Destroy, O Lord, and confuse their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
10. "Sink, O Lord, and divide the tongues of them" (ver. 9). He is referring to men troubling him and shadowing him, and he hath wished this thing not of anger, brethren. They that have wickedly lifted up themselves, for them it is expedient that they be sunk. They that have wickedly conspired, it is expedient for them that their tongues should be divided: to good let them consent, and let their tongues agree together. But if to one purpose there were a whispering against me, he saith, all mine enemies , let them lose their "one purpose" in evil, divided be the tongues of them, let them not with themselves agree together. "Sink, O Lord, and divide the tongues of them." Wherefore "sink"? Because themselves they have lifted up. Wherefore "divide"? Because for an evil thing they have united. Recollect that tower of proud men made after the deluge: what said the proud men? Lest we perish in a deluge, let us make a lofty tower. In pride they were thinking themselves to be fortified, they bu...
Cast down. Hebrew, "swallow up "as the earth did Dathan. (Calmet)
Septuagint, "drown. "(Haydock)
Tongues, as at Babel, that they may not know how to proceed. (Calmet)
Hebrew, "swallow up. The torrent of their tongue. "(Bate.)
Pal lag, means also to "divide. "Absalom was accordingly infatuated by David's friend, 2 Kings xv. 31., and xvii. 7. (Menochius)
City of Hebron, or even of Jerusalem, which caused the king to leave no garrison in it. The city was still more abandoned in our Saviour's regard. (Calmet)
Contradiction. Their counsels agree not. They have their troubles, yet will not amend; but strive to oppress the poor. (Worthington)
