Psalms 118:87
They had almost made an end of me upon earth: but I have not forsaken thy commandments.
Open Psalms 118:87 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Paulominus consummaverunt me in terra ; ego autem non dereliqui mandata tua.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- παρὰ βραχὺ συνετέλεσάν με ἐν τῇ γῇ, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ἐνκατέλειπον τὰς ἐντολάς σου.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 119:87
- כִּ֭מְעַט כִּלּ֣וּנִי בָאָ֑רֶץ וַ֝אֲנִ֗י לֹא עָזַ֥בְתִּי פִקֻּודֶֽיךָ
Haydock's commentary
Earth. Babylon; (Calmet) though this is never styled simply the earth. It refers to all the enemies of salvation, particularly to our own passions. (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, Caph
87. When the Church acted thus, She suffered what he hath added, “They had almost made an end of me upon earth” ( ver. 87 ): a great slaughter of martyrs having been made, while they confess and preach the truth. But since it is not in vain said, “O help Thou me;” he addeth, “But I forsook not Thy commandments.”
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Lamed
89. The man who speaketh in this Psalm, as if he were tired of human mutability, whence this life is full of temptations, among his tribulations, on account of which he had above said, “The wicked have persecuted me;” and, “They have almost made an end of me upon earth” ( ver. 89 ); burning with longings for the heavenly Jerusalem; looked up to the realms above, and said, “O Lord, Thy word endureth for ever in heaven;” that is, among Thy Angels who serve everlastingly in Thine armies, without desertion.
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Nun
106. “I have sworn, and am stedfastly purposed to keep Thy righteous judgments” ( ver. 106 ): as one who walked aright in the light of that lantern, and kept to straight paths. For he calleth what he hath determined by a sacrament, an oath; because the mind ought to be so fixed in keeping the righteous judgments of God, that its determination should be in the place of an oath. Now the righteous judgments of God are kept by faith; when, under the righteous judgment of God, neither any good work is believed to be fruitless, nor any sin unpunished; but, because the body of Christ hath suffered many most grievous evils for this faith, he saith, “I was humbled above measure” ( ver. 107 ). …