Psalms 16
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 16 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.
13 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (3) follow the text.
Psalms 16
1(17) A prayer of David. Listen, 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.
2Let my judgment come forth from your presence; let my eyes behold righteousness.Ἐκ προσώπου σου τὸ κρίμα μου ἐξέλθοι, οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου ἰδέτωσαν εὐθύτητας.
3You have tested my heart; you have visited me by night; you have 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·
4As for the works of men, by the words of your 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.
5Direct my steps in your paths, that my steps slip not.Κατάρτισαι τὰ διαβήματά μου ἐν ταῖς τρίβοις σου, ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῇ τὰ διαβήματά μου.
6I have cried, for you heard me, O God: incline your ear to me, and listen to my words.Ἐγὼ ἐκεκραξα, ὅτι ἐπήκουσας μου ὁ Θεός· κλῖνον τὸ οὖς σου ἐμοὶ, καὶ εἰσάκουσον τῶν ῥημάτων μου.
7Show the marvels of your mercies, you that save them that hope in you.Θαυμάστωσον τὰ ἐλέη σου, ὁ σώζων τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπὶ σέ· ἐκ τῶν ἀνθεστηκότων τῇ δεξιᾷ σου,
8Keep me as the apple of the eye from those that resist your right hand: you shall screen me by the covering of your wings,φύλαξόν με ὡς κόρην ὀφθαλμοῦ· ἐν σκέπῃ τῶν πτερύγων σου σκεπάσεις με,
9from the face of the ungodly that have afflicted me: my enemies have compassed about my soul.ἀπὸ προσώπου ἀσεβῶν τῶν ταλαιπωρησάντων με· οἱ ἐχθροί μου τὴν ψυχήν μου περιέσχον.
10They have enclosed themselves with their own fat: their mouth has spoken pride.Τὸ στέαρ αὐτῶν συνέκλεισαν, τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν ἐλάλησεν ὑπερηφανίαν.
11They 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.
12They laid wait for me as a lion ready for prey, and like a lion's whelp dwelling in secret places.Ὑπέλαβόν με ὡσεὶ λέων ἕτοιμος εἰς θήραν, καὶ ὡσεὶ σκύμνος οἰκῶν ἐν ἀποκρύφοις.
13Arise, O Lord, prevent them, and cast them down: deliver my soul from the ungodly: draw your sword,Ἀνάστηθι Κύριε, πρόφθασον αὐτοὺς, καὶ ὑποσκέλισον αὐτοὺς, ῥῦσαι τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπὸ ἀσεβοῦς, ῥομφαίαν σου
14because of the enemies of your hand: O Lord, destroy them from the earth; scatter them in their life, though their belly has been filled with your hidden treasures: they have been satisfied with ‡ uncleanness, and have left the remnant of their possessions to their babes.ἀπὸ ἐχθρῶν τῆς χειρός σου· Κύριε ἀπολύων ἀπὸ γῆς, διαμέρισον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτῶν, καὶ τῶν κεκρυμμένων σου ἐπλήσθη ἡ γαστὴρ αὐτῶν· ἐχορτάσθησαν ὑείων, καὶ ἀφῆκαν τὰ κατάλοιπα τοῖς νηπίοις αὐτῶν.
15But I shall appear in righteousness before your face: I shall be satisfied when your glory appears.Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ὀφθήσομαι τῷ προσώπῳ σου, χορτασθήσομαι ἐν τῷ ὀφθῆναι τὴν δόξαν σου.
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. 1*Or, to my righteous plea, etc.
- v. 4†Lit. I have observed hard ways.
- v. 14‡Alex. children.
The Fathers on Psalms 16
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 16:1–2Saint Augustine of Hippo2. “Hear My righteousness, O God, consider My supplication” (ver. 1). “Hearken unto My prayer, not in deceitful lips:” not going forth to Thee in deceitful lips. “Let My judgment from Thy countenance go forth” (ver. 2). From the enlightening of the knowledge of Thee, let Me judge truth. Or at least, let My judgment go forth, not in deceitful lips, from Thy countenance, that is, that I may not in judging utter…
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On Psalms 16:3Saint Augustine of Hippo3. “Thou hast proved and visited Mine heart in the night-season” (ver. 3). For this Mine heart hath been proved by the visitation of tribulation. “Thou hast examined Me by fire, and iniquity hath 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 called; whereby when I was examined I was found righteous.
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On Psalms 16:4Saint Augustine of Hippo4. “That My mouth may not speak the works of men” (ver. 4). That nothing may proceed out of My mouth, but what relates to Thy glory and praise; not to the works of men, which they do beside Thy will. “Because of the words of Thy lips.” Because of the words of Thy peace, or of Thy prophets. “I have kept hard ways.” I have kept the toilsome ways of human mortality and suffering.
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On Psalms 16:5Saint Augustine of Hippo5. “To perfect My steps in Thy paths” (ver. 5). That the love of the Church might be perfected in the strait ways, whereby she arrives at Thy 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 them who would follow Me. Or at least, that I may still abide fixedly in eternity, after…
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On Psalms 16:6Saint Augustine of Hippo6. “I have cried out, for Thou hast heard Me, O God” (ver. 6). With a free and strong effort have I directed My prayers unto Thee: for that I might have this power, Thou hast heard Me when praying more weakly. “Incline Thine ear to Me, and hear My words.” Let not Thy hearing forsake My humiliation.
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On Psalms 16:7Saint Augustine of Hippo7. “Make Thy mercies marvellous” (ver. 7). Let not Thy mercies be disesteemed, lest they be loved too little.
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On Psalms 16:8–9Saint Augustine of Hippo8. “Who savest them that hope in Thee from such as resist Thy right hand:” from such as resist the favour, whereby Thou favourest Me. “Keep Me, O Lord, as the apple of Thine eye” (ver. 8): 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…
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On Psalms 16:10Saint Augustine of Hippo9. “Mine enemies have compassed about My soul;” “they have shut up their own fat” (ver. 10). They have been covered with their own gross joy, after that their desire hath been satiated with wickedness. “Their mouth hath spoken pride.” And therefore their mouth spoke pride, in saying, “Hail, King of the Jews,” and other like words.
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On Psalms 16:11Saint Augustine of Hippo10. “Casting Me forth they have now compassed Me about” (ver. 11). 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 mighty evil, and themselves, that slew Him, none.
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On Psalms 16:12Saint Augustine of Hippo11. “As a lion ready for prey, have they taken Me” (ver. 12). They have taken Me, like that adversary who “walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” “And as a lion’s whelp dwelling in secret places.” And as his whelp, the people to whom it was said, “Ye are of your father the devil:” meditating on the snares, whereby they might circumvent and destroy the just One.
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On Psalms 16:13Saint Augustine of Hippo12. “Arise, O Lord, prevent them, and cast them down” (ver. 13). 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.
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On Psalms 16:14Saint Augustine of Hippo13. “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 the righteous from the ungodly. This weapon then “deliver from the enemies of Thine hand,”…
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On Psalms 16:15Open Psalms 16 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 Hippo14. “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 satiated with their uncleanness, that they could not know Me, I shall be satiated, when Thy glory…
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