TRV
Augustine of Hippo
Nicene & Post-Nicene · AD 325–500 · 7,530 passages across 62 books
Commentary
Psalms 16:2
· 2 passages
O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;
God does not derive any benefit from our worship, but we do. When he reveals or teaches how he is to be worshiped, he does so in our own highest interest, with absolutely no need of anything for himself. All such sacrifices are symbolic; they are a representation of certain things by which our attention is aroused to study or understand or reflect on the realities represented by them.
It is man, not God, who benefits from the whole economy of worship.
Psalms 16:3
But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
"To the saints who are on His earth" [Psalm 16:3]: to the saints who have placed their hope in the land of the living, the citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, whose spiritual conversation is, by the anchor of hope, fixed in that country, which is rightly called God's earth; although as yet in this earth too they be conversant in the flesh. "He has wonderfully fulfilled all My wishes in them." To those saints then He has wonderfully fulfilled all My wishes in their advancement, whereby they have perceived, how both the humanity of My divinity has profited them that I might die, and the divinity of the humanity that I might rise again.
Psalms 16:4
Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
"Their infirmities have been multiplied" [Psalm 16:4]: their infirmities have been multiplied not for their destruction, but that they might long for the Physician. "Afterwards they made haste." Accordingly after infirmities multiplied they made haste, that they might be healed. "I will not gather together their assemblies by blood." For their assemblies shall not be carnal, nor will I gather them together as one propitiated by the blood of cattle. [Isaiah 1:11-12] "Nor will I be mindful of their names within My lips." But by a spiritual change what they have been shall be forgotten; nor by Me shall they be any more called either sinners, or enemies, or men; but righteous, and My brethren, and sons of God through My peace.
Psalms 16:5
· 2 passages
The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
"The Lord is the portion of Mine inheritance, and of My cup" [Psalm 16:5]. For together with Me they shall possess the inheritance, the Lord Himself. Let others choose for themselves portions, earthly and temporal, to enjoy: the portion of the Saints is the Lord eternal. Let others drink of deadly pleasures, the portion of My cup is the Lord. In that I say, "Mine," I include the Church: for where the Head is, there is the body also. For into the inheritance will I gather together their assemblies, and by the inebriation of the cup I will forget their old names. "You are He who will restore to Me My inheritance:" that to these too, whom I free, may be known "the glory wherein I was with You before the world was made." [John 17:5] For You will not restore to Me that which I never lost, but You will restore to these, who have lost it, the knowledge of that glory: in whom because I am, You will restore to Me.
[The psalmist is saying] “O Lord, why give me some other inheritance? Whatever you give, it isn’t worth much. You be my inheritance; I love you, I love you with all I am, with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind I love you. What can it mean to me, anything you give me apart from yourself?” That is to love God freely, to hope in God for God, to hasten to be filled with God, to be satisfied with him. He, after all, is enough for you; apart from him, nothing is enough for you.
Psalms 16:6
The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
"The lines have fallen to me in glorious places" [Psalm 16:6]. The boundaries of my possession have fallen in Your glory as it were by lot, like as God is the possession of the Priests and Levites. [Numbers 18:20] "For Mine inheritance is glorious to Me." "For Mine inheritance is glorious," not to all, but to them that see; in whom because I am, "it is to Me."
Psalms 16:7
I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
"I will bless the Lord, who has given Me understanding" [Psalm 16:7]: whereby this inheritance may be seen and possessed. "Yea moreover too even unto night my reins have chastened Me." Yea besides understanding, even unto death, My inferior part, the assumption of flesh, has instructed Me, that I might experience the darkness of mortality, which that understanding has not.
Psalms 16:8
I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
"I foresaw the Lord in My sight always" [Psalm 16:8]. But coming into things that pass away, I removed not My eye from Him who abides ever, foreseeing this, that to Him I should return after passing through the things temporal. "For He is on My right hand, that I should not be moved." For He favours Me, that I should abide fixedly in Him.
Psalms 16:9
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
"Wherefore My heart was glad, and My tongue exulted" [Psalm 16:9]. Wherefore both in My thoughts is gladness, and in my words exultation. "Moreover too My flesh shall rest in hope." Moreover too My flesh shall not fail unto destruction, but shall sleep in hope of the resurrection.
Psalms 16:10
· 2 passages
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Who save him who rose on the third day was in a position to say that his flesh rested in hope, that his soul, not left in hell, would swifty return to reanimate his flesh, that his flesh would not undergo corruption as other corpses rot away? Surely, no one can maintain that all of this was verified in David, king and prophet!
"For You will not leave My soul in hell." For You will neither give My soul for a possession to those parts below. "Neither will You grant Your Holy One to see corruption." Neither will You suffer that sanctified body, whereby others are to be also sanctified, to see corruption.
Psalms 16:11
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
"You have made known to Me the paths of life." You have made known through Me the paths of humiliation, that men might return to life, from whence they fell through pride; in whom because I am, "You have made known to Me." "You will fill Me with joy with Your countenance." You will fill them with joy, that they should seek nothing further, when they shall see You "face to face;" in whom because I am, "You will fill Me." "Pleasure is at Your right hand even to the end." Pleasure is in Your favour and mercy in this life's journey, leading on even to the end of the glory of Your countenance.
Psalms 17:1
A Prayer of David. Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
"Hear My righteousness, O God, consider My supplication." "Hearken unto My prayer, not in deceitful lips:" not going forth to You in deceitful lips.
Psalms 17:2
Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.
"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.
Psalms 17:3
Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
"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.
Psalms 17:4
· 2 passages
Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
"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.
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.
Psalms 17:5
Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
"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.
Psalms 17:6
I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
"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.