Psalms 88:50
Lord, where are thy ancient mercies, according to what thou didst swear to David in thy truth?
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Ubi sunt misericordiæ tuæ antiquæ, Domine, sicut jurasti David in veritate tua ?
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ποῦ ἐστιν τὰ ἐλέη σου τὰ ἀρχαῖα, Κύριε, ἃ ὤμοσας τῷ Δαυεὶδ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου;
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 89:50
- אַיֵּ֤ה חֲסָדֶ֖יךָ הָרִאשֹׁנִ֥ים אֲדֹנָ֑י נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתָּ לְ֝דָוִ֗ד בֶּאֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ
Haydock's commentary
David. He was a man according to thy own heart, and thy promises to him were absolute. Ethan speaks not of the other kings, or of the people, who might have justly irritated the Lord. He excuses their failings, by the consideration or their mortal and frail nature, ver. 49. (Calmet)
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 City of God, To Whose Person the Entreaty for the Promises is to Be Understood to Belong, When He Says in the Psalm, ‘Where are Thine Ancient Compassions, Lord?’ Etc
But the rest of this psalm runs thus: “Where are Thine ancient compassions, Lord, which Thou swarest unto David in Thy truth? Remember, Lord, the reproach of Thy servants, which I have borne in my bosom of many nations; wherewith Thine enemies have reproached, O Lord, wherewith they have reproached the change of Thy Christ.” Now it may with very good reason be asked whether this is spoken in the person of those Israelites who desired that the promise made to David might be fulfilled to them; or rather of the Christians, who are Israelites not after the flesh but after the Spirit. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm LXXXIX
38. But in the very faith in Christ great difficulties occurred, and the heathen in their rage long said, “When shall he die, and his name perish?” On account of these then who have now long believed in Christ, but were destined to doubt for some time, these words follow, “Lord, where are Thy old loving-kindnesses?” ( ver. 49 ). We have now acknowledged Christ our purifier, we now possess Him in whom Thy promises were to be fulfilled; show forth in Him what Thou hast promised. It is He Himself that shall live, and not see death: Himself who delivers His own soul from the hand of Hell: and yet we are still in suffering. Thus spoke the Martyrs, whose birthdays we are celebrating. …