TRV
Augustine of Hippo
Nicene & Post-Nicene · AD 325–500 · 7,530 passages across 62 books
Commentary
Psalms 31:10
For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.
"For my life has failed in pain" [Psalm 31:10]. For my life is to confess You, but it failed in pain, when the enemy had said, Let them be tortured until they deny Him. "And my years in groanings." The time that I pass in this world is not taken away from me by death, but abides, and is spent in groanings. "My strength has been weakened by want." I want the health of this body, and racking pains come on me: I want the dissolution of the body, and death forbears to come: and in this want my confidence has been weakened. "And my bones have been disturbed." And my steadfastness has been disturbed.
Psalms 31:11
I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.
"I have been made a reproach above all mine enemies" [Psalm 31:11]. All the wicked are my enemies; and nevertheless they for their wickednesses are tortured only till they confess: I then have overpassed their reproach, I, whose confession death does not follow, but racking pains follow upon it. "And to my neighbours too much." This has seemed too much to them, who were already drawing near to know You, and to hold the faith that I hold. "And a fear to mine acquaintance." And into my very acquaintance I struck fear by the example of my dreadful tribulation. "They that did see me, fled without from me." Because they did not understand my inward and invisible hope, they fled from me into things outward and visible.
Psalms 31:12
I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.
"I have been forgotten, as one dead from the heart" [Psalm 31:12]. And they have forgotten me, as if I were dead from their hearts. "I have become as a lost vessel." I have seemed to myself to be lost to all the Lord's service, living in this world, and gaining none, when all were afraid to join themselves unto me.
Psalms 31:13
For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.
"For I have heard the rebuking of many dwelling by in a circuit" [Psalm 31:13]. For I have heard many rebuking me, in the pilgrimage of this world near me, following the circuit of time, and refusing to return with me to the eternal country. "Whilst they were assembling themselves together against me, they conspired that they might take my soul." That my soul, which should by death easily escape from their power, might consent unto them, they imagined a device, whereby they would not suffer me even to die.
Psalms 31:14
But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God.
"But I have hoped in You, O Lord; I have said, You are my God" [Psalm 31:14]. For You have not changed, that You should not save, Who dost correct.
Psalms 31:15
My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
"In Your hands" are "my lots" [Psalm 31:15]. In Your power are my lots. For I see no desert for which out of the universal ungodliness of the human race You have elected me particularly to salvation. And though there be with You some just and secret order in my election, yet I, from whom this is hid, have attained by lot unto my Lord's vesture. [John 19:24] "Deliver me from the hands of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me."
Psalms 31:16
Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake.
"Make Your Face to shine upon Your servant" [Psalm 31:16]. Make it known to men, who do not think that I belong unto You, that Your Face is bent upon me, and that I serve You. "Save me in Your mercy."
Psalms 31:17
Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
"O Lord, let me not be confounded, for I have called upon You" [Psalm 31:17]. O Lord, let me not be put to shame by those who insult me, for that I have called upon You. "Let the ungodly be ashamed, and be brought down to hell." Let them rather who call upon stones be ashamed, and made to dwell with darkness.
Psalms 31:18
Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
"Let the deceitful lips be made dumb" [Psalm 31:18]. In making known to the peoples Your mysteries wrought in me, strike with dumb amazement the lips of them that invent falsehood of me. "Which speak iniquity against the Righteous, in pride and contempt." Which speak iniquity against Christ, in their pride and contempt of Him as a crucified man.
Psalms 31:19
· 2 passages
Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
From the law comes our fear of God, from faith our hope in him; but grace is hidden from those who are in fear of punishment. The soul that labors under that fear, not yet victorious over evil concupiscence and still held in the stern ward of that same fear, must take refuge by faith with the mercy of God, that he may grant what he commands, impart the sweet savor of grace and by his Holy Spirit make the delight of his precepts greater than the attraction that obstructs the keeping of them. Thus that “countless sum of his sweetness,” the law of faith that is the love of him written and shed abroad in our hearts, is perfected to them that hope in him, so that the healed soul may work that which is good, not in fear of punishment but through love of righteousness.
"How great" is "the multitude of Your sweetness, O Lord" [Psalm 31:19]. Here the Prophet exclaims, having sight of all this, and admiring how manifoldly plenteous is Your sweetness, O Lord. "Which You have hid for them that fear You." Even those, whom Thou correctest, You love much: but lest they should go on negligently from relaxed security, Thou hidest from them the sweetness of Your love, for whom it is profitable to fear You. "You have perfected it for them that hope in You." But You have perfected this sweetness for them that hope in You. For Thou dost not withdraw from them what they look for perseveringly even unto the end. "In sight of the sons of men." For it does not escape the notice of the sons of men, who now live no more after Adam, but after the Son of Man. "You will hide them in the hidden place of Your Countenance:" which seat You shall preserve for everlasting in the hidden place of the knowledge of You for them that hope in You. "From the troubling of men." So that now they suffer no more trouble from men.
Psalms 31:20
Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
"You will protect them in Your tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues" [Psalm 31:20]. But here meanwhile while evil tongues murmur against them, saying, Who has come thence? You will protect them in the tabernacle, that of faith in those things, which the Lord wrought and endured for us in time.
Psalms 31:21
Blessed be the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.
"Blessed be the Lord; for He has made His mercy marvellous, in the city of compassing" [Psalm 31:21]. Blessed be the Lord, for after the correction of the sharpest persecutions He has made His mercy marvellous to all throughout the world, in the circuit of human society.
Psalms 31:22
For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.
"I said in my ecstasy" [Psalm 31:22]. Whence that people again speaking says, I said in my fear, when the heathen were raging horribly against me. "I have been cast forth from the sight of Your eyes." For if You had regard to me, You would not suffer me to endure these things. "Therefore You heard, O Lord, the voice of my prayer, when I cried unto You." Therefore putting a limit to correction, and showing that I have part in Your care, You heard, O Lord, the voice of my prayer, when I raised it high out of tribulation.
Psalms 31:23
O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
"Love the Lord, all you His saints" [Psalm 31:23]. The Prophet again exhorts, having sight of these things, and says, "Love the Lord, all you His saints; for the Lord will require truth." Since "if the righteous shall scarcely be saved, where shall the sinner and the ungodly appear?" [1 Peter 4:18] "And He will repay them that do exceeding proudly." And He will repay them who even when conquered are not converted, because they are very proud.
Psalms 31:24
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.
"Quit you like men, and let your heart be strengthened" [Psalm 31:24]: working good without fainting, that you may reap in due season. "All you who trust in the Lord:" that is, you who duly fear and worship Him, trust ye in the Lord.
Psalms 32:1
A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
"Blessed are they whose unrighteousness is forgiven, and whose sins are covered" [Psalm 32:1]: and whose sins are buried in oblivion.
Psalms 32:2
· 2 passages
Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
"Blessed is the man to whom the Lord has not imputed sin, nor is there guile in his mouth" [Psalm 32:2]: nor has he in his mouth boastings of righteousness, when his conscience is full of sins.
The person of God is one of that number of the blessed of whom it was foretold: "Blessed is the one to whom the Lord has not imputed sin, and in whose mouth is no guile." For he confesses even sins of the just, asserting that they rather put their hope in the mercy of God than trust in their own justice, and therefore there is no guile in his mouth, or, indeed, in the mouths of all those to whose truthful humility or humble truth he bears witness.
Psalms 32:3
When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
"Because I kept silence, my bones waxed old:" because I made not with my mouth "confession unto salvation," [Romans 10:10] all firmness in me has grown old in infirmity. "Through my roaring all the day long" [Psalm 32:3]: when I was ungodly and a blasphemer, crying against God, as though defending and excusing my sins.