Psalms 17:42
They cried, but there was none to save them, to the Lord: but he heard them not.
Open Psalms 17:42 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Clamaverunt, nec erat qui salvos faceret ; ad Dominum, nec exaudivit eos.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐκέκραξαν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ σώζων· πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ οὐκ εἰσήκουσεν αὐτῶν.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 18:42
- יְשַׁוְּע֥וּ וְאֵין מוֹשִׁ֑יעַ עַל יְ֝הוָ֗ה וְלֹ֣א עָנָֽם
Haydock's commentary
Lord. This must be understood of Absalom, who offered sacrifices, (2 Kings xv. 12.; Berthier) or of Saul, who, receiving no answer, consulted a witch. The Philistines also brought their gods with them, so that they were taken and burnt; (2 Kings v. 21.) and the other pagans, finding no aid in their idols, might in time of danger, invoke the Lord. (Calmet)
This is "the testimony of a soul naturally Christian," as Tertullian (Apol. xvii.) speaks, to have recourse to the great and only God, in the utmost distress. (Haydock)
Deus ut subveniat oratur; ipsa veritas, cogente natura....erumpit. (Lac. Inst. ii. 1.)
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 XVIII
42. “They have cried out, and there was none to save them” ( ver. 41 ). For who can save them, whom Thou wouldest not save? “To the Lord, and He did not hear them.” Nor did they cry out to any chance one, but to the Lord: and He did not judge them worthy of being heard, who depart not from their wickedness.
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm LXXVII
2. “With my voice,” he saith, “to the Lord I have cried” ( ver. 1 ). But many men cry unto the Lord for the sake of getting riches and avoiding losses, for the safety of their friends, for the security of their house, for temporal felicity, for secular dignity, lastly, even for mere soundness of body, which is the inheritance of the poor man. For such and such like things many men do cry unto the Lord; scarce one for the sake of the Lord Himself. For an easy thing it is for a man to desire anything of the Lord, and not to desire the Lord Himself; as if forsooth that which He giveth could be sweeter than Himself that giveth. Whosoever therefore doth cry unto the Lord for the sake of any other thing, is not yet one that leapeth over.…He doth indeed hearken to thee at the time when thou dost seek Himself, not when through Himself thou dost seek any other thing. …
Eusebius The Church History of Eusebius, Panegyric on the Splendor of Affairs
30. ‘The wicked have drawn out the sword, they have bent their bow, to slay the righteous in heart; let their sword enter into their own heart and their bows be broken.’ And again: ‘Their memorial is perished with a sound’ and ‘their name hast thou blotted out forever and ever’; for when they also were in trouble they ‘cried out and there was none to save: unto the Lord, and he heard them not.’ But ‘their feet were bound together, and they fell, but we have arisen and stand upright.’ And that which was announced beforehand in these words, ‘O Lord, in thy city thou shalt set at naught their image,’, has been shown to be true to the eyes of all.
St John Cassian The Twelve Books on the Institutes of the Cœnobia, and the Remedies for the Eight Principal Faults, Chapter XVII. Various passages which clearly show that we cannot do anything which belongs to our salvation without the aid of God
Lastly , the Author of our salvation teaches us what we ought not merely to think, but also to acknowledge in everything that we do. “I can,” He says, “of mine own self do nothing, but the Father which abideth in me, He doeth the works.” He says, speaking in the human nature which He had taken, that He could do nothing of Himself; and shall we, who are dust and ashes, think that we have no need of God’s help in what pertains to our salvation? And so let us learn in everything, as we feel our own weakness, and at the same time His help, to declare with the saints, “I was overturned that I might fall, but the Lord supported me. The Lord is my strength and my praise: and He is become my salvation.” And “Unless the Lord had helped me, my soul had almost dwelt in hell. If I said, My foot is moved: Thy mercy, O Lord, assisted me. …