1 To the choirmaster. Do Not Destroy. Of David. A miktam, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, for in you my soul has taken refuge; and in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge until destructions pass by.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Therefore, let us cry out to Him, as we have now sung: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for my soul hopes in You. Have mercy on me, says, O God: why? Because my soul has hoped in You. This, says He, is the sacrifice which I offer to You, that You may hear me: because my soul has hoped in You. Who has hoped in God and been abandoned?
In You My Soul Takes Refuge 2 I will call to God Most High, to the Mighty One who completes it for me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "I will cry to God most high" [Psalm 57:2]. If most high He is, how heareth He thee crying? Confidence hath been engendered by experience: "to God," he saith, "who had done good to me." If before that I was seeking Him, He did good to me, when I cry shall He not hearken to me?
3 He will send from heaven and save me; he has reproached the one who tramples me. Selah. God will send his loyal love and his faithfulness.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "He has sent from heaven and has saved me" [Psalm 57:3]. Now the Man Himself, now the Flesh Itself, now the Son of God after His partaking of ourselves, of Him it is manifest, how He was saved, and has sent from heaven the Father and has saved Him, has sent from heaven, and has raised Him again: but in order that you may know, that also the Lord Himself has raised again Himself…
4 My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down among those who blaze — sons of man whose teeth are spear and arrows, and whose tongue is a sharp sword.
Athanasius of Alexandria · AD 373 One thing you can count on: Corruption does not save those who get into it. On the contrary, it sets itself up against them, tears them down and brings about their doom. Woe to those people against whom this prophecy is written! For the evil they pursue is sharper than a two-edged sword, and it will first slay those who lay hold of it.
Tyrannius Rufinus · AD 411 I have read the document sent from the East by our friend and good brother to a distinguished member of the Senate, Pammachius, which you have copied and forwarded to me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 ..."He hath sent from heaven His mercy and His truth." For what purpose? "And hath drawn out my soul from the midst of the lions' whelps" [Psalm 57:4].
5 Be exalted above the heavens, God; let your glory be over all the earth.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Whence "troubled"? Who troubling? Let us see in what manner he brands an evil conscience upon the Jews, wishing to excuse themselves of the slaying of the Lord. For to this end, as the Gospel speaks, to the judge they delivered Him, that they might not themselves seem to have killed Him....Let us question Him, and say, since You have slept troubled, who have persecuted You?
Bede · AD 735 Amos too speaks of the glory of the humanity [Christ] had assumed: "He who builds a means of ascent in heaven and founds his promise on earth." He built a means of ascent in heaven when he created for himself a human body and soul in which he would be able to mount up to heaven.
6 A net they prepared for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit before me; they fell into the midst of it. Selah.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 We heard the apostle telling us, "We are ambassadors for Christ, exhorting you to be reconciled with God." He would not be exhorting us to be reconciled unless we had been enemies. So the whole world was the Savior's enemy, the captor's friend; that is, God's enemy, the devil's friend. And the whole human race, like this woman, was bent over and bowed down to the ground.
7 My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 ...Let your Love see the Lord speaking to us, and exhorting us by His example: "A trap they have prepared for My feet, and have bowed down My Soul" [Psalm 57:7].
Caesarius of Arles · AD 542 Our Lord Jesus Christ gave great assurance to his witnesses, that is, to the martyrs who, on account of their human weakness, were worried that perhaps they would perish after death if they died while confessing him. He did this by telling them, "Not a hair of your head will be harmed." Are you, whose hair will not be harmed, afraid of perishing?
8 Wake up, my glory! Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake the dawn.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 But the patience of good men with preparation of heart accepts the will of God: and glories in tribulations, saying that which follows: "Prepared is my heart, O God, I will sing and play" [Psalm 57:8]. What has he done to me? He has prepared a pit, my heart is prepared. He has prepared pit to deceive, shall I not prepare heart to suffer?
9 I will give you thanks among the peoples, Lord; I will make music to you among the nations.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Rise up, my glory" [Psalm 57:9]. He that had fled from the face of Saul into a cavern, says, "Rise up, my glory:" glorified be Jesus after His Passion. "Rise up, psaltery and harp." He calls upon what to rise? Two organs I see: but Body of Christ one I see, one flesh has risen again, and two organs have risen. The one organ then is the psaltery, the other the harp.
10 For your loyal love is great to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the skies.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Therefore there has risen psaltery and harp in the dawn, and he confesses to the Lord; and says what? "I will confess to You among the peoples, O Lord, and will play to You among the nations: for magnified even unto the Heavens has been Your mercy, and even unto the clouds Your truth." Heavens above clouds, and clouds below heavens: and nevertheless to this nearest heaven belon…
11 Be exalted above the heavens, God; let your glory be over all the earth.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Giving therefore to Him thanks, let us say with the same Psalm the last verses, which sometime since too I have said, "Be Thou exalted above the Heavens, O God, and above all the earth Your glory." For this to Him the Prophet said so many years before; this now we see; this therefore let us also say.