The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 10
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 11 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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For the end, a Psalm of David. In the Lord I have put my trust: how will ye say to my soul, Flee to the mountains as a sparrow?
Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυὶδ. Ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ πέποιθα· πῶς ἐρεῖτε τῇ ψυχῇ μου, μεταναστεύου ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη ὡς στρουθίον;
This title does not require a fresh consideration: for the meaning of, "to the end," has already been sufficiently handled. Let us then look to the text itself of the Psalm, which to me appears to be sung against the heretics, who, by rehearsing and exaggerating the sins of many in the Church, as if either all or the…
For behold the sinners have bent their bow, They have prepared their arrows for the quiver, To shoot privily at the upright in heart.
Ὅτι ἰδοὺ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐνέτειναν τόξον, ἡτοίμασαν βέλη εἰς φαρέτραν, τοῦ κατατοξεῦσαι ἐν σκοτομήνῃ τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ.
"For, lo, sinners have bent the bow, they have prepared their arrows in the quiver, that they may in the obscure moon shoot at the upright in heart". These be the terrors of those who threaten us as touching sinners, that we may pass over to them as the righteous. "Lo," they say, "the sinners have bent the bow:" the…
For they have pulled down what thou didst frame, But what has the righteous done?
Ὅτι ἃ κατηρτίσω καθεῖλον, ὁ δὲ δίκαιος τί ἐποίησε;
Let the Catholic soul then say, "In the Lord I trust; how say ye to my soul, Remove into the mountains as a sparrow? For, lo, the sinners have bent the bow, they have prepared their arrows in the quiver, that they may in the obscure moon shoot at the upright in heart:" and from them let her turn her speech to the Lord…
The Lord is in his holy temple, As for the Lord, his throne is in heaven: His eyes look upon the poor, His eyelids try the sons of men.
Κύριος ἐν ναῷ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ, Κύριος, ἐν οὐρανῷ ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ· οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν πένητα ἀποβλέπουσι, τὰ βλέφαρα αὐτοῦ ἐξετάζει τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων·
"The Lord is in His holy temple", yea in such wise as the Apostle saith, "For the temple of God is holy, which" temple "ye are." [1 Corinthians 3:17] "Now if any man shall violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy." He violateth the temple of God, who violateth unity: for he "holdeth not the head, from which…
The Lord tries the righteous and the ungodly: And he that loves unrighteousness hates his own soul.
Κύριος ἐξετάζει τὸν δίκαιον καὶ τὸν ἀσεβῆ, ὁ δὲ ἀγαπῶν ἀδικίαν μισεῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν.
"The Lord questions the righteous and ungodly". Why then do we fear lest the ungodly should be any hurt to us, if so be they do with insincere heart share the sacraments with us, seeing that He "questions the righteous and the ungodly." "But whoso loves iniquity, hates his own soul:" that is, not him who believes God,…
He shall rain upon sinners snares, Fire, and brimstone, and a stormy blast shall be the portion of their cup.
Ἐπιβρέξει ἐπὶ ἁμαρτωλοὺς παγίδας, πῦρ καὶ θεῖον καὶ πνεῦμα καταιγίδος ἡ μερὶς τοῦ ποτηρίου αὐτῶν.
"He shall rain snares upon the sinners". If by clouds are understood prophets generally, whether good or bad, who are also called false prophets: false prophets are so ordered by the Lord God, that by them He may rain snares upon sinners. [Matthew 24:24] For no one, but the sinner, falls into a following of them,…
For the Lord is righteous, and loves righteousness; His face beholds uprightness.
Ὅτι δίκαιος Κύριος καὶ δικαιοσύνας ἠγάπησεν, εὐθύτητα εἶδε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ.
"Fire and brimstone and the blast of the tempest is the portion of their cup." This is their punishment and end, by whom the name of God is blasphemed; that first they should be wasted by the fire of their own lusts, then by the ill savour of their evil deeds cast off from the company of the blessed, at last carried…
Every note is a real passage, quoted word for word from a published English translation, with its source. Nothing here is summarised or written by us. Some verses have many notes and some have none, because the Fathers wrote more on some passages than others.
All of these translations are in the public domain. The passages were matched to their verses by the Historical Christian Commentaries project, which also hosts the full texts we link to. The Fathers are a treasury of the Church's mind, and they are best read alongside the life of the Church: if a passage raises a question, bring it to your priest.