1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord: and to sing praises unto thy Name, O most Highest;
Jerome · AD 420 It is good to give praise to the Lord, and to sing psalms to your name, O Most High. Why did he not say first, "It is good to sing psalms," and afterward "to give praise"?
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 ...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.
2 To tell of thy loving-kindness early in the morning: and of thy truth in the night-season;
Jerome · AD 420 To announce your mercy in the morning, and your truth throughout the night. Why is mercy sung in the morning, and truth in the night? Pay careful attention, for the things that are being said are obscure.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "To tell of Your mercy early in the morning, and of Your truth in the night season" [Psalm 92:2]. 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?
3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the lute: upon a loud instrument, and upon the harp.
Jerome · AD 420 On the ten-stringed psaltery, with a song upon the harp. I say it plainly: as often as we lift up our hands without wandering thoughts and disputings, we sing to the Lord on the ten-stringed instrument. On the ten-stringed psaltery, with a song upon the harp. Our harp is body and soul and spirit: they are composed of all the strings.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Upon a psaltery of ten strings, with a song, and upon the harp" [Psalm 92:3]. 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.
4 For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy works: and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of thy hands.
Jerome · AD 420 On the ten-stringed psaltery with a song upon the harp. For you have delighted me, O Lord, in your making, and in the works of your hands I will exult.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "For Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through Thy works; and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of Thy hands" [Psalm 92:4]. Ye see what he saith.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 Hence, when one considers brightness as coming from light, the mind must be transferred to the consideration of the eternal generation—and so with the other examples.
5 O Lord, how glorious are thy works: thy thoughts are very deep.
Jerome · AD 420 How magnified are your works, O Lord: your thoughts have been made exceedingly deep. Whence the apostle too says, "O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" Therefore, then, because your thoughts have been made exceedingly deep, and his works, which neither human sense nor reason can attain, in another place it is said, "All your works are in faith." See wh…
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Teaching us this, what saith he? "O Lord, how glorious are Thy works: Thy thoughts are made very deep" [Psalm 92:5]. 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 depth, in that profundity.
6 An unwise man doth not well consider this: and a fool doth not understand it.
Jerome · AD 420 The foolish man does not know, and the stupid man does not understand these things. Whoever is not a Christian, and in the works does not understand the creator, that man is foolish.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 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" [Psalm 92:6]. 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 the grass"?
7 When the ungodly are green as the grass, and when all the workers of wickedness do flourish: then shall they be destroyed for ever; but thou, Lord, art the most Highest for evermore.
Jerome · AD 420 When sinners spring up like grass. You have seen emperors, you have seen prefects, you have seen armies, you have seen victories and triumphs. Yesterday it was, and today it is not. And all who work iniquity have appeared, that they may perish forever and ever. Yesterday it appeared like a flower, today the flower itself does not appear.
8 For lo, thine enemies, O Lord, lo, thine enemies shall perish: and all the workers of wickedness shall be destroyed.
Jerome · AD 420 But you, O Lord, are the Most High for evermore. For behold your enemies, O Lord, for behold your enemies shall perish, and all who work iniquity shall be scattered. If they perish, how shall they be scattered? For he who has once perished cannot be scattered. He ought to have said: Behold, they shall be scattered, and they shall perish.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "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.
9 But my horn shall be exalted like the horn of an unicorn: for I am anointed with fresh oil.
10 Mine eye also shall see his lust of mine enemies: and mine ear shall hear his desire of the wicked that arise up against me.
Basil of Caesarea · AD 379 Remember the calf in Exodus, which they fashioned through idolatry, which Moses beat to powder and gave to the people to drink. In a manner similar to that calf, he will utterly destroy all Lebanon and the practice of idolatry prevailing in it.
Jerome · AD 420 And my old age in plentiful mercy. Our old age needs the oil of God. For just as our bodies, when they grow weary (I speak rather plainly for the sake of the simpler brothers, who cannot understand more loftily) — just as our bodies, when they grow weary, are not restored except by the anointing of oil; just as the light that is in a lamp, unless you put in oil, is extinguished…
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 ..."But mine horn shall be exalted like the horn of an unicorn" [Psalm 92:10]. 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 unicorn." When will it be so?
11 The righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree: and shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And My eye has beheld on mine enemies" [Psalm 92:11]. 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.
12 Such as are planted in the house of the Lord: shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God.
Basil of Caesarea · AD 379 Accordingly, it is not proper to adore God outside of this holy court, but only within it, lest anyone who is outside of it and is attracted by those outside of it might lose the right to be in the court of the Lord.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Such as are planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God" [Psalm 92:12]. "They shall be yet more increased in fruitful old age, and shall be quiet, that they may show it forth" [Psalm 92:13]. Such is the Sabbath, which but a little while ago I commended unto you, whence the Psalm hath its title.
Desert Fathers · AD 500 An old man used to say, "It is written, 'The righteous one shall blossom like the palm tree.' " Now these words make known that the soul acquires height, and straightness of stature and sweetness from beautiful deeds. But there is another quality that is found in the palm, that is, a single, white heart, which is wholly suitable for work (or useful for being worked).
13 They also shall bring forth more fruit in their age: and shall be fat and well-liking.
Jerome · AD 420 Planted in the house of the Lord, in the courts of our God they shall flourish. In one place we are planted, in another we flourish: here we are planted, in the kingdom of heaven we shall flourish.
14 That they may shew how true the Lord my strength is: and that there is no unrighteousness in him.
Jerome · AD 420 They shall still be multiplied in a plentiful old age. Happy is he who grows daily, who grows old in age, and grows old also in virtues.