Psalms 17:39
I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand: they shall fall under my feet.
Open Psalms 17:39 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Confringam illos, nec poterunt stare ; cadent subtus pedes meos.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐκθλίψω αὐτοὺς καὶ οὐ μὴ δύνωνται στῆναι, πεσοῦνται ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας μου.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 18:39
- אֶ֭מְחָצֵם וְלֹא יֻ֣כְלוּ ק֑וּם יִ֝פְּל֗וּ תַּ֣חַת רַגְלָֽי
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XVIII
39. “I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand” ( ver. 38 ): and they shall not hold out against me. “They shall fall under my feet.” When they are cast down, I will place before me the loves whereby I walk for evermore.
St John Cassian The Conferences of John Cassian. Part I. Containing Conferences I-X, Chapter XXI. Of the fact that devils struggle with men not without effort on their part
But our belief is that they undertake this struggle not without effort on their part. For in their conflict they themselves have some sort of anxiety and depression, and especially when they are matched with stronger rivals, i.e., saints and perfect men. Otherwise no contest or struggle, but only a simple deception of men, and one free from anxiety on their part would be assigned to them. And how then would the Apostle’s words stand, where he says: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against world-rulers of this darkness, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places;” and this too: “So fight I, not as one that beateth the air;” and again: “I have fought a good fight”? For where it is spoken of as a fight, and conflict, and battle, there must be effort and exertion and anxiety on both sides, and equally there must either be in store for …