Psalms 21
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 21 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.
31 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (4) follow the text.
Psalms 21
1(22) For the end, concerning the morning aid, a Psalm of David.Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀντιλήψεως τῆς ἑωθινῆς, ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυίδ.
2✡ O God, my God, attend to me: why have you forsaken me? the account of my transgressions is far from my salvation.Ὁ Θεός ὁ Θεός μου, πρόσχες μοι, ἱνατί ἐγκατέλιπές με; μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς σωτηρίας μου οἱ λόγοι τῶν παραπτωμάτων μου.
3O my God, I will cry to you by day, but you will not hear: and by night, and it shall not be accounted for folly to me.Ο Θεός μου, κεκράξομαι ἡμέρας πρὸς σὲ καὶ οὐκ εἰσακούσῃ, καὶ νυκτὸς καὶ οὐκ εἰς ἄνοιαν ἐμοί.
4But you, the praise of Israel, dwell in a sanctuary.Σὺ δὲ ἐν ἁγίῳ κατοικεῖς, ὁ ἔπαινος τοῦ Ἰσραήλ.
5Our fathers hoped in you; they hoped, and you did deliver them.Ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισαν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν, ἤλπισαν καὶ ἐῤῥύσω αὐτούς.
6They cried to you, and were saved: they hoped in you, and were not ashamed.Πρὸς σὲ ἐκέκραξαν καὶ ἐσώθησαν, ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισαν καὶ οὐ κατῃσχύνθησαν.
7But I am a worm, and not a man; a reproach of men, and scorn of the people.Ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι σκώληξ καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος, ὄνειδος ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἐξουδένημα λαοῦ.
8All that saw me mocked me: they spoke with their lips, they shook the head, saying,Πάντες οἱ θεωροῦντές με ἐξεμυκτήρισάν με, ἐλάλησαν ἐν χείλεσιν, ἐκίνησαν κεφαλὴν,
9He hoped in the Lord: let him deliver him, let him save him, because he takes pleasure in him.ἤλπισεν ἐπὶ Κύριον, ῥυσάσθω αὐτὸν, σωσάτω αὐτὸν, ὅτι θέλει αὐτόν.
10For you are he that drew me out of the womb; my hope from my mother's breasts.Ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐκσπάσας με ἐκ γαστρὸς, ἡ ἐλπίς μου ἀπὸ μαστῶν τῆς μητρός μου,
11I was cast on you from the womb: you are my God from my mother's belly.ἐπὶ σὲ ἐπεῤῥίφην ἐκ μήτρας· ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου Θεός μου εἶ σύ.
12Stand not aloof from me; for affliction is near; for there is no helper.Μὴ ἀποστῇς ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ· ὅτι θλίψις ἐγγὺς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ βοηθῶν.
13Many * bullocks have compassed me: fat bulls have beset me round.Περιεκύκλωσάν με μόσχοι πολλοί, ταῦροι πίονες περιέσχον με.
14They have opened their mouth against me, as a ravening and roaring lion.Ἤνοιξαν ἐπʼ ἐμὲ τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν, ὡς λέων ὁ ἁρπάζων καὶ ὠρυόμενος.
15I am poured out like water, and all my bones are loosened: my heart in the midst of my belly is become like melting wax.Ὡσεὶ ὕδωρ ἐξεχύθην, καὶ διεσκορπίσθη πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου, ἐγενήθη ἡ καρδία μου ὡσεὶ κηρὸς τηκόμενος ἐν μέσῳ τῆς κοιλίας μου.
16My strength is dried up, like a potsherd; and my tongue is glued to my throat; and you have brought me down to the dust of death.Ἐξηράνθη ὡσεὶ ὄστρακον ἡ ἰσχύς μου, καὶ ἡ γλῶσσά μου κεκόλληται τῷ λάρυγγί μου, καὶ εἰς χοῦν θανάτου κατήγαγές με.
17For many dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked doers has beset me round: they pierced my hands and my feet.Ὅτι ἐκύκλωσάν με κύνες πολλοὶ, συναγωγὴ πονηρευομένων περιέσχον με· ὤρυξαν χεῖράς μου, καὶ πόδας,
18They counted all my bones; and they observed and looked upon me.ἐξηρίθμησαν πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου· αὐτοὶ δὲ κατενόησαν καὶ ἐπεῖδόν με.
19✡ They parted my garments among themselves, and cast lots upon my raiment.Διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτιά μου ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἱματισμόν μου ἔβαλον κλῆρον.
20But you, O Lord, remove not my help afar off: be ready for my aid.Σὺ δὲ Κύριε μὴ μακρύνῃς τὴν βοήθειάν μου, εἰς τὴν ἀντίληψίν μου πρόσχες.
21Deliver my soul from the sword; my only-begotten one from the power of the dog.Ῥῦσαι ἀπὸ ῥομφαίας τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς κυνὸς τὴν μονογενῆ μου.
22Save me from the lion's mouth; and regard my † lowliness from the horns of the unicorns.Σῶσόν με ἐκ στόματος λέοντος, καὶ ἀπὸ κεράτων μονοκερώτων τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου.
23I will declare your name to my brethren: in the midst of the church will I sing praise to you.Διηγήσομαι τὸ ὄνομά σου τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου, ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας ὑμνήσω σε.
24You that fear the Lord, praise him; all you seed of Jacob, glorify him: let all the seed of Israel fear him.Οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον αἰνέσατε αὐτὸν, ἅπαν τὸ σπέρμα Ἰακὼβ δοξάσατε αὐτὸν, φοβηθήτωσαν αὐτὸν ἅπαν τὸ σπέρμα Ἰσραήλ.
25For he has not despised nor been angry at the supplication of the poor; nor turned away his face from me; but when I cried to him, he heard me.Οτι οὐκ ἐξουδένωσεν οὐδὲ προσώχθισε τῇ δεήσει τοῦ πτωχοῦ, οὐδὲ ἀπέστρεψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ· καὶ ἐν τῷ κεκραγέναι με πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰσήκουσέ μου.
26My praise is of you in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.Παρὰ σοῦ ὁ ἔπαινός μου ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ μεγάλῃ, τὰς εὐχάς μου ἀποδώσω ἐνώπιον τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτόν.
27The poor shall eat and be satisfied; and they shall praise the Lord that seek him: their heart shall live for ever.Φάγονται πένητες καὶ ἐμπλησθήσονται, καὶ αἰνέσουσι Κύριον οἱ ἐκζητοῦντες αὐτὸν, ζήσονται αἱ καρδίαι αὐτῶν εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος.
28All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord: and all the kindred of the nations shall worship before him.Μνησθήσονται καὶ ἐπιστραφήσονται πρὸς Κύριον πάντα τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς, καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ πᾶσαι αἱ πατριαὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν.
29For the kingdom is the Lord's; and he is the governor of the nations.Ὅτι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡ βασιλεία, καὶ αὐτὸς δεσπόζει τῶν ἐθνῶν.
30All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and worshipped: all that go down to the earth shall fall down before him: my soul also lives to him.Ἔφαγον καὶ προσεκύνησαν πάντες οἱ πίονες τῆς γῆς· ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ προπεσοῦνται πάντες οἱ καταβαίνοντες εἰς τὴν γῆν· καὶ ἡ ψυχή μου αὐτῷ ζῇ,
31And my seed shall serve him: the generation that is coming shall be reported to the Lord.καὶ τὸ σπέρμα μου δουλεύσει αὐτῷ· ἀναγγελήσεται τῷ Κυρίῳ γενεὰ ἡ ἐρχομένη·
32And they shall report his righteousness to the people that shall be born, whom the Lord has made.Καὶ ἀναγγελοῦσι τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ λαῷ τῷ τεχθησομένῳ, ὃν ἐποίησεν ὁ Κύριος.
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✡Matt 27:46
- v. 12*Gr. calves
- v. 18✡Matt 27:35
- v. 21†See Hebrew.
The Fathers on Psalms 21
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 21:2Saint Augustine of Hippo2. “O God, my God, look upon me, why hast Thou forsaken me far from my salvation?” (ver. 1). Far removed from my salvation: for “salvation is far from sinners.” “The words of my sins.” For these are not the words of righteousness, but of my sins. For it is the old man nailed to the Cross that speaks, ignorant even of the reason why God hath forsaken him: or else it may be thus, The words of my sins are far from…
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On Psalms 21:3Saint Augustine of Hippo3. “My God, I will cry unto Thee in the daytime, and Thou wilt not hear” (ver. 2). My God, I will cry unto Thee in the prosperous circumstances of this life, that they be not changed; and Thou wilt not hear, because I shall cry unto Thee in the words of my sins. “And in the night-season, and not to my folly.” And so in the adversities of this life will I cry to Thee for prosperity; and in like manner Thou wilt…
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On Psalms 21:4Saint Augustine of Hippo4. “But Thou dwellest in the holy place, O Thou praise of Israel” (ver. 3). But Thou dwellest in the holy place, and therefore wilt not hear the unclean words of sins. The “praise” of him that seeth Thee; not of him who hath sought his own praise in tasting of the forbidden fruit, that on the opening of his bodily eyes he should endeavour to hide himself from Thy sight.
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On Psalms 21:5Saint Augustine of Hippo5. “Our Fathers hoped in Thee.” All the righteous, namely, who sought not their own praise, but Thine. “They hoped in Thee, and Thou deliveredst them” (ver. 4).
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On Psalms 21:6Saint Augustine of Hippo6. “They cried unto Thee, and were saved.” They cried unto Thee, not in the words of sins, from which salvation is far; and therefore were they saved. “They hoped in Thee, and were not confounded” (ver. 5). “They hoped in Thee,” and their hope did not deceive them. For they placed it not in themselves.
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On Psalms 21:7Saint Augustine of Hippo7. “But I am a worm, and no man” (ver. 6). But I, speaking now not in the person of Adam, but I in My own person, Jesus Christ, was born without human generation in the flesh, that I might be as man beyond men; that so at least human pride might deign to imitate My humility. “The scorn of men, and outcast of the people.” In which humility I was made the scorn of men, so as that it should be said, as a reproachful…
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On Psalms 21:8Saint Augustine of Hippo8. “All that saw Me laughed Me to scorn” (ver. 7). All that saw Me derided Me. “And spake with the lips, and shook the head.” And they spoke, not with the heart, but with the lips.
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On Psalms 21:9Saint Augustine of Hippo9. For they shook their head in derision, saying, “He trusted in the Lord, let Him deliver Him:” “let Him save Him, since He desireth Him” (ver. 8). These were their words; but they were spoken “with the lips.”
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On Psalms 21:10Saint Augustine of Hippo10. “Since Thou art He who drew Me out of the womb” (ver. 9). Since Thou art He who drew Me, not only out of that Virgin womb (for this is the law of all men’s birth, that they be drawn out of the womb), but also out of the womb of the Jewish nation; by the darkness whereof he is covered, and not yet born into the light of Christ, whosoever places his salvation in the carnal observance of the Sabbath, and of…
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On Psalms 21:11Saint Augustine of Hippo11. “I have been strengthened in Thee from the womb” (ver. 10). It is the womb of the Synagogue, which did not carry Me, but threw Me out: but I fell not, for Thou heldest me. “From My mother’s womb Thou art My God.” “From My mother’s womb: My mother’s womb did not cause that, as a babe, I should be forgetful of Thee.
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On Psalms 21:12Saint Augustine of Hippo12. “Thou art My God,” “depart not from Me; for trouble is hard at hand” (ver. 11). Thou art, therefore, My God, depart not from Me; for trouble is nigh unto Me; for it is in My body. “For there is none to help.” For who helpeth, if Thou helpest not?
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On Psalms 21:13Saint Augustine of Hippo13. “Many calves came about Me.” The multitude of the wanton populace came about Me. “Fat bulls closed Me in” (ver. 12). And their leaders, glad at My oppression, “closed Me in.”
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On Psalms 21:14Saint Augustine of Hippo14. “They opened their mouth upon Me” (ver. 13). They opened their mouth upon Me, not out of Thy Scripture, but of their own lusts. “As a ravening and roaring lion.” As a lion, whose ravening is, that I was taken and led; and whose roaring, “Crucify, Crucify.”
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On Psalms 21:15Saint Augustine of Hippo15. “I was poured out like water, and all My bones were scattered” (ver. 14). “I was poured out like water,” when My persecutors fell: and through fear, the stays of My body, that is, the Church, My disciples were scattered from Me. “My heart became as melting wax, in the midst of my belly.” My wisdom, which was written of Me in the sacred books, was, as if hard and shut up, not understood: but after that the…
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On Psalms 21:16Saint Augustine of Hippo16. “My strength dried up as a potsherd” (ver. 15). My strength dried up by My Passion; not as hay, but a potsherd, which is made stronger by fire. “And My tongue cleaved to My jaws.” And they, through whom I was soon to speak, kept My precepts in their hearts. “And Thou broughtest Me down to the dust of death.” And to the ungodly appointed to death, whom the wind casteth forth as dust from the face of the earth,…
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On Psalms 21:17Saint Augustine of Hippo17. “For many dogs came about Me” (ver. 16). For many came about Me barking, not for truth, but for custom. “The council of the malignant came about Me.” The council of the malignant besieged Me. “They pierced My hands and feet.” They pierced with nails My hands and feet.
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On Psalms 21:18Saint Augustine of Hippo18. “They numbered distinctly all My bones” (ver. 17). They numbered distinctly all My bones, while extended on the wood of the Cross. “Yea, these same regarded, and beheld Me.” Yea, these same, that is, unchanged, regarded and beheld Me.
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On Psalms 21:19Saint Augustine of Hippo19. “They divided My garments for themselves, and cast the lot upon My vesture” (ver. 18).
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On Psalms 21:20Saint Augustine of Hippo20. “But Thou, O Lord, withhold not Thy help far from Me” (ver. 19). But Thou, O Lord, raise Me up again, not as the rest of men, at the end of the world, but immediately. “Look to My defence.” “Look,” that they in no wise hurt Me.
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On Psalms 21:21Saint Augustine of Hippo21. “Deliver My soul from the sword.” “Deliver My soul” from the tongue of dissension. “And My only One from the hand of the dog” (ver. 20). And from the power of the people, barking after their custom, deliver My Church.
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On Psalms 21:22Saint Augustine of Hippo22. “Save Me from the lion’s mouth:” save Me from the mouth of the kingdom of this world: “and my humility from the horns of the unicorns” (ver. 21). And from the loftiness of the proud, exalting themselves to special pre-eminence, and enduring no partakers, save My humility.
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On Psalms 21:23Saint Augustine of Hippo23. “I will declare Thy name to My brethren” (ver. 22). I will declare Thy name to the humble, and to My Brethren that love one another as they have been beloved by Me. “In the midst of the Church will I sing of Thee.” In the midst of the Church will I with rejoicing preach Thee.
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On Psalms 21:23Saint Augustine of Hippo26. “With Thee is My praise” (ver. 25). For I seek not Mine own praise, for Thou art My praise, who dwellest in the holy place; and, praise of Israel, Thou hearest The Holy One now beseeching Thee. “In the great Church I will confess Thee.” In the Church of the whole world “I will confess Thee.” “I will offer My vows in the sight of them that fear Him.” I will offer the sacraments of My Body and Blood in the…
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On Psalms 21:24Saint Augustine of Hippo24. “Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him.” “Ye that fear the Lord,” seek not your own praise, but “praise Him.” “All ye seed of Jacob, magnify Him” (ver. 23). All ye seed of him whom the elder shall serve, magnify Him.
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On Psalms 21:25Saint Augustine of Hippo25. “Let all the seed of Israel fear Him.” Let all who have been born to a new life, and restored to the vision of God “fear Him.” “Since He hath not despised, nor disregarded the prayer of the poor man” (ver. 24). Since He hath not despised the prayer, not of him who, crying unto God in the words of sins was loath to overpass a vain life, but the prayer of the poor man, not swollen up with transitory pomps. “Nor…
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On Psalms 21:27Saint Augustine of Hippo27. “The poor shall eat, and be filled” (ver. 26). The humble and the despisers of the world shall eat, and imitate Me. For so they will neither desire this world’s abundance, nor fear its want. “And they shall praise the Lord, who seek Him.” For the praise of the Lord is the pouring out of that fulness. “Their hearts shall live for ever and ever.” For that food is the food of the heart.
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On Psalms 21:28Saint Augustine of Hippo28. “All the borders of the earth shall remember themselves, and be turned to the Lord” (ver. 27). They shall remember themselves: for, by the Gentiles, born in death and bent on outward things, God had been forgotten; and then shall all the borders of the earth be turned to the Lord. “And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship in His sight.” And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship in their own…
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On Psalms 21:29Saint Augustine of Hippo29. “For the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He shall rule over the nations” (ver. 28). For the kingdom is the Lord’s, not proud men’s: and He shall rule over the nations.
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On Psalms 21:30Saint Augustine of Hippo30. “All the rich of the earth have eaten, and worshipped” (ver. 29). The rich of the earth too have eaten the Body of their Lord’s humiliation, and though they have not, as the poor, been filled even to imitation, yet they have worshipped. “In His sight shall fall all that descend to earth.” For He alone seeth how all they fall, who abandoning a heavenly conversation, make choice, on earth, to appear happy to…
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On Psalms 21:31Saint Augustine of Hippo31. “And My Soul shall live to Him.” And My Soul, which in the contempt of this world seems to men as it were to die, shall live, not to itself, but to Him. “And My seed shall serve Him” (ver. 30). And My deeds, or they who through Me believe on Him, shall serve Him.
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On Psalms 21:31Open Psalms 21 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 Hippo32. “The generation to come shall be declared to the Lord” (ver. 31). The generation of the New Testament shall be declared to the honour of the Lord. “And the heavens shall declare His righteousness.” And the Evangelists shall declare His righteousness. “To a people that shall be born, whom the Lord hath made.” To a people that shall be born to the Lord through faith.
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