Psalms 37:13
And they that sought my soul used violence. And they that sought evils to me spoke vain things, and studied deceits all the day long.
Open Psalms 37:13 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Et qui inquirebant mala mihi, locuti sunt vanitates, et dolos tota die meditabantur.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἐξεβιάσαντο οἱ ζητοῦντες τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ οἱ ζητοῦντες τὰ κακά μοι ἐλάλησαν ματαιότητας, καὶ δολιότητας ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐμελέτησαν.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 38:13
- וַיְנַקְשׁ֤וּ מְבַקְשֵׁ֬י נַפְשִׁ֗י וְדֹרְשֵׁ֣י רָ֭עָתִי דִּבְּר֣וּ הַוּ֑וֹת וּ֝מִרְמ֗וֹת כָּל הַיּ֥וֹם יֶהְגּֽוּ
Haydock's commentary
Violence. Hebrew, "laid snares." This treatment might be expected from enemies, since friends proved so treacherous. (Haydock)
They would willingly have slain David. The will is often put for the deed. (Calmet)
Things. Endeavouring to engage me again in sin, being displeased because I have quitted their evil company; (Worthington) or they raise their fortune, by causing dissensions in the state. This might be well applied to the Pharisees, who persecuted Christ.
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 XXXVIII
17. “They also that sought after my soul were preparing violence against me” ( ver. 12 ). It is now plain who “sought after His soul;” viz. those who had not His soul, in that they were not in His Body. They who were “seeking after His soul,” were far removed from His soul; but they were “seeking it” to destroy it. For His soul may be “sought after” in a right way also. For in another passage He finds fault with some persons, saying, “There is no man to care for My soul.” He finds fault with some for not seeking after His soul; and again, with others for seeking after it. Who is he that seeketh after His soul in the right way? He who imitates His sufferings. Who are they that sought after His soul in the wrong way? Even those who “prepared violence against Him,” and crucified Him.
St Athanasius Letters of Athanasius with Two Ancient Chronicles of His Life, For 339. Coss. Constantius Augustus II, Constans I; Præfect, Philagrius the Cappadocian, for the second time; Indict. xii; Easter-day xvii Kal. Mai, xx Pharmuthi; Æra Dioclet. 55
4. It will also be well if a man is not offended at the testimony of the Shepherd, saying in the beginning of his book, ‘Before all things believe that there is one God, Who created and established all these things, and from non-existence called them into being.’ And, further, the blessed Evangelists, who recorded the words of the Lord, in the beginning of the Gospels, wrote the things concerning our Saviour; so that, having first made known the Lord, the Creator, they might be believed when narrating the events that took place. …