Psalms 36:7
Be subject to the Lord and pray to him Envy not the man who prospereth in his way; the man who doth unjust things.
Open Psalms 36:7 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Subditus esto Domino, et ora eum. Noli æmulari in eo qui prosperatur in via sua ; in homine faciente injustitias.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ὑποτάγηθι τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἱκέτευσον αὐτόν· μὴ παραζήλου ἐν τῷ κατευοδουμένῳ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ, ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ ποιοῦντι παρανομίας.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 37:7
- דּ֤וֹם לַיהוָה֮ וְהִתְח֪וֹלֵ֫ל ל֥וֹ אַל תִּ֭תְחַר בְּמַצְלִ֣יחַ דַּרְכּ֑וֹ בְּ֝אִ֗ישׁ עֹשֶׂ֥ה מְזִמּֽוֹת
Haydock's commentary
Be. Hebrew dom, begins only this verse with d. The other letters occupy two verses, (Berthier) the second of which may commence with any of the letters. (Haydock)
"Be silent to the Lord; wait upon Him." (St. Jerome) (Haydock)
If he should suffer thee to be afflicted, envy not those who are in a more prosperous condition, nor give way to indignation, ver. 8. (Calmet)
None can be truly subjected to God, who do not comply with his laws and pray. (Origen) (St. Augustine)
We must wait patiently for his aid, Lamentations iii. 26., and Isaias xxx. 15. "Allow the gods to judge what's best for us." (Juvenal, Sat. 13.) (Haydock)
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 Treatise X
8. Hence the threatening countenance, the lowering aspect, pallor in the face, trembling on the lips, gnashing of the teeth, mad words, unbridled revilings, a hand prompt for the violence of slaughter; even if for the time deprived of a sword, yet armed with the hatred of an infuriate mind. And accordingly the Holy Spirit says in the Psalms: “Be not jealous against him who walketh prosperously in his way.” And again: “The wicked shall observe the righteous, and shall gnash upon him with his teeth. But God shall laugh at him; for He seeth that his day is coming.” The blessed Apostle Paul designates and points out these when he says, “The poison of asps is under their lips, and their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their ways, who have not known the way of peace; neither is the fear of God before their eyes.”
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Part 1
8. “What should I do then?” Hear what thou shouldest do. “Submit thee to the Lord, and entreat Him” ( ver. 7 ). Be this thy life, to obey His commandments. For this is to submit thee to Him; and to entreat Him until He give thee what He hath promised. Let good works “continue;” let prayer “continue.” For “men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Wherein dost thou show that thou art “submitted to Him”? In doing what He hath commanded. But haply thou dost not receive thy wages as yet, because as yet thou art not able. For He is already able to give them; but thou art not already able to receive them. Exercise thou thyself in works. Labour in the vineyard; at the close of the day crave thy wages. “Faithful is He” who brought thee into the vineyard. “Submit thee to the Lord, and entreat Him.”
St Gregory Nazianzen In Defence of His Flight to Pontus, and His Return, After His Ordination to the Priesthood, with an Exposition of the Character of the Priestly Office
1. I have been defeated, and own my defeat. I subjected myself to the Lord, and prayed unto Him. Let the most blessed David supply my exordium, or rather let Him Who spoke in David, and even now yet speaks through him. For indeed the very best order of beginning every speech and action, is to begin from God, and to end in God. As to the cause, either of my original revolt and cowardice, in which I got me away far off, and remained away from you for a time, which perhaps seemed long to those who missed me; or of the present gentleness and change of mind, in which I have given myself up again to you, men may think and speak in different ways, according to the hatred or love they bear me, on the one side refusing to acquit me of the charges alleged, on the other giving me a hearty welcome. …