Psalms 91
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 91 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. The translator's notes for this chapter (4) follow the text.
Psalms 91
1(92) A Psalm of a Song for the Sabbath-day.Ψαλμὸς ᾠδῆς εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ σαββάτου.
2It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to your name, O you Most High;Ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἐξομολογεῖσθαι τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ψάλλειν τῷ ὀνόματί σου, ὕψιστε·
3to proclaim your mercy in the morning, and your truth by night,τοῦ ἀναγγέλλειν τοπρωῒ τὸ ἔλεός σου, καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου κατὰ νύκτα,
4on a lute of ten strings, with a song on the harp.ἐν δεκαχόρδῳ ψαλτηρίῳ, μετʼ ᾠδῆς ἐν κιθάρᾳ.
5For you, O Lord, have made me glad with your work: and in the operations of your hands will I exult.Ὅτι εὔφρανάς με, Κύριε, ἐν τῷ ποιήματί σου, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν σου ἀγαλλιάσομαι.
6How have your works been magnified, O Lord! your thoughts are very deep.Ὡς ἐμεγαλύνθη τὰ ἔργα σου, Κύριε; σφόδρα ἐβαθύνθησαν οἱ διαλογισμοί σου.
7A foolish man will not know, and a senseless man will not understand this.Ἀνὴρ ἄφρων οὐ γνώσεται, καὶ ἀσύνετος οὐ συνήσει ταῦτα.
8When the sinners spring up as the grass, and all the workers of iniquity * have watched; it is that they may be utterly destroyed for ever.Ἐν τῷ ἀνατεῖλαι τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς ὡσεὶ χόρτον, καὶ διέκυψαν πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν, ὅπως ἂν ἐξολοθρευθῶσιν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος.
9But you, O Lord, are most high for ever.Σὺ δὲ ὕψιστος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, Κύριε.
10† For, behold, your enemies shall perish; and all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.Ὅτι ἰδοὺ οἱ ἐχθροί σου ἀπολοῦνται, καὶ διασκορπισθήσονται πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν.
11But my horn shall be exalted as the horn of a unicorn; and my old age with rich ‡ mercy.Καὶ ὑψωθήσεται ὡς μονοκέρωτος τὸ κέρας μου, καὶ τὸ γῆράς μου ἐν ἐλέῳ πίονι.
12And my eye has seen my enemies, and my ear shall hear the wicked that rise up against me.Καὶ ἐπεῖδεν ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου ἐν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς μου, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐπανισταμένοις ἐπʼ ἐμὲ πονηρευομένοις ἀκούσεται τὸ οὖς μου.
13The righteous shall flourish as a palm tree: he shall be increased as the cedar in Libanus.Δίκαιος ὡς φοῖνιξ ἀνθήσει, ὡς ἡ κέδρος ἡ ἐν τῷ Λιβάνῳ πληθυνθήσεται·
14They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.Πεφυτευμένοι ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Κυρίου, ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐξανθήσουσι.
15Then shall they be increased in a § fine old age; and they shall be prosperous; that they may declareΤότε πληθυνθήσονται ἐν γήρει πίονι, καὶ εὐπαθοῦντες ἔσονται
16that the Lord my God is righteous, and there is no iniquity in him.τοῦ ἀναγγεῖλαι· ὅτι εὐθὴς Κύριος ὁ Θεός μου, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀδικία ἐν αὐτῷ.
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. 7*Perhaps, 'come to light'.
- v. 9†Alex. + for behold your enemies, O Lord, as in Heb.
- v. 10‡Alex. oil. See Ps. 88:20.
- v. 14§Gr. fat. * 92: Alex. the sabbath-day.
The Fathers on Psalms 91
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 91:2Saint Augustine of Hippo1. …We are not Christians, except on account of a future life: let no one hope for present blessings, let no one promise himself the happiness of the world, because he is a Christian: but let him use the happiness he hath, as he may, in what manner he may, when he may, as far as he may. When it is present, let him give thanks for the consolation of God: when it is wanting, let him give thanks to the Divine…
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On Psalms 91:3Saint Augustine of Hippo4. “To tell of Thy mercy early in the morning, and of Thy truth in the night season” (ver. 2). What is the meaning of this; that the mercy of God is to be told us in the morning, and in the night the truth of God? The morning is, when it is well with us; the night, the sadness of tribulation. What then did he say in brief? When thou art prosperous, rejoice in God, for it is His mercy. Now, perhaps thou wouldest…
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On Psalms 91:4Saint Augustine of Hippo5. “Upon a psaltery of ten strings, with a song, and upon the harp” (ver. 3). Ye have not heard of the psaltery of ten strings for the first time: it signifies the ten commandments of the Law. But we must sing upon that psaltery, and not carry it only. For even the Jews have the Law: but they carry it: they sing not.…“And upon the harp.” This means, in word and deed; “with a song,” in word; “upon the harp,” in…
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On Psalms 91:5Saint Augustine of Hippo6. “For Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through Thy works; and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of Thy hands” (ver. 4). Ye see what he saith. Thou hast made me living well, Thou hast formed me: if by chance I do aught of good, I will rejoice in the work of Thy hands: as the Apostle saith, “For we are His workmanship, created unto good works.” For unless He formed thee to good works, thou wouldest…
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On Psalms 91:6Saint Augustine of Hippo8. Teaching us this, what saith he? “O Lord, how glorious are Thy works: Thy thoughts are made very deep” (ver. 5). Verily, my brethren, there is no sea so deep as these thoughts of God, who maketh the wicked flourish, and the good suffer: nothing so profound, nothing so deep: therein every unbelieving soul is wrecked, in that depth, in that profundity. Dost thou wish to cross this depth? Remove not from the wood…
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On Psalms 91:7–8Saint Augustine of Hippo9. For this reason, after saying, “Thy thoughts are very deep,” he at once subjoins: “An unwise man doth not well consider this, and a fool doth not understand it” (ver. 6). What are the things which an unwise man doth not well consider, and which a fool doth not understand? “When the ungodly are green as the grass.” What is, “as the grass”? They flourish when it is winter, but they will wither in the summer.…
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On Psalms 91:9–10Saint Augustine of Hippo10. “But Thou, Lord, art the Most Highest for evermore” (ver. 8). Waiting above in Thy eternity until the season of the wicked be past, and that of the just come. “For lo.” Listen, brethren. Already he who speaketh (for he speaketh in our person, in the person of Christ’s body, for Christ speaketh in His own body, that is, in His Church), hath joined himself unto the eternity of God: as I a little before was…
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On Psalms 91:11Saint Augustine of Hippo11. …“But mine horn shall be exalted like the horn of an unicorn” (ver. 10). Why did He say, “like the horn of an unicorn”? Sometimes an unicorn signifies pride, sometimes it means the lifting up of unity; because unity is lifted up, all heresies shall perish with the enemies of God. And “mine horn shall be exalted like an unicorn.” When will it be so? “And mine old age shall be in the fatness of mercy.” Why did…
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On Psalms 91:12Saint Augustine of Hippo12. “And Mine eye hath beheld on mine enemies” (ver. 11). Whom doth he call his enemies? All the workers of iniquity. Do not observe whether thy friend be wicked: let an occasion come, and then thou provest him. Thou beginnest to go contrary to his iniquity, and then thou shalt see that when he was flattering thee, he was thy enemy; but thou hadst not yet knocked, not to raise in his heart what was not there, but…
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On Psalms 91:13Saint Augustine of Hippo13. The grass withereth, the flower of sinners dieth away: what of the righteous? “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree” (ver. 12). The ungodly are green as grass; “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree.” By the palm tree he signifieth height. Possibly he had also this meaning in the palm, that in its extremities it is beautiful: so that thou mayest trace its beginning from the earth, its end in…
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On Psalms 91:13, 15Open Psalms 91 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 Hippo14. “Such as are planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God” (ver. 12). “They shall be yet more increased in fruitful old age, and shall be quiet, that they may show it forth” (ver. 13). Such is the Sabbath, which but a little while ago I commended unto you, whence the Psalm hath its title. “They shall be quiet, that they may show it forth.” Wherefore are they quiet…
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