Psalms 103:12
Over them the birds of the air shall dwell: from the midst of the rocks they shall give forth their voices.
Open Psalms 103:12 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Super ea volucres cæli habitabunt ; de medio petrarum dabunt voces.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐπ᾽ αὐτὰ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατασκηνώσει, ἐκ μέσου τῶν πετρῶν δώσουσιν φωνήν.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 104:12
- עֲ֭לֵיהֶם עוֹף הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם יִשְׁכּ֑וֹן מִבֵּ֥ין עֳ֝פָאיִ֗ם יִתְּנוּ קֽוֹל
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CIV
14. Then the Psalm goes on in its text, “Upon them the fowls of the heaven shall inhabit” ( ver. 12 ).…Upon the mountains, then, the fowls of the air shall have their habitation. We see these birds dwell upon the mountains, but many of them dwell in plains, many in valleys, many in groves, many in gardens, not all upon mountains. There are some fowls that dwell not save on the mountains. Some spiritual souls doth this name denote. Fowls are spiritual hearts, which enjoy the free air. In the clearness of heaven these birds delight, yet their feeding is on the mountains, there will they dwell. Ye know the mountains, they have been already treated of. Mountains are Prophets, mountains are Apostles, mountains are all preachers of the truth.…
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans, Homily XXVIII on Rom. xv. 8
That is, that ye may get clear of that heartlessness ( ἀθυμίας ) towards one another, and may never be cast down by temptations. And this will be by your abounding in hope. Now this is the cause of all good things, and it comes from the Holy Ghost. But it is not simply from the Spirit, but on condition of our contributing our part also. This is why he says, “in believing.” For this is the way for you to be filled with joy, if ye believe, if ye hope. Yet he does not say if ye hope, but, “if ye abound in hope,” so as not to find comfort in troubles only, but even to have joy through the abundance of faith and hope. And in this way, ye will also draw the Spirit to you. In this way, when He is come ye will continually keep to all good things. …