Psalms 56:4
He hath sent from heaven and delivered me: he hath made them a reproach that trod upon me. God hath sent his mercy and his truth,
Open Psalms 56:4 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Misit de cælo, et liberavit me ; dedit in opprobrium conculcantes me. Misit Deus misericordiam suam et veritatem suam,
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐξαπέστειλεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἔσωσέν με, ἔδωκεν εἰς ὄνειδος τοὺς καταπατοῦντάς με· ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν αὐτοῦ,
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 57:4
- יִשְׁלַ֤ח מִשָּׁמַ֨יִם וְֽיוֹשִׁיעֵ֗נִי חֵרֵ֣ף שֹׁאֲפִ֣י סֶ֑לָה יִשְׁלַ֥ח אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים חַסְדּ֥וֹ וַאֲמִתּֽוֹ
Haydock's commentary
Sent his mercy, &c., (Calmet) above the power of man. (Worthington)
Reproach. Saul was forced to entreat David to preserve his family, as he had just spared his own life; which would, no doubt, mortify his pride, (1 Kings xxiv. 18, 22.; Calmet) and seem a reproach to him. (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 LVII
7. “He hath sent from heaven and hath saved me” ( ver. 3 ). Now the Man Himself, now the Flesh Itself, now the Son of God after His partaking of ourselves, of Him it is manifest, how He was saved, and hath sent from heaven the Father and hath saved Him, hath sent from heaven, and hath raised Him again: but in order that ye may know, that also the Lord Himself hath raised again Himself; both truths are written in Scripture, both that the Father hath raised Him again, and that Himself Himself hath raised again. Hear ye how the Father hath raised Him again: the Apostle saith, “He hath been made,” he saith, “obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross: wherefore God also hath exalted Him, and hath given Him a name which is above every name.” Ye have heard of the Father raising again and exalting the Son; hear ye how that He too Himself His flesh hath raised again. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm LVII
8. Thou wast inquiring perhaps when he said, “He hath sent from heaven and hath saved me.” What hath He sent from heaven? Whom hath He sent from heaven? An Angel hath He sent, to save Christ, and through a servant is the Lord saved? For all Angels are creatures serving Christ. For obedience there might have been sent Angels, for service they might have been sent, not for succour: as is written, “Angels ministered unto Him,” not like men merciful to one indigent, but like subjects to One Omnipotent. What therefore “hath He sent from heaven, and hath saved me”? Now we hear in another verse what from heaven He hath sent. …
St Athanasius Defence of His Flight. (Apologia de Fuga.), Same Subject Continued
Thus, for example, the Patriarch Jacob was favoured in his flight with many, even divine visions, and remaining quiet himself, he had the Lord on his side, rebuking Laban, and hindering the designs of Esau; and afterwards he became the Father of Judah, of whom sprang the Lord according to the flesh; and he dispensed the blessings to the Patriarchs. And when Moses the beloved of God was in exile, then it was that he saw that great sight, and being preserved from his persecutors, was sent as a prophet into Egypt, and being made the minister of those mighty wonders and of the Law, he led that great people in the wilderness. …