You hold my eyes from closing: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
Read Chapter 77
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
6. With weariness he had pined away; by calling to mind God, he had been delighted, again in babbling he had fainted: what followeth? "All mine enemies have anticipated watches" (ver. 4). All mine enemies have kept watch over me; they have exceeded in keeping watch over me; in watching they have been beforehand with me. Where do they not lay traps? Have not mine enemies anticipated all watches? For who are these enemies, but they of whom the Apostle saith, "Ye have not wrestling against flesh and blood." ...Against the devil and his angels we are waging hostilities. Rulers of the world he hath called them, because they do themselves rule the lovers of the world. For they do not rule the world, as if they were rulers of heaven and earth: but he is calling sinners the world. ...With the devil and his angels there is no concord. They do themselves grudge us the kingdom of Heaven. They cannot at all be appeased towards us: because "all mine enemies have anticipated watches." They have watc...
My eyes. Vatican Septuagint, Arabic, and St. Augustine read, "my enemies "but our Vulgate follows the edition of Aldus and Complutensian (Berthier) very frequently, which here agree better with the Hebrew, "I hindered my eyes from looking up "(St. Jerome; Symmachus) or, "thou hast kept the watches of my eyes "(Aquila) hindering me from sleeping; (Haydock) so that I did not watch three hours only, like the sentinels, but all night. (Calmet)
The sudden address to God seems incorrect. (Berthier)
I rose before the usual time, yet did not utter my sentiments, (Worthington) being quite oppressed both with grief and joy. (Haydock)
I durst not speak, as I was convinced that thy judgments were right. (Menochius)
