I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
Read Chapter 77
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
5. ..."My soul hath refused to be comforted" (ver. 2). So great weariness did here possess me, that my soul did close the door against all comfort. Whence such weariness to him? It may be that his vineyard hath been hailed on, or his olive hath yielded no fruit, or the vintage hath been interrupted by rain. Whence the weariness to him? Hear this out of another Psalm. For therein is the voice of the same: "weariness hath bowed me down, because of sinners forsaking Thy law." He saith then that he was overcome with so great weariness because of this sort of evil thing; so as that his soul refused to be comforted. Weariness had well nigh swallowed him up, and sorrow had ingulfed him altogether beyond remedy, he refuseth to be comforted. What then re- mained? In the first place, see whence he is comforted. Had he not waited for one who might condole with him? ..."I have been mindful of God, and I have been delighted" (ver. 3). My hands had not wrought in vain, they had found a great comfort...
Delighted. Hebrew, "cried out "which many explain through sorrow. But the Septuagint seem rather to take it in a different sense, as well as the swooning, which might proceed from ecstatic joy (Berthier) at the thought of God. The alternate sorrows and joys of the just are well described. They are seldom allowed to continue long in the same state. Protestants, "I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. "St. Jerome, "I spoke within myself "exercising myself in meditation. (Haydock)
I was sometimes in such distress, that nothing seemed capable of giving me any comfort. But I relied on God, and was in an ecstacy. (Worthington)
