Psalms 25

Psalms 25:1

Arnobius the Younger: From all earthly profit, from all the things of this world that seem good, raising my spirit, let me come to you, Lord; I have been lifted up, now not trusting in money, or house, or business, or military might or in my abilities, but I search while trusting in you, so that I will not be ashamed when I depart from this body.… I have lifted my spirit to you so that my spirit may dwell on good things. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 25

Augustine of Hippo: “Unto You, O Lord, have I lift up my soul” [Psalms 25:1]: with spiritual longing have I lift up the soul, that was trodden down on the earth with carnal longings. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Cassiodorus: This is the first psalm laid out by the Hebrew alphabet.… In the course of the whole book, there are two types of these psalms. The first is the type which is shown to contain the entire alphabet, as Psalms 111, 112 and 119.… The other type is the one that omits letters … such as the present psalm and Psalms 34, 37 and 145.… The alphabetic acrostics are not known as something unusual in the divine Scriptures, for Jeremiah also lamented the captivity of Jerusalem with a lament which repeated the alphabet four times. By doing this, he taught that the sacraments, which are the letters, also indicate for us the mysteries of heavenly matters.… In the entire psalm, the church prays in marvelous supplication, using the figure known as ethopoeia, that it might not appear in God’s view to be despicable to its enemies. In the first part, the church asks that it may understand the Lord’s instructions and ways. This section contains five letters of the alphabet which we noted. In the second part, the church requests the benefits that he has granted to the holy fathers from beginning of the world; in the third part, the church says that those who keep the Lord’s commands are worthy of eternal rewards; it attests that it remains constantly in the same desire; this is where the psalm contains the remaining nine letters. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 25:1

Psalms 25:2

Augustine of Hippo: “O my God, in You I trust, I shall not be ashamed” [Psalms 25:2]. O my God, from trusting in myself I was brought even to this weakness of the flesh; and I who on abandoning God wished to be as God, fearing death from the smallest insect, was in derision ashamed for my pride; now, therefore, “in You I trust, I shall not be ashamed.” — Exposition on Psalms 25

Cassiodorus: Enemies laugh when they see that the trust of just people has not been fulfilled.… Laughter is most often a quality of someone of good will, but laughing at someone is always the mark of an enemy. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 25:2-3

Psalms 25:3

Augustine of Hippo: “And let not my enemies mock me.” And let them not mock me, who by ensnaring me with serpent-like and secret suggestions, and prompting me with “Well done, well done,” have brought me down to this. “For all that wait upon You shall not be confounded” [Psalms 25:3]. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Cassiodorus: Waiting for God means waiting courageously during the suffering of evils so that when he comes in his judgment he may grant what the spirit of the devoted person was seeking. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 25:4

Theodoret of Cyrus: I have a sufficient basis for hope, he is saying, in those who already believe in you and enjoy your aid. You are in the habit of showing care for them, while confounding those given to lawlessness. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 25:2

Psalms 25:4

Ambrose of Milan: Now the ways of the Lord are, we may say, certain courses taken in a good life, guided by Christ, who says, “I am the way, and the truth and the life.” The way, then, is the surpassing power of God, for Christ is our way, and a good way, too, is he, a way that has opened the kingdom of heaven to believers. Moreover, the ways of the Lord are straight, as it is written: “Make your ways known to me, O Lord.” Chastity is a way, faith is a way, abstinence is a way. There is, indeed, a way of virtue, and there is a way of wickedness; for it is written, “And see if there is any way of wickedness in me.” — Exposition of the Christian Faith 3.7.51

Augustine of Hippo: “Let them be confounded who do vain things unrighteously.” Let them be confounded who act unrighteously for the acquiring things that pass away. “Make Your ways, O Lord, known to me, and teach me Your paths” [Psalms 25:4]: not those which are broad, and lead the many to destruction; [Matthew 7:13] but Your paths, narrow, and known to few, teach Thou me. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Theodore of Mopsuestia: As he refers by “way” to people’s actions and exploits (as in that verse, “I have run in the way of your commands,” as if to say, I determined to do and observe your commands), so he calls God’s “way” whatever God deigns to do by creating or arranging. So “teach me your paths” means “make me rejoice in your acting and planning.” — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 25:4

Psalms 25:5

Arnobius the Younger: Since as you lead, Lord, your ways to life are found, which you have walked, make them known to me, so that through those very ways I may walk, and teach me your paths so that I may proceed on them. And as I do this very thing you direct me in your truth and lead me, because you are my God of salvation. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 25

Augustine of Hippo: “In Your truth guide me:” avoiding error. “And teach me:” for by myself I know nothing, but falsehood. “For You are the God of my salvation; and for You have I waited all the day” [Psalms 25:5]. For dismissed by You from Paradise, and having taken my journey into a far country, [Luke 15:13] I cannot by myself return, unless Thou meetest the wanderer: for my return has throughout the whole tract of this world’s time waited for Your mercy. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Cassiodorus: There are two things which make good Christians: first, that we believe that God is our Savior and, second, that we must wait for his reward throughout our entire life. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 25:5

Psalms 25:6

Augustine of Hippo: “Remember Your compassions, O Lord” [Psalms 25:6]. Remember the works of Your mercy, O Lord; for men deem of You as though You had forgotten. “And that Your mercies are from eternity.” And remember this, that Your mercies are from eternity. For Thou never wast without them, who hast subjected even sinful man to vanity indeed, but in hope; [Romans 8:20] and not deprived him of so many and great consolations of Your creation. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Cassiodorus: In these words, a very glorious and orthodox statement seems to shine upon us, that no one attains to God’s grace by his own merits. For in speaking of God’s mercies “which are from the beginning of the world,” the church continuously praises the Lord as the dispenser of mercies who does not receive human good works as an earlier step, but first grants his own gifts. Certainly all heresies have been devised by a detestable notion. On this basis, we are given insight into how destructive the Pelagian evil is, because it is recognized how persistently it is refuted. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 25:6

Evagrius Ponticus: When people remember, they stir up within themselves the thoughts of things they had known before. But God, when he is mindful of the rational nature, is in that very nature. It is said that he is mindful of him into whom he comes. — NOTES ON THE PSALMS

Psalms 25:7

Augustine of Hippo: “Remember not the offenses of my youth and of my ignorance” [Psalms 25:7]. The offenses of my presumptuous boldness and of my ignorance reserve not for vengeance, but let them be as if forgotten by You. “According to Your mercy, be mindful of me, O God.” Be mindful indeed of me, not according to the anger of which I am worthy, but according to Your mercy which is worthy of You. “For Your goodness, O Lord.” Not for my deservings, but for Your goodness, O Lord. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Diodorus of Tarsus: By “youthful sin” he refers to the people’s sins in Egypt, where they committed idolatry, remember. So now, he is saying, remember not those sins but your lovingkindness, by which even then you were kind to them in their ignorance and had mercy on them of your own accord even without being asked; and so now, too, exercise such care and lovingkindness for your own sake. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 25

Theodoret of Cyrus: In those expressions what he was asking for was this: According to your great mercy, remember me; remember not my sin but me in loving fashion. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 25:3

Psalms 25:8

Augustine of Hippo: “Gracious and upright is the Lord” [Psalms 25:8]. The Lord is gracious, since even sinners and the ungodly He so pitied, as to forgive all that is past; but the Lord is upright too, who after the mercy of vocation and pardon, which is of grace without merit, will require merits meet for the last judgment. “Wherefore He will establish a law for them that fail in the way.” For He has first bestowed mercy to bring them into the way. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Cassiodorus: The Lord is sweet, because while he surpasses all in his kindnesses, he still waits for the sinner’s conversion.… He is upright since, after frequent rebukes and very long periods of waiting, he opposes the wicked and humbles the proud and profane in order that they may at length become wise and regret that they have gone astray. That he established a law was surely in keeping with his sweetness and uprightness, for those whom he did not want to go astray, he preferred to correct through the proclamation of a law. But so that someone might not believe that this came as a punishment derived from God’s harshness, he laid out the purpose of the law that was brought forth, its goodness and sweetness. “On the way,” that is, in the present life, a law is established through which we are admonished to live righteously. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 25:8

Diodorus of Tarsus: How is it, if God is naturally loving and merciful, that he allowed some people to be subjected to punishments? David added “and upright” to bring out that justice accompanies goodness. He goes on, in fact, “Hence he will legislate for sinners in the way”: for this reason, that justice also is an attribute of his, “he will legislate for sinners in the way,” that is, he will correct sinners so as to bring them to uprightness. In regard to sinners, he is saying, God gives evidence of justice, whereas in regard to others it is goodness.… Nevertheless, whether people are punished or enjoy happy outcomes, they find everything happening to their own benefit, provided the mind is set on God and does not waver. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 25

Evagrius Ponticus: If someone has mastered irascibility, he has mastered the demons, but if someone is a slave to this passion, he is a complete … stranger to the ways of our Savior, since the Lord is said to teach the gentle his ways. — ON THOUGHTS 13

Theodore of Mopsuestia: Mercy is customary with God; righteousness is his constant concern. Often, in fact, he obscures sin with a show of his goodness, and he does not submit individuals’ behavior to harsh scrutiny; rather, when he sees some people persisting in their errors without amendment, he applies the rigor of justice and chastises them for the purpose of correcting them, and by the bitterness of the blows he brings the errant ones back to a life of discipline. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 25:8

Psalms 25:9

Augustine of Hippo: “He will guide the meek in judgment.” He will guide the meek, and will not confound in the judgment those that follow His will, and do not, in withstanding It, prefer their own. “The gentle He will teach His ways” [Psalms 25:9]. He will teach His ways, not to those that desire to run before, as if they were better able to rule themselves; but to those who do not exalt the neck, nor lift the heel, when the easy yoke and the light burden is laid upon them. [Matthew 11:30] — Exposition on Psalms 25

Cassiodorus: By using the term meek he excludes the proud and exalted.… “The mild” are just the opposite of the proud, who kick against the easy yoke and light burden with a freedom that does harm to them; God will teach those who do without grumbling what they know has been commanded. The distinction between mild and meek appears to be this: the meek are those who are not disturbed by the flame of fury, but they continue constantly with a gentleness of mind. But others are called mild (mansueti), as if they had been conditioned by the hand (manu sueti), that is, they endure injuries without returning evil for evil. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 25:9

Psalms 25:10

Augustine of Hippo: “All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth” [Psalms 25:10]. And what ways will He teach them, but mercy wherein He is placable, and truth wherein He is incorrupt? Whereof He has exhibited the one in forgiving sins, the other in judging deserts. And therefore “all the ways of the Lord” are the two advents of the Son of God, the one in mercy, the other in judgment. He then attains unto Him holding on His ways, who seeing himself freed by no deserts of his own, lays pride aside, and henceforward bewares of the severity of His trial, having experienced the clemency of His help. “To them that seek His testament and His testimonies.” For they understand the Lord as merciful at His first advent, and as the Judge at His second, who in meekness and gentleness seek His testament, when with His Own Blood He redeemed us to a new life; and in the Prophets and Evangelists, His testimonies. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Theodore of Mopsuestia: These are the ways of the Lord. Now, he habitually links truth and mercy, as if to say, this is God’s work, this his way, this his action, to accord secure and true salvation to those he has chosen. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 25:10

Theodoret of Cyrus: Those constantly reared on the sacred Words have a precise knowledge from them that all the dispensations of God our Savior are tempered with mercy and truth: to some, who repent of sins committed, he extends mercy and pardon; others unconquered he proclaims and crowns as champions of virtue, giving his verdict with truth, while admittedly on those caught up in lawlessness and not taking advantage of repentance he inflicts punishments in terms of the standard of truth. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 25:5

Psalms 25:11

Jerome: Although the mercy of God mitigated the truth of his judgment, nevertheless, because David was bold enough to make such statements, he was abandoned to his weakness for awhile, and, as you say, to the freedom of his will. — Against the Pelagians 2.19

Psalms 25:12

Augustine of Hippo: “Who is the man that fears the Lord?” from which fear he begins to come to wisdom. “He shall establish a law for him in the way, which he has chosen” [Psalms 25:12]. He shall establish a law for him in the way, which in his freedom he has taken, that he may not sin now with impunity. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Cassiodorus: He now comes to the third section in which the psalmist discusses in detail who it is who fears the Lord or with what gift the Lord expresses his thanks. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 25:12

Psalms 25:13

Augustine of Hippo: “His soul shall dwell in good, and his seed shall, by inheritance, possess the earth” [Psalms 25:13]. And his work shall possess the stable inheritance of a renewed body. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Cassiodorus: When the just have been stripped of their bodies, the perfect blessedness that is promised to the saints at the resurrection is not immediately granted; but it says that the soul is able “to dwell in good things,” since even if those rewards have still been withheld, “which an eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have they entered into the human heart,” they still feast on the most certain delight of the hope of their future reward. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 25:13

Pseudo-Athanasius: The person who fears the Lord, his seed—which is good works—will cause him to inherit the spiritual land, which he will acquire by humility and labor with the forgiveness of sins. — EXPOSITION ON Psalms 25

Psalms 25:14

Augustine of Hippo: “The Lord is the stay of them that fear Him” [Psalms 25:14]. Fear seems to belong to the weak, but the Lord is the stay of them that fear Him. And the Name of the Lord, which has been glorified throughout the whole world, is a stay to them that fear Him. “And His testament, that it may be manifested unto them.” And He makes His testament to be manifested unto them, for the Gentiles and the bounds of the earth are Christ’s inheritance. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Cassiodorus: Fear of people imparts a lack of confidence, but fear of God provides support for hope. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 25:14

Psalms 25:15

Augustine of Hippo: “My eyes are ever unto the Lord; for He shall pluck my feet out of the snare” [Psalms 25:15]. Nor would I fear the dangers of earth, while I look not upon the earth: for He upon whom I look, will pluck my feet out of the snare. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Cassiodorus: One who does not look at what is before his feet is likely to run into traps or to fall into the mouths of pits. But what is said here is amazing and true, that we walk cautiously and guide our feet, if we lift our eyes constantly to the Lord, since such looking makes us strangers to all stumbling. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 25:15

Evagrius Ponticus: One who says and does everything so that he may know God always has the eyes of his soul toward the Lord. If one does not receive the spirit of the adoption of the children, he is not made a brother of Christ, nor is the power of the holy made effectual in him; let him say that he is an only child and poor in riches having been deprived of knowledge. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 24[25].16

Psalms 25:16

Augustine of Hippo: “Look upon me, and have mercy upon me; for I am single and poor” [Psalms 25:16]. For I am a single people, keeping the lowliness of Your single Church, which no schisms or heresies possess. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Psalms 25:17

Augustine of Hippo: “The tribulations of my heart have been multiplied” [Psalms 25:17]. The tribulations of my heart have been multiplied by the abounding of iniquity and the waxing cold of love. [Matthew 24:12] “O bring Thou me out of my necessities.” Since I must needs bear this, that by enduring unto the end I may be saved, bring Thou me out of my necessities. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Psalms 25:18

Augustine of Hippo: “See my humility and my travail” [Psalms 25:18]. See my humility, whereby I never, in the boast of righteousness, break off from unity; and my travail, wherein I bear with the unruly ones that are mingled with me. “And forgive all my sins.” And, propitiated by these sacrifices, forgive all my sins, not those only of youth and my ignorance before I believed, but those also which, living now by faith, I commit through infirmity, or the darkness of this life. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Psalms 25:19

Augustine of Hippo: “Consider mine enemies, how they are multiplied” [Psalms 25:19]. For not only without, but even within, in the Church’s very communion, they are not wanting. “And with an unrighteous hate they hate me.” And they hate me who love them. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Cassiodorus: In saying “Look on my enemies,” the church prays for them to return, because God converts without hesitation those on whom he looks, as in the Gospel the Lord looked at Peter in such a way that he wept.… One could believe that a few people might be disregarded, but the loss of many could not be endured without much grief. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 25:19

Psalms 25:20

Augustine of Hippo: “Keep my soul, and deliver me.” Keep my soul, that I turn not aside to imitate them; and draw me out from the confusion wherein they are mingled with me. “Let me not be confounded, for I have put my trust in You” [Psalms 25:20]. Let me not be confounded, if haply they rise up against me: for not in myself, but in You have I put my trust. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Evagrius Ponticus: Hope does not shame. She is the daughter of uprightness, and uprightness is the offspring of patience, and patience is birthed really in trials that the virtues receive from the enemy and by which the understanding of God is cut off. — NOTES ON THE Psalms 24[25].20

Psalms 25:21

Augustine of Hippo: “The innocent and the upright have cleaved to me, for I have waited for You, O Lord” [Psalms 25:21]. The innocent and the upright, not in bodily presence only, as the evil, are mingled with me, but in the agreement of the heart in the same innocence and uprightness cleave to me: for I have not fallen away to imitate the evil; but I have waited for You, expecting the winnowing of Your last harvest. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Cassiodorus: The church says that the innocent and upright have clung to the church, because it waited for the Lord; it would not have been able to love such people, if the church itself were not appearing to take such strength for granted. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 25:21

Theodore of Mopsuestia: Placing my hope in you, I took pains to be such a person that innocent people might associate with me and take pleasure in my company. — COMMENTARY ON Psalms 25:21

Psalms 25:22

Augustine of Hippo: “Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles” [Psalms 25:22]. “Redeem Your people, O God,” whom You have prepared to see You, out of his troubles, not those only which he bears without, but those also which he bears within. — Exposition on Psalms 25

Theodoret of Cyrus: Prayer offered to God befits a king: it is appropriate for one appointed to rule to exercise complete care of his subjects. This is surely the reason that blessed David offered prayer not only for himself but also for a people entrusted to him, especially as the salvation of the one who reigns wisely and well constitutes the welfare of the whole people. The verse implies something else as well, however. Israel was divided, in the time of Saul, of Mephibosheth and of Absalom. Consequently, if I were to enjoy your aid, he is saying, and prove stronger than my adversaries, Israel itself would obtain peace by putting an end to civil strife and would revel in your good things. — COMMENTARY ON THE Psalms 25:10