Psalms 26
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 26 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.
14 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (3) follow the text.
Psalms 26
1(27) A Psalm of David, before he was anointed. The Lord is my light and my Saviour; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?Τοῦ Δαυὶδ, πρὸ τοῦ χρισθῆναι. Κύριος φωτισμός μου καὶ σώτηρ μου, τίνα φοβηθήσομαι; Κύριος ὑπερασπιστὴς τῆς ζωῆς μου, ἀπὸ τίνος δειλιάσω;
2When evil-doers drew near against me to eat up my flesh, my persecutors and my enemies, they fainted and fell.Ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν ἐπʼ ἐμὲ κακοῦντας, τοῦ φαγεῖν τὰς σάρκας μου, οἱ θλίβοντες με καὶ οἱ ἐχθροί μου, αὐτοὶ ἠσθένησαν καὶ ἔπεσαν.
3Though an army should set itself in array against me, my heart shall not be afraid: though war should rise up against me, in this am I confident.Ἐὰν παρατάξηται ἐπʼ ἐμὲ παρεμβολὴ, οὐ φοβηθήσεται ἡ καρδία μου· ἐὰν ἐπαναστῇ ἐπʼ ἐμὲ πόλεμος, ἐν ταύτῃ ἐγὼ ἐλπιζω.
4One thing have I asked of the Lord, this will I earnestly seek: that I should dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, that I should behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and survey his temple.Μίαν ᾐτησάμην παρὰ Κυρίου, ταύτην ἐκζητήσω, τοῦ κατοικεῖν με ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου, τοῦ θεωρεῖν με τὴν τερπνότητα Κυρίου, καὶ ἐπισκέπτεσθαι τὸν ναὸν αὐτοῦ.
5For in the day of my afflictions he hid me in his tabernacle: he sheltered me in the secret of his tabernacle; he set me up on a rock.Ὅτι ἔκρυψέ με ἐν σκηνῇ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῶν μου, ἐσκέπασέ με ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ τῆς σκῆνης αὐτοῦ· ἐν πέτρᾳ ὕψωσέ με,
6And now, behold, he has lifted up my head over my enemies: I went round and offered in his tabernacle the sacrifice of * joy; I will sing † even sing psalms to the Lord.καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ὕψωσε τὴν κεφαλήν μου ἐπʼ ἐχθρούς μου· ἐκύκλωσα καὶ ἔθυσα ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ αὐτοῦ θυσίαν ἀλαλαγμοῦ, ᾄσομαι καὶ ψαλῶ τῷ Κυρίῳ·
7Hear, O Lord, my voice which I have uttered aloud: pity me, and listen to me.Εἰσάκουσον, Κύριε, τῆς φωνῆς μου ἧς ἐκέκραξα, ἐλέησόν με, καὶ εἰσάκουσόν μου.
8My heart said to you, I have diligently sought your face: your face, O Lord, I will seek.Σοὶ εἶπεν ἡ καρδία μου, ἐξεζήτησα τὸ πρόσωπόν σου, τὸ πρόσωπόν σου Κύριε ζητήσω.
9Turn not your face away from me, turn not you away from your servant in anger: be you my helper, forsake me not; and, O God my Saviour, overlook me not.Μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, μὴ ἐκκλίνῃς ἐν ὀργῇ ἀπὸ τοῦ δούλου σου· βοηθός μου γενοῦ, μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς με, καὶ μὴ ὑπερίδῃς με ὁ Θεὸς ὁ σωτήρ μου.
10For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord has taken me to himself.Ὅτι ὁ πατήρ μου καὶ ἡ μήτηρ μου ἐγκατέλιπόν με, ὁ δὲ Κύριος προσελάβετό με.
11Teach me, O Lord, in your way, and guide me in a right path, because of my enemies.Νομοθέτησόν με, Κύριε, ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ σου, καὶ ὁδήγησόν με ἐν τρίβῳ εὐθείᾳ ἕνεκα τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου.
12Deliver me not over to the desire of them that afflict me; for unjust witnesses have risen up against me, and injustice has lied within herself.Μὴ παραδῷς με εἰς ψυχὰς θλιβόντων με, ὅτι ἐπανέστησάν μοι μάρτυρες ἄδικοι, καὶ ἐψεύσατο ἡ ἀδικία ἑαυτῇ.
13I believe that I shall see the ‡ goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.Πιστεύω τοῦ ἰδεῖν τὰ ἀγαθὰ Κυρίου ἐν γῇ ζώντων.
14Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and let your heart be strengthened: yes wait on the Lord.Ὑπόμεινον τὸν Κυριον, ἀνδρίζου, καὶ κραταιούσθω ἡ καρδία σου, καὶ ὑπόμεινον τὸν Κύριον.
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. 6*Gr. shouting.
- v. 6†Or, and play on a lute.
- v. 13‡Gr. good things.
The Fathers on Psalms 26
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 26:1Saint Augustine of Hippo1. Christ’s young soldier speaketh, on his coming to the faith. “The Lord is my light, and my salvation: whom shall I fear?” (ver. 1). The Lord will give me both knowledge of Himself, and salvation: who shall take me from Him? “The Lord is the Protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?” The Lord will repel all the assaults and snares of mine enemy: of no man shall I be afraid.
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On Psalms 26:2Saint Augustine of Hippo2. “Whilst the guilty approach unto me to eat up my flesh” (ver. 2). Whilst the guilty come near to recognise and insult me, that they may exalt themselves above me in my change for the better; that with their reviling tooth they may consume not me, but rather my fleshly desires. “Mine enemies who trouble me.” Not they only who trouble me, blaming me with a friendly intent, and wishing to recall me from my…
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On Psalms 26:3Saint Augustine of Hippo3. “If camps stand together against me, my heart will not fear.” But if the multitude of gain-sayers conspire to stand together against me, my heart will not fear, so as to go over to their side. “If war rise up against me, in this will I trust” (ver. 3). If the persecution of this world arise against me, in this petition, which I am pondering, will I place my hope.
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On Psalms 26:4Saint Augustine of Hippo4. “One have I asked of the Lord, this will I require.” For one petition have I asked the Lord, this will I require. “That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life” (ver. 4). That as long as I am in this life, no adversities may exclude me from the number of them who hold the unity and the truth of the Lord’s faith throughout the world. “That I may contemplate the delight of the Lord.” With…
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On Psalms 26:5Saint Augustine of Hippo5. “For He hath hidden me in His tabernacle in the day of my evils” (ver. 5). For He hath hidden me in the dispensation of His Incarnate Word in the time of temptations, to which my mortal life is exposed. “He hath protected me in the secret place of His tabernacle.” He hath protected me, with the heart believing unto righteousness.
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On Psalms 26:6Saint Augustine of Hippo6. “On a rock hath He exalted me.” And that what I believed might be made manifest for salvation, He hath made my confession to be conspicuous in His own strength. “And now, lo! He hath exalted mine head above mine enemies” (ver. 6). What doth He reserve for me at the last, when even now the body is dead because of sin, lo! I feel that my mind serves the law of God, and is not led captive under the rebellious law…
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On Psalms 26:7Saint Augustine of Hippo7. “Hear my voice, O Lord, wherewith I have cried unto Thee” (ver. 7). Hear, Lord, my interior voice, which with a strong intention I have addressed to Thy ears. “Have mercy upon me, and hear me.” Have mercy upon me, and hear me therein.
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On Psalms 26:8Saint Augustine of Hippo8. “My heart hath said to Thee, I have sought Thy countenance” (ver. 8). For I have not exhibited myself to men; but in secret, where Thou alone hearest, my heart hath said to Thee; I have not sought from Thee aught without Thee as a reward, but Thy countenance. “Thy countenance, O Lord, will I seek.” In thus search will I perseveringly persist: for not aught that is common, but Thy countenance, O Lord, will I…
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On Psalms 26:9Saint Augustine of Hippo9. “Turn not away Thy face from me” (ver. 9): that I may find what I seek. “Turn not aside in anger from Thy servant:” lest, while seeking Thee, I fall in with somewhat else. For what is more grievous than this punishment to one who loveth and seeketh the truth of Thy countenance? “Be Thou my Helper.” How shall I find it, if Thou help me not? “Leave me not, neither despise me, O God my Saviour.” Scorn not that a…
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On Psalms 26:10Saint Augustine of Hippo10. “For my father and my mother have left me” (ver. 10). For the kingdom of this world and the city of this world, of which I was born in time and mortality, have left me seeking Thee, and despising what they promised, since they could not give what I seek. “But the Lord took me up.” But the Lord, who can give me Himself, took me up.
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On Psalms 26:11Saint Augustine of Hippo11. “Appoint me a law, O Lord, in Thy way” (ver. 11). For me then who am setting out toward Thee, and commenting so great a profession, of arriving at wisdom, from fear, appoint, O Lord, a law in Thy way, lest in my wandering Thy rule abandon me. “And direct me in the right path because of mine enemies.” And direct me in the right way of its straits. For it is not enough to begin, since enemies cease not until…
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On Psalms 26:12Saint Augustine of Hippo12. “Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me” (ver. 12). Suffer not them that trouble me to be satiated with my evils. “For unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me.” For there have risen up against me they that speak falsely of me, to remove and call me back from Thee, as if I seek glory of men. “And iniquity hath lied unto itself.” Therefore iniquity hath been pleased with its own lie.…
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On Psalms 26:13Saint Augustine of Hippo13. “I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living” (ver. 13). And since my Lord hath first suffered these things, if I too despise the tongues of the dying (“for the mouth that lieth slayeth the soul”), I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living, where there is no place for falsity.
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On Psalms 26:14Open Psalms 26 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. “Wait on the Lord, quit thyself like a man: and let thy heart be strong, yea wait on the Lord” (ver. 14). But when shall this be? It is arduous for a mortal, it is slow to a lover: but listen to the voice, that deceiveth not, of him that saith, “Wait on the Lord.” Endure the burning of the reins manfully, and the burning of the heart stoutly. Think not that what thou dost not as yet receive is denied thee.…
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