Psalms 118:49
Be thou mindful of thy word to thy servant, in which thou hast given me hope.
Open Psalms 118:49 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Zain Memor esto verbi tui servo tuo, in quo mihi spem dedisti.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Μνήσθητι τὸν λόγον σου τῶν δούλων σου ᾧ ἐπήλπισάς με.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 119:49
- זְכֹר דָּבָ֥ר לְעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ עַ֝֗ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִֽחַלְתָּֽנִי
Haydock's commentary
Mindful. He does not intimate that God can forget, but shews his fervour, (St. Augustine) and begs that he may be worthy to receive the effects of God's promises. (St. Hilary)
Though his decrees be most certain, means must be employed, which the just pray may not be wanting. (Worthington)
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 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament, On the words of the Gospel, Luke xi. 5, ‘Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight,’ etc
5. But necessary it is that thou have charity, that thou have faith, that thou have hope; that that which is given may be sweet unto thee. And these same, faith, hope, charity, are three. And these too are gifts of God. For faith we have received from Him; “As God,” saith he, “hath distributed to every one the measure of faith.” And hope we have received from Him, to whom it is said, “Wherein Thou hast caused me to hope.” And charity we have received from Him, of whom it is said, “The charity of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which hath been given to us.” Now these three are likewise in some measure different; but all gifts of God. For “there abide these three, faith, hope, charity; but the greatest of these is charity.” In those loaves it is not said that any one loaf was greater than the others; but simply that three loaves were asked for, and were given.
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Zain
50. “O remember Thy word unto Thy servant, wherein Thou hast given me hope” ( ver. 49 ). Is forgetfulness incident to God, as it is to man? Why then is it said unto Him, “O remember”? Although in other passages of holy Scripture this very word is used, as, “Why hast Thou forgotten me?” and, “Wherefore forgettest Thou our misery?”…These expressions are borrowed from moral discourses on human affections; although God doth these things according to a fixed dispensation, with no failing memory, nor with an understanding obscured, nor with a will changed. When therefore it is said unto Him, “O remember,” the desire of him who prayeth is displayed, because he asketh for what was promised; God is not admonished, as if the promise had escaped from His mind. “O remember,” he saith, “Thy word unto Thy servant:” that is, fulfil Thy promise to Thy servant. …