the heart, "I will chant" with my works; "to the Lord," that which He alone sees, but "to the name of the Lord," that which is known among men, which is serviceable not for Him, but for us.

Psalms 14:1

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

"The fool has said in his heart, There is no God" [Psalm 14:1]. For not even have certain sacrilegious and abominable philosophers, who entertain perverse and false notions of God, dared to say, "There is no God." Therefore it is, has said "in his heart;" for that no one dares to say it, even if he has dared to think it. "They are corrupt, and become abominable in their affections:" that is, while they love this world and love not God; these are the affections which corrupt the soul, and so blind it, that the fool can even say, "in his heart, There is no God. For as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind." [Romans 1:28] "There is none that does goodness, no not up to one." "Up to one," can be understood either with that one, so that no man be understood: or besides one, that the Lord Christ may be excepted. As we say, This field is up to the sea; we do not of course reckon the sea together with the field. And this is the better interpretation, so that none be understood to have done goodness up to Christ; for that no man can do good…

"The fool has said in his heart, There is no God" [Psalm 14:1]. For not even have certain sacrilegious and abominable philosophers, who entertain perverse and false notions of God, dared to say, "There is no God." Therefore it is, has said "in his heart;" for that no one dares to say it, even if he has dared to think it. "They are corrupt, and become abominable in their affections:" that is, while they love this world and love not God; these are the affections which corrupt the soul, and so blind it, that the fool can even say, "in his heart, There is no God. For as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind." [Romans 1:28] "There is none that does goodness, no not up to one." "Up to one," can be understood either with that one, so that no man be understood: or besides one, that the Lord Christ may be excepted. As we say, This field is up to the sea; we do not of course reckon the sea together with the field. And this is the better interpretation, so that none be understood to have done goodness up to Christ; for that no man can do goodness, except He shall have shown it. And that is true; for until a man know the one God, he cannot do goodness.

Psalms 14:2

The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

"The Lord from heaven looked out upon the sons of men, to see if there be one understanding, or seeking after God" [Psalm 14:2]. It may be interpreted, upon the Jews; as he may have given them the more honourable name of the sons of men, by reason of their worship of the One God, in comparison with the Gentiles; of whom I suppose it was said above, "The fool has said in his heart, There is no God," etc. Now the Lord looks out, that He may see, by His holy souls: which is the meaning of, "from heaven." For by Himself nothing is hid from Him.

Psalms 14:3

They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

"All have gone out of the way, they have together become useless:" that is, the Jews have become as the Gentiles, who were spoken of above. "There is none that does good, no not up to one" [Psalm 14:3], must be interpreted as above. "Their throat is an open sepulchre." Either the voracity of the ever open palate is signified: or allegorically those who slay, and as it were devour those they have slain, into whom they instil the disorder of their own conversation. Like to which with the contrary meaning is that which was said to Peter, "Kill and eat;" [Acts 10:13] that he should convert the Gentiles to his own faith and good conversation. "With their tongues they have dealt craftily." Flattery is the companion of the greedy and of all bad men. "The poison of asps is under their lips." By "poison," he means deceit; and "of asps," because they will not hear the precepts of the law, as asps "will not hear the voice of the charmer;" which is said more clearly in another Psalm. "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:" this is, "the poison of asps." "Their feet are swift to shed b…

"All have gone out of the way, they have together become useless:" that is, the Jews have become as the Gentiles, who were spoken of above. "There is none that does good, no not up to one" [Psalm 14:3], must be interpreted as above. "Their throat is an open sepulchre." Either the voracity of the ever open palate is signified: or allegorically those who slay, and as it were devour those they have slain, into whom they instil the disorder of their own conversation. Like to which with the contrary meaning is that which was said to Peter, "Kill and eat;" [Acts 10:13] that he should convert the Gentiles to his own faith and good conversation. "With their tongues they have dealt craftily." Flattery is the companion of the greedy and of all bad men. "The poison of asps is under their lips." By "poison," he means deceit; and "of asps," because they will not hear the precepts of the law, as asps "will not hear the voice of the charmer;" which is said more clearly in another Psalm. "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:" this is, "the poison of asps." "Their feet are swift to shed blood." He here shows forth the habit of ill doing. "Destruction and unhappiness" are "in their ways." For all the ways of evil men are full of toil and misery. Hence the Lord cries out, "Come unto Me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. For My yoke is easy and My burden light." [Matthew 11:28-30] "And the way of peace have they not known:" that way, namely, which the Lord, as I said, mentions, in the easy yoke and light burden. "There is no fear of God before their eyes." These do not say, "There is no God;" but yet they do not fear God.

Psalms 14:4

Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.

"Shall not all, who work iniquity, know?" [Psalm 14:4]. He threatens the judgment. "Who devour My people as the food of bread:" that is, daily. For the food of bread is daily food. Now they devour the people, who serve their own ends out of them, not referring their ministry to the glory of God, and the salvation of those over whom they are.

Psalms 14:5

There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.

"They have not called upon the Lord." For he does not really call upon Him, who longs for such things as are displeasing to Him. "There they trembled for fear, where no fear was" [Psalm 14:5]: that is, for the loss of things temporal. For they said, "If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe in Him; and the Romans will come, and take away both our place and nation." [John 11:48] They feared to lose an earthly kingdom, where no fear was; and they lost the kingdom of heaven, which they ought to have feared. And this must be understood of all temporal goods, the loss of which when men fear, they come not to things eternal.

Psalms 14:6

Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.

"For God is in the just generation." It refers to what went before, so that the sense is, "shall not all they that work iniquity know that the Lord is in the just generation;" that is, He is not in them who love the world. For it is unjust to leave the Maker of the worlds, and "serve the creature more than the Creator." [Romans 1:25] You have shamed the counsel of the poor, for the Lord is his hope [Psalm 14:6]: that is, you have despised the humble coming of the Son of God, because ye saw not in Him the pomp of the world: that they, whom he was calling, should put their hope in God alone, not in the things that pass away.

Psalms 14:7

Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

"Who will give salvation to Israel out of Sion?" [Psalm 14:7]. Who but He whose humiliation you have despised? Is understood. For He will come in glory to the judgment of the quick and the dead, and the kingdom of the just: that, forasmuch as in that humble coming "blindness has happened in part unto Israel, that the fullness of the Gentiles might enter in," [Romans 11:25] in that other should happen what follows, "and so all Israel should be saved." For the Apostle too takes that testimony of Isaiah, where it is said, "There shall come out of Sion He who shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:" [Isaiah 59:20] for the Jews, as it is here, "Who shall give salvation to Israel out of Sion?" "When the Lord shall turn away the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad." It is a repetition, as is usual: for I suppose, "Israel shall be glad," is the same as, "Jacob shall rejoice."

Psalms 15:1

A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

Touching this title there is no question. "O Lord who shall sojourn in Your tabernacle?" [Psalm 15:1]. Although tabernacle be sometimes used even for an everlasting habitation: yet when tabernacle is taken in its proper meaning, it is a thing of war. Hence soldiers are called tent-fellows, as having their tents together. This sense is assisted by the words, "Who shall sojourn?" For we war with the devil for a time, and then we need a tabernacle wherein we may refresh ourselves. Which specially points out the faith of the temporal Dispensation, which was wrought for us in time through the Incarnation of the Lord. "And who shall rest in Your holy mountain?" Here perhaps he signifies at once the eternal habitation itself, [2 Corinthians 5:1-2] that we should understand by "mountain" the supereminence of the love of Christ in life eternal.

Psalms 15:2 · 2 passages

He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

When the apostle says that in his opinion a person is justified through faith without the works of the Law, he does not intend by this decision to express contempt for the commandments and the works of justice by the profession of faith but to inform anyone that he can be justified by faith even if he has not previously fulfilled the works of the Law; for they follow when one has been justified and do not come before for one to be justified.

"He who walks without stain, and works righteousness" [Psalm 15:2]. Here he has laid down the proposition; in what follows he sets it forth in detail.

Psalms 15:3

He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

"Who speaks the truth in his heart." For some have truth on their lips, and not in their heart. As if one should deceitfully point out a road, knowing that there were robbers there, and should say, If you go this way, you will be safe from robbers; and it should turn out that in fact there were no robbers found there: he has spoken the truth, but not in his heart. For he supposed it to be otherwise, and spoke the truth in ignorance. Therefore it is not enough to speak the truth, unless it be so also in heart. "Who has practised no deceit in his tongue" [Psalm 15:3]. Deceit is practised with the tongue, when one thing is professed with the mouth, another concealed in the breast. "Nor done evil to his neighbour." It is well known that by "neighbour," every man should be understood. "And has not entertained slander against his neighbour," that is, has not readily or rashly given credence to an accuser.

Psalms 15:4

In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

"The malicious one has been brought to nought in his sight" [Psalm 15:4]. This is perfection, that the malicious one have no force against a man; and that this be "in his sight;" that is, that he know most surely that the malicious is not, save when the mind turns itself away from the eternal and immutable form of her own Creator to the form of the creature, which was made out of nothing. "But those that fear the Lord, He glorifies:" the Lord Himself, that is. Now "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." As then the things above belong to the perfect, so what he is now going to say belongs to beginners.

Psalms 15:5

He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

"Who swears unto his neighbour, and deceives him not." "Who has not given his money upon usury, and has not taken rewards against the innocent" [Psalm 15:5]. These are no great things: but he who is not able to do even this, much less able is he to speak the truth in his heart, and to practise no deceit in his tongue, but as the truth is in the heart, so to profess and have it in his mouth, "yea, yea; nay, nay;" [Matthew 5:37] and to do no evil to his neighbour, that is, to any man; and to entertain no slander against his neighbour: all which are the virtues of the perfect, in whose sight the malicious one has been brought to nought. Yet he concludes even these lesser things thus, "Whoso does these things shall not be moved for ever:" that is, he shall attain unto those greater things, wherein is great and unshaken stability. For even the very tenses are, perhaps not without cause, so varied, as that in the conclusion above the past tense should be used, but in this the future. For there it was said, "The malicious one has been brought to nought in his sight:" but here, "shall not be…

"Who swears unto his neighbour, and deceives him not." "Who has not given his money upon usury, and has not taken rewards against the innocent" [Psalm 15:5]. These are no great things: but he who is not able to do even this, much less able is he to speak the truth in his heart, and to practise no deceit in his tongue, but as the truth is in the heart, so to profess and have it in his mouth, "yea, yea; nay, nay;" [Matthew 5:37] and to do no evil to his neighbour, that is, to any man; and to entertain no slander against his neighbour: all which are the virtues of the perfect, in whose sight the malicious one has been brought to nought. Yet he concludes even these lesser things thus, "Whoso does these things shall not be moved for ever:" that is, he shall attain unto those greater things, wherein is great and unshaken stability. For even the very tenses are, perhaps not without cause, so varied, as that in the conclusion above the past tense should be used, but in this the future. For there it was said, "The malicious one has been brought to nought in his sight:" but here, "shall not be moved for ever."

Psalms 16:1

Michtam of David. Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.

Now He says as follows; "Preserve me, O Lord, for in You have I hoped."

Psalms 16:2 · 2 passages

O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;

What in any case are my goods, if not what I have been given by you? And how can the one by whom every good is given be in need of any good?

"I have said to the Lord, You are my God, for You require not my goods": for with my goods Thou dost not look to be made blessed.