Expositions on the Book of Psalms
THE WORKS: OF ST) AUGUSTIN. [PsaLmM LXVIII.
in the Spirit foreseeing them, even he too being fulfilled with joy hath burst forth® a hymn, saying, "The Lord God is blessed, blessed is the Lord God from day unto day" (ver. 19). Which some copies have, "by day daily," because the Greeks have it thus, juepay Kal' jépay: which more exactly would be expressed by, "by day daily."" Which expression I think signifieth the same as that which hath been said, to wit, "' from day unto day." For daily this He doeth even unto the end, He leadeth captive captivity, receiving gifts in men.
23. But what is, ' Thou hast led captivity captive"? Is it because He hath conquered death, which was holding captive those over whom it reigned? Or hath he called men themselves captivity, who were being held captive under the devil? Which thing's mystery even the title of that Psalm? doth contain, to wit, ""when the house was being builded after the captivity :" that is, the Church after the coming in of the Gentiles. Calling therefore those very men who were being held captive a captivity, as when " the service "'? is spoken of there are understood those that serve also, that same captivity he saith by Christ hath been led captive. For why should not captivity be happy, if even for a good purpose men may be caught ? Whence to Peter hath been said, "From henceforth thou shalt catch men.''3 Led captive therefore they are because caught, and caught because subjugated, being sent under that gentle yoke, being delivered from sin whereof they were servants, and being made servants of righteousness5 whereof they were children. Whence also He is Himself in them, that hath given gifts to men, and hath received gifts in men. And thus in that captivity, in that servitude, in that chariot, under that yoke, there are not thousands of men lamenting, but thousands of men rejoicing. For the Lord is in them, in Sina, in the holy place.® ...
26. And because He leadeth that chariot unto the end, He continueth and saith, "A prosperous journey there shall make for us the God of our healths, our God, the God of making men safe" (ver. 20). Highly is grace here commended. For who would be safe, unless He Himself should make whole? But that it might not occur to the mind, Why then do we die, if through His grace we have been made safe? immediately he added below, "and the Lord's is the outgoing of death:" as though he were saying, Why are thou indignant, O lot of humanity, that thou hast the outgoing of death? Even thy Lord's outgoing was no other than that of death. Rather therefore be comforted than be indignant: for even "the Lord's is the outgoing of death." "For by hope we have been saved : but if that which we see not we hope for, through patience we wait for it."9 Patiently therefore even death itself let us suffer, by the example of Him, who though by no sin He was debtor to death, and was the Lord, from whom no one could take away life, but Himself laid it down of Himself, yet had Himself the outgoing of death.
24. But what next doth he adjoin? "For they that believe not to dwell" (ver. 18) : or, as some copies have, "For not believing to dwell: " for what else are men not believing, but they that believe not? To whom this hath been said, is not easy to perceive. For as though a reason were being given of the above words, when it had been said, "Thou hast led captivity captive, Thou hast received gifts in men:"' there hath been added in continuation, " for they that believe not to dwell," that is, not believing that they should dwell. What is this? Of whom saith he this? Did that captivity, before it passed into a good captivity, show whence it was an evil captivity? For through not believing they were possessed by the enemy, " that worketh in the sons of unbelief: among whom ye were sometime, while ye were living among them." By the gifts therefore of His grace, He that hath received gifts in men, hath led captive that captivity. For they believed not that they should dwell. For faith hath thence delivered them, in order that now believing they may dwell in the House of God, even they too becoming the House of God, and the Chariot of God, consisting of thousands of men rejoicing.
27. '" Nevertheless, God shall break in pieces the heads of His enemies, the scalp of hair of men walking on in their transgressions" (ver. 21) : that is, too much exalting themselves, being too proud in their transgressions: wherein at least they ought to be humble, saying, "'O Lord, be Thou merciful to me a sinner.'''° But He shall break in pieces their heads: for he that exalteth himself shall be humbled.'' And thus though even of the Lord be the outgoing of death: nevertheless the same Lord, because He was God, and died after the flesh of His own will, not of necessity, "shall'? break in pieces the heads of His enemies:'' not only of those who mocked and crucified Him, and wagged their heads, and said, "If Son of God He is, let Him come down from the Cross ;"' 13 but also of all men lifting up themselves against His doctrine, and deriding His death as though it were of a man. For that very same One of whom hath been said, '' Others He saved, Himself He can-
25. Whence he that was singing of these things,
1 See Title Ps. xcv., Vulgate. 2 Militia. 3 Luke vy, 10. 4 Matt. xi. 30. 5 Rom. vi, 18. 6 Ps, Ixviii. 17. He adds: ' with which sense agreeth another interpretation also, whereby Sina is interpreted ' measure.'"
9 Rom. viii. 24, 25. : 10 Luke xviii. 13. 12 Oxf. mss. ' did." 8 Eructavit. 11 Luke xviii. 14. 13 Matt xxvii. 40.
Eph. ii. 2.
PsALM LXVIIL] ON THE PSALMS. 2905 not save,"' is the "God of our healths,"' and is the "God of saving men:" but for an example of humility and of patience, and to efface the handwriting of our sins, He even willed that the outgoing of death should be His own, that we might not fear that death, but rather this from which He hath delivered us through that. Nevertheless, though mocked and dead, " He shall break? in pieces the heads of His enemies," of whom He saith, "' Raise Thou me up, and I shall render to them :"'3 whether it be good things for evil things, while to Himself He subdueth the heads of them believing, or whether just things for unjust things, while He punisheth the heads of them proud. For in either way are shattered and broken the heads of enemies, when from pride they are thrown down, whether by humility being amended, or whether unto the lowest depths of hell being hurled.
of the sea;" our Lord is understood to have said, how by His own mercy He was turned even unto the deep of the sea, to deliver even those that were sinners in most desperate case. Though in one Greek copy I have found, not, "unto the deep," but "in the depths," that is, év BvOois : which strengtheneth the former sense, because even there God turneth to Himself men crying from the depths. And even if He be understood Himself there to be turned, to deliver such sort also, it is not beside the purpose: and so then He turneth, or else to deliver them is so turned, that His foot is stained in blood. Which to the Lord Himself the Prophet speaketh: "That Thy foot may be stained in blood" (ver. 23): that is, in order that they themselves who are turned to Thee, or to deliver whom Thou art turned, though in the deep of the sea by the burden of iniquity they may have been sunk, may make so great proficiency by Thy Grace (for where there hath abounded sin, there hath superabounded grace '°), that they may become Thy foot among Thy members, to preach Thy Gospel, and for Thy name's sake drawing out a long martyrdom, even unto blood they may contend. For thus, as I judge, more meetly is perceived His foot stained in blood.
28. "The Lord hath said, Out of Basan I will be turned" (ver. 22) : or, as some copies have, " Out of Basan I will turn." For He turneth that we may be safe, of whom above hath been said, " God of our healths, and God of saving men." 4 For to Him elsewhere also is said, " O God of virtues, turn Thou us, and show Thy face, and safe we shall be.'"'5 Also in another place, " Turn us, O God of our healths.''® But he hath said, "Out of Basan I will turn." Basan is interpreted confusion. What is then, I will turn out of confusion, but that there is confounded because of his sins, he that is praying of the mercy of God that they may be put away? Thence it is that the Publican dared not even to lift up his eyes to Heaven:7 so, on considering himself, was he confounded ; but he went down justified,' because "the Lord hath said, Out of Basan I will turn." Basan is also interpreted drought: and rightly the Lord is understood to turn out of drought, that is, out of scarcity. For they that think themselves to be in plenty, though they be famished ; and full, though they be altogether empty; are not turned... . "I will turn unto the deep of the sea." If, "I will turn,'"' why, "unto the deep of the sea"? Unto Himself indeed the Lord turneth, when savingly He turneth, and He is not surely Himself the deep of the sea. Doth perchance the Latin expression deceive us, and hath there been put "unto the deep," for a translation of what signifieth "deeply"? For He doth not turn Himself: but He turneth those that in the deep of this world lie sunk down with the weight of sins, in that place where one that is turned saith, '' From the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord."'? But if it is not, "I will turn," but, "I will be turned unto the deep
29. Lastly, he addeth, "The tongue of Thy dogs out of enemies by Himself," calling those very same that had been about to strive for the faith of the Gospel, even dogs, as though barking for their Lord. Not those dogs, whereof saith the Apostle, " Beware of dogs:'' '" but those that eat of the crumbs which fall from the table of their masters. For having confessed this, the woman of Canaan merited to hear, "'O woman, great is thy faith, be it done to thee as thou wilt." '2 Dogs commendable, not abominable ; observing fidelity towards their master, and before his house barking against enemies. Not only "of dogs" he hath said, but "of Thy dogs:"' nor are their teeth praised, but their tongue is: for it was not indeed to no purpose, not without a great mystery, that Gedeon was bidden to lead those alone, who should lap the water of the river like dogs ;'3 and of such sort not more than three hundred among so great a multitude were found. In which number is the sign of the Cross because of the letter T, which in the Greek numeral characters signifieth three hundred. Of such dogs in another Psalm also is said, "They shall be turned at even, and hunger they shall suffer as dogs." 4 For even some dogs have been reproved by the Prophet Isaiah, not because they were dogs, but because they knew not how to bark, and loved to sleep.'5 In which place indeed he hath shown, that if they had watched and barked for their Lord,
2 Oxf. mss. " breaketh." 4 Ps. Ixviii. 19. 5 Ps. Ixxx. 19. 7 Luke xviii. 13. 8 Luke xviii. 14.
I Matt. xxvii. 42. 3 Ps. xli. to. 6 Ps. Ixxxv. 4. 9.Ps, Cxkxke Js
II Philip. iii. 2. 14 Ps, lix. 14. 10 Rom. v. 20. 12 Matt. xv. 27, 28, 13 Judg. vii. 5. 15 Isa. lvi. 10,