Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be against their evil.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
7. "The righteous One shall amend me in mercy, and convict me" (ver. 5). Behold the sinner confessing. He desireth to be amended in mercy, rather than praised deceitfully. ..."Shall convict me," but "in mercy:" shall convict, yet hateth not: yea, shall all the more convict, because He hateth not. And why doth he therefore give thanks? Because, "rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee." "The righteous One shall amend me." Because He persecuteth thee? God forbid. He requireth rather amending himself, who amendeth in hate. Wherefore then doth He amend? "In mercy. And shall convict me." Wherein? "In mercy. For the oil of a sinner shall not enrich my head." My head shall not grow by flattery. Undue praise is flattery: undue praise of a flatterer is "the oil of a sinner." Therefore men too, when they have mocked any one with false praise, say, "I have anointed his head." Love then to be "convicted by the righteous One in mercy;" love not to be praised by a sinner in mockery. Have oil in you...
In mercy. Proverbs xxvii. 16., and Ezechiel xix. 8. (Haydock)
Let not the oil of the sinner That is, the flattery, or deceitful praise. (Challoner)
This is pernicious; while the reprehension of the just may do us good. (Worthington)
Sinner. Hebrew, "of poison, or of the head, (vass) break, or fatten, (St. Jerome) or be broken upon my head. "The vessel was usually broken, Mark xiv. 3. (Berthier)
Protestants, "Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness, and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break "(Haydock)
Or "he shall not", as his only aim tends to my advantage. Many other senses may be given. (Calmet)
For my prayer So far from coveting their praises, who are never well pleased but with things that are evil; I shall continually pray to be preserved from such things as they are delighted with. (Challoner)
Against. Literally, "in or concerning their desirable things. "(Haydock)
I pray to God that I may be preserved from their malice, in whi...
