Fathers

Psalms 36

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A revelation is within my heart about the disobedience of the wicked: “There is no fear of God before his eyes.” For he flatters himself in his own eyes, too much to detect and hate his sin. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit. He has ceased to be wise and to do good. He plots iniquity on his bed. He sets himself in a way that is not good. He doesn’t abhor evil. Your loving kindness, Yahweh, is in the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God. Your judgments are like a great deep. Yahweh, you preserve man and animal. How precious is your loving kindness, God! The children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of your house. You will make them drink of the river of your pleasures. For with you is the spring of life. In your light we will see light. Oh continue your loving kindness to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. Don’t let the foot of pride come against me. Don’t let the hand of the wicked drive me away. There the workers of iniquity are fallen. They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.

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What the Fathers say

Psalms 36:11

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

"Let not the foot of pride come against me" [Psalm 36:11]. But now he said, The children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of Your wings: they shall be satiated with the fullness of Your House. When one has begun to be plentifully overflowed with that Fountain, let him take heed lest he grow proud. For the same was not wanting to Adam, the first man: but the foot of pride came against him, and the hand of the sinner removed him, that is, the proud hand of the devil. …

Exposition on Psalm 36 ↗

Ambrose of Milan

"Let not the foot of pride come to me", that is, let me not fall into pride. Finally, elsewhere he remembers himself, saying: "If I have not walked in greatness." Here he prayed, there he fulfilled: he would not have fulfilled, if he had not prayed. Pride must be avoided, for it even trips one up in prosperity. Finally, Adam fell more heavily in paradise than if he had fallen on earth. To fall from great heights is a precipice: to slip on level ground, it is called a stumble. …

Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms, On Psalm 36, 26 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

For himself he asks two things. First he asks to be preserved from sin, and this by removing two causes of sin. One is interior: and this is pride, which is the beginning of all sin; hence he says, "Let not the foot of pride come to me," that is, let the desire to be proud be removed from me: Sir. 23: "Do not give me the haughtiness of the eyes." The other cause is exterior, when someone is incited by another to sin: Ps. …

Exposition on the Psalms of David ↗