Psalms 32
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 32 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.
22 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (3) follow the text.
Psalms 32
1(33) A Psalm of David. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous; praise becomes the upright.Τῷ Δαυίδ. Ἀγαλλιᾶσθε δίκαιοι ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ, τοῖς εὐθέσι πρέπει αἴνεσις.
2* Praise the Lord on the harp; platy to him on a lute of ten strings.Ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν κιθάρᾳ, ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ δεκαχόρδῳ ψάλατε αὐτῷ.
3Sing to him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.Ἄσατε αὐτῷ ᾆσμα καινὸν, καλῶς ψάλατε ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ.
4For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are † faithful.Ὅτι εὐθὴς ὁ λόγος τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐν πίστει.
5He loves mercy and judgment; the earth is full the mercy of the Lord.Ἀγαπᾷ ἐγεημοσύνην καὶ κρίσιν, τοῦ ἐλέους Κυρίου πλήρης ἡ γῆ.
6By the word of the Lord the heavens were established; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.Τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ Κυρίου οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἐστερεώθησαν, καὶ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις αὐτῶν.
7Who gathers the waters of the sea as in a bottle; who lays up the deeps in treasuries.Συνάγων ὡσεὶ ἀσκὸν ὕδατα θαλάσσης, τιθεὶς ἐν θησαυροῖς ἀβύσσους.
8Let all the earth fear the Lord; and let all that dwell in the world be moved because of him.Φόβηθήτω τὸν Κύριον πᾶσα ἡ γῆ, ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ δὲ σαλευθήτωσαν πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν οἰκουμένην.
9For he spoke, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created.Ὅτι αὐτὸς εἶπε καὶ ἐγενήθησαν, αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατο καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν.
10The Lord frustrates the counsels of the nations; he brings to nothing also the reasonings of the peoples, and brings to nothing the counsels of princes.Κύριος διασκεδάζει βουλὰς ἐθνῶν, ἀθετεῖ δὲ λογισμοὺς λαῶν, καὶ ἀθετεῖ βουλὰς ἀρχόντων.
11But the counsel of the Lord endures for ever, the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation.Ἡ δὲ βουλὴ τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μένει, λογισμοὶ τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ γενεῶν εἰς γενεάς.
12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.Μακάριον τὸ ἔθνος οὗ ἐστι Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοῦ, λαὸς ὃν ἐξελέξατο εἰς κληρονομίαν ἑαυτῷ.
13The Lord looks out of heaven; he beholds all the sons of men.Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐπέβλεψεν ὁ Κύριος, εἶδε πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
14He looks from his prepared habitation on all the dwellers on the earth;Ἐξ ἑτοίμου κατοικητηρίου αὐτοῦ ἐπέβλεψεν ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν γῆν.
15who fashioned their hearts ‡ alone; who understands all their works.Ὁ πλάσας κατὰ μόνας τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν, ὁ συνιεὶς πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν.
16A king is not saved by reason of a great host; and a giant shall not be delivered by the greatness of his strength.Οὐ σώζεται βασιλεὺς διὰ πολλὴν δύναμιν, καὶ γίγας οὐ σωθήσεται ἐν πλήθει ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ.
17A horse is vain for safety; neither shall he be delivered by the greatness of his power.Ψευδὴς ἵππος εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἐν δὲ πλήθει δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ οὐ σωθήσεται.
18Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him, those that hope in his mercy;Ἰδοὺ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου ἐπὶ τοὺς φοβουμένους αὐτὸν, τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ,
19to deliver their souls from death, and to keep them alive in famine.ῥύσασθαι ἐκ θανάτου τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν, καὶ διαθρέψαι αὐτοὺς ἐν λιμῷ.
20Our soul waits on the Lord; for he is our helper and defender.Ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν ὑπομένει τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι βοηθὸς καὶ ὑπερασπιστὴς ἡμῶν ἐστιν.
21For our heart shall rejoice in him, and we have hoped in his holy name.Ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ εὐφρανθήσεται ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τῷ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ ἠλπίσαμεν.
22Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in you.Γένοιτο τὸ ἔλεός σου, Κύριε, ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς, καθάπερ ἠλπίσαμεν ἐπὶ σέ.
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. 2*Rather, 'confess' or give thanks to.'
- v. 4†Rather, Gr. in or with faithfulness.
- v. 15‡Perhaps 'individually.' Vulg. sigillatim.
The Fathers on Psalms 32
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 32:1Saint Augustine of Hippo1. “Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous:” rejoice, O ye righteous, not in yourselves, for that is not safe; but in the Lord. “For praise is comely to the upright” (ver. 1): these praise the Lord, who submit themselves unto the Lord; for else they are distorted and perverse.
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On Psalms 32:2Saint Augustine of Hippo2. “Praise the Lord with harp:” praise the Lord, presenting unto Him your bodies a living sacrifice. “Sing unto Him with the psaltery for ten strings” (ver. 2): let your members be servants to the love of God, and of your neighbour, in which are kept both the three and the seven commandments.
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On Psalms 32:3Saint Augustine of Hippo3. “Sing unto Him a new song:” sing unto Him a song of the grace of faith. “Sing skilfully unto Him with jubilation” (ver. 3): sing skillfully unto Him with rejoicing.
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On Psalms 32:4Saint Augustine of Hippo4. “For the Word of the Lord is right:” for the Word of the Lord is right, to make you that which of yourselves ye cannot be. “And all His works are done in faith” (ver. 4): lest any think that by the merit of works he hath arrived at faith, when in faith are done all the works which God Himself loveth.
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On Psalms 32:5Saint Augustine of Hippo5. “He loveth Mercy and Judgment:” for He loveth Mercy, which now He showeth first; and Judgment, wherewith He exacteth that which He hath first shown. “The earth is full of the Mercy of the Lord” (ver. 5): throughout the whole world are sins forgiven unto men by the Mercy of the Lord.
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On Psalms 32:6Saint Augustine of Hippo6. “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made firm:” for not by themselves, but by the Word of the Lord were the righteous made strong. “And all the strength of them by the Breath of His Mouth” (ver. 6). And all their faith by His Holy Spirit.
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On Psalms 32:7Saint Augustine of Hippo7. “He gathereth the waters of the sea together as into a bottle:” He gathered the people of the world together, to confession of mortified sin, lest through pride they flow too freely. “He layeth up the deep in storehouses” (ver. 7): and keepeth in them His secrets for riches.
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On Psalms 32:8Saint Augustine of Hippo8. “Let all the earth fear the Lord:” let every sinner fear, that so he may cease to sin. “Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him” (ver. 8): not of the terrors of men, or of any creature, but of Him let them stand in awe.
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On Psalms 32:9Saint Augustine of Hippo9. “For He spake, and they were made:” for no other one made those things which are to fear; but He spake, and they were made. “He commanded, and they were created” (ver. 9): He commanded by His Word, and they were created.
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On Psalms 32:10Saint Augustine of Hippo10. “The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought;” of them that seek not His Kingdom, but kingdoms of their own. “He maketh the devices of the people of none effect:” of them that covet earthly happiness. “And reproveth the counsels of princes” (ver. 10): of them that seek to rule over such peoples.
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On Psalms 32:11Saint Augustine of Hippo11. “But the counsel of the Lord standeth for ever;” but the counsel of the Lord, whereby He maketh none blessed but him that submitteth unto Himself, standeth for ever. The thoughts of His Heart to all generations” (ver. 11): the thoughts of His Wisdom are not mutable, but endure to all generations.
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On Psalms 32:12Saint Augustine of Hippo12. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord:” one nation is blessed, belonging to the heavenly city, which hath not chosen save the Lord for their God: “And the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance” (ver. 12): and which not of itself, but by the gift of God, hath been chosen, that He by possessing it may not suffer it to be uncared for and miserable.
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On Psalms 32:13Saint Augustine of Hippo13. “The Lord looketh from Heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men” (ver. 13). From the souls of the righteous, the Lord looketh mercifully upon all who would rise to newness of life.
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On Psalms 32:14Saint Augustine of Hippo14. “From His prepared habitation:” from His habitation of assumed Humanity, which He prepared for Himself. “He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth” (ver. 14): He looketh mercifully upon all who live in the flesh, that He may be over them in ruling them.
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On Psalms 32:15Saint Augustine of Hippo15. “He fashioneth their hearts singly:” He giveth spiritually to their hearts their proper gifts, so that neither the whole body may be eye, nor the whole hearing; but that one in this manner, another in that manner, may be incorporated with Christ. “He understandeth all their works” (ver. 15). Before Him are all their works understood.
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On Psalms 32:16Saint Augustine of Hippo16. “A king shall not be saved by much strength:” he shall not be saved who ruleth his own flesh, if he presume much upon his own strength. “Neither shall a giant be saved by much strength” (ver. 16): nor shall he be saved whoever warreth against the habit of his own lust, or against the devil and his angels, if he trust much to his own might.
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On Psalms 32:16Saint Augustine of Hippo17. “A horse is a deceitful thing for safety:” he is deceived, who thinketh either that through men he gaineth salvation received among men, or that by the impetuosity of his own courage he is defended from destruction. “In the abundance of his strength shall he not be saved” (ver. 17).
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On Psalms 32:18Saint Augustine of Hippo18. “Behold, the Eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear Him:” because if thou seek salvation, behold, the love of the Lord is upon them that fear Him. “Upon them that hope in His mercy” (ver. 18): that hope not in their own strength, but in His mercy.
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On Psalms 32:19Saint Augustine of Hippo19. “To deliver their souls from death, and to keep them alive in famine” (ver. 19). To give them the nourishment of the Word, and of Everlasting Truth, which they lost while presuming on their own strength, and therefore have not even their own strength, from lack of righteousness.
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On Psalms 32:20Saint Augustine of Hippo20. “My soul shall be patient for the Lord:” that hereafter it may be filled with dainties incorruptible, meanwhile, whilst here it remaineth, my soul shall be patient for the Lord. “For He is our Helper and Defender” (ver. 20): our Helper He is, while we endeavour after Him; and our Defender, while we resist the adversary.
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On Psalms 32:21Saint Augustine of Hippo21. “For our heart shall rejoice in Him:” for not in ourselves, wherein without Him there is great need; but in Himself shall our heart rejoice. “And we have trusted in His holy Name” (ver. 21); and therefore have we trusted that we shall come to God, because unto us absent hath He sent, through faith, His own Name.
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On Psalms 32:22Open Psalms 32 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 Hippo22. “Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in Thee” (ver. 22): let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us; for hope confoundeth not, because we have hoped in Thee.
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