1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and consider my desire: hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness sake.
Jerome · AD 420 O Lord, hear my prayer. The words of a humble man, full of humility and mercy. Give ear to my supplication in your truth. These are the words of one who trusts. In your truth, that is, in your Christ. 'I am the way and the life and the truth.' Hear me in your justice. Here too, in your Christ.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Let then our Lord speak; let Christ with us, whole Christ, speak. "Lord, hear my prayer, receive with Your ears my entreaty" [Psalm 143:1]. "Hear" and "receive with ears" are the same thing. It is repetition, it is confirmation.
2 And enter not into judgement with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
Jerome · AD 420 It is clear from all this that there are two kinds of perfections in holy Scripture, and two kinds of justices and two kinds of fears.
John Cassian · AD 435 In another way tears flow, proceeding without any consciousness of deadly sin, yet still from the fear of hell and an awareness of that terrible judgment. With such terror, the prophet was struck and prayed to God, saying: "Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for in your sight shall no one living be justified."
Fulgentius of Ruspe · AD 533 But if someone asks why God predicted all the things predestined and still did not promise all the predestined things, we answer that it cannot be called a promise unless when it is predicted that something is going to be done, what is done can be of use to the one to whom it is promised.
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground: he hath laid me in the darkness, as the men that have been long dead.
Jerome · AD 420 For the enemy has persecuted my soul. This needs no interpretation: no one doubts that it is the devil. He has humbled my life on the earth. This is what he means.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "For the enemy hath persecuted my soul: he hath humbled my life on the earth" (ver. 3). Here we speak, here our Head speaketh for us. Manifestly both the devil persecuted the Soul of Christ and Judas the Soul of his Master: and now too the same devil remaineth to persecute the Body of Christ, and one Judas succeedeth another.
4 Therefore is my spirit vexed within me: and my heart within me is desolate.
Basil of Caesarea · AD 379 Let that foe of yours upbraid you, but do you not upbraid him. Regard his words as a training ground in which to exercise philosophy.
Jerome · AD 420 And my spirit was in anguish over me. 'Do you first tell your sins, and you shall be saved.' And again: 'If you only sigh for your sins, you shall be saved.' My heart within me was troubled. Because of my conscience, because I sinned.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And My Spirit within me," saith He, "suffered weariness" (ver. 4). Remember, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." Here we see one voice. Do we not see plainly the transition from the Head to the members, from the members to the Head? ...
5 Yet do I remember the time past; I muse upon all thy works: yea, I exercise myself in the works of thy hands.
Jerome · AD 420 I was mindful of the days of old. I was mindful of my former days, how I used to have confidence: but now it is night for me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 But we too were there. He goes to the members. "I have called to mind the days of old" [Psalm 143:5]. Did He "call to mind the days of old," by whom every day was made?
6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land.
Jerome · AD 420 I stretched out my hands to you. Bound by the enemy, I can do nothing else except do penance, and lift up my hands to you. My soul is as earth without water to you. As earth without water thirsts and seeks the rain, so too my soul longs for and thirsts after you, its God.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Put two people together; one wants to go to the show, the other to church. They are joined in body, separated by their desires. The first is like the salt water, the second appears as dry land. How can we prove that this land is dry, which signifies people desiring good things?
7 Hear me, O Lord, and that soon, for my spirit waxeth faint: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
Jerome · AD 420 Hear me speedily, O Lord, my spirit has failed. My soul has failed, my flesh has failed: my spirit alone remained in me, and it too has failed: but hear me speedily, and have mercy on me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Speedily hear me, Lord" [Psalm 143:7]. For what need of delay to inflame my thirst, when already I thirst so eagerly? Thou didst delay the rain, that I might drink and imbibe, not reject, Thy inflowing. If then Thou didst for this cause delay, now give; for "my spirit hath failed." Let Thy Spirit fill me. This is the reason why Thou shouldest speedily hear me.
8 O let me hear thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning, for in thee is my trust: shew thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto thee.
Jerome · AD 420 Make known to me the way in which I should walk. Make your Christ known to me, who said, 'I am the way.'
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Make me to hear in the morning Thy mercy, for in Thee have I hoped" [Psalm 143:8]. Behold, I am in the night, yet "in Thee have I hoped," until the iniquity of the night pass away.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: for I flee unto thee to hide me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Deliver me from mine enemies, O Lord, for unto Thee have I fled for refuge" [Psalm 143:9]. I who once fled from Thee, now flee to Thee.
10 Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee, for thou art my God: let thy loving Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness.
Nicetas of Remesiana · AD 414 It can be proved, too, that just as the Father is good and the Son is good, so the Holy Spirit is good. Of the Father, the Only-Begotten speaks in the Gospel: "One there is who is good, that is God." Of himself he says, "I am the good Shepherd." So, too, of the Holy Spirit, David in his psalms says to the Lord, "Your good spirit shall lead me into the right land." Just as it is…
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God" [Psalm 143:10]. Glorious confession! glorious rule! "For Thou," says he, "art my God." To another will I hasten to be re-made, if by another I was made. You are my all, "for You are my God." Shall I seek a father to get an inheritance? "You are my God," not only the Giver of mine inheritance, but mine Inheritance itself.
Bede · AD 735 Let us entreat the help of the grace of this Spirit in all our actions, dearly beloved. Let us all, individually and collectively, say to the Lord, "Let your good Spirit lead me in the right way." And so it will come to pass that the one who came down on the apostles and declared to them the things that were to come may disclose also to our minds the joys of the life to come.
11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy Name's sake: and for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of trouble.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Listen, then, with all your power, to the commendation of Grace, whereby ye are saved without price. "For Thy Name's sake, O Lord, Thou shalt quicken me in Thy righteousness" (ver. 11); not in mine own: not because I have deserved, but because Thou hast mercy. For were I to show mine own desert, nought should I deserve of Thee, save punishment.
12 And of thy goodness slay mine enemies: and destroy all them that vex my soul; for I am thy servant.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And in your mercy shall bring mine enemies to destruction: and you shall destroy all them that afflict my soul; for I am Your servant" [Psalm 143:12].