Psalms 84
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 84 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 84
1(85) For the end, a Psalm for the sons of Core.Εἰς τὸ τέλος, τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορὲ ψαλμός.
2O Lord, you have taken pleasure in your land: you have turned back the captivity of Jacob.Εὐδόκησας Κύριε τὴν γῆν σου, ἀπέστρεψας τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν Ἰακώβ.
3You have forgiven your people their transgressions; you have covered all their sins. Pause.Ἀφῆκας τὰς ἀνομίας τῷ λαῷ σου, ἐκάλυψας πάσας τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν· διάψαλμα.
4You have caused all your wrath to cease: you have turned from your fierce anger.Κατέπαυσας πᾶσαν τὴν ὀργήν σου, ἀπέστρεψας ἀπὸ ὀργῆς θυμοῦ σου.
5Turn us, O God of our salvation, and turn your anger away from us.Ἐπίστρεψον ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς τῶν σωτηρίων ἡμῶν, καὶ ἀπόστρεψον τὸν θυμόν σου ἀφʼ ἡμῶν.
6Wouldest you be angry with us for ever? or will you continue your wrath from generation to generation?Μὴ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ὀργισθῇς ἡμῖν; ἢ διατενεῖς τὴν ὀργήν σου ἀπὸ γενεᾶς εἰς γενεάν;
7O God, you will turn and quicken us; and your people shall rejoice in you.Ὁ Θεὸς, σὺ ἐπιστρέψας ζωώσεις ἡμᾶς, καὶ ὁ λαός σου εὐφρανθήσεται ἐπὶ σοί.
8Show us your mercy, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.Δεῖξον ἡμῖν Κύριε τὸ ἔλεός σου, καὶ τὸ σωτήριόν σου δῴης ἡμῖν.
9I will hear what the Lord God will say concerning me: for he shall speak peace to his people, and to his saints, and to those that turn their heart toward him.Ἀκούσομαι τί λαλήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι λαλήσει εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ὁσίους αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐπιστρέφοντας πρὸς αὐτὸν καρδίαν.
10Moreover his salvation is near them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.Πλὴν ἐγγὺς τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτὸν τὸ σωτήριον αὐτοῦ, τοῦ κατασκηνῶσαι δόξαν ἐν τῇ γῇ ἡμῶν.
11Mercy and truth are met together: righteousness and peace have kissed each other.Ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθεια συνήντησαν, δικαιοσύνη καὶ εἰρήνη κατεφίλησαν.
12Truth has sprung out of the earth; and righteousness has looked down from heaven.Ἀλήθεια ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἀνέτειλε, καὶ δικαιοσύνη ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ διέκυψε.
13For the Lord will give goodness; and our land shall yield her fruit.Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Κύριος δώσει χρηστότητα, καὶ ἡ γῆ ἡμῶν δώσει τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς.
14Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set his steps in the way.Δικαιοσύνη ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ προπορεύσεται, καὶ θήσει εἰς ὁδὸν τὰ διαβήματα αὐτοῦ.
The Fathers on Psalms 84
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 84:2Saint Augustine of Hippo2. The Prophet singeth to Him of the future, and useth words as it were of past time: he speaks of things future as if already done, because with God that which is future has already taken place.…“Lord, Thou hast been favourable unto Thy land” (ver. 1); as if He had already done so. “Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob.” His ancient people of Jacob, the people of Israel, born of Abraham’s seed, in the…
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On Psalms 84:3–4Saint Augustine of Hippo3. For how did He turn away the captivity of Jacob? See, how that that setting free is spiritual, see how that it is done inwardly. “Thou hast forgiven,” he saith, “the iniquity of Thy people: Thou hast covered all their sins” (ver. 2). Behold how He hath turned away their captivity, in that He hath remitted iniquity: iniquity held them captive; thy iniquity forgiven, thou art freed. Confess therefore that thou…
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On Psalms 84:5Saint Augustine of Hippo4. And as these things are said of the future, though the sound of the words is past, it follows: “Turn us, O God of our salvation” (ver. 4). That which he had just related as if it were done, how prayeth he that it may be done, except because he wished to show that he had spoken as if of the past in prophecy? But that it was not yet done which he had said was done he showeth by this, that he prayeth that it may…
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On Psalms 84:6Saint Augustine of Hippo5. “Be not angry with us for ever” (ver. 5). For by the anger of God we are subject to death, and by the anger of God we eat bread on this earth in want, and in the sweat of our face. This was Adam’s sentence when he sinned: and that Adam was every one of us, for “in Adam all die;” the sentence passed on him hath taken effect after him on us. For we were not yet ourselves, but we were in Adam: therefore whatever…
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On Psalms 84:7–8Saint Augustine of Hippo6. “O God, Thou shalt turn us again, and make us alive” (ver. 6). Not as if we ourselves of our own accord, without Thy mercy, turn unto Thee, and then Thou shalt make us alive: but so that not only our being made alive is from Thee, but our very conversion, that we may be made alive. “And Thy people shall rejoice in Thee.” To their own evil they shall rejoice in themselves: to their own good they shall rejoice…
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On Psalms 84:8Saint Augustine of Hippo7. “I will hearken” (ver. 8). The Prophet spoke: God spoke within in him, and the world made a noise without. Therefore, retiring for a little from the noise of the world, and turning himself back upon himself, and from himself upon Him whose voice he heard within; sealing up his ears, as it were, against the tumultuous disquietude of this life, and against the soul weighed down by the corruptible body, and…
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On Psalms 84:10Saint Augustine of Hippo8. “Nevertheless, His salvation is nigh them that fear Him” (ver. 9). There were some even then who feared Him in the Jewish people. Everywhere throughout the earth idols were worshipped: devils were feared, not God: in that nation God was feared. But why was He feared? In the Old Testament He was feared, lest He should give them up to captivity, lest He should take away their land from them, lest He should…
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On Psalms 84:11Saint Augustine of Hippo9. “Mercy and truth have met together” (ver. 10). “Truth in our land,” in a Jewish person, “mercy” in the land of the Gentiles. For where was truth? Where the utterances of God were. Where was mercy? On those who had left their God, and turned themselves unto devils. Did He look down also upon them? Yea, as if He said, Call those who are fugitives afar off, who have departed far from Me: call them, let them find…
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On Psalms 84:12Saint Augustine of Hippo10. “Truth hath sprung out of the earth, and righteousness hath looked down from heaven” (ver. 11). “Truth hath sprung out of the earth:” Christ is born of a woman. The Son of God hath come forth of the flesh. What is truth? The Son of God. What is the earth? Flesh. Ask whence Christ was born, and thou seest that “Truth is sprung out of the earth.” But the Truth which sprang out of the earth was before the earth,…
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On Psalms 84:13Saint Augustine of Hippo12. “For the Lord shall give sweetness, and our land shall give her increase” (ver. 12).…He will give unto thee the sweetness of working righteousness, so that righteousness shall begin to delight thee, whom before unrighteousness delighted: so that thou who at first didst delight in drunkenness, shall rejoice in sobriety: and thou who didst at first rejoice in theft, so as to take from another man what thou…
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On Psalms 84:14Open Psalms 84 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 Hippo13. “For righteousness shall go before him, and he shall direct his steps in the way” (ver. 14): that righteousness, namely, which consists in confession of sins: for this is truth itself. For thou oughtest to be righteous towards thyself, and to punish thyself: for this is the beginning of man’s righteousness, that thou shouldest punish thyself, who art evil, and God should make thee good. Therefore since this…
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