Psalms 72:21
For my heart hath been inflamed, and my reins have been changed:
Open Psalms 72:21 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Quia inflammatum est cor meum, et renes mei commutati sunt ;
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ὅτι ηὐφράνθη ἡ καρδία μου, καὶ οἱ νεφροί μου ἠλλοιώθησαν·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 73:21
- כִּ֭י יִתְחַמֵּ֣ץ לְבָבִ֑י וְ֝כִלְיוֹתַ֗י אֶשְׁתּוֹנָֽן
Haydock's commentary
Changed. St. Jerome, "are like a fire smoking." I was indignant, (ver. 3.; Haydock) and almost consumed with afflictions, and heavy laden. But I depend on my protector. (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 LXXIII
20. “Because my heart was delighted” ( ver. 21 ). He is saying with what things he is tempted: “because my heart was delighted,” he saith, “my reins also were changed.” When those temporal things delighted me, my reins were changed. It may also be understood thus: “because my heart was delighted” in God, “my reins also were changed, that is, my lusts were changed, and I became wholly chaste. “My reins were changed.” And hear how. “And I was brought unto nothing, and I knew not” ( ver. 22 ). I, the very man, who now say these things of rich men, once longed for such things: therefore “even I was brought to nothing” when my steps were almost overthrown. “And I was brought unto nothing, and I knew not.” We must not therefore despair even of them, against whom I was saying such things.
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm LXXIII
25. “Behold, they that put themselves afar from Thee shall perish” ( ver. 27 ). He therefore departed from God, but not far: for “I have become as it were a beast,” he saith, and “I am alway with Thee.” But they have departed afar, because not only things earthly they have desired, but have sought them from demons and the Devil. “They that put themselves afar from Thee shall perish.” And what is it, to become afar from God? “Thou hast destroyed every man that committeth fornication away from Thee.” To this fornication is opposed chaste love. …