Psalms 25:1
Unto the end, a psalm for David. Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my innocence: and I have put my trust in the Lord, and shall not be weakened.
Open Psalms 25:1 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- In finem. Psalmus David. Judica me, Domine, quoniam ego in innocentia mea ingressus sum, et in Domino sperans non infirmabor.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Τοῦ Δαυείδ. Κρῖνόν με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν ἀκακίᾳ μου ἐπορεύθην, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ κυρίῳ ἐλπίζων οὐ μὴ σαλευθῶ.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 26:1
- לְדָוִ֨ד שָׁפְטֵ֤נִי יְהוָ֗ה כִּֽי אֲ֭נִי בְּתֻמִּ֣י הָלַ֑כְתִּי וּבַיהוָ֥ה בָּ֝טַ֗חְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶמְעָֽד
Haydock's commentary
David. Hebrew and the most correct copies of the Septuagint, &c., have only "Of David." (Haydock)
The Complutensian and Aldine editions add indeed A psalm. But these form no rule, as the Vatican Septuagint is allowed to be the best. (Berthier)
The others may, however, be consulted, as in some instances they may be preferable. (Haydock)
This psalm might be composed to counteract the calumnies propagated against David, while he lived among the Philistines; (Theodoret; Flaminius) or it may contain the sentiments of the captives, as well as the two following canticles. (Calmet)
The Church, (St. Augustine, &c.) or any afflicted soul, may thus appeal to the justice of God, (Berthier) and particularly the sacred ministers, when they are going to appear before him.
Innocence. Only those whose conscience reproaches them with nothing, can hold this language. God is a just and unerring judge. (Calmet)
Weakened. Hebrew also "slide," (Protestants) or "stagger." (Symmachus) I am confident that my enemies will have no advantage over me. (Calmet)
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 Answer to the Letters of Petilian, the Donatist, Chapter 7
Chapter 7. 8. Whilst we bear the testimony of God to this and the like effect against the vain speaking of men, we are forced to undergo bitter insults from the enemies of the glory of Christ. Let them say what they will, whilst He exhorts us, saying, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake." What He says in the first instance, "for righteousness’ sake," He has repeated in the words that He uses afterwards, "for my sake;" seeing that He "is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." And when He says, "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven," if I hold in a good con …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XXVI
2. “Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my innocence” ( ver. 1 ). Judge me, O Lord, for, after the mercy which Thou first showedst me, I have some desert of my innocence, the way whereof I have kept. “And trusting in the Lord I shall not be moved.” And yet not even so trusting in myself, but in the Lord, I shall abide in Him.
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm L
13. “And the Heaven shall declare His righteousness” ( ver. 6 ). Truly this righteousness of God to us the “heavens have declared,” the Evangelists have foretold. Through them we have heard that some will be on the right hand, to whom the Householder saith, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, receive.” Receive what? “A kingdom.” In return for what thing? “I was an hungred, and ye gave Me to eat.” What so valueless, what so earthly, as to break bread to the hungry? At so much is valued the kingdom of heaven. “Break thy bread to the hungry, and the needy without covering bring into thy house; if thou seest one naked, clothe him.” If thou hast not the means of breaking bread, hast not house into which thou mayest bring, hast not garment wherewith thou mayest cover: give a cup of cold water, cast two mites into the treasury. …
St Jerome Against Jovinianus, Book II
4. I delayed for a little while the production of proofs from the Old Testament, because, wherever the Old Testament is against them they are accustomed to cry out that the Law and the Prophets were until John. But who does not know that under the other dispensation of God all the saints of past times were of equal merit with Christians at the present day? As Abraham in days gone by pleased God in wedlock, so virgins now please him in perpetual virginity. He served the Law and his own times; let us now serve the Gospel and our times,upon whom the ends of the ages have come. David the chosen one, the man after God’s own heart, who had performed all His pleasure, and who in a certain psalm had said, “Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord and shall not slide. …