English · KJV

Cassiodorus

Late Patristic · AD 500–800 · 444 passages across 36 books

Commentary

261–280 of 444
Psalms 17:5

Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

“In the paths,” that is, “in your commandments”; for if we are devoted followers on the ways that are truly the right ones, then we will obtain the rewards of our heavenly fatherland.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 17:5

Psalms 17:6

I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

Human weakness is not strong enough to reach the Father on its own. For when he hears, he graciously shows his indulgence, and he bestows his mercy in advance so that he is able to accept the prayers of those who implore him.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 17:6

Psalms 17:8

Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

The Father’s protection is compared to wings. Mercy and love are, so to speak, the wings of the Father with which he asks to be protected. This comparison is drawn from the example of birds who guard their own dear offspring by spreading out their wings.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 17:8

Psalms 19:8

The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

They are truly right, because he is known to have acted in the same say as he taught. In contrast, those whose words are not consistent with their works show that their version of justice is not right.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 19:9

Psalms 19:9

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

The fear of God is not an anxious confusion but an undaunted perseverance, a state that is not altered by any change in this life, but remains focused on the same thing with a sincere conscience. For human fear changes with time and is not holy, because it cannot be productive. But the fear of God does not have anything to do with the passions. For although one appropriately fears his Maker, he knows without a doubt that the one who judges him is merciful to those who seek him in prayer. Therefore whoever is known both to fear and to love his Judge lives in complete holiness. When love is combined with awe, it is the fear of the Lord, what is called reverence in secular terms.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 19:10

Psalms 19:10

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

While honey and comb only taste good in the mouth, the judgments of the Lord offer a perfect sweetness for the mind.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 19:11

Psalms 19:12

Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.

Although there are three ways to transgress through human errors—by thought, word and deed, by condensing that boundless sea of transgressions into an abbreviated form—he testifies that transgression flows from two sources. Hidden sin is what is termed “original,” in which we are conceived, born and sin with a secret desire. This happens when we covet the property of our neighbor, or desire to carry out vengeance on our enemies, or want to become more prominent than others, or seek more palatable food or similar desires which swell and steal on us in such a way that they escape the notice of many people before they take effect. If these sins do not become known to anyone, … we must still realize that there are many sins of which we are completely unaware, whose origins and deceptions we are not able to perceive. Therefore the text ought to be understood to refer to all sins when it says “Who can understand his sins?”

Explanation of the Psalms 19:13

Psalms 19:14

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

He calls God his helper in good things and his redeemer from evil ones so that no one may attribute to his own merits what he has received through the generosity of heaven.

EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 19:15

Psalms 20:1

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

By saying “in the day of tribulation,” he indicates a time of the most severe affliction in which we entreat the Lord with an intense longing.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 20:2

Psalms 20:6

Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

The salvation which he established is recognized as our power when it is neither diminished by diseases nor injured by pains. Such a salvation makes us powerful, since it protects us within its eternal existence.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 20:6-7

Psalms 20:7

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Among the ancients there were two types of triumphs: a greater one having to do with chariots, which was called a laureled triumph; the other, a lesser triumph, was called an ovation. But leaving such things to worldly people, he affirms that he has been exalted in the name of the Lord. For chariot and horse do not exalt, though they seem to glorify people with honors in this world. But it is the Lord’s name which leads to eternal rewards.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 20:8

Psalms 20:8 · 2 passages

They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

Those who trust in human honors have been snared by their own perverse desires and have fallen into the pit of death.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 20:9

A Christian is said to rise in two senses; first, when he is freed by grace from the death of vices in this life and he continues in God’s grace of justification.… Second, there is also the general resurrection at which the just will receive their eternal rewards. In this passage it is clear that both senses of resurrection are appropriate. For this reason, when he adds “we have been raised,” it is because in any sort of resurrection the faithful arise from their humble status and are elevated to divine rewards.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 20:9

Psalms 21:1

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

Our belief that there are two natures in Christ the Lord, one divine and one human, is a matter of salvation. These two natures endure without change in one person for ever. This statement of faith bears frequent repetition, because, when it is frequently heard and believed, it brings life. In the initial narrative of this psalm, the words of the prophet are directed toward God the Father concerning the Lord’s incarnation. The second part describes his diverse virtues and glory, describing his life from the point at which he suffered until he attained the height and peak of all things by the Father’s gracious gift. In the third, the same prophet turns to the Lord Christ, and here in the manner of those who make wishes, he asks that what he knows is to come will be done at the judgment.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 21:1

Psalms 21:3

For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.

He indicates that humanity is ever adorned with the anticipatory grace of the Godhead, because no one offers anything to God first unless what is good is granted by a heavenly gift.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 21:4

Psalms 21:8

Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.

They are only called enemies as long as they are led astray by the devil’s enticements. But when they return to Christ the Lord, they are called servants, children and friends.

EXPLANATIONS OF THE PSALMS 21:9

Psalms 21:9

Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

An oven is a round structure made of bronze for baking bread.… Sinners are rightly compared with it, since at the coming judgment they will be tormented both with mental grief and with punitive pain, because with a stubborn mind they have lived in opposition to the Lord’s laws. The time of the Lord’s anger is the day of judgment when the Son of Man will be seen by all, but only the righteous will look on him also through the contemplation of his divinity.… Earlier, in praise for the Lord Christ, the psalmist described the honor and glory of Christ through the diverse character of his graces. Now … he says that his enemies will be afflicted with various punishments so that they might be rendered as disgusting as he is marvelous.… They will be sentenced to be devoured by undying flames. No delay accompanies the Lord’s command, but as soon as he determines it, it is completed.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 21:10

Psalms 21:11

For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.

To divert evils that loom over some people, we mean to push them aside to another place where there is no iniquity to punish. This is exactly what happened with the suffering of the Lord. For when the Jews believed that Roman power would be a threat to them if they had accepted the Lord Savior as King, it seemed right to them to divert those evils upon him which they believed would befall them when the Romans took up the role of avengers. “They came up with a plan” saying, “It is expedient that one man die for all.” “But this they were not able to establish,” that is, to complete according to their vow. For without knowing it, they spoke the truth. It was necessary that one should die for all. The truth was indeed uttered, but with an evil vow. Therefore they will suffer punishment for such a deed, because they did not have a pure conscience.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 21:12

Psalms 21:13

Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.

To sing means to proclaim the words of the Lord with the mouth. To make music on the harp means to fulfill the divine commands faithfully through good works.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 21:14

Psalms 22:8

He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

These words are in fact specifically found in the Gospel, for when Christ was hanging on the cross, the Jews were saying: “He hoped in the Lord: let him deliver him now, if he wants him.” O heavenly wholeness! Do we not here seem to be going through the Gospel rather than a psalm, since these things have been fulfilled with such accuracy that they seem to have been enacted rather than about to take place.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 22:9

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