Psalms 39:9
That I should do thy will: O my God, I have desired it, and thy law in the midst of my heart.
Open Psalms 39:9 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- ut facerem voluntatem tuam. Deus meus, volui, et legem tuam in medio cordis mei.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου ὁ θεός μου ἐβουλήθην, καὶ τὸν νόμον σου ἐν μέσῳ τῆς καρδίας μου.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 40:9
- לַֽעֲשֽׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ֣ אֱלֹהַ֣י חָפָ֑צְתִּי וְ֝ת֥וֹרָתְךָ֗ בְּת֣וֹךְ מֵעָֽי
Haydock's commentary
Heart. So the Vatican Septuagint reads; while other editions have koilias, "belly." (St. Jerome, ad Sum.)
Hebrew, "bowels." (Haydock)
The sense is the same. (Berthier)
I love the law so much, that I would hide it in my bowels, (Calmet) or in the most secret place. (Theodoret)
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 XL
14. “In the head of the Book it is written of me, that I should fulfil Thy will: O my God, I am willing, and Thy Law is within my heart” ( ver. 8 ). Behold! He turns His regards to His members. Behold! He hath Himself “fulfilled the will” of the Father. But in what “beginning of a Book” is it written of Him? Perhaps in the beginning of this Book of Psalms. For why should we seek far for it, or examine into other books for it? Behold! It is written in the beginning of this Book of Psalms! “His will is in the Law of the Lord;” that is, “‘O my God, I am willing,’ and ‘Thy Law is within my heart;’” that is the same as, “And in His Law doth he meditate day and night.”