Psalms 146
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 146 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.
11 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (1) follow the text.
Psalms 146
1(147) Alleluia, a Psalm of Aggaeus and Zacharias. Praise you the Lord: for psalmody is a good thing; let praise be sweetly sung to our God.Ἀλληλούϊα· Ἀγγαίου καὶ Ζαχαρίου. Αἰνεῖτε τὸν Κύριον ὅτι ἀγαθὸν ψαλμός, τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν ἡδυνθείη αἴνεσις.
2The Lord builds up Jerusalem; and he will gather together the dispersed of Israel.Οἰκοδομῶν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὁ Κύριος, καὶ τὰς διασπορὰς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπισυνάξει·
3He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.Ὁ ἰώμενος τοὺς συντετριμμένους τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ δεσμεύων τὰ συντρίμματα αὐτῶν·
4He numbers the multitudes of stars; and calls them all by names.Ὁ ἀριθμῶν πλήθη ἄστρων, καὶ πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς ὀνόματα καλῶν.
5Great is our Lord, and great is his strength; and his understanding is infinite.Μέγας ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, καὶ μεγάλη ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς συνέσεως αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός.
6The Lord lifts up the meek; but brings sinners down to the ground.Ἀναλαμβάνων πρᾳεῖς ὁ Κύριος, ταπεινῶν δὲ ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἕως τῆς γῆς.
7Begin the song with thanksgiving to the Lord; sing praises on the harp to our God:Ἐξάρξατε τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν ἐξομολογήσει, ψάλατε τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν ἐν κιθάρᾳ·
8who covers the heaven with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who causes grass to spring up on the mountains, [*and green herb for the service of men;]Τῷ περιβάλλοντι τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐν νεφέλαις, τῷ ἑτοιμάζοντι τῇ γῇ ὑετόν· τῷ ἐξανατέλλοντι ἐν ὄρεσι χόρτον, καὶ χλόην τῇ δουλείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων·
9and gives cattle their food, and to the young ravens that call upon him.καὶ διδόντι τοῖς κτήνεσι τροφὴν αὐτῶν, καὶ τοῖς νεοσσοῖς τῶν κοράκων τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις αὐτόν.
10He will not take pleasure in the strength of a horse; neither is he well-pleased with the legs of a man.Οὐκ ἐν τῇ δυναστείᾳ τοῦ ἵππου θελήσει, οὐδὲ ἐν ταῖς κνήμαις τοῦ ἀνδρὸς εὐδοκεῖ.
11The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him, and in all that hope in his mercy.Εὐδοκεῖ Κύριος ἐν τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐλπιζουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ.
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. 8*See Ps 103 (104) 14. * 147: In the original text, the following verses are numbered 12 to 20.
The Fathers on Psalms 146
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 146:1Saint Augustine of Hippo1. It is said to us, “Praise the Lord” (ver. 1). This is said to all nations, not to us alone. And these words, sounded forth through separate places by the Readers, each Church heareth separately; but the one same Voice of God proclaimeth unto all, that we praise Him. And as though we asked wherefore we ought to praise the Lord, behold what reason he hath brought forward: “Praise the Lord,” he saith, “for a…
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On Psalms 146:2Saint Augustine of Hippo4. Who is “our God,” that praise should be pleasant to Him? He maketh Himself sweet to us, He commendeth Himself to us; thanks to His condescension.…“But God commendeth His love to us”…“in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”…Let us see whether it be the commendation which the Apostle speaketh of, that Christ died for the sinners and ungodly: “the Lord who buildeth up Jerusalem, and gathereth the…
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On Psalms 146:3Saint Augustine of Hippo5. How doth He gather? What doeth He in order to gather? “Who healeth the bruised in heart” (ver. 3). Behold the way in which the dispersions of Israel are gathered, by the healing of the bruised in heart. They who are not of a bruised heart, are not healed. What is to bruise the heart? Let it be known, brethren, let it be done, that ye may be able to be healed. For it is told in many other places of…
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On Psalms 146:4Saint Augustine of Hippo8. “Who telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all by their names” (ver. 4). What great matter is it for God to “tell the number of the stars”! Men even have endeavoured to do this; whether they have been able to achieve it, is their concern; they would not however attempt it, did they not think that they should achieve it. Let us leave alone what they can do, and how far they have attained; for God I…
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On Psalms 146:5Saint Augustine of Hippo9. “Great is our Lord” (ver. 5). The Psalmist is filled with joy, he hath poured out his words wonderfully: yet somewhat he was unable to speak, and how availed he to think on it? “And great is His power, and of His understanding is no numbering.” He who “numbereth the stars,” Himself cannot be numbered. Who can expound this? who can worthily even imagine what is meant by, “and of His understanding is no…
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On Psalms 146:6Saint Augustine of Hippo10. “The Lord taketh up the gentle” (ver. 6). For example; thou understandest not, thou failest to understand, canst not attain: honour God’s Scripture, honour God’s Word, though it be not plain: in reverence wait for understanding. Be not wanton to accuse either the obscurity or seeming contradiction of Scripture. There is nothing in it contradictory: somewhat there is which is obscure, not in order that it may…
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On Psalms 146:7Saint Augustine of Hippo11. “Begin to the Lord in confession” (ver. 7). Begin with this, if thou wouldest arrive at a clear understanding of the truth. If thou wilt be brought from the road of faith to the profession of the reality, “begin in confession.” First accuse thyself: accuse thyself, praise God. What after confession? Let good works follow. “Sing unto our God upon the harp.” What is, “Upon the harp”? As I have already…
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On Psalms 146:8Saint Augustine of Hippo12. …“Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth” (ver. 8). Now thou art alarmed, because thou canst not see the heaven: when it hath rained thou shalt gather fruit, and shalt see clear sky. Perhaps our God hath done this. For had we not the obscurity of Scripture as an occasion, we should not say to you those things wherein ye rejoice. This then perhaps is the rain whereat ye rejoice.…
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On Psalms 146:9Saint Augustine of Hippo14. “And giveth unto the cattle their food” (ver. 9). These are the cattle he meaneth, even God’s flocks. God defraudeth not His flock of their food through men, for whose “service He maketh the grass to grow.” “And to the young of the ravens that call upon Him.” Shall we perchance think this, that the ravens call upon God to give them their food? Think not that the unreasoning creature calls upon God: no…
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On Psalms 146:10Saint Augustine of Hippo15. “In the power of an horse He will not take pleasure” (ver. 10). The power “of an horse” is pride. For the horse seemeth adapted as it were to bear a man aloft, that he may be more uplifted as he goes. And in truth he has a neck which typifieth a sort of pride. Let not men exalt themselves upon their worth, let them not think themselves uplifted by their distinctions; let them beware lest they be thrown by an…
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On Psalms 146:11Open Psalms 146 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 Hippo16. But what addeth he? “The Lord will delight in them that fear Him, and in them that hope in His mercy” (ver. 11). A robber is feared, and a wild beast is feared, and an unjust and powerful man is much feared. “The Lord will delight in them that hope in His mercy.” Behold, Judas, who betrayed our Lord, feared, but he did not hope in His mercy.…It is well indeed that thou hast feared, but only if thou trustedst…
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