Psalms 17
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 17 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.
50 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (3) follow the text.
Psalms 17
1(18) For the end, a Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord; the words which he spoke to the Lord, even the words of this Song, in the day in which the Lord delivered him out the hand of all his enemies, and out the hand of Saul: and he said:Εἰς τὸ τέλος τῷ παιδὶ Κυρίου τῷ Δαυὶδ, ἃ ἐλάλησε τῷ Κυρίῳ, τοὺς λόγους τῆς ᾠδῆς ταύτης, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ᾗ ἐῤῥύσατο αὐτὸν Κύριος ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς Σαοὺλ, καὶ εἶπεν,
2I will love you, O Lord, my strength.Αγαπήσω σε, Κύριε ἰσχύς μου.
3The Lord is my firm support, and my refuge, and my deliverer; my God is my helper, I will hope in him; he is my defender, and the horn of my salvation, and my helper.Κύριος στερέωμά μου, καὶ καταφυγή μου, καὶ ῥύστης μου· ὁ Θεός μου βοηθός μου, ἐλπιῶ ἐπʼ αὐτόν· ὑπερασπιστής μου, καὶ κέρας σωτηρίας μου, καὶ ἀντιλήπτωρ μου.
4I will call upon the Lord with praises, and I shall be saved from my enemies.Αἰνῶν ἐπικαλέσομαι Κύριον, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου σωθήσομαι.
5The pangs of death compassed me, and the torrents of ungodliness troubled me exceedingly.Περιέσχον με ὠδῖνες θανάτου, καὶ χείμαῤῥοι ἀνομίας ἐξετάραξάν με.
6The pangs of hell came round about me: the snares of death prevented me.Ὠδῖνες ᾅδου περιεκύκλωσάν με, προέφθασάν με παγίδες θανάτου.
7And when I was afflicted I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: he heard my voice out of this holy temple, and my cry shall enter before him, even into his ears.Καὶ ἐν τῷ θλίβεσθαί με ἐπεκαλεσάμην τὸν Κύριον, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν μου ἐκέκραξα· ἤκουσεν ἐκ ναοῦ ἁγίου αὐτοῦ φωνῆς μου. καὶ ἡ κραυγή μου ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὰ ὦτα αὐτοῦ.
8Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains were disturbed, and were shaken, because God was angry with them.Καὶ ἐσαλεύθη, καὶ ἔντρόμος ἐγενήθη ἡ γῆ, καὶ τὰ θεμέλια τῶν ὀρέων ἐταράχθησαν, καὶ ἐσαλεύθησαν, ὅτι ὠργίσθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεός.
9There went up a smoke in his wrath, and fire burst into a flame at his presence: coals were kindled at it.Ἀνέβη καπνὸς ἐν ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ, καὶ πῦρ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ κατεφλόγισεν, ἄνθρακες ἀνήφθησαν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ.
10And he bowed the heaven, and came down: and thick darkness was under his feet.Καὶ ἔκλινεν οὐρανὸν καὶ κατέβη, καὶ γνόφος ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ.
11And he mounted on cherubs and flew: he flew on the wings of winds.Καὶ ἐπέβη ἐπὶ χερουβὶμ καὶ ἐπετάσθη, ἐπετάσθη ἐπὶ πτερύγων ἀνέμων.
12And he made darkness his secret place: round about him was his tabernacle, even dark water in the clouds of the air.Καὶ ἔθετο σκότος ἀποκρυφὴν αὐτοῦ, κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ ἡ σκηνὴ αὐτοῦ, σκοτεινὸν ὕδωρ ἐν νεφέλαις ἀέρων.
13At the brightness before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire.Ἀπὸ τῆς τηλαυγήσεως ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ αἱ νεφέλαι διῆλθον, χάλαζα καὶ ἄνθρακες πυρός.
14The Lord also thundered from heaven, and the Highest uttered his voice.Καὶ ἐβρόντησεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ Κύριος, καὶ ὁ ὕψιστος ἔδωκε φωνὴν αὐτοῦ.
15And he sent forth his weapons, and scattered them; and multiplied lightnings, and routed them.Καὶ ἐξαπέστειλε βέλη καὶ ἐσκόρπισεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀστραπὰς ἐπλήθυνε καὶ συνετάραξεν αὐτούς.
16And the springs of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blasting of the breath of your wrath.Καὶ ὤφθησαν αἱ πηγαὶ τῶν ὑδάτων, καὶ ἀνεκαλύφθη τὰ θεμέλια τῆς οἰκουμένης· ἀπὸ ἐπιτιμήσεώς σου Κύριε, ἀπὸ ἐνπνεύσεως πνεύματος ὀργῆς σου.
17He sent from on high and took me, he drew me to himself out of many waters.Ἐξαπέστειλεν ἐξ ὕψους καὶ ἔλαβέ με, προσελάβετό με ἐξ ὑδάτων πολλῶν.
18He will deliver me from my mighty enemies, and from them that hate me; for they are stronger than I.Ῥύσεταί με ἐξ ἐχθρῶν μου δυνατῶν, καὶ ἐκ τῶν μισούντων με, ὅτι ἐστερεώθησαν ὑπὲρ ἐμέ.
19They prevented me in the day of my affliction: but the Lord was my stay against them.Προέφθασάν με ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακώσεώς μου, καὶ ἐγένετο Κύριος ἀντιστήριγμά μου.
20And he brought me out into a wide place: he will deliver me, because he has pleasure in me.Καὶ ἐξήγαγέ με εἰς πλατυσμὸν, ῥύσεταί με, ὅτι ἠθέλησέ με.
21And the Lord will recompense me according to my righteousness; even according to the purity of my hands will he recompense me.Καὶ ἀνταποδώσει μοι Κύριος κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην μου, καὶ κατὰ τὴν καθαριότητα τῶν χειρῶν μου ἀνταποδώσει μοι.
22For I have kept the way of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God.Ὅτι ἐφύλαξα τὰς ὁδοὺς Κυρίου, καὶ οὐκ ἠσέβησα ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ μου.
23For all his judgments were before me, and his ordinances departed not from me.Ὅτι πάντα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιόν μου, καὶ τὰ δικαιώματα αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀπέστησαν ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ.
24And I shall be blameless with him, and shall keep myself from my iniquity.Καὶ ἔσομαι ἄμωμος μετʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ φυλάξομαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας μου.
25And the Lord shall recompense me according to my righteousness, and according to the purity of my hands before his eyes.Καὶ ἀνταποδώσει μοι Κύριος κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην μου, καὶ κατὰ τὴν καθαριότητα τῶν χειρῶν μου ἐνώπιον τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ.
26With the holy you will be holy; and with the innocent man you will be innocent.Μετὰ ὁσίου ὁσιωθήσῃ, καὶ μετὰ ἀνδρὸς ἀθώου ἀθῶος ἔσῃ·
27And with the excellent man you will be excellent; and with the perverse you will show frowardness.Καὶ μετὰ ἐκλεκτοῦ ἐκλεκτὸς ἔσῃ, καὶ μετὰ στρεβλοῦ διαστρέψεις.
28For you will save the lowly people, and will humble the eyes of the proud.Ὅτι σὺ λαὸν ταπεινὸν σώσεις, καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑπερηφάνων ταπεινώσεις.
29For you, O Lord, will light my lamp: my God, you will lighten my darkness.Ὅτι σὺ φωτιεῖς λύχνον μου Κύριε, ὁ Θεός μου φωτιεῖς τὸ σκότος μου.
30For by you shall I be delivered from a troop; and by my God I will pass over a wall.Ὅτι ἐν σοὶ ῥυσθήσομαι ἀπὸ πειρατηρίου, καὶ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ μου ὑπερβήσομαι τεῖχος.
31As for my God, his way is perfect: the oracles of the Lord are tried in the fire; he is a protector of all them that hope in him.Ὁ Θεός μου, ἄμωμος ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτοῦ, τὰ λόγια Κυρίου πεπυρωμένα, ὑπερασπιστής ἐστι πάντων τῶν ἐλπιζόντων ἐπʼ αὐτόν.
32For who is God but the Lord? and who is a God except our God?Ὅτι τίς Θεὸς πλὴν τοῦ Κυρίου; καὶ τίς Θεὸς πλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν;
33It is God that girds me with strength, and has made my way blameless:Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ περιζωννύων με δύναμιν, καὶ ἔθετο ἄμωμον τὴν ὁδόν μου·
34who strengthens my feet as hart's feet, and sets me upon high places.ὁ καταρτιζόμενος τοὺς πόδας μου ὡσεὶ ἐλάφου, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ἱστῶν με·
35He instructs my hands for war: and you have made my arms as a brazen bow.Διδάσκων χεῖράς μου εἰς πόλεμον· καὶ ἔθου τόξον χαλκοῦν τοὺς βραχίονάς μου,
36And you have made me * secure in my salvation: and your right hand has helped me, and your correction has upheld me to the end; yes, your correction itself shall instruct me.καὶ ἔδωκάς με ὑπερασπισμὸν σωτηρίας μου· καὶ ἡ δεξιά σου ἀντελάβετό μου, καὶ ἡ παιδεία σου ἀνώρθωσέ με εἰς τέλος, καὶ ἡ παιδεία σου αὐτή με διδάξει.
37You have made room for my goings under me, and by footsteps did not fail.Ἐπλάτυνας τὰ διαβήματά μου ὑποκάτω μου, καὶ οὐκ ἠσθένησαν τὰ ἴχνη μου.
38I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them; and I will not turn back until they are consumed.Καταδιώξω τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου, καὶ καταλήψομαι αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐκ ἀποστραφήσομαι, ἕως ἂν ἐκλείπωσιν.
39I will dash them to pieces and they shall not be able to stand: they shall fall under my feet.Ἐκθλίψω αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐ μὴ δύνωνται στῆναι, πεσοῦνται ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας μου.
40For you have girded me with strength for war: you have beaten down under me all that rose up against me.Καὶ περιέζωσάς με δύναμιν εἰς πόλεμον, συνεπόδισας πάντας τοὺς ἐπανισταένους ἐπʼ ἐμὲ ὑποκάτω μου.
41And you have made my enemies turn their backs before me; and you have destroyed them that hated me.Καὶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου ἔδωκάς μοι νῶτον, καὶ τοὺς μισοῦντάς με ἐξωλόθρευσας.
42They cried, but there was no deliverer: even to the Lord, but he listened not to them.Ἐκέκραξαν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ σώζων· πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ οὐκ εἰσήκουεν αὐτῶν.
43I will grind them as the mud of the streets: and I will beat them small as dust before the wind.Καὶ λεπτυνῶ αὐτοὺς ὡς χοῦν κατὰ πρόσωπον ἀνέμου, ὡς πηλὸν πλατειῶν λεανῶ αὐτούς.
44Deliver me from the gain sayings of the people: you shall make me head of the Gentiles: a people whom I knew not served me,Ῥῦσαί με ἐξ ἀντιλογιῶν λαοῦ, καταστήσεις με εἰς κεφαλὴν ἐθνῶν· λαὸς ὃν οὐκ ἔγνων, ἐδούλευσέ μοι,
45at the hearing of the ear they obeyed me: the strange children † lied to me.εἰς ἀκοὴν ὠτίου ὑπήκουσέ μοι· υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι ἐψεύσαντό μοι,
46The strange children waxed old, and fell away from their paths through lameness.υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι ἐπαλαιώθησαν, καὶ ἐχώλαναν ἀπὸ τῶν τρίβων αὐτῶν.
47The Lord lives; and blessed be my God; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.Ζῇ Κύριος, καὶ εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεός μου, καὶ ὑψωθήτω ὁ Θεὸς τῆς σωτηρίας μου.
48It is God that avenges me, and has subdued the nations under me;Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ διδοὺς ἐκδικήσεις ἐμοὶ, καὶ ὑποτάξας λαοὺς ὑπʼ ἐμὲ,
49my deliverer from angry enemies: you shall set me on high ‡ above them that rise up against me: you shall deliver me from the unrighteous man.ὁ ῥύστης μου ἐξ ἐχθρῶν ὀργίλων· ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπανισταμένων ἐπʼ ἐμὲ ὑψώσεις με, ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς ἀδίκου ῥύσῃ με.
50Therefore will I confess to you, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.Διὰ τοῦτο ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι ἐν ἔθνεσι, Κύριε, καὶ τῷ ὀνόματί σου ψαλῶ.
51God magnifies the deliverances of his king; and deals mercifully with David his anointed, and his seed, for ever.Μεγαλύνων τὰς σωτηρίας τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτοῦ, καὶ ποιῶν ἔλεος τῷ χριστῷ αὐτοῦ τῷ Δαυὶδ, καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ ἕως αἰῶνος.
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. 35*Gr. the protection of.
- v. 44†Or, feigned obedience.
- v. 48‡Or, out of the way of.
The Fathers on Psalms 17
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 17:2Saint Augustine of Hippo2. Christ, then, and the Church, that is, whole Christ, the Head and the Body, saith here, “I will love Thee, O Lord, My strength” (ver. 1). I will love Thee, O Lord, by whom I am strong.
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On Psalms 17:3Saint Augustine of Hippo3. “O Lord, My stay, and My refuge, and My deliverer” (ver. 2). O Lord, who hast stayed Me, because I sought refuge with Thee: and I sought refuge, because Thou hast delivered Me. “My God is My helper; and I will hope in Him.” My God, who hast first afforded me the help of Thy call, that I might be able to hope in Thee. “My defender, and the horn of My salvation, and My redeemer.” My defender, because I have not…
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On Psalms 17:4Saint Augustine of Hippo4. “With praise will I call upon the Lord, and I shall be safe from Mine enemies” (ver. 3). Seeking not My own but the Lord’s glory, I will call upon Him, and there shall be no means whereby the errors of ungodliness can hurt Me.
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On Psalms 17:5Saint Augustine of Hippo5. “The pains of death,” that is, of the flesh, have “compassed Me about. And the overflowings of ungodliness have troubled Me” (ver. 4). Ungodly troubles stirred up for a time, like torrents of rain which will soon subside, have come on to trouble Me.
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On Psalms 17:6Saint Augustine of Hippo6. “The pains of hell compassed Me about” (ver. 5). Among those that compassed Me about to destroy Me, were pains of envy, which work death, and lead on to the hell of sin. “The snares of death prevented Me.” They prevented Me, so that they wished to hurt Me first, which shall afterwards be recompensed unto them. Now they seize unto destruction such men as they have evilly persuaded by the boast of righteousness:…
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On Psalms 17:7Saint Augustine of Hippo7. “And in Mine oppression I called upon the Lord, and cried unto My God. And He heard My voice from His holy temple” (ver. 6). He heard from My heart, wherein He dwelleth, My voice. “And My cry in His sight entered into His ears;” and My cry, which I utter, not in the ears of men, but inwardly before Him Himself, “entered into His ears.”
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On Psalms 17:8Saint Augustine of Hippo8. “And the earth was moved and trembled” (ver. 7). When the Son of Man was thus glorified, sinners were moved and trembled. “And the foundations of the mountains were troubled.” And the hopes of the proud, which were in this life, were troubled. “And were moved, for God was wroth with them.” That is, that the hope of temporal goods might have now no more establishment in the hearts of men.
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On Psalms 17:9Saint Augustine of Hippo9. “There went up smoke in His wrath” (ver. 8). The tearful supplication of penitents went up, when they came to know God’s threatenings against the ungodly. “And fire burneth from His face.” And the ardour of love after repentance burns by the knowledge of Him. “Coals were kindled from Him.” They, who were already dead, abandoned by the fire of good desire and the light of righteousness, and who remained in…
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On Psalms 17:10Saint Augustine of Hippo10. “And He bowed the heaven, and came down” (ver. 9). And He humbled the just One, that He might descend to men’s infirmity. “And darkness under His feet.” And the ungodly, who savour of things earthly, in the darkness of their own malice, knew not Him: for the earth under His feet is as it were His footstool.
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On Psalms 17:11Saint Augustine of Hippo11. “And He mounted above the cherubim, and did fly” (ver. 10). And He was exalted above the fulness of knowledge, that no man should come to Him but by love: for “love is the fulfilling of the law.” And full soon He showed to His lovers that He is incomprehensible, lest they should suppose that He is comprehended by corporeal imaginations. “He flew above the wings of the winds.” But that swiftness, whereby He…
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On Psalms 17:12Saint Augustine of Hippo12. “And hath made darkness His hiding place” (ver. 11). And hath settled the obscurity of the Sacraments, and the hidden hope in the heart of believers, where He may lie hid, and not abandon them. In this darkness too, wherein “we yet walk by faith, and not by sight,” as long as “we hope for what we see not, and with patience wait for it.” “Round about Him is His tabernacle.” Yet they that believe Him turn to…
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On Psalms 17:13Saint Augustine of Hippo13. “In respect of the brightness in His sight” (ver. 12): in comparison with the brightness, which is in the sight of His manifestation. “His clouds have passed over.” The preachers of His word are not now bounded by the confines of Judæa, but have passed over to the Gentiles. “Hail and coals of fire.” Reproofs are figured, whereby, as by hail, the hard hearts are bruised: but if a cultivated and genial soil,…
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On Psalms 17:14Saint Augustine of Hippo14. “And the Lord hath thundered from heaven” (ver. 13). And in confidence of the Gospel the Lord hath sounded forth from the heart of the just One. “And the Highest gave His voice;” that we might entertain it, and in the depth of human things, might hear things heavenly.
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On Psalms 17:15Saint Augustine of Hippo15. “And He sent out His arrows, and scattered them” (ver. 14). And He sent out Evangelists traversing straight paths on the wings of strength, not in their own power, but His by whom they were sent. And “He scattered them,” to whom they were sent, that to some of them they should be “the savour of life unto life, to others the savour of death unto death.” “And He multiplied lightnings, and troubled them.” And He…
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On Psalms 17:16Saint Augustine of Hippo16. “And the fountains of water were seen. And the fountains of water springing up into everlasting life,” which were made in the preachers, were seen. “And the foundations of the round world were revealed” (ver. 15). And the Prophets, who were not understood, and upon whom was to be built the world of believers in the Lord, were revealed. “At Thy chiding, O Lord:” crying out, “The kingdom of God is come nigh…
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On Psalms 17:17Saint Augustine of Hippo17. “He hath sent down from on high, and hath fetched Me (ver. 16): by calling out of the Gentiles for an inheritance “a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle.” “He hath taken Me out of the multitude of waters.” He hath taken Me out of the multitude of peoples.
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On Psalms 17:18Saint Augustine of Hippo18. “He hath delivered Me from My strongest enemies” (ver. 17). He hath delivered Me from Mine enemies, who prevailed to the afflicting and overturning of this temporal life of Mine. “And from them which hate Me; for they are too strong for Me:” as long as I am under them knowing not God.
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On Psalms 17:19Saint Augustine of Hippo19. “They have prevented Me in the day of My affliction” (ver. 18). They have first injured Me, in the time when I am bearing a mortal and toilsome body. “And the Lord hath become My stay.” And since the stay of earthly pleasure was disturbed and torn up by the bitterness of misery, the Lord hath become My stay.
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On Psalms 17:20Saint Augustine of Hippo20. “And hath brought Me forth into a broad place” (ver. 19). And since I was enduring the straits of the flesh, He brought Me forth into the spiritual breadth of faith. “He hath delivered Me, because He desired Me.” Before that I desired Him, He delivered Me from My most powerful enemies (who were envious of Me when I once desired Him), and from them that hated Me, because I do desire Him.
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On Psalms 17:21Saint Augustine of Hippo21. “And the Lord shall reward Me according to My righteousness” (ver. 20). And the Lord shall reward Me according to the righteousness of My good will, who first showed mercy, before that I had the good will. “And according to the cleanness of My hands He will recompense Me.” And according to the cleanness of My deeds He will recompense Me, who hath given Me to do well by bringing Me forth into the broad place…
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On Psalms 17:22Saint Augustine of Hippo22. “Because I have kept the ways of the Lord” (ver. 21). That the breadth of good works, that are by faith, and the long-suffering of perseverance should follow after.
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On Psalms 17:23Saint Augustine of Hippo23. “Nor have I walked impiously apart from My God.” “For all His judgments are in My sight” (ver. 22). “For” with persevering contemplation I weigh “all His judgments,” that is, the rewards of the righteous, and the punishments of the ungodly, and the scourges of such as are to be chastened, and the trials of such as are to be proved. “And I have not cast out His righteousness from Me:” as they do that faint…
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On Psalms 17:24Saint Augustine of Hippo24. “And I shall be undefiled with Him, and I shall keep Myself from Mine iniquity” (ver. 23).
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On Psalms 17:25Saint Augustine of Hippo25. “And the Lord shall reward Me according to My righteousness (ver. 24). Accordingly not only for the breadth of faith, which worketh by love; but also for the length of perseverance, will the Lord reward Me according to My righteousness. “And according to the cleanness of My hands in the sight of His eyes.” Not as men see, but “in the sight of His eyes.” For “the things that are seen are temporal; but the…
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On Psalms 17:26Saint Augustine of Hippo26. “With the holy Thou shalt be holy” (ver. 25). There is a hidden depth also, wherein Thou art known to be holy with the holy, for that Thou makest holy. “And with the harmless Thou shalt be harmless.” For Thou harmest no man, but each one is bound by the bands of his own sins.
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On Psalms 17:26Saint Augustine of Hippo27. “And with the chosen Thou shalt be chosen.” (ver. 26). And by him whom Thou choosest, Thou art chosen. “And with the froward Thou shalt be froward.” And with the froward Thou seemest froward: for they say, “The way of the Lord is not right:” and their way is not right.
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On Psalms 17:28Saint Augustine of Hippo28. “For Thou wilt make whole the humble people” (ver. 27). Now this seems froward to the froward, that Thou wilt make them whole that confess their sins. “And Thou wilt humble the eyes of the proud.” But them that are “ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seek to establish their own,” Thou wilt humble.
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On Psalms 17:29Saint Augustine of Hippo29. “For thou wilt light My candle, O Lord” (ver. 28). For our light is not from ourselves; but “Thou wilt light my candle, O Lord. O my God, Thou wilt enlighten my darkness.” For we through our sins are darkness; but “Thou, O my God, wilt enlighten my darkness.”
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On Psalms 17:30Saint Augustine of Hippo30. “For by Thee shall I be delivered from temptation” (ver. 29). For not by myself, but by Thee, shall I be delivered from temptation. “And in my God shall I leap over the wall.” And not in myself, but in my God shall I leap over the wall, which sin has raised between men and the heavenly Jerusalem.
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On Psalms 17:32Saint Augustine of Hippo31. “My God, His way is undefiled” (ver. 30). My God cometh not unto men, except they shall have purified the way of faith, whereby He may come to them; for that “His way is undefiled.” “The words of the Lord have been proved by fire.” The words of the Lord are tried by the fire of tribulation. “He is the Protector of them that hope in Him.” And all that hope not in themselves, but in Him, are not consumed by…
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On Psalms 17:32Saint Augustine of Hippo32. “For who is God, but the Lord?” (ver. 31) whom we serve. “And who God, but our God?” And who is God, but the Lord? whom after good service we sons shall possess as the hoped-for inheritance.
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On Psalms 17:33Saint Augustine of Hippo33. “God, who hath girded me with strength” (ver. 32). God, who hath girded me that I might be strong, lest the loosely flowing folds of desire hinder my deeds and steps. “And hath made my way undefiled.” And hath made the way of love, whereby I may come to Him, undefiled, as the way of faith is undefiled, whereby He comes to me.
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On Psalms 17:33Saint Augustine of Hippo34. “Who hath made my feet perfect like harts’ feet” (ver. 33). Who hath made my love perfect to surmount the thorny and dark entanglements of this world. “And will set me up on high.” And will fix my aim on the heavenly habitation, that “I may be filled with all the fulness of God.”
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On Psalms 17:35Saint Augustine of Hippo35. “Who teacheth my hands for battle” (ver. 34). Who teacheth me to work for the overthrow of mine enemies, who strive to shut the kingdom of heaven against us. “And Thou hast made mine arms as a bow of steel.” And Thou hast made my earnest striving after good works unwearied.
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On Psalms 17:36Saint Augustine of Hippo36. “And Thou hast given me the defence of my salvation, and Thy right hand hath held me up” (ver. 35). And the favour of Thy grace hath held me up. “And Thy discipline hath directed me to the end.” And Thy correction, not suffering me to wander from the way, hath directed me that whatsoever I do, I refer to that end, whereby I may cleave to Thee. “And this Thy discipline, it shall teach me.” And that same…
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On Psalms 17:37Saint Augustine of Hippo37. “Thou hast enlarged my steps under me” (ver. 36). Nor shall the straits of the flesh hinder me; for Thou hast enlarged my love, working in gladness even with these mortal things and members which are under me. “And my footsteps have not been weakened.” And either my goings, or the marks which I have imprinted for the imitation of those that follow, have not been weakened.
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On Psalms 17:38Saint Augustine of Hippo38. “I will follow up mine enemies, and seize them” (ver. 37). I will follow up my carnal affections, and will not be seized by them, but will seize them, so that they may be consumed. “And I will not turn, till they fail.” And from this purpose I will not turn myself to rest, till they fail who make a tumult about me.
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On Psalms 17:38Saint Augustine of Hippo41. “And thou hast given mine enemies the back to me” (ver. 40). And thou hast turned mine enemies, and hast made them to be a back to me, that is, to follow me. “And Thou hast destroyed them that hate me.” But such other of them as have persisted in hatred, Thou hast destroyed.
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On Psalms 17:39Saint Augustine of Hippo39. “I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand” (ver. 38): and they shall not hold out against me. “They shall fall under my feet.” When they are cast down, I will place before me the loves whereby I walk for evermore.
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On Psalms 17:40Saint Augustine of Hippo40. “And Thou hast girded me with strength to the war” (ver. 39). And the loose desires of my flesh hast Thou bound up with strength, that in such a fight I may not be encumbered. “Thou hast supplanted under me them that rose up against me.” Thou hast caused them to be deceived, who followed upon me, that they should be brought under me, who desired to be over me.
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On Psalms 17:42Saint Augustine of Hippo42. “They have cried out, and there was none to save them” (ver. 41). For who can save them, whom Thou wouldest not save? “To the Lord, and He did not hear them.” Nor did they cry out to any chance one, but to the Lord: and He did not judge them worthy of being heard, who depart not from their wickedness.
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On Psalms 17:43Saint Augustine of Hippo43. “And I will beat them as small as dust before the face of the wind” (ver. 42). And I will beat them small; for dry they are, receiving not the shower of God’s mercy; that borne aloft and puffed up with pride they may be hurried along from firm and unshaken hope, and as it were from the earth’s solidity and stability. “As the clay of the streets I will destroy them.” In their wanton and loose course along the…
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On Psalms 17:44Saint Augustine of Hippo44. “Thou wilt deliver Me from the contradictions of the people” (ver. 43). Thou wilt deliver Me from the contradictions of them who said, “If we send Him away, all the world will go after Him.”
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On Psalms 17:45Saint Augustine of Hippo45. “Thou shalt make Me the head of the Gentiles. A people whom I have not known have served Me.” The people of the Gentiles, whom in bodily presence I have not visited, have served Me. “At the hearing of the ear they have obeyed Me” (ver. 44). They have not seen Me with the eye: but, receiving my preachers, at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed Me.
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On Psalms 17:46Saint Augustine of Hippo46. “The strange children have lied unto Me.” Children, not to be called Mine, but rather strange children, to whom it is rightly said, “Ye are of your father the devil,” have lied unto Me. “The strange children have waxen old” (ver. 45). The strange children, to whom for their renovation I brought the new Testament, have remained in the old man. “And they have halted from their own paths.” And like those that…
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On Psalms 17:47Saint Augustine of Hippo47. “The Lord liveth, and blessed be my God.” “But to be carnally minded is death:” for “the Lord liveth, and blessed be my God. And let the God of my salvation be exalted” (ver. 46). And let me not think after an earthly fashion of the God of my salvation; nor look from Him for this earthly salvation, but that on high.
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On Psalms 17:48Saint Augustine of Hippo48. “O God, who givest Me vengeance, and subduest the people under Me” (ver. 47). O God, who avengest Me by subduing the people under Me. “My Deliverer from My angry enemies:” the Jews crying out, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him.”
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On Psalms 17:49Saint Augustine of Hippo49. “From them that rise up against Me Thou wilt exalt Me” (ver. 48). From the Jews that rise up against Me in My passion, Thou wilt exalt Me in My resurrection. “From the unjust man Thou wilt deliver Me.” From their unjust rule Thou wilt deliver Me.
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On Psalms 17:50Saint Augustine of Hippo50. “For this cause will I confess to Thee among the Gentiles, O Lord” (ver. 49). For this cause shall the Gentiles confess to Thee through Me, O Lord. “And I will sing unto Thy Name.” And Thou shalt be more widely known by My good deeds.
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On Psalms 17:51Open Psalms 17 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 Hippo51. “Magnifying the salvation of His King” (ver. 50). God, who magnifieth, so as to make wonderful, the salvation, which His Son giveth to believers. “And showing mercy to His Christ:” God, who showeth mercy to His Christ: “To David and to His seed for evermore:” to the Deliverer Himself strong of hand, who hath overcome this world; and to them whom, as believers in the Gospel, He hath begotten for evermore. What…
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