Psalms 38
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 38 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.
11 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (3) follow the text.
Psalms 38
1(39) For the end, a Song of David, to Idithun.Εἰς τὸ τέλος, τῷ Ἰδιθοὺν ᾠδὴ τῷ Δαυίδ.
2I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I set a guard on my mouth, while the sinner stood in my presence.Εἶπα, φυλάξω τὰς ὁδούς μου, τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐν γλώσσῃ μου· ἐθέμην τῷ στόματί μου φυλακὴν, ἐν τῷ συστῆναι τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐναντίον μου.
3I was dumb, and humbled myself, and kept silence from good words; and my grief was renewed.Ἐκωφώθην καὶ ἐταπεινώθην καὶ ἐσίγησα ἐξ ἀγαθῶν, καὶ τὸ ἄλγημά μου ἀνεκαινίσθη.
4My heart grew hot within me, and a fire would kindle in my meditation: I spoke with my tongue,Ἐθερμάνθη ἡ καρδία μου ἐντός μου, καὶ ἐν τῇ μελέτῃ μου ἐκκαυθήσεται πῦρ· ἐλάλησα ἐν γλώσσῃ μου,
5O Lord, make me to know my end, and the number of my days, what it is; that I may know what I lack.Γνώρισόν μοι Κύριε τὸ πέρας μου, καὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἡμερῶν μου τίς ἐστιν, ἵνα γνῶ τί ὑστερῶ ἐγώ.
6Behold, you have made my days * old; and my existence is as nothing before you: nay, every man living is altogether vanity. Pause.Ἰδοὺ παλαιὰς ἔθου τὰς ἡμέρας μου, καὶ ὑπόστασίς μου ὡσεὶ οὐθὲν ἐνώπιόν σου· πλὴν τὰ σύμπαντα ματαιότης, πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ζῶν· διάψαλμα.
7Surely man walks in a † shadow; nay, he is disquieted in vain: he lays up treasures, and knows not for whom he shall gather them.Μέντοιγε ἐν εἰκόνι διαπορεύεται ἄνθρωπος, πλὴν μάτην ταράσσεται· θησαυρίζει, καὶ οὐ γινώσκει τίνι συνάξει αὐτά.
8And now what is my expectation? is it not the Lord? and my ground of hope is with you. Pause.Καὶ νῦν τίς ἡ ὑπομονή μου; οὐχὶ ὁ Κύριος; καὶ ἡ ὑπόστασίς μου παρὰ σοί ἐστι· διάψαλμα.
9Deliver me from all my transgressions: you have made me a reproach to the foolish.Ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν μου ῥῦσαί με, ὄνειδος ἄφρονι ἔδωκάς με.
10I was ‡ dumb, and opened not my mouth; for you are he that made me.Ἐκωφώθην καὶ οὐκ ἤνοιξα τὸ στόμα μου, ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ποιήσας με.
11Remove your scourges from me: I have fainted by reason of the strength of your hand.Ἀπόστησον ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ τὰς μάστιγάς σου· ἀπὸ τῆς ἰσχύος τῆς χειρός σου ἐγὼ ἐξέλιπον.
12You chasten man with rebukes for iniquity, and you make his life to consume away like a spider's web; nay, every man is disquieted in vain. Pause.Ἐν ἐλεγμοῖς ὑπὲρ ἀνομίας ἐπαίδευσας ἄνθρωπον· καὶ ἐξέτηξας ὡς ἀράχνην τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, πλὴν μάτην ταράσσεται πᾶς ἄνθρωπος· διάψαλμα.
13O Lord, listen to my prayer and my supplication: attend to my tears: be not silent, for I am a sojourner in the land, and a stranger, as all my fathers were.Εἰσάκουσον τῆς προσευχῆς μου Κύριε καὶ τῆς δεήσεώς μου· ἐνώτισαι τῶν δακρύων μου· μὴ παρασιωπήσῃς, ὅτι πάροικος ἐγώ εἰμι ἐν τῇ γῇ καὶ παρεπίδημος, καθὼς πάντες οἱ πατέρες μου.
14Spare me, that I may be refreshed, before I depart, and be no more.Ἄνες μοι ἵνα ἀναψύξω πρὸ τοῦ με ἀπελθεῖν, καὶ οὐκέτι μὴ ὑπάρξω.
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. 5*Alex. a span long.
- v. 6†Gr. image.
- v. 9‡Gr. made dumb.
The Fathers on Psalms 38
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 38:2Saint Augustine of Hippo3. “I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue” (ver. 1).…For it is not without reason that the tongue is set in a moist place, but because it is so prone to slip. Perceiving therefore how hard it was for a man to be under the necessity of speaking, and not to say something that he will wish unsaid, and filled with disgust at these sins, he seeks to avoid the like. To this difficulty is he…
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On Psalms 38:3Saint Augustine of Hippo4. “I became deaf, and was humbled, I held my peace from good” (ver. 2). For this person, who is “leaping beyond,” suffers some difficulty in a certain stage to which he hath already attained; and he desires to advance beyond, even from thence, to avoid this difficulty. I was afraid of committing a sin; so that I spoke not; that I imposed on myself the necessity of silence: for I had spoken thus, “I will take…
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On Psalms 38:4–5Saint Augustine of Hippo5. “And while I was musing, the fire burned” (ver. 3).…I reflected on the words of my Lord, “Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou oughtest to have put My money to the exchangers, and I at My coming should receive it again with usury.” And that which follows may God avert from those who are His stewards! Bind him hand and foot, and let him be cast into outer darkness; the servant, who was not a waster of his…
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On Psalms 38:6Saint Augustine of Hippo9. “Behold, thou hast made my days old” (ver. 5). For these days are “waxing old.” I long for new days “that never shall wax old,” that I may say, “Old things have passed away; behold, things are become new.” Already new in hope; then in reality. For though, in hope and in faith, made new already, how much do we even now do after our old nature! For we are not so completely “clothed upon” with Christ, as not to…
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On Psalms 38:7Saint Augustine of Hippo11. “Albeit man walketh in the Image” (ver. 6). In what “Image,” save that of Him who said, “Let Us make man in Our Image, after Our Likeness.” “Albeit man walks in the Image.” For the reason he says “albeit,” is, that this is some great thing. And this “albeit” is followed by “nevertheless,” that the “albeit” which you have already heard, should relate to what is beyond the sun; but this “nevertheless,” which is…
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On Psalms 38:8Saint Augustine of Hippo13. “And now” (ver. 7). “And now,” saith this Idithun,—looking back on a certain “vain” show, and looking up to a certain Truth, standing midway where he has something beyond him, and something also behind him, having below him the place from which he took his spring, having above him that toward which he has stretched forth;—“And now,” when I have “over-leaped” some things, when I have trampled many things under…
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On Psalms 38:9Saint Augustine of Hippo14. “Deliver me from all my transgressions” (ver. 8). I have “over-leaped” a great deal of ground, a very great deal of ground already; but, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us.” I have “over-leaped” a great deal: but still do I “beat my breast,” and say, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Thou therefore art “my expectation!” my “End.” For “Christ is…
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On Psalms 38:10–11Saint Augustine of Hippo16. “I became dumb; and I opened not my mouth” (ver. 9). But it was to guard against “the foolish man,” that “I became dumb, and opened not my mouth.” For to whom should I tell what is going on within me? “For I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me; for He will speak peace unto His people.” But “There is no peace,” saith the Lord, “to the wicked.” “I was dumb, and opened not my mouth; because it is Thou…
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On Psalms 38:12Saint Augustine of Hippo17. “Thou with rebukes hast chastened man for iniquity; Thou hast made my life to consume away like a spider” (ver. 11). There is much that is discerned by this Idithun; by every one who discerns as he does; who overleaps as he does. For he says, that he has fainted in God’s corrections; and would fain have the stroke removed away from him, “because it is He who made him.” Let Him renew me, who also made me; let…
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On Psalms 38:13Saint Augustine of Hippo20. “Hear my prayer, O Lord” (ver. 12). Whereof shall I rejoice? Whereof should I groan? I rejoice on account of what is past, I groan longing for these which are not yet come. “Hear my prayer, and give ear unto my cry. Hold not Thy peace at my tears.” For do I now no longer weep, because I have already “passed by,” have “left behind” so great things as these? “Do I not weep much the more?” For, “He that…
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On Psalms 38:14Open Psalms 38 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. “Grant me some remission, that I may be refreshed before I go hence” (ver. 13). Consider well, Idithun, consider what knots those are which thou wouldest have “loosed” unto thee, that thou mightest be “refreshed before thou goest hence.” For thou hast certain fever-heats from which thou wouldest fain be refreshed, and thou sayest, “that I may be refreshed,” and “grant me a remission.” What should He remit, or…
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