The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.
Read Chapter 121
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
8. "For the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil" (ver. 7). From offences in the sun, from offences in the moon, from all evil shall He preserve thee, who is thy defence upon the hand of thy right hand, who will not sleep nor slumber. And for what reason? Because we are amid temptations: "The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil. The Lord preserve thy soul:" even thy very soul. "The Lord preserve thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth for evermore" (ver. 8). Not thy body; for the Martyrs were consumed in the body: but "the Lord preserve thy soul;" for the Martyrs yielded not up their souls. The persecutors raged against Crispina, whose birthday we are to-day celebrating; they were raging against a rich and delicate woman: but she was strong, for the Lord was her defence upon the hand of her right hand. He was her Keeper. Is there any one in Africa, my brethren, who knoweth her not? For she was most illustrious, noble in birth, abounding in wealth: but all these thing...
Coming in. Hebrew has, "going out "first. (Berthier)
Yet Pagnin agrees with us. (Haydock)
This expression denotes all the occurrences of life, Deuteronomy xxviii. 6. (Calmet)
We may discover a beautiful progression in this psalm; God protects us from each and from every danger. (Berthier)
He is not like earthly friends, who have not always the will or the power to do it. (St. Chrysostom)
