Psalms 63
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 63 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.
Psalms 63
1(64) For the end, a Psalm of David.Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυίδ.
2Hear my prayer, O God, when I make my petition to you; deliver my soul from fear of the enemy.Εἰσάκουσον ὁ Θεὸς τῆς προσευχῆς μου ἐν τῷ δέεσθαί με πρὸς σὲ, ἀπὸ φόβου ἐχθροῦ ἐξελοῦ τὴν ψυχήν μου.
3You have sheltered me from the conspiracy of them that do wickedly; from the multitude of them that work iniquity;Ἐσκέπασάς με ἀπὸ συστροφῆς πονηρευομένων, ἀπὸ πλήθους ἐργαζομένων ἀδικίαν·
4who have sharpened their tongues as a sword; they have bent their bow maliciously;Οἵτινες ἠκόνησαν ὡς ῥομφαίαν τὰς γλώσσας αὐτῶν, ἐνέτειναν τόξον πρᾶγμα πικρὸν,
5to shoot in secret at the blameless; they will shoot him suddenly, and will not fear.τοῦ κατατοξεῦσαι ἐν ἀποκρύφοις ἄμωμον, ἐξάπινα κατατοξεύσουσιν αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐ φοβηθήσονται.
6They have set up for themselves an evil matter, they have given counsel to hide snares; they have said, Who shall see them?Ἐκραταίωσαν ἑαυτοῖς λόγον πονηρὸν, διηγήσαντο τοῦ κρύψαι παγίδας· εἶπαν, τίς ὄψεται αὐτούς;
7They have searched out iniquity; they have wearied themselves with searching diligently, a man shall approach and the heart is deep,Ἐξηρεύνησαν ἀνομίαν, ἐξέλιπον ἐξερευνῶντες ἐξερευνήσει· προσελεύσεται ἄνθρωπος, καὶ καρδία βαθεῖα,
8and God shall be exalted, their wounds were caused by the weapon of the foolish children,καὶ ὑψωθήσεται ὁ Θεός· βέλος νηπίων ἐγενήθησαν αἱ πληγαὶ αὐτῶν,
9and their tongues have set him at nothing, all that saw them were troubled;καὶ ἐξουθένησαν αὐτὸν αἱ γλῶσσαι αὐτῶν· ἐταράχθησαν πάντες οἱ θεωροῦντες αὐτοὺς,
10and every man was alarmed, and they related the works of God, and understood his deeds.καὶ ἐφοβήθη πᾶς ἄνθρωπος· καὶ ἀνήγγειλαν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὰ ποιήματα αὐτοῦ συνῆκαν.
11The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord, and hope on him, and all the upright in heart shall be praised.Εὐφρανθήσεται δίκαιος ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἐλπιεῖ ἐπʼ αὐτόν· καὶ ἐπαινεθήσονται πάντες οἱ εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ.
The Fathers on Psalms 63
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 63:2Saint Augustine of Hippo2. Say we, therefore, ourselves also: “Hearken, O God, to my prayer, while I am troubled; from fear of the enemy deliver my soul” (ver. 1). Enemies have raged against the Martyrs: for what was that voice of Christ’s Body praying? For this it was praying, to be delivered from enemies, and that enemies might not have power to slay them. Were they not therefore hearkened to, because they were slain; and hath God…
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On Psalms 63:3Saint Augustine of Hippo3. “Thou hast protected me from the gathering together of malignants, and from the multitude of men working iniquity” (ver. 2). Now upon Himself our Head let us look. Like things many Martyrs have suffered: but nothing doth shine out so brightly as the Head of Martyrs; in Him rather let us behold what they have gone through. Protected He was from the multitude of malignants, God protecting Himself, the Son…
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On Psalms 63:4Saint Augustine of Hippo4. “For they have whet like a sword their tongues” (ver. 3). Which saith another Psalm also, “Sons of men; their teeth are arms and arrows, and their tongue is a sharp sword.” Let not the Jews say, we have not killed Christ. For to this end they gave Him to Pilate the judge, in order that they themselves might seem as it were guiltless of His death.…But if he is guilty because he did it though unwillingly, are…
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On Psalms 63:5Saint Augustine of Hippo6. “They have bended the bow, a bitter thing, in order that they may shoot in secret One unspotted” (ver. 4). The bow he calleth lyings in wait. For he that with sword fighteth hand to hand, openly fighteth: he that shooteth an arrow deceiveth, in order to strike. For the arrow smiteth, before it is foreseen to come to wound. But whom could the lyings in wait of the human heart escape? Would they escape our Lord…
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On Psalms 63:6Saint Augustine of Hippo7. “They have confirmed to themselves malignant discourse” (ver. 5). There were done so great miracles, they were not moved, they persisted in the design of the evil discourse. He was given up to the judge: the judge trembleth, and they tremble not that have given Him up to the judge: trembleth power, and ferocity trembleth not: he would wash his hands, and they stain their tongues. But wherefore this? “They have…
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On Psalms 63:6Saint Augustine of Hippo8. “They told, in order that they might hide traps: they said, Who shall see them?” (ver. 5). They thought they would escape Him, whom they were killing, that they would escape God. Behold, suppose Christ was a man, like the rest of men, and knew not what was being contrived for Him: doth God also know not? O heart of man! wherefore hast thou said to thyself, Who seeth me? when He seeth that hath made thee? “They…
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On Psalms 63:7Saint Augustine of Hippo9. “They have searched out iniquity, they have failed, searching searchings” (ver. 6): that is, deadly and acute designs. Let Him not be betrayed by us, but by His disciple: let Him not be killed by us, but by the judge: let us do all, and let us seem to have done nothing.…
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On Psalms 63:9Saint Augustine of Hippo12. “Arrows of infants have been made the strokes of them” (ver. 7). Where is that savageness? where is that roar of the lion, of the people roaring and saying, “Crucify, Crucify”? Where are the lyings in wait of men bending the bow? Have not “the strokes of them been made the arrows of infants”? Ye know in what manner infants make to themselves arrows of little canes. What do they strike, or whence do they…
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On Psalms 63:9Saint Augustine of Hippo13. “And the tongues of them have been made weak upon them” (ver. 8). Let them whet now their tongues like a sword, let them confirm to themselves malignant discourse. Deservedly to themselves they have confirmed it, because “the tongues of them have been made weak upon them.” Could this be strong against God? “Iniquity,” he saith, “hath lied to itself;” “their tongues have been made weak upon them.” Behold, the…
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On Psalms 63:10Saint Augustine of Hippo14. “And every man feared” (ver. 9). They that feared not, were not even men. “Every man feared;” that is, every one using reason to perceive the things which were done. Whence they that feared not, must rather be called cattle, rather beasts savage and cruel. A lion ramping and roaring is that people as yet. But in truth every man feared: that is, they that would believe, that trembled at the judgment to come.…
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On Psalms 63:11Open Psalms 63 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 Hippo15. “The just man shall rejoice in the Lord” (ver. 10). Now the just man is not sad. For sad were the disciples at the Lord’s being crucified; overcome with sadness, sorrowing they departed, they thought they had lost hope. He rose again, even when appearing to them He found them sad. He held the eyes of two men that walked in the way, so that by them he was not known, and He found them groaning and sighing, and…
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