1 A song of ascents. To you I have lifted up my eyes, you who sit in the heavens.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 The tax collector in the Gospel, therefore, acting properly, "did not wish even to lift up his eyes," but on the other hand, the disciple who is present with Jesus would reasonably lift them up when he is given the command, "Lift up your eyes and see the fields, that they are already white to harvest."2The prophet, too, says, "Lift up your eyes on high." But in addition, in Psa…
Jerome · AD 420 What does he mean then by saying, "for he must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet"? Is the Lord to reign only until his enemies begin to be under his feet, and once they are under his feet will he cease to reign? Of course his reign will then commence in its fullness when his enemies begin to be under his feet.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 ...Let this singer ascend; and let this man sing from the heart of each of you, and let each of you be this man, for when each of you saith this, since ye are all one in Christ, one man saith this; and saith not, "Unto Thee, O Lord, have" we "lift up" our "eyes;" but, "Unto Thee, O Lord, have I lift up mine eyes" (ver. 1).
I Lift Up My Eyes to You 2 See — as the eyes of servants are to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so are our eyes to the LORD our God, until he is gracious to us.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 What then followeth, since he hath said, "Unto Thee do I lift up mine eyes"? (ver. 2). How hast thou lifted up thine eyes?
3 Be gracious to us, LORD, be gracious to us, for we have had much of contempt.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "For we have been much filled with contempt" [Psalm 123:3]. All that will live piously according to Christ, must needs suffer reproof, [2 Timothy 3:12] must needs be despised by those who do not choose to live piously, all whose happiness is earthly.
4 Our soul has had much of the mockery of those at ease, of the contempt of the proud.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Our soul is filled exceedingly; a reproach to the wealthy, and a contempt to the proud" (ver. 4). We were asking who were "the wealthy:" he hath expounded to thee, in that he hath said, "the proud." "Reproach" and "contempt" are the same: and "wealthy" is the same with "proud." It is a repetition of the sentence, "a reproach to the wealthy, and a contempt to the proud." Why ar…