Psalms 21

Psalms 21:1

Augustine of Hippo: “O Lord, the King shall rejoice in Your strength” [Psalms 21:1]. O Lord, in Your strength, whereby the Word was made flesh, the Man Christ Jesus shall rejoice. “And shall exult exceedingly in Your salvation.” And in that, whereby Thou quickenest all things, shall exult exceedingly. — Exposition on Psalms 21

Cassiodorus: Our belief that there are two natures in Christ the Lord, one divine and one human, is a matter of salvation. These two natures endure without change in one person for ever. This statement of faith bears frequent repetition, because, when it is frequently heard and believed, it brings life. In the initial narrative of this psalm, the words of the prophet are directed toward God the Father concerning the Lord’s incarnation. The second part describes his diverse virtues and glory, describing his life from the point at which he suffered until he attained the height and peak of all things by the Father’s gracious gift. In the third, the same prophet turns to the Lord Christ, and here in the manner of those who make wishes, he asks that what he knows is to come will be done at the judgment. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 21:1

Eusebius of Caesarea: I think that these words had been prophesied by those who had spoken long before David. Since David had learned from the lofty oracles that those words were looking not only at the strength of his own salvation but also that which was going to come forth from his seed, concerning which he said he would rejoice and praise with enthusiasm. Having been assured of those things and the enemies having been thoroughly subjugated with mighty power, to you, God, the author of the victory, he grants the prize of his victory. And he rejoices and praises as he is snatched from the snares of the enemies, nor does he rejoice so much in his own deliverance as in that salvation sent from you. As he seeks your deliverance with lofty vows from his own lips, he will entreat you often for the advent of his deliverance; his prayer frequently uttered, he never fails in hope, nor will his request be in vain. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 21:2

Pseudo-Athanasius: Friends of David also delivered this psalm, as if he were now pleased for the salvation that was born from his seed for the world; this was a glorious crown for him, and length of days and glory and magnificence, and delight and joy and hope and unshakeable grace. — EXPOSITION ON Psalms 21

Psalms 21:2

Augustine of Hippo: “You have given Him the desire of His soul” [Psalms 21:2]. He desired to eat the Passover, [Luke 22:15] and to lay down His life when He would, and again when He would to take it; and You have given it to Him. [John 10:18] “And hast not deprived Him of the good pleasure of His lips.” “My peace,” says He, “I leave with you:” [John 14:27] and it was done. — Exposition on Psalms 21

Eusebius of Caesarea: Having prophesied the promises made earlier to David, he then explains the reason why these things are going to happen. For what is that reason unless hope in God in which the one who has received mercy does not falter and in that very hope granted by God most high he does not waver from a firm and steady foundation? — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 21:3-7

Psalms 21:3

Augustine of Hippo: “For You have presented Him with the blessings of sweetness” [Psalms 21:3]. Because He had first quaffed the blessing of Your sweetness, the gall of our sins did not hurt Him. " Diapsalma. You have set a crown of precious stone on His Head." At the beginning of His discoursing precious stones were brought, and compassed Him about; His disciples, from whom the commencement of His preaching should be made. — Exposition on Psalms 21

Augustine of Hippo: And what is here more fitly understood than that very desire of good of which we are speaking? For good begins then to be longed for when it has begun to grow sweet. But when good is done by fear of penalty, not by the love of righteousness, good is not yet well done. Nor is that done in the heart that seems to be done in the act, when a person would rather not do it if he could evade it with impunity. Therefore the “blessing of sweetness” is God’s grace, by which is caused in us that what he prescribes to us delights us, and we desire it—that is, we love it; in which if God does not precede us, not only is it not perfected but it is not even begun, from us. For if without him we are able to do nothing, we are able neither to begin nor to perfect, because to begin, it is said, “His mercy shall prevent me”; to finish, it is said, “His mercy shall follow me.” — AGAINST TWO LETTERS OF THE PELAGIANS 2:21

Cassiodorus: He indicates that humanity is ever adorned with the anticipatory grace of the Godhead, because no one offers anything to God first unless what is good is granted by a heavenly gift. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 21:4

Evagrius Ponticus: Christ is the crown of the rational nature. — NOTES ON THE PSALMS

Jerome: The crown of the Lord is the church gathered from the various nations, about which Paul in the person of the believers says, “My joy and my crown.” — BRIEF COMMENTARY ON Psalms 21

Psalms 21:4

Arnobius the Younger: He sought life; he lived as a man. Having been limited in life, in death he received length of days not just to old age but to eternity. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 21

Augustine of Hippo: “He asked life; and You gave Him:” He asked a resurrection, saying, “Father, glorify Your Son;” [John 17:1] and You gave it Him, “Length of days for ever and ever” [Psalms 21:4]. The prolonged ages of this world which the Church was to have, and after them an eternity, world without end. — Exposition on Psalms 21

Irenaeus: It is the Father of all who imparts continuance forever and ever on those who are saved. For life does not arise from us nor from our own nature, but it is bestowed according to the grace of God. — AGAINST HERESIES 2:34.3

Psalms 21:5

Arnobius the Younger: Great is his glory. In what way is it great? Not in the assumption of deity but in the salvation of humanity. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 21

Augustine of Hippo: “His glory is great in Your salvation” [Psalms 21:5]. Great indeed is His glory in the salvation, whereby You have raised Him up again. “Glory and great honour shall Thou lay upon Him.” But You shall yet add unto Him glory and great honour, when You shall place Him in heaven at Your right hand. — Exposition on Psalms 21

Psalms 21:6

Augustine of Hippo: “For You shall give Him blessing for ever and ever.” This is the blessing which You shall give Him for ever and ever: “You shall make Him glad in joy together with Your countenance” [Psalms 21:6]. According to His manhood, You shall make Him glad together with Your countenance, which He lifted up to You. — Exposition on Psalms 21

Psalms 21:7

Arnobius the Younger: For that reason you placed glory and great honor on him, and you gave him eternal blessing, because he hoped in the Lord and in his mercy he was not deeply disturbed. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 21

Augustine of Hippo: “For the King hopes in the Lord.” For the King is not proud, but humble in heart, he hopes in the Lord. “And in the mercy of the Most Highest He shall not be moved” [Psalms 21:7]. And in the mercy of the Most Highest His obedience even unto the death of the Cross shall not disturb His humility. — Exposition on Psalms 21

Psalms 21:8

Arnobius the Younger: From the place [of exaltation] the Father says to his Son, “Let your hand be found by all your enemies; let your right, which received the nails on the cross, find those who hated you; discard them as earthen vessels in a fire in the time of your appearance. Then in your wrath you will throw them into disorder, and the fire will devour them.” — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 21

Augustine of Hippo: “Let Your hand be found by all Your enemies.” Be Your power, O King, when You come to judgment, found by all Your enemies; who in Your humiliation discerned it not. “Let Your right hand find out all that hate You” [Psalms 21:8]. Let the glory, wherein Thou reign at the right hand of the Father, find out for punishment in the day of judgment all that hate You; for that now they have not found it. — Exposition on Psalms 21

Cassiodorus: They are only called enemies as long as they are led astray by the devil’s enticements. But when they return to Christ the Lord, they are called servants, children and friends. — EXPLANATIONS OF THE Psalms 21:9

Psalms 21:9

Augustine of Hippo: “You shall make them like a fiery oven:” You shall make them on fire within, by the consciousness of their ungodliness: “In the time of Your countenance:” in the time of Your manifestation. “The Lord shall trouble them in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them” [Psalms 21:9]. And then, being troubled by the vengeance of the Lord, after the accusation of their conscience, they shall be given up to eternal fire, to be devoured. — Exposition on Psalms 21

Cassiodorus: An oven is a round structure made of bronze for baking bread.… Sinners are rightly compared with it, since at the coming judgment they will be tormented both with mental grief and with punitive pain, because with a stubborn mind they have lived in opposition to the Lord’s laws. The time of the Lord’s anger is the day of judgment when the Son of Man will be seen by all, but only the righteous will look on him also through the contemplation of his divinity.… Earlier, in praise for the Lord Christ, the psalmist described the honor and glory of Christ through the diverse character of his graces. Now … he says that his enemies will be afflicted with various punishments so that they might be rendered as disgusting as he is marvelous.… They will be sentenced to be devoured by undying flames. No delay accompanies the Lord’s command, but as soon as he determines it, it is completed. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 21:10

Psalms 21:10

Augustine of Hippo: “Their fruit shall You destroy out of the earth.” Their fruit, because it is earthly, shall You destroy out of the earth. “And their seed from the sons of men” [Psalms 21:10]. And their works; or, whomsoever they have seduced, You shall not reckon among the sons of men, whom You have called into the everlasting inheritance. — Exposition on Psalms 21

Eusebius of Caesarea: But the seed of the godless and the fruit of the wicked are their words, teachings and unrighteous writings, which they have disseminated through people after they are forgotten. God, being good, scatters each one and destroys them from the midst so that neither the fruit nor the seed of the wicked remains. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 21:11

Psalms 21:11

Augustine of Hippo: “Because they turned evils against You.” Now this punishment shall be recompensed to them, because the evils which they supposed to hang over them by Your reign, they turned against You to Your death. “They imagined a device, which they were not able to establish” [Psalms 21:11]. They imagined a device, saying, “It is expedient that one die for all:” [John 11:50] which they were not able to establish, not knowing what they said. — Exposition on Psalms 21

Cassiodorus: To divert evils that loom over some people, we mean to push them aside to another place where there is no iniquity to punish. This is exactly what happened with the suffering of the Lord. For when the Jews believed that Roman power would be a threat to them if they had accepted the Lord Savior as King, it seemed right to them to divert those evils upon him which they believed would befall them when the Romans took up the role of avengers. “They came up with a plan” saying, “It is expedient that one man die for all.” “But this they were not able to establish,” that is, to complete according to their vow. For without knowing it, they spoke the truth. It was necessary that one should die for all. The truth was indeed uttered, but with an evil vow. Therefore they will suffer punishment for such a deed, because they did not have a pure conscience. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 21:12

Psalms 21:12

Ambrose of Milan: “Turned away” [is] an expression properly applied to the sinner, for “Cain went out from the face of the Lord,” and the psalmist says, “You will make them turn their back.” One who is righteous does not turn away from the Lord but runs to meet him and says, “My eyes are ever toward the Lord.” And when the Lord said, “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah offered himself of his own accord and said, “Behold, here I am.” — On Joseph the Patriarch, Chapter 3

Augustine of Hippo: “For You shall set them low.” For You shall rank them among those from whom in degradation and contempt You will turn away. “In Your leavings You shall make ready their countenance” [Psalms 21:12]. And in these things that Thou leavest, that is, in the desires of an earthly kingdom, You shall make ready their shamelessness for Your passion. — Exposition on Psalms 21

Psalms 21:13

Augustine of Hippo: “Be Thou exalted, O Lord, in Your strength” [Psalms 21:13]. Be Thou, Lord, whom in humiliation they did not discern, exalted in Your strength, which they thought weakness. “We will sing and praise Your power.” In heart and in deed we will celebrate and make known Your marvels. — Exposition on Psalms 21

Cassiodorus: To sing means to proclaim the words of the Lord with the mouth. To make music on the harp means to fulfill the divine commands faithfully through good works. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 21:14

Diodorus of Tarsus: Exalted though you are, then, you are shown to be more exalted through your power and in outdoing all the arrogant, as by inflicting the blow on them from on high. For this reason we shall not cease singing your praises always. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 21

Theodoret of Cyrus: Not for being lowly is God exalted, nor does he receive what he does not possess; instead, what he possesses he reveals … your exaltation is revealed in your ineffable power, which we shall continue to celebrate and sing, recounting your marvelous works. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 21:8