Psalms 32:16
The king is not saved by a great army: nor shall the giant be saved by his own great strength.
Open Psalms 32:16 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Non salvatur rex per multam virtutem, et gigas non salvabitur in multitudine virtutis suæ.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- οὐ σώζεται βασιλεὺς διὰ πολλὴν δύναμιν, καὶ γίγας οὐ σωθήσεται ἐν πλήθει ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 33:16
- אֵֽין הַ֭מֶּלֶךְ נוֹשָׁ֣ע בְּרָב חָ֑יִל גִּ֝בּ֗וֹר לֹֽא יִנָּצֵ֥ל בְּרָב כֹּֽחַ
Haydock's commentary
Giant. Or Hebrew, "strong man." Monarchs and the stoutest men have been overthrown by Providence, like Pharao and Sennacherib, and the giant Og. (Calmet)
History proves that great armies have not always gained the victory, Psalm lxv. 13., and cxlvi. 10. (Berthier)
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 XXXIII
16. “A king shall not be saved by much strength:” he shall not be saved who ruleth his own flesh, if he presume much upon his own strength. “Neither shall a giant be saved by much strength” ( ver. 16 ): nor shall he be saved whoever warreth against the habit of his own lust, or against the devil and his angels, if he trust much to his own might.
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans, Homily XXVIII on Rom. xv. 8
But having a sample in what I have mentioned, ye will have a notion of all the rest besides, the things about Christ, about the resurrection, about the life to come, about the resting, about punishment, about moral matters, all that concerns doctrines, and you will find the book filled with countless blessings. And if you fall into temptations, you will gain much comfort from hence. If you fall into sins even, you will find countless remedies stored up here, or if into poverty or tribulation, you will see many havens. And if thou be righteous thou wilt gain much security hence, and if a sinner much relief. For if thou be just and art ill-treated, thou wilt hear him say, “For Thy sake are we killed all the day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.” ( Ps. xliv. 22 .) “All these things have come upon us, and yet have we not forgotten Thee.” ( ib. …
Eusebius The Church History of Eusebius, The Overthrow of the Tyrants and the Words which they uttered before their Death
5. Behold, the eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy, to deliver their souls from death.”