Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:1
"Hear My righteousness, O God, consider My supplication." "Hearken unto My prayer, not in deceitful lips:" not going forth to You in deceitful lips.
The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 16
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 16
Psalm 17 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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1
A Prayer of David. Hearken, O Lord of my righteousness, Attend to my petition; Give ear to my prayer not uttered with deceitful lips.
Προσευχὴ τοῦ Δαυίδ. Εἰσάκουσον Κύριε τῆς δικαιοσύνης μου, πρόσχες τῇ δεήσει μου· ἐνώτισαι τὴν προσευχήν μου οὐκ ἐν χείλεσι δολίοις.
2
Let my judgment come forth from thy presence; Let mine eyes behold righteousness.
Ἐκ προσώπου σου τὸ κρίμα μου ἐξέλθοι, οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου ἰδέτωσαν εὐθύτητας.
Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:2
"Let My judgment from Your countenance go forth." From the enlightening of the knowledge of You, let Me judge truth. Or at least, let My judgment go forth, not in deceitful lips, from Your countenance, that is, that I may not in judging utter anything else than I understand in You. "Let My eyes see equity:" the eyes,…
3
Thou hast proved my heart; thou hast visited me by night; Thou hast tried me as with fire, and unrighteousness has not been found in me: I am purposed that my mouth shall not speak amiss.
Ἐδοκίμασας τὴν καρδίαν μου, ἐπεσκέψω νυκτὸς, ἐπύρωσάς με, καὶ οὐχ εὑρέθη ἐν ἐμοὶ ἀδικία·
Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:3
"You have proved and visited Mine heart in the night-season". For this Mine heart has been proved by the visitation of tribulation. "You have examined Me by fire, and iniquity has not been found in Me." Now not night only, in that it is wont to disturb, but fire also, in that it burns, is this tribulation to be…
4
As for the works of men, by the words of thy lips I have guarded myself from hard ways.
ὅπως ἂν μὴ λαλήσῃ τὸ στόμα μου. Τὰ ἔργα τῶν ἀνθρώπων, διὰ τοὺς λόγους τῶν χειλέων σου ἐγὼ ἐφύλαξα ὁδοὺς σκληράς.
Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:4
"That My mouth may not speak the works of men". That nothing may proceed out of My mouth, but what relates to Your glory and praise; not to the works of men, which they do beside Your will. "Because of the words of Your lips." Because of the words of Your peace, or of Your prophets. "I have kept hard ways." I have…
5
Direct my steps in thy paths, That my steps slip not.
Κατάρτισαι τὰ διαβήματά μου ἐν ταῖς τρίβοις σου, ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῇ τὰ διαβήματά μου.
Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:5
"To perfect My steps in Your paths". That the love of the Church might be perfected in the strait ways, whereby she arrives at Your rest. "That My footsteps be not moved." That the signs of My way, which, like footsteps, have been imprinted on the Sacraments and Apostolical writings, be not moved, that they may mark…
6
I have cried, for thou heardest me, O God: Incline thine ear to me, and hearken to my words.
Ἐγὼ ἐκεκραξα, ὅτι ἐπήκουσας μου ὁ Θεός· κλῖνον τὸ οὖς σου ἐμοὶ, καὶ εἰσάκουσον τῶν ῥημάτων μου.
Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:6
"I have cried out, for You have heard Me, O God". With a free and strong effort have I directed My prayers unto You: for that I might have this power, You have heard Me when praying more weakly. "Incline Your ear to Me, and hear My words." Let not Your hearing forsake My humiliation.
7
Show the marvels of thy mercies, Thou that savest them that hope in thee.
Θαυμάστωσον τὰ ἐλέη σου, ὁ σώζων τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπὶ σέ· ἐκ τῶν ἀνθεστηκότων τῇ δεξιᾷ σου,
Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:7
"Make Your mercies marvellous". Let not Your mercies be disesteemed, lest they be loved too little. "Who savest them that hope in You from such as resist Your right hand:" from such as resist the favour, whereby You favour Me.
8
Keep me as the apple of the eye From those that resist thy right hand: Thou shalt screen me by the covering of thy wings,
φύλαξόν με ὡς κόρην ὀφθαλμοῦ· ἐν σκέπῃ τῶν πτερύγων σου σκεπάσεις με,
Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:8
"Keep Me, O Lord, as the apple of Your eye": which seems very little and minute: yet by it is the sight of the eye directed, whereby the light is distinguished from the darkness; as by Christ's humanity, the divinity of the Judgment distinguishing between the righteous and sinners. "In the covering of Your wings…
9
From the face of the ungodly that have afflicted me: Mine enemies have compassed about my soul.
ἀπὸ προσώπου ἀσεβῶν τῶν ταλαιπωρησάντων με· οἱ ἐχθροί μου τὴν ψυχήν μου περιέσχον.
Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:9
"Keep Me, O Lord, as the apple of Thine eye": which seems very little and minute: yet by it is the sight of the eye directed, whereby the light is distinguished from the darkness; as by Christ's humanity, the divinity of the Judgment distinguishing between the righteous and sinners. "In the covering of Thy wings…
10
They have enclosed themselves with their own fat: Their mouth has spoken pride.
Τὸ στέαρ αὐτῶν συνέκλεισαν, τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν ἐλάλησεν ὑπερηφανίαν.
Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:10
"Mine enemies have compassed about My soul;" "they have shut up their own fat". They have been covered with their own gross joy, after that their desire has been satiated with wickedness. "Their mouth has spoken pride." And therefore their mouth spoke pride, in saying, "Hail, King of the Jews," [Matthew 27:29] and…
11
They have now cast me out and compassed me round about: They have set their eyes so as to bow them down to the ground.
Ἐκβαλόντες με νυνὶ περιεκύκλωσάν με, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτὼν ἔθεντο ἐκκλῖναι ἐν τῇ γῇ.
Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:11
"Casting Me forth they have now compassed Me about". Casting Me forth outside the city, they have now compassed Me about on the Cross. "Their eyes they have determined to turn down on the earth." The bent of their heart they have determined to turn down on these earthly things: deeming Him, who was slain, to endure a…
Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:11
"As a lion ready for prey, have they taken Me". They have taken Me, like that adversary who "walks about, seeking whom he may devour." [1 Peter 5:8] "And as a lion's cub dwelling in secret places." And as his cub, the people to whom it was said, "You are of your father the devil:" [John 8:44] meditating on the snares,…
Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:11
"Arise, O Lord, prevent them, and cast them down". Arise, O Lord, Thou whom they suppose to be asleep, and regardless of men's iniquities; be they blinded before by their own malice, that vengeance may prevent their deed; and so cast them down.
Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:11
"Deliver My soul from the ungodly." Deliver My soul, by restoring Me after the death, which the ungodly have inflicted on Me. "Thy weapon: from the enemies of Thine hand" (ver. 14). For My soul is Thy weapon, which Thy hand, that is, Thy eternal Power, hath taken to subdue thereby the kingdoms of iniquity, and divide…
Blessed AugustineExposition on Psalm 16 · on Psalm 16:11
"But I shall appear in Thy righteousness in Thy sight" (ver. 15). But I, Who have not appeared to them that, with their filthy and darkened heart, cannot see the light of wisdom, "I shall appear in Thy righteousness in Thy sight." "I shall be satiated, when Thy glory shall be manifested." And when they have been…
About these notes
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.
- Blessed Augustine, Expositions on the Book of Psalms, tr. A. Cleveland Coxe from the Oxford translation, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888).
- Scripture: the Septuagint, in the translation of Sir Lancelot Brenton (1851), with spelling updated by Adam Boyd (2020); the Greek is Brenton's Septuagint text.
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.