The interpretation timeline

Ps 39:11

How this passage has been read — the sources, oldest to newest.

From the early Church Fathers to now.

2 Patristic · 1 Catholic

Ps 39:11 · Douay-Rheims
“I have not hid thy justice within my heart: I have declared thy truth and thy salvation. I have not concealed thy mercy and thy truth from a great council.”
Patristic before A.D. 750
430
A.D.
Augustine of Hippo Patristic
A.D. 354–430
“"Remove not Thou Thy mercies far from me, O Lord" [Psalm 40:11]. He is turning his attention to the wounded members. Because I have not "concealed Thy mercy and Thy Truth from the great congregation," from the Unity of the Universal Church, look Thou on Thy afflicted members, look on those who are guilty of sins of omission, and on those who are guilty of sins of commission: and withhold not Thou Thy mercies. "Thy mercy and Thy Truth have continually preserved me." I should not dare to turn from my evil way, were I not assured of remission; I could not endure so as to persevere, if I were not assured of the fulfilment of Thy promise. ...”
Source
153 years pass — nothing from this stretch is hosted yet
583
A.D.
Cassiodorus Patristic
c. A.D. 487–583
“The "mercy" was that he saved human nature, wounded by the vice of transgression, by his holy incarnation; the "truth" was that through the blessing of the promised resurrection, he sits at the right hand of the Father and from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.”
691 years pass — nothing from this stretch is hosted yet
Scholastic c. 1100 – 1500
1274
A.D.
Thomas Aquinas Catholic
1225–1274
“"But you, O Lord." Above, the Psalmist commemorated the confidence he has in God with regard to past things; here, however, he presents the confidence he has in God with regard to future things, expressing it through prayer. And concerning this he does two things. First, he proposes the prayer in general. Second, in particular, at "May it please you." Concerning the first he does two things. First, he proposes the petition. Second, he assigns the reason for petitioning, at "Your mercy." He says therefore, "I have proclaimed your justice." "But you, O Lord, do not put your compassions far from me." Some already receive the compassion of God, namely those who enjoy grace and glory: Ps. 118: "The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord." Others are near, who have no impediment to mercy but some merit: Ps. 144: "The Lord is near to all who call upon him." Others are those in whom there is an impediment; therefore mercy is far from them. And therefore I ask that your compassion not be far from me on account of my demerits. And therefore the reason for this petition is twofold: one of confidence, which was conceived from the experience of divine goodness; the other of necessity, which he suffers. There are two things according to which God comes to our aid: namely mercy, insofar as he bestows upon us certain things that he has not even promised: Rom. 15: "That the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy"; and truth, when he renders either what was promised or what is due for merits. And therefore these are united together: because he always does what he has promised, or does even more abundantly. These two are necessary for a person: mercy, so that he may be drawn to the hope of glory; and truth, so that he may be confident. And this is not as though we draw God to ourselves by our merits, but God through these things draws and has drawn us. And therefore he says, "Your mercy and your truth have always sustained me."”
Source
Modern · 1953 →

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.