Psalms 16:11
They have cast me forth and now they have surrounded me: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth.
Open Psalms 16:11 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Projicientes me nunc circumdederunt me ; oculos suos statuerunt declinare in terram.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐκβάλλοντές με νυνὶ περιεκύκλωσάν με, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν ἔθεντο ἐκκλῖναι ἐν τῇ γῇ·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 17:11
- אַ֭שֻּׁרֵינוּ עַתָּ֣ה סבבוני עֵינֵיהֶ֥ם יָ֝שִׁ֗יתוּ לִנְט֥וֹת בָּאָֽרֶץ
Haydock's commentary
Earth, to testify their wrath. So Virgil describes Juno.
Diva solo fixos oculos aversa tenebat. (Æneid 1.)
Hebrew, ashurenu, is rendered "by our step," (Montanus) or contemplation. But the Septuagint have explained it as a verb, as well as St. Jerome, (Berthier) who reads, "marching against me; now they have surrounded me," (Haydock) like wild bulls. (Calmet)
Symmachus, "blessing me, they have presently cast down their eyes, they have prepared snares, to throw me down upon the ground." They have sought my ruin both by craft and by open force. Even those who were once my friends and admirers, are now turned against me. (Haydock)
He alludes particularly to the courtiers of Saul. (Calmet)
They intend utterly to destroy me, even to the ground. (Worthington)
Hebrew, "by our step they have now surrounded us," (Montanus) conformably to Keri; though the text, followed by Pagnin, has, "In our path, they have surrounded me."
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 XVII
10. “Casting Me forth they have now compassed Me about” ( ver. 11 ). Casting Me forth outside the city, they have now compassed Me about on the Cross. “Their eyes they have determined to turn down on the earth.” The bent of their heart they have determined to turn down on these earthly things: deeming Him, who was slain, to endure a mighty evil, and themselves, that slew Him, none.