Psalms 138:17
But to me thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honourable: their principality is exceedingly strengthened.
Open Psalms 138:17 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Mihi autem nimis honorificati sunt amici tui, Deus ; nimis confortatus est principatus eorum.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐμοὶ δὲ λίαν ἐτιμήθησαν οἱ φίλοι σου, ὁ θεός· λίαν ἐκραταιώθησαν αἱ ἀρχαὶ αὐτῶν·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 139:17
- וְלִ֗י מַה יָּקְר֣וּ רֵעֶ֣יךָ אֵ֑ל מֶ֥ה עָ֝צְמוּ רָאשֵׁיהֶֽם
Haydock's commentary
Friends. Many pervert this passage, translating "thoughts," because the word may have that sense in Chaldean, (Worthington) though the paraphrase agree with us; (Calmet) and all confess that our version is accurate. The other may also be admitted. While the dead seem to have no longer any existence, the saints are still with God, and the psalmist hopes to rise with them. (Berthier)
Principality. St. Jerome and Theodoret, "poor," who are generally employed by God in his greatest works, that no flesh may glory in his sight. Though the elect be comparatively few, yet they cannot be numbered (Haydock; Apocalypse vii. 9.) by man. (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 Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CXXXIX
16. …“Thine eyes did see Mine imperfect one, and in Thy book shall all be written” ( ver. 16 ), not only the perfect, but also the imperfect. Let not the imperfect fear, only let them advance. Nor yet, because I have said, “let them not fear,” let them love their imperfection, and remain there, where they are found. Let them advance, as far as in them lieth. Daily let them add, daily let them approach; yet let them not fall back from the Body of the Lord: that, compacted in one Body and among these members, they may be counted worthy to have that said of them. “By day shall they wander, and none among them.” “The Day” was yet on earth, even our Lord Jesus Christ. …