Psalms 138:4
And thou hast foreseen all my ways: for there is no speech in my tongue.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- et omnes vias meas prævidisti, quia non est sermo in lingua mea.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν λόγος ἄδικος ἐν γλώσσῃ μου· ἰδού, Κύριε, σὺ ἔγνως πάντα
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 139:4
- כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין מִ֭לָּה בִּלְשׁוֹנִ֑י הֵ֥ן יְ֝הוָ֗ה יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ
Haydock's commentary
No speech, &c., viz., unknown to thee: or when there is no speech in my tongue, yet my whole interior and my most secret thoughts are known to thee. (Challoner)
Vatican Septuagint, "no evil speech." Aldus, "no deceit." (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 CXXXIX
4. “Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar; Thou hast tracked out my path and my limit” ( ver. 3 ); “and all my ways Thou hast seen beforehand” ( ver. 4 ). What is, “from afar”? While I am yet in my pilgrimage, before I reach that, my true country, Thou hast known my thoughts.…The younger son went into a far country. After his toil and suffering and tribulation and want, he thought on his father, and desired to return, and said, “I will arise, and go to my father.” “I will arise,” said he, for before he had sat. Here then thou mayest recognise him saying, “Thou hast known my down-sitting and up-rising.” I sat, in want; I arose, in longing for Thy Bread. “Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar.” For far indeed had I gone; but where is not He whom I had left? Wherefore the Lord saith in the Gospel, that his father met him as he was coming. …