The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 138

The Book of Psalms · the Psalter

Psalm 138

Psalm 139 in the KJV and most English Bibles

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1

For the end, a Psalm of David. O Lord, thou hast proved me, and known me.

Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυίδ. Κύριε ἐδοκίμασάς με, καὶ ἔγνως με.

2

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising: Thou understandest my thoughts long before.

Σὺ ἔγνως τὴν καθέδραν μου, καὶ τὴν ἔγερσίν μου· σὺ συνῆκας τοὺς διαλογισμούς μου ἀπὸ μακρόθεν.

3

Thou hast traced my path and my bed, And hast foreseen all my ways.

Τὴν τρίβον μου καὶ τὴν σχοῖνόν μου ἑξιχνίασας· καὶ πάσας τὰς ὁδούς μου προεῖδες,

4

For there is no unrighteous word in my tongue: Behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things,

ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι λόγος ἄδικος ἐν γλώσσῃ μου· ἰδοὺ Κύριε, σὺ ἔγνως πάντα

5

the last and the first: Thou hast fashioned me, and laid thy hand upon me.

τὰ ἔσχατα καὶ τὰ ἀρχαῖα· σὺ ἔπλασάς με καὶ ἔθηκας ἐπʼ ἐμὲ τὴν χεῖρά σου.

6

The knowledge of thee is too wonderful for me; It is very difficult, I cannot attain to it.

Ἐθαυμαστώθη ἡ γνῶσίς σου ἐξ ἐμοῦ, ἐκραταιώθη, οὐ μὴ δύνωμαι πρὸς αὐτήν.

7

Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? And whither shall I flee from thy presence?

Ποῦ πορευθῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός σου, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου ποῦ φύγω;

8

If I should go up to heaven, thou art there: If I should go down to hell, thou art present.

Ἐὰν ἀναβῶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, σὺ ἐκεῖ εἶ· ἐὰν καταβῶ εἰς τὸν ᾅδην, πάρει.

About these notes

Every note is a real passage, quoted word for word from a published English translation, with its source. Nothing here is summarised or written by us. Some verses have many notes and some have none, because the Fathers wrote more on some passages than others.

  • Blessed Augustine, Expositions on the Book of Psalms, tr. A. Cleveland Coxe from the Oxford translation, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888).
  • Scripture: the Septuagint, in the translation of Sir Lancelot Brenton (1851), with spelling updated by Adam Boyd (2020); the Greek is Brenton's Septuagint text.

All of these translations are in the public domain. The passages were matched to their verses by the Historical Christian Commentaries project, which also hosts the full texts we link to. The Fathers are a treasury of the Church's mind, and they are best read alongside the life of the Church: if a passage raises a question, bring it to your priest.