The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 34
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 35 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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A Psalm of David. Judge thou, O Lord, them that injure me, Fight against them that fight against me.
Τῷ Δαυίδ. Δικάσον, Κύριε, τοὺς ἀδικοῦντάς με, πολέμησον τοὺς πολεμοῦντάς με.
"Judge Thou, O Lord" (saith he), "them that hurt me, and fight Thou against them that fight against me" (ver. 1). "If God be for us, who can be against us?" And whereby doth God this for us? "Take hold" (saith he) "of arms and shield, and rise up to my help" (ver. 2). A great spectacle is it, to see God armed for…
Take hold of shield and buckler, and arise for my help.
Ἐπιλαβοῦ ὅπλου καὶ θυρεοῦ, καὶ ἀνάστηθι εἰς βοήθειάν μοι.
Bring forth a sword, and stop the way against them that persecute me: Say to my soul, I am thy salvation.
Ἔκχεον ῥομφαίαν, καὶ σύγκλεισον ἐξεναντίας τῶν καταδιωκόντων με· εἰπὸν τῇ ψυχῇ μου, σωτηρία σου ἐγώ εἰμι.
Let them that seek my soul be ashamed and confounded: Let them that devise evils against me be turned back and put to shame.
Αἰσχυνθείησαν καὶ ἐντραπείησαν οἱ ζητοῦντες τὴν ψυχήν μου, ἀποστραφείησαν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, καὶ καταισχυνθείησαν οἱ λογιζόμενοί μοι κακά.
Let them be as dust before the wind, And an angel of the Lord afflicting them.
Γενηθήτωσαν ὡσεὶ χοῦς κατὰ πρόσωπον ἀνέμου, καὶ ἄγγελος Κυρίου ἐκθλίβων αὐτούς.
Let their way be dark and slippery, And an angel of the Lord persecuting them.
Γενηθήτω ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτῶν σκότος καὶ ὀλίσθημα, καὶ ἄγγελος Κυρίου καταδιώκων αὐτούς.
"Let their way be darkness and slipping." A horrible way! Darkness alone who fears not? A slippery way alone who avoids not? In a dark and slippery way how shall you go? Where set foot? These two ills are the great punishments of men: darkness, ignorance; a slippery way, luxury. "And let the Angel of the Lord…
For without cause they have hidden for me their destructive snare: Without a cause they have reproached my soul.
Ὅτι δωρεὰν ἔκρυψάν μοι διαφθορὰν παγίδος αὐτῶν, μάτην ὠνείδισαν τὴν ψυχήν μου.
Let a snare which they know not come upon them; And the gin which they hid take them: And let them fall into the very same snare.
Ἐλθέτω αὐτοῖς παγὶς ἣν οὐ γινώσκουσι, καὶ ἡ θήρα ἣν ἔκρυψαν, συλλαβέτω αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐν τῇ παγίδι πεσοῦνται ἐν αὐτῇ.
But yet what is to be done? "Without a cause have they hid for me the corruption of their trap." What meaneth, "Without a cause"? I have done them no evil, I have hurt them not at all. "Vainly have they reviled my soul." What is, "Vainly"? Speaking falsely, proving nothing. "Let a trap come upon them which they know…
But my soul shall exult in the Lord: It shall delight in his salvation.
Ἡ δὲ ψυχή μου ἀγαλλιάσεται ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ, τερφθήσεται ἐπὶ τῷ σωτηρίῳ αὐτοῦ.
This then for the wicked that would hurt me: what for me? "But my soul shall rejoice in the Lord" (ver. 9); as in Him from whom it hath heard, "I am thy salvation;" as not seeking other riches from without; as not seeking to abound in pleasures and good things of earth; but loving freely the true Spouse, not from Him…
All my bones shall say, O Lord, who is like to thee? Delivering the poor out of the hand of them that are stronger than he, Yea, the poor and needy one from them that spoil him.
Πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου ἐροῦσι, Κύριε τίς ὅμοιός σοι; ῥυόμενος πτωχὸν ἐκ χειρὸς στερεωτέρων αὐτοῦ, καὶ πτωχὸν καὶ πένητα ἀπὸ τῶν διαρπαζόντων αὐτόν.
"All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like You". Who can speak anything worthily of these words? I think them only to be pronounced, not to be expounded. Why do you seek this or that? What is like your Lord? Him have you before you. "The unrighteous have declared unto me delights, but not after Your law, O Lord!"…
Unjust witnesses arose, and asked me of things I knew not.
Ἀναστάντες μάρτυρες ἄδικοι, ἃ οὐκ ἐγίνωσκον, ἐπηρώτων με.
Let then our Head say, "False witnesses did rise up, they laid to My charge things that I knew not". But let us say to our Head, Lord, what knew Thou not? Did Thou indeed know not anything? Did You not know the hearts of them that charged You? Did You not foresee their deceits? Did You not give Yourself into their…
They rewarded me evil for good, And bereavement to my soul.
Ἀνταπεδίδοσάν μοι πονηρὰ ἀντὶ καλῶν, καὶ ἀτεκνίαν τῇ ψυχῇ μου.
But I, when they troubled me, put on sackcloth, And humbled my soul with fasting: And my prayer shall return to my own bosom.
Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν τῷ αὐτοὺς παρενοχλεῖν μοι, ἐνεδυόμην σάκκον· καὶ ἐταπείνουν ἐν νηστείᾳ τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ ἡ προσευχή μου εἰς κόλπον μου ἀποστραφήσεται.
"But I, when they troubled me, clothed myself with sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer shall return into my own bosom"...Brethren, if for some little space with pious curiosity we lift the veil, and search with the intent eye of the heart the inner part of this Scripture, we find that even this…
I behaved agreeably toward them as if it had been our neighbor or brother: I humbled myself as one mourning and sad of countenance.
Ὡς πλησίον ὡς ἀδελφὸν ἡμέτερον οὕτως εὐηρέστουν, ὡς πενθῶν καὶ σκυθρωπάξων οὕτως ἐταπεινούμην.
"As a Neighbour, as our Brother, so I pleased Him: as one mourning and sorrowful, so I humbled myself" (ver. 14). Now looketh He back to His Own Body: let us now look to this. When we rejoice in prayer, when our mind is calmed, not by the world's prosperity, but by the light of Truth: (who perceiveth this light,…
Yet they rejoiced against me, And plagues were plentifully brought against me, and I knew it not: They were scattered, but repented not.
Καὶ κατʼ ἐμοῦ εὐφράνθησαν, καὶ συνήχθησαν, συνήχθησαν ἐπʼ ἐμὲ μάστιγες καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων· διεσχίσθησαν καὶ οὐ κατενύγησαν.
"And against Me they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together", against Me only: they rejoicing, I sorrowful. But we heard just now in the Gospel, "Blessed are they that mourn." [Matthew 5:5] If they are blessed that mourn, miserable are they that laugh. "Against Me they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together:…
They tempted me, they sneered at me most contemptuously, They gnashed their teeth upon me.
Ἐπείρασάν με, ἐξεμυκτήρισάν με μυκτηρισμὸν, ἔβρυξαν ἐπʼ ἐμὲ τοὺς ὀδόντας αὐτῶν.
"They tempted Me, and mocked Me with mocking". That is, they derided Me, they insulted Me; this of the Head, this of the Body. Consider, Brethren, the glory of the Church which now is; remember its past dishonours, remember how once were Christians everywhere put to flight, and wherever found, mocked, beaten, slain,…
O Lord, when wilt thou look upon me? Deliver my soul from their mischief, Mine only begotten one from the lions.
Κύριε πότε ἐπόψῃ; ἀποκατάστησον τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπὸ τῆς κακουργίας αὐτῶν, ἀπὸ λεόντων τὴν μονογενῆ μου.
"Lord, when will You look on? Rescue My Soul from their deceits, My Darling from the lions". For to us the time is slow; and in our person is this said, "When will You look on?" that is, when shall we see vengeance upon those who insult us? When shall the Judge, overcome by weariness, hear the widow? [Luke 18:3] But…
I will give thanks to thee even in a great congregation: In an abundant people I will praise thee.
Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι καὶ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ πολλῇ, ἐν λαῷ βαρεῖ αἰνέσω σε.
Lastly, wouldest thou know what is that Darling? Read the words following: "I will confess unto Thee, O Lord, in the great Congregation; in a weighty people will I praise Thee". Truly saith He, "I will confess unto Thee:" for confession is made in all the multitude, but not in all is God praised: the whole multitude…
Let not them that are mine enemies without a cause rejoice against me; Who hate me for nothing, and wink with their eyes.
Μὴ ἐπιχαρείησάν μοι οἱ ἐχθραίνοντές μοι ματαίως, οἱ μισοῦντές με δωρεὰν, καὶ διανεύοντες ὀφθαλμοῖς.
"Let not them that are Mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over Me:" for they rejoice over Me because of My chaff. "Who hate Me without a cause;" that is, whom I never hurt; "winking with their eyes": that is, pretending hypocrites, "For they spake indeed peace to Me". What is, "winking with their eyes"? Declaring by…
For to me they spoke peaceably, But imagined deceits in their anger.
Ὅτι ἐμοὶ μὲν εἰρηνικὰ ἐλάλουν, καὶ ἐπʼ ὀργῇ δόλους διελογίζοντο.
And they opened wide their mouth upon me; They said, Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it.
Καὶ ἐπλάτυναν ἐπʼ ἐμὲ τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν, εἶπαν, εὖγε, εὖγε, εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν.
"Yea they opened their mouth wide against Me". First winking with their eyes, those lions sought to ravish and devour; first fawning they spoke peace, and then with wrath devised craftily. Afterward, "they opened their mouth wide against Me," crying, "Crucify Him, Crucify Him! [Luke 23:21] and said, Aha, Aha, our eyes…
Thou hast seen it, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, withdraw not thyself from me.
Εἶδες Κύριε, μὴ παρασιωπήσῃς, Κύριε μὴ ἀποστῇς ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ.
"This Thou hast seen, O Lord; keep not silence". What is, "keep not silence"? Judge Thou. For of judgment is it said in a certain place, "I have kept silence; shall I keep silence for ever?" And of the delaying of judgment it is said to the sinner, "These things hast thou done, and I kept silence;" "Thou thoughtest…
Awake, O Lord, and attend to my judgment, Even to my cause, my God and my Lord.
Ἐξεγέρθητι Κύριε, καὶ πρόσχες τῇ κρίσει μου, ὁ Θεός μου καὶ ὁ Κύριός μου εἰς τὴν δίκην μου.
"Arise, Lord, and attend to My judgment". To what judgment? That Thou art in tribulation; that Thou art tormented with labours and pains? Do not even many wicked men suffer the same? To what judgment? Therefore art Thou righteous, because Thou sufferest these things? No: but what? "To My judgment." What followeth?…
"Judge me, O Lord, according to My righteousness"; that is, attend to My cause. Not according to My punishment, but "according to My righteousness, O Lord, My God," that is, according to this judge Thou Me. "And let them not rejoice over Me;" that is, Mine enemies.
"Let them not say in their heart, Aha, aha, so would we have it"; that is, We have done what we could, we have slain him, we have taken him away. "Let them not say:" show them that they have done nothing. "Let them not say, We have swallowed him up." Whence say those Martyrs, "If the Lord had not been on our side,…
"Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour"; so that we may swallow up them ashamed and brought to confusion. "Who speak evil against me:" let them be ashamed, let them be brought to confusion.
What do you say now, the Head with the Members? "Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour My righteous cause:" who cleave to My Body. Yea, let them say "continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant". "And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness, and of Your…
"And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness, and of Your praise all the day long." And whose tongue endures to speak the praise of God all the day long? See now I have made a discourse something longer; you are wearied. Who endures to praise God all the day long? I will suggest a remedy, whereby you may praise…
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.
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