1 In you, Lord, I take refuge. Never let me be disappointed.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "O God, in You I have hoped, O Lord, I shall not be confounded for everlasting" [Psalm 71:1]. Already I have been confounded, but not for everlasting. For how is he not confounded, to whom is said, "What fruit had ye in these things wherein ye now blush?" [Romans 6:21] What then shall be done, that we may not be confounded for everlasting?
2 Deliver me in your righteousness, and rescue me. Turn your ear to me, and save me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 For this John, my dearest brothers, was one of those mountains about which it has been written, "Let the mountains receive peace for your people; and the hills justice." The mountains are eminent souls; the hills are little souls. But the mountains receive peace for this very reason, so that the hills can receive justice. What is the justice that the hills receive?
Cassiodorus · AD 585 "Deliver me in your righteousness and rescue me; incline your ear to me and deliver me." When he says "in your righteousness," he seeks divine mercy. In other words it pertains to his righteousness to spare a suppliant. For thus it pleased his righteousness to forgive a person who is known to condemn his own deeds.
3 Be to me a rock of refuge to which I may always go. Give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Be Thou unto me for a protecting God" [Psalm 71:3]. Let not the darts of the enemy reach unto me: for I am not able to protect myself.
4 Rescue me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "O God, deliver me from the hand of the sinner" (ver. 4). Generally, sinners, among whom is toiling he that is now to be delivered from captivity: he that now crieth, "Unhappy man I, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The Grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Within is a foe, that law in the members; there are without also enemies: unto what cryest thou?
5 For you are my hope, Lord God; my confidence from my youth.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 We have witnessed a great spectacle with the eyes of faith, the holy martyr Vincent constantly triumphing. He triumphed in words, he triumphed in sufferings; he triumphed in confession, he triumphed in tribulation; he triumphed burned by flames, he triumphed submerged by waves: finally, he triumphed tortured, he triumphed dead.
6 I have relied on you from the womb. You are he who took me out of my mother's womb. I will always praise you.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Lastly, there follows the reason why I say this: "for You are my patience" [Psalm 71:5]. Now if He is patience rightly, He is that also which follows, "O Lord, my hope from my youth." My patience, because my hope: or rather my hope, because my patience.
7 I am a marvel to many, but you are my strong refuge.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "As it were a monster I have become unto many" (ver. 7). Here in time of hope, in time of groaning, in time of humiliation, in time of sorrow, in time of infirmity, in time of the voice from the fetters-here then what? "As it were a monster I have become unto many." Why, "As it were a monster"? Why do they insult me that think me a monster?
8 My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your honor all the day.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Let my mouth be fulfilled with praise, that with hymn I may tell of Your glory, all the day long Your magnificence" [Psalm 71:8]. What is "all the day long"? Without intermission.
9 Do not reject me in my old age. Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 My hope from my youth, "cast me not away in time of old age" [Psalm 71:9]. What is this time of old age? "When my strength shall fail, forsake not me." Here God makes this answer to you, yea indeed let your strength fail, in order that in you mine may abide: in order that you may say with the Apostle, "When I am made weak, then I am mighty." [2 Corinthians 12:10] Fear not, that…
Bonaventure · AD 1257 The fourth judgment of God is the judgment of abandonment, namely when God abandons man and exposes him to every temptation and sin. "When my strength shall fail, do not forsake me, O Lord. Depart not from me." It is a great peril when a father exposes his son in the midst of wolves.
10 For my enemies talk about me. Those who watch for my soul conspire together,
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Why do I say this? "For mine enemies have spoken against me, and they that were keeping watch for My soul, have taken counsel together [Psalm 71:10]: saying, God has forsaken Him, persecute Him, and seize Him, for there is no one to deliver Him" [Psalm 71:11]. This has been said concerning Christ.
11 saying, "God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him."
12 God, do not be far from me. My God, hurry to help me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "O Lord, my God, be not far from me." So it is, and the Lord is not far off at all. For, "The Lord is nigh unto them that have bruised the heart." "My God, unto my help look Thou." "Be they confounded and fail that engage my soul." What hath he desired? "Be they confounded and fail." Why hath he desired it? "That engage my soul"? What is, "That engage my soul"?
13 Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me.
14 But I will always hope, and will add to all of your praise.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "But I alway in Thee will hope, and will add to all Thy praise." What is this? "I will add to all Thy praise," ought to move us. More perfect wilt thou make the praise of God? Is there anything to be superadded? If already that is all praise, wilt thou add anything?
15 My mouth will tell about your righteousness, and of your salvation all day, though I do not know its full measure.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "My mouth shall tell out Your righteousness" [Psalm 71:15]: not mine. From thence I will add to all Your praise: because even that I am righteous, if righteous I am, is Your righteousness in me, not my own: for You justify the ungodly. [Romans 4:5] "All the day long Your salvation." What is, "Your salvation"?
Philoxenus of Mabbug · AD 523 David the prophet sheweth that the mind which is remote from the cunning of human teachings is particularly able to comprehend the righteousness of God, and to possess courage of spirit and the confidence which will contend with all things, saying, "Because I know not the art of writing, I will go in in the strength of the Lord, and I will remember Thy righteousness only."
Cassiodorus · AD 585 Then follows the clause "because I have not known business transactions." That part of the verse is recognized to create a problem unless it is well investigated. For if every person of business must be altogether condemned, not even those who are known to exercise the remaining arts are able to escape this condemnation.
16 I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord God. I will make mention of your righteousness, even of yours alone.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 With reason there followeth, "I will enter into the power of the Lord:" not mine own, but the Lord's. For they gloried in their own power of the letter, therefore grace joined to the letter they knew not.
Philoxenus of Mabbug · AD 523 David the prophet sheweth that the mind which is remote from the cunning of human teachings is particularly able to comprehend the righteousness of God, and to possess courage of spirit and the confidence which will contend with all things, saying, "Because I know not the art of writing, I will go in in the strength of the Lord, and I will remember Thy righteousness only."
17 God, you have taught me from my youth. Until now, I have declared your wondrous works.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "O God, You have taught me from my youth" [Psalm 71:17]. What have you taught me? That of Your righteousness alone I ought to be mindful. For reviewing my past life, I see what was owing to me, and what I have received instead of that which was owing to me. There was owing punishment, there has been paid grace: there was owing hell, there has been given life eternal.
Philoxenus of Mabbug · AD 523 And teaching those who are simple and innocent, and those who are wise and understanding, David saith, "Thou art my doctrine from my youth up, that I might shew Thy wonderful works."
18 Yes, even when I am old and gray-haired, God, do not forsake me, until I have declared your strength to the next generation, your might to everyone who is to come.
Tertullian · AD 220 Hear now also the Son's statements about the Father: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor." He speaks of himself likewise to the Father in the psalm: "Forsake me not, until I have declared the might of your arm to all the generations that are to come." Also with the same substance in another psalm: "O Lord, how many are t…
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And even unto oldness and old age." These are two terms for old age, and are distinguished by the Greeks. For the gravity succeeding youth hath another name among the Greeks, and after that same gravity the last age coming on hath another name; for πρεσβύτης signifieth grave, and γέρων old.
19 Your righteousness also, God, reaches to the heavens; you have done great things. God, who is like you?
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Thy power and Thy righteousness" (ver. 19). That is, that I may tell forth to every generation that is yet to come, Thine arm. And what hath Thine arm effected?
20 You, who have shown us many and bitter troubles, you will let me live. You will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "How great troubles hast Thou shown to me, many and evil!" (ver. 20). Deservedly, proud servant. For thou hast willed perversely to be like thy God, who hadst been made after the image of thy Lord. Wouldest thou have it to be well with thee, when withdrawing from that good? Truly God saith to thee, if thou withdrawest from Me, and it is well with thee, I am not thy good.
21 Increase my honor, and comfort me again.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 But this was discipline; admonition, not desertion. Lastly, giving thanks, he saith what? "And being turned Thou hast made me alive, and from the bottomless places of the earth again Thou hast brought me back." But when before? What is this "again"? Thou hast fallen from a high place, O man, disobedient slave, O thou proud against thy Lord, thou hast fallen.
22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God. I sing praises to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "For I will confess to Thee in the vessels of a Psalm Thy truth" (ver. 22). The vessels of a Psalm are a Psaltery. But what is a Psaltery? An instrument of wood and strings. What doth it signify? There is some difference between it and a harp: ...there seemeth to be signified by the Psaltery the Spirit, by the harp the flesh.
23 My lips shall shout for joy! My soul, which you have redeemed, sings praises to you!
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Again hear this because of that same "again" and "again." "My lips shall exult when I shall psalm to Thee" (ver. 23). Because lips are wont to be spoken of both belonging to the inner and to the outward man, it is uncertain in what sense lips have been used: there followeth therefore, "And my soul which Thou hast redeemed." Therefore regarding the inward lips having been saved…
24 My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long, for they are disappointed, and they are confounded, who want to harm me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 But lest thou shouldest think the soul alone redeemed, wherein now thou hast heard one "again," "but still," he saith; why still? "but still my tongue also:" therefore now the tongue of the body: "all day long shall meditate of Thy righteousness" (ver. 24): that is, in eternity without end. But when shall this be?