Psalms 38:10
I was dumb, and I opened not my mouth, because thou hast done it.
Open Psalms 38:10 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Obmutui, et non aperui os meum, quoniam tu fecisti ;
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐκωφώθην καὶ οὐκ ἤνοιξα τὸ στόμα μου, ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ποιήσας με.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 39:10
- נֶ֭אֱלַמְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶפְתַּח פִּ֑י כִּ֖י אַתָּ֣ה עָשִֽׂיתָ
Haydock's commentary
It. St. Augustine reads "me," conformably to some copies of the Septuagint, Arabic, &c. (Calmet)
He is at a loss to explain the reason of the prophet, and suggests that this perhaps ought to be referred to the following sentence, "Because thou hast made me, remove," &c. (Haydock)
Such is the inconvenience of having incorrect copies. (Amama)
The Alexandrian and Vatican Septuagint both have me, (Haydock) which his omitted in Complut. (Calmet)
David knew that he was scourged by divine Providence. (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 Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XXXIX
16. “I became dumb; and I opened not my mouth” ( ver. 9 ). But it was to guard against “the foolish man,” that “I became dumb, and opened not my mouth.” For to whom should I tell what is going on within me? “For I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me; for He will speak peace unto His people.” But “There is no peace,” saith the Lord, “to the wicked.” “I was dumb, and opened not my mouth; because it is Thou that madest me.” Was this the reason that thou openedst not thy mouth, “because God made thee”? That is strange; for did not God make thy mouth, that thou shouldest speak? “He that planted the ear, doth He not hear? He that formed the eye, doth He not see?” God hath given thee a mouth to speak with; and dost thou say, “I was dumb, and opened not my mouth, because Thou madest me”? Or does the clause, “Because Thou madest me,” belong to the verse that follows? “Remove Thy stroke a …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, 2 Timothy 3:1-4
In the Epistle to the Romans, he says somewhat on this wise, “Having the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law” ( Rom. ii. 20 .), where he speaks in commendation of it: but here he speaks of this sin as an evil beyond all other defects. And why is this? Because he does not use the words in the same signification. For an image is often taken to signify a likeness; but sometimes a thing without life, and worthless. Thus he says himself in his Epistle to the Corinthians, “A man ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God.” ( 1 Cor. xi. 7 .) But the Prophet says, “Man walketh in an image.” ( Ps. xxxix. 9 , Gr.) And the Scripture sometimes takes a lion to represent royalty, as, “He couched as a lion, and as a lion’s whelp, who shall raise him up?” ( Gen. xlix. 9 , Gr.) And sometimes to signify rapacity, as, “a ravening and a roaring lion.” ( Ps. xxii. …
St Gregory Nazianzen On Pentecost
IX. The Holy Ghost, then, always existed, and exists, and always will exist. He neither had a beginning, nor will He have an end; but He was everlastingly ranged with and numbered with the Father and the Son. For it was not ever fitting that either the Son should be wanting to the Father, or the Spirit to the Son. For then Deity would be shorn of Its Glory in its greatest respect, for It would seem to have arrived at the consummation of perfection as if by an afterthought. …