Psalms 78:5
How long, O Lord, wilt thou be angry for ever: shall thy zeal be kindled like a fire?
Open Psalms 78:5 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Usquequo, Domine, irasceris in finem ? accendetur velut ignis zelus tuus ?
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἕως πότε, Κύριε, ὀργισθήσῃ εἰς τέλος; ἐκκαυθήσεται ὡς πῦρ ὁ ζῆλός σου;
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 79:5
- עַד מָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה תֶּאֱנַ֣ף לָנֶ֑צַח תִּבְעַ֥ר כְּמוֹ אֵ֝֗שׁ קִנְאָתֶֽךָ
Haydock's commentary
Zeal, or jealousy, as God has the greatest affection for his people, and resents their infidelity as a kind of adultery. (Calmet)
Sin is the source of misery. (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 Book VIII, Chapter XII
28. But when a profound reflection had, from the secret depths of my soul, drawn together and heaped up all my misery before the sight of my heart, there arose a mighty storm, accompanied by as mighty a shower of tears. Which, that I might pour forth fully, with its natural expressions, I stole away from Alypius; for it suggested itself to me that solitude was fitter for the business of weeping. So I retired to such a distance that even his presence could not be oppressive to me. Thus was it with me at that time, and he perceived it; for something, I believe, I had spoken, wherein the sound of my voice appeared choked with weeping, and in that state had I risen up. He then remained where we had been sitting, most completely astonished. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm LXXIX
8. In the second place now giving utterance to an evident prayer, whence it may be perceived that the calling to remembrance of former affliction is not by way of information but prayer; “How long,” he saith, “O Lord, wilt Thou be angry, unto the end? shall Thy jealousy burn like fire?” ( ver. 5 ). He is evidently asking God not to be angry unto the end, that is, that this so great oppression and tribulation and devastation may not continue even unto the end; but that He moderate His chastening, according to that which is said in another Psalm, “Thou shalt feed us with the bread of tears, and Thou shalt give us to drink of tears in measure.” For the, “how long, O Lord, wilt Thou be angry, unto the end?” hath been spoken in the same sense as if it had been said, Be not, O Lord, angry unto the end. …