Psalms 114
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 114 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.
10 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (3) follow the text.
Psalms 114
1(115) Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, because of your mercy and your truth;Ἀλληλούϊα. Ἠγαπήσα, ὅτι εἰσακούσεται Κύριος τῆς φωνῆς τῆς δεήσεώς μου·
2lest at any time the nations should say, Where is their God?Ὅτι ἔκλινε τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ ἐμοὶ, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις μου ἐπικαλέσομαι.
3But our God has done in heaven and on earth, whatever he has pleased.Περιέσχον με ὠδῖνες θανάτου, κίνδυνοι ᾅδου εὕροσάν με· θλίψιν καὶ ὀδύνην εὗρον,
4The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the works of men's hands.καὶ τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου ἐπεκαλεσάμην, ὦ Κύριε ῥῦσαι τὴν ψυχήν μου.
5They have a mouth, but they * can’t speak; they have eyes, but they can’t see:Ἐλεήμων ὁ Κύριος καὶ δίκαιος, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν ἐλεεῖ.
6they have ears, but they can’t hear; they have noses, but they can’t smell;Φυλάσσων τὰ νήπια ὁ Κύριος, ἐταπεινώθην καὶ ἔσωσέ με.
7they have hands, but they can’t handle; they have feet, but they can’t walk: they can’t speak through their throat.Ἐπίστρεψον ψυχή μου εἰς τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν σου, ὅτι Κύριος εὐηργέτησέ σε.
8Let those that make them become like to them, and all who trust in them.Ὅτι ἐξείλετο τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐκ θανάτου, τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου ἀπὸ δακρύων, καὶ τοὺς πόδας μου ἀπὸ ὀλισθήματος.
9The house of Israel trusts in the Lord: he is their helper and defender.Εὐαρεστήσω ἐνώπιον Κυρίου ἐν χώρᾳ ζώντων.
10The house of Aaron trusts in the Lord: he is their helper and defender.
11They that fear the Lord trust in the Lord: he is their helper and defender.
12The Lord has remembered us, and blessed us: he has blessed the house of Israel, he has blessed the house of Aaron.
13He has blessed them that fear the Lord, both small and great.
14The Lord † add blessings to you and to your children.
15Blessed are you of the Lord, who made the heaven and the earth.
16The heaven of ‡ heavens belongs to the Lord: but he has given the earth to the sons of men.
17The dead shall not praise you, O Lord, nor any that go down to Hades.
18But we, the living, will bless the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.
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. 5*Gr. will not.
- v. 14†Or, increase you.
- v. 16‡Gr. sing.
The Fathers on Psalms 114
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 114:1Saint Augustine of Hippo1. “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy Name give the praise” (ver. 1). For that grace of the water that gushed from the rock (“now that rock was Christ”), was not given on the score of works that had gone before, but of His mercy “that justifieth the ungodly.” For “Christ died for sinners,” that men might not seek any glory of their own, but in the Lord’s Name.
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On Psalms 114:1Saint Augustine of Hippo2. “For Thy loving mercy, and for Thy truth’s sake” (ver. 2). Observe how often these two qualities, loving mercy and truth, are joined together in the holy Scriptures. For in His loving mercy He called sinners, and in His truth He judgeth those who when called refused to come. “That the heathen may not say, Where is now their God?” For at the last, His loving mercy and truth will shine forth, when “the sign of…
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On Psalms 114:3Saint Augustine of Hippo3. “As for our God, He is in heaven above” (ver. 3). Not in heaven, where they see the sun and moon, works of God which they adore, but “in heaven above,” which overpasseth all heavenly and earthly bodies. Nor is our God in heaven in such a sense, as to dread a fall that should deprive Him of His throne, if heaven were withdrawn from under Him. “In heaven and earth He hath made whatsoever pleased Him.” Nor doth…
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On Psalms 114:4Saint Augustine of Hippo4. “Their idols,” he saith, “are silver and gold, even the work of men’s hands” (ver. 4). That is, although we cannot display our God to your carnal eyes, whom ye ought to recognise through his works; yet be not seduced by your vain pretences, because ye can point with the finger to, the objects of your worship. For it were much worthier for you not to have what to point to, than that your hearts’ blindness…
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On Psalms 114:5–7Saint Augustine of Hippo5. “For they have mouths, and speak not: eyes have they, and see not” (ver. 5). “They have ears, and hear not: noses have they, and smell not” (ver. 6). “They have hands, and handle not; feet have they, and walk not; neither cry they through their throat” (ver. 7). Even their artist therefore surpasseth them, since he had the faculty of moulding them by the motion and functions of his limbs: though thou wouldest…
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On Psalms 114:8–11Saint Augustine of Hippo8. The result that ensueth is that described in the next verse: “They that make them are like unto them, and so are all such as put their trust in them” (ver. 8). Let them therefore see with open eyes, and worship with shut and dead understandings, idols that neither see nor live. “But the house of Israel hath hoped in the Lord” (ver. 9). “For hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet…
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On Psalms 114:12–13Saint Augustine of Hippo9. For we do not by our deservings prevent the mercy of God; but, “The Lord hath been mindful of us, and hath blessed us. He hath blessed the house of Israel, He hath blessed the house of Aaron” (ver. 12). But in blessing both of these, “He hath blessed all that fear the Lord” (ver. 13). Dost thou ask, who are meant by both of these? He answereth, “both small and great.” That is, the house of Israel with the…
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On Psalms 114:14Saint Augustine of Hippo10. For the great ones, of the house of Aaron, have said, “May the Lord increase you more and more, you and your children” (ver. 14). And thus it hath happened. For children that have been raised even from the stones have flocked unto Abraham: sheep which were not of this fold, have flocked unto him, that there might be one flock, and one shepherd; the faith of all nations was added, and the number grew, not only…
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On Psalms 114:15–16Saint Augustine of Hippo11. Therefore the Prophet saith unto these great and small, the mountains and the little hills, the rams and the young sheep, what followeth: “Ye are the blessed of the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (ver. 15). As if he should say, Ye are the blessed of the Lord, who made the heaven in the great, earth in the small: not this visible heaven, studded with luminaries which are objects to these eyes. For “The…
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On Psalms 114:17–18Open Psalms 114 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 Hippo12. …But nevertheless since they derive the truth and richness of wisdom, not from man nor through man, but through God Himself, they have received little ones who shall be heaven, that they may know that they are heaven of heaven; as yet however earth, unto which they say, “I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” For to those very sons of men whom He made heaven, He who knoweth how to…
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