I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Read Chapter 40
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
2. Let us say then what this Psalm says. "I waited patiently for the Lord" (ver. 1). I waited patiently for the promise of no mere mortal who can both deceive and be himself deceived: I waited for the consolation of no mere mortal, who may be consumed by sorrow of his own, before he gives me comfort. Should a brother mortal attempt to comfort me, when he himself is in sorrow likewise? Let us mourn in company; let us weep together, let us "wait patiently" together, let us join our prayers together also. Whom did I wait for but for the Lord? The Lord, who though He puts off the fulfilment of His promises, yet never recalls them? He will make it good; assuredly He will make it good, because He has made many of His promises good already: and of God's truth we ought to have no fears, even if as yet He had made none of them good. Lo! let us henceforth think thus, "He has promised us everything; He has not as yet given us possession of anything; He is a sponsible Promiser; a faithful Paymaste...
1. Of all those things which our Lord Jesus Christ has foretold, we know part to have been already accomplished, part we hope will be accomplished hereafter. All of them, however, will be fulfilled, because He is "the Truth" who speaks them, and requires of us to be as "faithful," as He Himself speaks them faithfully. ...
Psalm. Protestants intimate that this was not in the Hebrew; but we find mizmor, "canticle "which is equivalent. (Haydock)
David speaks of his own restoration to health as a figure of Jesus Christ, who is principally intended, Hebrews x. 7. The end of the psalm is nearly the same with the 69th. (Calmet)
Some arbitrarily (Berthier) explain the words with relation to the revolt of Absalom. (Bossuet)
Others think it may refer to the captives, (Ven. Bede) to Daniel, or Jeremias, rescued from prison. See Theodoret, who explains it of men waiting for the general resurrection. It may express the sentiments of the Church, when the persecutions ceased. (Euthymius)
Christ sometimes speaks in his own name, and sometimes in that of his members. (St. Ambrose; St. Augustine) (Calmet)
It is certain that David had Christ in view; and if he alludes to himself, it is only as the figure of him. (Berthier)
