The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 91
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 92 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to thy name, O thou Most High;
Ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἐξομολογεῖσθαι τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ψάλλειν τῷ ὀνόματί σου, ὕψιστε·
...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…
To proclaim thy mercy in the morning, And thy truth by night,
τοῦ ἀναγγέλλειν τοπρωῒ τὸ ἔλεός σου, καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου κατὰ νύκτα,
"To tell of Your mercy early in the morning, and of Your truth in the night season". 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…
On a psaltery of ten strings, with a song on the harp.
ἐν δεκαχόρδῳ ψαλτηρίῳ, μετʼ ᾠδῆς ἐν κιθάρᾳ.
"Upon a psaltery of ten strings, with a song, and upon the harp". You 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…
For thou, O Lord, hast made me glad with thy work: And in the operations of thy hands will I exult.
Ὅτι εὔφρανάς με, Κύριε, ἐν τῷ ποιήματί σου, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν σου ἀγαλλιάσομαι.
"For Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through Thy works; and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of Thy hands". 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…
How have thy works been magnified, O Lord! Thy thoughts are very deep.
Ὡς ἐμεγαλύνθη τὰ ἔργα σου, Κύριε; σφόδρα ἐβαθύνθησαν οἱ διαλογισμοί σου.
Teaching us this, what saith he? "O Lord, how glorious are Thy works: Thy thoughts are made very deep". 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…
A foolish man will not know, And a senseless man will not understand this.
Ἀνὴρ ἄφρων οὐ γνώσεται, καὶ ἀσύνετος οὐ συνήσει ταῦτα.
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". 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…
When the sinners spring up as the grass, And all the workers of iniquity have watched; It is that they may be utterly destroyed forever.
Ἐν τῷ ἀνατεῖλαι τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς ὡσεὶ χόρτον, καὶ διέκυψαν πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν, ὅπως ἂν ἐξολοθρευθῶσιν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος.
But thou, O Lord, art most high forever.
Σὺ δὲ ὕψιστος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, Κύριε.
"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…
For, behold, thine 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.
But my horn shall be exalted as the horn of a unicorn; And mine old age with rich mercy.
Καὶ ὑψωθήσεται ὡς μονοκέρωτος τὸ κέρας μου, καὶ τὸ γῆράς μου ἐν ἐλέῳ πίονι.
..."But mine horn shall be exalted like the horn of an unicorn". 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…
And mine eye has seen mine enemies, And mine 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.
"And My eye has beheld on mine enemies". Whom does he call his enemies? All the workers of iniquity. Do not observe whether your friend be wicked: let an occasion come, and then you prove him. Thou beginnest to go contrary to his iniquity, and then you shall see that when he was flattering you, he was your enemy; but…
The righteous shall flourish as a palm tree: He shall be increased as the cedar in Lebanon.
Δίκαιος ὡς φοῖνιξ ἀνθήσει, ὡς ἡ κέδρος ἡ ἐν τῷ Λιβάνῳ πληθυνθήσεται·
The grass withers, the flower of sinners dies away: what of the righteous? "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree". The ungodly are green as grass; "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree." By the palm tree he signifies height. Possibly he had also this meaning in the palm, that in its extremities it is…
"Such as are planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God". "They shall be yet more increased in fruitful old age, and shall be quiet, that they may show it forth". Such is the Sabbath, which but a little while ago I commended unto you, whence the Psalm hath its title. "They…
They 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.
Then shall they be increased in a fine old age; And they shall be prosperous; That they may declare
Τότε πληθυνθήσονται ἐν γήρει πίονι, καὶ εὐπαθοῦντες ἔσονται
that 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.
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.