Psalms 4
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 4 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.
7 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (3) follow the text.
Psalms 4
1For the End, a Song of David among the Psalms.Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ἐν ψαλμοῖς ᾠδὴ τᾠ Δαυίδ.
2When I called upon him, the God of my righteousness heard me: you have made room for me in tribulation; pity me, and listen to my prayer.Ἐν τῷ ἐπικαλεῖσθαί με, εἰσήκουσέ μου ὁ Θεὸς τῆς δικαιοσύνης μου· ἐν θλίψει ἐπλάτυνάς μοι· οἰκτείρησόν με, καὶ εἰσάκουσον τῆς προσευχῆς μου.
3O you sons of men, how long will you be * slow of heart? therefore do you love vanity, and seek falsehood? Pause.Υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἕως πότε βαρυκάρδιοι; ἱνατί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα, καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος; διάψαλμα.
4But know you that the Lord has done wondrous things for his holy one: the Lord will hear me when I cry to him.Καὶ γνῶτε ὅτι ἐθαυμάστωσε Κύριος τὸν ὅσιον αὐτοῦ, Κύριος εἰσακούσεταί μου ἐν τῷ κεκραγέναι με πρὸς αὐτόν.
5✡ Be you angry, and sin not; feel compunction upon your beds for what you say in your hearts. Pause.Ὀργίζεσθε καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε· ἃ λέγετε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν, ἐπὶ ταῖς κοίταις ὑμῶν κατανύγητε· διάψαλμα.
6Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and trust in the Lord.Θύσατε θυσίαν δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ἐλπίσατε ἐπὶ Κύριον.
7Many say, Who will show us good things? the light of your countenance, O Lord, has been manifested towards us.Πολλοὶ λέγουσι, τίς δείξει ἡμῖν τὰ ἀγαθά; ἐσημειώθη ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς τὸ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου σου, Κύριε.
8You have put gladness into my heart: they have been satisfied with the fruit of their corn and wine and oil.Ἔδωκας εὐφροσύνην εἰς τὴν καρδίαν μου· ἀπὸ καρποῦ σίτου καὶ οἴνου καὶ ἐλαίου αὐτῶν ἐπληθύνθησαν.
9I will † both lie down in peace and sleep: for you, Lord, only have caused me to dwell securely.Ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κοιμηθήσομαι, καὶ ὑπνώσω· ὅτι σὺ Κύριε κατὰ μόνας ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι κατῴκισάς με.
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*Lit. heavy of heart.
- v. 4✡Eph 4:26
- v. 8†Or. at the same time.
The Fathers on Psalms 4
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 4:2Saint Augustine of Hippo2. “When I called, the God of my righteousness heard me” (ver. 1). When I called, God heard me, the Psalmist says, of whom is my righteousness. “In tribulation Thou hast enlarged me.” Thou hast led me from the straits of sadness into the broad ways of joy. For, “tribulation and straitness is on every soul of man that doeth evil.” But he who says, “We rejoice in tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh…
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On Psalms 4:3Saint Augustine of Hippo3. “O ye sons of men, how long heavy in heart” (ver. 2). Let your error, says he, have lasted at least up to the coming of the Son of God; why then any longer are ye heavy in heart? When will ye make an end of crafty wiles, if now when the truth is present ye make it not? “Why do ye love vanity, and seek a lie?” Why would ye be blessed by the lowest things? Truth alone, from which all things are true, maketh…
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On Psalms 4:4Saint Augustine of Hippo4. “And know ye that the Lord hath magnified his Holy One” (ver. 3). Whom but Him, whom He raised up from below, and placed in heaven at His right hand? Therefore doth he chide mankind, that they would turn at length from the love of this world to Him. But if the addition of the conjunction (for he says, “and know ye”) is to any a difficulty, he may easily observe in Scripture that this manner of speech is usual…
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On Psalms 4:5Saint Augustine of Hippo6. “Be ye angry, and sin not” (ver. 4). For the thought occurred, Who is worthy to be heard? or how shall the sinner not cry in vain unto the Lord? Therefore, “Be ye angry,” saith he, “and sin not.” Which may be taken two ways: either, even if ye be angry, do not sin; that is, even if there arise an emotion in the soul, which now by reason of the punishment of sin is not in our power, at least let not the reason…
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On Psalms 4:6Saint Augustine of Hippo7. “Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and hope in the Lord” (ver. 5). He says the same in another Psalm, “the sacrifice for God is a troubled spirit.” Wherefore that this is the sacrifice of righteousness which is offered through repentance it is not unreasonably here understood. For what more righteous, than that each one should be angry with his own sins, rather than those of others, and that in…
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On Psalms 4:6Saint Augustine of Hippo8. But yet, “hope in the Lord,” is as yet expressed without explanation. Now what is hoped for, but good things? But since each one would obtain from God that good, which he loves; and they are not easy to be found who love interior goods, that is, which belong to the inward man, which alone should be loved, but the rest are to be used for necessity, not to be enjoyed for pleasure; excellently did he subjoin,…
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On Psalms 4:9Open Psalms 4 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 Hippo9. But men (who doubtless are many) who follow after things temporal, know not to say aught else, than, “Who showeth us good things?” when the true and certain good within their very selves they cannot see. Of these accordingly is most justly said, what he adds next: “From the time of His corn, of wine, and oil, they have been multiplied.” For the addition of His, is not superfluous. For the corn is God’s:…
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