Augustine of Hippo — Commentary on Scripture

Psalms 118:15

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

"The voice of joy and health is in the dwellings of the righteous" [Psalm 118:15]; where they who raged against their bodies thought there was the voice of sorrow and destruction. For they did not know the inward joy of the saints in their future hope. Whence the Apostle also says, "As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;" [2 Corinthians 6:10] and again, "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also." [Romans 5:3]

Psalms 118:16

The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

"The right hand of the Lord has brought mighty things to pass" [Psalm 118:16]. What mighty things? Says he. "The right hand of the Lord," he says, "has exalted me." It is a mighty thing to exalt the humble, to deify the mortal, to bring perfection out of infirmity, glory from subjection, victory from suffering, to give help, to raise from trouble; that the true salvation of God might be laid open to the afflicted, and the salvation of men might remain of no avail to the persecutors. These are great things: but what are you surprised at? Hear what he repeats: "The right hand of the Lord has brought mighty things to pass."

Psalms 118:17 · 2 passages

I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.

I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord.

"I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord" [Psalm 118:17]. But they, while they were dealing havoc and death on every side, thought that the Church of Christ was dying. Behold, he now declares the works of the Lord. Everywhere Christ is the glory of the blessed Martyrs. By being beaten He conquered those who struck Him; by being patient of torments, the tormentors; by loving, those who raged against Him.

Psalms 118:18

The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.

Nevertheless, let him point out to us, why the body of Christ, the holy Church, the people of adoption, suffered such indignities. "The Lord," he says, "hast chastened and corrected me, but He has not given me over unto death" [Psalm 118:18]. Let not then the boastful wicked imagine that anything has been permitted to their power: they would not have that power, were it not given them from above. Oft does the father of a family command his sons to be corrected by the most worthless slaves; though he designs the heritage for the former, fetters for the latter. What is that heritage? Is it of gold, or silver, or jewels, or farms, or pleasant estates? Consider how we enter into it: and learn what it is.

Psalms 118:19

Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:

"Open me," he says, "the gates of righteousness" [Psalm 118:19]. Behold, we have heard of the gates. What is within? "That I may," he says, "go into them, and give thanks unto the Lord." This is the confession of praise full of wonder, "even unto the house of God, in the voice of joy and confession of praise, among such as keep holiday:" this is the everlasting bliss of the righteous, whereby they are blessed who dwell in the Lord's house, praising Him for evermore.

Psalms 118:20

This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.

But consider how the gates of righteousness are entered into. "These are the gates of the Lord" he says, "the righteous shall enter into them" [Psalm 118:20]. At least let no wicked man enter there, that Jerusalem which receives not one uncircumcised, where it is said, "Without are dogs." [Revelation 22:15] Be it enough, that in my long pilgrimage "I have had my habitation among the tents of Kedar:" I endured even unto the end the intercourse of the wicked, but "these are the gates of the Lord: the righteous shall enter into them."

Psalms 118:21

I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

"I will confess unto You, O Lord, for You have heard me, and have become my salvation" [Psalm 118:21]. How often is that confession proved to be one of praise, that does not point out wounds to the physician, but gives thanks for the health it has received. But the Physician Himself is the Salvation.

Psalms 118:22 · 3 passages

The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

But who is this whom we speak of? "The Stone which the builders rejected" [Psalm 118:22]; for "It has become the head Stone of the corner" to "make in Himself of two one new man, so making peace; and that He might reconcile both unto God in one body;" [Ephesians 2:15-16] circumcision, to wit, and uncircumcision.

The stone that the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner.

The stone that the builders rejected, this very one has become the head of the corner.

Psalms 118:23

This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

"By the Lord was it made unto it" [Psalm 118:23]: that is, it is made into the head stone of the corner by the Lord. For although He would not have become this, had He not suffered: yet He became not this through those from whom He suffered. For they who were building, refused Him: but in the edifice which the Lord was secretly raising, that was made the head stone of the corner which they rejected. "And it is marvellous in our eyes:" in the eyes of the inner man, in the eyes of those that believe, those that hope, those that love; not in the carnal eyes of those who, through scorning Him as if He were a man, rejected Him.

Psalms 118:24 · 2 passages

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

"This is the day which the Lord has made" [Psalm 118:24]. This man remembers that he had said in former Psalms, "Since He has inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live;" making mention of his old days; whence he now says, "This is the day which the Lord has made;" that is, wherein He has given me Salvation. This is the day whereof He said, "In an acceptable time have I heard you, and in a day of Salvation have I helped you;" [Isaiah 49:8] that is, a day wherein He, the Mediator, has become the head Stone of the corner. "Let us rejoice," therefore, "and be glad in Him."

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Psalms 118:25

Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

"Save me now, O Lord: prosper Thou well my way, O Lord" [Psalm 118:25]. Because it is the day of Salvation, "save me:" because we, returning from a long pilgrimage, are separated from those who hated peace, with whom we were peaceful, and who, when we spoke to them, made war upon us without a cause; "prosper well our way" as we return, since You have become our Way.

Psalms 118:26

Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

"Blessed be He that comes in the Name of the Lord" [Psalm 118:26]. Cursed, therefore, is he that comes in his own name; as He says in the Gospel: "if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive." [John 5:43] "We have blessed you out of the house of God." I believe that these are the words of the great to the little, of those great ones, to wit, who in spirit commune with God the Word, who is with God, as they may in this life; and yet temper their discourse for the sake of the little ones, so that they may sincerely say what the Apostle says: "For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constrains us." [2 Corinthians 5:13-14] They bless the little children from the inner house of the Lord, where that praise fails not age after age: consider therefore what they proclaim from thence.

Psalms 118:27

God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

God is the Lord, who has showed us light

Psalms 118:28

Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.

Declare a holy day in full assemblies, even unto the horns of the altar

Psalms 118:29 · 2 passages

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

And what shall we sing there, save His praises? What else shall we say there, save, "You are my God, and I will confess unto You; You are my God, and I will praise You. I wilt confess unto You, for You have heard me, and art become my Salvation." We will not say these things in loud words; but the love that abides in Him of itself cries out in these words, and these words are love itself. Thus as he began with praise, so he ends: "Confess unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and His mercy endures for ever" [Psalm 118:29]. With this the Psalm commences, with this it ends; since, as from the commencement which we have left behind, so in the end, whither we are returning, there is not anything that can more profitably please us, than the praise of God, and Allelujah evermore.

Let us commend ourselves to God, my brothers, by works of mercy. “O praise the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endures forever.” Give praise, for God is merciful, and he wishes to forgive the sins of those who give praise. In addition, offer sacrifice to him. O man, be merciful to your fellow mortals, and God will show mercy to you. You are a mortal; the other person is a mortal also; you are both in need of mercy. On the other hand, God is not in need of mercy, but he is merciful. If, however, the person who is in need of mercy does not show mercy to another who is in need of mercy, how does he expect mercy from One who will never be in need of mercy? Think over what I am saying, brothers. For example, whoever is pitiless in regard to a shipwrecked person remains pitiless until he himself suffers shipwreck. But if he has been shipwrecked, whenever he sees a shipwrecked person he recalls his former experience and he experiences a sympathetic feeling of mercy. Hence, a personal experience of misfortune softens the one whom the common bond of human nature was not able to incline to…

Let us commend ourselves to God, my brothers, by works of mercy. “O praise the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endures forever.” Give praise, for God is merciful, and he wishes to forgive the sins of those who give praise. In addition, offer sacrifice to him. O man, be merciful to your fellow mortals, and God will show mercy to you. You are a mortal; the other person is a mortal also; you are both in need of mercy. On the other hand, God is not in need of mercy, but he is merciful. If, however, the person who is in need of mercy does not show mercy to another who is in need of mercy, how does he expect mercy from One who will never be in need of mercy? Think over what I am saying, brothers. For example, whoever is pitiless in regard to a shipwrecked person remains pitiless until he himself suffers shipwreck. But if he has been shipwrecked, whenever he sees a shipwrecked person he recalls his former experience and he experiences a sympathetic feeling of mercy. Hence, a personal experience of misfortune softens the one whom the common bond of human nature was not able to incline to mercy. How readily he who has been in service in the past has compassion on a servant! How readily he who was once a hired laborer feels sorry for a laborer deprived of his pay! The person who has once suffered a similar loss sympathizes most sincerely with a parent lamenting the loss of a child. Therefore, a similarity of suffering softens any degree of hardness in a human heart. If, then, you who either have been in need of mercy or who fear that you may be in such need (for, as long as you are on this earth, you ought to fear what you have not been, to remember what you have been and to consider what you may be)—if, then, encompassed with the memory of your former need of mercy, with the fear of future needs and with the suffering of present miseries, you do not have mercy on a person who is in trouble and in need of your help, do you expect him whom misery has never afflicted to have mercy on you? And do you fail to give of the abundance that you have received from God and then wish God to give to you from that which he has not received from you?