From the early Church Fathers to now.
3 Patristic · 1 Jewish · 1 Catholic
“I have declared thy justice in a great church, lo, I will not restrain my lips: O Lord, thou knowest it.”
“[At this point in the psalm] he introduces the persons of those who believed from Israel; for he confesses to God that he did not remove his mercy from it but then and now saved and supported them.”
“A person can speak of his own justice without arrogance, … if he has faith in God and believes that on account of his faith he will be reckoned as just. … It was for this reason that Christ came, to establish faith and to grant us forgiveness of sin.”
“"I have not hid my righteousness within my heart" [Psalm 40:10]. What is meant by "my righteousness"? My faith. For, "the just shall live by faith." As suppose the persecutor under threat of punishment, as they were once allowed to do, puts you to the question, "What art thou? Pagan or Christian?" "A Christian." That is his "righteousness." He believeth; he "lives by faith." He doth not "hide his righteousness within his heart." He has not said in his heart, "I do indeed believe in Christ; but I will not tell what I believe to this persecutor, who is raging against me, and threatening me. My God knoweth that inwardly, within my heart, I do believe. He knoweth that I renounce Him not." Lo! you say that you have this inwardly within your heart! What have you upon your lips? "I am not a Christian." Your lips bear witness against your heart. "I have not hid my righteousness within my heart." ..."I have declared Thy Truth and Thy Salvation." I have declared Thy Christ. This is the meaning of, "I have declared Thy Truth and Thy Salvation." How is "Thy Truth" Christ? "I am the Truth." How is Christ "His Salvation"? Simeon recognised the infant in His Mother's hands in the Temple, and said, "For mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation." The old man recognised the little child; the old man having himself "become a little child" in that infant, having been renewed by faith. For he had received an oracle from God; and it said this, "The Lord had said unto him, that he was not to depart out of this life, until he had seen the "Salvation of God." This "Salvation of God" it is a good thing to have shown unto men; but let them cry, "Show us Thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us Thy Salvation." ..."I have not concealed Thy mercy and Thy Truth from the great congregation." Let us be there; let us also be numbered among the members of this Body: let us not keep back "the mercy" of the Lord, and "the Truth" of the Lord. Wouldest thou hear what "the mercy of the Lord" is? Depart from thy sins; He will forgive thy sins. Wouldest thou hear what "the truth" of the Lord is? Hold fast righteousness. Thy righteousness shall receive a crown. For mercy is announced to you now; "Truth" is to be shown unto thee hereafter. For God is not merciful in such a way as not to be just, nor just in such a way as not to be merciful. Does that mercy seem to thee an inconsiderable one? He will not impute unto thee all thy former sins: thou hast lived ill up to this present day; thou art still living; this day live well; then thou wilt not "conceal" this "mercy." If this is meant by "mercy," what is meant by "truth"? ...”
“I brought tidings of righteousness The song by the sea, the song by the well (Num. 21:17-20), and the song of Deborah (Jud. 5). I will not withhold Heb. אכלא, I will not withhold, an expression of (Gen. 8:2): “And the rain was restrained (ויכלא).””
“With regard to Christ, when he says, "I have not hidden your justice in my heart." He confesses the teachings of truth when he says, "Your truth." This Christ confessed before Pilate. Jn. 18: "For this I was born and for this I came into the world, that I might bear witness to the truth": Prov. 8: "My throat shall meditate on truth." "And I have declared your salvation," because through the confession of truth salvation comes to a person: Joel 2: "Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." He confesses the benefits of mercy when he says, "I have not hidden your mercy and your truth": because mercy and truth follow one another; and therefore he says "truth." It is not placed here for the truth of doctrine, but for the truth of justice in promises: because God is truthful. Truth, however, consists in this: that he gives what he promises, because he is not otherwise our debtor except insofar as he promises.”
The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.