O God, you are my God; early will I seek you: my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
Read Chapter 63
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
2. "God, my God, unto Thee from the light I watch" (ver. 1). What is to watch? It is, not to sleep. What is to sleep? There is a sleep of the soul; there is a sleep of the body. Sleep of body we all ought to have: because if sleep of body is not taken, a man fainteth, the body itself fainteth. For our frail body cannot long sustain a soul watching and on the stretch on active works; if for a long time the soul shall have been intent on active pursuits, the body being frail and earthly holdeth her not, sustaineth her not for ever in activity, and fainteth and falleth. Therefore God hath granted sleep to the body, whereby are recruited the members of the body, in order that they may be able to sustain the soul watching. But of this let us take heed, namely, that our soul herself sleep not: for evil is the sleep of the soul. Good is the sleep of the body, whereby is recruited the health of the body. But the sleep of the soul is to forget her God. Whatsoever soul shall have forgotten her G...
1. This psalm hath the title, "For David himself, when he was in the desert of Idumaea." By the name of Idumaea is understood this world. For Idumaea was a certain nation of men going astray, where idols were worshipped. In no good sense is put this Idumaea. If not in a good sense it is put, it must be understood that this life, wherein we suffer so great toils, and wherein to so great necessities we are made subject, by the name of Idumaea is signified. Even here is a desert where there is much thirst, and ye are to hear the voice of One now thirsting in the desert. But if we acknowledge ourselves as thirsting, we shall acknowledge ourselves as drinking also. For he that thirsteth in this world, in the world to come shall be satisfied, according to the Lord's saying, "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for the same shall be satisfied." Therefore in this world we ought not to love fulness. Here we must thirst, in another place we shall be filled. But now in or...
Day. The manna dissolved with the sun beams, and God will be served with diligence.
Flesh. The sensations of my soul affect all my body. (Worthington)
Thirst is more insupportable than hunger; and the psalmist could not express his ardour better. (Calmet)
He loves God with all his strength (Haydock)
"The soul desires, but the end can be attained only by good works. "Carnis laboribus pervenitur. (St. Jerome)
O how! Protestants, "longeth for thee in a dry "But come is no Hebrew verb, and occurring no where else, is little understood by the Jews. It seems that comu, "as "should be here, to correspond with the following so. "As my flesh thirsts in this, so in the "I shall find no less pleasure in attending thy worship, than a thirsty traveller does in finding water. (Calmet)
Theodotion agrees with the Septuagint, in considering this as a compound word posaplos, (Calmet) and we had best stick to the most ancient version. (Berthier)
Edom, (Idumææ.) (Haydock)
Several copies read Judææ; which agrees with the Hebrew The Idumeans, after the captivity, occupied those deserts (Calmet) of Ziph, Haret, (Worthington) where David had screened himself from the fury of Saul. This psalm may express his sentiments, (Theodoret; Muis) or those of the captives, returning home, (Calmet) or it may agree with all those, who thirst after their heavenly country. (Berthier)
St. Jerome explains it of the coming of Christ, and it was used in the morning service. (St. Chrysostom) (Psalm cxl.) (Calmet)
Catholics, who are imprisoned for their faith, and cannot approach the tabernacle, may here find comfort. (Worthington)
