Psalms 27:4
Give them according to their works, and according to the wickedness of their inventions. According to the works of their hands give thou to them: render to them their reward.
Open Psalms 27:4 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Da illis secundum opera eorum, et secundum nequitiam adinventionum ipsorum. Secundum opera manuum eorum tribue illis ; redde retributionem eorum ipsis.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- δὸς αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν καὶ κατὰ τὴν πονηρίαν τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων αὐτῶν· κατὰ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν δὸς αὐτοῖς, ἀπόδος τὸ ἀνταπόδομα αὐτῶν αὐτοῖς.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 28:4
- תֶּן לָהֶ֣ם כְּפָעֳלָם֮ וּכְרֹ֪עַ מַֽעַלְלֵ֫יהֶ֥ם כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יְ֭דֵיהֶם תֵּ֣ן לָהֶ֑ם הָשֵׁ֖ב גְּמוּלָ֣ם לָהֶֽם
Haydock's commentary
Reward. He speaks prophetically, (ver. 5.) or of spiritual enemies. (Berthier)
"If they do not understand by kindness, make them understand by torments." (St. Jerome)
He alludes to the calamities of the Babylonians, who had made such havoc, (Calmet) as well as to that of all who persecuted or rebelled against David. (Haydock)
His zeal prompts him to approve of their chastisement. (Worthington)
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 Cyprian Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews, Testimony III
In Isaiah: “Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken; I have begotten and brought up children, but they have rejected me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel hath not known me, and my people hath not perceived me. Ah sinful nation, a people filled with sins, a wicked seed, corrupting children: ye have forsaken the Lord, and have sent that Holy One of Israel into anger.” In the same also the Lord says: “Go and tell this people, Ye shall hear with the ear, and shall not understand; and seeing, ye shall see, and shall not perceive. …
Lactantius The Divine Institutes, Chap. XIII. Of Jesus, God and man; and the testimonies of the prophets concerning him
What do you reply to this, Apollo ? If he is wise, then his system of instruction is wisdom, and no other; and they are wise who follow it, and no others. Why then are we commonly esteemed as foolish, and visionary, and senseless, who follow a Master who is wise even by the confession of the gods themselves? For in that he said that He wrought wonderful deeds, by which He especially claimed faith is His divinity, he now appears to assent to us, when he says the same things in which we boast. But, however, he recovers himself, and again has recourse to demoniacal frauds. For when he had been compelled to speak the truth, he now appeared to be a betrayer of the gods and of himself, unless he had, by a deceptive falsehood, concealed that which the truth had extorted from him. He says, therefore, that He did indeed perform wonderful works, yet not by divine power, but by magic. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XXVIII
4. “Give unto them according to their works” ( ver. 4 ). Give unto them according to their works, for this is just. “And according to the malice of their affections.” For aiming at evil, they cannot discover good. “According to the works of their hands give Thou unto them.” Although what they have done may avail for salvation to others, yet give Thou unto them according to the works of their wills. “Pay them their recompense.” Because, for the truth which they heard, they wished to recompense deceit; let their own deceit deceive them.