Psalms 138:14
I will praise thee, for thou art fearfully magnified: wonderful are thy works, and my soul knoweth right well.
Open Psalms 138:14 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Confitebor tibi, quia terribiliter magnificatus es ; mirabilia opera tua, et anima mea cognoscit nimis.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι, ὅτι φοβερῶς ἐθαυμαστώθης· θαυμάσια τὰ ἔργα σου, καὶ ἡ ψυχή μου γινώσκει σφόδρα.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 139:14
- אֽוֹדְךָ֗ עַ֤ל כִּ֥י נוֹרָא֗וֹת נִ֫פְלֵ֥יתִי נִפְלָאִ֥ים מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ וְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י יֹדַ֥עַת מְאֹֽד
Haydock's commentary
Magnified. Chaldean and St. Jerome, "hast magnified me." Hebrew seems less correct, "I have been terribly magnified," though the sense is much the same. (Berthier)
I have been stricken with awe and astonishment at thy works. (Calmet)
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 CXXXIX
14. “I will confess to Thee, O Lord, for terribly hast Thou been made wonderful: wondrous are Thy works, and my soul knoweth it right well” ( ver. 14 ). Aforetime “Thy knowledge was made wonderful from me, it had waxed great, nor could I attain unto it.” From me then “it had waxed great.” Whence doth “my soul” now “know right well,” save because the “night is light in my delight?” save because Thy grace hath come unto me, and enlightened my darkness? save because Thou hast possessed my reins? save because Thou hast taken me up from my mother’s womb?
St John Chrysostom Homilies on First Corinthians, Homily X
[6.] These things then continually picturing to ourselves, let us lead strict lives; and we shall gain two of the greatest advantages. For first, we shall be thankful both when we have and when we are bereaved; and we shall not be enslaved to things which are fleeting by, and things not our own. For whether it be wealth that He taketh, He hath taken but His own; or honor, or glory, or the body, or the life itself: be it that He taketh away thy son, it is not thy son that He hath taken, but His own servant. For thou formedst him not, but He made him. Thou didst but minister to his appearing; the whole was God’s own work. Let us give thanks therefore that we have been counted worthy to be His ministers in this matter. But what? Wouldest thou have had him for ever? This again proves thee grudging, and ignorant that it was another’s child which thou hadst, and not thine own. …