Augustine of Hippo

"For in Thee, O Lord, do I hope; Thou wilt hear, O Lord, my God." As if it were said to Him, "Wherefore openedst thou not thy mouth? Wherefore didst Thou not say, 'Refrain'? Wherefore didst Thou not rebuke the unrighteous, while hanging on the Cross?" He goes on and says, "For in Thee, O Lord, do I hope; Thou, O Lord my God, wilt hear." He warns you what to do, should tribulation haply befall. For you seek to defend yourself, and perhaps your defence is not listened to by any one. …

Exposition on Psalm 38 ↗

Ambrose of Milan

David overcame his adversaries by remaining silent: and because he became like a mute, he received his voice; for when he turned to the Lord, he spoke, saying: Because I have hoped in you, Lord: you will hear me, Lord, my God. Because I have said, lest my enemies rejoice over me. Consider each detail: David was silent, the enemies spoke, they provoked him to speak. They said: Let us hear your voice. Within himself, he spoke silently: What need is there for them to hear these things, which cannot benefit them? …

Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms ↗

Thomas Aquinas

"Because in you, O Lord, I have hoped." Here is set forth the cause of patience, which is threefold: on the part of God, on the part of enemies, and on the part of himself. And on the part of God the cause of patience is that the whole case is left to God. "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay," Heb. 10. And therefore he says, "But I have hoped in you, O Lord"; as if to say, my cause is in you. Jer. 17: "You are my hope." And what do you hope from God? …

Exposition on the Psalms of David ↗