What man is he that desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
16. "What man is he that desireth life, and loveth to see good days?" (ver. 12). He asketh a question. Doth not every one among you answer, I? Is there any man among you that loveth not life, that is, that desireth not life, and loveth not to see good days? Do ye not daily thus murmur, and thus speak; How long shall we suffer these things? Daily are they worse and worse: in our fathers' time were days more joyful, were days better. O if thou couldest ask those same, thy fathers, in like manner would they murmur to thee of their own days. Our fathers were happy, miserable are we, evil days have we: such an one ruled over us, we thought that after his death might some refreshing be given to us; worse things have come: O God, show unto us good days! "What man is he that desireth life, and loveth to see good days?" Let him not seek here good days. A good thing he seeketh, but not in its right place doth he seek it. As, if thou shouldest seek some righteous man in a country, wherein he live...
Good days. St. Peter (1 Peter iii. 10.) adopts this sense, though the Hebrew is rendered, "and desireth days, that he may see good. "The apostle shows that heaven is here principally meant, though a virtuous life is the best to procure even present happiness. (Berthier)
Many of David's followers probably confined their views to the latter. (Calmet)
Every one desireth to be happy, but only the virtuous are really so. (Worthington)
