You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love your testimonies.
Read Chapter 119
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
117. The next words in the Psalm are, "I have counted," or "thought," or "esteemed, all the ungodly of the earth as transgressors" (ver. 119). In the Latin version many different renderings are given of the Greek elogisamhn, but this passage hath a deep meaning. For the following words, "Therefore have I ever loved Thy testimonies:" make it far more profound. For the Apostle saith, "The law worketh wrath;" and, explaining these words, he addeth, "For where no law is, there is no transgression:" thereby showing that not all are transgressors. For all have not the law. That all have not the law, he declareth more explicitly in another passage, "as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law." What then meaneth, "I have held all the ungodly of the earth as transgressors"? "As transgressors;" or rather "transgressing," for the Greek saith, parabainontaj, not parabataj. ... "The law entered that sin might abound." But since all sins are remitted through grace, not only th...
Prevaricators. For though they be not acquainted with revelation, (Haydock) they have the natural law written in their hearts by God, Romans ii. 12. (St. Augustine)
There is no such thing as the philosophic sin, (Berthier) which abstracts from every offence of the Deity, though it be allowed to be contrary to reason. (Haydock)
Septuagint seem to have read differently essbothi, "I have", instead of hishbatta, "thou hast destroyed. "Sigim, scorias, may have been sugim in their copies, though both may be derived from sug, "he departed. "(Berthier)
"Thou hast accounted as dross, or froth "(St. Jerome)
Calmet says, that St. Jerome and Hebrew read in the first person, which is inaccurate. (Berthier)
The just entertain the same sentiments of the wicked as God does. (Worthington)
