Псалом 33, истолкованный святителем Феофаном Затворником

The proposed notes are motivated by the desire not so much to give a scientific interpretation of the psalm, but to present experience on how to turn the Davidic songs so common in the Church into spiritual creation, drawing lessons from them for ordering one’s thoughts and a good mood in the heart and throughout one’s life. The 33rd Psalm was chosen for this purpose because it is not the last among those often heard in the church. One circumstance gives it an advantage over others, namely, that it is always read before the end of the Liturgy. Christians leave the church, each on his own business, in his own circle of life, and in this psalm they are given parting instructions for the well-being of the soul, as an aid to it for the well-being of life, it is given, as it were, a program of behavior for the whole day and, as life is all made up of days, for the whole life. The content of the psalm is exactly this. By repeating it frequently at church services, the Holy Church wants to imprint it in the minds of Christians, force them to reluctantly memorize and remember it, in order to root its lessons in their hearts. And indeed, many people know this psalm by heart; but this very solid knowledge can sometimes interfere with drawing from it all possible spiritual benefit. This, one might say, is inevitable when memory alone works when memorizing, without preliminary or joint delving into the content of the poems. Since there is no room for reflection, the mind and heart remain idle: only memory works, confirming the order of words. But as soon as a psalm is memorized, it is then used. A thought, hammered at the beginning, during memorization, does not come into motion even when repeating what has been memorized, and it is repeated almost always, completely without a trace for the soul. Meanwhile, every psalm is a spiritual treasure if its content is developed. And it often turns out that many have, or imagine they have, something in their minds, but do not have it - they have a treasure, which, however, is hidden, although it is hidden in them, in the village of their souls, in their memory. Why is it necessary to dig up this treasure, lay it out before the eye of the mind and let the soul enjoy contemplating it. Anyone can and should do this through their own reflection. These notes are offered as a manual. So that, however, it does not dampen anyone’s zeal to pay due attention to them, the thought is it not in vain to wait to learn something from what is written, it is considered a duty to preface that in everything that anyone has to read here, rarely does one’s own thought pass through, and then only for connection, the main and necessary everything is taken from the Holy Fathers: Basil the Great, Athanasius the Great, Blessed Theodoret, Blessed Augustine and other church writers and interpreters of the Psalter: Euthymius Zigaben, Anthimus, Patriarch of Jerusalem, Irenaeus, Archbishop of Pskov (publication of the Holy Synod). After such a preliminary, it is not unreasonable to expect that the hard work of compiling notes will be rewarded by diligent and attentive reading of them and the feasible application to one’s life of what is expressed in them. Ps.33:1. Psalm to David, ever change your face before Abimelech: and let him go, and go away. Ps.33:2. I will bless the Lord at all times; I will make His praise in my mouth. Ps.33:3. My soul will glory in the Lord: let the meek hear and rejoice. Ps.33:4. Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. Ps.33:5. I sought the Lord, and heard me and delivered me from all my sorrows. Ps.33:6. Come to Him and be enlightened, and your faces will not be ashamed. Ps.33:7. This beggar cried out, and the Lord heard and saved him from all his sorrows. Ps.33:8. The Angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear Him and deliver them. Ps.33:9. Taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man who trusts. Ps.33:10. Fear the Lord, all your saints, for there is no hardship for those who fear Him. Ps.33:11. With riches you become poor and hungry: but those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of any good. Ps.33:12. Come, children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Ps.33:13. Who is a person who loves life and sees good things? Ps.33:14. Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from uttering flattery. Ps.33:15. Avoid evil and do good: seek peace and marriage and... Ps.33:16. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are on their prayer. Ps.33:17. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to consume their memory from the earth. Ps.33:18. The righteous cried out, and the Lord heard them and delivered them from all their sorrows. Ps.33:19. The Lord is near to those who are broken in heart, and will save those who are humble in spirit. Ps.33:20. There will be many sorrows for the righteous, and the Lord will deliver me from all of them. Ps.33:21. The Lord protects all their bones, not one of them will be broken. Ps.33:22. The death of sinners is cruel, and those who hate the righteous will sin. Ps.33:23. The Lord will deliver the souls of His servant, and all who trust in Him will not sin. The key to understanding this psalm is given by the incident for which it was written. Here we see what inspired the holy Songsinger to sing, and the entire content of the song is revealed. We must begin by indicating it in order to move from it to presenting the entire content of the psalm. 1) The occasion for writing a psalm The occasion for which the 33rd psalm was composed is indicated in its inscription: psalm to David, when he changed his face before Abimelech: and let him go, and departed. This circumstance is described in 1 Samuel. 21:11–13. Persecuted by Saul, David, having spent a little time in Nob, where the ark of the covenant was and where he took the showbread and the sword of Goliath, retired to the land of the Philistines. Here he was recognized by the Philistines, whom he had previously disgraced by defeating Goliath, and was presented to the king in Gath. In this extreme situation, David came up with the idea of ​​pretending to have lost his senses in the hope that this would save him. God blessed this remedy, which in itself was very dubious: the king let David go free. Remembering this deliverance from trouble, Saint David sings a grateful song of praise to God. (The 55th Psalm also relates to this. But there the Prophet expounds the prayer that he sent to God in this extremity; and here he thanks for the salvation received and glorifies the grace of God). Saint Basil the Great says: “change your face when you were surrounded by enemies, because you heard how they were talking to each other and preparing for revenge. And the young men of Achish said to themselves, “Is this not David, the king of the earth?” Is it not for this that the woman came out rejoicing, saying: conquer David with his thousands, and Saul with his thousands? And David feared because of Achish, and changed his countenance in their sight (1 Sam. 21:11-13). Having changed his face, David was brought in the arms of his household to Achish, beat on the city gates, and his sleen rushed at the fence, so that Achish said to the household: Why have you brought him to me? I have no need of the frantic, for he brought him into the frenzy before me (1 Sam. 21:15). And thus David, released from there, escaped, as it is said, into the cave of Adullam (1 Sam. 22:1). For this salvation he now thanks God.” Blessed Augustine also relates this psalm to this same case. Here are his words: “The inscription of the psalm is as follows: psalm to David, ever change your face before Abimelech. We look for in the history of kings what event corresponds to this, and we find the following: when David fled from Saul, his persecutor, he ran to Achish, the king of the neighboring people of the Jews, and hid there to avoid Saul’s snares. The memory was still fresh here of how, having killed Goliath, he gained glory and security for the kingdom, the king and the people of Judah. When it was time to defeat Goliath, David was kind to Saul, and when Goliath was overthrown, Saul was jealous of David's glory and became the enemy of the one by whom he had been delivered from the enemy. How, thought Saul, did the boy gain such fame with one victory that throughout the entire kingdom speeches began to circulate about him and songs began to be composed?! And he started chasing him. When David fled to the neighboring land, it was announced to the king (Abimelech): such and such is in our land. Their unkind words reached David’s ears; and he thought that if Saul, to whom I have done good, persecutes; then this king, disgraced by me, will be glad to destroy a man from whom he may fear even greater misfortune if he is left alive. He was afraid and changed his face - he drummed on the gate, walked on his hands and released saliva on his beard. Seeing him in this form, the king turned away from him with contempt and released him. And so, the saved Prophet sings a song of gratitude to God.” Jerome, Euthymius Zigaben, Patriarch Anthimus of Jerusalem and Irenaeus of Pskov are of the same opinion. But blessed Theodoret, following Athanasius the Great, attributes the change of face and the psalm to the incident when David, having run away from Saul, came to Nob, where the ark of the covenant was, and took the showbread and the sword of Goliath from the priest Abimelech. He told the priest that he was sent in haste by Saul on one matter, and took nothing with him, hiding the fact that he was being persecuted by the king. Blessed Theodoret considers this concealment of the real reason for arriving in Nomva to be a change of face and believes that the psalm refers to this case. But there was no real change in face. David remained in his usual appearance; the words spoken by him cannot be taken as a change of face. And this is all the more so because, in the history of the deeds of the kings, the case is clearly indicated when David changed his face. There, when describing David's stay in Nob, there is no mention of David's change of face; it is remembered on another occasion, when David, after this, having crossed into the land of the Philistines, was captured by those there and presented to the king. Fear, it says there, David and changed his face (1 Sam. 21:12–13); why the opinion of blessed Theodoret cannot be accepted. But someone will say: the inscription says: change your face before Abimelech, and the priest who received David in Nob was called by this name. How can the psalm not be attributed to this occasion? This name exactly recalls that priest and the incident with David in Nob; but the words: change your face - lead the thought to another person and another occasion; for David did not change his face before the priest at Nob; and before the king in Gath. But they will say again: the king of Gath is called in the book of Kings Achish, and not Abimelech. How do we relate the change of face and the psalm to that occasion? So be it: but King Achish could also be called Abimelech. Once it is explained how King Achish of the book of Kings could be called Abimelech in the inscription of the psalm, all bewilderment will then be dispelled. This bewilderment, arising from the difference between the name of the king of Gath in the book of Kings and the name in the inscription of the psalm, occupied everyone who interpreted this psalm, and everyone solves it by the remark that among the Philistines the kings bore two names: one common to all kings, and the other special or the proper name of each. The common name of all the kings was Abimelech, like the Egyptians - Pharaoh, the ancient Jerusalemites - Adonizedek or Melchizedek, the Amalekites - Agag, the Gazorians - Jabeeb, the Yemenites - Toba. That this really happened is proven by the fact that in the book of Genesis the kings of the Philistines, both under Abraham and under Isaac, are called the same - Abimelech (Gen. 20 and 26). Judging by the distance of time, it is impossible to think that this was the same king and, therefore, that Abimelech was his own name. The proper name of the king of Gath, a contemporary of David, was Achish. In the book of Kings, where history is written, which requires a certain accuracy, there is the proper name of the then king Achish, and in the inscription of the psalm the common name of the kings there is Abimelech. Saint Basil the Great speaks about it this way: “Why does the inscription name Abimelech, but history conveys the name of Achishus, king of Gath? For this we have the following explanation, which has come down to us from tradition, that Abimelech was the common name of the kings of the Philistines, but that each of them also had his own name. A similar thing can be seen in the Roman state, where kings are generally called Caesars and Augusti, but also retain their own names. The Egyptians have the same name - Pharaoh. For the Egyptian king under Joseph is called Pharaoh, and the one who four generations later, under Moses, was the king of Egypt is also called Pharaoh; Pharaoh was also in the time of Solomon, for it is said: they give water to Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Kings 3:1); Pharaoh was also the name given to the one who reigned in Egypt during the prophetic ministry of Jeremiah (2 Kings 23:29). So also Abimelech was in the days of Abraham and in the days of Isaac, and is now called in the days of David. About Abraham it is said: and the speech of Abimelech to Abraham, and so on (Gen. 21:22). The same thing about Isaac: Abimelech leaned through the window and saw Isaac (Gen. 26:8). So here, in the inscription, Abimelech from the time of David is called by the general royal name; history conveys his name Achish, which was his own name given to him at birth.” But, having resolved this first bewilderment due to the discrepancy between the inscription and the story, we encounter another, which is aroused by the discrepancy between the inscription and the content of the psalm. In the psalm, they say, there is no definite indication of the event indicated in the inscription. Why can one think that it was made by someone later, by conjecture, and does not belong to the prophet David himself? one can carry this conclusion further to the point of denying the authenticity of the psalm itself. But: 1) even if it were true that in the content of the psalm there is no indication of the event about which the inscription speaks, from here no bewilderment about the authenticity of the inscription or psalm can be derived, when, on the other hand, it is known from the psalm itself that the Holy Prophet had in mind when composing it not to depict the event indicated, but to express his grateful and laudatory feelings towards God, with the application of guiding suggestions for others. For this purpose, Saint David, having pointed out the event in the inscription and thereby allowing the reader of the psalm to understand the state of his spirit when remembering this event, turns the entire song to an image of this state, and even more to the presentation of the general laws of God's providence and to the conclusion from here of lessons for the life of pious people. A psalm, even being written on a well-known occasion, could have the appearance of a general thanksgiving and instructive song, without meaning specific cases. But: 2) even that is not true, as if the psalm contains no indications at all of the event commemorated in the inscription. It is impossible not to see this indication in the words: this beggar cried. All interpreters attribute these words to David himself. But when was Saint David poor, if not in the case shown?! Expelled from home, separated from his wife, deprived of property and shelter, had no place to lay his head and nothing to eat, and, to top it all, was threatened with extreme danger - losing his life. All this comes to mind when you read: this beggar cried. The Holy Prophet outlined his position with this one word, as much as was necessary for the purposes of the psalm. Anyone who wants more tangible instructions can be reminded that here it is not history that is being written, but a song being sung, where the very manner of the flow of speech forces one to be content with even less clear instructions; 3) moreover, from the lack of indications in the content of the psalm on the event of the inscription, even if this were true, it does not follow at all what is being inferred, but the opposite. They say: there are no indications, - therefore, the inscription was made by someone other than the prophet David; and perhaps the psalm was not written by him. One should say the completely opposite, namely: by the very fact that there are no tactile indications, one should assume that the inscription and, consequently, the psalm itself belongs to Saint David. How could a third party come up with the idea of ​​making such an inscription? Only the Song Singer himself knew what the song referred to, and expressed it in the inscription of the song. In addition to the present one, 7 more psalms date back to the time of the persecution of David by Saul (chronologically Ps. 7,58,55,51,56,141,53). But not all of them contain definite indications of the events themselves, although there is no doubt about their authenticity. The remark that an outsider could take a phrase for an inscription from the book of Kings and attach it to this psalm, for some reason, may not be considered worthy of respect; because the tone of this phrase: change your face is more suitable for poetic speech than for simple historical speech. And therefore it should rather be assumed that the historical books of Kings took it from the inscription of the psalm, and not vice versa. This is the incident that gave rise to the writing of the psalm. One should not, however, think that this psalm was composed immediately after David avoided the said danger. Against this is the calmer tone of speech of the psalm, while psalms written under fresh impressions are full of strong and rapid turns; Against this is the dominant desire of the Prophet in the psalm - from his own experience to extract consolation and instruction for all God-fearing people humbled by the circumstances of life; Against this is the alphabetical order of verses, which is inappropriate when expressing in songs living feelings produced by the action of current events. The psalm is not without movement, but on the whole it has the character of a work in which, having calmly discussed what happened, although they remember it not without feeling, they have in mind, however, more to learn from the event lessons for themselves and others than just to sing. Therefore, it would be more accurate to believe that this psalm was composed after the incident indicated in the inscription, after the passage of, perhaps, many other sorrows, in a happy external environment. Remembering this decisive moment in his life and the wondrous salvation from the extremity in which he was then, the Holy Prophet lays it down as the basis of a special song of praise and at the same time teaching, beginning with words that, in fact, perhaps, burst out from a grateful heart at that moment when, released by Achish and moving away from Gatha, he felt himself out of all danger. This explains why the psalm gives thanks for deliverance from all troubles and sorrows, when the inscription indicates only one case. This incident was the beginning of troubles for David. Gratefully chanting deliverance from this initial misfortune, the Singer could not help but contemplate in his mind the entire subsequent chain of troubles and sorrows, from which the right hand of the Most High, which always covered him, had long since delivered him. Turning now to the content of the psalm, we first of all encounter its external structure, which has its own characteristics. This psalm, as has already been said in passing, is an alphabetical one. The first words of his poems begin with letters in alphabetical order. After the inscription that makes up the first verse, the second begins with aleph - (a), the third with bet - (b), the fourth with gimel - (d) and so on. The letter: <> vav - there is no corresponding verse, which is why the entire alphabet ends at the 22nd verse. With verse 23 a new series of the alphabet should begin for the second time, and it would rather begin with aleph; meanwhile it begins with ne. We must assume that all these features are not without special significance, although we are not able to indicate them. It’s true that this was the law for compiling such psalms. Because the 22nd Psalm, also alphabetical, is composed in exactly the same way. And there the last verse begins with pe, and there is no verse with vav. This structure of the psalm gives the idea that it was compiled for general use and memorization in order to remind in it the most necessary and always applicable truths in life. Who among those who can read does not know the alphabet? But, knowing the letters in order, it is easy to memorize the verses starting with them in order, and, having memorized them, always remember them. It is clear that the intention of the Holy Prophet is to compose the psalm in such a way that both children and adults will always remember it. For this reason and in its content, he placed the first and fundamental active truths, without the knowledge and implementation of which no one can live piously and calmly, just as without knowledge of letters one cannot learn to read. Judging by the fact that the poems follow the order of letters, one might not expect consistency in the flow of his thoughts, but rather expect to find in him one list of moral truths. Meanwhile, the entire content of the psalm represents a harmonious whole, in which one part strictly corresponds to the other and one thought evokes another. This indicates deep knowledge and a God-enlightened mind in the compiler. The psalm is very noticeably divided into two parts, which is reflected in our church usage. At the all-night vigil, before the sixth psalm, its first half is read, beginning with the words: I will bless the Lord - and ending: those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of every good - from verse 2 to verse 11. Both parts of the psalm have an equal number of verses, namely ten. Of the first 11 verses, the 1st should not be read as an inscription; of the last 12, from verse 12 to verse 23, the 12th verse also stands as the title for the second part, and the 23rd verse is the conclusion of the entire psalm. The first tenth, as often in other psalms of the holy Prophet, is decomposed into three and seven verses. In the first three verses, verses 2-4, the Prophet expresses his decision to praise the Lord and invites all those who mourn to do so, encouraging them with the same mercies that he himself received: for this, in the next seven verses he shows them the reasons for that good hope, in his experience, verses 5-7, and in the general law of God's mercies to us, verse 8, which are always ready for everyone, as soon as certain urgent ones are fulfilled on their part conditions, verses 9–11. The root of these conditional dispositions is the fear of God. Why in the second tenth, which is also decomposed into three and seven verses, it first shows what the active fear of God consists of, verses 13–15, and then the fruits of this fear are depicted: quick hearing in prayer, verses 16–19, and deliverance from all troubles and sorrows - in life, death and after death, verses 20–22. This is the external structure of the psalm! It was not considered superfluous to indicate it, borrowing it from men who are highly learned and experienced in interpretation, in the thought that this will provide a considerable aid to the understanding of its internal content. On this latter, however, it is necessary to dwell longer in order to rise to the presentation of the entire flow of thoughts contained in it, in one integral overview. a) First tenth (verses 2–11) Verses 2–4. Remembering deliverance from the most extreme misfortune, the Holy Prophet pours out his feelings of gratitude and praise to God, saying: I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise will not cease to flow from my lips; and in the Lord alone will my soul boast—in that I am God’s, strong in God, under His roof (verse one and a half). The feeling of security under the roof of God fills a God-devoted heart with joy. Filled with him, the Holy Prophet seeks to make his participants all the meek - those who, like him, are humble by the circumstances of life and constrained by needs and extremes. Let the meek, he says, hear this and rejoice, because, of course, the same path of salvation from troubles is open to them all. Why does he invite all of them, as if they had already received the same mercies, for they are ready for them and, as it were, extended over them: come, together let us magnify the Lord and lift up His name (another one and a half verses). Verses 5–11. Having thus invited these humble ones in life and humiliated to praise of God, the Holy Prophet further raises them to trustworthiness, as if saying to them: your exaltation of the Lord will not be in vain: you too will receive the same thing that I have been honored with. I sought the Lord, and He heard me and delivered me from all sorrows. Come to Him and you will trust, and your eyes, darkened by sadness, will become clear, and your faces will not remain ashamed in hope. And I became a beggar, there was nothing left - no wife, no friends, no shelter; and life itself was in danger. But I cried out in confidence, and the Lord heard me and delivered me from all my troubles (verses 5-7). However, it is not to me alone, as if by some exception, that such mercy belongs. No. This is the law of the merciful God, that an Angel always takes up arms around everyone who fears Him, in order to protect him with such strong protection, as if a whole regiment of defenders stood around him (verse 8). This is the law of mercy with God; however, it is not unconditional. God is to us as we are to Him. Therefore, further the Prophet says, as it were: receive mercy, only show in your heart the feelings and dispositions by which this receipt is conditioned: kindle hope in God in your heart (verse 9); Be imbued with the fear of God (verse 10) and seek God by painfully (zealously, repentantly) falling to Him in your prayers (verse 11). Taste and see that the Lord is good. With meditation inspired by faith, restore in your feeling and consciousness the conviction of the goodness of God and deepen it in your heart so that it tastes it, and present this so clearly to your mind so that it sees how good the Lord is. Then, through the action of this tasting and vision, hope in God will be kindled in the heart; But hope will make you happy: for blessed is the man who trusts (verse 9). But hope cannot be kept in the heart if it is not based on the fear of God, expressed in the strict fulfillment of the commandments. The fear of God, reinforcing hope and itself being overshadowed by it, will eliminate all needs, drive out from the heart and extinguish in it any feeling of deprivation, no matter what cramped circumstances someone may find themselves in. Fear the Lord, all your saints, for there is no hardship for those who fear Him (verse 10). And so, in such feelings, those who seek the Lord and resort to Him alone, bypassing all human supports, will not be deprived of any good. The guarantee is multiple experiences. Look: the rich, - in Hebrew: lionesses, - those who, feeling strong, do not consider it necessary to resort to God, - are poor and hungry: but those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of any good (verse 11). b) Second tenth (verses 12–23) The Holy Prophet showed that those who seek the Lord receive mercy and help from above. This search is aroused by hope; hope is rooted in the fear of God. Consequently, the fear of God is the support of trustworthiness for those in extremes. Why then does the Holy Prophet turn his song to instilling the fear of God, explaining what it consists of, verses 13-15, and presenting incentives for cultivating and keeping it in the heart, indicating the fruits of fear, or what God is like in relation to those who fear Him, verses 16-19, and what is the fate of these latter - temporal and eternal, verses 20-22. This is the same thing that was previously expressed in words: quick hearing and deliverance from troubles and sorrows - in life, death and after death. Due to the special importance of this subject, the Holy Prophet considered it necessary to call for special attention: come, he says, children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord (verse 12). Verses 13–15. The fear of God is not a naked feeling, but is a moral and religious force that lies deep in the heart and rules all life. So, as it were, the Prophet says, if you want to find the mercy of God, which alone can bring peace of life and good days, take on the fear of God, as I indicated; but fear is not idle, but evidenced by deeds, namely: keep your tongue from slander and your lips from flattery; turn away from evil and do good and seek peace with everyone as the first good. Verses 16–22. If you arrange your life this way, then you will be worthy of God’s special attention to you, verse 16, quick hearing in prayers, verse 18, and the closeness of the Lord, verse 19, with the readiness to save you from all trouble and adversity, in life, verse 20, death, verse 21, and after death, verses 22-23. Whoever, inspired by the fear of God, lives as indicated, doing good and avoiding evil, is righteous. But whoever is righteous, the eyes of the Lord are fixed on him to watch over him, and His ears are turned to him so that his prayer can be quickly heard. Whoever does not live like this, but does evil, the wrathful face of God is turned on him in order to destroy his very memory from the earth. Why, as soon as the righteous cry to the Lord, He will hear them. For He is close to those who have a contrite heart and a humble spirit, and, being close, He quickly saves them (verses 16-19). Even if the righteous have many sorrows: such is their lot on earth; but the Lord delivers them from all of them. With all the destructive effects of sorrows and troubles, the Lord keeps them whole, - keeps their moral and religious system intact in this life; after death, he often glorifies their holy bones with incorruption. On the contrary, the death of sinners is cruel, and those who, persecuting the righteous, triumph here, will see there how sinfully they looked at the order of this life. Verse 23. This is how the Lord delivers the souls of His servants; those who trust in Him will not be mistaken in their hope. This is the whole flow of thoughts of the psalm. Having thoroughly delved into everything that has been said, anyone can now easily imagine its entire content, coming as close as possible to the thoughts that swarmed in the soul of the Holy Prophet when this song poured out from his heart. Although everything in the psalm has now become more or less clear; but this still far from fulfills the intention with which I began to compile notes. Here we lay only the foundations for the present matter, that is, conclusions to guide the use of this psalm and its application to our lives. It is not enough to know the content of the psalm: you also need to be able to extract edifying thoughts for yourself from each verse. When reading the psalms, one must give space to one’s mind, so that it can freely survey the entire space of truths that the sayings of the psalms hint at, and feed oneself with all this and nourish the heart. Whoever stops at one task does only half the job. The Psalter is used in the Church not for the sole purpose of expanding knowledge, but primarily for cultivating the spirit of faith and piety. If you want to enter into the intentions of the Holy Church, take a verse, sit down and think about what it teaches you, what truths it brings to mind and how all this can be applied to your life. To this, with God’s help, let us now begin. 3) The first tenth part (verses 2–4) In these first three verses, the Holy Prophet expresses his feelings towards God, full of strength and movement, and, not content with his individual appeal to God, in the fullness of feelings, he arouses everyone to this, trying to convey to everyone his spiritual well-being and make them participants in a grateful and laudatory offering to God. And with a little attention, it is not difficult to notice the following truths, imprinted in the mind when reading these verses: 1) that one should bless the Lord at all times, in all circumstances of life, both joyful and sorrowful. This is the duty of submission to God’s Providence (first hemistich of verse 2); 2) that you need to cultivate in yourself the praise of God, to bring yourself to the point where your heart constantly ascends to God in prayer, as if this were its natural function. This is the duty of zeal for perfection in the spirit and the holy occupation of all saints and those who seek sanctification (second half of verse 2); 3) that everything should be attributed to God, and everyone should only boast that he is God, is helped by Him and is under His roof (the first hemistich of verse 3). This is a duty of devotion to God and the fruit of a humble consciousness of the all-action of God; 4) that the true spirit of piety cannot be content with turning to God individually and partaking of the spiritual blessings that come from God: but it strives to make all like-minded people partakers of this, so that everyone with one accord and with one mouth glorifies the one and only God. This is the duty of brotherly love (second hemistich of verse 3 and verse 4). This is how these thoughts are derived from the indicated verses by the Holy Fathers! a) About always giving thanks to God for everything (verse 2) Ps.33:2. I will bless the Lord at all times. To bless the Lord means to speak a good word about Him. In this sense, this is the same as praising the Lord. But usually blessing means giving thanks. Thanks to God is a type of prayer that is different from praise of God. This latter is aroused by the contemplation of Divine perfections and the great deeds of God, and the former by the consciousness and feeling of God’s benefits to us and to all. Saint David only thanks and praises, and does not ask, which is the third type of prayer. He does not ask because he has achieved devotion to God, such perfection in spirit in which they do not bother God with petitions, but only, lifting up their hearts to Him, say: Lord! You know everything. Arrange for me as Your holy will pleases! With the words: I will bless the Lord at all times, Saint Basil the Great says: “Having escaped death, the Holy Prophet, as it were, lays down for himself the rules of life, setting up his soul so that not a single minute passes without the blessing of God. Whether I am in prosperity, he says, or in need and sorrow, at all times I will not cease to bless the Lord, believing that everything comes from Him and nothing happens by chance.” “I will not stop singing songs to my Lord - both in prosperity and in misfortune, and pursuing enemies, and fleeing from them” (Theodoret). The Holy Prophet here showed by deeds what the Apostle later inspired, saying: rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in everything (1 Thess. 5:16-18). “You see (Saint Basil the Great) what the soul of the Holy Prophet is! Continuous misfortunes did not weaken his complacency and warm approach to God. Expelled from the fatherland, separated from his wife, relatives and household, deprived of property and forced to wander, even against his will he fell into the hands of enemies and was almost torn to pieces by them. While enduring all this, he did not say: Where is God? And how long will the sorrows continue? But on the contrary, thereby he was even more inflamed with love for God and trust in Him. Truly, on him was accomplished what the Apostle later wrote: tribulation makes perseverance, and perseverance is art, and art is hope (Rom. 5:3-4). And in fact, sorrows for well-disposed people are like nutritious food. The more they endure, the stronger and more insurmountable they become in the fight against unpleasant events in life. It is also a school of learning for them. In this way they ascend from strength to strength and are made worthy of the glory with which they will finally be crowned by the Ascetic and Distributor of crowns. Why do they bless with reproaches: they persecute, they endure: they blaspheme, they are comforted (1 Cor. 4:12–13). It is a shame for them to bless in happiness, but in sad and cramped circumstances to remain silent, when here they should be more grateful, knowing that the Lord loves him, punishes him, and beats every son who accepts him (Heb. 12:6). And what can we say about those who, in happiness, forget God, and in misfortune spew out murmuring speeches! (abbreviated from there). “You eat with David,” says St. Augustine: “I will bless the Lord at all times.” But when, according to this word, will you bless the Lord? When does He prosper you in everything? When do you abound in temporary goods? When do you have a lot of all kinds of goods, bread, oil, wine, livestock, gold, silver? When everyone is healthy and no one has died prematurely, when happiness is abundantly poured into your home, then will you bless the Lord? No, not only then, but at all times, bless the Lord. Bless both when such benefits are sent and when, according to God’s intentions, they are taken away. Because this also happens. And then comes poverty, need, sorrow and labor. But you, who sang: I will bless the Lord at all times, and when He gives those blessings, bless, and when He takes away, bless. He gives and He takes away. But He will not take Himself away from you if you bless Him. Thus, Job not only blessed the Lord when he abounded in everything he was rich in: livestock, servants, children and all things; but even then, as everything was suddenly taken from him, he fulfilled what was written in this psalm, saying: The Lord is given, the Lord is taken away. As the Lord willed, so it was. Blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21). This is who you learn from to bless the Lord at all times!” It is easy to bless the Lord in happiness. A joyful heart moves the tongue to thanksgiving. But how can one awaken this blessing in oneself in sorrow and grief? The Holy Apostle, giving the commandment to give thanks in everything, put another one in front of it: always rejoice (1 Thess. 5:16). Here is a guide for us on how to position our hearts for the blessing of God in times of trouble. We must see and feel in troubles and sorrows something that can bring joy, for example, that the sorrow of life is a sign of God’s special care, similar to what a father shows to his son when punishing him - that sorrows and troubles are God’s ways of healing us, like cutting and cauterizing with doctors - that by this we are cleansed and, being cleansed, we become capable and worthy of bliss together with the pure, in such glory, the aspiration of which must impute nothing to all the passions of the present time. When you see the same or greater good in sorrow than in happiness itself, as was the case with the martyrs, you will instill joy in your heart, and from this you will immediately move on to thanksgiving. Feelings cannot be controlled with authority, like we control the movements of the body. They must be moved gradually and by the excitement of one, prepare the birth of the other. And feelings in relation to God are not all suddenly born and not all suddenly rise to their perfection, but are gradually cultivated through labors and deeds in a pious life. The main thing here is a strong and deep confirmation in the heart of God’s providence for us - that God cares for us like a father for his children, and that therefore everything that He allows and arranges for us is everything that is essential for the salvation of each of us. Everything, however, is taught by life, carried out with attention to oneself and prayerful appeal to God. Why does the Apostle after: always rejoice - it’s worth: pray without ceasing, at the transition to: give thanks in everything. This lets us know that prayer is the mediator of everything here. It, strengthening, gives strength to see the joyful in the sorrowful, and from a heart cramped by sorrow to produce grateful songs to God. A life of prayer in God introduces one into God’s plans and teaches one to joyfully accept everything from the hand of the Lord. b) About “taking out” the praise of God (verse 2) Ps.33:2. I will bring His praise into my mouth. Is there or will this praise be in my mouth? Because he praises, then she exists. But once started, it will not stop. A song of praise has been revived in the heart - and will emanate from it incessantly, moving the tongue towards it. Such is the sweetness and such is the power of praise! “The prophet (St. Basil the Great) apparently promises something impossible here. How can the praise of God be continually in the mouth of man? When he speaks in ordinary everyday conversation, there is no God’s praise in his mouth. When sleeping, he remains completely silent. When he eats and drinks, how will his lips utter praise? But, in addition to the external man, we have an internal man, and, in addition to external lips, there are internal lips, the mouth of the heart, which can speak independently of external lips.” Nothing can stop these lips from remembering God and praising Him always - for those who lead a sober life and listen to their hearts. Did Moses speak with his outer lips while standing before the sea? Didn't say. Meanwhile, God answers him: Why are you crying to Me? The lips were silent, but the heart uttered a cry that ascended to heaven and entered the ears of God. Anyone can do the same without being embarrassed or entertained by the external situation, just as Moses was not entertained by the noise and murmur of the surrounding people. With our bodily lips we must glorify God at the appropriate time: in the evening, in the morning, at noon. With the lips of the heart, - with intelligent words spoken in the heart, we must remember God more often than we breathe, as St. Gregory the Theologian says (Euphemius Zigaben). “The thought of God (St. Basil the Great), once imprinted and, as if with a seal, confirmed in the sovereign power of the soul, in the mind, can be called praise to God, which abides in the soul.” A true thought about God cannot but be praiseworthy to Him, for God is always glorified and glorified. Confirm this thought in yourself, and you will be a constant praiser of God. And in this the Prophet gives you an example when he says: I have seen the Lord before me, as he is at my right hand, so that I will not move (Ps. 15:8). This contemplation of God before oneself is constant thinking about Him, or, in other words, walking in the presence of God, the norm of the mental mood of all zealots of piety and at the same time the most effective means of success in it. Whoever is confirmed in this, his heart is awake even during sleep, as it is said: I sleep, but my heart watches (Song. 5:2); for “the dreams of sleep (St. Basil the Great) are very often an echo of thoughts that occupied the day.” “A zealot (St. Basil the Great) of piety, according to the Apostle, can do everything for the glory of God, so that every action, every word, every mental exercise receives from him the power of praise; for whether he eats or drinks, he creates all things for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).” And deeds make a sound like the blood of Abel. This voice is the thought and intention with which they are created. Just as every thing emits its own smell and is recognized by its smell, so our deeds emit what the soul that creates them puts into them. Why, if someone does everything for the glory of God, his deeds emit glory to God, audible to God, and he truly praises God, for his deeds do not cease to exist. Thanking God for everything and praising God, if these are not private actions, but constant dispositions and moods of the heart, are the highest degrees of perfection of spiritual life, in its relationship to God. They are placed by Saint David at the beginning, at the head of reverent feelings for God, either as a goal of aspiration for souls thirsting for perfection, or as a joyful confirmation that the labors undertaken have already borne the expected fruit. For the latter, the Holy Prophet in himself represents an example and model: he would not have said: I will continue to bless and praise the Lord, if the deposit of the strength required for this were not carried by his soul. Dispositions towards this moved in his heart like ripe fruit, and gave him the compulsion to utter such a great word, as John, leaping in the womb of Elizabeth, moved her tongue to utter the corresponding word (Luke 1:41-45). This is how you see the fruit; but the Prophet does not explain how his seed was supposed to vegetate, develop, bear color and then bear fruit. Take out praise is angelic life. Its seed is in the spirit that bears the image of God. Grace, having descended, awakens this seed and directs the spirit to God. Then begins the work and sweat of removing obstacles to abiding in God. The time comes; labors are crowned with success, and the spirit—purified—begins to see God. Those who see God are pure in heart and blessed. The blessed heart, from the abundance of its bliss, begins a song of praise to God, which it never stops. This is the beginning of life, which will be revealed in all its power in the Kingdom of Heaven. c) Everything must be referred to God and rested on Him (verse 3) Ps.33:3. My soul will glory in the Lord. Saint Basil the Great puts the following speech into the mouth of the Prophet: “I do not boast, he says, of my ingenuity, by which I was saved from trouble, but of the Lord, who saved me: for salvation lies not in strength, not in human wisdom, but in the grace of God.” Saint Athanasius the Great adds to this: “if, he says, I appear worthy of praise, because something good has been found in my deeds; then this should not be written down to me, but to God: He made me known; He has also made me worthy.” Thus, to boast in the Lord means to attribute everything to the Lord and not rely on anything of your own, but on the power of God and God’s protection and providence alone. A person always sees something valuable in himself or in something of his own - and he puts it on display, rests his hope on it, and boasts about it. This is the basis for a sense of security and confidence in the possibility of well-being. Take away this support, a person falls in spirit, is killed, and despairs. But whatever a person boasts about and whatever he relies on, except God, does not give him true praise and strong support. Boast that you are God’s and God has you as His, helps you and protects you. For it is said: let not the rich man boast in his wealth, the wise man in his wisdom, the mighty in his strength: but let him boast in this, that he may understand and know the Lord his God - and be known from Him (Jer. 9:23-24). “In return (St. Basil the Great) for any other honor, it is enough for us to be called slaves of the Heavenly Ruler of all, God. Does not the servant of kings boast that he has been appointed to this or that office of service? Is it possible that he who has been honored to serve the true God will invent praise for himself from somewhere else, as if to be called the Lord is not enough for him to be full of glory and eminence! If anyone boasts about his beauty, or the fame of his family, or his connections and rests on it, his praise is vain and his support is fragile: for his soul does not boast in the Lord. Also, if anyone boasts of his intelligence, art and ingenuity, such as scientists, speakers (speakers), rulers, doctors, builders of houses and cities and others - and rest their hope on this - their praise is vain and their support is not strong: for they do not place their soul in the Lord.” To boast about the Lord, to refer everything to Him and to rest comfortably on Him alone is a state of spirit, and not a private action. Until a strong confidence is reborn and implanted in the heart that the Lord holds and protects man and arranges everything that will save him: until then he cannot sincerely boast in the Lord, although he will do it with his tongue. Without confidence, this person usually considers himself and his mind to be his guardian and saver, and whatever good he manages to do, he attributes to himself and boasts about it. d) On the spiritual fellowship of God-devoted men (verses 3–4) Ps.33:3. Let the meek ones hear and rejoice. The meek do not have the energy to resist the pressure of unfavorable circumstances and push them away through their resistance. To grieve, they grieve, but they don’t know how to get out of trouble, and they don’t even do that. To such and such, to console them and to inspire them, the Prophet now turns his speech. “Since (St. Basil the Great) says, through one change of face, with the assistance of God, my salvation has been accomplished, then let the meek hear this and rejoice, seeing how, even without fighting, one can erect victorious signs and, without fighting, turn out to be winners.” Cast your sorrow upon the Lord, and He will arrange for you everything for which you have neither the strength nor the means. The Prophet puts himself among all the oppressed and persecuted and wants to share with everyone the method of deliverance that he himself has been honored with. Just as one of the lost, having found the way, shouts to other wanderers to follow him: so does the Prophet. He seems to say: I am saved by the Lord; My soul gloryeth in the Lord. This is the most reliable way to get rid of troubles. Rejoice at this discovery, and hasten to take the same path on which I feel so good. In this sense, Euthymius Zigaben says: “St. David calls those who are not evil, who do not repay evil for evil, meek; and - let such people rejoice, he says; for God never abandons the meek, but always saves them in extremes, just as he saved me; Let them see in me an example of salvation from the Lord and arise to boldly trust in Him.” “Let every righteous person rejoice (Athanasius the Great), hearing about the salvation that the Lord has done for me, and seeing how He saves all who trust in Him.” Or the meek are “those who have tamed (Basily the Great) their morals, freed from all passion, in whose souls there is no longer any rebellion: such was Moses, meek more than all men living on earth (Num. 12:3), and such are the true followers of Christ, who learned from Him to be meek and humble, just as He is meek and lowly in heart (Matt. 11:29). This is the company of the blessed, who are promised to inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).” In this case, the appeal of the Holy Prophet to the meek will have the following meaning: I too am numbered among you. I am humbled by the circumstances of life and taught to rely on salvation in God alone. Hear this and rejoice, as those who have acquired a new like-minded member. Or this: a circle of meek people is a society of closely related individuals. What concerns one thing concerns everyone, everyone sympathizes with it and everyone feels it: the misfortune of one is a common misfortune. Saint David has disappeared from the scene! Where, where, what happened to him? He was mired as in the waves of the sea. But, by the power of God, he gets rid of trouble and, in feelings of gratitude to God, calls out to everyone: I am whole! Delivered by God! The extreme was great; but I did not lose heart, and I still abide in the same God, and I boast in Him. Hear this and rejoice. Christians often had to express and experience similar feelings during times of persecution. Expressing this same thought, Saint Athanasius says: “The hymnist is not content to sing songs alone, but makes those who are partakers of meekness also partakers of hymns.” Having invited the meek to share his joy, he now invites them to share in the work of exalting the Lord, the benefactor. “As if not having sufficient strength to worthily proclaim the greatness of God, he asks that others begin the same and assist him” (Athanasius the Great). The mind of one is not strong enough to embrace the greatness of God; why the Prophet calls all the meek to fellowship in this action (St. Cyril in Euthymius Zigaben). Just as once upon a time three youths in the cave of Babylon, realizing the greatness of the work of glorifying God and considering themselves insufficient for this, called all creation to exalt the Lord: so Saint David, in the same thoughts, convenes those of the same mind in meekness and piety, so that they would help him worthily magnify the Lord (Anthimus, Patriarch of Jerusalem). But no matter how many minds gather, they will not grasp, as they should, the greatness of God, and no matter how many tongues are used, they will not express it completely worthy of God. Meanwhile, no matter what the measure of this exaltation in mind and word, it is always an action and a solemnly joyful state of mind. Why is it not so much the hope of embracing and fully expressing the greatness of God that makes Saint David call all the meek to this, but rather the desire to make them partakers of his reverent spiritual joy. If simple joy is inquisitive, all the more so is spiritual joy, detached from all passionate restrictions and excited by objects that have the power to delight everyone. “I do not want (Blessed Augustine) to exalt one, says the true lover of the Lord; It doesn’t happen here that if I hug, the other person who wants to hug has no place to put his hand. There is such breadth in the Lord that there is room for everyone to embrace Him - in the desire to delight in Him. Stir up one another, saying: Let us lift up His name together. If you love the Lord, draw everyone into this love, no matter who you enter into intercourse with, especially those who are in your house. Draw into love for the Lord whomever you can and in whatever way you can, exhorting, asking, admonishing, proving with meekness and quietness. Draw everyone to love, so that if they begin to magnify the Lord, they magnify them together, as if with one voice. Those who fell away from the unity of the Church (in the time of Augustine - the Donatists; in our country - schismatics, Molokans, Khlysty) exalt the Lord in particular. Let us also say: let us lift up His name together, brothers. Why are you special and want to exalt the Lord separately from us! He is one; Why do you want two nations to stand before Him? Why do you want to cut into pieces the body of Christ? The enemies came to the Lord hanging on the cross and did not break His legs. But Donatus came (we have Avvakum, Uvarov) and cut up the body of the Church of Christ. On the cross, in the hands of enemies, the body of Christ remained intact, but in the hands of Christians the body of the Church was not preserved intact. Let us cry out to them with a strong cry: come, let us lift up His name together. It is the Church who calls out to those who have fallen away; this is her voice calling them into her bosom!” To magnify the Lord means to depict His greatness in a word or song. The Lord is infinitely great in Himself and revealed Himself as such in His deeds. Our exaltation is not necessary for Him; but it is our duty, the duty of the creature to its Creator. On the other hand, the great involuntarily elicits a feeling of amazement, as a tribute to the great. So it is in relation to God! When His greatness is realized, felt and, as it were, touched: then thoughts magnifying Him will of themselves swarm and form a song, first in the heart, and from there in the word. The whole point is to see and feel God's greatness. This is achieved by “who (Basily the Great) with a reverent mind, in deep contemplation, considers the greatness of creation, so that in the greatness and beauty of creatures he can contemplate their Creator (Wis. 13:5). For the more one delves into the laws by which the universe is structured and governed, the more clearly one contemplates the magnificence of the Lord and, to the best of one’s ability, is disposed to magnify the Lord.” This will also be achieved by those who, with deep reflection, see the manifestation of the greatness of God in the judgments and mercies towards the human race: in the flood, in the confusion of languages, in the expulsion of the Israelites from Egypt, especially in the redemption and salvation of people. Having understood and felt this last, the Mother of God cried out: My soul magnifies the Lord! (Luke 1:46). The same amazement and appeal involuntarily erupts from everyone who, with an undistracted thought, rises to the contemplation of the greatness of God, revealed by Him in His providential actions over the human race. But not everyone is capable of this. For this it is necessary to make the eye of the mind clear and acquire a serene heart. “One must completely (Basily the Great) abolish oneself from external rebellions, create complete silence in the hidden church of the councils of the heart and then begin to contemplate the works of God. Just as it is impossible to receive the correct impression from a visible object with a clouded eye, so it is impossible with an indignant heart to comprehend the greatness of God in creation and providence. Therefore, one must withdraw from all worldly affairs and not introduce extraneous thoughts into the soul, either through sight, or through hearing, or through any other sense. For, raised by carnal wisdom, wars fill the interior of the heart with unceasing rebellions and irreconcilable discords.” But the Lord is magnified not only by word, but also by deed. “How can we, the humble, magnify the Lord, who is greater than all measure and comprehension? - asks Anthimus, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and answers: we can magnify the Lord in no other way than if we do, speak and think worthy of the greatness of God and pleasing to Him.” In this sense, it is often said in the psalms: let us magnify the Lord, exalt God and glorify Him. In this sense, we read in the Lord’s Prayer: Hallowed be Thy name. These words mean: let us do, speak and think worthy of the greatness, glory, splendor and holiness of God. Why does Saint Basil the Great begin to explain this verse like this: “The Prophet gathers a decent face for himself to glorify the Lord (his speech is addressed to the meek). Do not associate with me, he says, neither rebellious, nor embarrassed, nor inflaming the soul with carnal passions: but you, meek, - you who have acquired firmness and constancy of soul, have shaken off laziness and drowsiness and stand cheerfully in the affairs of God. The first three verses of the psalm suggest such thoughts, as directed by the Holy Fathers and teachers of the Church. It is not difficult to notice how gradual the Holy Prophet is in the development of holy spiritual feelings! Thanksgiving begins for one occasion; from this thanksgiving, excited by the mercy of God, the thought moves to contemplation of all the perfections of God and revives the praise of God; from the contemplation of perfections, the mind moves to the contemplation of the all-action of God in everything that happens in creation in general and in the fate of man in particular, and disposes the spirit - relating everything to God, to rest in Him alone; finally, embracing everything with one thought, the Holy Prophet ascends to the comprehension of the greatness of God - both in His properties and in His actions, and, as one who has found a valuable and inexhaustible treasure, he calls on everyone to pay Him the due tribute of exaltation. This is the height to which he has ascended and to which he is taking us! – The comprehension or sensation of the greatness of God strikes the spirit with amazement. Amazement at the contemplation of the incomprehensible greatness of God is the innermost worship of the mind of the infinitely great God. This amazement strikes the mind when delving into every property and every action of God. Amazing: the omnipotence of God, and goodness, and justice, and omniscience, and omnipresence, and creativity, and providence, and redemption. Each of God’s properties and actions, when the humble mind begins to delve deeper into them, opens, as it were, a window into the infinity, immeasurability and incomprehensibility of God, where he gets lost and, as it were, spills out - and in deep self-abasement he is forced to cry out: who is God! 4) The first tenth, second part (verses 5–11) Saint David invited the meek to the rejoicing and collective exaltation of the Lord, and he invited not only for the sake of the fact that he himself was honored with great mercy - the salvation of a life that was in such extreme danger; but for the sake of the fact that all necessary mercy and help is always ready for them, if they approach God in the proper way. Why, following the said invitation, he hastens to inspire them so that, bypassing everything, they would seek salvation for themselves in the one God, assuring that such a search would not be in vain, firstly, by their example, and secondly, by indicating the law of God’s mercies. He seems to say to them: Behold, I have sought God and received mercy; You too will receive it if you come to Him, verses 5-7; for this is the law of the all-good God, that He always saves those who fear God when they approach Him, verse 8, as long as they approach with the proper dispositions, verses 9-11. a) Saint David encourages the meek to trust in himself by the example of his own salvation (verses 5–7) Saint David seems to say this: I was in the most cramped circumstances; but I ran to God with strong trust, and He delivered me from trouble. You too should resort to God: and you will be given the same thing that was given to me. “This is what (Basily the Great) says, hear, meek ones, that I sought the Lord and was heard. During this difficult time, when all the wrath of the wicked was aroused against me and the hands of all armed themselves against me, and I, unprotected by anything, was ready to take upon myself all the blows of the enemies, and at that time I was not confused by thoughts of fear, I did not abandon the thought of God, I did not despair of my salvation, but I sought the Lord - and, because I sought, I was delivered from trouble. Learn from this, where there is a safe refuge in troubles, and be glad.” Why do others seek the Lord and find no help from Him? Because they do not cry out with all their hearts, they cry out as if only with the tip of their tongue. The Prophet says about himself that he not only sought, but sought. “The saying: seeking - expresses more than what was sought, just as a test - more than torture” (Basily the Great). Like a child, feeling trouble, with crying and screaming he looks for his father or mother, bypassing all other persons: so, he says, in the extreme, bypassing all human means of salvation, I sought the one Lord, I sought from the depths of my soul, with a painful heart (Evfimy Zigaben), not being entertained by anything, but having the only Lord in my thoughts. Why - and hearing me. For God is the God of the heart, or who exists near every heart and understands all his thoughts and aspirations. Heartfelt seeking, without any mediation or interval, is directly accepted by the Lord and attracts mercy. Where did the Lord hear the Prophet? Just where he found Him. And where did he find Him? In the heart. “Outwardly (Augustine) no one heard the voice of David and his appeals to God. And there was no time, and there was no place to cry out with the tongue. The demand and appeal took place in the heart: the appearance was completely different. But where there was discipline, there was hearing and giving. The Lord hears internally, internally, in the heart, and gives. So, pray there, there you will be heard and blessed. Internally, in your heart, you will pray, and you will be heard, and you will be blessed, but a stranger, even standing next to you, will not know about it. Everything will be done in secret, as the Lord says in the Gospel: when you enter your cage, shut your doors and pray in secret, and your Father, seeing in secret, will reward you in reality (Matthew 6:6). For to enter a cage means to enter a heart. Blessed is the one who, having entered his heart, is rejoiced, without encountering anything bad there. Let your shrine sink in! It happens that someone does not want to enter his house because he has an evil wife there. When such a person leaves home, he rejoices, and when the time comes to return home, he is sad, because it is not joy that awaits him there, but annoyance, grief, abuse and quarrel. Such people are unhappy; but much more unfortunate are those who do not want to enter the heart, because of the remorse awaiting him there for the sins he has committed. So, so that you are willing to enter your heart, cleanse it: blessed are those who are pure in heart (Matthew 5:8). Throw out from there the impurity of lust, selfishness and avarice, the thorns of pride, the potion of envy, hatred and every evil thought. Throw it all away: and then, entering your heart, you will rejoice there. When you begin to rejoice there, the very purity of your heart will delight you and dispose you to pray. Having come, for example, to some place, clean, quiet, silent, you say to yourself: I will pray here. The pleasantness of the place attracts you, and you hope that you will pray more earnestly there and be heard by the Lord more quickly. If external purity attracts you so much; then wouldn’t inner purity be all the more attractive? Go inside and cleanse everything. Then, just lift up the eyes of your heart to God, and He will immediately come to you and help you.” Not all who seek the Lord find Him. For it is said: evil will seek Me and will not find Me (Prov. 1:28). Only those who have a good mood of heart and sincere feelings towards God find the Lord as their Helper, Patron and Deliverer from troubles (Anthimus, Patriarch of Jerusalem). Others seek God as an instrument, but turn their hearts to something else, and that is why they receive nothing. “The Holy Prophet sought nothing else, but sought the Lord Himself, and was heard (Augustine). So, he who is not heard has surely not sought the Lord. Look! The Prophet did not say: I sought gold from the Lord, and He heard me. I sought longevity, and He heard me; I sought one or the other, and He heard me. It is another thing to seek something from the Lord, and another thing to seek the Lord Himself. So, do not seek from the Lord anything that is outside of Him, but seek the Lord Himself, and He will hear you and still say, saying: Behold, I am (Isa. 65:24). What does it mean: se, Az? Behold, I myself am here: what more do you want, what else do you ask from Me? Whatever I give you is below Me. Here I am: perceive Me and master Me. You cannot yet accept all of Me and be all in Me. But by faith touch Me, and you will partake of Me. And there I will throw off all your burdens, so that you can accept Me all, and be all in Me. Then you will become equal to the angels (Matthew 22:30). You will be able to see My face and reveal your desires and needs to Me face to face. And I will soon hear you and deliver you from all your sorrows.” What sorrows did the Prophet mean when he said: deliver me from all my sorrows? Those that he experienced in the incident he mentioned in the inscription. There was not only sorrow here, but also a complex misfortune. The prophet seems to be saying: how many times did King Saul attempt to take my life with his own hand, and I was covered by the right hand of the Most High! Finally, he equipped the squires to kill me, and then the Lord helped me escape from their hands. At Nob the high priest could have detained me; but it was not given to him to guess about my flight, and he not only did not delay, but provided me with bread and a sword. Having run over to a neighboring people, through negligence, I fell into the hands of the king, who could not be lenient towards me; but, at the behest of the same Helper and Patron of God, I miraculously escaped ready death by an insignificant means. What could have happened if I had been detained here? With what abuse would they have betrayed me and, having abused me, would have either tortured me or handed me over to Saul! Our most merciful and humane God and Father delivered me from all these sorrows and troubles only because I sincerely, with a sickness of heart, sought Him (Irenaeus, Archbishop of Pskov). Saint David is a man after God’s heart: and yet it was given to him to experience extreme sorrows. “And every righteous person (Basily the Great) life is filled with sorrows; the path of each of them is a narrow and regrettable path. Many are the tribulations of the righteous, because through many tribulations it is necessary to enter into the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). God delivers the saints from sorrows, not leaving them without testing, but giving them patience. A complete removal of sorrows would not be helpful. For if sorrow makes patience, and patience is an art (Rom. 5:3), then he who is not involved in sorrow is deprived of experience. And just as no one receives a crown without having an opponent and without fighting with him, so one cannot become experienced without having sorrows and without enduring them courageously. Therefore, the words: deliver me from all my sorrows do not mean: you did not allow me to grieve, but gave me with temptation and abundance, so that I could bear it (1 Cor. 10:13).” “Having been strengthened in hope by what he himself has received, the Holy Prophet leads others to the same thing” (Athanasius the Great). I, he says, sought the Lord and this is what I received. Do the same and you will get the same. As he convinces them to be equal to their actions: then, obviously, proceed in accordance with the demands, be enlightened - having heard me, your faces will not be ashamed - deliver me from all my sorrows. As I have demanded, so you will begin; as I am heard, so you will be enlightened; just as I am delivered from all sorrows, so you will not be ashamed. The Lord is everywhere: how to approach Him? A painful turning of the heart to Him in hopeful prayer. Just as the Lord’s seeking is a painful cry to Him; so approaching Him is pestering Him in fervent prayer, like the widow of the parable who pestered the unrighteous judge. Whoever sets out so sincerely and with such constancy will be heard. Confirmation of the God-pleasing nature of prayer will descend into his heart, and his sorrowful face will be illuminated with good faith. Sorrow and sadness usually darken the face and mind. The Holy Prophet speaks as if here: darkened by sorrows and sorrows! approach God with a warm search for Him, just as I sought Him; and you will undoubtedly be enlightened by Him with joy and consolation, which will drive away the dark cloud of sorrow from your heart, and thus your faces will not be ashamed of your trust in Him (Euphemius Zigaben, Anthimus, Patriarch of Jerusalem). “When someone suffers, says Blessed Augustine, what misfortune, contempt, dishonor or persecution, his face is covered with shame. But you, says the Prophet to the one who trusts, do not be afraid. Come to the Lord and do not be ashamed. The enemy, defeating you, seems to gain the upper hand over you and shame you; but you are superior to him in the eyes of God, who will exalt you above your enemy in due time and remove the shame from your face. How tall were the Jews when they tortured the Lord? It seemed as if His face was disgraced and destroyed. By the very act the Jews were put to shame. Several years passed, and their city was destroyed, and they were scattered over the face of the earth. Thus, just as the Lord Himself was not covered with shame, so He does not allow those enlightened by Him to be put to shame.” This is the direct idea of ​​this verse. But, out of context, it can have a diverse application, to which the attention of the Holy Fathers was drawn, who interpreted the psalms not in the types of knowledge, but in the types of spiritual creation. The words: come to Him, that is, to the Lord, indicate those who have departed from Him and through this apostasy have darkened and disgraced their face. They are alone at a distance from God because they do not know Him and do not believe in Him; others - because although they believe in Him, they do not live by this faith; still others - because, wanting to approach God, they do not go to Him the way they should go. An appeal can be and has been attached to all such persons: come to the Lord and become enlightened, so that, having been enlightened, you can remove the shame of darkness from your face. Come to the Lord, ignorant of God and His Christ, wandering in the darkness of lies and delusion, outside the path of salvation. A Christian enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit does not want to be alone in this good, but invites everyone to come to our Lord Jesus Christ (Augustine). The Prophet here exhorts those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death to approach the Lord, to approach the rays of the Divine, so that through this approach, illuminated by the truth, by grace, they may embrace His enlightenment. For just as this sensual light does not shine for everyone, but only for those whose eyes are open and turned towards the sun for unhindered reception of its rays; so the Sun of righteousness (Mal. 4:2), the Light of truth, Who enlightens every person coming into the world (John 1:9), is not visible to everyone in its luminosity, but only to those who open their spiritual eyes with faith and turn to the Lord, turning away from all evil and harmful delusion (Basily the Great). Such people receive enlightening power in the holy sacraments. Those who convert for the first time from paganism receive it in holy baptism, which is why it is called enlightenment, like the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, on which the baptism of those turning to Christ was performed at the beginning - the feast of lights. Why does Theodoret, Euthymius Zigaben and Anthimus, Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the words: come and be enlightened - they see an invitation to those who have not been baptized to holy baptism, as if like this: come to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith in the Holy Gospel and accept holy baptism. Holy baptism will cleanse your souls and enlighten your intelligent eyes, and thus remove shame from your face, washing away from you the cause of shame - sins. The believer embarks on the path to sincere rapprochement with the Lord. He should continue to move forward, without retreating, without hesitation, without laziness. How to go? By faith by love. “Your feet,” says St. Augustine, “are your love. Have two legs: don’t be one-legged and lame. What are these two legs? Two commandments of love - to God and neighbor. Flow with these feet towards God and approach Him. He Himself invites the mother-in-law to Himself, and He gives His light, so that you can come to Him with grace.” But not everyone does this: others yield to the attraction of passions and, deviating along the wrong path, again deviate from God. For them, the light of Christ, which enlightens everyone, will darken. “Just as the sun (Basily the Great) although it rises, it does not rise for bats and other animals that obtain food for themselves during the night: so the light of the Divine, although in itself brilliant and all-illuminating, does not share in its radiance. The reason for this is not in Him, but in the evil will of a sin-loving heart.” For such people, the goodness of God has arranged another way of approaching God - the path of repentance. What darkness is darker than the darkness of sin? And what shame is more shameful than the fall? And so sinners are invited to approach God in repentance in order to be enlightened and cleansed from darkening and shameful sins. A sin-loving heart sometimes persists here too, ashamed of confession, which washes away all shame. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed (John 3:20). “The sinner often says: How can I begin? I am burdened with such sins; such iniquities lie on my conscience: how dare I approach God?! How?! humbling himself in repentance. I am ashamed, you say, to repent. But just start, and you will be enlightened, and your shame will disappear. Fear of shame turns you away from repentance; but repentance draws you to God, who removes shame. The stamp of shameful guilt is on your forehead; but come, and the Lord will take her away. Don’t you see that this is why your face is covered with shame because you have not yet approached the Lord; Humble yourself in repentance: and shame will disappear and your face will be illuminated” (Blessed Augustine). The repentant one goes to the Lord. The path to Him, in fact, is an internal path, completed in the mind and heart. Thus, it is necessary to adjust the thoughts of the mind and the disposition of the heart, so that the spirit of a person will always be with the Lord, appearing to those who approach Him. Whoever is such is constantly enlightened by inner enlightenment, receiving rays of intelligent light upon himself (Theodoret), like Moses, whose face on the mountain became famous from his coexistence with God. Saint David speaks about this in another place: the light of Your countenance is upon us, O Lord (Ps. 4:7). A means adapted to this is mental prayer, performed in the heart. When it is formed, then only the gaze of the mind becomes clear, and the spirit, clearly in vain of God, receives from Him the strength to both see and drive away everything that can shame it before God. Meanwhile, there are quite a few who hope to approach God through external deeds and exploits alone. They tea, but do not begin; for they are going the wrong way. And here is an appeal to them: approach God with your mind and heart and become enlightened, and stop being ashamed by the enemy, who, despite your external goodness, constantly overcomes you and shames you in the thoughts and feelings of your heart. An intelligent and heartfelt approach to God will give you the strength to prevail over all other movements of the soul and thereby shame the enemy when he attempts to shame you. And another deeply edifying thought is derived from this verse by Saint Basil the Great. Come to the Lord, having sought His help, be enlightened by the hope of deliverance, and your faces will not be ashamed of your hope. This is for our present life, which is difficult and painful. But there will be another life, where even reluctantly we will have to appear to the light that will illuminate all of us. ABOUT! If only I weren’t ashamed then! Then the one who here approaches the Lord with faith and repentance and is enlightened by the works of good deeds and feats of cleansing the heart from passions will not be ashamed. So blessed. On the day of God’s righteous judgment, when the Lord comes into the light to bring the secrets of darkness and to announce the counsels of the heart (1 Cor. 4:5), he will boldly enter this alluring light and will not be ashamed, because his conscience is not defiled by vicious deeds, having been cleansed by tears of repentance and feats of self-correction. And those who did evil (and did not repent) will rise to reproach and shame in order to see in themselves the abomination and imprint of the sins they have committed. And perhaps more terrible than darkness and eternal fire is the shame with which sinners will be immortalized, constantly having before their eyes traces of sin committed in the flesh, like some kind of irreducible paint, forever remaining in the memory of their souls. There is only one destructive force for these traces - tears of repentance. You need to wash the face of your soul here with them, and it will be enlightened and will not be ashamed on that day. This verse corresponds almost word for word to the 5th: only instead of demanding, this beggar stands here crying out, instead of deliver - save. Why is it accepted by all interpreters that Saint David is speaking about himself here too. Again he turns to his own experience of getting rid of trouble to arouse trust in those in need. After he said about himself: I sought the Lord, and He heard me, “come and you trustily,” another could think: “You are a king, you are a Prophet, that’s why you were heard,” and thereby extinguish the resurgent hope in yourself. To prevent this from happening, Saint David now points to his comprehensive deprivation in order to suggest that he himself was in an extremely humiliated state when he cried out to the Lord, and, despite this, was heard. Behold, being a beggar, deprived of all help, even food and shelter, I cried out with faith and hope to God, and as soon as I pushed into the door of His mercy with warm prayer, He immediately heard me and saved me from all my sorrows (Irenaeus, Archbishop of Pskov). But at the same time, you can understand by the beggar anyone who is in extremis and helpless, and move in thought to the diverse experiences of deliverance from troubles, revealed by the goodness of God over many people from the beginning of the world and shown to this day, saying to yourself as if like this: look, he cried out and was heard; likewise, so-and-so, and so-and-so, and many, being in trouble, cried out to the Lord and were heard. Don’t despair either; call, and you will also be heard. And here is a guiding instruction for us on how to resurrect in the heart the trust in God’s mercy and help that is extinguished in troubles. Turn your thoughts over to examples of those saved from troubles, and you will be inspired by hope. Jacob was in danger from Esau: he cried out to God, and God changed Esau’s heart. In what great extremity were Moses and all the people of Israel when Pharaoh and his army overtook them before the sea? But Moses cried out to God, and He miraculously saved them. No matter how many times the people of Israel, languishing under the oppression of neighboring nations, turned to God, seeking His help, each time they were soon heard and, not by human means, saved and delighted with their triumph over their enemies. These and similar experiences of salvation from God existed before Saint David and fostered in him a spirit of trustworthiness. But how many such experiences did David himself see both on himself and on all his people? How many of them were later revealed among the people of God? How many - further - in the Christian kingdoms, in the East, West and in God-protected Russia? Even at the present time, an attentive person cannot help but see them, both in his life and in the lives of known and unknown, God-fearing resorters to God’s protection and intercession. How comforting it is to collect such experiences in memory! And how pleasant it is to hear the conversation of a person who, just in case of sorrow, has in his memory more than one example of God’s emergency help! This is where the true school of trustworthiness is! Pointing out, however, the experience of getting rid of trouble on oneself - a beggar, in order to arouse trustworthiness, the Holy Prophet at the same time hints at what kind of beggary God has a price that attracts His mercy. “Poverty is not always commendable,” says Basil the Great, but only when it is accepted by choice. Many are poor in wealth, but very covetous in their will. Poverty does not save such people, but arbitrariness condemns them. Therefore, blessed is not the one who is poor, but the one who has renounced all possessions in his heart, preferring the commandment of Christ to the treasures of the world. The Lord calls such people blessed, saying: blessed are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3), - not poor in property, but who have chosen poverty by the will of their hearts. For what is not of the will does not make one blessed. And such and such a beggar calls out and is soon heard and delivered from sorrows and troubles.” The Holy Prophet also hints at the spirit of humility and self-abasement with which one must cry out to God in prayer in order to receive what one asks for. “If someone (Basily the Great), led by a holy and humane spirit, not dreaming about himself, but humiliating himself in order to exalt others, cries out in spirit, asking for something great, and does not utter anything unworthy and low, expressing the search for earthly and worldly things; then the cry of this one who asks will be heard by the Lord.” “St. David teaches here,” says St. Augustine, how one can be heard. If you cried out and were not heard, it was because you appeared rich before God. Cry like a beggar, and the Lord will hear. How can I cry out like a beggar? So that, if you have anything, do not assign any merits to yourself, but recognize yourself as a beggar, and this until you acquire the One who makes rich everyone who calls on Him.” In this way, the beggar who is disposed in spirit will most likely be heard, according to the promise of God, who looks most favorably on the meek and humble. b) The Holy Prophet inspires us to trust by the everlasting law of God’s care for us, indicating conditional dispositions for trustworthy recourse to God (verses 8–11) aa) God's law of care for us (verse 8) Having pointed to the experience of delivering himself from troubles and thereby hinting at examples of deliverance from many other people who resorted to God in need, Saint David now sets forth the everlasting law of God to care for us. This is God’s law that those who, feeling their complete dependence on God and giving reverent worship to Him in their hearts, do all the deeds in their lives with fear and trembling, so as not to somehow offend reverently in the heart of the revered, loved and worshiped God, are protected by Angels and are protected by them and delivered from all troubles. This is how it is with God; Such an order was established from the beginning so that the lower through the middle, the middle through the highest, were protected, watched and guided. And this law has always been and is in action. “This, that is, that an Angel will take up arms around the God-fearing, is in accordance, says Blessed Augustine, with the words of the Apostle: for he says of the Angels: Are they not all servant souls, sent into service for those who want to inherit salvation? (Heb. 1:14). This is also in accordance with the general belief of people who have become famous for their piety and fear of God. Thus, blessed Jacob, blessing the children of Joseph, prays: May the angel who delivers me from all evils bless these children (Gen. 48:16). Thus, Patriarch Abraham, sending his servant to Mesopotamia to look for a bride for Isaac, says: The Lord God will send His Angel before you, and take a wife for my son Isaac (Gen. 24:7).” Whoever wants the most striking cases to confirm this truth, let him remember the Angels who met Jacob and fought for him when he was in danger from Esau (Gen. 32:1), and how the destroying Angel struck 180 thousand enemies who surrounded Jerusalem under Hezekiah, the pious and God-fearing king, and under Isaiah the prophet. Angel will take up arms. From the time of baptism, believers receive a Guardian Angel, and this Angel “does not depart from those who believe in the Lord,” says Saint Basil the Great, unless they themselves drive him away with their bad deeds. For just as smoke drives away bees and stench drives away doves, so the Guardian of our life - the Angel - is driven away from us by lamentable and stinking sin. If you have in your soul deeds worthy of angelic protection, and a mind enriched with the speculations of truth dwells in you, then, due to the wealth of invaluable deeds of virtue, God will necessarily assign guards and protectors to you and protect you with the protection of angels.” If the surrounding area takes up arms, it will protect you from all sides with its protection. “One Angel (Basily the Great) is equal to a whole army and numerous militia. Like city walls, encircling the city, they repel enemy attacks from everywhere; so the Angel serves as a wall in front, protects from behind and leaves nothing uncovered on both sides. For this reason, thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will be at your right hand, but no blow from any of your enemies will come close to you, as the Lord commanded about you with His Angel - to protect you (Ps. 91:7, 11).” If, therefore, the Angels of God encamp around us and guard us, ready to give all timely help; How therefore reasonable and obligatory is our appeal to them in our prayers! (Berthier, French theologian). They are around us and listen to our prayers, just as the pious people living with us face to face listen to them when we turn to them with a request to pray for us. As spiritual ones, they see the soul and what is in the soul and act on it, depending on where it turns and inclines at will. When bad thoughts are born in the soul, the Angel of God helps her - to resist them and disagree with them, without, however, restricting her freedom. Until the soul inclines to a thought, the Angel does not allow the dark spirit to reach it and does not retreat from the soul, although it is completely engulfed in thoughts, like a flame. Only when the soul is inclined to an evil thought, the Angel retreats, and the evil force takes possession of it and teaches it to carry out the thought with which it was combined in its heart. bb) Conditional dispositions for trustworthy recourse to God (verses 9-11) Verses 9–11 stand as if separate from one another, in which those who are pressed by needs from different sides are encouraged to reliably resort to God. But if you delve into the main thoughts contained in them and compare them mutually, then it is not difficult to notice the internal connection between them, according to which the dispositions indicated in them cause one another and all together constitute one godly good mood, strong to attract help from above. In verse 9, the main idea is the taste of goodness and hope, in the 10th - the fear of God, in the 11th - the seeking of God. This is how these arrangements are connected into one whole. The first words: taste and see - indicate tasting and seeing the goodness of God, which opens the entrance to the soul to hope that brings sweet consolation. Hope should immediately give rise to seeking God or resorting to Him; but whoever does not live in the fear of God has no support for his hope and an unclean conscience undermines his boldness in prayer. Why, between hope and seeking God, the active fear of God, characteristic of saints, is supplied as an urgent means. Thus, tasting goodness revives hope, and hope, through the active fear of God, gives boldness to seek God in feelings of unworthiness and helplessness. This demand is, as it were, the opening of the mouth to prayer, the fear of God is the support on which the one praying stands, hope is the spirit that moves prayer, the tasting of goodness is the entrance of the reviving air. Before he said: come to Him and be enlightened, now he says: taste and see. It is internal and deeper. There there is only an approach to God, as if from the outside, but here there is a sincere rapprochement with Him, as if merging. Just as someone who has tasted food, for example, accepts it internally: so someone who tastes the Divine is inwardly imbued with it and recognizes it as clearly as if he saw it with his own eyes. Everything divine through sensation in the heart becomes truly known, for the mind cannot comprehend it. When the Apostle speaks of the senses trained to discern spiritual things, he indicates the only source for acquiring spiritual knowledge, in eating with the sense of the heart. Here the Prophet speaks only of goodness; but every other property of the Divine is comprehended no differently. This is how justice, and long-suffering, and omnipresence, and omniscience, and omnipotence are comprehended. The heart will taste them, or feel them; then the human spirit will recognize them. Just as taste distinguishes between foods, so does feeling – the heart – spiritual things. Saint Basil the Great says at this: “how the property of honey can be explained not so much by words as by the very sense of taste to those who have not tasted honey; Likewise, the goodness of heavenly things cannot be clearly conveyed in teaching if, after long-term knowledge, one is not able to comprehend them through one’s own experience. This also happens in relation to the comprehension of the goodness of the Lord. Taste, he said, and do not be satisfied; because now we understand in part, we see the truth by looking at the mirror and by divination (1 Cor. 13:12). The time will come when the present pledge, this tasting, will turn for us into the perfection of pleasure. Just as those who suffer from stomach problems and feel disgusted by food are treated for this disorder by doctors, who, with the help of food prepared in a special way, arouse the urge for it, and when the feeling is irritated by these artificial foods, the urge for food increases hour by hour: so in relation to spiritual goods, the test itself, says the Prophet, will constantly call you to unsatisfied lust, which, however, is not painful, but blessed, as the Lord says: blessed is he who hungers and thirsts for righteousness (Matthew 5:6).” Even if it’s not enough, just taste it. This little thing will irritate the urge for more and bring it to perfection. However, no matter how perfect this may reach, all of it is only a guarantee in relation to the future. The Prophet invites you to taste, that is, to experience experimentally the Sovereign goodness. But how to achieve this? How to bring your heart to taste this goodness? By faith, pious reflection and experiences of casting oneself into the bosom of goodness. Faith is the revelation of things hoped for, the proof of things unseen. It is the same in the spiritual realm as sensory experience in relation to visible things. If faith wavers and weakens, strengthen it by reflecting on the Divine properties and actions and on the experiences of God's goodness that have been and are being revealed in the human race, whether in relation to entire nations and societies or in relation to individuals. Here the current laws of the Lord’s benevolent care for people who resort to Him will become clear. When consciousness indicates their applicability to you, then the heart cannot help but feel a certain ready overshadowing of goodness over you. But the goodness of God is tasted internally and more effectively through deed itself, or through the experiences of throwing oneself into the arms of God. This last point seems to be what David understands most. He seems to be saying: make an experiment, begin by deed to cast your sorrow on God, leaving all other supports and sources of consolation, and you will find out that the Lord is good to everyone who turns to Him in confident prayer (Euphemius Zigaben, Irenaeus, Archbishop of Pskov). Saint Athanasius the Great, Blessed Theodoret, Euthymius Zigaben and Anthimus, Patriarch of Jerusalem, indicate a special and most public way of tasting the goodness of God in the Communion of the Holy Most Pure and Life-Giving Mysteries. This verse is sung in church when Holy Communion is being prepared for the communicants, and the communicants are awaiting the blessed moment of Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ in prayerful reverence. The sinner, who has repented and cleared his conscience by confession, feels the embrace of the Heavenly Father, who again accepts him into His shelter, into sonship and a ready inheritance. The Blood of the Lord cleanses us from all sins. The Lord, with His Body, as our Forerunner, entered into the interior behind the curtain. Why is it that he who has tasted the Body and Blood of the Lord is cleansed from all sins and feels this designation for co-inheritance with Christ. When Communion is not just an external matter, then the feeling of these blessings given by the goodness of God, and the tasting of the goodness itself, cannot but occur. “Eating the Life-Giving Food,” says Blessed Theodoret, clearly shows the goodness of the Savior. For what so clearly proves His love for mankind? Isn't it the Cross? Isn't it suffering? Isn't death perceived for us? Is it not that for His sheep He became both a food source and a fountain of water?” Blessed is the man who trusts in nan. Tasting goodness gives rise to peace in its embrace, as in the embrace of a mother; and this tranquility is a characteristic feature of hope. Why is tasting the goodness of God a source of hope; and hope is the possessor of all the treasures of goodness. He who tasted goodness found a treasury. Hope opens the door to it and leads you into the possession of all its blessings. Why is the man who trusts in the Lord blessed? Blessed is not the bliss that is outside, but that is inside. This latter does not become scarce during all external deprivations: whereas it becomes scarce or stops at the moment of receiving good. External goods attract and excite the search. As long as the search lasts, so long does the good seem to be the good of being. But as soon as it is achieved, it immediately ceases to be a good thing. Eating it exposes the bitterness in him, disappoints him and turns him to new quests. So endlessly: everything is just a search and aspiration for satisfaction and never receiving it or contentment in it. The one who trusts rests in the eternal blessings of God and is invariably blissful: for he continuously tastes the goodness of God. Trust in God takes away the value of all human supports and all sources of consolation except the Lord. Whoever tastes how much good the Lord is, he will no longer place his trust in anything else and will not rest on anything else except the Lord. Whoever relies on anything created certainly does not have hope and has not yet tasted the goodness of God. A person cannot live without supports. But if his support is not in God, then in himself, or others, or in something around him. This one does not say: God will help; but - I can manage it or I have something to dodge. He does not say: God will not allow you to harm me; but - while so-and-so is alive, I have nothing to fear, you won’t do anything to me, I have a strong hand (Blessed Augustine). There is such an unhappy person. Internally he is constantly in fear and confusion; the external itself is constantly changing and being upset. The holy Apostle James reproaches such arrogant people, saying: Hear now those who say: this day or in the morning we will go to this city and make that one year, and we will buy money and gain: you do not know what will happen in the morning: what kind of life is yours? a couple exists, even if it appears briefly, then it disappears. Instead of saying to you: if the Lord pleases, we will live and do this or that: now boast in your pride: all such praise is evil (James 4:13–16). And the holy prophet Jeremiah threatens such with the wrath of God: cursed, he says, is the man who trusts in man and sets the flesh of his arms on him, and his heart will depart from the Lord: and he will be like the wonder of the world in the desert and will not see it when the good ones come, and he will dwell in dryness and in the desert, in the land of the desert and uninhabited. On the contrary, he pleases the person who trusts in God in every possible way, saying: Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord will be his hope: and he will be like a tree planted by the waters, and will put forth his root in the moisture: he will not fear when the heat comes, and there will be green stems on it, and in the dry season he will not be afraid, and will not cease to produce fruit (Jer. 17:5–8). Trust in God is not a singular disposition. It is the round dance (leader) of the whole host of good dispositions of the heart, their crown and color. It is characteristic not of those who live in negligence and carelessness, but of those who work tirelessly day and night in feats of good deeds. Why, having blessed those who trust in the Lord, the Holy Prophet adds: fear the Lord, all saints, - as it were: blessed is hope; but, be careful, do not relax your hope and do not indulge in carelessness. On the contrary, all the more live in the fear of God; for only under such a condition will our hope not be put to shame and you will not be deprived of every good. The fear of God is not an idle feeling, but is observance of the commandments or constant abiding in truth and love. When it is like this, then it serves as the basis of trustworthiness with which we approach God and taste the sweetness of His benefits (Irenaeus, Archbishop of Pskov). Work diligently for the Lord, and you will rightfully expect all kinds of help from Him. And it happens among us that we go to someone with whom we are in good relations and service with any need openly and boldly, without hesitation and without thinking of being refused. If we have caused any trouble to anyone, we don’t even dare show ourselves to him, even if we knew that he willingly helps everyone. It's the same here. He who has a clear conscience, who knows that he has worked for the Lord in fulfilling His commandments, boldly trusts in His help. Whoever has offended God with iniquities does not have trust in his heart in times of sorrow and misfortune; unless in connection with this there will be sincere repentance in the heart with determination - everything else to work for the one and only Lord. Saint Isaac the Syrian, in the 67th word, thus depicts the necessary connection of hope with a virtuous and God-fearing life: “whoever, having no concern for the fleeting, day and night cares about only virtues and Divine pursuits, it is right for him to hope in God, because he has become His servant and diligent to His work, and does not indulge in negligence for any reason. Such a one is worthy for God to show his care in a special way, because he has kept the commandment of God, which says: seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; and God fulfills His promise in him: and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). But a person whose heart is buried in earthly things, who neglects what is pleasing to God, who does not care about a single virtue, due to constant relations with people and distraction in amusements, - how dare he turn to God in hope of His help, when he is oppressed by poverty or death and oppressed by the fruits of his iniquities? Perhaps he too will say: I will put my trust in God, and He will make me carefree and give me relief. Until this hour, you, foolish one, did not remember God, but insulted Him with the lewdness of your deeds, and the name of God, for your sake, was blasphemed, as it is written (Rom. 2:24); and now you dare to say with open lips: I will place my trust in Him, He will help me and take care of me. Don't flatter yourself; Hope in God is preceded by work for God and sweat shed in doing good. Only the righteous trust like a lion (Prov. 28:1). And just as his constant care is dedicated to God, so God speaks of him: seven are with him in his tribulation, I will destroy him and glorify him, I will fill him with long days and show him My salvation (Ps. 90:15-16). He who is relaxed and lazy in his work cannot have such hope. But whoever abides with God in everything and draws closer to Him through the goodness of his deeds, he can say about himself what the Divine David said: my eyes have disappeared from my trust in my God (Ps. 68:4)” (Isaac the Syrian, Ascetic Words. 67). Why are the saints taught to fear God, when the saints are holy because they are filled with fear of God? Then, so that they do not allow this fear to weaken within them. For the fear of God is the guardian of virtue to the grave: saints should protect themselves with it all the more, the more they serve as the target of the enemy’s arrows, the object of his envy and hatred. And sin, still living in them, can raise its head as soon as it notices that the sword guarding the entrance to paradise of the sanctified heart has been lowered. Saint Basil the Great says: “if the fear of God does not control our lives; then it is impossible for sanctification to occur and persist in the body. For it is said: nail my fear to Your flesh (Ps. 119:120). Just as the members of the body of those nailed to nails remain motionless and inactive, so those embraced in the soul by the fear of God avoid any passionate overwhelm by sin.” In what sense does the Holy Prophet say that there is no hardship for those who fear the Lord? Firstly, the fear of God makes them morally perfect. This is the thought of Saint Basil the Great! “Restrained by fear from any indecent act,” he says, is not deprived of strength for any virtue; but is perfect and does not lack any of the perfections inherent in human nature. He who has mastered perfect fear and fears everything out of fear of God will not sin in anything, because he despises nothing, and he will not suffer deprivation, because in any case fear is constantly with him.” Therefore, the Wise One says: Fear God and keep His commandments, as every man does (Eccl. 12:13), as it were: all the good and perfection of man consists in fearing God and keeping His commandments (Irenaeus, Archbishop of Pskov). Secondly, although they are often subject to deprivation, the feeling of deprivation does not torment them, being absorbed by the heartfelt assurance that everything that happens will work for their good, according to the providential dispensation of God. Hence the spirit of patience fills them, overpowering all hardships to such an extent that they seem to not exist. This spirit is richer than any wealth. The spirit must be rich, not a storehouse. Moreover, a truly God-fearing person does not desire wealth. When someone does not have what he does not want to have, then it cannot be said about him that he is deprived of it (Irenaeus, Archbishop of Pskov). Thirdly, the Lord does not abandon those who fear Him in times of need, but gives them temporary blessings when this is necessary for their moral perfection, for the good of others living with them, and for the glorification of the name of God. In the Holy Scriptures, and especially in the lives of the saints, we find countless examples that prove that God takes special care of His servants, miraculously giving them everything they need to support their lives. Those who are perfect in the spirit do not require this, being content with all their participation, but spiritual infants, like milk, are raised by the arrangement of external prosperity for them. Those under the law were led along this path, and were taught to fear God, at least for the sake of the fact that He provides temporary blessings. Christians are led by God's Providence in the most perfect way, in which martyrdom itself does not refute the position that there is no hardship for those who fear the Lord (Irenaeus, Archbishop of Pskov). St. Augustine also adds the following lesson: “Many, he says, then do not dare to accept the fear of God because they are afraid of hunger. They tell them: stop lying. They answer this: what should we feed on? If you don’t lie, you won’t succeed in anything, and our deals are nothing without deception. But God will punish you for deception: fear God. If I become, he says, afraid of God, I will have nothing to live on. These are the ones the Prophet encourages: fear the Lord, for there is no hardship for those who fear Him. He promises contentment to the one who doubts and fears, so as not to become poor if he accepts the fear of God. God fed you when you didn’t even think about Him: will He leave you now when you begin to fear Him? Be careful not to say: that one over there is rich, not fearing God, but I am poor, although I fear God. He, without fearing God, how much did he gain? And I am afraid of Him, naked and hungry. Don't say that; but consider what follows from the Prophet: riches make you poor and hungry." The holy Prophet completes the ladder of dispositions that attract God’s protection by seeking the Lord. Seeking the Lord is an expression of trust in God. When in need, they immediately look for someone in whom they can rely. He who places his trust in God seeks Him. This exaction is involuntarily torn out from a trusting heart when remorse does not strike. The search that arises in the heart, which has reached hope through tasting the goodness of God, is inspired by the boldness of a God-pleasing and God-fearing life. Why does the Prophet immediately remember him, after having just inspired him - to have a perfect fear of God, evidenced by the works of good deeds. Those who seek the Lord are opposed to the rich. Consequently, the rich here are the same as those who do not seek the Lord, who do not turn to Him in need, who are self-satisfied, who, with their own means without God, hope to arrange their fate for the good, that is, who rely in everything on their strength, on money, connections and their position. These are those about whom it is said in one place: fat, thick, wide, and forgetting God (Deut. 32:15). When Saint David says about them that they are poor and hungry, he wants to mean that they are poor and greedy (the Hebrew past tense means the present in the perfect form). Because they are never satisfied, and everyone wants more, like the greedy and the poor. On the contrary, those who seek the Lord are filled with a feeling of contentment, from tasting the goodness of the Lord, which He vouchsafes to them, when they seek Him in the proper way and ascend to Him. They rest in the Lord and feel themselves possessors of every good thing. This is the direct idea of ​​the verse: rest in the Lord for those who seek Him, in the feeling of possessing every good thing - in contrast to those who do not seek the Lord, but rely on wealth, strength, connections and position in society, who are languishing with a feeling of poverty and deprivation, always accompanied by painful insurances for themselves and for everything they own. What is taken into account here is not the external position of both, but their internal mood and the corresponding state of mind. St. Basil the Great reasons in this way: “With riches one becomes poor and greedy - this word teaches us contempt for material wealth, showing the fragility of abundance in property. For wealth is impermanent and, like a wave driven by the force of the winds, usually flows here and there. The all-perfect good is God Himself, Whom all who seek Him will not lose. Whoever elevates material wealth and carnal advantages to the level of goods, assigns a decent name to low and undeserving things that are worthy of worship and the only God. The saints did not consider visible blessings to be blessings, and did not seek them. Therefore, when it is said that they were not deprived of any good, we must understand by this other goods. Whoever, reading this verse, understands visible benefits, will become entangled in insoluble contradictions. For how, for example, will they reason about the Apostles? Or they should say that the Apostles did not receive bodily benefits because they did not seek the Lord, or, if they did not have such benefits after seeking Him, they should blame Scripture itself, which certifies that those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of any good. No; This should be understood not about physical goods – visible – but about invisible – spiritual goods. These only goods are, in the proper sense, goods. The benefits of the body contain more painful than pleasant; and each of them, moreover, is darkened by a corresponding evil: marriage by childlessness (or thinness), widowhood by loneliness, agriculture by infertility, trade by shipwrecks, wealth by intrigues, luxury by satiety, frequent pleasures by illnesses.” Blessed Augustine adds to this: “if we take these words literally; then the matter does not correspond to them. There are many unrighteous rich people who die rich, without becoming poor while they are alive. From this it happens that someone, seeing how some rich man grows old as a rich man, and lives to the last hour of his life in all abundance, and gives up his spirit on an ivory bed, surrounded by a large family, is awarded a magnificent farewell and funeral and descends into the grave with all splendor - seeing all this, and, if he knew what sins this man had, he says to himself: I know how much evil this man did; but he grew old in wealth, died on his bed, they carry him out, and he has such a magnificent funeral. I know what he did, and yet this is his fate. Therefore, the Scripture deceived me, in which I hear the song: with riches I became poor and hungry. When did he become poor? When did you get hungry? I also hear: those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of any good. And yet here I am - every day I go to church, every day I kneel, every day I seek the Lord - and still I have nothing. But he did not seek the Lord, but died in the midst of such contentment. The force of temptation suffocates the one who thinks like this. The devil throws a noose around him and drags him to sin, in imitation of the rich man whom he saw die in such contentment.” “Don’t reason like that and don’t interpret this passage literally. How can we understand it? Be wise in relation to spiritual goods. What are these benefits and where are they? They are invisible to the eyes of the body, but are seen by the heart. The one who loves them sees them: the heart sees them. Here I will show them to you - pay attention. Suppose that you have two slaves: one is handsome, prominent, stately built, but invincible, a rogue, a deceiver, a thief; and the other - ugly, black, clumsy, but faithful, sober, thrifty in everything. Tell me, which of them will you love? If you ask your carnal eye, then the handsome man will prevail; and if you ask the eyes of a pure heart, then the faithful ugly one will take advantage. Here is a good for you, invisible to the eyes, but visible to the heart, which you yourself place above the visible. If now someone is filled with such spiritual blessings, will he be poor? Of course not. For how can you call him poor when his heart is a treasury of precious pearls of all virtues: truth, love, faith, patience, humility? Now compare with him the one who is rich, but in his heart is filled with all evil, and tell me, which of them is poor and hungry and who is not deprived of all good? So the rich are poor and hungry, because they do not have spiritual blessings. And I will also tell you that they are poor even in bodily goods. Why? Because they never get enough of anything. No matter how much they have, it’s not enough for them. This rich man you are talking about was a beggar if until his last breath he still wanted more than he had. On the contrary, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are satisfied, as the Lord said. And this is why those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of any good!” Unevenness in the lot of people is the lot of earthly life. The Distributor is the Lord, incomprehensible in His Councils. When thoughts that confuse your heart come to you at the sight of those who suffer, who, however, seek the Lord, consider the following questions: Is the sufferer really suffering? Are you imposing your feelings on him? It is only clear that he lacks both; but whether he grieves about it, you don’t know. If he doesn’t need it, he probably doesn’t feel the deprivation, and therefore doesn’t grieve. There are people who are content with a piece of bread and a mug of water. If this is a great deprivation for you, then consider yourself deprived of the good when need brings you to this, but do not judge the other. Consider also: you see those who seek the Lord deprived of blessings. But do they really belong to this category of people? They ask: is it full? Is it sincere? Is it the direct way? Why be embarrassed if, when there are shortcomings in seeking God, there is also a deprivation of the benefits promised for seeking? The Providence of God, which fosters this very seeking, found it necessary to subject it to testing in order to bring it to perfection, and then to merit the full promise spoken of those who seek the Lord. So let outsiders argue. Let those who have felt sorrows and hardships develop within themselves more broadly that idea, hidden in their hearts in the form of a seed, that everything arranged for them by Providence is inevitably necessary for themselves, for their moral perfection. If this need had not existed, the Lord would not have allowed deprivation. If he allowed it, then it was necessary. Your whole business now should be to take advantage of the impending hardships for your own good, enduring them complacently and gratefully and, under their protection, taking care to correct what is faulty in your character and to raise to the possible extent your mental and heartfelt appeal to God, which in the days of contentment in contentment itself encountered considerable obstacles. And let them develop another thought - that no matter what deprivations they have, not everything is lost. There is another life, for which the real one is only preparation and education. Be patient for an hour or two: for all life is like an hour. And you will enter a place where you will definitely not be deprived of any good, for the acceptance of which labor was used here, the foundation was laid, the ability was formed. In the first tenth verse, Saint David, having tasted sweet peace in God, the all-good Provider, directed his word to raise others to the same state, depicting for them a ladder of dispositions along which, like steps, they can also ascend to trustworthiness - to always have God as their Helper, the Deliverer from sorrows and the Giver of all good. Among these dispositions, the root one is fear of God. If it weren’t for her, there would be nothing to instill hope in; without her, the words of seeking the Lord and appealing to Him would fade away in our mouths. Having understood this meaning of fear of God, he who listens to the psalm song is ready to ask what is the fear of God and in what actions is it expressed? The Holy Prophet anticipates this desire and, in the second tenth, teaches the fear of God, verses 12-15, indicating its fruits, verses 16-22. 6) Second Decamentum, first part (verses 12–15) a) Teaching the fear of God (verses 12–13) A God-fearing person, reverently thinking about God and walking before His face, behaves with all care and prudence, so that neither in word, nor in deed, nor in thought does he allow anything offensive to God, but to walk in all the commandments and justifications of God blamelessly. Why is the teaching of fear of God the teaching of fulfilling all the commandments of God, or doing all-round good deeds? Saint David, however, does not depict here the entire system of affairs in which fear of God is expressed, but takes from them only those that are applicable at almost every step in the relations of people with each other, in the thought that if someone keeps himself correct in these, he will undoubtedly be correct in everything else. These are: keeping the tongue from slander and deceit, harming no one but doing good to everyone, having peace with everyone and spreading it around, verses 14-15. Just as injunctions and laws in general require labor and self-sacrifice in their execution, the Holy Prophet, in order to incite one to willingly walk in the affairs of the fear of God, precedes their instruction with the promise of a happy life for them, always desired, but never, however, unattainable without good deeds and a calm conscience - verse 13. He seems to say this: if you want to be happy, act as I show you. In this case, he acted in the same way as the Lord later did in His conversation with the people on Mount Mount, when He, outlining moral Christian dispositions, the formation of which requires considerable labor, attached to each of them the promise of bliss. Verse 12 - invites attention to the importance of the subject of teaching, which, however, does not reveal: it is enough to remember the fear of God in order to arouse attention; The importance of this lesson is assumed to be recognized. A wise man with many years of experience offers the treasures of his active wisdom, passing them on to a new generation entering life and wanting to learn how to live. This is a word from distant antiquity to everyone and to us. Our elders and we are babies before our forefather David. Yes, everyone is listening! Come, children. “This (Basily the Great) is the voice of a sincerely disposed teacher, with fatherly charity calling for teaching, because the student is the spiritual child of the teacher. He who receives education in piety from another is, as it were, created by him and brought into composition, just as babies are formed in the womb of the womb. Therefore, Paul also called the entire Church of Galatia, which had fallen away from the first-taught teachings and resembled the premature fruit of a womb, again receiving and by Divine power portraying Christ in the Galatians, children. My children, even though I am sick, until Christ is imagined in you (Gal. 4:19).” Come and listen. “What does (Basily the Great) want to teach us our spiritual father? He says, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Since above he commanded to fear the Lord and showed the benefits of fear, saying that there is no deprivation for those who fear Him; then he now teaches some lesson about the fear of God. And since the fear of God is the first thing, it not only offers it, but also demands special attention, saying: come and listen. That the fear of God is definitely the first thing - this is now even known to small children, having learned from the Wise One, who says: the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7), - both active and speculative wisdom. When he says “beginning,” he makes it known that one must begin with it and that everything else will follow, flowing from it. Therefore, without the fear of God it is impossible to become knowledgeable, prudent, or kind. He holds the key to it all. This is the only department in the world that, while teaching one subject, teaches everything!” When the Holy Prophet says: come, I will teach, it means that he himself knows this science. For what teacher would decide to open a department of science that he does not know? “What (Basily the Great) needs, for example, to be healthy, anyone can say, even an ignoramus; but how health should be acquired, talking about it is the job of a person who knows the art of medicine. Likewise, the fear of God can only be taught by someone who has the true fear of God.” What a lesson for parents, educators, teachers and everyone who can say to those under their charge: children! Teach them, first of all, the fear of God, teach them both in word and, especially, by example. And what kind of answer should such people be subject to when they not only do not teach this matter, but unlearn it - some by fearless life, and some by words?! The Holy Prophet here offers the teaching of the fear of the Lord, which alone is saving. For you should know that not every fear is good and saving. “There is the fear of the enemy (Basily the Great), for which the Prophet prays, so that it does not come close to his soul, saying: from the fear of the enemy, take away my soul (Ps. 63:2). That fear is the enemy’s, which instills in us the fear of death and which instills in us to fear the advantage of persons. Will he who fears this be able, during martyrdom, to resist sin even to the point of death and repay the debt to the Lord who died for us and rose again? There is still some vague fear evoked by demons. And it seems to me like weakness generated by unbelief; for he who believes that he has a strong Helper is not afraid of any of those who are growing stronger to disturb him.” “What is (Basily the Great) saving fear, sanctifying fear, fear deliberately, and not out of weakness, settled in the soul? Would you like me to explain to you the properties of this fear? When you are tempted to commit any sin, imagine in your mind the terrible and unbearable judgment seat of Christ, where the Judge sits on a high and exalted throne, while all creation stands with trepidation at His glorious appearance, and each of us is brought to the test of what he has done in life; then, to the one who has committed many bad deeds in life, terrible and gloomy angels are assigned, who have a fiery gaze and a fiery breath, due to the cruelty of their will, and faces like the night, due to despondency and hatred of man; then - an impassable abyss, deep darkness, a fire that is not light, which in the darkness contains scorching power, but is devoid of luminosity; then - such and such a poisonous and carnivorous worm, devouring with greed, never being satiated and with its devouring produces unbearable diseases; then - the cruelest of all torments - eternal shame and eternal shame. Fear this and, admonished by this fear, as if by some kind of bridle, restrain your soul from evil desires.” Our father promises to teach us the fear of God; but – “to teach (Basily the Great) not everyone, but only those who want to listen to him. Listen, you whose hearts are open, simple-hearted, filled with childlike faith, children who, through the birth of baptism, have become close to God and have been worthy to become sons of light through rebirth. For the Prophet has not his school, but the school of the Holy Spirit. The Sovereign Spirit, who regenerates sonship to God, speaks through the mouth of the Prophet, as he himself confessed: The Spirit of the Lord speaks in me, and His word is on my tongue (2 Samuel 23:2).” “Come (Blessed Augustine), let us listen to Him! Let's open our ears, open our hearts. May our ears not be open and our hearts closed. God speaks through the Prophet. Who wouldn’t want to listen to Him?” Life here is a happy life, the same as good days. For to the unfortunate, life is not life, and sometimes worse than death. The prophet wants to show a way to live happily and peacefully on earth. Intending to express the lessons of strict morality, he wants to listen to them, and then decide to implement them in action, indicating the condition for a happy life. “He excites (Theodoret) to heroic deeds, offering, as some kind of worthy reward, a carefree and exalted life.” He strikes the most tender and sensitive string. Who doesn't want a happy life and good days? What are all the worries about and why all the work? But not everyone truly understands what happiness is and how to achieve it. And this is what Saint David promises! To teach how to live on earth, perhaps a happy life. The rules he proposed, exactly, are included in the conditions of a calm and serene life in human society. Don’t slander, don’t flatter or be deceitful, don’t harm anyone, do good to everyone as much as you can, live peacefully with everyone: and you will be at peace, you will be respected and loved, and no one will offend you or insult you in any way. That’s why you will constantly see good days and live enjoying life. This is the first thought generated by the words of this verse! But by limiting ourselves to it alone, we are unlikely to exhaust the fullness of the prophetic promise. It is true that those who live according to the instructions indicated to them enjoy, for the most part, a peaceful life; but it often happens that the very implementation of these lessons upsets their peace and turns their good days into evil days. Why is it more correct to assume that the Holy Prophet does not limit the fulfillment of the promised prosperity and well-being to present life; especially since he then extends the fruits of such a God-fearing life beyond the boundaries of this life. Our leader in this will be the holy Apostle Peter. In the 3rd chapter of his First Epistle, he instructs Christians not to repay evil for evil, but rather to bless, basing this on the fact that Christians are called to inherit blessings (1 Pet. 3:9). This heritage, of course, is one that is given in eternity. But in the next verse he also refers to the words of the prophet David: although he says, love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and so on (1 Pet. 3:10). What I previously called a blessing is here called life and good days. Therefore, there is no doubt that in this life the holy Apostle saw an eternal life and in good days - a blessed eternity. Having learned from the Apostle, Saint Basil the Great and Blessed Augustine combine the same thought with the words of the Prophet. “The Prophet asks (Basily the Great): does anyone want life, but not this common life that the dumb live, but true life, not stopped by death. Christ is true life, and our true life is abiding in Christ. Likewise, good days are not these days. The days of this age are evil, for the whole world lies in evil (1 John 5:19). For this reason the Apostle commands to redeem the time, for the days are evil (Eph. 5:16). Now we are not in life, but as if in death. This is why the Apostle prayed, saying: who will deliver me from the body of this death? (Rom. 7:24). There is another kind of life to which the word calls us. Our present days are evil, but there are other days - good ones, which are not interrupted by night. For them, God Himself will be an eternal light, illuminating them with the radiance of His glory. Therefore, when you hear about good days, do not think that this promise told you about this life; because the days that the sensual sun produces are perishable; and the corruptible cannot be a fitting gift for the imperishable. If the soul is incorruptible, then spiritual gifts must also be incorruptible. But the image of this world is passing away (1 Cor. 7:31).” “The Holy Prophet asks (Blessed Augustine): who desires good days? Who? Isn’t everyone ready to answer: me? Who doesn't love belly fat and doesn't want to see good days? Isn’t there a daily murmur: how long will we endure? Day by day it gets worse and worse. It was better in the days of our fathers. But if you had asked your fathers, they too would have complained about their days: blessed were our fathers, but we are bitter, our days are evil. Show us, Lord, good days! This is not where you are looking for good days. You are looking for a good thing, but you are looking in the wrong place. As if someone were looking for a righteous man in a place where he is not, they would say to him: if you are looking for a good man, look, but not here; here you will look for him in vain, you will never find him here: so it is here. Looking for good days; good deal. Let's look together, but not here. But how, you say, did our fathers have them here? You are being deceived. On earth everyone lived in labor and cramped conditions. Read the Scriptures, which were written for our comfort and instruction, and you will be convinced of this. In the days of Elijah there was a terrible famine, such that mothers roasted their children (2 Kings 6:26–30). Abraham had good days, but internally - in his heart, and externally, just like everyone else, he endured hunger and attacks (Gen. 12-25). Did St. Paul have good days, when it is known that he often spent them in hunger and thirst, in cold and hunger (2 Cor. 11:27)? But let not the slaves complain. The Lord himself did not have good days in this century. And He endured reproach, strangulation, the Cross and all kinds of evil. So do not expect good days on earth, hearing the promise of the Prophet. Another endless age will come: there will be good days there.” b) Practice the fear of God (verses 14–15) These two verses combine a lot, or everything, in a little. In brief words, the entire science of a happy and peaceful life is depicted here: for if each of these words is analyzed and everything required by it is presented in detail, then a whole system of moral precepts will be compiled, by the fulfillment of which a person can strengthen good days on earth for himself. Keep your tongue from evil, your lips from flattery; keep away from evil; do good; establish and preserve peace: five instructions, the fulfillment of which, testifying to the presence of the fear of God in the heart, also guarantees a possible serene life for a person in a community of people. Here the same thing is indicated, which is depicted in other words in the 14th Psalm: Lord, who dwells in Your habitation? And it says: speak the truth in your heart, and do not deceive with your tongue: do not do evil to your sincere: your neighbors will not accept reproach, etc. (Ps. 14:1-3). The commandment that determines the use of language comes first because language is the main organ of our mutual relationships. They establish good connections, they break them, and they restore them again. Organize your language and everything will go well. Give him uncontrollable freedom, and he will pervert everything, both in you and around you. This is what the Wise Sirach writes about him in the 28th chapter: the tongue, he says, shook many and separated me from tongue to tongue. And destroy strong cities, and turn the houses of nobles. Listen to him and you will not find peace; he will dwell below with silence. A whipping ulcer creates: a tongue ulcer breaks the bones. Many have fallen with the edge of a sword, but not like one fallen with the tongue. Blessed is he who is hidden from him, who is not subject to his yoke, nor is he bound by his chains: for his yoke is iron, and his bonds are copper bonds: his death is cruel, and hell is better than him (Sir. 28:16-17, 19-24). This evil from the tongue made him cry out in another place: who will put in my mouth my treasures, and on my lips a seal of understanding, lest I fall because of them, and let not my tongue destroy me? (Sir. 22:31): for only he who bridles his tongue will live in peace, and blessed is he who does not creep with his lips (Sir. 19:6, 14:1). That’s why he gives everyone this lesson about the tongue: see, fence your acquisition with thorns, and make weight and measure with your words, and make a door and a fence for your mouth (Sir. 28:27, 29). Saint Basil the Great writes on this verse: “sin committed by the tongue is in fact very convenient and varied. And many sins are committed directly with the tongue, and there are many sins to which the tongue serves as a guide and mediator. For he is the instrument of every passion. Are you angry? And the language precedes. Has lust prevailed over you? The tongue first of all serves you as a translator and carrier: it helps in this sin and leads you into temptation. For you, the tongue is also an instrument of untruth, if it does not speak from the heart, but to deceive others. Our life is full of the sins of the tongue: obscenity, ridiculous, stupid and obscene speech, gossip and idle words, false oaths and false testimony - all this and a much greater number of evils are the work of the tongue. And those who open their mouths to desecrate the glory of God speak great lies (Ps. 72:8) - with what other instrument do they do this, if not with the instrument of the tongue! So, since you are condemned by your words (Matthew 12:37), then restrain your tongue from evil.” Saint Basil the Great began a list of the sins of the language. Let's bring it to the end and present a complete picture of the abuse of words in order to make it more clear what, exactly, an abyss of evil comes from language. Here are its products: condemnation, slander, slander, gossip, ridicule, barbs, caustic wit, ridicule, irony, jokes, ridicule, idle talk, verbosity, pedantry, self-praise, news-making (passion for gossip, rumors and news), low flattery, groveling, insinuation, feigned friendship, betrayal of secrets, perfidy, violation of the word, bilingualism, lies, deception, treachery, cheating, farewell (cunning), falsehood, whispering, sneaking, slander, reproaches, insulting words, abuse, foul language, quarrels, fervor, perjury, unreasonable piety, false oath, perjury, oath (curse), divination, conspiracies, murmuring, blasphemy. And is it still there? This is how diverse the evil is in the tongue and under the tongue! He, exactly, according to the word of the Apostle James, is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison (James 3:8). Isn’t it just because curbing it is put in first place?! One has only to set the good use of the word against these abuses of language in order to be convinced of what good a society in which the latter predominates must fulfill, and how miserable, on the contrary, is that in which the former are in great use! You can’t even live there, let alone see good days. When the Holy Prophet says: keep your tongue from evil, he means all evil in general from the tongue, and the most open, obvious evil done by the tongue. But when he adds: keep - and your lips from flattery; then, of all the evil actions of the tongue, he singles out the most hateful flattery, sweet speech that covers up maliciousness, deceit, cunning and guile (in Greek: δολος). He creeps into trust, discovers secrets and turns this to the detriment of the trustee. This is a home thief who stole the keys and steals the owner's property. This is a refined cunning, pretending in its disposition, but inside it is filled with deceit, which, if due to lack of strength and cannot offend you now, will do you harm when it finds an opportunity - so, however, that you will not notice it - this is how Sirach portrays this evil (Sir. 19: 23-25). And Saint David describes it in other places in the darkest colors. This is his cunning razor (Ps. 51:4). According to Basil the Great, this is a secret crime against one’s neighbor, committed under the guise of good. According to Saint Climacus, this is a secretive and imperceptible leech that sucks and absorbs the blood of love (Ladder, 10.2). That is why it is said so blackly that flattery is insidious and exposes great moral corruption in the perpetrator, and produces great harm outside. The first producer of flattering villainy is the devil. He was the first to destroy our ancestors with this poison; and then this poison spread throughout the entire human race, and how much evil it produced and continues to produce?! After all that has been said, everyone will easily agree that as soon as someone can master his tongue, it will not cost him anything to appear correct in everything else. This is why the Prophet says in another place: I will keep my ways, he says, so long as I do not sin with my tongue (Ps. 38:2). And the holy Apostle James writes that he who does not sin in word is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body, that is, all the wrong movements that arise in the damaged composition of human nature (James 3:2). Let anyone who wishes to read this entire passage from Saint James about the evil that comes from the tongue, in order to arm himself with caution in the use of this weapon, so small and so uncontrollable in evil. Who does not know, however, this pagan evil? And everyone himself often does evil to them and sometimes suffers a lot of evil from the tongue of others; and everything does not set itself by law to act legally with the tongue. And rarely does anyone think about it. Everyone almost acts with their tongues, haphazardly. And here is the reproachful word of Blessed Augustine: “Do you want, he says, life and good days? Listen and do what I tell you: keep your tongue from evil and keep your lips from speaking flattery. Do it. I don’t want to, says the poor man. I don’t want to keep my tongue from evil, but I wish you good life and good days. But consider for yourself: if your worker said to you: I will devastate your vineyard and demand rent from you; You brought me here so that I would protect and cleanse the vineyard, and I will cut down all the trees, so that you will have nothing to collect here, and when I do this, I will demand that you pay me for my labors: wouldn’t you consider such a person crazy and wouldn’t you kick him out of the house without any further transactions with him?! Such are also those people who want to do evil with their tongues: swear falsely, blaspheme, murmur, deceive, quarrel, speak prodigal speeches, make conspiracies, go to fortune-tellers - and see good days. They say to them: you cannot, while doing evil, expect the fruit of good. Even if you are wrong: God is always righteous and does not give rewards to those who do evil. What to do after this? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from uttering flattery. Don’t deceive anyone, don’t lie to anyone and don’t be tricky.” In the order of his injunctions, the holy Prophet observes a strict sequence, preparing the first for the subsequent. We sin more easily and quickly with words, and therefore we first command to keep them in moderation. From the word he now moves on to deeds, to which the way for the most part is paved by the word. Whoever subdues his tongue will find it easy to evade evil deeds. He who avoids evil already needs to put in a little work in order to do good right away (Evfimy Zigaben). Avoid evil, not only obvious, but also secret; not only do not plot or do any evil to your neighbor, but beware of in any way taking part in the evil plans of other people. Let not wicked men deceive you, saying: come with us and partake of the blood. Do not go on a journey with them: turn away your foot from their paths (Prov. 1:15). Know that the fossil pit will fall into it, and spreading the net will get stuck in it; and that he who does evil will fall into it and will not know where it will come from (Sir. 27:29–30). Do not do evil, and evil will not befall you: turn away from unrighteousness, and it will turn away from you. Do not sit on the reins of unrighteousness, and do not reap them with the sevenfold (Sir. 7:1-3). Avoid evil: not only do not do evil or sin in deed, for example, theft, murder, fornication; but avoid all cases leading to sin, move away from places, persons, things and everything that can arouse passion and involve in sin. Do not walk on the path of falling, and do not stumble on the stone. Let your eyes see rightly, and let your eyelids anoint with righteousness. Turn your eyes away from your red wife, and do not behold the kindness of others. Do not despise a virgin, lest you be tempted by her beauty. Do not mix with the one who is singing, and do not get bogged down in her endeavors. Create the right of the flow with your feet and correct your paths. Do not turn aside, either on the right hand or on the other hand: turn away your foot from the path of evil: for the Lord tells the ways of the right hand, but those who are on the right side are corrupt (Prov. 4:25-28; Sir. 9:4-5, 8, 32:22). Avoid evil: conduct your affairs with caution and arrange your relationships with others in such a way that you do not take a step that could entangle you in troubles, losses and even ruin. Be careful and attentive, for you are walking hand in hand with a fall. Do not open your heart to every person, lest he reward you with false graces. Do not do secret things in front of a stranger, for you cannot know what he will take away from you. Do not consult with the foolish, for he cannot keep your affairs secret. Do not set off on a journey with a recklessly brave person, lest you die from his violence. Do not bring every person into your house; For many are the wiles of the deceitful one. Beware the villain; for he builds evil. Don't trust the enemy; for seven serpents are hidden in his heart. Know that just as one who touches tar becomes dirty, so one who makes friends with the proud will become like him. But who will regret a snake charmer if he is bitten? Likewise, about the one who approaches a sinful man and shares in his sins? Take heed of the time and be guarded from the evil one (Sir. 4:23, 8:18, 20–22, 11:29, 33, 12:10, 13, 13:1, 16). Do good. Be diligent in every good deed, especially doing good to those in need. According to the Apostle, put on the womb of generosity, kindness, acquire love (Col. 3, 12, 14) and be good and merciful to everyone (Eph. 4:32). Be, following the example of Job, a blind eye, a lame foot, a weak father (Job 29:15–16). Do not turn away, according to Sirach, your hair from the one who asks; Do not offend the hungry souls and do not wipe out the mourning servant. Incline your ear to the beggar and answer him with peace and meekness. Intercede sincere (neighbor), rescue the offended from the hand of the offender and be orphan, like a father. Do not distance yourself from those who cry, lament with those who mourn, and do not be lazy to visit the sick. Let the grace of giving be upon the living, and do not withhold grace from the dead (Sir. 4, 2, 4, 8–10, 7:36–38). All this and the like are collected together and, in the Orthodox Confession of the Catholic and Apostolic Church of the East, are offered to piety and Christian love, in the form of works of mercy towards one’s neighbor, seven for the body and seven for the soul, namely: give drink to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and in prison, bring the strange into the house, bury the dead; Show the lost the path of truth, persuade the sinner to take the path of virtue, instruct the ignorant and ignorant, give advice to those seeking advice, comfort the grieving, forgive those who have offended and pray for everyone. Do not miss the opportunity to do this kind of work whenever the Lord sends it to you. Do good. Not only do everything that all God-fearing people usually do: honor your parents, pray to God, give alms, go to church, listen to the word of God, keep fasts and so on; but especially multiply good deeds and in this regard deliberately invent ways to expand the circle of good that comes from you, not limiting yourself to those that the ordinary course of life suggests (Irenaeus, Archbishop of Pskov). In general, make it a law not only not to harm anyone, but not even to cause any trouble. Make sure that everyone with whom you come into contact leaves you not only without sorrow, but with a consoled and joyful soul, leaving with some kind of good, whether you show it in deed, or in word, or even with the look of your face and mien. Avoiding evil and doing good are the two legs with which God-fearing people make their way along the path of a godly life. Those who are experienced, however, in distinguishing spiritual orders find differences between them, which are not useless for zealots of moral perfection to know. Athanasius the Great says: “Fear teaches you to evade evil, and love teaches you to do good. He who loves is greater than he who fears.” His thought is continued by Basil the Great, saying: “It is not appropriate for someone who is perfect to abstain from evil, but only for a beginner. One must first, as if from a bad path, move away from the habit of a vicious life, and then begin to perform good deeds. Because it is impossible to take up good without stepping back and completely avoiding evil, just as it is impossible to regain health without freeing yourself from illness, or to warm up before the chill has completely passed. All of this is incompatible with one another: similarly, one who wants to lead a good life must free himself from contact with evil.” St. Augustine adds to this: “it is not enough to do no harm, do not kill, do not steal, do not commit fornication, do not deceive, do not bear false witness. Having shied away from evil, you cannot yet say with confidence: now I am safe, I have done everything, I will have a peaceful life, I will see good days. For one must not only avoid evil, but also do good. It’s not enough to not rob: you need to clothe the naked. You didn’t rob: you avoided evil. But you won’t do any good in this if you don’t bring the strange one into the house, don’t put him to rest and don’t provide him with what he needs. And one must always evade evil in order to do good at the same time - or evade evil not by inaction, but by doing good, the opposite of it.” Seek peace and get married. Behold, the end and crown of good deeds that attract prosperity. Seeking the world and pursuing it means an intense search for peace, which comes from love for it. The meaning of this commandment, therefore, is: be peace-loving. Peacefulness is an attractive and most God-loving virtue. The lover of peace puts on the clothing of Christ the Lord, Who is our peace (Eph. 2:14) and Who Himself through His mouth assimilates to him the sonship of God (Matt. 5:9). Is it marvelous that throughout the entire space the words of God speak high praises of both peace and love of peace? Behold, what is good, or what is good, but the brethren must live together (Ps. 132:1), Saint David cries out in another place. The three adorned themselves and stood red before the Lord, says the wisdom of Sirach: with like-mindedness of the brethren, and with sincere love, both husband and wife agree with each other (Sir. 25:1). Why did the Savior, in His last conversation to the disciples, leave them peace as the most precious inheritance, saying: My peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you (John 14:27). And Saint Paul the Apostle makes peace the final limit of both man’s free efforts and his grace-filled assistance, when he says: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, may guard your hearts and your minds about the Lord Jesus (Phil. 4:7). It is well said: seek peace. Peace is a precious treasure worthy of intense searching. But it is not always easy to have peace, no matter how hard you try. This is why Saint Paul says: If it is possible from you, have peace with everyone (Rom. 12:18). If possible, it indicates the work of the matter. But on the other hand, those who manage to achieve this are given blessedness: blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). It is everyone’s duty to seek peace, using everything in their power to firmly hold the peace and every time hasten to reconcile with those who are not peaceful. This is why Saint David says: marry and... Chase him when he leaves, chase him until you catch up, until you completely erase the quarrel that has arisen with someone. Whoever fulfills everything commanded before this holy Prophet will come to peace on a straight path. Whoever keeps his tongue from evil and at all times avoids evil and does good, how can he not be at peace with everyone? “A peaceful person,” says Blessed Theodoret, loving peace with everyone, does not steal what is secretly belonging to his neighbor, does not dare to kill, does not plot to violate marital fidelity, does not say or do evil, does good to others, shares with them and protects them, suffers with them and suffers with them.” But whoever acts this way, what reason can he encounter on his part to violate the peace? And if this happens on the part of others, does he not have in the manner of his actions strong means of attracting them again to the world? In this case, peace is the same as all-encompassing love. Peace is the first fruit of love, or it is love that appears and acts externally. Love in the heart, outside - peace. Why is everything that the holy Apostle Paul says about the circle of actions of love can also be applied to peace or peacefulness. He who loves peace is long-suffering, merciful, does not envy, does not become conceited, is not proud, is not rude, does not seek his own, is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice over iniquity (1 Cor. 13:4-6). In all such actions, let's say back, the strongest guarantee of peace appears. This last thought directly leads us to the solution of the following question: what kind of peace is the Prophet talking about, internal or external, about peace of the heart or peace with one’s neighbor? About both. Peace with one's neighbor is impossible if he is not in the heart. What makes you not make peace with others? Anger, hatred, envy, self-interest, pride and all passions in general. They take away peace from the heart, and with an unpeaceful heart it is impossible to maintain peace outside with your neighbors. So, first cleanse your heart of passions and find peace within yourself. When you are at peace within yourself, then the peace that has settled in your heart will spread around you and outside. Saint Basil the Great says: “seek peace, that is, free yourself from the rebellions of this world, acquire a serene mind, a state of soul that is not worried or disturbed, not shaken by passions, not carried away by false teachings that attract you to your side with their plausibility, so that through this you may acquire the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7) and guards your heart, and become one with Christ, who is our peace (Eph. 2:14)." Blessed Augustine further develops the same idea: “seek, he says, peace and marry him.” Where should we go after him? To where he went. The Lord is our peace. But He, after His resurrection, ascended to heaven. When you are resurrected and this dead thing is clothed with immortality, then you will achieve peace. There, no one and nothing will confuse and disturb you; there is a perfect world there. And here the righteous themselves groan, but everyone knows that here we are only looking for peace, but we achieve it there. See how David himself was embarrassed. In what way, he says, are you sorrowful to my soul, and are you troubling me in every way? Trust in God, for we will confess to Him (Ps. 42:5). When he says to his soul: “You are embarrassing me,” then, of course, she was embarrassing him. If he was embarrassed, then he had no peace within himself. With his mind he only clung to God, so that his soul, having placed itself on Him, would cease to confuse him. Thus, our peace is in the Lord, as He Himself said: This I say to you, that in Me you may have peace (John 16:33). On earth He did not promise peace, but sorrow, saying: in a world of sorrow you will be (John 16:33). So, in this life there is no peace, there is no complete calm. The joy of immortality, the community of Angels are only promised. But whoever does not seek it while he is here will not receive it there when the time comes. Here you must have it at least partially in order to deserve to receive it there entirely. How is this partly? Let us be unanimous here, let us love our neighbor as ourselves. Having loved our neighbor as ourselves, we will have peace with him. You will say: it is impossible to do without some kind of clashes and disagreements: they happen between brothers, even between saints. So be it; but your job is not to bring them to the point where they violate agreement and break love.” There has been a disagreement, let us add to this - do not let it lead to rupture and hostility. Hurry to extinguish the spark that has fallen between you and within you. If you blow on a spark, says Sirach, it will ignite; and if you spit on a spark, it will go out. Only an ardent person will defuse a quarrel. You got away from the quarrel. Remember the commandments, and do not be angry with your neighbor. Remember the latter, and stop being hostile. Leave the offense to your sincere one, and then pray, your sins will be resolved (Sir. 28:2, 6-7, 9-10, 14). 7) The second tenth part (verses 16–22). – Fruits of God-fearing The actions of the fear of God are indicated; the behavior of God-fearing people is determined. Now the Holy Prophet begins to depict the fruits of such a life. He did not forget that he promised for following the suggestions of the fear of God; and indicates how this promise is fulfilled over those who follow the path determined by him. He promised a belly and good days. But both are in the hands of God. The closeness of God-fearing people to God is depicted by Saint David. He does not show exactly how the life and days of goodness flow from the life prescribed to him. And he brings those who lead it into sincere closeness to God, saying, as it were: living like this, you will be at the very source of all good; and after this, do not doubt that you will receive much more than what I promised you. You work for God, you are accepted by God as His own, and you will receive from Him all kinds of mercies, namely: 1) God’s special favor, verses 16–17; 2) quick hearing, verse 18; 3) closeness and consolation in sorrows, verse 19, and 4) deliverance from them, verse 20. They are worthy of this even in this life; but 5) full reward meets them in death and after death, verses 21-22. a) God's special favor (verses 16–17) An expression of special favor towards those who fear Him, towards the righteous! The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous. And between people, eyes serve to express special love and care. Whoever loves someone would look at him all the time; and whoever cares about someone does not let him out of his sight. Why, when the Holy Prophet says: The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, he expresses that the Lord especially loves them and especially cares about them. Saint Athanasius the Great says that the righteous receive a great reward for caring for virtue - they have God as an audience. And Blessed Theodoret adds that the righteous who fulfill what is indicated by the Prophet in the 14th and 15th verses are under the vigilant supervision and care of the Lord God. Open His ears to their prayer. Just as a mother, who tenderly loves her child, always turns her sophisticated ear to him, so as not to miss the slightest movement, rustle and sound: so the Lord has sophisticated ears to hear the prayerful appeals coming from the hearts of the righteous who love Him. This is a new sign of God’s special favor and love for those who fear Him. David calls the power that oversees them and the power that receives prayers eyes and ears, says Basil the Great. Both of these, how powerful they should be, should revive the assurance of the goodness that is always ready to descend for the righteous from the Lord, who watches and hears! If they themselves see what evil is approaching and cry out to God, then their cry always finds God’s ears open and listening. And when they themselves do not see evil, God, who watches over them and watches over them, sees it, and delivers from it. Truly marvelous is the goodness of God! Who would not consider it a great good to love such a Master with all his heart and lead his life with filial fear before His face! Whoever does not exclaim with the Prophet: nail the fear of Your flesh to our flesh (Ps. 119:120), let my heart rejoice in fearing Your name! (Ps. 85:11) (Irenaeus, Archbishop of Pskov). So, “do not be afraid,” says St. Augustine, “work and labor. The eyes of the Lord are turned to you, and His ears are open to receive your prayers. What more could you want? A grumbling servant, serving in a big house, with the master’s inattention to his labors and needs, can still say: I endure so much, and no one will take pity? You might say: if you had heard me, you would have saved me from grief; but I cry out and still remain in sorrow? Just keep to His ways, and He will undoubtedly hear you. If He does not deliver quickly, then remember that He is also a Physician. If he doesn’t do it as requested, it’s probably because there’s still some rotten member in you. You cry, but He still continues to cut off and will not take away the hand of the severer. Wait until it cuts off as much as necessary. The cruel one is not the doctor who, despite the cries of the patient, makes the necessary incisions; and the one who, having listened to the pampered sick man, leaves the wounds and rottenness uncleaned and uncut. When mothers bathe their children, do the children scream in their arms? So, are they hard-hearted that they don’t listen to children’s tears? The children scream, but the mother continues to do her own thing and does not listen to them out of love for them. So our God is full of love. But sometimes it seems that they do not hear those who cry, so that in the meantime the work of healing them can be completed.” An expression of God's special wrath against sinners! In this combination, face means disfavour. But in other places the prophet David seeks the face of God and invites everyone to it. I will seek my face for You, he says to God; I will seek Your face, O Lord (Ps. 26:8). Seek and take away all His faces (Ps. 105:4). Moses and Elijah sought to see the face of God. And the Angels will now see the face of the Heavenly Father (Matthew 18:10). And everyone is promised bliss in seeing the Lord face to face. Here the Holy Prophet only wanted to more clearly depict the contrast in the attitude of the Lord towards those who do evil and towards the righteous. Whereas for the righteous He is all a watching eye and all a listening ear; on sinners, when the measure of their iniquities is fulfilled, He only turns His angry face, and they disappear from the face of the earth. The word is strong: consume their memory from the earth, so that their spirit does not smell and their name is not remembered among those living on the earth. The Lord destroys the memory of those who do evil by destroying not only themselves, but also their children, and grandchildren, and all descendants. Although this does not always happen to be seen, because either the wicked themselves repent before the time of the righteous wrath of God befalls them, or their children and grandchildren do not imitate them in their atrocities, or for some other reason, which is the message of the righteous Judge: but Saint David points out here what often happens, according to the definition of the righteous God Himself, which He Himself clearly spoke and revealed in His word, saying: I am the Lord your God, God is jealous, give away the sins of the father on children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me (Ex. 20:5). The word of God contains many experiences of such righteous punishment of God on sinners. The flood drowned all those who dishonored under the righteous Noah. The fire also destroyed all the Sodomites and Gomorrites and the inhabitants of other cities. Who remains from the family of the troublemakers Dathan and Abiron, whom the earth swallowed up with their tabernacles? According to the prescribed law of God's righteousness, the entire family of Saul, the family of Ahab and Jezebel, and Herod the Tetrarch died out. And many similar examples are presented in sacred and civil history. Those who are attentive to the destinies of God and in their memory encounter the repetition of the same judgments of God, unspokenly spoken, but in reality visible. When houses that were previously prosperous disappear, as they say, it is never in vain. Somewhere in the ancestor lay a destructive spark - some kind of atrocity and untruth - secretive, which, however, attracted the obvious punishment of God. Evil is self-destructive. Just as a poison taken into the body penetrates it little by little and eats up the roots of life in it: so the sinful evil, hated by God, committed by the ancestor, gradually eats up the bellies of his descendants until it completely destroys them all. Here, however, on earth, God’s judgments are mostly cleansing and corrective. The final consumption of the memory of those who do evil will follow on the new earth, under the new sky, as St. Cyril says (in Euthymius Zigaben). In this regard, the face of the Lord will mean the clear and open coming of the Lord to judgment, as St. Basil the Great understands, when both sin and sinners will be destroyed by the righteous judgment of God. At this judgment, to meet the wrathful face of God, let us fear, sinners! b) Quick Hearing (verse 18) God's special favor to the righteous, special attention to them and the speedy hearing of their prayers is demonstrated here by the Holy Prophet by the examples of the ancient Fathers who lived before him, saints and righteous - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Gideon and others, whom, at their appeal, were repeatedly saved from extreme troubles by the right hand of God. What exactly are the eyes of the Lord on the righteous, and His ears on their prayer, to verify this, look, he says, at what happened. How anxious was Jacob when he was about to meet Esau? But he cried out to the Lord - and the Lord delivered him from this extreme. To what extreme was Moses before the Red Sea? But he cried out - and the Lord delivered him and the people from this great trouble. And after David, doesn’t history present the same experiences? It is enough to remember one righteous king Hezekiah, who twice saw himself in bitter cramped conditions and was twice saved by God, to Whom he cried out in prayer. Then the enemies besieged the city and were ready to destroy it; then death threatened to cut short the days that he still considered necessary for himself. But both times he cried out to God - and was immediately heard. The Angel destroyed all the enemies in one night, at the command of the Lord; and death was delayed for another 15 years. And there were many such wondrous deliverances that the Lord vouchsafed to those who feared Him, when they painfully cried out to Him for help. Of course, there is much that is incomprehensible in the arrangement of the temporary fate of every person and even the righteous. But this is because just as the Lord Himself is incomprehensible in His essence and His properties, so He is incomprehensible to our weak minds and in the actions of His providence. The truth of God’s attention to the righteous and special care for them does not cease to be the truth because we do not comprehend: according to what laws and in what form this is done by the Lord. Blessed Augustine focuses his attention on this thought. “The three youths were righteous,” he says. Why, when they cried out to the Lord from the oven, the fire grew cold from their songs of praise. The flame did not touch or burn the innocent and righteous youths who praised the Lord. But who will say: these are righteous and heard; But I cry, and the Lord does not deliver me. Either I am not righteous and do not do what He commands, or perhaps He does not see me. Do not be afraid, just do what He commands. If He does not give you deliverance in the physical, then in every possible way He gives you spiritual salvation. His destinies are wondrous and unsearchable. The same God who saved the three youths in the fire did not save the Maccabees from the fire? Those in the flames sang songs of praise, but these gave up the ghost. Isn’t the God of the Three Youths also the God of the Maccabees? But He delivered these, but not these. Or rather, He delivered both; He only delivered three youths in such a way that even carnal people came to their senses, but he did not deliver the Maccabees in this way, but in a different way, so that their persecutors would go into greater torment. He delivered Peter when an angel came to him in prison and said, “Arise, go out.” Immediately the shackles fell off; he followed the Angel and was delivered from ready death (Acts 12:7). Has Saint Peter really lost his righteousness that God did not deliver him from death on the cross? And I will say that in the latter case God heard him more than in the first. Here he, for sure, was delivered from all sorrows, because he was moved to a place where there are no sorrows and sighs; and after the first deliverance, how much did he have to endure in his life?!” c) Closeness and comfort in sorrows (verse 19) Saint David strengthens God's favor towards the righteous. He who thinks that God sees and hears still imagines that He is far away, while the righteous man remains alone, surrounded by what is hostile to him, and therefore cannot be free from fear and confusion. The Holy Prophet says here: do not be afraid, the Lord is near! You are under His roof; His right hand covers you, and no enemy can approach you. This is what the Lord Himself says in the prophet Jeremiah: I am a God who draws near, and not a God from afar (Jer. 23:23). He promises the same thing in Psalm 90, speaking about the righteous: I am with him in his tribulation (Ps. 90:15). This is how a mother consoles a frightened child, saying to him: I am with you, don’t be afraid! The Lord is near everywhere, as if He is omnipresent! But here His closeness to the righteous is especially indicated. And this peculiarity depends on the peculiarity with which the hearts of the righteous turn to the Lord. It is their contrite and humble heart that attracts the Lord close and receives an abundance of mercies from Him. Self-confident, arrogant and close to the Lord makes him far from himself; that is why all its supports are broken like a crushed reed. “High is God,” says Blessed Augustine, “may the Christian be humbled!” If you want the high God to be near you, humble yourself and humble yourself. Great mystery here! God is above everything. No matter how much you push yourself, you will not reach Him. Humble yourself, and He Himself will descend to you.” Saint Basil the Great puts the following speech into the mouth of David: “The Lord is near!” I say this to you who are humble and have crushed their self-conceit, to give you joy and lead you into long-suffering. Who is alien to all arrogance and is not proud of anything human; he is both contrite in heart and humble in spirit.” Blessed Theodoret also sees in those who are contrite in heart those who have modest thoughts about themselves; for which the Lord appears especially close to them and accepts their prayers with favor. A brokenhearted person is one whose heart is broken by grief, and a humble spirit is one whose spirit is humbled by the burden of troubles. Taken together, both terms mean a person who sees everything in himself and around him as ruined, who does not find any support for himself either in himself or in anything outside himself. Why, in contrition and humility, placing all one’s trust in the only Lord, cries out to Him day and night for help. It is this complete abandonment of all hope in the one Lord that attracts the Lord to him and makes Him especially close to him, quick to help; for God will not despise a broken and humble heart (Ps. 50:19). The Lord is near and saves. I will cover and, says He Himself, destroy it and glorify it (Ps. 90:14–15); showing that God does not abandon righteous people in times of oppression and persecution, who cry out to Him in contrition of heart, but relentlessly, by His grace, remains with them, giving patience and dissolving it with heavenly consolation, so that they can courageously endure the suffering they find; or even completely frees them from all oppression and disasters and, after the darkness of sorrows, illuminates them with the light of joy (Irenaeus, Archbishop of Pskov). Since our sins become a mediastinum separating us from God, and this mediastinum is destroyed by repentant contrition and humble confession of sins, then when it is said that the Lord is near the broken-hearted, nothing prevents us from thinking about the closeness that the repentant are honored with. We move away from God when we indulge in sin and passions. We return to Him when we repent, humble ourselves and mournfully mourn our sins. Then the merciful Lord comes to the meeting, takes Him into His Fatherly embrace, kisses and returns everything that was lost. Those who mourn their sins need to be reminded more strongly that the Lord is near them, because in moments of strong contrition the enemy often instills desperate thoughts: you are lost; The Lord has rejected you. So this is reminded: as soon as you are crushed; The Lord is already near you. Don't despair. Having begun in repentance, contrition of the heart does not leave the person who fears the Lord and on all paths of life is corrected or correct. Why does Saint Basil the Great say: “contrition of the heart is the destruction of human thoughts. Whoever despised the present, surrendered himself to the will of God and devoted what was sovereign in himself (mind) to thoughts that were superhuman and Divine; he will have a contrite heart and will make it a sacrifice that the Lord will not despise.” At the same time, it is not superfluous to cite the remark of St. Basil the Great about the strange order, or disorder, noticed in human thoughts: “In fact, he who walks in sin is humble (humiliated), because nothing humbles as much as sin. Those who have lost the loftiness of the soul, are cast down by sin to the ground and, as it were, nailed to the ground, bend like a reptile serpent and are no longer able to come to an upright position, those are actually humbled (humiliated, trampled upon). Meanwhile, they themselves are still rising and do not agree to acknowledge their humiliation. On the contrary, those delivered by grace from the captivity of sin and perfected in goodness, therefore, having regained their true dignity, they humble themselves voluntarily, with the Apostle calling themselves slaves of every man in Christ (2 Cor. 4:5), trampling on all, the rabble of the world (1 Cor. 4:13). While they, being last in their feelings about themselves, are first in the eyes of God. And the Lord calls them blessed, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3).” d) Deliverance from sorrows (verse 20) The final limit of God's favor to which fear of God leads! He has already said that God sees them, hears them, and is near them; now concludes: He will deliver them from all sorrows. May there be much sorrow for the righteous on earth: such is the order of this life; but the Lord will deliver them from all of them. He did not say that the righteous will not be touched by tribulation; for this cannot be, but on the contrary, for the very same reason the righteous cannot escape the sorrows, because they are righteous, as the Wise One says, that when beginning to work for the Lord, one must prepare one’s soul for temptation (Sir. 21). He did not say so, but directly revealed that there will be many sorrows for the righteous; I only added to this the comforting promise that I, the Lord, will deliver them from all of them. How will he deliver? So that in all of them, no matter how great they are, he will keep them whole, will not allow them to fall under their weight, will give strength to endure and overcome them; the righteous will go through these tribulations undefeated and emerge victorious. The Lord, having inspired the righteous with His favor, reassured him with His protection and strengthened him with His power, leads him to fight against the opposition raised by those who do not love the truth, by hostile forces, visible and invisible. The righteous man stands unshakably in his righteousness, among all adversities, like a rock in the middle of the sea, overwhelmed by the waves. It is not the cliff that is crushed, but the waves that attack (attack) it are crushed and run away. So it is in the struggle of the righteous: it is not the righteous who are crushed, but all hostile forces that are crushed by the unshakable firmness of their righteousness. This is precisely the deliverance that is promised to the righteous. So the Lord predicted to the Apostles that they would be sorrowful in the world; only to console them he immediately added: but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world (John 16:33). Don't be afraid! These sorrows of the world will do nothing for you. I have conquered the world; By this My victorious power you will conquer and overcome the world, with all its attacks on you. Why did the holy Apostles all mourn; but, while grieving, they confessed that although they grieve, they are not saddened by it (2 Cor. 4:8), and they encouraged everyone, saying: God is faithful, who will not leave you to be tempted more than you can, but will create with temptation an abundance, so that you are able to bear it (1 Cor. 10:13). To this, blessed Theodoret says: “even though God allows the righteous to enter into the struggle, He Himself helps them and shows them to overcome the adversities they encounter, strengthening and making their thoughts firm.” Why, “if you see the righteous in illness with damaged members, abandoned by their own, in wounds, in dishonor, in complete poverty and deprivation of the necessary; then remember that this is how it should be, according to the wise orders of God. He who asserts that sorrow is indecent for a righteous man says the same thing as he who asserts that an adversary is indecent for a fighter. But will a wrestler who is not part of the feat have any reason to receive crowns? (Basily the Great). The deliverance of the righteous from sorrows, as in the previous verse the salvation of the humble in spirit, is actually their stability, with all the pressure of sorrows, in the order of a righteous life, in fidelity to the commandments of the Lord and the rules of faith. Whether their sorrows will cease in this life or will weigh on them until death - this in the eyes of the Lord, as well as in the thoughts of the righteous, has no decisive significance. It happens that they stop either by their usual course, or by a special action of God's providence. But even if this did not happen, in every possible way God’s deliverance and salvation accompanies the righteous relentlessly; and from the darkness of sorrows, through the shadow of death, leads them to freedom and introduces them into a life full of joy, where only it is appropriate in its true meaning and form. “Unrighteous people,” says St. Augustine, have fewer sorrows, but the righteous endure more. But those, after small or no sorrows, will go to eternal torment, from which they will never get rid of: and the righteous, after many sorrows, will enter into eternal peace, where no evil will ever touch them.” e) Their reward in death and after death (verses 21–22) In the previous verse, the Holy Prophet transferred the righteous man, and after him our attention, to another life, where he actually gets rid of all sorrows. But the righteous pass into blessed eternity with their souls; the question is, what can we say about their body? The Holy Prophet answers: The Lord protects all their bones, not one of them will be broken. Not a single part of their physical composition is lost; everything will appear in due time whole, not crushed, precisely in the future restoration of all kinds. These words suggest the glory of the future resurrection, just like the words of the Lord: the power of your head will not perish (Luke 21:18). The bones of the righteous are called indestructible and preserved in the sense that, whatever their fate in time, the time will come when they will all appear whole and beautiful. Even if the bones and all the members of the righteous were destroyed into dust, even if they were eaten by wild beasts, even if they were thrown into the sea or destroyed by fire; but the Lord preserves them all, in the depths of His Providence, and not one of them will perish completely. Everyone will rise on the day of resurrection whole and glorified (Irenaeus, Archbishop of Pskov). With some restrictions, one can, however, literally understand this verse, namely: there were holy righteous people, whom God preserved the entire composition of their body intact and did not allow a single part of it to be broken. The Holy Prophet generalizes the particular or primary here, and what is true in relation to some, he ascribes to all; for for everyone, without violating the laws of His righteousness, the Lord could do the same thing that He did for some. And that exactly this happened, there are so many examples of this both in the word of God and in the lives of saints, especially martyrs. He did not singe the youths in the cave; Many martyrs were left untouched by the fierce beasts unleashed on them, while others’ bodies were kept as guards after they, lifeless, were thrown to be devoured by them; the sea did not drown other saints, the iron did not take them, but they themselves were crushed, and so on. All such experiences can be brought to mind when it is read: The Lord protects all their bones. And another even more important thought is appropriate in this regard, namely, about the incorruption of holy relics. Everywhere we have experiences of how the bodies of saints and, mainly, their bones remain inviolable to the destructive power of decay that reigns in the present order of things. Here in Russia, whole bodies are incorruptible; in the East, for the most part, their bones are such that the appearance of which can convince anyone that corruption has not touched them. There were also examples of the bones of righteous people being preserved incorruptible “with miraculous power” in the Old Testament. Isn’t this the kind of experience the Holy Prophet meant in this verse? One cannot, however, consider the thoughts of those who, taking these words in a figurative sense, to be inappropriate, move from them to the destruction of the moral dispositions and inner, heartfelt structure of the righteous. In this sense, this verse will continue the thought of the previous one. It says there that the Lord delivers the righteous from all sorrows by giving them the strength to persevere in their righteousness, despite all the pressure of sorrows. Here the same thing is expressed by the image of keeping the bones unbroken. That is, no matter how strong the sorrows are, the internal structure of the righteous remains unbroken. They do not succumb to cowardice, murmuring, or wavering in faith and hope (Anthimus, Patriarch of Jerusalem). These are the thoughts in this tone of St. Basil the Great! “Should we here,” that is, with the words: “The Lord preserves all their bones,” stop at the bare words and think that the bodily bones, these supports of the flesh, will not be broken among the righteous? But how can we reconcile the suffering of the martyrs with this? The persecutors crushed the legs of some, and repeatedly pierced the hands and heads of others with nails. Meanwhile, who will deny that those who died as martyrdom were the most righteous of all? Isn't it better to understand this about the inner man? It is sometimes said: man, but of course: human soul and mind; and the powers of the soul are called by the same name as the parts of the body. For example, the eyes of the wise are at his head (Eccl. 2:14), which signifies insight and prudence. On this basis, in the inner man one can imagine some bones with which the connection and harmony between the spiritual forces is maintained. The Lord preserves the bones of the righteous, that is, preserves the inner well-being of their forces, despite all the destructive effects of external sorrowful circumstances. Why do they become capable of exalting glory to God from the depths of their souls, as the Prophet says in another place: all my bones, that is, all the strength of my soul, say: Lord! who is like You? (Ps. 34:10)." The words of Blessed Augustine also agree with this: “This,” that is, the Lord preserves all their bones, “should not be understood carnally. The bones signify the firmness of the believers. As in a body the bones form its stronghold; So in the heart of a Christian, the stronghold is unshakable faith. Patience in faith - these are the inner bones, this is what cannot be broken. In our Lord Jesus Christ the breaking of bones was literally fulfilled. God preserved the bones of His Son, and not one of them was broken, just as it was commanded about the lamb that represented Him (Ex. 12:46). Regarding the righteous, this promise is fulfilled spiritually. Why, when we see that another persecutor torments a saint so much that his bones are broken, let us not say: surely he is unrighteous, because the Lord promised the righteous to keep their bones so that not one of them would be broken. Do you want to make sure that here other bones are meant, and precisely those that before this I called the firmness of faith, that is, patience and steadfastness in suffering - these indestructible spiritual bones - listen, - and in the circumstances of the Lord’s suffering you will see the truth of what I say. The crucified Lord hangs in the middle: here and here (on both sides) are two thieves. One of these thieves reviled the Lord, and the other believed in Him; one, therefore, must be condemned, and the other justified, to whom the Lord said: today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43). But then the soldiers came and did not break the bones of the Lord, but they broke the legs of the robbers (John 19:32). Thus, the bones of the thief who blasphemed, as well as the one who believed, were broken. Where is it that is said: The Lord preserves all their bones, not one of them will be broken? Could not the Lord have preserved all the bones of the one to whom he said: today you will be with me in paradise? He answers you: the Lord preserved his bones; for the firmness of his faith was not crushed by the blows with which his legs were crushed.” Ps.33:22. The death of sinners is cruel, and those who hate the righteous will sin. Since the Prophet’s intention is to depict the fruits of righteousness and fear of God, he remembers the fate of sinners here, as before about those rich in arrogance, only in order to thereby, by contrast, present the fate of the righteous in the strongest light. Where is the opposite of what this verse says? It's either in the previous two verses or the next last verse. In the first case, the thought is given: the Lord delivers the righteous from sorrows by the fact that, having led them unharmed through the fire and water of sorrows, He leads souls through the shadow of death into paradise, and keeps their bodies incorruptible; on the contrary, although sinners do not suffer in life, when death comes, their souls go to hell, and their bodies are given over to decay, and all their proud hopes are scattered and put to shame, cruel is their death and posthumous fate. In the second case, the following idea is given: the death of sinners is fierce, because their souls are captured by dark forces and cast into hell, which makes their hopes sinful: the Lord preserves the souls of His servants, God-fearing righteous people, when they leave the body so that the terrible hordes of unclean forces do not dare to touch them, and thereby justifies that those who trust in Him are not mistaken. The idea is the same here and there. It is more correct to contrast this verse with the last verse, perhaps because the second hemistiches of both of them are in obvious correspondence. In this verse it says: those who hate the righteous will sin, and in the next: all who trust in Him will not sin. They explain themselves mutually, and emit light to explain the complete verses. The death of sinners is cruel, because at the hour of death they will see with horror that everything is lost and they have perished: there is no hope of correcting their fate. What they relied on is crumbling, but there is no other support: God is angry; conscience gnaws, and the torturers approach. The state after death is even more severe: there one experiences in action that which was terrifying to expect at the hour of death. The souls of sinners are immediately taken by dark forces and taken to places of darkness and torment of the beginning, awaiting the final decision of their bitter fate at the Last Judgment. “There is a death of the righteous,” says Saint Basil the Great, but it is not cruel, but good. Those who died with Christ partook of the good part and, having died to sin, died a good and saving death. Meanwhile, the death of sinners is cruel. For they, after death, suffer torment, just like the rich man, who clothed himself in purple and fine linen, rejoicing brightly all his days (Luke 16:19). Those who make bad use of their body and turn it into the service of every sin, prepare for themselves a cruel death.” Blessed Augustine develops the same idea from the other side: “with the words: the death of sinners is cruel - the Lord admonished those who say: so and so died evil, was eaten by beasts, he was not righteous and died miserably. He would not have died like this if he had been righteous. So, in your opinion, he is the righteous one who dies calmly on his bed, in his home? But don’t you yourself say: I know his sins and iniquities, although he died peacefully among his family and friends? It became clear that he was a sinner, even though he died, apparently, calmly; and, it became, again his death, calm in appearance, must be fierce, like the death of a sinner. No matter how good death seems to you, it is cruel if you look at what is hidden. You see the outside - how calmly he lies on the bed; but do you see the hidden thing - how he is cast into Gehenna? From the Gospel, learn to understand that there is a cruel death for sinners. Here are two: a rich man, dressed in purple and fine linen and having fun all day long - and a poor person lying at his gate festering - the dogs lick his wounds, and he wants to be satisfied with the grains falling from the rich man's table. But death comes, and the fate of both changes. The poor man dies - and he was righteous - and the Angels carry his soul to Abraham’s bosom; His dead body lay at the rich man’s gate, and there was no one to bury him. The rich also die; and there is no need to say what the funeral was like for him who was dressed in purple and fine linen! But look, where is his soul? And in hell, in torment, he wanted a drop of water from the finger of the poor man he despised to fall onto his tongue scorched by fire, but he did not get what he wanted (Luke 16:19-25). Understand now that there is a cruel death for sinners. Don't stop at just the visible. Look into the invisible, and the eye of your faith will reveal a soul burning in torment, which was not helped in the least by the magnificent farewells with which the vanity of the living imagined honoring his dead body. One must judge death by the state of the soul—by death: whether it is cruel or good—and not by the honors or humiliation of dead bodies, which we see among people.” By the fierce death of sinners, according to Saint Athanasius, we must understand spiritual death, followed by eternal fire, pitch darkness, an everlasting worm, weeping and gnashing of teeth: for Gehenna and darkness await sinners. Those who hate the righteous will sin. What is the connection between this hemistich and the previous one, or this sinfulness of those who hate the righteous with the cruelty of their death, sinners? It is in the word: they will sin, which means they will make a mistake in their calculations and expectations, they will see that they have made a mistake. This error is revealed precisely at the hour of death, which is what primarily makes it cruel for sinners. Those who hate the righteous - everyone, that is, therefore, the righteous in general: look down on them as superstitious, backward, unable to live; they turn away from them, chase them, on occasion pushing them out of the way when they come across them, and by doing this, they are sure that they are winning and gain the upper hand. But death comes and opens their eyes. They then see that their calculations are not justified, that they did not win, but lost everything, and they die a cruel death (Irenaeus, Archbishop of Pskov). Why: those who hate the righteous will sin - this means that those who embitter the righteous man, hate and persecute, who, by oppressing, torturing and killing the innocent, consider themselves victors, as if gaining some great gain from it, will perish and will not inherit eternal life - and once in useless repentance they say: for we have lost our way from the path We have followed the path of the true, the wicked, but we have not understood the way of the Lord (Wis. 5:6-7). Hatred of the righteous conceals hatred of their truth, of those rules and those principles with which they are inspired. This is the thought of Saint Basil the Great: “they hate the righteous man because they themselves live in sins, and the morals of the righteous man, like the straightforwardness of the rule, expose them. Not tolerating reproof, they hatefully turn to the righteous; feeding this unrighteous hatred, they burden themselves with new sins. Sinners have many excuses to hate the righteous; But isn’t the main thing that the righteous by his very appearance and presence exposes the sinners? They hate the one who punishes at the gates and abhor the word of righteousness (Amos 5:10).” In our time, the principles or rules of righteousness are Christian. It is now considered not entirely appropriate to show hatred towards those who adhere to these principles, but they no longer hide their displeasure towards the spirit and demands of Christianity and openly attack them. Others, looking down on them, express their condescending opinion about them, which, however, is no less offensive than direct disapproval. And with this, death will open the eyes of everyone. Then they too will say: I have gone astray from the true path; but it's too late and useless. Blessed Augustine here understands the righteous as the One who justifies the wicked (Rom. 4:5) and who is cleansing for our sins (1 John 2:2), that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. He says that those who hate this righteous man must inevitably suffer a cruel death, because they die in their sins, not being reconciled with God through faith in the Lord, which cleanses them from sins. During the time of Blessed Augustine there were still many pagans who did not love the Lord and the holy faith in Him. Why, when interpreting the psalm, it was very appropriate for him to remind the believers that they chose the good part by believing and loving the Lord; those who turn away from Him will die a cruel death, being burdened with sins, which, with all their efforts, they could not, of course, avoid, and the only purification from which is faith in the Lord’s death on the cross. Is it not appropriate even now to remind many self-righteous people who, limiting themselves to the rules of external honesty and resting on such righteousness, do not think about other conditions of justification and promise themselves entry into the Lord’s paradise without any relationship to the Lord - is it not appropriate to remind such: look, is the support of your righteousness, which you want to appropriate for yourself, strong, with the rejection of justification in the Lord Jesus Christ? Death will come - a test of life; I wouldn’t have to admit: alas! not knowing the way of the Lord! - and confess without benefit, only to increase your horror. 8) General conclusion of the psalm (verse 23) The servants of God are foreshadowed of a fate contrary to that predicted for sinners. The Lord will deliver the souls of his servants. That is: having brought them out of the prison of the body, he will not allow any hostile action on them on the part of the enemies and, having freed them from all the sorrows that oppressed them in time, through the shadow of death, he will directly transfer them to bright and cool places, where there are no sorrows and sighs. Why, while the death of sinners is cruel, the death of the venerable is honorable before the Lord (Ps. 116:6). And decently someone prayed: may my soul die in the souls of the righteous (Numbers 23:10). This is the conclusion of the deliverances that the Prophet promised throughout the entire psalm (verses Ps. 34:5, 8, 18, 20). Like a bird, released from the snares, freed from all the bonds of the flesh and the world, the soul of the righteous will soar into the abode of its Heavenly Father and there begin a grateful and laudatory song of deliverance. Having looked back (looking back) at the distance she has covered, amidst the cramped conditions, sorrows and misfortunes with the constant, clearly visible help of God, she will sigh with joy and with confidence penetrating her whole being, she will say: The Lord has delivered, as he who is persecuted by the enemy confidently says this when he enters the safe native land, into the circle of his militias. All temporary deliverances, whether internal or external, are only harbingers and anticipations of that final one, which will be recognized and tasted upon departure from the body and introduction into heavenly bliss, although still initially. Then it will become clear that those who trust in the Lord do not sin. On earth, where we walk as if in darkness and see everything as if through a dim mirror, sometimes a dubious thought may still be evoked - we would not err in our trust. At least, the enemy of those being saved publicly repeats to others: God has forgotten you; or as we often hear today from those who have lost faith: our hope is in vain; the spirit, like steam, will spill into the air, and that’s the end of everything. There the infallibility of hope will pass into vision and touch, or there the saving effect of hope will cease, being absorbed by the taste of what is hoped for. Now, when there are many circumstances strong to shake him, it is necessary (extremely necessary) to often repeat that those who trust in the Lord will not sin, especially when others have to believe in hope more than hope. Those who trust will not sin! The Lord will deliver! This is the truth that the Prophet develops in various ways throughout the psalm, now exposing his trusting appeals to God, which attracted deliverance, now pointing to the unashamed hopes of other righteous people who cried out to the Lord, now depicting the laws of the merciful care of the Lord Provider for us. In the end, having transferred our thought beyond the boundaries of life and brought us into the contemplation of the promised inheritance into which the servants of God are introduced, he heads everything with an appeal: this is how the Lord will deliver the souls of His servant. And so their hope will be infallible! This is the program of life! Live in devotion to the will of God and, inspired by fear, be zealous for the fulfillment of the Lord’s commandments. The cover of the Most High will always be over you, and the consolations of God will not cease to pour abundantly into your heart. In the midst of sorrows, needs, and cramps, the thread of God’s power will safely draw you along your chosen path until, having led you through all the trials through the door of death, it will lead you into eternal peace, where all those who rejoice dwell. The contemplation of this God-established and God-protected path, and especially the contemplation of this blessed end, has inspired and continues to inspire all workers of Christian piety. And the purpose for which this psalm is so often heard in church is no other than the same inspiration for works of good deeds and deeds of piety, under the influence of undoubted Christian hopes. Everyone leaving the church after the Liturgy, having listened to this psalm in his heart, should leave with the inspiration repeated in his heart: work, be patient, you will not fail in your hope. The purpose of compiling these notes was the same: to revive, to revive the same inspiration for patiently walking in the commandments of God, in the hope of eternal rest. What and may the Lord grant to all who read and listen. You might be interested in: