Psalms 65:18
If I have looked at iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
Open Psalms 65:18 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Iniquitatem si aspexi in corde meo, non exaudiet Dominus.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἀδικίαν εἰ ἐθεώρουν ἐν καρδίᾳ, μὴ εἰσακουσάτω Κύριος.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 66:18
- אָ֭וֶן אִם רָאִ֣יתִי בְלִבִּ֑י לֹ֖א יִשְׁמַ֣ע אֲדֹנָֽי
Haydock's commentary
Heart. Being enslaved to any passion. (Haydock)
Iniquity and dissimulation hinder the effect of our prayers; and in some sense, it is true, that God does not hear sinners: (John ix. 31., and 2 Timothy ii. 9.) though He regards favourably such as wish to repent, like the publican, Luke xviii. 14. (Calmet)
Whosoever would be heard, must repent of his sins. (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 LXVI
20. “If I have beheld iniquity in my heart, may not the Lord hearken” ( ver. 18 ). Consider now, brethren, how easily, how daily men blushing for fear of men do censure iniquities; He hath done ill, He hath done basely, a villain the fellow is: this perchance for man’s sake he saith. See whether thou beholdest no iniquity in thy heart, whether perchance that which thou censurest in another, thou art meditating to do, and therefore against him dost exclaim, not because he hath done it, but because he hath been found out. Return to thyself, within be to thyself a judge. Behold in thy hid chamber, in the very inmost recess of the heart, where thou and He that seeth are alone, there let iniquity be displeasing to thee, in order that thou mayest be pleasing to God. Do not regard it, that is, do not love it, but rather despise it, that is, contemn it, and turn away from it. …