Now, he pointed out that the end of the one who is powerful in wickedness is uprooting and destruction. For it was necessary for the root that bears bitter fruit to be †------ off† by the wise farmer of the universe. But David, like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, put his hope in the mercy of God for ever, even forever and ever, procuring for himself immortality and eternal life on the basis of his good hope, from which he will never fall away. For according to the Apostle, "hope does not put us to shame." Then, having sketched out good hopes for himself as it were on the basis of good fruits, he attributes the responsibility [for all this] to the provider of all good things, saying: "I shall praise you forever, because you did [this]." For (he says) I did not make myself like a fruitful olive tree, but rather, you did. For grace comes from you. And so I will never cease from the knowledge of your grace, and from praising you; having once put my hope in the mercy of God, "I shall patiently await his name." For once the foundation of good hope has been established, we need patience. Therefore, he says, "I shall patiently await your name, because it is beneficial before your holy ones"—or, according to Symmachus' translation: "…because your name is good in front of your holy ones." Knowing, therefore, that it is good, and productive of good—not for those who are powerful in wickedness nor for those who are to be cast out from among the living, but to the holy ones, he quite rightly said, "I shall patiently await your name," being hopeful that I will never fall out of your mercy. In this way, I have put my hope in him forever, even for ever and ever.
Therefore that man having been condemned that "has trusted in the multitude of his riches, and has prevailed in his vanity:" for what more vain, than he that thinks coin more to avail than God? Therefore that man having been condemned that said, blessed of the people to whom these things are: thou that sayest, "Blessed the people of whom is the Lord their own God," dost think of yourself what? dost hope for yourself what? "But I;" now at length hear that body: "But I am like an olive, fruit-bearing in the house of God" [Psalm 52:9]. Not one man speaks, but that olive fruit-bearing, whence have been pruned the proud branches, and the humble wild olive graffed in. [Romans 11:17] "Like an olive, fruit-bearing in the house of God, I have trusted in the mercy of God." He did what? "In the multitude of his riches:" therefore his root shall be plucked out from the land of the living. "But I," because "like an olive, fruit-bearing in the house of God," the root whereof is nourished, is not rooted out, "have trusted in the mercy of God." But perchance now? For even herein men err sometimes. God indeed they worship, and are not now like to that Doeg: but though on God they rely, it is for temporal things nevertheless; so that they say to themselves, I worship my God, who will make me rich upon earth, who to me will give sons, who to me will give a wife. Such things indeed gives none but God, but God would not have Himself for the sake of such things to be loved. For to this end oftentimes those things He gives even to evil men, in order that some other thing good men of Him may learn to seek. In what manner then do you say, "I have trusted in the mercy of God"? Perchance for obtaining temporal things? Nay but, "For everlasting and world without end." The expression, "For everlasting," he willed to repeat by adding, "world without end," in order that by there repeating he might affirm how rooted he was in the love of the kingdom of heaven, and in the hope of everlasting felicity.
[AD 339] Eusebius of Caesarea on Psalms 52:9