The interpretation timeline

Ps 54:8

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

From the early Church Fathers to now.

1 Patristic · 1 Jewish · 1 Catholic

Ps 54:8 · Douay-Rheims
“Lo, I have gone far off flying away; and I abode in the wilderness.”
Patristic before A.D. 750
430
A.D.
Augustine of Hippo Patristic
A.D. 354–430
“"I was looking for him that should save me from weakness of mind and tempest" [Psalm 55:8]. Sea there is, tempest there is: nothing for thee remaineth but to cry out, "Lord, I perish." Let Him stretch forth hand, who doth the waves tread fearlessly, let Him relieve thy dread, let Him confirm in Himself thy security, let Him speak to thee within, and say to thee, "Give heed to Me, what I have borne:" an evil brother perchance thou art suffering, or an enemy without art suffering; which of these have I not suffered? There roared without Jews, within a disciple was betraying. There rageth therefore tempest, but He doth save men from weakness of mind, and tempest. Perchance thy ship is being troubled, because He in thee is sleeping. The sea was raging, the bark wherein the disciples were sailing was being tossed; but Christ was sleeping: at length it was seen by them that among them was sleeping the Ruler and Creator of winds; they drew near and awoke Christ; He commanded the winds, and there was a great calm. With reason then perchance thy heart is troubled, because thou hast forgotten Him on whom thou hast believed: beyond endurance thou art suffering, because it hath not come into thy mind what for thee Christ hath borne. If unto thy mind cometh not Christ, He sleepeth: awake Christ, recall faith. For then in thee Christ is sleeping, if thou hast forgotten the sufferings of Christ: then in thee Christ is watching, if thou hast remembered the sufferings of Christ. But when with full heart thou shalt have considered what He hath suffered, wilt not thou too with equanimity endure? and perchance rejoicing, because thou hast been found in some likeness of the sufferings of thy King. When therefore on these things thinking thou hast begun to be comforted and to rejoice, He hath arisen, He hath commanded the winds; therefore there is a great calm. "I was looking for Him that should save me from weakness of mind and tempest."”
Source
675 years pass — nothing from this stretch is hosted yet
Scholastic c. 1100 – 1500
1105
A.D.
Rashi Jewish
1040–1105
“Behold I would wander far away... and... I would quickly find myself a refuge If I had wings, I would wander far away and hasten to save my soul from their hands, for they are like a sweeping wind, a storm wind, which uproots trees, as (Job 19:10): “He has uprooted (ויסע) like a tree.” But Menachem (p. 127) associated it with (Exod.12: 37): “And the children of Israel traveled (ויסעו).”
Source
169 years pass — nothing from this stretch is hosted yet
1274
A.D.
Thomas Aquinas Catholic
1225–1274
“"I waited for him." Here he shows what he expects from God, namely God's help, which is the completion of his desire. Ps. (54): "I waited for him who saved me," etc. And therefore he says, "who would save me." And why? Because he alone is the Savior. And from what does he save? From the two things on account of which he seemed to be moved to take up wings: namely, from the affliction of being troubled among men. One is the sorrow of heart, which believes it will find rest there. Hence he says, "from faintheartedness of spirit." He is too bold who seeks to have rest among disturbances. Is. 35: "Say to the fainthearted: Be strengthened." "And from the storm," namely from the tribulation of men, save me, both temporal and spiritual.”
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.