Psalms 7:6
Let the enemy pursue my soul, and take it, and tread down my life on the earth, and bring down my glory to the dust.
Open Psalms 7:6 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Persequatur inimicus animam meam, et comprehendat ; et conculcet in terra vitam meam, et gloriam meam in pulverem deducat.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καταδιώξαι ἄρα ὁ ἐχθρὸς τὴν ψυχήν μου καὶ καταλάβοι, καὶ καταπατήσαι εἰς γῆν τὴν ζωήν μου, καὶ τὴν δόξαν μου εἰς χοῦν κατασκηνώσαι. διάψαλμα.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- יִֽרַדֹּ֥ף אוֹיֵ֨ב נַפְשִׁ֡י וְיַשֵּׂ֗ג וְיִרְמֹ֣ס לָאָ֣רֶץ חַיָּ֑י וּכְבוֹדִ֓י לֶעָפָ֖ר יַשְׁכֵּ֣ן סֶֽלָה
Haydock's commentary
Dust. Hebrew adds, "to dwell," (Haydock) as if the ignominy was not to be effaced. This would be very sensible for a king. (Berthier)
Glory is here synonymous with life, or soul, Genesis xlix. 6. Let my life and (Calmet) reputation be lost. (Worthington)
Summum crede nefas animam præferre pudori. (Juvenal viii.)
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
Origen Origen Against Celsus, Chapter XXXV
Now let us consider another saying of Celsus, which is as follows: “The satrap of a Persian or Roman monarch, or ruler or general or governor, yea, even those who fill lower offices of trust or service in the state, would be able to do great injury to those who despised them; and will the satraps and ministers of earth and air be insulted with impunity?” Observe now how he introduces servants of the Most High, rulers, generals, governors, and those filling lower offices of trust and service, as, after the manner of men, inflicting injury upon those who insult them. For he does not consider that a wise man would not wish to do harm to any, but would strive to the utmost of his power to change and amend them; unless, indeed, it be that those whom Celsus makes servants and rulers appointed by the Most High are behind Lycurgus, the lawgiver of the Lacedæmonians, or Zeno of Citium. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm VII
4. “Let the enemy” therefore “persecute my soul and take it” ( ver. 5 ). By again naming the enemy in the singular number, he more and more clearly points out him whom he spoke of above as a lion. For he persecutes the soul, and if he has deceived it, will take it. For the limit of men’s rage is the destruction of the body; but the soul, after this visible death, they cannot keep in their power: whereas whatever souls the devil shall have taken by his persecutions, he will keep. “And let him tread my life upon the earth:” that is, by treading let him make my life earth, that is to say, his food. …