The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 20
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 21 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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O Lord, the king shall rejoice in thy strength; And in thy salvation he shall greatly exult.
Κύριε, ἐν τῇ δυνάμει σου εὐφρανθήσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ σωτηρίῳ σου ἀγαλλιάσεται σφόδρα.
"O Lord, the King shall rejoice in Your strength". O Lord, in Your strength, whereby the Word was made flesh, the Man Christ Jesus shall rejoice. "And shall exult exceedingly in Your salvation." And in that, whereby Thou quickenest all things, shall exult exceedingly.
Thou hast granted him the desire of his soul, And hast not withheld from him the request of his lips. Pause.
Τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ ἔδωκας αὐτῷ, καὶ τὴν δέησιν τῶν χειλέων αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐστέρησας αὐτόν· διάψαλμα.
"You have given Him the desire of His soul". He desired to eat the Passover, [Luke 22:15] and to lay down His life when He would, and again when He would to take it; and You have given it to Him. [John 10:18] "And hast not deprived Him of the good pleasure of His lips." "My peace," says He, "I leave with you:"…
For thou hast prevented him with blessings of goodness: Thou hast set upon his head a crown of precious stone.
Ὅτι προέφθασας αὐτὸν ἐν εὐλογίαις χρηστότητος, ἔθηκας ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ στέφανον ἐκ λίθου τιμίου.
"For You have presented Him with the blessings of sweetness". Because He had first quaffed the blessing of Your sweetness, the gall of our sins did not hurt Him. " Diapsalma. You have set a crown of precious stone on His Head." At the beginning of His discoursing precious stones were brought, and compassed Him about;…
He asked life of thee, and thou gavest him Length of days forever and ever.
Ζωὴν ᾐτήσατό σε, καὶ ἔδωκας αὐτῷ μακρότητα ἡμερῶν εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος.
"He asked life; and You gave Him:" He asked a resurrection, saying, "Father, glorify Your Son;" [John 17:1] and You gave it Him, "Length of days for ever and ever". The prolonged ages of this world which the Church was to have, and after them an eternity, world without end.
His glory is great in thy salvation: Thou wilt crown him with glory and majesty.
Μεγάλη ἡ δόξα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ σωτηρίῳ σου, δόξαν καὶ μεγαλοπρέπειαν ἐπιθήσεις ἐπʼ αὐτόν.
"His glory is great in Your salvation". Great indeed is His glory in the salvation, whereby You have raised Him up again. "Glory and great honour shall Thou lay upon Him." But You shall yet add unto Him glory and great honour, when You shall place Him in heaven at Your right hand.
For thou wilt give him a blessing forever and ever: Thou wilt gladden him with joy with thy countenance.
Ὅτι δώσεις αὐτῷ εὐλογίαν εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος, εὐφρανεῖς αὐτὸν ἐν χαρᾷ μετὰ τοῦ προσώπου σου.
"For You shall give Him blessing for ever and ever." This is the blessing which You shall give Him for ever and ever: "You shall make Him glad in joy together with Your countenance". According to His manhood, You shall make Him glad together with Your countenance, which He lifted up to You.
For the king trusts in the Lord, And through the mercy of the Highest he shall not be moved.
Ὅτι ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐλπίζει ἐπὶ Κύριον, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐλέει τοῦ ὑψίστου οὐ μὴ σαλευθῇ.
"For the King hopes in the Lord." For the King is not proud, but humble in heart, he hopes in the Lord. "And in the mercy of the Most Highest He shall not be moved". And in the mercy of the Most Highest His obedience even unto the death of the Cross shall not disturb His humility.
Let thy hand be found by all thine enemies: Let thy right hand find all that hate thee.
Εὑρεθείη ἡ χείρ σου πᾶσι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς σου, ἡ δεξιά σου εὕροι πάντας τοὺς μισοῦντάς σε.
"Let Your hand be found by all Your enemies." Be Your power, O King, when You come to judgment, found by all Your enemies; who in Your humiliation discerned it not. "Let Your right hand find out all that hate You". Let the glory, wherein Thou reign at the right hand of the Father, find out for punishment in the day of…
Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven at the time of thy presence: The Lord shall trouble them in his anger, And fire shall devour them.
Θήσεις αὐτοὺς ὡς κλίβανον πυρὸς εἰς καιρὸν τοῦ προσώπου σου, Κύριος ἐν ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ συνταράξει αὐτοὺς, καὶ καταφάγεται αὐτοὺς πῦρ.
"Their fruit shall You destroy out of the earth." Their fruit, because it is earthly, shall You destroy out of the earth. "And their seed from the sons of men". And their works; or, whomsoever they have seduced, You shall not reckon among the sons of men, whom You have called into the everlasting inheritance.
"Because they turned evils against You." Now this punishment shall be recompensed to them, because the evils which they supposed to hang over them by Your reign, they turned against You to Your death. "They imagined a device, which they were not able to establish". They imagined a device, saying, "It is expedient that…
"For You shall set them low." For You shall rank them among those from whom in degradation and contempt You will turn away. "In Your leavings You shall make ready their countenance". And in these things that Thou leavest, that is, in the desires of an earthly kingdom, You shall make ready their shamelessness for Your…
"Be Thou exalted, O Lord, in Your strength". Be Thou, Lord, whom in humiliation they did not discern, exalted in Your strength, which they thought weakness. "We will sing and praise Your power." In heart and in deed we will celebrate and make known Your marvels.
"You shall make them like a fiery oven:" You shall make them on fire within, by the consciousness of their ungodliness: "In the time of Your countenance:" in the time of Your manifestation. "The Lord shall trouble them in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them". And then, being troubled by the vengeance of the…
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.
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.