Augustine reads Psalm 59 as prophecy of Christ and of the whole Christ, comprising the Head and the Church. The title “Corrupt not” recalls the inscription “King of the Jews” at the Crucifixion, which Pilate refused to alter; Saul’s failed attempt to kill David prefigures the guards’ failure to conceal Christ’s Resurrection. The Psalm’s enemies represent persecutors, the devil, and those who trust in worldly power or self-righteousness rather than the Saviour.

Augustine interprets its pleas for deliverance through themes of grace, judgment, and conversion. Sin is punished either through repentance or divine judgment, while pride—especially the defence of one’s own wrongdoing—is the chief obstacle to healing. God preserves the Jewish people as witnesses to the prophecies and does not destroy them, but seeks to destroy their sinful pride; Jews and Gentiles meet in Christ, the cornerstone. Those converted “at evening,” including Paul, become preachers to the nations, carrying the two-edged Word of God. The Church’s worldwide mission looks toward the “morning of mercy,” while every virtue remains an unearned gift from the Almighty Physician.