The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 4
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
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When I called upon him, the God of my righteousness heard me: Thou hast made room for me in tribulation; Pity me, and hearken to my prayer.
Ἐν τῷ ἐπικαλεῖσθαί με, εἰσήκουσέ μου ὁ Θεὸς τῆς δικαιοσύνης μου· ἐν θλίψει ἐπλάτυνάς μοι· οἰκτείρησόν με, καὶ εἰσάκουσον τῆς προσευχῆς μου.
"When I called, the God of my righteousness heard me". When I called, God heard me, the Psalmist says, of whom is my righteousness. "In tribulation You have enlarged me." You have led me from the straits of sadness into the broad ways of joy. For, "tribulation and straitness is on every soul of man that does evil."…
O ye sons of men, how long will ye be slow of heart? Wherefore do ye love vanity, and seek falsehood? Pause.
Υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἕως πότε βαρυκάρδιοι; ἱνατί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα, καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος; διάψαλμα.
"O you sons of men, how long heavy in heart". Let your error, says he, have lasted at least up to the coming of the Son of God; why then any longer are you heavy in heart? When will you make an end of crafty wiles, if now when the truth is present ye make it not? "Why do ye love vanity, and seek a lie?" Why would ye…
But know ye that the Lord has done wondrous things for his holy one: The Lord will hear me when I cry to him.
Καὶ γνῶτε ὅτι ἐθαυμάστωσε Κύριος τὸν ὅσιον αὐτοῦ, Κύριος εἰσακούσεταί μου ἐν τῷ κεκραγέναι με πρὸς αὐτόν.
"And know ye that the Lord has magnified his Holy One". Whom but Him, whom He raised up from below, and placed in heaven at His right hand? Therefore does he chide mankind, that they would turn at length from the love of this world to Him. But if the addition of the conjunction (for he says, "and know ye") is to any a…
Be ye angry, and sin not; Feel compunction upon your beds For what ye say in your hearts. Pause.
Ὀργίζεσθε καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε· ἃ λέγετε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν, ἐπὶ ταῖς κοίταις ὑμῶν κατανύγητε· διάψαλμα.
"Be angry, and sin not". For the thought occurred, Who is worthy to be heard? Or how shall the sinner not cry in vain unto the Lord? Therefore, "Be angry," says he, "and sin not." Which may be taken two ways: either, even if you be angry, do not sin; that is, even if there arise an emotion in the soul, which now by…
Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, And trust in the Lord.
Θύσατε θυσίαν δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ἐλπίσατε ἐπὶ Κύριον.
"Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and hope in the Lord". He says the same in another Psalm, "the sacrifice for God is a troubled spirit." Wherefore that this is the sacrifice of righteousness which is offered through repentance it is not unreasonably here understood. For what more righteous, than that each one…
Many say, Who will show us good things? The light of thy countenance, O Lord, has been manifested toward us.
Πολλοὶ λέγουσι, τίς δείξει ἡμῖν τὰ ἀγαθά; ἐσημειώθη ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς τὸ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου σου, Κύριε.
But yet, "hope in the Lord," is as yet expressed without explanation. Now what is hoped for, but good things? But since each one would obtain from God that good, which he loves; and they are not easy to be found who love interior goods, that is, which belong to the inward man, which alone should be loved, but the rest…
Thou hast put gladness into my heart: They have been satisfied with the fruit of their corn and wine and oil.
Ἔδωκας εὐφροσύνην εἰς τὴν καρδίαν μου· ἀπὸ καρποῦ σίτου καὶ οἴνου καὶ ἐλαίου αὐτῶν ἐπληθύνθησαν.
"You have put gladness into my heart." Gladness then is not to be sought without by them, who, being still heavy in heart, "love vanity, and seek a lie;" but within, where the light of God's countenance is stamped. For Christ dwells in the inner man, [Ephesians 3:16-17] as the Apostle says; for to Him does it…
I will both lie down in peace and sleep: For thou, Lord, only hast caused me to dwell securely.
Ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κοιμηθήσομαι, καὶ ὑπνώσω· ὅτι σὺ Κύριε κατὰ μόνας ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι κατῴκισάς με.
But men (who doubtless are many) who follow after things temporal, know not to say anything else, than, "Who shows us good things?" when the true and certain good within their very selves they cannot see. Of these accordingly is most justly said, what he adds next: "From the time of His grain, of wine, and oil, they…
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.