Psalms 41
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 41 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.
10 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (2) follow the text.
Psalms 41
1(42) For the end, a Psalm for instruction, for the sons of Core.Εἰς τὸ τέλος, εἰς σύνεσιν τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορέ.
2As the hart earnestly desires the fountains of water, so my soul earnestly longs for you, O God.Ὃν τρόπον ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ἔλαφος ἐπὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, οὕτως ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου πρὸς σὲ ὁ Θεός.
3My soul has thirsted for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?Ἐδίψησεν ἡ ψυχή μου πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τὸν ζῶντα· πότε ἥξω καὶ ὀφθήσομαι τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ;
4My tears have been bread to me day and night, while they daily said to me, Where is your God?Ἐγενήθη τὰ δάκρυά μου ἐμοὶ ἄρτος ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς, ἐν τῷ λέγεσθαί μοι καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός σου;
5I remembered these things, and poured out my soul in me, for I will go to the place of your wondrous tabernacle, even to the house of God, with a voice of exultation and thanksgiving and of the sound of those who keep festival. *Ταῦτα ἐμνήσθην, καὶ ἐξέχεα ἐπʼ ἐμὲ τὴν ψυχήν μου, ὅτι διελεύσομαι ἐν τόπῳ σκηνῆς θαυμαστῆς ἕως τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἐν φωνῇ ἀγαλλιάσεως καὶ ἐξομολογήσεως ἤχου ἑορταζόντων.
6Therefore are you very sad, O my soul? and therefore do you trouble me? hope in God; for I will give thanks to him; he is the salvation of my countenance.Ἱνατί περίλυπος εἶ ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ ἱνατί συνταράσσεις με; ἔλπισον ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι ἐξομολογήσομαι αὐτῷ, σωτήριον τοῦ προσώπου μου,
7O my God, my soul has been troubled within me: therefore will I remember you from the land of Jordan, and of the Ermonites, from the little hill.Ὁ Θεός μου· πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν ἡ ψυχή μου ἐταράχθη, διὰ τοῦτο μνησθήσομαί σου ἐκ γῆς Ἰορδάνου, καὶ Ἐρμωνιεὶμ ἀπὸ ὄρους μικροῦ.
8Deep calls to deep at the voice of your cataracts: all your billows and your waves have gone over me.Ἄβυσσος ἄβυσσον ἐπικαλεῖται εἰς φωνὴν τῶν καταῤῥακτῶν σου· πάντες οἱ μετεωρισμοί σου, καὶ τὰ κύματά σου ἐπʼ ἐμὲ διῆλθον.
9By day the Lord will command his mercy, and † manifest it by night: with me is prayer to the God of my life.Ἡμέρας ἐντελεῖται Κύριος τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ, καὶ νυκτὸς δηλώσει· παρʼ ἐμοὶ προσευχὴ τῷ Θεῷ τῆς ζωῆς μου,
10I will say to God, You are my helper; why have you forgotten me? therefore do I go sad of countenance, while the enemy oppresses me?ἐρῶ τῷ Θεῷ, ἀντιλήπτωρ μου εἶ, διατί μου ἐπελάθου; ἱνατί σκυθρωπάζων πορεύομαι ἐν τῷ ἐκθλίβειν τὸν ἐχθρόν μου;
11While my bones were breaking, they that afflicted me reproached me; while they said to me daily, Where is your God?Ἐν τῷ καταθλᾶσθαι τὰ ὀστᾶ μου, ὠνείδισάν με οἱ θλίβοντές με· ἐν τῷ λέγειν αὐτούς μοι καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός σου;
12Therefore are you very sad, O my soul? and therefore do you trouble me? hope in God; for I will give thanks to him; he is the health of my countenance, and my God.Ἱνατί περίλυπος εἶ ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ ἱνατί συνταράσσεις με; ἔλπισον ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι ἐξομολογήσομαι αὐτῷ, ἡ σωτηρία τοῦ προσώπου μου, καὶ ὁ Θεός μου.
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. 4*There are several difficulties connected with this passage. In the first place it seems evident that the LXX. read בסך, and the English translators בסר, or something similar. The Hebrew Text (to which no קרי is appended) thus far favours the LXX.; who, however, appear to have read אררס as a part of ארר, and made an adjective of it. Again, τόπῳ has nothing immediately answering it in the Hebrew, and may be accounted for on the principle so often referred to of double translation.
- v. 8†Heb. and Alex. his song shall be, etc. * 43: Gr. understanding.
The Fathers on Psalms 41
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 41:2Saint Augustine of Hippo1. We have undertaken the exposition of a Psalm corresponding to your own “longings,” on which we propose to speak to you. For the Psalm itself begins with a certain pious “longing;” and he who sings so, says, “Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks, so longeth my soul after Thee, O God” (ver. 1). Who is it then that saith this? It is ourselves, if we be but willing! And why ask, who it is other than thyself,…
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On Psalms 41:3Saint Augustine of Hippo5. “My soul is athirst for the living God” (ver. 2). What I am saying, that “as the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so longs my soul after Thee, O God,” means this, “My soul is athirst for the living God.” For what is it athirst? “When shall I come and appear before God?” This it is for which I am athirst, to “come and to appear before Him.” I am athirst in my pilgrimage, in my running; I shall be filled on…
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On Psalms 41:4Saint Augustine of Hippo6. “My tears have been my meat day and night, while they daily say unto me, Where is thy God?” (ver. 3). My tears (he saith) have been not bitterness, but “my bread.” Those very tears were sweet unto me: being athirst for that fountain, inasmuch as I was not as yet able to drink of it, I have eagerly made my tears my meat. For he said not, “My tears became my drink,” lest he should seem to have longed for them,…
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On Psalms 41:5Saint Augustine of Hippo7. “I thought on these things, and poured out my soul above myself” (ver. 4). When would my soul attain to that object of its search, which is “above my soul,” if my soul were not to “pour itself out above itself”? For were it to rest in itself, it would not see anything else beyond itself; and in seeing itself, would not, for all that, see God. Let then my insulting enemies now say, “Where is thy God?” aye, let…
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On Psalms 41:6Saint Augustine of Hippo9. But seeing, brethren, so long as “we are at home in this body, we are absent from the Lord;” and “the corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth on many things;” even though we have some way or other dispersed the clouds, by walking as “longing” leads us on, and for a brief while have come within reach of that sound, so that by an effort we may catch…
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On Psalms 41:7Saint Augustine of Hippo11. “My soul is disquieted on account of myself” (ver. 6). Is it disquieted on account of God? It is on my own account it is disquieted. By the Unchangeable it was revived; it is by the changeable it is disquieted. I know that the righteousness of God remaineth; whether my own will remain stedfast, I know not. For I am alarmed by the Apostle’s saying, “Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.”…
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On Psalms 41:8Saint Augustine of Hippo12. “Deep calleth unto deep with the voice of thy water-spouts” (ver. 7). I may perhaps finish the Psalm, aided as I am by your attention, whose fervour I perceive. As for your fatigue in hearing, I am not greatly solicitous, since you see me also, who speak, toiling in the heat of these exertions. Assuredly it is from your seeing me labouring, that you labour with me: for I am labouring not for myself, but for…
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On Psalms 41:9Saint Augustine of Hippo15. Therefore follows: “The Lord will commend His loving-kindness in the day-time; and in the night-time will He declare it” (ver. 8). In tribulation no man has leisure to hear: attend, when it is well with you; hear, when it is well with you; learn, when you are in tranquillity, the discipline of wisdom, and store up the word of God as you do food. For in tribulation every one must be profited by what he heard…
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On Psalms 41:10Saint Augustine of Hippo16. “I will say unto God, Thou art my lifter up. Why hast Thou forgotten me?” (ver. 9). For I am suffering here, even as if Thou hadst forgotten me. But Thou art trying me, and I know that Thou dost but put off, not take utterly from me, what Thou hast promised me. But yet, “Why hast Thou forgotten me?” So cried our Head also, as if speaking in our name. “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” I will say…
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On Psalms 41:11–12Open Psalms 41 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 Hippo18. “They who trouble me cast me in the teeth.” Again that voice! “While they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?” (ver. 10). And it is principally in the temptations of the Church they say this, “Where is thy God?” How much was this cast in the teeth of the Martyrs! Those men so patient and courageous for the name of Christ, how often was it said to them, “Where is your God?” “Let Him deliver you, if He can.”…
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