Psalms 89:11
Who knoweth the power of thy anger, and for thy fear
Open Psalms 89:11 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Quis novit potestatem iræ tuæ, et præ timore tuo iram tuam
- Septuagint (Swete)
- τίς γινώσκει τὸ κράτος τῆς ὀργῆς σου, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου τοῦ θυμοῦ σου ἐξαριθμήσασθαι;
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 90:11
- מִֽי י֭וֹדֵעַ עֹ֣ז אַפֶּ֑ךָ וּ֝כְיִרְאָתְךָ֗ עֶבְרָתֶֽךָ
Haydock's commentary
Anger? God must punish actual sin severely, since he thus condemns mankind on account of original sin. (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 XC
11. “For who knoweth the power of Thy wrath: and for the fear of Thee to number Thine anger?” ( ver. 11 ). It belongs to very few men, he saith, to know the power of Thy wrath; for when Thou dost spare, Thy anger is so far heavier against most men; that we may know that labour and sorrow belong not to wrath, but rather to Thy mercy, when Thou chastenest and teachest those whom Thou lovest, to save them from the torments of eternal punishment: as it is said in another Psalm, “The sinner hath provoked the Lord: He will not require it of him according to the greatness of His wrath.” With this also is understood, “Who knoweth?” Such is the difficulty of finding any one who knoweth how to number Thine anger by Thy fear, that he adds this, meaning that it is to the purpose that Thou appearest to spare some, with whom Thou art more angry, that the sinner may be prospered in his path, and receiv …