Psalms 76:9
Or will he cut off his mercy for ever, from generation to generation?
Open Psalms 76:9 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- aut in finem misericordiam suam abscindet, a generatione in generationem ?
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἢ εἰς τέλος ἀποκόψει τὸ ἔλεος ἀπὸ γενεᾶς καὶ γενεᾶς;
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 77:9
- הֶאָפֵ֣ס לָנֶ֣צַח חַסְדּ֑וֹ גָּ֥מַר אֹ֝֗מֶר לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר
Haydock's commentary
Ever. Hebrew adds, "is his word ineffectual?" which the Vatican Septuagint neglects, (Berthier) though gamar omer be thus rendered in other editions. "Has he completely fulfilled his word," which may be the true sense, consumabitur verbum. (St. Jerome) (Haydock)
"Will he execute this threat from generation?" &c. (Calmet)
God will never abandon his Church, (Worthington) though he may chastise his people. (Haydock)
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 LXXVII
9. And thou hast found what? “God will not repel for everlasting” ( ver. 7 ). Weariness he had found in this life; in no place a trustworthy, in no place a fearless comfort. Unto whatsoever men he betook himself, in them he found scandal, or feared it. In no place therefore was he free from care. An evil thing it was for him to hold his peace, lest perchance he should keep silence from good words; to speak and babble without was painful to him, lest all his enemies, anticipating watches, should seek slanders in his words. Being exceedingly straitened in this life, he thought much of another life, where there is not this trial. And when is he to arrive thither? For it cannot but be evident that our suffering here is the anger of God. …
St Ambrose Concerning Repentance, Chapter IV. St. Ambrose proceeds with the proof of the divine mercy, and shows by the testimony of the Gospels that it prevails over severity, and he adduces the instance of athletes to show that of those who have denied Christ before men, all are not to be esteemed alike
20. Shall not He take account of their toil, Who will not cast off for ever even those whom He casts off? For David says: “God will not cast off for ever,” and in opposition to this shall we listen to heresy asserting, “He does cast off for ever”? David says: “God will not for ever cut off His mercy from generation to generation, nor will He forget to be merciful.” This is the prophet’s declaration, and there are those who would maintain a forgetfulness of mercy on God’s part.