7/6/21
Augustine. Exposition on the Book of Psalms. Schaff, Philip (editor). New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co, 1886. Nicene and Post-Nicene Church Fathers: Series 1: Volume VIII. Re-published 2014, Catholic Way Publishing. Kindle electronic edition, ISBN-13: 978-1-78379-372-3.
“Psalm 119: Vav"
Augustine notes that although Psalm 119:41 is the start of a new stanza, it is joined to the previous stanza with "and" (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339191, par. 42). For this reason, the stanza should be understood in the context of God's merciful commands, emphasized in the previous stanza. Verse 42 then speaks of answering opponents. Augustine draws our attention back to Jesus as the center of the passage. People may eproach us as they misunderstand Christ (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339195, par. 43). They are rightly answered using God's word.
Verse 43 speaks to the importance of retaining God's word in our mouths, which is a gift of God. Augustine again emphasizes the importance of using God's word in answer (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339203, par. 44). God's word is our lasting support (v. 44).
Augustine finds verse 45 to present a challenge which he addresses through grammatical analysis. The verse, beginning with "and," suggests the reader should look for an implied reason that "I walked at liberty" (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339219, par. 46) The reason given is that the Psalmist sought God's commandments. After speaking of the urgency of pursuing God's commandments, Augustine moves on to verse 46, where the Psalmist is able to speak of God's testimony even before kings (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339237, par. 48).
Verses 47-48 represent the Psalmist meditating on God's commands and lifting up his hands to them (Augustine Psalms, loc. 339241, par. 49). Augustine notes there is both thought and action, motivated by love for God's word.