Psalms 74
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 74 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.
8 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (1) follow the text.
Psalms 74
1(75) For the end, Destroy not, a Psalm of a Song for Asaph.Εἰς τὸ τέλος, μὴ διαφθείρῃς, ψαλμὸς ᾠδῆς τῷ Ἀσάφ.
2We will give thanks to you, O God, we will give thanks, and call upon your name: I will declare all your wonderful works.Ἐξομολογησόμεθα σοι ὁ Θεὸς, ἐξομολογησόμεθα, καὶ ἐπικαλεσόμεθα τὸ ὄνομά σου· διηγήσομαι πάντα τὰ θαυμάσιά σου.
3When I shall take a set time, I will judge righteously.Ὅταν λάβω καιρὸν, ἐγὼ εὐθύτητας κρινῶ.
4The earth is dissolved, and all that dwell in it: I have strengthened its pillars. Pause.Ἐτάκη ἡ γῆ, καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες αὐτὴν, ἐγὼ ἐστερέωσα τοὺς στύλους αὐτῆς· διάψαλμα.
5I said to the transgressors, Do not transgress; and to the sinners, Lift not up the horn.Εἶπα τοῖς παρανομοῦσι, μὴ παρανομεῖν, καὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι, μὴ ὑψοῦτε κέρας.
6Lift not up your horn on high; speak not unrighteousness against God.Μὴ ἐπαίρετε εἰς ὕψος τὸ κέρας ὑμῶν, μὴ λαλεῖτε κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀδικίαν.
7For good comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert mountains.Ὅτι οὔτε ἀπὸ ἐξόδων, οὔτε ἀπὸ δυσμῶν, οὔτε ἀπὸ ἐρήμων ὀρέων,
8For God is the judge; he puts down one, and raises up another.ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς κριτής ἐστι· τοῦτον ταπεινοῖ, καὶ τοῦτον ὑψοῖ.
9For there is a cup in the hand of the Lord, full of unmingled wine; and he has * turned it from side to side, but its dregs have not been wholly poured out; all the sinners of the earth shall drink them.Ὅτι ποτήριον ἐν χειρὶ Κυρίου, οἴνου ἀκράτου πλῆρες κεράσματος· καὶ ἔκλινεν ἐκ τούτου εἰς τοῦτο, πλὴν ὁ τρυγίας αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐξεκενώθη· πίονται πάντες οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ τῆς γῆς.
10But I will exult for ever: I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.Ἐγὼ δὲ ἀγαλλιάσομαι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ψαλῶ τῷ Θεῷ Ἰακώβ.
11And I will break all the horns of sinners; but the horns of the righteous one shall be exalted.Καὶ πάντα τὰ κέρατα τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν συγκλάσω, καὶ ὑψωθήσεται τὰ κέρατα τοῦ δικαίου.
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. 8*Gr. from this into that.
The Fathers on Psalms 74
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 74:2Saint Augustine of Hippo2. “We will confess to Thee, O Lord, we will confess to Thee, and will invoke Thy name” (ver. 1). Do not invoke, before thou confess: confess, and invoke. For Him whom thou art invoking, unto thyself thou callest. For what is it to invoke, but unto thyself to call? If He is invoked by thee, that is, if He is called to thee, unto whom doth He draw near? To a proud man He draweth not near. High indeed He is, one…
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On Psalms 74:3Saint Augustine of Hippo5. And he saith what? “When I shall have received,” he saith, “the time, I will judge justices” (ver. 2). When shall He judge justices? When He shall have received the time. Not yet is the precise time. Thanks to His mercy: He first preacheth justices, and then He judgeth justices. For if He willed to judge before He willed to preach, who would be found that should be delivered: who would meet Him that should be…
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On Psalms 74:4Saint Augustine of Hippo6. But now what? “The earth hath flowed down” (ver. 3). If the earth hath flowed down, whence hath it flowed down except by sins? Therefore also they are called delinquencies. To delinquish is as it were by a kind of liquidity to slip down from the stability of firmness in virtue and righteousness. For it is through desire of lower things that every man sinneth: as he is strengthened by the love of higher things,…
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On Psalms 74:5Saint Augustine of Hippo7. We have heard now, brethren, that which day by day is not kept secret: let us hear now what He hath cried through these pillars.…He crieth what? “I have said to unjust men, Do not unjustly” (ver. 4).…But already they have done, and they are guilty: already there hath flowed down the earth, and all they that dwell therein. Pricked to the heart were they that crucified Christ, they acknowledged their sin, they…
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On Psalms 74:6–7Saint Augustine of Hippo8. “Be not therefore lifted up: speak not iniquity against God” (ver. 5).…What saith He in another Psalm? “These things thou hast done,” having enumerated certain sins. “These things thou hast done,” He saith, “and was silent.” What is, “I was silent”? He is never silent with commandment, but meanwhile He is silent with punishment: He is keeping still from vengeance, He doth not pronounce sentence against the…
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On Psalms 74:7Saint Augustine of Hippo9. “One He humbleth, and another He exalteth” (ver. 7). Whom humbleth, whom exalteth this Judge? Observe these two men in the temple, and ye see whom He humbleth and whom He exalteth. “They went up into the Temple to pray,” He saith, “the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican.…“Verily I say unto you, that Publican went down justified more than that Pharisee: for every one that exalteth himself shall be…
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On Psalms 74:9Saint Augustine of Hippo10. “For the cup in the hand of the Lord of pure wine is full of mixed” (ver. 8). Justly so. “And He hath poured out of this upon this man; nevertheless, the dreg thereof hath not been emptied; there shall drink all the sinners of earth.” Let us be somewhat recruited; there is here some obscurity.…The first question that meeteth us is this, “of pure wine it is full of mixed.” How “of pure,” if “of mixed”? But…
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On Psalms 74:10–11Open Psalms 74 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 Hippo12. “But I,” for all drink, but separately I, that is, Christ with His Body, “for ever will rejoice, I will Psalm to the God of Jacob” (ver. 9): in that promise to be at the end, whereof is said, “corrupt not.” “And all the horns of sinners I will break, and there shall be exalted the horns of the Just” (ver. 10). This is, the one He humbleth, the other He exalteth. Sinners would not have their horns to be…
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