1 To the choirmaster. Upon the Lilies. Of David. Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck.
Jerome · AD 420 On the first occasion we nearly perished of hunger and thirst while we were wandering about in the desert [without food] for five days and five nights. On the second occasion we traveled over savage, rugged mountains until our feet were pierced by the stones, and we suffered very great pain and very nearly had to yield up our souls.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Save me, O God, for the waters have entered in even unto my soul" [Psalm 69:1]. That grain is despised now, that seems to give forth humble words. In the garden it is buried, though the world will admire the greatness of the herb, of which herb the seed was despised by the Jews.
The Waters Are up to My Neck 2 I have sunk in the mire of the deep, and there is no foothold; I have come into depths of water, and the flood has swept over me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Fixed I am in the clay of the deep, and there is no substance." What called the clay? Is it those very persons that have persecuted? For out of clay man hath been made. But these men by falling from righteousness have become the clay of the deep, and whosoever shall not have consented to them persecuting and desiring to draw him to iniquity, out of his clay doth make gold.
3 I am weary with my calling; my throat is parched; my eyes have failed, waiting for my God.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "I have laboured, crying, hoarse have become my jaws." Where was this? When was this? Let us question the Gospel. For the Passion of our Lord in this Psalm we perceive.
4 More than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, my enemies falsely. What I did not steal, then I must restore.
John · AD 90 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Thus "there have been multiplied above the hairs of My head they that hate Me gratis." How multiplied? So as that they might add to themselves even one out of the twelve. "There have been multiplied above the hairs of My head they that hate Me for nought." With the hairs of His head He hath compared His enemies.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 The honor taken from God through pride and disobedience with respect to a thing to which man was bound is in no way better restored than through humiliation and obedience to that thing to which one was in no way obligated.
5 God, you yourself know my folly, and my guilty deeds are not hidden from you.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "O God, You have known mine improvidence" [Psalm 69:5]. Again out of the mouth of the Body. For what improvidence is there in Christ? Is He not Himself the Virtue of God, and the Wisdom of God? Does He call this His improvidence, whereof the Apostle speaks, "the foolishness of God is wiser than men"?
6 Let not those who wait for you be ashamed through me, Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek you be humiliated through me, God of Israel.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Let them not blush in Me, that wait for Thee, O Lord, Lord of virtues." Again, the voice of the Head, "Let them not blush in Me:" let it not be said to them, Where is He on whom ye were relying? Let it not be said to them, Where is He that was saying to you, Believe ye in God, and in Me believe? "Let them not blush in Me, that wait for Thee," O Lord, Lord of virtues.
7 For on your account I have borne reproach; humiliation has covered my face.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "For because of Thee I have sustained upbraiding, shamelessness hath covered my face." No great thing is that which is spoken of in "I have sustained:" but that which is spoken of in "for Thy sake I have sustained," is. For if thou sustainest because thou hast sinned; for thine own sake thou sustainest, not for the sake of God.
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers, and a foreigner to the sons of my mother.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "An alien I have become to My brethren, and a stranger to the sons of My mother" [Psalm 69:8]. To the sons of the Synagogue He became a stranger...Why so? Why did they not acknowledge? Why did they call Him an alien? Why did they dare to say, we know not whence He is?
9 For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
Romans · AD 56 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 However, we must know that Psalm 68 [LXX], which contains the statement, "The zeal of your house has devoured me," and a little later "They gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink," both having been recorded in the Gospels, is placed in the mouth of Christ, indicating no change in the person of the speaker.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And the disciples remembered that it was written, 'The zeal for your house has eaten me up.' " For by zeal for the house of God the Lord cast those men out of the temple. Brothers, let each and every Christian in the members of Christ be consumed with zeal for God's house. Who is consumed with zeal for God's house?
10 And I wept, with fasting my soul, and it became reproaches for me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And I have covered in fasting My Soul, and it became to Me for a reviling" [Psalm 69:10]. His fasting was, when there fell away all they that had believed in Him; because also it was His hunger, that men should believe in Him: because also it was His thirst, when He said to the woman, I thirst, "give Me to drink:" [John 4:7] yea for her faith He was thirsting.
Philoxenus of Mabbug · AD 523 And again David saith, "I have humbled my soul in fasting, and I have become unto them a reproach. I have made sackcloth my clothing, and I have become unto them a byword": and by this he teacheth us that he not only endured the labour of good deeds, but that he also heard reproaches and indignant words because thereof, and endured them patiently; from which thou also mayest le…
Cassiodorus · AD 585 The phrase "It was made a reproach against me" follows. The good are always a reproach to the wicked, because the good by no means acquiesce to the crimes of the wicked and withdraw from them and are not joined them by any association.
11 And I made sackcloth my clothing, and I became a byword to them.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And I have set sackcloth my garment" (ver. 11). Already before we have said something of the sackcloth, from whence there is this, "But I, when they were troubling Me, was covering myself with sackcloth, and was humbling My Soul in fasting.
Philoxenus of Mabbug · AD 523 And again David saith, "I have humbled my soul in fasting, and I have become unto them a reproach. I have made sackcloth my clothing, and I have become unto them a byword": and by this he teacheth us that he not only endured the labour of good deeds, but that he also heard reproaches and indignant words because thereof, and endured them patiently; from which thou also mayest le…
12 Those who sit at the gate talk about me, and I am the songs of drinkers of strong drink.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Against Me were reviling they that were sitting in the gate" [Psalm 69:12]. "In the gate" is nothing else but in public. "And against Me they were chanting, they that were drinking wine." Do ye think, brethren, that this has befallen Christ alone?
13 But as for me — my prayer is to you, LORD, at a time of favor. God, in the abundance of your loyal love, answer me in the faithfulness of your salvation.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "But I with My prayer with You, O Lord" [Psalm 69:13]. But I was with You. But how? With You by praying. For when you are evil spoken of, and know not what you may do; when at you are hurled reproaches, and you find not any way of rebuking him by whom they are hurled; nothing remains for you but to pray. But remember even for that very man to pray.
14 Rescue me from the mire, and let me not sink; let me be rescued from those who hate me and from the depths of water.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Save Me from the mire, that I may not stick" [Psalm 69:14]. From that whereof above he had spoken, "Fixed I am in the clay of the deep, and there is no substance." Furthermore, since you have duly received the exposition of that expression, in this place there is nothing further for you to hear particularly.
15 Let not the flood of water sweep over me, and let not the deep swallow me, and let not the pit close its mouth over me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Let not the tempest of waters drown Me" (ver. 15). But already he had been drowned. "I have come into the depth of the sea," thou hast said, and "the tempest hath drowned Me," thou hast said. It hath drowned after the flesh, let it not drown after the Spirit.
Caesarius of Arles · AD 542 For this reason, the unquenchable fire there will have to burn whatever healing penance and a salutary conversion of life here has failed to cure. The burning pit of hell will be open, and to it there will be a descent but no means of return.
16 Answer me, LORD, for your loyal love is good; according to the abundance of your compassions turn to me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Hearken unto me, O Lord, for sweet is Your mercy" [Psalm 69:16]. He has given this as a reason why He ought to be hearkened unto, because sweet is the mercy of God....To a man set in trouble the mercy of God must needs be sweet.
17 And do not hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress; hurry, answer me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Turn not away Your face from Your child" [Psalm 69:17]. And this is a commending of humility; "from Your child," that is, "from Your little one:" because now I have been rid of pride through the discipline of tribulation, "turn not away Your face from Your child." This is that beautiful mercy of God, whereof he spoke above.
18 Draw near to my soul; redeem it; because of my enemies, ransom me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Give heed to my soul, and redeem her," does need no exposition: let us see therefore what follows. "Because of mine enemies deliver me" [Psalm 69:18].
19 You yourself know my reproach and my shame and my humiliation; all my foes are before you.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Thou knowest my reproach, and my confusion, and my shame" (ver. 19). What is reproach? What is confusion? What shame? Reproach is that which the enemy casteth in the teeth. Confusion is that which gnaweth the conscience. Shame is that which causeth even a noble brow to blush, because of the upbraiding with a pretended crime.
20 Reproach has broken my heart, and I am sick; and I waited for sympathy, and there was none, and for comforters, and I found none.
Basil of Caesarea · AD 379 Since the holy God has promised those who hope in him a means of escape from every affliction, we, even if we have been cut off in the midst of a sea of evils and are racked by the mighty waves stirred up against us by the spirits of wickedness, nevertheless endure in Christ who strengthens us, and we have not slackened the intensity of our zeal for the churches, nor do we, as…
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "In Your sight are all they that trouble Me" [Psalm 69:20]. Why I have reproach, You know; why confusion, You know; why shame, You know: therefore deliver me because of mine enemies, because You know these things of me, they know not; and thus, because they are themselves in Your sight, not knowing these things, they will not be able to be either confounded or corrected, unless…
21 And they gave poison for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Tertullian · AD 220 A second time, in fact, let us show that Christ has already come, [as foretold] through the prophets, and has suffered, and has already been received back in the heavens and will come from there according to the predictions prophesied. For, after his advent, we read, according to Daniel, that the city itself had to be destroyed; and we recognize that it has indeed happened.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 And they gave Him gall to drink, and this to insult Him, but He would not. But another saith, that having tasted it, He said, "It is finished." And what meaneth, "It is finished?" The prophecy was fulfilled concerning Him.
Leo the Great · AD 461 You have truly and in very many places read something that pertains to the detestable wickedness of your crime and to the voluntary suffering of the Lord.
22 Let their table before them become a snare, and to those at peace, a trap.
Romans · AD 56 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias?
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 They themselves have become full of gall and bitterness in serving food of gall and vinegar to the living Bread. How else do they look on these prophecies in the psalm: "Let their eyes be darkened so that they do not see," and how are they to be upright in order to lift up their heart, they about whom it has been foretold, "and they always bend down their back together"?
23 Let their eyes be darkened from seeing, and make their loins tremble continually.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Let the table of them be made in their own presence for a trap" [Psalm 69:23]. Like the trap which for Me they set, in giving Me such a draught, let such a trap be for them. Why then, "in their own presence"? "Let the table of them be made for a trap," would have been sufficient.
Caesarius of Arles · AD 542 That cluster of grapes that was brought from the land of promise on a lever across the shoulders of two men further prefigured Christ.
24 Pour out your indignation on them, and let the burning of your anger overtake them.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Let the eyes of them be darkened, that they see not, and the back of them always bow down" [Psalm 69:24]. This is a consequence. For they, whose eyes have been darkened that they see not, it follows, must have their back bowed down. How so? Because when they have ceased to take knowledge of things above, they must needs think of things below.
25 Let their encampment be desolate; let there be no one dwelling in their tents.
Acts · AD 62 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Pour forth upon them Your anger, and let the indignation of Your anger overtake them" [Psalm 69:25], are plain words: but nevertheless, in "overtake them" we perceive them as it were fleeing. But whither are they to flee? Into Heaven? You are there. Into Hell? You are present.
Bede · AD 735 "May his habitation become desolate, and may there be none to dwell in it, and may another take his office." Indeed these verses are clear and plainly set forth by the blessed Peter's interpretation.
26 For they have pursued the one you yourself struck, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.
Aphrahat the Persian Sage · AD 345 David said in that passage concerning his passion, "They have persecuted him whom you have struck and have added to the affliction of him that was slain." For they added many [afflictions] to him, much that was not written concerning him, cursings and revilings, such as the Scripture could not reveal, for their revilings were hateful.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Let the habitation of them become forsaken." This is now evident. For in the same manner as He hath mentioned not only a secret deliverance of His, saying, "Give heed to My soul, and redeem her;" but also one open after the body, adding, "because of mine enemies deliver me:" so also to these men He foretelleth how there are to be certain secret misfortunes, whereof a little be…
27 Add iniquity to their iniquity, and let them not come into your righteousness.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Why so? "For Him whom Thou hast smitten they have themselves persecuted, and upon the pain of my wounds they have added." How then have they sinned if they have persecuted one by God smitten? What sin is ascribed to their mind? Malice. For the thing was done in Christ which was to be. To suffer indeed He had come, and He punished him through whom He suffered.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and let them not be written with the righteous.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 Let us see if we cannot conclude in the same way that all the sacred books are one book, but that those outside are the "many books" of the preacher. The proof of this must be drawn from Holy Scripture...
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Lay iniquity upon their iniquity" [Psalm 69:28]. What is this? Who would not be afraid? To God is said, "Lay iniquity upon their iniquity." Whence shall God lay iniquity? For has He iniquity to lay? For we know that to be true which has been spoken through Paul the Apostle, "What then shall we say? Is there anywise iniquity with God?
29 But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, God, set me on high.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Let them be blotted out from the book of the living" [Psalm 69:29]. For had they been some time written therein? Brethren, we must not so take it, as that God writes any one in the book of life, and blots him out.
30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Clement of Rome · AD 99 Brothers, the Lord of the universe has need of nothing; he requires nothing of anyone, except that confession be made to him. For David, the chosen one, says, "I will confess to the Lord, and it shall please him more than a young bullock with horns and hoofs.
Leo the Great · AD 461 Always indeed, dearly beloved, "the earth is full of the Lord's kindness," and the nature of things itself is the teacher to each one of the faithful in the worship of God, while "heaven and earth, the sea and all things that are in them" proclaim the goodness and power of their Creator.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 So does the man who sees God in all things, who tastes God in them through his three powers. "Pleasing to Him be my theme; I will be glad in the Lord." And elsewhere: "For you make me glad, O Lord, by Your deeds." Again: "I will glorify Him with thanksgiving." In all things there is taste and restoration for the intellective and the affective powers.
31 And it will please the LORD more than an ox, a bull with horns and hooves.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And the health of Thy countenance, O God, hath taken Me up." For what purpose? In order that no longer I may be poor, no longer sorrowful? "I will praise the name of the Lord with a song, I will magnify Him in praise." Now it hath been said, this poor One praiseth the name of the Lord with a song, he magnifieth Him in praise.
Peter Chrysologus · AD 450 "And he killed for him the fattened calf." About that David sang, "And it shall please God better than a young calf that has horns and hoofs." The calf was slain at this command of the Father, because the Christ, God as the Son of God, could not be slain without the command of his Father.
32 The humble have seen — let them be glad; you who seek God, let your heart live.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And it shall please God:" that I shall praise Him, shall please: "above a new calf, bearing horns and hoofs." More grateful to Him shall be the sacrifice of praise than the sacrifice of a calf.
33 For the LORD listens to the needy, and he has not despised his prisoners.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "For the Lord hath hearkened to the poor." He hath hearkened to the poor, and He would not have hearkened to the poor, unless they were poor. Wilt thou be hearkened to? Poor be thou: let sorrow cry out from thee, and not fastidiousness.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that creeps in them.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Let there praise Him heavens and earth, sea and all things creeping in them" [Psalm 69:34]. The true riches of this poor man are these, to consider the creation, and to praise the Creator. "Let there praise Him heavens and earth, sea and all things creeping therein." And does this creation alone praise God, when by considering of it God is praised?
35 For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah; and they will dwell there and possess it.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Hear thou another thing also: "for God shall save Sion" [Psalm 69:35]. He restores His Church, the faithful Gentiles He does incorporate with His Only-Begotten; He beguiles not them that believe in Him of the reward of His promise. "For God shall save Sion; and there shall be built the cities of Juda." These same are the Churches.
36 And the seed of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell in it.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "For God shall save Sion; and there shall be builded the cities of Juda." These same are the Churches. Let no one say, when shall it come to pass that there be builded the cities of Juda? O that thou wouldest acknowledge the Edifice, and be a living stone, that thou mightest enter into Her. Even now the cities of Juda are being built. For Juda is interpreted confession.