1 A Song of Ascents. By David. Lord, my heart isn't haughty, nor my eyes lofty; nor do I concern myself with great matters, or things too wonderful for me.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 Celsus, … as one who has heard the subject of humility greatly talked about but who has not been at pains to understand it, would wish to speak evil of that humility that is practiced among us, and imagines that it is borrowed from some words of Plato imperfectly understood, where he expresses himself in the Laws as follows: "Now God, according to the ancient account, having in…
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Lord, my heart is not lifted up" [Psalm 131:1]. He hath offered a sacrifice. Whence do we prove that he hath offered a sacrifice? Because humility of heart is a sacrifice. ...If there is no sacrifice, there is no Priest.
Braulio of Zaragoza · AD 651 Nor can I think otherwise against the authority of so great a man, but I can only follow his steps and, in Christian humility, not deviate from the paths of our ancestors; as David says, "Neither have I walked with great things or with things too sublime for me." He is raised up above himself who departs from the traces of his elders and tries to have vision in things that are…
2 Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
Hilary of Poitiers · AD 367 Then he goes on: Like a weaned child upon his mother's breast, so will you reward my soul. We are told that when Isaac was weaned Abraham made a feast because now that he was weaned he was on the verge of boyhood and was passing beyond milk food. The Apostle feeds all that are imperfect in the faith and still babes in the things of God with the milk of knowledge.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "If I had not lowly thoughts, but have lifted up my soul, as one taken from his mother's breast, such the reward for my soul" [Psalm 131:2]. He seemeth as it were to have bound himself by a curse: ...as though he had been going to say, Let it so happen to me.
3 Israel, hope in the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore.
Hilary of Poitiers · AD 367 But he does not demand this living bread from heaven for himself alone, he encourages all mankind to hope for it by saying: Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for evermore. He sets no temporal limit to our hope, he bids our faithful expectation stretch out into infinity.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 This Psalm therefore concludes to this purpose: "O Israel, trust in the Lord, from this time forth and even unto eternity" [Psalm 131:3]. But the word seculum does not always mean this world, but sometimes eternity; since eternity is understood in two ways; until eternity, that is, either evermore without end, or until we arrive at eternity.