The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 114
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 116 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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Alleluia. I am well pleased, because the Lord will hearken To the voice of my supplication.
Ἀλληλούϊα. Ἠγαπήσα, ὅτι εἰσακούσεται Κύριος τῆς φωνῆς τῆς δεήσεώς μου·
"I have loved, since the Lord will hear the voice of my prayer". Let the soul that is sojourning in absence from the Lord sing thus, let that sheep which had strayed sing thus, let that son who had "died and returned to life," who had "been lost and was found;" [Luke 15:6, 24] let our soul sing thus, brethren, and…
Because he has inclined his ear to me, Therefore will I call upon him while I live.
Ὅτι ἔκλινε τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ ἐμοὶ, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις μου ἐπικαλέσομαι.
But whence hath he hoped for this? Since, he saith, "He hath inclined His ear unto me: and in my days I have called upon Him." I loved, therefore, because He will hear; He will hear, "because He hath inclined His ear unto me." But whence knowest thou, O human soul, that God hath inclined His ear unto thee, except thou…
The pangs of death compassed me; The dangers of hell found me: I found affliction and sorrow.
Περιέσχον με ὠδῖνες θανάτου, κίνδυνοι ᾅδου εὕροσάν με· θλίψιν καὶ ὀδύνην εὗρον,
And what are your days, since you have said, "In my days I have called upon Him"? Are they those perchance, in which "the fullness of time came," and "God sent His Son," [Galatians 4:4] who had already said, "In an acceptable time have I heard you, and in a day of salvation have I helped you"? [Isaiah 49:8] ...I may…
Then I called on the name of the Lord: O Lord, deliver my soul.
καὶ τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου ἐπεκαλεσάμην, ὦ Κύριε ῥῦσαι τὴν ψυχήν μου.
But after "I too found trouble and heaviness, I called upon the Name of the Lord." For trouble and profitable sorrow I did not feel; trouble, wherein He giveth aid, unto whom it is said, "O be Thou our help in trouble: and vain is the help of man." For I thought I might rejoice and exult in the vain help of man; but…
The Lord is merciful and righteous; Yea, our God has pity.
Ἐλεήμων ὁ Κύριος καὶ δίκαιος, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν ἐλεεῖ.
"Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful". He is gracious, righteous, and merciful. Gracious in the first place, because He has inclined His ear unto me; and I knew not that the ear of God had approached my lips, till I was aroused by those beautiful feet, that I might call upon the Lord's Name:…
The Lord preserves the simple: I was brought low, and he delivered me.
Φυλάσσων τὰ νήπια ὁ Κύριος, ἐταπεινώθην καὶ ἔσωσέ με.
Return to thy rest, O my soul; For the Lord has dealt bountifully with thee.
Ἐπίστρεψον ψυχή μου εἰς τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν σου, ὅτι Κύριος εὐηργέτησέ σε.
"Turn again then unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath done good to thee" (ver. 7): not for thy deservings, or through thy strength; but because the Lord hath done good to thee.
For he has delivered my soul from death, Mine eyes from tears, And my feet from falling.
Ὅτι ἐξείλετο τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐκ θανάτου, τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου ἀπὸ δακρύων, καὶ τοὺς πόδας μου ἀπὸ ὀλισθήματος.
"Since," he says, "He has delivered my soul from death." It is wonderful, most beloved brethren, that, after he had said that his soul should turn unto rest, since the Lord had rewarded him; he added, since "He has delivered my soul from death." Did it turn unto rest, because it was delivered from death? Is not rest…
"I shall please in the sight of the Lord, in the land of the living."...We "labour" indeed now, because we are awaiting "the redemption of our body:" but, "when death shall have been swallowed up in victory, and this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal immortality;" then there will be no…
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.