1 To the choirmaster. Do Not Destroy. Of David. A miktam, when Saul sent and they watched the house to put him to death. Rescue me from my enemies, my God; set me on high from those who rise against me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Deliver me from mine enemies, my God, and from men rising up upon me, redeem Thou me" [Psalm 59:1]. There has been done this thing in the flesh of Christ, it is being done in us also.
Deliver Me from My Enemies 2 Rescue me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from men of blood.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Deliver me from men working iniquity, and from men of bloods, save Thou me" (ver. 2). They indeed were men of bloods, who slew the Just One, in whom no guilt they found: they were men of bloods, because when the foreigner washed his hands, and would have let go Christ, they cried, "Crucify, Crucify:" they were men of bloods, on whom when there was being charged the crime of th…
3 For see — they have lain in wait for my life; strong ones stir up strife against me — not for my transgression and not for my sin, LORD.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "For behold they have hunted my soul. ...There have rushed upon me strong men" (ver. 3). We must not however pass on from these strong men: diligently we must trace who are the strong men rising up. Strong men, upon whom but upon weak men, upon powerless men, upon men not strong? And praised nevertheless are the weak men, and condemned are the strong men.
4 Without iniquity they run and take their stand. Wake up to meet me, and see!
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 What next? "Neither iniquity is mine, nor sin mine, O Lord" [Psalm 59:4]. There have rushed on indeed strong men on their own righteousness relying, they have rushed on, but sin in me they have not found. For truly those strong men, that is, as it were righteous men, on what account would they be able to persecute Christ, unless it were as if a sinner?
5 And you, LORD God of hosts, God of Israel, rouse yourself to visit all the nations; do not be gracious to any who treacherously work iniquity. Selah.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Without iniquity I did run, and was guided; rise up to meet me, and see." To God is said this. But why? If He meet not, is He unable to see? It is just as if you were walking in a road, and from afar by some one you could not be recognised, you would call to him and would say, Meet me, and see how I am walking; for when from afar you espy me, my steps you are not able to see.
6 They return at evening; they growl like a dog and go around the city.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Let them be converted at the evening" [Psalm 59:6]. Of certain men he is speaking that were once workers of iniquity, and once darkness, being converted in the evening. What is, "in the evening"? Afterward. What is "at the evening"? Later. For before, before that they crucified Christ, they ought to have acknowledged their Physician.
7 See, they pour out with their mouth; swords are in their lips — for who hears?
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Behold, themselves shall speak in their mouth, and a sword is on the lips of them" (ver. 7). Here is that sword twice whetted, whereof the Apostle saith, "And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." Wherefore twice whetted? Wherefore, but because smiting out of both Testaments?
8 But you, LORD, laugh at them; you mock all the nations.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And You, Lord, shall deride them" [Psalm 59:8]. All nations are to be Christian, and you say, "Who has heard?" What is, "shall deride them"? "As nothing You shall esteem all nations." Nothing for You it shall be; because a most easy thing it will be for all nations to believe in You.
9 His strength — for you I will watch, for God is my high tower.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Therefore, it is good for a person to say truthfully and with the full strength of his free will, "I will provide you with my strength," because the man who thought he could keep it without the help of him who gave it went abroad into a far country and wasted his substance, living riotously.
Cassiodorus · AD 585 There remains the Pelagians' second act of wickedness, because they posit free will to such a degree in human strength that they think that they by themselves, apart from the grace of God, can conceive of some good or do it. But if this were the case, why would the prophet say, "O my God, his mercy will precede me"?
Bede · AD 735 In order not to falter in good works, we ought always to rely for support on the help of the one who says, "For without me you can do nothing." Hence in order to express the fact that the start of faith and good action is given to us by the Lord, the psalmist properly says, "My God, his mercy goes before me." Again, in order to teach that the good things we do must be accomplis…
10 The God of my loyal love will meet me; God will let me look on those who watch me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 There is no need of such self-deception on the part of those who, through giving, however profusely, alms of their fruits or of money of whatever kind, believe that they are purchasing the right to persist with impunity in the enormity and wickedness of their misdeeds and vices.
11 Do not kill them, lest my people forget; make them wander by your power and bring them down, Lord our shield.
Tertullian · AD 220 So likewise that conditional threat of the sword, "If you refuse and do not listen to me, the sword shall devour you," has proved that the sword was Christ, for rebellion against whom they have perished.
Hippolytus of Rome · AD 235 For this reason, even up to our day, though they see the boundaries (of their country), and go round about them, they stand afar off. And therefore have they no longer king or high priest or prophet, nor even scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees among them.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Scatter them abroad in Your virtue" [Psalm 59:11]. Now this thing has been done: throughout all nations there have been scattered abroad the Jews, witnesses of their own iniquity and our truth. They have themselves writings, out of which has been prophesied Christ, and we hold Christ.
12 For the sin of their mouth, the word of their lips, let them be caught in their pride, and for the cursing and lying they recount.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "The transgressions of their mouth, the discourse of their lips: and let them be taken in their pride: and out of cursing and lying shall be declared consummations, in the anger of consummation, and they shall not be" [Psalm 59:12]. Obscure words these are, and I fear lest they be not well instilled.... The Second Part.
13 Finish them in wrath; finish them, and let them be no more; and let them know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And they shall know how God shall have dominion of Jacob, and of the ends of the earth" [Psalm 59:13]. For before they thought themselves just men, because the Jewish nation had received the Law, because it had kept the commandments of God: it is proved to them that it has not kept them, since in the very commandments of God Christ it perceived not, because "blindness in part…
14 And they return at evening; they growl like a dog and go around the city.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "They shall be converted at evening" [Psalm 59:14]: that is, even if late, that is, after the slaying of our Lord Jesus Christ: "They shall be converted at evening: and hereafter they shall suffer hunger as dogs." But "as dogs," not as sheep or calves: "as dogs," as Gentiles, as sinners; because they too have known their sin that thought themselves righteous....It is a good thi…
15 They themselves wander for food; if they are not satisfied, they stay the night.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "They shall be scattered abroad in order that they may eat" [Psalm 59:15]; that is, in order that they may gain others, in order that into their Body they may change believers.
16 But I will sing of your strength, and I will sing aloud of your loyal love in the morning, for you have been a high tower for me and a refuge in the day of my distress.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 The Jews were proud, humbled they have been; Gentiles were despairing, raised up they have been: let them come to the Corner, there let them meet, there run together, there find the kiss of peace; from different parts let them come, but with differing not come, those of Circumcision, these of uncircumcision.
17 My strength, to you I will make music, for God is my high tower, the God of my loyal love.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "My Helper, to Thee I will play, because Thou, O God, art my taker up" (ver. 17). What was I, unless Thou didst succour? How much despaired of was I, unless Thou didst heal? Where was I lying, unless Thou didst come to me? Certes with a huge wound I was endangered, but that wound of mine did call for an Almighty Physician. To an Almighty Physician nothing is incurable.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 What tongue, then, can sufficiently narrate the depths of divine mercy? What spirit does not stand amazed at the riches of such great kindness?