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LXX Psalms

Septuagint

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Psalm 108

1 For the end, a Psalm of David. God, does not pas over my praise in silence; 2 for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the crafty man have been opened against me: they have spoken against me with a crafty tongue. 3 And they have surrounded me with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. 4 Instead of loving me, they falsely accused me: but I continued to pray. 5 And they rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6 Set a sinner against him; and let the devil stand at his right hand. 7 When he is judged, let him go forth condemned: and let his prayer become sin. 8 Let his days be few: and let another take his office of overseer. 9 Let his children be orphans, and his wife a widow. 10 Let his children wander without a dwelling-place, and beg: let them be cast out of their habitations. 11 Let his creditor exact all that belongs to him: and let strangers plunder his labors. 12 Let him have no helper; neither let there be any one to have compassion on his fatherless children. 13 Let his children be given up to utter destruction: in one generation let his name be blotted out. 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. 15 Let them be before the Lord continually; and let their memorial be blotted out from the earth. 16 Because he did not remember to show mercy, but persecuted the needy and poor man, and that to kill him that was pricked in the heart. 17 He loved cursing also, and it shall come upon him; and he did not take pleasure in blessing, so it shall be removed far from him. 18 Yes, he put on cursing as a garment, and it is come as water into his insides, and as oil into his bones. 19 Let it be to him as a garment which he puts on, and as a belt with which he binds himself continually. 20 This is the dealing of the Lord with those who falsely accuse me, and of those who speak evil against my soul. 21 But you, Lord, Lord, deal mercifully with me,⁠ for your name's sake: for your mercy is good. 22 Deliver me, for I am poor and needy; and my heart is troubled within me. 23 I am removed as a shadow in its going down: I am tossed up and down like locusts. 24 My knees are weakened through fasting, and my flesh is changed by reason of the lack of oil. 25 I became also a reproach to them: when they saw me they shook their heads. 26 Help me, Lord my God; and save me according to your mercy. 27 And let them know that this is your hand; and that you, Lord, have done it. 28 Let them curse, but you shall bless: let those who rise up against me be ashamed, but let your servant rejoice. 29 Let those that falsely accuse me be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a mantle. 30 I will give thanks to the Lord abundantly with my mouth; and in the midst of many I will praise him. 31 For he stood on the right hand of the poor, to save me from those who persecute my soul.

Texts in conversation

Compare LXX Psalm 108:21 and Matthew 7:21

Septuagint · New Testament

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Summary

Matthew 7 uses the formulaic phrase “Lord, Lord,” which also appears in the Greek Septuagint of Psalm 108. While the psalm describes an intense plea for mercy, Jesus uses it to question the value of claims of loyalty without action.

Passages

LXX Psalm 108:21

Septuagint
19 Let it be to him as a garment which he puts on, and as a belt with which he binds himself continually. 20 This is the dealing of the Lord with those who falsely accuse me, and of those who speak evil against my soul. 21 But you, Lord, Lord, deal mercifully with me, for your name's sake: for your mercy is good. 22 Deliver me, for I am poor and needy; and my heart is troubled within me. 23 I am removed as a shadow in its going down: I am tossed up and down like locusts.
100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Psalms

Matthew 7:21

New Testament
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many powerful deeds in your name?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’
70–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Matthew

References

"... The dual address of God as “Lord, Lord,” though not unusual, serves still to amplify the intensity and directness of Eve’s prayer. The words, κύριε κύριε, translate in LXX אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה (e.g., Deuteronomy 3:24; 9:26; Judges 6:22; 16:28; Psalm 69:7; Amos 7:2, 5; Ezekiel 23:46) or יְהוִה אֲדֹנָי (LXX Psalm 108:21; 139:8; 140:8). In Matthew 7:21–22, Jesus says straightforwardly, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’” In Luke 6:46, he asks simply, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?” And in the parable of the bridesmaids who arrive late, they say, “Lord, lord, open to us” (Matthew 25:11) ..."
John R. Levison and Johannes Tromp, The Greek Life of Adam and Eve (Berlin: de Gruyter, 2023), 679.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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  • Jason Staples has an article on his topic too where he claims that his is Jesus applying the Divine Name (YHWH) to himself. Might be worth checking out

    joe, February 19, 2026

LXX Psalm 108:21 and Matthew 7:21

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