Psalms 108
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 108 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.
27 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (3) follow the text.
Psalms 108
1(109) For the end, a Psalm of David. For the end, a Psalm of David. O God, pass not over my praise in silence;Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυίδ. Ὁ Θεὸς τὴν αἴνεσίν μου μὴ παρασιωπήσῃς,
2for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the crafty man have been opened against me: they have spoken against me with a crafty tongue.ὅτι στόμα ἁμαρτωλοῦ καὶ στόμα δολίου ἐπʼ ἐμὲ ἠνοίχθη· ἐλάλησαν κατʼ ἐμοῦ γλώσσῃ δολίᾳ,
3And they have compassed me with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.καὶ λόγοις μίσους ἐκύκλωσάν με, καὶ ἐπολέμησάν με δωρέαν.
4* Instead of loving me, they falsely accused me: but I continued to pray.Ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀγαπᾷν με, ἐνδιέβαλλόν με, ἐγὼ δὲ προσηυχόμην.
5And they rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.Καὶ ἔθεντο κατʼ ἐμοῦ κακὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν, καὶ μῖσος ἀντὶ τῆς ἀγαπήσεώς μου.
6Set you a sinner against him; and let † the devil stand at his right hand.Κατάστησον ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν, καὶ διάβολος στήτω ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ.
7When he is judged, let him go forth condemned: and let his prayer become sin.Ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαι αὐτὸν, ἐξέλθοι καταδεδικασμένος, καὶ ἡ προσευχὴ αὐτοῦ γενέσθω εἰς ἁμαρτίαν.
8Let his days be few: and ✡ let another take his office of overseer.Γενηθήτωσαν αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ ὀλίγαι, καὶ τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν αὐτοῦ λάβοι ἕτερος.
9Let his children be orphans, and his wife a widow.Γενηθήτωσαν οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ὀρφανοὶ, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ χήρα.
10Let his children wander without a dwelling-place, and beg: let them be cast out of their habitations.Σαλευόμενοι μεταναστήτωσαν οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπαιτησάτωσαν, ἐκβληθήτωσαν ἐκ τῶν οἰκοπέδων αὐτῶν.
11Let his creditor exact all that belongs to him: and let strangers spoil his labors.Ἐξερευνησάτω δανειστὴς πάντα ὅσα ὑπάρχει αὐτῷ, καὶ διαρπασάτωσαν ἀλλότριοι τοὺς πόνους αὐτοῦ.
12Let him have no helper; neither let there be any one to have compassion on his fatherless children.Μὴ ὑπαρξάτω αὐτῷ ἀντιλήμπτωρ, μηδὲ γενηθήτω οἰκτίρμων τοῖς ὀρφανοῖς αὐτοῦ.
13Let his children be given up to utter destruction: in one generation let his name be blotted out.Γενηθήτω τὰ τέκνα αὐτοῦ εἰς ἐξολόθρευσιν, ἐν γενεᾷ μιᾷ ἐξαλειφθείη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.
14Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.Ἀναμνησθείη ἡ ἀνομία τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ ἔναντι Κυρίου, καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ μὴ ἐξαλειφθείη.
15Let them be before the Lord continually; and let their memorial be blotted out from the earth.Γενηθήτωσαν ἐναντίον Κυρίου διαπαντὸς, καὶ ἐξολοθρευθείη ἐκ γῆς τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν·
16Because he remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the needy and poor man, and that to kill him that was pricked in the heart.Ἀνθʼ ὧν οὐκ ἐμνήσθη ποιῆσαι ἔλεος, καὶ κατεδίωξεν ἄνθρωπον πένητα καὶ πτωχὸν, καὶ κατανενυγμένον τῇ καρδίᾳ τοῦ θανατῶσαι.
17He loved cursing also, and it shall come upon him; and he took not pleasure in blessing, so it shall be removed far from him.Καὶ ἠγάπησε κατάραν, καὶ ἥξει αὐτῷ, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν εὐλογίαν, καὶ μακρυνθήσεται ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ.
18Yes, he put on cursing as a garment, and it is come as water into his bowels, and as oil into his bones.Καὶ ἐνεδύσατο κατάραν ὡς ἱμάτιον, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὡσεὶ ὕδωρ εἰς τὰ ἔγκατα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὡσεὶ ἔλαιον ἐν τοῖς ὀστέοις αὐτοῦ.
19Let it be to him as a garment which he puts on, and as a girdle with which he girds himself continually.Γενηθήτω αὐτῷ ὡς ἱμάτιον ὃ περιβάλλεται, καὶ ὡσεὶ ζώνη ἣν διαπαντὸς περιζώννυται.
20This is the dealing of the Lord with those who falsely accuse me, and of them that speak evil against my soul.Τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον τῶν ἐνδιαβαλλόντων με παρὰ Κυρίου, καὶ τῶν λαλούντων πονηρὰ κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς μου.
21But you, O Lord, Lord, deal mercifully with me, for your name's sake: for your mercy is good.Καὶ σὺ Κύριε Κύριε ποίησον μετʼ ἐμοῦ ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματός σου, ὅτι χρηστὸν τὸ ἔλεός σου.
22Deliver me, for I am poor and needy; and my heart is troubled within me.Ῥῦσαί με ὅτι πτωχὸς καὶ πένης εἰμὶ ἐγὼ, καὶ ἡ καρδία μου τετάρακται ἐντός μου.
23I am removed as a shadow in its going down: I am tossed up and down like locusts.Ὡσεὶ σκιὰ ἐν τῷ ἐκκλῖναι αὐτὴν ἀντανῃρέθην, ἐξετινάχθην ὡσεὶ ἀκρίδες.
24My knees are weakened through fasting, and my flesh is changed by reason of the lack of oil.Τὰ γόνατά μου ἠσθένησαν ἀπὸ νηστείας, καὶ ἡ σάρξ μου ἠλλοιώθη διʼ ἔλαιον.
25I became also a reproach to them: when they saw me they shook their heads.Κᾀγὼ ἐγενήθην ὄνειδος αὐτοῖς· εἴδοσάν με, ἐσάλευσαν κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν.
26Help me, O Lord my God; and save me according to your mercy.Βοήθησόν μοι Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, καὶ σῶσόν με κατὰ τὸ ἔλεός σου.
27And let them know that this is your hand; and that you, Lord, have wrought it.Καὶ γνώτωσαν ὅτι ἡ χείρ σου αὕτη, καὶ σὺ Κύριε ἐποίησας αὐτήν.
28Let them curse, but you shall bless: let them that rise up against me be ashamed, but let your servant rejoice.Καταράσονται αὐτοὶ, καὶ σὺ εὐλογήσεις· οἱ ἐπανιστάμενοί μοι αἰσχυνθήτωσαν, ὁ δὲ δοῦλός σου εὐφρανθήσεται.
29Let those that falsely accuse me be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a mantle.Ἐνδυσάσθωσαν οἱ ἐνδιαβάλλοντές με ἐντροπήν· καὶ περιβαλέσθωσαν ὡς διπλοΐδα αἰσχύνην αὐτῶν.
30I will give thanks to the Lord abundantly with my mouth; and in the midst of many I will praise him.Ἐξομολογήσομαι τῷ Κυρίῳ σφόδρα ἐν τῷ στόματί μου, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ πολλῶν αἰνέσω αὐτόν·
31For he stood on the right hand of the poor, to save me from them that persecute my soul.Ὅτι παρέστη ἐκ δεξιῶν πένητος, τοῦ σῶσαι ἐκ τῶν καταδιωκόντων τὴν ψυχήν μου.
Translator's Notes
These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.
- v. 4*Or, in return for my love.
- v. 6†Or, the accuser.
- v. 8✡Acts 1:20
The Fathers on Psalms 108
Saint Augustine of Hippo comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Psalms 108:2Saint Augustine of Hippo2. The Psalm, then, beginneth thus: “O God, be not silent as to my praise; for the mouth of the ungodly, yea, the mouth of the deceitful is opened upon me” (ver. 1). Whence it appeareth, both that the blame, which the ungodly and the deceitful is not silent of, is false, and that the praise, which God is not silent of, is true. “For God is true, but every man a liar;” for no man is true, except him in whom God…
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On Psalms 108:2Saint Augustine of Hippo3. “They have spoken against me with false tongues” (ver. 2): then chiefly when they praised him as a “good Master” with insidious adulation. Whence it is elsewhere said: “and they that praised me, are sworn together against me.” Next, because they burst into cries, “Crucify Him, crucify Him;” he hath added, “They compassed me about also with words of hatred.” They who with a treacherous tongue spoke words…
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On Psalms 108:4Saint Augustine of Hippo4. “In place,” saith he, “of loving me, they detracted from me” (ver. 3). There are six different acts of this class, which may, when mentioned, very easily be borne in mind; (1) to return good for evil, (2) not to return evil for evil; (3) to return good for good, (4) to return evil for evil; (5) not to return good for good, (6) to return evil for good. The two first of these belong to the good, and the first of…
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On Psalms 108:5Saint Augustine of Hippo6. He addeth, “Thus have they rewarded me evil for good” (ver. 4). And as if we asked, what evil? for what good? “And hatred,” he saith, “for my good will.” This is the sum total of their great guilt. For how could the persecutors injure Him who died of His own free-will, and not by compulsion? But this very hatred is the greatest crime of the persecutor, although it be the willing atonement of the sufferer. And…
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On Psalms 108:6Saint Augustine of Hippo8. “Set thou an ungodly man to be ruler over him; and let Satan stand at his right hand” (ver. 5). Though the complaint had been before concerning many, the Psalm is now speaking of one.…Since therefore he is here speaking of the traitor Judas, who, according to the Scripture in the Acts of the Apostles, was to be punished with the penalty due to him, what meaneth, “set thou an ungodly man over him,” save him…
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On Psalms 108:7Saint Augustine of Hippo9. “When sentence is given upon him, let him be condemned, and let his prayer be turned into sin” (ver. 6). For prayer is not righteous except through Christ, whom he sold in his atrocious sin: but the prayer which is not made through Christ, not only cannot blot out sin, but is itself turned into sin. But it may be inquired on what occasion Judas could have so prayed, that his prayer was turned into sin. I…
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On Psalms 108:8Saint Augustine of Hippo10. “Let his days be few” (ver. 7). By “his days,” he meant the days of his apostleship, which were few; since before the Passion of our Lord, they were ended by his crime and death. And as if it were asked, What then shall become of that most sacred number twelve, within which our Lord willed, not without a meaning, to limit His twelve first Apostles? he at once addeth, “and let another take his office.” As much…
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On Psalms 108:9Saint Augustine of Hippo11. “Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow” (ver. 8). After his death, both his children were fatherless, and his wife a widow. “Let his children be vagabonds, and be carried away, and beg their bread” (ver. 9). By “vagabonds” he meaneth, uncertain whither to go, destitute of all help. “Let them be driven from their habitations.” He here explaineth what he had said above, “Let them be carried…
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On Psalms 108:9, 11Saint Augustine of Hippo12. “Let the extortioner search out all his substance, and let the strangers spoil his labour” (ver. 10). “Let there be no man to help him” (ver. 11): that is, to guard his posterity; wherefore followeth, “nor to have compassion on his fatherless children”
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On Psalms 108:13Saint Augustine of Hippo13. But as even orphans may, without one to help them, and without a guardian, nevertheless increase amid trouble and want, and preserve their race by descent; he next saith, “Let his posterity be destroyed; and in the next generation let his name be clean put out” (ver. 12): that is, let what hath been generated by him generate no more, and quickly pass away.
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On Psalms 108:14Saint Augustine of Hippo14. But what is it that he next addeth? “Let the wickedness of his fathers be had in remembrance in the sight of the Lord, and let not the sin of his mother be done away” (ver. 13). Is it to be understood, that even the sins of his fathers shall be visited upon him? For upon him they are not visited, who hath been changed in Christ, and hath ceased to be the child of the wicked, by not having imitated their…
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On Psalms 108:15Saint Augustine of Hippo15. “Let them alway be against the Lord” (ver. 14). “Against the Lord,” meaneth in the Lord’s sight: for other translators have rendered this line, “let them be always in the sight of the Lord;” while others have rendered it, “let them be before the Lord alway;” as it is elsewhere said, “Thou hast set our misdeeds in Thy sight.” By “alway,” he meaneth that this great crime should be without pardon, both here, and…
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On Psalms 108:16Saint Augustine of Hippo16. “And that, because he remembered not to act mercifully” (ver. 15); either Judas, or the people itself. But “remembered not” is better understood of the people: for if they slew Christ, they might well remember the deed in penitence, and act mercifully towards His members, whom they most perseveringly persecuted. For this reason he saith, “but persecuted the poor man and the beggar” (ver. 16). It may indeed be…
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On Psalms 108:18Saint Augustine of Hippo17. The Psalm then continueth: “His delight was in cursing, and it shall happen to him” (ver. 17). Although Judas loved cursing, both in stealing from the money bag, and selling and betraying the Lord: nevertheless, that people more openly loved cursing, when they said, “His blood be on us, and on our children.” “He loved not blessing, therefore it shall be far from him.” Such was Judas indeed, since he loved not…
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On Psalms 108:19Saint Augustine of Hippo18. “Let it be unto him as the cloak which covereth him” (ver. 18). Since he hath before spoken of the cloak, why doth he repeat it? When he said, “He clothed himself with cursing as with a raiment;” doth the raiment with which he is “covered” differ from that with which he is “clothed”? For every man is clothed with his tunic, covered with his cloak; and what is this, save boasting in iniquity, even in the sight…
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On Psalms 108:20Saint Augustine of Hippo19. “This is the work of them that slander me before the Lord” (ver. 19). He said not, “their reward,” but, “their work:” for it is clear that by the clothing, covering, water, oil, and girdle, he was describing the very works by which eternal curses are procured. It is not then one Judas, but many, of whom it is said, “This is the work of them that slander me before the Lord.” Although indeed the plural number…
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On Psalms 108:21Saint Augustine of Hippo20. “But work Thou with me, O Lord God” (ver. 20). Some have thought “mercifully” should be understood, some have actually added it; but the best copies have the words thus: “But work Thou with me, O Lord God, for Thy Name’s sake.” Whence a higher sense should not be passed over, supposing the Son to have thus addressed the Father, “Deal Thou with Me,” since the works of the Father and of the Son are the same.…
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On Psalms 108:22Saint Augustine of Hippo21. “O deliver me, for I am needy and poor” (ver. 21). Need and poverty is that weakness, through which He was crucified. “And my heart is disturbed within me.” This alludeth to those words which He spoke when His Passion was drawing near, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.”
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On Psalms 108:23Saint Augustine of Hippo22. “I go hence like a shadow that declineth” (ver. 22). By this he signified death itself. For as night comes of the shadow’s declining, so death comes of mortal flesh. “And am driven away as the locusts.” This I think would be more suitably understood of His members, that is, of His faithful disciples. That he might make it much plainer, he preferred writing “locusts” in the plural number: although many may be…
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On Psalms 108:24Saint Augustine of Hippo23. “My knees are weak through fasting” (ver. 23). We read, that our Lord Christ underwent a fast of forty days: but had fasting so great power over Him, that His knees were weakened? Or is this more suitably understood of His members, that is, of His saints? “And my flesh is changed because of the oil;” because of spiritual grace. Whence Christ was so called from the Greek word, chrisma, which signifies unction.…
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On Psalms 108:25Saint Augustine of Hippo24. “I became also a reproach unto them” (ver. 24): through the death of the Cross. “For Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.” “They looked upon Me, and shaked their heads.” Because they beheld His crucifixion, without beholding His resurrection: they saw when His knees were weakened, they saw not when His flesh was changed.
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On Psalms 108:26Saint Augustine of Hippo25. “Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to Thy mercy” (ver. 25). This may be referred to the whole, both to the Head and to the body: to the Head, owing to His having taken the form of a servant; to the body, on account of the servants themselves. For He might even in them have said unto God, “Help Me:” and, “O save Me:” as in them He said unto Paul, “Why persecutest thou Me”? The following words,…
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On Psalms 108:27Saint Augustine of Hippo26. “And let them know how that this is Thy Hand, and that Thou, Lord, hast made it” (ver. 26). He said, “Let them know,” of those for whom He even prayed while they were raging; for even those who afterwards believed in Him were among the crowd who shook their heads in mockery of Him. But let those who ascribe unto God the shape of the human body, learn in what sense God hath a hand. Let us therefore understand,…
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On Psalms 108:28Saint Augustine of Hippo27. “Though they curse, yet bless Thou” (ver. 27). Vain therefore and false is the cursing of the sons of men, that have pleasure in vanity, and seek a lie; but when God blesseth, He doth what He saith. “Let them be confounded that rise up against me.” For their imagining that they have some power against Me, is the reason that they rise up against Me; but when I shall have been exalted above the heavens, and My…
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On Psalms 108:29Saint Augustine of Hippo28. “Let my slanderers be clothed with shame” (ver. 28): that is, let it shame them to have slandered me. But this may also be understood as a blessing, in that they are amended. “And let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a double cloak;” for diplois is a double cloak; that is, let them be confounded both within and without: both before God and before men.
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On Psalms 108:30Saint Augustine of Hippo29. “As for me, I will confess greatly unto the Lord with my mouth” (ver. 29).…Is He said to “praise among the multitude” because He is with His Church here even unto the end of the world; so that we may understand by “among the multitude,” that He is honoured by this very multitude? For he is said to be in the midst, unto whom the chief honour is paid. But if the heart is, as it were, that which is mid-most of a…
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On Psalms 108:31Open Psalms 108 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Augustine of Hippo30. “For He stood at the right hand of the poor” (ver. 30). It was said of Judas, “Let Satan stand at his right hand;” since he chose to increase his riches by selling Christ; but here the Lord stood at the right hand of the poor, that the Lord Himself might be the poor man’s riches. “He stood at the right hand of the poor,” not to multiply the years of a life that one day must end, nor to increase his stores,…
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