1. Psalm to David, who sometimes fled from the face of Absalom his son, 3.
1. The psalm belongs to David, written at a time when ("every time") he - David - was running away from Absalom, his son.
This inscription indicates the event that served as the occasion for David to compose this psalm.
The book of Kings says that the son of David, Absalom, had a criminal desire to seize the royal throne; for this purpose, through various tricks, he attracted almost all the Israelis to his side (2 Kings 15:6) and among them the famous adviser of David, Ahithophel (2 Kings 15:12). Together with them he went against his king-father. There were so many rebels on Absalom’s side that David did not dare to engage them in open battle and, not wanting to subject Jerusalem to needless devastation, hastily withdrew along with his children, servants and a few bodyguards beyond the Kidron stream (2 Sam. 15, 14, 23) .
In such a misfortune, David placed all his hope in God, and not in the number and strength of his followers.
This state of David's soul under such circumstances is depicted in the psalm.
2. Lord, why have you multiplied those who suffer from cold? Many people rise up against me,
3. Many say to my soul: there is no salvation for him in his God.
4. You, Lord, are my Protector, my glory, and lift up my head.
2–3. Seeing the multitude of his enemies and recognizing himself as innocent before them, the king and prophet David, in bewilderment, calls out to God:
Lord, why have those who oppress me (“those who oppress me”) multiplied so much? many rebel against me (“against me”) and, in view of the multitude of my enemies, many say about me (“the words of my soul”): “He will not receive salvation in real danger from God,” in whom he hopes (“there will be no salvation for him in Bose him").
4. Contrary to these, who considered David’s hope in God in vain, he himself expresses firm faith in God as the only reliable intercessor in misfortune:
But You, Lord, will be my intercessor (cf. Ps. 27:7), glorify me (“my glory”) and give me courage, in the joy of the salvation You have given, to raise my head, bowed under the weight of grief.
"What am I multiplying" it is said instead - “that has multiplied.”5. With my voice I cried to the Lord, and He heard me from His holy mountain.
6. I fell asleep and fell asleep, and arose, as if the Lord would intercede for me.
7. I will not be afraid of those people around who attack me.
5. David is confident of salvation, because before in similar cases the Lord always mercifully listened to his prayers:
“I cried out to the Lord with my voice,” he says, “and (the Lord) heard me from His holy mountain,” that is, from Mount Zion, which God was pleased to choose for His invisible presence in the temple (3 Kings 8:16) .
But if the Lord listened before, then He also listens now to prayer, for “the Lord is near to all who call on Him (for help) ... in truth,” that is, in a just cause (Ps. 145:18).
6–7. In the firm hope of God’s help, I (David speaks about himself) calmly went to bed and slept and, despite the imminent danger, calmly got up, because (“as if”) the Lord Himself is my intercessor.
So it is for the future: trusting in God, I will not have fear from tens of thousands (“from those”) people attacking me from all sides (“surroundings”).
8. Arise, Lord, save me, my God, for Thou hast struck down all those who were at enmity with me in vain: Thou hast crushed the teeth of sinners.
9. Salvation is the Lord's, and Your blessing is upon Your people.
8. Having expressed firm hope for God’s help, the prophet David prays to God not to delay and to show him His help now: arise (“resurrect”), Lord my God, that is, show Your power, and save me from my enemies.
Complete salvation is possible only when there are no longer enemies capable of causing suffering, which is why David prays that this salvation will be combined with the weakening of the enemies’ power:
“Save me, for You (and before) struck down all those who were hostile against me in vain, without any reason (“in vain”), for You (and before) crushed the power (“teeth”) of sinners,” evil and fierce, like wild beasts ( David's enemies are compared here to beasts whose strength lies in their sharp teeth).
9. In conclusion, the prophet David expresses the conviction that deliverance from all danger and, in general, the well-being of not only him, but also everyone else, depends solely on God: “The salvation of the Lord is (the Lord belongs, everything depends on Him) and on Your people (i.e. . i.e. the Lord, otherwise - those who believe in Him) Thy blessing,” that is, peace and prosperity as the fruits of this blessing.
So, the third psalm is an outpouring before God of the feelings that filled the soul of the prophet David during the indignation of Absalom against him.
Like David, we are often befallen either by disasters from our enemies, or in general by various everyday adversities. In such cases, we should not become despondent or despair because of this, we should not grumble about our lot, but following the example of David, we should turn to God with a prayer for help, seek in Him and expect from Him consolation in our sorrows.
1. Psalm to David, in remembrance of the Sabbath, 37.
2. Lord, do not reprove me with Your wrath; do not punish me with Your wrath.
1. The Psalm of David was written in remembrance of the Sabbath, that is, in memory of tranquility (Saturday is a Hebrew word, meaning “peace, tranquility”).
According to the testimony of this inscription, the reason for composing this psalm was the reassurance of David from everyday misfortunes and the subsequent calming of his conscience, outraged by sin (according to St. Athanasius and Blessed Augustine).
In this psalm, the prophet David depicts the disasters that he experienced in life, expresses grief over his sins that caused these disasters, and asks the Lord for peace from these mental and physical disasters.
2. Having been subjected to many insults and disasters in life and considering them to be God’s righteous punishment for his sins (see: 2 Samuel 16:10), the prophet David begs God that, at least in the future, punishment and chastisement, which he will deserve for his sins, was not connected with anger, in other words, so that instead of being strict, it would be merciful: Lord, do not rebuke me in rage, he says, and do not punish me in anger*.
* This expression cannot be taken literally in the sense that God is characterized by rage and anger; no, everything of God is free from irritability and any other passion. The Prophet says this only for greater clarity, in relation to our understanding, so that we, frightened by this, abstain from vices (Euph. Zigaben).
3. For Thy arrows struck me, and Thou didst strengthen Thy hand upon me.
4. There is no healing in my flesh from the face of Your wrath, there is no peace in my bones from the face of my sin.
3–4. Explaining the reason that prompted him to ask God for a merciful punishment, the prophet David says:
Because the misfortunes You sent, like arrows (cf. Deut. 32:23; Job 6:4), pierced me (“unzosha in me”), that is, they hit me to the greatest extent.
And You have established Your punishing hand, that is, causing me these misfortunes, on me - without taking it away, You hold it firmly on me or above me for punishment.
Because of my sins (“from the face of my sins”), from Your just wrath for them (“from the face of Your wrath”) there is no longer any relief for my flesh and peace (“peace”) for my bones.
And the body itself suffers, is sick from mental suffering; there is no rest for him; I am completely shocked and suffering.
5. For my iniquities have exceeded my head, for a heavy burden has weighed down upon me.
6. My wounds have become stale and rotten because of my madness.
5–6. The reason for this, according to David’s own humble admission, was his own iniquities:
Because (“as if”) my iniquities, he says, “exceeded my head (that is, I was mired in them headlong) and as (“as if”) a heavy burden weighed down on me (they make me feel heavy).
Because of my sin (“from the face of my madness”) my wounds (physical and mental, cf. v. 18) stink and fester (for every sin, according to St. Athanasius, is vile and stinking, and sin is a wound, a disease souls).
7. I suffered and suffered until the end, walking around complaining all day.
8. Because my body is filled with reproach, and there is no healing in my flesh.
9. I would become embittered and humbled to death, roaring from the sighing of my heart.
10. Lord, before You all my desire and my sighing are not hidden from You.
11. My heart is confused, my strength has left me, and the light of my eyes, and that one is not with me.
12. My friends and my sincere ones, approaching me directly and stasha,
13. And my neighbors are far away from me and I am in need, those who seek my soul, and those who seek evil speak to me of vain words and of the flatterers I have been taught all day long.
7–9. I suffered and, under the weight of this suffering, I bent over ("slush") and walked around every day, complaining - I bent, because my loins ("lyadvia") were so weak from illness that they caused reproaches from my enemies ("filled with reproaches") , that is, the enemies mock me.* And there is no relief for my flesh.
* This probably indicates that the illness did not keep the waist straight and the body was bent.
From such suffering I was oppressed ("I was embittered") and humiliated to the extreme ("I was humbled to death"), so that I not only grieved, but moans burst out of my chest, like the roar of a lion ("roars from the groaning of my heart").
10. However, You, Lord, as the omniscient One, know ("before You" - in Your eyes) all my desires, and my sighs are not a secret for You ("I will not hide from You").
With these words, the prophet David humbly expresses the idea that, being in misfortune, he does not even dare to express his desires before God and surrenders himself entirely to His holy will. What a great example for us!
11. In the midst of such sorrows, my heart, says David, became confused (“troubled”), my strength (spiritual strength and bodily strength) left me, and even the brightness of my eyes—even that was gone from me.
12–13. These misfortunes removed my friends and relatives from me and even armed them against me:
My friends and relatives (“sincere”) came (“approaching”) to me in order to be against me (“directly to me”) and rebelled (“stasha”) against me.
And those who were previously close to me, now, in the days of misfortune, became far from me.
And the enemies especially strained their strength (“need”) in order to destroy me (“my soul”).
Those who sought harm for me, that is, those who tried to destroy me, told lies about me (“vain”) and daily invented intrigues and deceits
14. As if I were deaf and did not hear, and because I was dumb and did not open my mouth.
15. And he was like a man who heard, and had no reproof in his mouth.
16. For in You, O Lord, have I trusted, You will hear, O Lord my God.
17. For I said: Let my enemies never give me joy; and let my feet never move, but your speech is great against me.
(“and I will admire the flatterers”, for example, Absalom, 2 Kings 15, 3).
14–15. But the meek and humble David left all these intrigues and slander unanswered.
But I,” he says, “like a deaf man did not hear and like a dumb man did not open my lips (to answer).
And he was like a man who had nothing to say to denounce his enemies (“having no reproach in his mouth,” for example, in relation to Shimei, 2 Kings 16:7-12).
16–17. The prophet David explains the reasons why he did not answer his enemies.
Because ("like") I hoped in You, Lord, that You would hear, O Lord my God, as I prayed ("like rekh" - what I prayed for).
Namely, so that my enemies do not gloat about me (“let them not make us happy”)*.
* “Let them not rejoice in us” is said instead of “let them not rejoice in us.”
And if my feet (i.e., I myself) wavered on the path of virtue (“my feet must never move”), so that these enemies would not speak arrogant speeches against me (“they speak against me”).
Thus, the first reason for David’s silent enduring of slander lies in the hope (“as I trusted”) that the Lord will hear (fulfill) his prayer and will not give his enemies a reason to gloat about his death.
18. For I am ready for wounds, and my illness is before me.
19. Because I will proclaim my iniquity and take care of my sin.
18–19. The second reason is humility. David, aware of his sins, was humbly ready to suffer punishment for them:
Because (“as if”) I am always ready,” he says, “to suffer wounds, for my illness, that is, sin (which is a disease of the soul), is constantly (“take out”) in my consciousness (“before me”) .
So, recognizing my sins, I will not hide them (“I will proclaim my iniquity”), but I myself will make efforts to heal them (“I will take care of my sin”).
David did this on other occasions (see Ps. 31:5), and we should do the same, remembering that our awareness of our iniquities attracts the love of God to us (Proverbs 28:13).
20. My enemies live and have become stronger than me, and have multiplied in those who hate me without righteousness.
21. Those who repay me evil with a cart of good slander me, driving away goodness.
22. Do not forsake me, O Lord my God, do not depart from me.
23. Come to my help, O Lord of my salvation.
20–21. However ("the same") my enemies are not translated, but live and surpass me in their strength ("strengthened more than me") and the number of those who hate me in vain has increased ("without truth", without any reason, cf.: "in vain" - Ps. 3, 8).
They are hostile against me not only without any reason, but they even pay me evil (“evil”) for good (“rewarding”), that is, hatred for love (cf. Ps. 109:5), they slandered (cf.: above Art. 13) me because (“zane”) I strived for good (“I pursue goodness”).
22–23. In view of the numerousness and malice of his enemies, the prophet, at the conclusion of the psalm, once again prays to God for help: Do not leave me, O Lord, without Your help, do not move away from me; pay merciful attention to helping me (“attend to my help”), Lord of my salvation, that is, my Savior.
1. Psalm to David, when he was never in the wilderness of Judea, 62.
2. O God, my God, I have come to You in the morning; my soul has thirsted for You, since my flesh is abundant in You, in a land that is empty and impenetrable and without water.
1. The psalm belongs to David, written at a time when ("every time") he - David - was in the Judean desert.
According to the testimony of this inscription, this psalm was written by David during his stay in the Judean desert. This desert is located in the southern reaches of Palestine, west of the Dead Sea. One part of it, near Hebron, is known as Zif, the other, near the Dead Sea, is called Engaddi. In both, according to the book of Kings, the prophet David hid from persecution by Saul (1 Sam. 23, 19; 26, 2; 24, 1–2). It was hard for the innocent sufferer David: Saul’s undeserved hatred, the machinations of his enemies and mortal danger troubled his soul. Regarding such suffering, the prophet David pours out before God in this psalm his fiery love for Him and expresses firm hope for his salvation.
2. Persecution from enemies forced David to wander in the deserts, far from the house of God (the tabernacle), but did not weaken his attachment to God: Being in a desert, impassable and waterless land, I (David speaks about himself) from early morning I rush in prayer ( "morning") to You, O God, my God.
My soul greatly desires (“thirst”) You, as a thirsty person desires water*; and not only the soul, but also the flesh itself, how many times (“how many times”) also strived for You.
* Thirst here means the strong desire of the soul for God (cf. Ps. 41:3).
3. Thus I appeared to You in holy things, to see Your power and Your glory.
4. For Thy mercy is better than belly, praise Thee with my lips.
5. Thus I will bless Thee in my belly; I will lift up my hands in Thy name.
6. Let my soul be filled with fatness and ointment, and my lips will praise You with joy.
7. When I remembered Thee on my bed, I learned from Thee in the morning.
8. For Thou art my Helper, and in the shelter of Thy wing I will rejoice.
3. Having depicted his love for God, with which his entire being (soul and flesh) was permeated in the desert, the prophet David says that with the same love (“taco”) with which he once appeared in the sanctuary (“in the holy”) , in the tabernacle, he strives for God and now in the desert to see the power and glory of God (which will appear in salvation from enemies).
And while wandering as an exile in the desert, David retained the same love for God that he had while living near the sanctuary of God.
4. Explaining the reasons for this, the prophet David says:
Since (“as if”) Your mercy is better for me, more valuable than earthly life (“more than life,” that is, any life, luxurious, glorious, long, etc.), that is why my lips praised You.
5. And just as I praise You now, I will do the same in the future:
In the same way (as now) I will glorify You all the time of my life, and only in Your name will I begin to raise (“raise”) my hands in prayer.
6–8. I will glorify You and pray to You, so that with this prayer, like abundant fat food and oil (“as from fatness and ointment”), my soul may be satisfied (for prayer is the best food of the soul), and so that my lips glorify You with a joyful voice when I I will remember You on my bed, I will think about You in the morning (“I learned in the morning”), because You have always been (and are) my Helper and I rejoice in the shadow of Your wings, that is, under Your cover.
Here the image of speech is taken from birds that, with maternal care, cover their chicks with their wings. This is how the prophet depicts God’s loving care for man.
9. My soul clings to You, but I am accepted by Your right hand.
10. And having sought my soul in vain, they will go down to the depths of the earth,
11. They will surrender into the hands of arms, parts of the fox will be.
12. The king will rejoice in God, and everyone who swears by him will boast, because the lips of those who speak unrighteously have been stopped.
9. My soul, the prophet continues, is strongly committed (“prilpe”) to You, and for this Your Divine right hand has taken me under its protection.
10–11. As a result of this, my enemies (“these”) sought my soul in vain, that is, they could not destroy me.
Moreover, they themselves will go to the grave (“they will enter the underworld”), they will be sacrificed, as if into the hands of weapons, that is, they will fall from weapons, and their corpses will become prey for foxes (“the parts of foxes will be”).
12. The king, persecuted and persecuted by them, will rejoice in God (his Deliverer and Savior).
And everyone who swears by his name ("swearing by him") will deserve praise (and not censure and condemnation, as was before), because ("as if") then the lips of the enemies who spoke untruths against me will be stopped (cf. : Psalm 37:13)*.
* Everyone who swears by him, that is, by King David, or by his name, will boast. To swear by the name of David means the same thing as to openly acknowledge him as king (cf. Deut. 6:13). While Saul was alive, anyone who recognized David as king was persecuted along with him by Saul. But when the latter died, then everyone received praise for recognizing David as king.
Following the example of David, we too must be imbued with love for God with our whole being and cling completely to Him. The expression of these feelings should be heartfelt prayer to God and constant remembrance of God. Spiritual communication with God, received in prayer, gives a person true pleasure, and God’s mercies, sought through prayer, are better and more valuable for us than any blessings in life.
1. The song of the psalm of the sons of Korah, at the end, about Maeleth to answer the hedgehog, the understanding of Heman the Israelite, 87.
2. O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried before You by day and by night.
3. Let my prayer come before You: incline Your ear to my prayer,
1. The psalm song ("song of the psalm"), indicated or assigned to the descendants ("son") of Korah to be performed ("to the end") by the choir ("about Maeleth" - a Hebrew word) so that he answers ("to answer") to another choir (so that the psalm is sung antiphonally). The teaching ("mind") of Heman the Israelite (the head of one of the choirs established by David: 1 Chron. 6, 33; 15, 17).
2. Teaching everyone to place their trust in God in the midst of suffering, the Psalmist says about himself that in the midst of misfortune he continually prayed to God:
Lord, God, my Savior (“God of my salvation”), I cried to You during the day, and at night before You (in prayer).
3. Let my prayer reach You; turn Your merciful attention (“incline Your ear”) to my prayer.
The psalmist considers his prayer to be the weak, barely audible cry of a sick person. Therefore, he prays to God that God, as the true doctor of our souls and bodies, will bow to him in order to hear him, as ordinary doctors do with a weak patient.
In other words: The Psalmist prays that the Lord will pay His merciful attention to him.
4. For my soul is filled with evil, and my belly is drawing near to hell.
5. He was used with those who descended into the pit, like a man without help,
6. There is freedom in the dead, like the ulcers sleeping in the tomb, whom You did not remember, and they were rejected by Your hand.
7. He laid me in the pit of the grave, in the dark places and shadows of death.
4. For my soul,” he says about himself, as well as on behalf of all those who suffer, “my soul is filled with such severe suffering (“evil”) that my life is close to death (“hell is approaching”).
5–7. My life is so close to death that I was considered dead or likened ("privmenen bykh") to the dead going to the grave ("ditch").
And this is because I was recognized as a helpless person, who seemed to be unable to be helped (as if hopelessly ill).
I am thrown among the dead, as if deprived of connection (free from connection) with living people ("freedom in the dead"), like the killed, lying ("like sleeping plagues") in the tomb, whom You no longer remember and who are removed ("rejected") bysha") from Your hand, that is, deprived of Your help.
They laid me in a hole under the earth (“in the pit of the underworld”) and in the shadow of death, that is, in the darkness of death, the grave.
So bleak and helpless is the position of the sinner who is spiritually dead without Divine help!
8. Thy wrath was established upon me, and all Thy waves were brought upon me.
8. Explaining the reason for all this, the Psalmist says:
Your wrath has become heavy upon me (“fury be established”) and You have sent many punishments upon me, like waves.
9. You removed those who knew me from me, making me an abomination to yourself: I was betrayed and never left.
10. My eyes are weary from poverty, I have cried out to You, O Lord, all day long, I have lifted up my hands to You.
11. Does eating the dead work wonders? Or will the doctors resurrect and confess to You?
12. Who is the story of Thy mercy in the grave, and Thy truth in destruction?
13. Will Thy wonders be known in darkness, and Thy righteousness in forgotten lands?
14. And I cried to You, Lord, and my morning prayer will precede You.
9. By the disasters sent to me, You removed all my loved ones from me, they began to consider me even vile to themselves (“having made me an abomination to themselves”), and I (abandoned by everyone) was plunged into misfortune (“betrayed”) and did not find their exit ("and not going out").
10. Abandoned and despised by everyone, I cried to the point of exhaustion, my eyes weakened from poverty, that is, from disaster, due to the many tears shed.
To You, Lord, I cried out (for help), I stretched out my hands to You every day.
11–13. The psalmist, being in mortal danger, fervently prays for mercy. After death, confession of God for those who have not repented while living on earth will not be useful, then no one will announce to them the mercy of God, and they will not see God’s miraculous help; then for each person the time of retribution comes, and not repentance or correction and justification from God (Luke 16:25). Therefore, the Psalmist, praying for speedy salvation and pardon, says: Do you work miracles over the dead? Can doctors resurrect them (the dead) so that these latter can confess You again?
Will anyone tell me Your mercy and truth after I perish (“in destruction”) and am in the tomb? Is it possible (for sinners) to see Your miracles and receive Your truth, that is, to receive justification and salvation from You?
14. And since the hour of death is unknown, everyone should hasten to repentance and beg God for forgiveness and mercy, which the Psalmist teaches by his example, saying:
I cried out to You, Lord, and my prayer to You prevents the onset of morning, in other words, I pray to You day and night.
15. In what way, O Lord, dost thou take away my soul, and turn thy face away from me?
16. I am poor and in labor from my youth; He was lifted up, humbled, and faint.
17. Thy wrath has come upon me, Thy fears have troubled me,
18. You have beaten me like water, possessing me all day long.
15–19. I pray about this: why (“everything”) you, Lord, are removing (“removing”) my soul (i.e., me) from yourself? Why do you turn Your face away from me (that is, in anger, depriving Your help)?
I have been poor, in poverty and in misfortune ("trudeh" - in difficult circumstances) since my youth (cf. Job 5:6-7).
If I was sometimes able (“to ascend”)* over these disasters, then again I fell under their influence (“I humbled myself”) and again became exhausted under the weight of them.
* “He ascended” instead of “he ascended,” i.e., having exalted himself, having overcome. Thy wrath and Thy threats befell me.
19. You have removed from me a friend and a sincere one, and those I know from passions.
(“intimidations”) confused me, they surrounded (“bydosha”) me like water, and all together (“together”) took possession of me every day.
The consequence of this was that, either because of my misfortunes (“from passions”), in short, with these misfortunes of mine You removed my friends, relatives and acquaintances from me (cf. Art. 9).
Depicting in this psalm the severity of his suffering, the Psalmist at the same time prophetically speaks of the suffering of our Savior for our sins.
According to the interpretation of St. Athanasius, here through the mouth of the Psalmist our Lord Jesus Christ Himself speaks about His suffering for the sins of the human race. Indeed, before the beginning of His suffering, He prayed to His Heavenly Father: “My soul is sorrowful unto death” (Matthew 26:38). And these words have the same meaning as the words of the Psalmist: “For my soul is filled with evil, and my belly is drawing near to hell” (v. 4). Then the words of verses 5–7 were literally fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He was indeed only numbered among the dead (“he was included with those who went down into the pit”), but he was not an ordinary dead man, because he was resurrected. He was as if helpless (“like a man without help”), that is, he seemed so because all the disciples left Him and fled (Matthew 26:56), but he was not like that in reality (Matthew 26:53) . Finally, He was likened to the wounded lying in a tomb (“like wounds sleeping in a tomb”), because He was really pierced with nails and a spear and buried in a cave closed with a stone, therefore in a dark place (“having laid me in the pit of the grave, in the dark and the canopy of death"). Thus, for a time He was, as it were, abandoned, forgotten by God and became like those whom the Psalmist calls deprived of God’s help (“rejected from Thy hand”). This was precisely the position in which Jesus Christ Himself recognized Himself when He cried out to God His Father: “My God, My God, have you forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46). Likewise, the words of verse 9 were literally fulfilled in Jesus Christ. When Judas with a crowd of people armed with a sword came to Gethsemane with the goal of taking Jesus Christ, then all the disciples left Him and fled (Matthew 26:56); also during the crucifixion, all His acquaintances stood away from Him (Luke 23:49). Jesus Christ in His life was constantly the object of hatred of His enemies, they abhorred Him, called Him a deceiver (Matt. 27:63; John 7:12), acting by the power of the devil (Matt. 12:24; Mark 3:22). They reproached Him for communicating with tax collectors and sinners, calling Him a eater and a drinker (Matthew 11:19; Luke 5:30) and, finally, preferred Barabbas the thief to Him (Matthew 27:17-21). Having been betrayed by Judas into the hands of his enemies ("betrayed"), He did not make the slightest attempt to avoid the upcoming suffering ("and not the outcome"), but voluntarily tasted death for our sins.
Psalm to David, 102.
1. Bless the Lord, my soul, and all that is within me, His holy name.
2. Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget all His rewards,
3. Who cleanses all your iniquities, who heals all your illnesses,
4. He who delivers your belly from corruption, who crowns you with mercy and bounties,
5. He who fulfills your desires for good: your youth will be renewed like an eagle.
The psalm belongs to David.
1–2. Turning to his soul, otherwise to himself, the prophet David says: Glorify, bless, my soul, the Lord, and “and all my inner being” - all my spiritual strength, glorify His holy name. Glorify the Lord, my soul, and do not forget all His benefits (“recompenses”).
The prophet excites himself, and together each of us, to glorify God for His good deeds with all his being, with all his strength, that is, with his heart (cf. Ps. 110:1), lips (cf. Ps. 108:30) and deeds (cf. Matt. 5:16).
Glorify, my soul, the Lord, who forgives (“cleanses”) all your sins and heals all your ailments (i.e., mental and physical infirmities).
Delivering you or your life from corruption ("from decay", Russian translation - from the grave) and surrounding ("crowning") you with His mercies and bounties, fulfilling your desires for good, or for good, so that your youth is like will return to you, just as an eagle’s strength, lost with the loss of old ones, is restored with the growth of new feathers.
6. The Lord grant alms and destiny to all those who are offended.
7. Moses told the sons of Israel His ways.
8. The Lord is generous and merciful, long-suffering and abundantly merciful.
9. He is not completely angry, he is at enmity forever,
10. He did not make us eat because of our iniquities, but repaid us because of our sins.
11. As the height of heaven from the earth, the Lord established His mercy on those who fear Him.
6–7. And the Lord does all this solely out of His immeasurable mercy, which He reveals especially to those who are offended:
The Lord brings His mercy and righteous judgment (“fate”) to all those who are offended (“offended”).
The Israelis were once so offended, and so the Lord showed ("tale") to Moses His ways, that is, the saving ways of His good providence for the Israeli people, and to all the Israelis (through Moses) He revealed His will ("His desires"), of course , in the commandments by which the life of the people was organized.
8–9. Continuing the calculation of God's blessings, for which God should be glorified, the Psalmist says: The Lord is generous and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He is not completely angry (“he will not be completely angry”) and is not forever indignant (“he will be at enmity forever”).
10–11. In general, the Lord is indescribably merciful.
He did not deal with us ("deal to us") not according to our iniquities and did not reward us according to our sins (but, of course, according to His mercy), for as the heavens are high above the earth, so He placed ("established") His mercy on those who fear Him, that is, the mercy of God is unchangeable and immeasurable.
12. As far as the east is from the west, he has removed our iniquities from us.
13. As a father gives generously to his sons, the Lord will provide for those who fear Him.
14. As He knew our creation, I will remember him as the dust of Esma.
12–14. Such great mercy of God towards us is expressed, by the way, in the fact that: He removes our iniquities from us as far as the east is far (“far”) from the west (which means He completely cleanses us from sins). Just as a father has mercy (“as a father gives generously”) to his children, so the Lord has mercy on those who fear Him (cf. v. 11), because He knows our creation, i.e. how and from what we are created, remembers that we are dust , i.e. created from the dust of the earth. Otherwise, the Lord knows that people, as created from dust, are weak and feeble, and after the fall of their ancestor they are already too prone to fall and sin (Job 14:4; Psalm 50:7). Knowing this, the Lord condescends to their weaknesses, like a father to his children, and forgives them their sins.
15. Man, like the grass of his days, like the flower of the field, will bloom,
16. For a spirit has passed through him, and is not, and no one knows his place.
17. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
18. And His righteousness is upon the sons of sons, who keep His covenant and remember His commandments to do.
15–16. Man, in fact, is extremely weak and infirm: man is like the grass of the days of his life - like a flower of the field ("farm"), so quickly he fades: as soon as - "as the spirit has passed through him" and he will no longer be, then he no longer knows (“who does not know”) his place, that is, he leaves his place.
17–18. But if with the separation of the soul from the body our life here ends, God’s mercies towards us will not cease even after that. The mercy of the Lord towards those who fear Him (cf. vv. 11 and 13) continues forever (“from everlasting to everlasting”). His righteous reward (“righteousness”) for a virtuous life extends even to the grandchildren (“sons of sons”) of those who keep His covenant and (do not break) remember His commandments in order to fulfill them (cf. Ex. 20:6) .
19. The Lord has prepared His throne in heaven, and His Kingdom possesses all.
20. Bless the Lord, all His angels, mighty in strength, who do His word, to hear the voice of His words.
21. Bless the Lord, all His might, His servants who do His will.
22. Bless the Lord, all His works, in every place of His dominion; bless the Lord, my soul.
19. God’s mercies towards people do not stop with the end of earthly life because the Lord has prepared a throne for Himself in heaven (that is, in the spiritual world, where the souls of the dead move), and His kingdom, therefore, possesses everyone, so that both heaven and the earth (His footstool, Isa. 66:1) is in His possession; those living on earth and departing from the earth are all in His power and all can receive from His bounties.
20–22. In conclusion, the prophet David calls for the glorification of God by the Angels (vv. 20–21) and all creatures in general (vv. 22) and, finally, encourages himself to do the same (vv. 22).
Glorify the Lord, all His Angels, strong enough in their strength to hear the voice of His words, that is, strong or capable of listening and understanding His will, and fulfilling His command ("doing His word"). Glorify the Lord, all His powers, that is, all the powers of heaven or all the ranks of angels, His servants who do His will.
Having called the Angels to glorify God, the prophet encourages all the creatures of God to do the same: glorify the Lord, all and in every place of His dominion, His creatures that are found, that is, all the creations of God, not only dumb, but also inanimate objects (the whole universe is really glorifies God, testifying with its wise structure to the highest perfections of the Creator (cf. Ps. 18:2).
The prophet calls on all creatures to glorify God in order to more strongly encourage people to glorify God. If dumb and unreasonable creatures should praise the Creator, then shouldn’t people, who have received incomparably greater and greatest benefits from Him, praise Him even more?
That is why, in conclusion, the prophet, turning to himself, says: bless the Lord, my soul. This is how the prophet David teaches us to glorify God for His good deeds!
Psalm to David, when Absalom his son persecuted him, 142.
1. Lord, hear my prayer, inspire my prayer in Thy truth, hear me in Thy righteousness
2. And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for no one living will be justified before You.
The psalm belongs to David, written at the time when Absalom his son was pursuing him.
This inscription shows that the present psalm was written on the same occasion as the third psalm.
According to the content, this psalm represents the prayer of the prophet David for deliverance from his enemies, and at the same time (according to the testimony of St. Athanasius) the psalm also applies to all humanity, persecuted by its original enemy - the devil. Therefore, praying to God to deliver himself from his personal enemies, David at the same time raises a prayer to Him on behalf of all mankind for deliverance from oppression and oppression from the devil and evil people who are the servants of the devil (John 8:44) .
1–2. Asking God for help and protection against enemies, the prophet, in his humility, prays that God would hear this request for the sake of His Divine righteousness and truth, without entering into court with him: Lord, hear my prayer, heed ("inspire") my prayer and listen me according to Thy truth and righteousness, that is, in accordance with Thy truth and justice.
And do not enter into a contest (“in court”) with me, Your servant, for (“as if”) none of the people living on earth can be justified before You (or at Your righteous court) (“no one living will be justified”) , of course, because every person is not free from sin (Job 14:4-5).
3. Because the enemy drove my soul, he humbled my belly to eat in the ground, he planted me to eat in dark, like dead centuries.
4. And my spirit is depressed within me, my heart is troubled within me.
3–4. Hear and attend to me according to Your justice.
For my enemy began to persecute me (“my soul”) and humiliated (“humbled”) my life to the extreme - he trampled it into the ground. He planted me or plunged me into darkness (“in the dark” - as if into the darkness of the grave), like those who died long ago (“like the dead of the century” - dead from the ages, or simply - dead long ago).
The consequence of this was that my soul became despondent (a sorrowful state close to despair), my heart was troubled (cf. Ps. 37:11).
In these words, David speaks of the time when he, the king and chosen one of God, having learned about the indignation of his son Absalom, left Jerusalem and, like an exile, walked with tears in his eyes, with his head uncovered as a sign of sadness and with bare feet, and endured reproach from enemies. Then David was in the most difficult and gloomy circumstances, so that due to great sorrow and sadness he did not see the light of God for a long time, like those who had died long ago.
5. I have remembered the days of old, I have learned in all Your works, I have learned Your hand in all creation.
6. My hands have lifted up to You, my soul, like a waterless land to You.
5–6. Finding himself in this position, David sought consolation for himself: a) in the recollection of times long past and b) in fiery prayer to God: “I remembered,” he says, “the times of old, I reflected on all Your deeds and studied in Your creations, that is, through reflection on Your creations and Your wonderful deeds among people (cf. Ps. 62:7-8).
I stretched out my hands to You in prayer (cf. Ps. 62:5); At the same time, just as the waterless (dried) land thirsts for rain, so my soul yearned for You (cf. Ps. 63:3).
7. Hear me soon, O Lord, my spirit has disappeared, do not turn Your face away from me, and I will become like those who go down into the pit.
8. I hear Thy mercy upon me in the morning, for I trust in Thee. Tell me, Lord, I will go the other way, because I have taken my soul to You.
9. Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, I have fled to You.
10. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Your Good Spirit will guide me to the right land.
11. For Thy name's sake, O Lord, live me, and through Thy righteousness remove my soul from sorrow.
12. And by Thy mercy consume my enemies and destroy all my cold souls, for I am Thy servant.
A) listen (fulfill), Lord, my prayer as soon as possible, because my soul is disappearing (as if ready to leave the body), do not turn away Your merciful gaze from me, i.e. do not leave me without help, so that I do not to become like those who go (with death) into the grave (“into the ditch”), that is, so that I do not perish, do not die (v. 7);
B) let me hear ("do hear") tomorrow ("morning") Your mercy, which means let me see my salvation through Your mercy, because I have placed my trust in You. Show me, Lord, the path along which I must go, because I am striving towards You with all my soul (“take my soul” - turned, directed my soul to You);
C) deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies, because I resort to You for help.
Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God, may Your Good Spirit (the third Person of the Holy Trinity) guide me “to the land of justice,” that is, may He guide me on the path to the land of righteousness or truth, in other words, according to the righteous path to eternal bliss;
D) for the sake of Your holy name, i.e. because You are holy, revive me, Lord, i.e. renew me in me and support my vitality.
According to Your justice ("Thy righteousness" - cf. v. 1) deliver me ("my soul") from sorrow (v. 11), and according to Your mercy ("Thy mercy") deliver me from my enemies, destroy them all , oppressing me - “all the oppressors of my soul” (cf. Ps. 3:2), because I am Your servant (v. 12).
Following the example of David, we must seek God’s help and protection from the enemies of our salvation (whether they be visible or invisible enemies is all the same). But, asking Him for merciful intercession for ourselves, we must constantly remember our unworthiness. If David, being the greatest righteous man (Acts 13:22), asked God for help not as a reward for his piety, but solely as God’s mercy, then shouldn’t our prayer be imbued with this spirit of humility?
In detail: the psalter with interpretation - from all open sources and different parts of the world on the site for our dear readers.
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St. Basil the Great
Conversations on Psalms mp3
St. Gregory of Nyssa
About Divine Scripture786Kb
St. Ephraim Sirin
About the fact that one should not marvel at the temporary and be deceived by the pleasures of life, and on the seventy-second psalm
Six Psalms of Penitence
PSALMTER, or Godly reflections, extracted from the works of our Holy Father Ephraim the Syrian and arranged in the order of the Psalms of David. 9th edition, Athos Russian Panteleimon Monastery, 1913 518Kb
St. John Chrysostom
Commentary on the Psalms (Creations, Volume 5) Part 1 Part 2
Blzh. Theodoret of Cyrus
Interpretation of Psalm 50
Interpretation of one hundred and fifty psalms
St. Ignatiy Brianchaninov
"Blessed is the Man" (Ascetic Experiences, Volume 2)
20.6MB in mp3 part 1 part 2
The Mysterious Explanation of the 99th Psalm (Ascetic Experiences, Volume 2)
7.7MB in mp3 part 1 part 2
St. Ambrose Optinsky
Explanation of Psalm 22
St. Maxim the Confessor
Interpretation of Psalm 59
Interpretation of the Psalms
The Fathers of the Church and church interpreters can give different comments on the same verses of the psalm. Let's take Ps. for example. 1:1:
Blessed is the man who did not go to the meeting of the wicked, and did not stand in the way of sinners, and did not sit in the company of destroyers.
St. Athanasius the Great comments:
“David initiates the prophecy about Christ. who was to be born from him. Therefore, first of all, He pleases those who trust in Him. He calls those blessed who did not follow the advice of the wicked, did not stand in the way of sinners, and did not sit on the seats of the destroyers. For among the Jews three kinds of people rebelled against the Savior: the scribes, the Pharisees and the lawyers, and they are rightly called wicked, sinners and destroyers. And life is called a path, because those who are born are brought to an end.”
Evfimy Zigaben comments as follows:
“By advice we mean desire. An atheist or pagan is called wicked, and a sinner, although a believer, leads a lawless and depraved life; a destroyer is one who not only sins himself, but also corrupts and seduces others with his illness. It can be done differently: by council we mean their meeting, by the path of sinners - the devil, because he who does not stand in the devil comes to God, Who said: “I am the way” (John 14:6), along which people pass to virtue. Under the seat is the teaching of the evil ones.”
This psalm is sung at Vespers, constantly reminding us of the bliss that awaits the righteous.
Finally, one of the fathers of the desert, Patermufius, explained this place with his life. He, being illiterate, began to learn the psalter, and, having heard this verse, went into the desert for many years, based his entire life on these words and shone with holiness.
It would seem that if there are such wonderful comments and examples, why try to interpret the sacred texts yourself? Indeed, the interpretations of the Church Fathers will forever remain for us models from which to learn. But God did not give us reason in vain, and our task is not only to repeat their comments, but also to understand what a particular psalm means personally for my life. And here the interpretations of the Fathers can only be a help to us, but not a replacement for our own reflection, by the way, commanded at the very beginning of the Psalter:
His will is in the law of the Lord,
and he will learn His law day and night
(speaking of the righteous in Ps. 1:2, cf. Ps. 77:13, 119:16, 117, Deut. 11:18-21)
Reading the Psalms, we can generally identify several levels of understanding.
In the first, literal (or historical) approach, the psalms are viewed as fragments from the lives of the Old Testament righteous. We can learn from them the biblical vision of the world, but also notice the difference between the Old Testament and New Testament Revelation. It is more correct to begin the study of the psalm with an understanding of its literal meaning, and only then move on to other types of interpretation.
Let's take the tenth psalm as an example.
1 To the end. Psalm of David.
I trust in the Lord
How will you say to my soul: “Fly to the mountains like a bird?”
2 For behold, the sinners have drawn their bows, they have prepared arrows in their quiver,
to shoot in the darkness at the upright in heart,
3 And what You have done, they have destroyed,
and what did the righteous do? (When the foundations are destroyed, what will the righteous do? – SP)
4 The Lord is in His holy temple:
The Lord is His throne in heaven,
His eyes look upon the poor.
His eyes test the sons of men.
5 The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
but he who loves unrighteousness hates his own soul.
6 He will bring down snares on sinners:
fire and brimstone and the stormy spirit are their portion (from) the cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous and loves righteousness,
He sees righteousness in His face (He sees the righteous in His face - SP).
The mention of mountains in the first verse allows us to relate this psalm to the events described in 1 Samuel. 23:14 (from the Brussels Bible link). Then the situation described in the psalm looks something like this: David, being anointed king and occupying a prominent place at court, serving God and the king with faith and truth, found himself in disgrace with Saul, who was looking for how to destroy him by cunning. David has to flee to the mountains to avoid being struck in the desert.
This psalm can be analyzed sequentially, then the first half of the psalm is a question: “Lord, what should we do?”, and the second is God’s answer, why this is happening and how it will end. However, if we notice the chiasmus here, then the entire psalm can be read from the center to the edges, and it will appear to us in the following form:
4 God tests every person and cares for everyone (His presence is felt in the temple; but His dominion is greater, over all the earth, He is attentive to those who do not care. He tests man. How will man behave?)
3-5 The wicked, who destroys the work of God, prepares his own destruction (Sinners have already destroyed the foundations, what should the Anointed One do now? But those who love unrighteousness hate their own soul - they prepare their own destruction, because the Lord is watching)
2-6 The wicked, no matter what intrigues they plot, will perish (Sinners are ready to destroy David, taking advantage of the surprise, but like Sodom and Gomorrah, it will also be bad for the wicked),
1-7 Although sometimes it seems that it is better to disappear, the hope of the righteous will be realized, and he will appear before the Lord (Neighbors advise David to fly away like a sparrow, to hide in the mountains. David hopes for help from the Lord. For the Lord is righteous and loves righteousness, the righteous will not perish , but will stand before the face of God).
The details should also not escape our attention. The “darkness” mentioned in verse 2 is a picture of what: an unexpected ambush, an unfavorable time, or the darkened consciousness of sinners? And is it possible to hit a person if you aim at him in the dark? “Foundations” – is it the law of God, which was trampled upon by sinners, the basis of David’s authority (his anointing as king), or, in principle, the work of God, in which the righteous participates? If the latter, then it is interesting that although it may be completely destroyed, nowhere is it said that he himself will suffer harm; on the contrary, he will see the Lord.
Having grasped the literal meaning, you can move on to the second level of understanding the text of the psalm, i.e. ask ourselves what this psalm means to us. After all, the Lord tests us in this way, and we have deeds that seem to be pleasing to God, but as soon as we start doing them, obstacles appear, people “put spokes in the wheels.” And when everything collapses, you just want to run away. Here you can notice verse 3: When the foundations are destroyed, what will the righteous do?(SP) In other words, will we become despondent, will we blame others for our troubles, will we become embittered, or will we hope and try to improve the situation?
Here you can use in moderation what the fathers call “spiritual meaning.” For example, one girl found the following allegorical interpretation close to her heart. At the beginning, we are all righteous: this is the foundation given to us by God and the piety of our parents. The destroyed foundation is life without God, into which she strayed due to the fact that she fell under the influence of sinners (demons and people acting at their instigation). She herself bears the consequences of this: fire and brimstone are tears and the bitterness of despondency, a stormy spirit is a shattered nervous system. But this psalm became a harbinger of hope for her: realizing herself to be poor, she turns to God for admonition and hopes to see Him again. Some may find this reading somewhat artificial, but for this girl the psalm seemed like a prophetic answer from God to her problems.
The next level of reading opens when we discern in the text an internal connection with the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. Any text of the Bible indirectly speaks about Him, but in the Psalms this is most obvious (for example, the verses of Psalm 21 sound like a vivid prophecy).
Indications of the Lord in the psalm we are examining can be seen in the following places:
Art. 2 – the greatest evil, the delivery of Christ to death, was also carried out at night (Luke 22:53),
Art. 3 – no guilt was found in Christ (Luke 23:22)
Art. 4 – He was exposed as a beggar, but God did not abandon Him (Isa. 53, Phil. 2:7)
Art. 6 – He had to drink the cup of wrath for the sins of the people (John 18:11, Mark 14:36).
Of course, it is not necessary and not immediately that our interpretation will be so harmonious. Often, when reading Scripture in a Gospel conversation group, we do not follow this sequence of interpretation, preferring instead a lively discussion of what has been directly revealed.
After the psalm has been read and analyzed on three levels—literal-historical, personal, and as prophecy—one can turn to the individual themes of that psalm and see how they are revealed in the Holy Scriptures (using a Bible search or a dictionary search). , in the works of the Holy Fathers, divine services and biographies of saints. Here such topics could be:
The righteous and the sinners (the wicked),
Test (temptation) and God's care for man,
Truth (justice) of God and Judgment of God,
Cup (of anger)
Trust in God
Temple (Tabernacle, Sanctuary) and Throne,
Vision of God (now and at the end of time).
In the appendix we present a wonderful commentary by St. John Chrysostom on the tenth psalm. As you can see, the saint makes extensive use of the translations available to him, quotes from parallel passages in the Bible, tries first to find out the literal meaning of the psalm, and only then proceeds to moral preaching.
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Introduction to the book of Psalms.
In no other book of the Old Testament was personal faith in the Lord reflected as vividly and figuratively as in the book of Psalms. In all centuries, believers have resorted to the prayers and praises contained here. The Russian name “Psalter” is of Greek origin: the word “psalmos” translated the Hebrew “mitsmor”, which meant playing a string instrument. In ancient times, the songs and hymns of the Psalter were sung to the accompaniment of a guitar-like instrument, called a “psalter” in Russian.
The book of Psalms can be called a collection of religious lyric poetry - the largest monument of this kind that existed in antiquity. Many psalms are addressed directly to God and express request, supplication and praise in poetic form. They feel the intensity of personal religious feeling: the believer’s fears, his doubts, pain, triumph, joy, hope - all this is passed through the prism of this feeling.
Often, the authors of the psalms, based on their own experience, reflected on the needs and destinies of people and on God's goodness and mercy. In their moralizing poetic lines, glorifying “deliverance” from above, believers of subsequent times found consolation and hope in the days of their own difficult trials. The psalmists rejoiced at the Law that God gave to the people; for them it was a guiding thread, a guarantee of victory and prosperity.
Some psalms absorbed folk wisdom and became an expression of the Hebrew “philosophy of life,” and in this sense they echo Proverbs and other examples of the so-called “wisdom literature.”
Since the psalms are temple chants, they accompanied the rituals of worship. These were hymns of triumph, glorifying the privilege given to the people of approaching God on His holy mountain. Through the psalms, the Israelites expressed their deep reverence for God. As lyrical and poetic works they are unforgettable.
Figurative language in the book of Psalms.
The psalms are characterized by a language of associations, expressed through the constant use of figurative phrases, symbols, allegories, through the polysemy of images, the nature of which indicates the agricultural and pastoral orientation of the “economy” in ancient Israel and, accordingly, the closeness of the Israelis to nature. But the psalms also testify to the military activity of the people, who waged either wars of conquest to take possession of the promised land, or defensive ones, defending themselves from the devastating raids of their neighbors, which were sometimes allowed by the Lord as His “disciplinary measure.”
The mentioned “language of associations” in poetic speech allowed the psalmist to express several things simultaneously in one phrase. Since the thought was conveyed through images, the reader had an understanding of what the poet was thinking about and what he meant when he wrote certain lines. He was worried, however, not only about the meaning of the words, but also about the emotionality of their sound. For example, the author of the psalm could convey the idea of the vitality of a person pleasing to God in the image of a tree whose roots are abundantly watered. And the thought of the fears tormenting the faint-hearted is in the image of melting wax. He could liken the evil tongue of the wicked to a sharp sword and striking arrows.
The modern reader of the psalms must, of course, be aware that only the inhabitants of ancient Israel, who had absorbed all the features of its life and culture, of which this “language of associations” was a part, could fully experience their poetic charm.
Types of psalms.
Many psalms have not only a number, but also a special title. There are several of them, and, accordingly, psalms are divided into several types - depending on the content of each song and the methods of its performance (on a particular musical instrument, taking into account this or that nature of the vocal accompaniment).
In the Hebrew text, the title “mitsmor” (in Russian “psalm”) appears 57 times. They emphasize the performance of this song to the accompaniment of the “psalter”. The title “shir” (literally “song”) appears 12 times in the Hebrew Bible. (It is easy to notice that in the Russian translation the words “psalm” and “song” appear more often.) The title “mashkil” is translated as “Teaching”. Sometimes it is also understood as a “poem of contemplation.” In these psalms, the authors express their bewilderment about certain events and the thoughts that arise in them in this regard. The title “tepillah” (“Prayer”) speaks for itself.
The ancient Jews offered praises to God accompanied by playing cymbals, flutes, tambourines and various kinds of stringed instruments. Fifty-five of them begin with an “address” to the “choir director” and an indication of which musical “instrument” the accompaniment should follow. Many speculations have been put forward regarding this “choirmaster,” but most of them boil down to the fact that we are talking about the Levite responsible for performing all the temple music. Psalms that initially had a “reference” to it could for some time be included in the collection of hymns specially intended for temple service.
The inscription “Teaching. Sons of Korah”, which we find at the beginning of Psalms 41, 43-48,83,86-87 (some believe that it applies to all the intermediate psalms in this series), indicates that their authors were Levites from the family of Korah, distinguished by his devotion to David. Korah's descendants remained as temple servants throughout Jewish history.
The inscription “Idithumu” (Ps. 38, 61, 76) speaks of the performance of the corresponding psalms by the choir, which was headed by Idithum (or Idithun, aka Ethan), one of the leading musicians under King David (1 Chron. 16:41).
Four main types of psalms:
1. Personal complaints. In general terms, these psalms correspond to prayers for help in trouble and misfortune. They are divided into:
A. The introductory part is a cry addressed to God. The psalmist cries out to God, pours out his heart to Him.
b. Just lamentation. It contains a description of the sad situation in which the psalmist finds himself, his difficulties; he tells God about what his enemies did to him, and how hopeless his situation is, and he also talks about what God did (or did not do) to him.
V. Confession of faith. Having “stated” his complaint, the psalmist declares his complete trust in the Lord. Some of these “sections,” having been supplemented, became independent “psalms of trust.”
Mr. Request. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene in his situation and send him deliverance.
d. A solemn offering of praise, or a vow of praise to God for His answer to the prayer of the psalmist. As part of the prayer for deliverance, the doxology was to be said in front of the entire community after the prayer had been answered. Without doubting, however, that God would answer him, the psalmist began to praise Him already in the process of prayer.
2. People's laments. They are structured in the same way as “personal lamentations,” but this type of psalm is usually shorter. They consist of an introductory address and petition, a “lament,” a confession of faith, a “lament,” and a vow of praise. The theme of each of these psalms is some kind of test suffered by the people, and their need for God: experiencing difficulties and sorrows, the people “approach” God with their “lamentation”.
3. Psalms of personal thanksgiving. They are also called “psalms of praise”; they differ in form from those mentioned above. We can talk about the presence of five “elements” in them:
A. A promise to praise God. The psalmist usually begins with a phrase such as “I will praise” or “I will give praise” - because the psalm was a way for him to tell others what God had done for him.
b. Introductory summary. In it, the singer often outlined briefly what the Almighty had done for him.
V. “Message of Deliverance.” It contained a detailed account of deliverance. Usually the psalmist said that, behold, he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord heard and “delivered” him.
d. The psalmist's offering of the praise he promised to offer at the beginning.
d. Doxology or instruction. The psalm ended with praise to God, or was “extended” by admonishing people.
Among the “psalms of thanksgiving” can be named (although any such division is not absolute) - Ps. 20, 29, 31, 33, 39 and 65.
4. Hymns (psalms of praise). The theme of “personal deliverance” is not in the first place in them; the purpose of the hymns was to offer praise to God. Hence their slightly different structure. They began with a call to praise. The psalmist invited others to praise the Lord. The reason for the praise was then stated. In this part it was usually formulated briefly and then presented in detail.
Usually the reason was given as the greatness of God and His mercy, which were illustrated by references to one or another of His deeds. In conclusion, the psalmist again called for praising the Lord. (Note that this “structure” was not always followed exactly.) Examples of “hymns” include Psalms 32, 35, 104, 110, 112, 116, and 134.
Psalms that differ from these will be discussed in detail as the interpretation progresses. The most notable of these are the “psalms of wisdom”, “songs of ascension”, royal psalms and psalms on the occasion of ascension to the throne. It is impossible not to notice how clearly the themes of the “psalms of wisdom” echo the themes of the Old Testament “wisdom literature,” of which Proverbs is an example.
Songs of ascension.
In Western theological literature, Psalms 120-133 are called “pilgrim psalms.” They all have the title “Song of Ascension.” Many interpretations of this title have been proposed, but most of them boil down to the fact that these psalms were sung by those who “went up” to worship God to Jerusalem on the three main annual holidays of the Jews. In other words, they were sung by pilgrims who climbed Mount Zion for this purpose (Ps. 122:4; Is. 30:29, and also Ex. 23:17; Ps. 42:4).
Royal Psalms.
Psalms in the center of which is the figure of the anointed king are called royal. Their theme is some important event in the life of the king, such as his enthronement (Ps. 2), his marriage (Ps. 44), preparation for battle (Ps. 19, 143). God's covenant with David is described in Ps. 88. Psalm 109 “anticipates” the king's return in victory, and Psalm 71 foreshadows the glorious reign of King Solomon. Read about the relationship of these two psalms to the King Messiah in the comments on them.
Psalms (or songs) on the occasion of ascension to the throne are characterized by the phrases “The Lord reigns” (Ps. 92; 96; 98), “The Lord ... is a great king” (Ps. 46; 94) or “He will judge” (Ps. 97 ). Commentators on the Psalter perceive these expressions differently. Some believe that the “psalms of enthronement” were associated with a certain annual holiday dedicated to the reign of the Lord over the earth. However, there is no evidence that such a holiday ever existed. Others refer the phrases mentioned to the reign of the Lord over Israel.
Psalm 98 “fits” within the framework of such an understanding, but it is not justified by the content of the others. Maybe we are talking about the reign of God over the universe? This seems to be consistent with Ps. 92, but again: “the psalms of enthronement” are saturated with a certain dramatic foreboding that goes beyond the scope of this interpretation.
Apparently, despite the fact that some phrases characteristic of these psalms are somehow related to manifestations of God's reign now (for example, with the granting of salvation to people), they can best be interpreted in relation to the Millennial Kingdom. The language of the “psalms of enthronement”, and the figurative structure, reminiscent of the Epiphany on Sinai, is very consonant with the images of the prophecies about the coming Messiah. With such a phrase, for example, from the prophet Isaiah as “thy God reigns!” (Isa. 52:7), which refers to the future reign of the Suffering Servant
Psalms of glorification of the Lord.
To understand the “background” of a number of psalms, it is important to have a good understanding of the religious calendar of ancient Israel (“Calendar in Israel” - in the comments on the 12th chapter of the book of Exodus). In Ex. 23:14-19 and Lev. 23:4-44 we find a description of the three most important annual festivals among the Jews: Passover and Unleavened Bread in the spring, Pentecost (or the Feast of Firstfruits) in early summer, and in the fall, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. On these holidays, the people had to go to Jerusalem to offer thanks to God in a joyful and solemn atmosphere. Those who gathered at the temple became participants in mass rituals, which were performed to musical accompaniment, where Levitical singers sang psalms, praising and glorifying God.
Psalm 5:7 speaks directly of the intention of entering the house of God to worship the Lord. (Ps. 67:24-27 celebrates the procession to the sanctuary, accompanied by those playing and singing; compare Ps. 41:4.) Psalm 122:1 speaks of the joy of going with others to the temple.
There were many events, occasions, and reasons for worshiping God in the temple in ancient Israel. These are Sabbath days and new moons, and Sabbath years, and various kinds of anniversaries. But believers constantly came there on their own impulse. And they made voluntary sacrifices as a sign of gratitude (the so-called “peace offerings”; Lev. 7:12-18; Ps. 49:14-15), in particular, for an answer to prayer (1 Sam. 1:24-25) ; they were offered for cleansing from “leprosy” and for cleansing from ritual impurity (Lev. 13-15), for the successful resolution of legal conflicts, for cleansing from sin (Ps. 51:13-17), and also as a sign of making a vow. In such cases, the offering of the person coming to the temple was supposed to be shared with those present; he pronounced the praise of God in front of them, out loud, perhaps in the form of a psalm of praise.
There is no doubt that the prayer texts of the Psalter were very popular: they were used not only in the process of “official worship,” but also in prayers for forgiveness, healing, protection, “deliverance,” and consolation; and this practice, being inherited by the Christian Church, continues throughout its history.
So, whether individually or socially, psalms were sung or recited near the sanctuary. Their contents are instructive for believers today. And that's why. The prayers of the psalmists were characterized by such an intensity of faith in the Lord that gratitude and praise to Him flowed from their lips even before the prayer was answered.
When you carefully study the psalms, you see, wrote Clive Lewis in “Reflections on the Psalms,” how this faith and sincere joy in God’s blessings involuntarily grew. It was considered a sin to receive anything from God and not praise Him. The process of praise ended with the announcement of the Lord's mercies. And this, too, was part of the “joy in the Lord,” since it is natural for a person to talk about the things that delight him most.
Thus, when the Scriptures called for believers to praise God, it was also a call for them to rejoice in God and His benefits. According to ancient Israelite practice, God's blessing of one was made the property of the entire community, so that each of its members could take part in praising the Almighty. Specifically, this was expressed in the fraternal sharing of sacrificial meat and other offerings by those who came to the temple to offer praise to God.
Curses in the Psalms.
The psalm writers sang of their loyalty to God and His covenant. It is precisely the zealous desire to defend righteousness that explains the words of curses often found in their texts. They prayed that God would “break the arm of the wicked and the evil” (Ps. 9:15), “break their teeth” (Ps. 57:6) and “pour out His wrath on them” (Ps. 67:22-28) . Such “requests” were dictated not by personal vindictiveness, but by a protest against those who, being deprived of honor and conscience, respond to good with evil and betrayal (Ps. 109: 4-5), and, most importantly, by an ardent desire for God to condemn sin and established His work on earth.
Of course, the prayer life of Christians is different from that of the ancient Jews. But when we pray for the fulfillment of God’s will or for the speedy coming of Christ, we also pray for judgment on the wicked and reward for the righteous.
Psalter about death.
In the minds of the psalmists, death meant the end of their service to God and their praise of God (the Jews later realized the fallacy of this idea, as evidenced by the books of the Bible written in subsequent centuries). As for the authors of the psalms, for them it was possible to rejoice in God’s faithful love and the fruits of their own righteousness only in this life (Ps. 6:5; 29:9; 87:4-5,10-11; 113:25).
Nowhere in the Psalter is the expectation of the resurrection expressed in any specific way (as, say, in the prophets; Isa. 26:19; Ezek. 37:1-14; Dan. 12:2). And yet, sometimes hope for continued communication with the Lord even after death breaks through in the psalms (Ps. 15-16; 48; 72). At the same time, it is impossible not to note that the words and expressions used in these chants that seem to testify to such hope are used in other psalms in relation to transitory earthly circumstances.
Thus, the Hebrew “sheol” meant in the mouths of the psalmists both the area where the spirits who departed from the earth lived and the grave. The hope for deliverance from the underworld (“Sheol”) and entry into the presence of God is expressed in Ps. 48:15. For the psalmist, this could, however, mean both hope for achieving “eternal glory” and for some kind of “earthly deliverance”, for continuing to serve God here on earth; in Ps. 29:3 “liberation from hell” (“Sheol”) is understood by David in this very sense. And at the same time, the hope expressed in these poetic lines easily turns, as attested in later biblical revelations, into hope for the future life.
Messianic Psalms.
We can also talk about incomplete clarity and hidden meaning in relation to the “messianic psalms.” Looking at the Psalms, and, in fact, at the entire Old Testament, through the prism of the full revelation of Christ that we have, we can see how often they “speak” about the Lord Jesus (Luke 24:27). But to the believers of Old Testament times, the meaning of the Messianic psalms (those lines of them that carried the main idea) was often not completely clear.
On the one hand, the psalmist described his own sufferings or victories, but, on the other hand, he could use expressions and images that did not fit into his earthly experience; they were to shed the veil of mystery later, revealing their meaning in Jesus Christ. Looking back, then, we can follow Delitzsch, the famous theologian of the past, and say:
“Just as God the Father sets the direction of the history of Jesus Christ and shapes it in accordance with His own will and wisdom, so His Spirit directs it in a direction pleasing to Him, shaping King David’s statements about himself in such a way that a prototype of the future King appears in them, in accordance with history, which God the Father directs"
What we encounter in this regard on the pages of the Bible can be called prefiguration as a form of prophecy. This form differs from prophecy in its usual understanding in that it can be recognized only after its fulfillment. Only on the basis of its execution can one, “looking back,” understand that the meaning of certain expressions and images was determined not only by the historical specifics of their time. This explains why the New Testament writers constantly turned to the psalms, finding in them such revelations about many aspects of the person of the Messiah and His works that clearly related to Jesus Christ.
In the Messianic psalms, He appears before us as the perfect anointed King from the line of David. In approaching these psalms, researchers must, however, be very careful: they must remember that not everything in them refers to Jesus Christ (in other words, that not all of their meaning is transformative), that their primary meaning is determined by their thoughts, experiences, experiences authors. Thus, an analysis of the Messianic psalms from a historical, textual and grammatical point of view must precede an analysis of their “application” to Jesus Christ by the New Testament authors.
Many commentators on the Psalter use (to one degree or another) Delitzsch's proposed division of the “messianic psalms” into five types.
1. Purely prophetic psalms. This is, in particular, Ps. 109, which speaks of the future King from the “house of David,” who is the Lord Jesus. In the New Testament (Matt. 22:44) this King is directly identified with Christ.
2. Eschatological psalms. These are Psalms 95-98; Relating at the same time to the so-called “psalms of enthronement,” they describe the coming of the Lord and the establishment of His Kingdom. And although they do not talk about the King from the house of David, there are hints in the text that this will happen at the second coming of Christ.
3. Educational and prophetic psalms. In them the psalmist describes his experiences, thoughts and feelings, but does it in such language, through such images, that clearly take what he sings about beyond the limits of his personal experience; the prophecy contained in such psalms is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. An example of these is Psalm 21.
4. Indirect messianic psalms. These psalms were dedicated to the real king of his time and his activities. But the final fulfillment of what is proclaimed in them is again in Jesus Christ (Ps. 2; 44; 71).
5. Psalms containing messianic symbolism, or partially messianic. Their messianic character is less obvious. In some way (or to some extent) the psalmist reflects what applies to Christ (for example, Ps. 33:21), but not all aspects of his text apply to the Lord. Subsequently, Jesus and the apostles could simply resort to familiar phrases and images from these psalms as a means of expressing their own experiences (for example, “borrowing” from Ps. 109:8 to Acts 1:20).
So it is obvious that both the trust of believers in God and the fundamental truths of faith were expressed in the language of the psalms in a most impressive way. For centuries, these psalms have inspired God's people and served them to express praise to the Lord. In addition, they serve as a means of “individual consolation,” a source of hope for the suffering soul in times of difficult trials; The psalms teach how to pray and give confidence that prayer will be heard, thereby strengthening a person’s trust in the Lord. Let us note in this connection that the psalms are characterized by a sudden transition from an outpouring of complaint and supplication to joy over the expected answer, as if it had already been received. This demonstrates the conviction of faith.
Authors of the book Psalter.
At the beginning of many psalms there are the names of certain persons, with the Hebrew particle “le” in front of them: “le David”, “le Asaph”, etc. It is traditionally believed that the particle “le” testifies to the author of this psalm (song) . We know from the Scriptures, however, that David was a wonderful singer and musician and the first organizer of musical “guilds” at the sanctuary (1 Chronicles 15:3-28; 16:4-43; 23:1-5; 25; 2- Kings 6:5; also 1 Chronicles 13:8). In ancient Jewish legends he remained as one of the creators of sacred chants.
In addition, although the word following the particle “le” can be rendered not only in the genitive case (“Psalm of David”), but also in the dative case, as well as in the genitive with the preposition “for,” the use of this particle in inscriptions to psalms to certify their authorship is quite well confirmed (when compared, in particular, with inscriptions in other Semitic dialects, for example, in Arabic, as well as when compared with other biblical texts).
The following “list” would be helpful in studying the 90 psalms that have “name inscriptions”: Psalm 89 is attributed to Moses; King David is considered the author of the 73 psalms; Psalms 49 and 72-82 were written by Asaph; Heman the Ezrahite wrote Psalm 87, and Ethan the Ezrahite (1 Kings 4:31) wrote Psalm 88; King Solomon is considered the author of Psalms 71 and 126. (The aforementioned Asaph, Heman and Ethan were Levitical musicians; 1 Chronicles 15:17,19 compare with 1 Chronicles 6:39; 2 Chronicles 5:12).
The time of writing the Psalter.
The time when the psalms were written covers the period from Moses to the return of the Jews who were taken away from it to the promised land. The fact that a number of psalms were actually written in the period after the Babylonian captivity is clearly evidenced by their content.
In addition to the particle “le”, which in a number of cases speaks of the authorship of David, in several of these psalms it is also confirmed by short messages from the life of this king. These historical notes are found under 14 Psalms.
Psalm 58 echoes 1 Samuel. 19:11.
Psalm 55 – from 1 Samuel. 21:10-15
Psalm 33 – from 1 Samuel. 21:10 – 22:2
Psalm 51 – from 1 Samuel. 22:9
Psalm 53 – from 1 Samuel. 23:15-23
Psalm 7 can be linked to 1 Samuel. 23:24-29, although this is not completely certain.
Psalm 56 refers to what happened in Adollam (1 Sam. 22:1-2) or En-Gaddi (1 Sam. 24). One of these incidents could be reflected in Ps. 141, where David prays in the cave.
Psalm 59 correlates with 2 Kings. 8:8, Hans 1-Par. 18:9-12.
Psalm 17 is almost identical in content to 2 Samuel 22
Psalm 51 refers to the sin of King David described in 2 Sam. 11-12
Psalm 3 reflects David's feelings regarding the events described in 2 Sam. 15-18.
Psalm 29 is believed to be based on the theme described in 1 Chron. 21:1 – 22:1. David wrote it to be performed “at the renovation of the house”; Apparently, this implies the construction of an altar on the threshing floor of Orna after the king carried out a census of his subjects that was displeasing to God, and the people were punished by an epidemic of pestilence that decimated them for three days.
Since the psalms were written over a long period of time, it is clear that their collection came together gradually. In this regard, the final verse of Psalm 71 (verse 20) is noteworthy: “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” Meanwhile, a number of psalms preceding this one are not considered to be the works of David, while the 17 psalms following the 71st were, in all likelihood, written by him. Thus, what is said in 71:20 appears to refer to one of the early “collections” of psalms.
And other kings, besides David, in the process of the reforms they carried out, also reorganized the musical service at the temple. For example, this was done by Solomon (2 Chron. 5:11-14; 7:6; 9:11; Eccl. 2:8), Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:21) and Jehoiada (2 Chron. 23 :18). The reformer king Hezekiah also made certain changes to the ministry of temple musicians (2 Chronicles 29:25-28,30; 30:21; 31:2). Hezekiah, by the way, commanded the Levites to praise the Lord in the words written by David and Asaph (2 Chronicles 29:30). From this it obviously follows that two “collections” of psalms already existed by that time.
Other “assemblies” could be composed of “songs of ascension” (or, as they are also called, “songs of pilgrims”): Ps. 119-133. Apparently, these smaller collections were subsequently included in existing books. So book I consists of Psalms 1-40; book II – Psalms 41-71; book III – Ps. 72-88; book IV – Ps. 89-105 and, finally, book V - Ps. 106-150. Each book concludes with a praise to the Lord, and the entire Psalter with a great praise (Ps. 150).
The earliest evidence of the division of the Psalter into five parts is found in the Qumran scrolls.
Manuscripts of the Psalter that have survived to our times are classified into at least three types. The Hebrew Bible, or the so-called Masoretic Text, contains manuscripts of the highest quality. They are more subject to reading than others, although they are fraught with difficulties due to the presence of archaisms and omissions. But the degree of their reliability testifies to the reverent attitude of the scribes (copyists) to the sacred texts that fell into their hands.
The Greek Septuagint presents manuscripts of the Psalter based on a less reliable text than the one that formed the basis of the Masoretic text. The fact is that, when faced with particularly significant omissions or difficulties in the Hebrew text, 70 translators into Greek quite often “smoothed out” the obstacles that arose through a free retelling of the text.
Translators of the Russian synodal text proceeded mainly from the Greek translation (Septuagint).
Outline of the book of Psalms:
I. Book 1 (Psalms 1-40)
II. Book 2 (Psalms 41-71)
III. Book 3 (Psalms 72-88)
IV. Book 4 (Psalms 89-105)
V. Book 5 (Psalms 106-150)
The book of psalms, called the Psalter, belongs to the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament. And therefore, whether we speak about the Psalter in general, or separately about this or that psalm, about this or that saying of the psalmists, we must speak as about a saying and scripture that is sacred and inspired by God. What is Holy Scripture? – The Holy Scriptures were given to people from God Himself; and the holy men by whom it was written were guided by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we all need to be sure that it is written for very important purposes, namely:
1) in order to enlighten and instruct us in what relationship we are and should be in relation to God and His creatures,
2) in order to tell us everything that needs to be known and done for the glorification of God, for the happiness possible in Him on earth and eternal bliss in heaven. For this purpose, Holy Scripture tells us about the creation of the world by the omnipotent Word of God, imparts knowledge of the holy, blessed life of the first ancestors in paradise and their fall from the heights of happiness through the transgression of God’s commandment. Then,
3) showing what we owe to the Almighty Creator, Merciful Benefactor and Righteous Judge, Holy Scripture teaches how we can preserve and strengthen His eternal love for us and prepare ourselves to achieve the glory of the children of God. Specifically, the purpose of Holy Scripture is,
4) to make us wise in the matter of salvation through living faith in Jesus Christ; to present to our eyes the grace of God given to us in Jesus Christ; arrange our spirit “in the image and likeness of God” (); to establish in our souls the knowledge of truth and faith, love and holiness; and lead to “unceasing coexistence with the saints” (), “towards the achievement of perfection, according to the age of the fulfillment of Christ” () and to glorification with Christ in heaven.
2. Important The Psalms in general and in particular are for home use by Christians.
What can be said about Holy Scripture in general, the same should be said about the Psalter in particular; because the Psalter can be called an abbreviation of the entire Holy Scripture, and there is, one might say, a book in the world so many edifying, like the Psalter. Everything that concerns the spiritual needs of man, all this is in the Psalter. This is a treasury from which everyone can draw comfort and strength in all situations of life; this is the fullness of divine wisdom. Some of the psalms express feelings of gratitude and reverence; others extol the greatness of God and praise His omnipotence, wisdom and goodness; others appeal to the mercy and forbearance of the Creator and beg for forgiveness of sins; others, finally, contain prophecies about Christ and His Kingdom. That is why, among all the Old Testament books of the Holy Scriptures, divinely inspired and useful for teaching (), the book of psalms is the most commonly used among Christians, loved by them more than other books and, one can positively say, necessary for everyone. According to St. , this book is “a garden that contains the plantings of all other books - it is a mirror where the sinful human soul sees itself in its present form, with all its passions, sins, iniquities, in all its various movements, directions and states; sees all his ailments and finds real cures for his spiritual illnesses in this wonderful book. Yes, the book of psalms is not far from every person, it is not a work of art that is alien and extraneous to us, it is our book about ourselves. The Psalms of David are the songs of our soul; his prayerful voices and cries are the voices and cries of our spirit, suppressed by sin, oppressed by sorrows and misfortunes. Besides this, where will we find the best examples of prayers, supplications, thanksgivings, praises and glorifications of God, if not in the psalms of David? In my opinion,” says Athanasius, “the book of psalms measures and describes in words the whole of human life, mental dispositions and movements of thoughts, and beyond what is depicted in it nothing more can be found in a person. Whether repentance and confession are needed, whether sorrow and temptation have befallen anyone, we persecute whether who, or got rid of malicious intent, became sad and confused and suffers anything similar to the above, or sees myself successful, and the enemy brought into inaction, or intends to praise, thank and bless the Lord - for all this he has instructions in the divine psalms... Therefore, even now, everyone, pronouncing the psalms, let him be trustworthy that God will hear those who ask with the psalm word. That is why, with the words of the psalms, believers have ascended to the Throne of God at all times. In the ancient centuries of Christianity, believers were required to memorize the Psalter. Morning and evening, at meals and classes, believers strengthened and delighted themselves with the chants of this holy book. And here, in Holy Rus', for many centuries and until recently, especially among the common people, learning to read and write began with the Psalter, and almost always all book learning ended with it. Therefore, this sacred book in many houses of common people was and is, one might say, the only reference book. It is especially the same, and not only a reference book, but also a prayer book, in all Russian monasteries, for all monastics.
3. Relation to the Psalter Lord Jesus Christ and His Apostles.
The Lord Himself, in His conversations with the disciples and with the Jewish people, as well as His apostles in their inspired writings, often refer to the book of psalms. Yes, St. The Apostle Paul, teaching the believers the rules and instructions of a holy life in Christ, says: “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing yourself, in psalms and songs and spiritual songs, singing in grace in your hearts to the Lord” (). That is why the book of psalms should be the road for us.
4. About the reasons ambiguities and difficulties in understanding the true meaning in the psalms and about their interpretations.
Meanwhile, for many who read the book of psalms, it is not clear in many of its places - it is not clear due to the originality of the language, images and expressions, the depth of thoughts, as well as the darkness of its Slavic translation. The meaning of many psalm sayings is especially dark and incomprehensible for those who have not received sufficient scientific education or have none at all. All 150 psalms, as we know, were originally composed and written in Hebrew. From this language, over time, they were translated into Greek, and much time later they were translated from Greek into the Slavic language. Since each language has its own nature, its own characteristics peculiar to it alone (idiom), then when translating psalms from one language to another, the true meaning of psalm sayings in many places, naturally, had to suffer significant changes due to the inevitable inaccuracy in expressions. The Slavic language itself, in which we now read the sacred books, as well as the Psalter, is now not clear to everyone and not in everything. All this serves cause of blackout the meaning of the psalms.
That is why, from the very first centuries of Christianity, attempts and works began to appear to explain the Psalter. It is known that St. Hippolytus the martyr (II century), the learned Christian writer Origen (III century), and in the IV century we already see several famous interpretations of the psalms, such as: Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom, St. Hilary, blessed Theodoret, Jerome, Augustine and others. These explanations and interpretations, recently collected by Palladius, Bishop of Sarapul, in his book “Interpretation of the Psalms”, as well as in the book of the learned Greek monk Euthymius Zigaben, we will accept in guidance in this brief explanation of the psalms.
5. ABOUT properties and the nature of what we offer explanations of the psalms.
Thus, what we offer explanation of the psalms It will not be something new, but something ancient, not our own, but our father’s. This is the voice of sacred and venerable antiquity, the voice of the Holy Church, obligatory for all believing Orthodox Christians for all times. Since the interpretation of the psalms that we have undertaken cannot constitute any kind of scientific work, but is nothing more than the fulfillment of our sincere desire to understand for ourselves and help our neighbors, by diligently reading or listening to the Psalter, in the best understanding of the true meaning of what we read, then we, if possible Let us avoid what concerns the mysterious meaning in the psalms, and let us have more in mind their literal and historical meaning; and for this purpose we will more often turn to biblical sacred history. Nevertheless, it must be said that one cannot completely abandon the spiritual, non-literal meaning of the psalms when explaining them.
6. ABOUT representative and prophetic sense psalms.
If we understand the sayings of the psalms in the literal sense, then they reveal the different circumstances of the writers or compilers of the psalms and the fate of the Jewish people. But in a spiritual sense, the Psalter prophetically depicts the Savior and shows various states and examples in the lives of believers. David the psalmist himself represents a clear and multifaceted prototype of Jesus Christ, combining in his person the titles of king and Jewish prophet. The Jewish people prefigured the New Testament people of God - Christ; the enemies of the Jews, depicted in many psalms, prefigured the enemies of Christ's Church; and the victories of the Jews served as a prototype of the spiritual victories won by believers in Christ the Savior.
7. Conditions for most successful and useful understanding and learning the true meaning of the psalms.
In order to read or listen to the reading of the psalms with the best understanding of their meaning, with all the benefit for the soul and in accordance with the intention of their primary author - the Holy Spirit, we must, if possible, a) know and understand other scriptures, especially the story of David, who is narrated in the first two and partly in the Third Book of Kings and in the First Book of Chronicles, b) notice which passages from the Psalms and how they are applied to Jesus Christ and His Church by the New Testament writers, i.e. the apostles and evangelists, and c) preserve within oneself a heart regenerated by the grace of the Holy Spirit, renouncing carnal feelings and thoughts. The more we succeed in the holy Christian life, the more capable we will be of understanding the divine teaching of the Psalter and of perceiving the heavenly consolation that reading it brings to believers.
8. ABOUT titles: psalm and psalter.
Psalm(Greek - psalmus, from - I sing) means: a song of praise. From the collection of many psalms into one book, this book is called the “Book of Psalms”, and in the Hebrew Bible - the “Book of Praises” (sefer tegilim). Psalms, as hymns of praise to God, were intended for singing and were sung either simply by one choir of singers, or by a choir in conjunction with music, with playing musical instruments, or instruments - stringed and vocal or trumpet - such as were the case in the time of David and after him. quite a few (; ; ; and many others). One of these musical instruments was called psalter; why and the most book psalms later named Psalter.
9. ABOUT writers of psalms.
At the beginning of the psalms, in the specially published Slavic Psalter, the so-called “Teaching Psalter,” as if a common inscription for all psalms, the words are placed: “David the prophet and the king’s song.” Perhaps, on the basis of this inscription, many unlearned people consider David to be the compiler of the entire Psalter. But this opinion is not fair. Both from the various private inscriptions found on almost all psalms, at the beginning of them, and from their very content, it is clear that the writers of the psalms were different. According to inscriptions in the Hebrew Bible, 73 Psalms are attributed to David. In addition, in the Greek and Slavic Bibles, those psalms are attributed to him that do not have an inscription in the Hebrew Bible, of which there are fifteen. Some of these psalms are also attributed to David by the sacred writers of the New Testament, for example, the 2nd psalm - St. writer of the Acts of the Apostles (); Psalms 31 and 94 – St. ap. Paul (; ). From the very content of the psalms it is clear that some of them were written before David, others - during the time of David, and others relate to the Babylonian captivity, which was more than 400 years after the death of David, and even to the times following him. Of all 150 psalms, 12 are Asaph, 12 sons of Korah, 1 Heman, 1 Solomon, 2 prophets Haggai and Zechariah, 1 Moses and other psalmists. The reason that in ancient times all the psalms were attributed by many to David, St. Athanasius considers David himself. He himself chose the singers, he himself appointed which musical instrument to teach them to sing this or that psalm, and therefore, as the founder of choral and musical singing, he was awarded the honor that not only the psalms he composed, but also everything uttered by other singers was attributed to David .
10. ABOUT signings at the beginning of the psalms.
As for the various private inscriptions preceding the psalms and consisting mostly of one or two words, for example, at the end, in songs, about winepresses, etc., it must be admitted that the explanation of these inscriptions presents much more difficulties than the most difficult passages psalm sayings. According to the Reverend Palladium, the inscriptions were made at different times and by different persons, because some of them are found only in the Hebrew Bible, others in the Greek Bible alone or only in the Slavic Bible, which naturally indicates different persons who made the inscriptions at different times. And there is no doubt that most of these inscriptions are very ancient, because they are found in the most ancient editions of the Hebrew and Greek Bible. In any case, in order not to leave the zealous and reverent reader of the Psalter in bewilderment regarding the various incomprehensible inscriptions above the psalms, we must provide at least a brief explanation for each of them, borrowing it from the same saints. fathers and teachers of the Church. But we will do this in its own place, when explaining this or that psalm.
11. Order of explanation of the psalms and dividing them according to content.
The very explanation of the psalms is supposed to be conducted in the form of conversations and in the order in which they follow one after another in the Psalter. Deviation from this order can only be allowed in cases where one psalm has great similarity with another both in content and in the literal expression of thoughts and feelings, such as Psalm 69 with 39 (in vv. 14–18).
Among all 150 psalms, according to their content, there are - 1) psalms prayers, or pleading: a) about the forgiveness of sins, which are: 6, 24, 37, 50, 129 (these psalms are called repentant), b) in case when we go to the temple of God: these are 41, 42, 62 and 83, c) when we are in sorrow and misfortune– Psalms 3, 12, 21, 68, 76, 87 and 142; 2) there are psalms thanks: a) for God’s mercies to every person and b) for mercies to the whole Church, such as 45, 47, 64, 65, 80, etc.; 3) there are psalms historical and there are 4) psalms prophetic, relating especially to Jesus Christ, such as: 2, 8, 15, 21, 44, 67, etc. The last psalms are also called messianic, because they contain prophecies about the coming Messiah, i.e. about our Savior Lord Jesus Christ.
12. About the arrangement of the psalms in the Psalter itself.
In the order of the psalms, as can be seen from the previous one, there is no systematic sequence that should be and happens in scientific works or in historical collections, i.e. There is no arrangement so that first, for example, the contents of psalms of prayer or supplication should follow, then historical or thanksgiving, then prophetic, and so on. There is no such order in the arrangement of the psalms, but they are arranged, as the holy interpreters of the psalms (St. Athanasius of Alexandria, Blessed Theodoret, etc.) think, according to the time of their collection, since they were collected at different times, in parts, and in At the beginning of the book are those that were found first.
INTERPRETATION OF THE BOOK OF PSALM
Now we are presented with one of the most selected and beautiful books of the Old Testament. It contains so many references to Christ and His Gospel, and to God and His law, that it is called a summary or synopsis of both Testaments. The history of Israel, which we have studied for quite some time, has taken us to camps and to negotiating tables, and there it has captured our attention and instructed us in the knowledge of God. The book of Job took us into schools and engaged us in useful discussions about God and His providence. This same book introduces us into the sanctuary, frees us from communication with people, politicians, philosophers or debaters of this world and introduces us into communication with God, comforting and calming our souls with Him, lifting and carrying our hearts to Him. So let us go to the mountain and be with God, for we do not understand our own interests unless we say, “It is good to be here.” So let's think about it:
I. About the title of this book. They call her
first, the Psalms. It is by this name that it is referred to in Luke 24:44. In Hebrew it is called Tehillim, which more specifically means “Psalms of Praise,” as many of them are. But in a more general sense, the word Psalms implies a certain metrical structure that can be sung and which can be historical, doctrinal, or petitionary, as well as laudatory. Although the proper singing of the psalms should be sung in a joyful voice, yet their main purpose is much broader, namely, to promote easier memory, and to express and exalt all other feelings as well as joy. The priests were in both joyful and sorrowful reflections; and thus the divine command to sing psalms has a wide purpose, for we are commanded not only to praise God, but also to teach and edify ourselves and one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col. 3:16).
Secondly, it is called the Book of Psalms. This is precisely the name given by the Apostle Peter, referring to it in the Book of Acts 1:20. This is a collection of psalms, all psalms written under the influence of the Holy Spirit, although they were written at different times and under different circumstances, and are here presented together without any reference or mutual connection. In this way they were preserved intact and presented prepared for the service of the Church. Observe what a good Master we serve, and what pleasure we receive in walking in the paths of wisdom, if we are not only commanded to sing while we serve, and have ample occasion to sing, but words are also put into our mouths, and songs are prepared for our hands .
II. Author of this book. It is certain that the immediate author of this book is the blessed Spirit. It includes spiritual songs, the words to which are written by the Holy Spirit. Most of the psalms were written by David, the son of Jesse, who for this reason was called the sweet singer of Israel (2 Sam. 23:1). Some psalms do not have his name in the title, but at the same time in other places of Scripture they are clearly attributed to him, such as Ps. 2 (Acts 4:25), Psalms 95 and 104 (1 Chron. 16). Scripture clearly calls one of the psalms the prayer of Moses (Ps. 89), and some of them are attributed to the pen of Asaph (2 Chron. 29:30). In this place in the Old Testament, the Levites are commanded to praise the Lord with the words of David and Asaph, who is here called a seer or prophet. It appears that some of the psalms were written much later, such as Psalm 136, composed during the Babylonian captivity; but the greater part of them were certainly written by David himself, whose talent was especially manifest in the departments of poetry and music, and who was directed, prepared and inspired to establish the ordinance of the singing of psalms in the Church of God in the same measure as Moses and Aaron were in their days to confirm the decree of sacrifice. Their task was completed and superseded, but the task of the psalmist remains and will continue until the end of time, when it will be swallowed up in the songs of eternity. In this ministry, David was a type of Christ, who descended from David, and not from Moses, since He came to abolish the sacrifice (the family of Moses was soon lost and cut off), in order to establish and perpetuate joy and praise, for the family in Christ, that which came from David will have no end.
III. Her goal. This book had a clear purpose. Firstly, it was supposed to assist in the manifestation of natural religiosity, as well as ignite in the souls of people those religious feelings that we should provide to God as our Creator, Lord, Ruler and Benefactor. The book of Job helps us to experience our first principles of divine perfections and providence, and this book helps us to improve them in prayer and praise, in confessing our longing for Him, our dependence on Him, and our entire worship and submission to Him. Other books of Scripture show that God is infinitely superior to man and is his sovereign Master. This same book shows that, despite all this, we, the sinful worms of the earth, can have fellowship with Him and that there are ways by which we can maintain this fellowship in the various circumstances of human life, if only we do not make mistakes. Secondly, this book was intended to promote the perfections of revealed religion and to present it to the world in the most attractive and effectual manner. There is certainly little or nothing in the Book of Psalms connected with the rites of the law. Although the sacrifices and offerings were to continue for many centuries, yet they are here represented as decrees which God did not desire (Ps. 39:7; Ps. 50:18), and which are comparatively insignificant, and must in time be abolished. In this book, as in no other, the Word and law of God are especially exalted and glorified, especially those parts which are moral and must be constantly observed. It clearly speaks in images and prophecies of Christ, the crown and center of revealed religion, the foundation, cornerstone and summit of this blessed structure; about His sufferings and the glory that would follow them, and also about the kingdom that was to be established in this world, and in which the covenant of God with David regarding his kingdom was to be fulfilled. What a high appreciation does this book give to the Word of God, His decrees and judgments, His covenant, the great and precious promise concerning Him; how wonderfully does she present all this to us for our guidance, for our life and our inheritance in eternity!
IV. Application of this book. All Scripture is inspired by God and is used to shed divine light into our minds; but this book has a special application and is intended to convey divine life and power, and to impart holy warmth to our feelings. There is no other book in all Scripture that is more useful for the worship of the saints than this; and it remained so throughout all centuries for the Church from the time it was written and parts of it were handed over to the Levites for service in the Church. Firstly, it was used for singing. We can go further than David for hymns and spiritual songs, but we don't need to. Even scholars are not sure whether the rules of Hebrew rhythm were uniform. But these psalms must be sung according to the rhythm of any language, at least in order that they may be sung for the edification of the Church. And I think we take great comfort in singing the psalms of David, and offering the same praise to God as in the days of David and the other godly kings of Judah. These divine poems are so rich and so skillfully composed that they will never be completely exhausted or become boring and banal. Secondly, This book was intended to be read and understood by the ministers of Christ, for it contained great and excellent truths, and principles of good and evil. Our Lord Jesus interpreted the psalms to His disciples, and also revealed to them the meaning of the gospel psalms (for He had the key of the house of David), as stated in Luke 24:44. Thirdly, this book was intended to be read and meditated upon by all godly people. It is a full source from which we can joyfully draw water.
(1.) The experience of the psalmist is a great aid to our edification, warning, and encouragement. By telling us what happened between God and his soul, he gives us the opportunity to know what we can expect from God and what the Lord expects, demands and graciously accepts from us. David was a man after God's own heart, and therefore everyone who considers himself in any degree like him has reason to hope that he is renewed by the grace of God and in the image of God. And many have great consolation in the testimony of their conscience and can say “Amen” with all their hearts to the prayers and praises of David.
(2) Even the expressions of the psalmist are extremely useful to us, since through them the Spirit helps our imperfections in prayer, because we do not know what and how we should pray. Every time we approach God, as when we first approach Him, we are commanded to take with us words of prayer (Hos. 14:2), that is, words taught to us by the Holy Spirit. If the psalms of David become familiar to us, as they should be, then with whatever commission we approach the throne of grace - whether it is confession, petition or thanksgiving - we need help in setting it out. Whatever reverent feeling moves us, whether it is holy longing or hope, joy or sorrow, we must find suitable words to clothe it and have sober speech that cannot be condemned. It would be well to collect the most suitable and energetic prayer statements that can be found in this book, organize them and reduce them to a few headings so that they are better prepared for use. Or we may at times select one or another psalm and pray over it, that is, meditate upon each verse in detail, and lift up our thoughts to God as they arise from the expressions contained therein. The learned Dr. Hammond, in his preface to the paraphrase of the Psalms (section 29), says: “The reading of a few Psalms, accompanied by mental worship, suggested, quickened, and supported by the natural life and energy which is present in the Psalms, is much preferable to the ordinary reading of the whole Psalter, for above all else in religious service we must prevent them from becoming heartless and dull declamation.” If, as St. Austin says, we form our spirit upon the feeling expressed in the psalm, we may be sure that God will accept our prayer if we use his language. The book of Psalms not only helps in worship and expression of the feelings of our mind, not only teaches us to give praise and praise to God, but also guides us how we should act in this life, and teaches us to watch our way so that we may see salvation in the end God (Ps. 49:23). Thus the Psalms were suitable for the Old Testament Church, but for us Christians they may be more useful than for those who lived before the coming of Christ, for both the sacrifices of Moses and the songs of David have been interpreted and made more accessible by the Gospel of Christ , which allowed us to step behind the veil. Therefore, if to the prayers of David we add the prayers of Paul as set forth in his epistles, and also the new songs of the Book of Revelation, we will be very well equipped for this ministry, for a perfect Scripture makes a perfect man of God.
We should not pay special attention to the division into chapters, since there is no connection (or very little) between the psalms. There is also no apparent reason why they were placed in the order in which we find them; but it seems that the original order was preserved, since the second psalm in the present edition had the same number in the time of the apostles (Acts 13:33). In the Latin translation, as well as in the Russian Synodal translation of the Bible (unlike the English translation), the ninth and tenth psalms are combined; and therefore, from that time on, all Catholic and Russian authors, referring to this book, call the number of the psalm one less than in the English Bible: English 11 - Russian 10, English 119 - Russian 118. But they divided Psalm 147 into two and thus bringing the total to 150. Some have made efforts to divide the psalms into specific sections according to their contents; but often so many subjects are dealt with in the same psalm that such a division could not be made with any certainty. But the seven penitential psalms were especially highlighted by the prayers of many believers. These are Psalms 6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129 and 142. The Psalms were divided into five books, each of which ended with the words “amen, amen” or “hallelujah”. The first book ends with Psalm 40, the second with 71, the third with 88, the fourth with 105, and the fifth with Psalm 150. Some divide the book into three parts of fifty psalms; others into sixty parts: two for each day of the month, one in the morning and one in the evening. Let true Christians divide them as they please, that they may know them better, have them at hand on all occasions, and be able to sing them in spirit and with understanding.
