Friday, September 26, 2025

Exposition of Psalm 36, verse 6 : "Men and Beasts YOU will save, O LORD"

 St. Augustine of Hippo used what were the

Latin translations of the Hebrew BOOK of

the Psalms : for our Psalm 36: 6 he read

Men and beasts you will save, Lord, as your

mercy has been multiplied. . .

Augustine's exposition / commentary

on this verse [WSA 21st Century

Expositions on the Psalms, vol. III, 

p. 82 :translator Maria Boulding] :

He has already said, "Your

mercy is in heaven" and now

to indicate this is on earth

as well, he says, MEN AND

BEASTS YOU WILL SAVE, LORD. . .

Great is your mercy, and manifold

is your mercy, O God, and you

give it to both humans and animals.

From whom does the salvation of

humans [Latin salus : means 

'health, safety, well-being' ]

proceed?  From God.  Does not

the good estate of the beasts come

from God too?  He who made

the animals as well, and he who

made both saves both; but the

salvation of the beasts is the safety

and health that belong within time.

Yet there are people who make a

great point of begging from God

what he has given even to animals.

Your Mercy Has Been Multiplied,

O GOD! in that you not only grant

salvation to human beings, but

give also to the beasts what you

give to humans, a carnal and

temporal salvation!

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