Psalms 33
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 33 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.
19 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (4) follow the text.
Psalms 33
1(34) A Psalm of David, when he changed his countenance before Abimelech; and he let him go, and he departed.Τῷ Δαυὶδ, ὁπότε ἠλλοίωσε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐναντίον Ἀβιμέλεχ, καὶ ἀπέλυσεν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν.
2I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall be continually in my mouth.Εὐλογήσω τὸν Κύριον ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ, διαπαντὸς ἡ αἴνεσις αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ στόματί μου.
3My soul shall * boast herself in the Lord: let the meek hear, and rejoice.Ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐπαινεθήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου· ἀκουσάτωσαν πρᾳεῖς καὶ εὐφρανθήτωσαν.
4Magnify you the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.Μεγαλύνατε τὸν Κύριον σὺν ἐμοὶ, καὶ ὑψώσωμεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐπιτοαυτό.
5I sought the Lord diligently, and he listened to me, and delivered me from all my † sojournings.Ἐξεζήτησα τὸν Κύριον καὶ ἐπήκουσέ μου, καὶ ἐκ πασῶν τῶν παροικιῶν μου ἐῤῥύσατό με·
6Draw near to him, and be enlightened: and your faces shall not by any means be ashamed.Προσέλθατε πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ φωτίσθητε, καὶ τὰ πρόσωπα ὑμῶν οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ·
7This poor man cried, and the Lord listened to him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions.Οὗτος ὁ πτωχὸς ἐκέκραξε, καὶ ὁ Κύριος εἰσήκουσεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκ πασῶν τῶν θλίψεων αὐτοῦ ἔσωσεν αὐτόν.
8The angel of the Lord will encamp round about them that fear him, and will deliver them.Παρεμβαλεῖ ἄγγελος Κυρίου κύκλῳ τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτὸν, καὶ ῥύσεται αὐτούς.
9Taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man who hopes in him.Γεύσασθε καὶ ἴδετε ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ Κύριος, μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὃς ἐλπίζει ἐπʼ αὐτόν.
10Fear the Lord, all you his saints: for there is no lack to them that fear him.φοβήθητε τὸν Κύριον πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι αὐτοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὑστέρημα τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτόν.
11The rich have become poor and hungry: but they that seek the Lord diligently shall not lack any good thing. Pause.Πλούσιοι ἐπτώχευσαν καὶ ἐπείνασαν, οἱ δὲ ἐκζητοῦντες τὸν Κύριον οὐκ ἐλαττωθήσονται παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ· διάψαλμα.
12Come, you children, hear me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.Δεῦτε τέκνα, ἀκούσατέ μου, φόβον Κυρίου διδάξω ὑμᾶς.
13✡ What man is there that desires life, loving to see good days?Τίς ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὁ θέλων ζωὴν, ἀγαπῶν ἡμέρας ἰδεῖν ἀγαθάς;
14Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking guile.Παῦσον τὴν γνῶσσάν σου ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ χείλη σου τοῦ μὴ λαλῆσαι δόλον.
15Turn away from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.Ἔκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθὸν· ζήτησον εἰρήνην, καὶ δίωξον αὐτήν.
16The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer:Οφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου ἐπὶ δικαίους, καὶ ὦτα αὐτοῦ εἰς δέησιν αὐτῶν·
17but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to destroy their memorial from the earth. The righteous cried, and the Lord listened to them,Πρόσωπον δὲ Κυρίου ἐπὶ ποιοῦντας κακὰ, τοῦ ἐξολοθρεῦσαι ἐκ γῆς τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν.
18and delivered them out of all their afflictions.Ἐκέκραξαν οἱ δίκαιοι, καὶ ὁ Κύριος εἰσήκουσεν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐκ πασῶν τῶν θλίψεων αὐτῶν ἐῤῥύσατο αὐτούς.
19The Lord is near to ‡ them that are of a contrite heart; and will save the lowly in spirit.Ἐγγὺς Κύριος τοῖς συντετριμμένοις τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ τοὺς ταπεινοὺς τῷ πνεύματι σώσει.
20Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but out of them all Lord will deliver them.Πολλαὶ αἱ θλίψεις τῶν δικαίων, καὶ ἐκ πασῶν αὐτῶν ῥύσεται αὐτοὺς
21He keeps all their bones: not one of them shall be broken.ὁ Κύριος. Φυλάσσει πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτῶν, ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐ συντριβήσεται.
22The death of sinners is evil: and they that hate righteousness will go wrong.Θάνατος ἁμαρτωλῶν πονηρὸς, καὶ οἱ μισοῦντες τὸ δίκαιον πλημμελήσουσι.
23The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants: and none of those that hope in him shall go wrong.Λυτρώσεται Κύριος ψυχὰς δούλων αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐ μὴ πλημμελήσουσι πάντες οἱ ἐλπίζοντες ἐπʼ αὐτόν.
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*Gr. be praised.
- v. 4†Lit. neighbourhoods.
- v. 12✡1 Pe 3:10-13
- v. 18‡Gr. the broken in heart.
The Fathers on Psalms 33
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 33:2Saint Augustine of Hippo2. “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall be ever in my mouth” (ver. 1). So speaketh Christ, so also let a Christian speak; for a Christian is in the Body of Christ; and therefore was Christ made Man, that that Christian might be enabled to be an Angel, who saith, “I will bless the Lord at all times.” When shall I “bless the Lord”? When He blesseth thee? When the goods of this world abound? When…
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On Psalms 33:3Saint Augustine of Hippo4. But wherefore doth man bless the Lord at all times? Because he is humble. What is it to be humble? To take not praise unto himself. Who would himself be praised, is proud: who is not proud, is humble. Wouldest thou not then be proud? That thou mayest be humble, say what is here written; “In the Lord shall my soul be praised: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad” (ver. 2). Those then who will not be…
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On Psalms 33:4Saint Augustine of Hippo5. Now followeth, “O magnify the Lord with me” (ver. 3). Who is this that exhorteth us, that we should magnify the Lord with him? Whoever, Brethren, is in the body of Christ, ought for this to labour, that the Lord may be magnified with him. For he loveth the Lord, whoever he is. And how doth he love Him? So as not to envy his fellow-lover.…Let them blush who so love God as to envy others. Abandoned men love a…
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On Psalms 33:5Saint Augustine of Hippo7. “I sought the Lord, and He heard me” (ver. 4). Where heard the Lord? Within. Where giveth He? Within. There thou prayest, there thou art heard, there thou art blessed. Thou hast prayed, thou art heard, thou art blessed; and he knoweth not who standeth by thee: it is all carried on in secret, as the Lord saith in the Gospel, “Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is…
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On Psalms 33:6Saint Augustine of Hippo9. I have said who was the exhorter, namely, that lover who would not alone embrace what he loveth, and saith, “Approach unto Him, and be ye lightened” (ver. 5). For he saith what he himself proved. For some spiritual person in the Body of Christ, or even our Lord Jesus Christ Himself according to the flesh, the Head exhorting His Own Members, saith; what? “Approach unto Him, and be ye lightened.” Or rather some…
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On Psalms 33:7–8Saint Augustine of Hippo10. As the Prophet testifieth, “The poor man cried, and the Lord heard him” (ver. 6). He teacheth thee how thou mayest be heard. Therefore art thou not heard, because thou art rich. Lest haply thou say, thou criedst and wast not heard, hear wherefore; “The poor man cried, and the Lord heard him.” As poor cry thou, and the Lord heareth. And how shall I cry as poor? By not, if thou hast aught, presuming therefrom…
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On Psalms 33:9Saint Augustine of Hippo11. Now will He speak openly of the same Sacrament, whereby He was carried in His Own Hands. “O taste and see that the Lord is good” (ver. 8). Doth not the Psalm now open itself, and show thee that seeming insanity and constant madness, the same insanity and sober inebriety of that David, who in a figure showed I know not what, when in the person of king Achis they said to him, How is it? When the Lord said,…
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On Psalms 33:10–11Saint Augustine of Hippo13. “O fear the Lord, all ye His saints, for there is no want to them that fear Him” (ver. 9). For many therefore will not fear God the Lord, lest they suffer hunger. It is said to them, Defraud not; and they say, Whence can I feed myself? No art can be without imposture; no business can be without fraud. But fraud God punisheth: fear God. But if I should fear God, I shall not have whence to live. “O fear the…
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On Psalms 33:12Saint Augustine of Hippo15. “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (ver. 11). Ye think, brethren, that I say this: think that David saith it; think that an Apostle saith it; nay think that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself saith it; “Come, ye children, hearken unto Me.” Let us hearken unto Him together: hearken ye unto Him through us. For He would teach us; He the Humble, He that drummeth, He that…
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On Psalms 33:13Saint Augustine of Hippo16. “What man is he that desireth life, and loveth to see good days?” (ver. 12). He asketh a question. Doth not every one among you answer, I? Is there any man among you that loveth not life, that is, that desireth not life, and loveth not to see good days? Do ye not daily thus murmur, and thus speak; How long shall we suffer these things? Daily are they worse and worse: in our fathers’ time were days more…
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On Psalms 33:14Saint Augustine of Hippo17. Let not a Christian then murmur, let him see whose steps he followeth: but if he loveth good days, let him hearken unto Him teaching and saying, “Come, ye children, hearken unto Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.” What wouldest thou? Life and good days. Hear, and do. “Keep thy tongue from evil” (ver. 13). This do. I will not, saith a miserable man, I will not keep my tongue from evil, and yet I desire…
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On Psalms 33:14Saint Augustine of Hippo18. But what is, “Depart from evil”? (ver. 14). It is little that thou injure none, murder none, steal not, commit not adultery, do no wrong, speak no false witness; “Depart from evil.” When thou hast departed, thou sayest, Now I am safe, I have done all, I shall have life, I shall see good days. Not only saith he, “Depart from evil,” but also, “and do good.” It is nothing that thou spoil not: clothe the naked.…
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On Psalms 33:16Saint Augustine of Hippo19. “The Eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous:” fear not then; labour; the eyes of the Lord are upon thee. “And His Ears are open unto their prayers” (ver. 15). What wouldest thou more? If an householder in a great house should not hearken to a servant murmuring, he would complain, and say, What hardship do we here suffer, and none heareth us. Canst thou say this of God, What hardships I suffer, and none…
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On Psalms 33:17Saint Augustine of Hippo20. Haply say the wicked, I securely do evil, because the Eyes of the Lord are not upon me: God attendeth to the righteous, me He seeth not, and whatever I do, I do securely. Immediately added the Holy Spirit, seeing the thoughts of men, and said, “But the Face of the Lord is against them that do evil; to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth” (ver. 16).
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On Psalms 33:18Saint Augustine of Hippo21. “The righteous cried, and the Lord heard them, and delivered them out of all their troubles” (ver. 17). Righteous were the Three Children; out of the furnace cried they unto the Lord, and in His praises their flames cooled. The flame could not approach nor hurt the innocent and righteous Children praising God, and He delivered them out of the fire. Some one saith, Lo, truly righteous were those who were…
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On Psalms 33:19–20Saint Augustine of Hippo22. “The Lord is nigh unto them that have broken their heart; and saveth such as be lowly in spirit” (ver. 18). God is High: let a Christian be lowly. If he would that the Most High God draw nigh unto him, let him be lowly. A great mystery, Brethren. God is above all: thou raisest thyself, and touchest not Him: thou humblest thyself, and He descendeth unto thee. “Many are the troubles of the righteous” (ver. 19):…
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On Psalms 33:21Saint Augustine of Hippo23. “The Lord keepeth all their bones: not one of them shall be broken” (ver. 20): this also, Brethren, let us not receive carnally. Bones are the firm supports of the faithful. For as in flesh our bones give firmness, so in the heart of a Christian it is faith that gives firmness. The patience then which is in faith, is as the bones of the inner man: this is that which cannot be broken. “The Lord keepeth all…
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On Psalms 33:22Saint Augustine of Hippo24. “The death of sinners is the worst” (ver. 21). Attend, Brethren, for the sake of those things which I said. Truly Great is the Lord, and His Mercy, truly Great is He who gave to us to eat His Body, wherein He suffered such great things, and His Blood to drink. How regardeth He them that think evil and say, “Such an one died ill, by beasts was he devoured: he was not a righteous man, therefore he perished ill;…
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On Psalms 33:23Open Psalms 33 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 Hippo25. But because there are many kinds of sinners, and not to be a sinner is difficult, or perhaps in this life impossible, he added immediately, of what kind of sinners the death is worst. “And they that hate the righteous one” (saith he) “shall perish.” What righteous one, but “Him that justifieth the ungodly”? Whom, but our Lord Jesus Christ, who is also “the propitiation for our sins”? Who then hate Him, have…
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