Psalms 108:20
This is the work of them who detract me before the Lord; and who speak evils against my soul.
Open Psalms 108:20 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Hoc opus eorum qui detrahunt mihi apud Dominum, et qui loquuntur mala adversus animam meam.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον τῶν ἐνδιαβαλλόντων με παρὰ Κυρίῳ καὶ τῶν λαλούντων πονηρὰ κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς μου.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 109:20
- זֹ֤את פְּעֻלַּ֣ת שֹׂ֭טְנַי מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְהַדֹּבְרִ֥ים רָ֝֗ע עַל נַפְשִֽׁי
Haydock's commentary
Work. They effect their own ruin. (Haydock)
The Jews pretended to act for the glory of God, being influenced with a zeal without knowledge. Some translate, "let such be the recompense;" which is not amiss. (Berthier)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CIX
20. “But work Thou with me, O Lord God” ( ver. 20 ). Some have thought “mercifully” should be understood, some have actually added it; but the best copies have the words thus: “But work Thou with me, O Lord God, for Thy Name’s sake.” Whence a higher sense should not be passed over, supposing the Son to have thus addressed the Father, “Deal Thou with Me,” since the works of the Father and of the Son are the same. Where although we understand mercy, for these words follow, “for sweet is Thy mercy,”, because he said not, “In me,” or, “over me;” or anything of this sort: but, “work Thou with Me;” we rightly understand that the Father and Son together work mercifully towards the vessels of mercy. “Work with me,” may also be understood to mean, help me. …