Изъяснение псалма 104-го.

"Alleluia." And this psalm commands us to sing songs to the God of all; The inscription also makes it possible to see this. For the word: “Alleluia” is interpreted: praise the Lord. The psalm also reminds us of those promises that God gave to the Patriarchs, and of the benefits that God gave to their descendants through them; because the remembrance of both is enough to induce and encourage those who enjoy such benefits to compete in virtue with their ancestors. And at the same time, he inspires the new people that it was not unfair that God deprived the ancient ungrateful people of His care. since the Jews were called the people of God, and obviously enjoyed God’s providence for them, but subsequently lost it; then the Prophet, in the following psalms, teaches all people how often and how much God blessed the Jews, and to what extent they became ungrateful for their blessings, so that everyone would know together the justice of the sentence pronounced on the Jews, and, seeing the reward for ingratitude, would not walk the same path with them, but would follow the right path. Ps.104:1. Praise the Lord; call on His name; proclaim His works among the nations. “Confess the Lord, and call on His name.” Instead of “call,” Symmachus translated: “preach.” The prophetic word commands us to offer songs of thanksgiving to God and to confess Divine blessings. “Tell His works among the nations.” From this it is clearly clear that the Prophet intends to benefit not only the Jews, but also all nations. Ps.104:2. Sing praises to Him and sing praises to Him; tell about all His miracles. “Sing to Him and sing praises to Him: show all His wonders.” Reward Him with hymns and sweet singing, and teach those who do not know what miracles He has performed. Ps.104:3. Boast in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. “Boast in His holy name.” Instead of “boast”, Akila translated: “be magnified.” The prophetic word teaches here not to respect wealth, not strength, not power; but the knowledge of God and God's providence. The Divine Apostle also commanded this; for he says: “Let him boast; let him boast in the Lord” (2 Cor. 10:17). The wise Anna also expressed this in more detail: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, and let not the mighty boast in his strength, and let not the rich man boast in his wealth: but let him boast in this, that he may understand and know the Lord, and do justice and righteousness on earth” (1 Samuel 2:10). “Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord be glad;” because the fruit of trust in God is joy. Ps.104:4. Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face always. “Seek the Lord, and be strong.” And teaching how this should be done, the Prophet added: “Seek His face and take it away.” Not once, not twice, but throughout your entire life, you must seek help from above and reap the benefits from it; because those who seek this will be invincible and invincible. The Lord also promised this, speaking the law: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; press, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives it, and everyone who seeks finds it, and it will be opened to the one who asks” (Matthew 7:7-8). Ps.104:5. Remember His wonders which He did, His signs and the judgments of His mouth. “Remember His wonders which You have done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth.” Do not consign to oblivion the indescribable miracles that the Lord performed according to His truthful determination. For here the Prophet called destinies the miracles performed by God in His righteousness. since he is talking about what was done in Egypt, it first shows the veracity of the Egyptian executions. Ps.104:6. You, Abraham's seed, His servants, the sons of Jacob, His chosen ones. “The seed of Abraham are His servants, the sons of Jacob are His chosen ones.” The Prophet calls the same names by both names, namely the descendants called sons. He called them elect, as those who were called the people of God above all nations. He allowed this to be seen in subsequent words. Ps.104:7. He is the Lord our God: His judgments are in all the earth. “This is the Lord our God: His judgment is throughout all the earth.” For He Himself, as God and Lord of all, ruling over the whole universe, called them His own people. Ps.104:8. He always remembers His covenant, the word [which] He commanded for a thousand generations. “I will remember my covenant forever, the word of commandment, for a thousand generations.” This shows the Prophet the firmness and immutability of the promises given to Abraham. For this is not an exaggeration, as some thought, but a true and Divine word. The God of all things promised to Abraham that through his Seed all nations would be blessed, and his Seed is the Lord Christ according to the flesh, having an eternal power and an unperishable kingdom. This also means the mention of thousands of births; because this word does not express a certain number of years, but it makes it clear that there are many generations, continuously and eternally continuing. Ps.104:9. Which he bequeathed to Abraham, and his oath to Isaac. Ps.104:10. And he made it a law unto Jacob, and unto Israel an everlasting covenant. “And He made a covenant to Abraham, and His oath to Isaac”: “And I made it a commandment for Jacob, and an everlasting covenant for Israel.” The divine Moses also mentioned these oaths; for he says: God said to Abraham: “By myself I have sworn, I will bless and bless, and by multiplying I will multiply your seed like the stars of heaven” in multitude, “and through your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 22:16-1). God reminds Isaac of this oath, confirms the covenant with Jacob, and fulfills this covenant, as through Moses freeing their descendants from Egyptian slavery, and through Joshua giving them the promised land, thus finally completing the promise through the Lord Christ. Ps.104:11. Saying: “I will give you the land of Canaan as an inheritance for you.” “The verb: I will give you the land of Canaan, which is already yours. The Prophet called the possession of the land “already”; because it is natural for owners to subject the land to measurement. Ps.104:12. When they were still few in number, very few, and they were strangers in it. “They should never be a small number, the least and a stranger in it.” This, says the Prophet, was promised by God to the fathers, who, being few in number, were very easy to number. And this makes it possible to see the power of the One who speaks the promise: because he could give possession of such a vast land to so few. Ps.104:13. And they moved from people to people, from kingdom to another tribe. “And it went from tongue to tongue, and from kingdom to people.” For the Patriarchs lived as migrants, not settling in one place, moving their tabernacles here and there. Ps.104:14. He did not allow anyone to offend them and warned the kings about them. Ps.104:15. “Touch not My anointed, and do not harm My prophets.” “Do not leave a person to offend them.” Gave them superiority over those who tried to offend them. “And the kings will rebuke them.” “Touch not My anointed, and be not wicked in My prophets.” So he subjected Pharaoh to great and terrible trials for Sarah, Abraham's wife. So he frightened Abimelech at night, saying: “Behold, you are dying Sarah for the sake of Abraham’s wife; Thus he made Isaac venerable to those who then inhabited Palestine. Thus he threatened Laban, who was plotting murder; for he said: “Take heed to yourself, lest you speak evil to My servant Jacob” (Gen. 31:24). The Prophet called them anointed, not as those anointed with oil, but as those who had become chosen. And God Himself called Abraham a Prophet; for he said: “Give your wife to your husband, for there is a Prophet, and he will pray for you,” and you will be saved (Gen. 20, 7). Ps.104:16. And he called famine upon the earth; every stalk of grain was destroyed. “And call a famine upon the earth.” Sin entails punishment; punishment exposes the brutal life, but reproof brings about a change in life. Therefore, God sent a famine due to the lawless life of the people of that time; however, even at the same time he took care of His servants. “Every grain claim has been erased,” that is, he has made rare that which can nourish not only wheat, but also barley, and vegetables, and everything else that sustains people’s lives. Ps.104:17. He sent a man before them: Joseph was sold as a slave. “A man was sent before them, and Joseph was sold as a slave.” At the same time, He allowed one to see both, the malice of the brothers, and His wisdom: because He used their wickedness for good. It was not Himself who forced them to sell their brother, but He allowed their evil nature to be revealed. He himself, using this to his advantage, made the slave king, and arranged for the family to enter Egypt. For those who were to be called the people of God were to become known and glorious by the miracles they performed for their sake; because the care provided for them proclaimed their God, and illuminated those who heard with the light of knowledge of God. Ps.104:18. They bound his feet with shackles; his soul entered the iron. “Having humbled his nose in chains, his soul passed through iron.” For, having been slandered for adultery, Joseph was imprisoned, and immediately, as is likely, iron shackles were placed on him. Symmachus translated this as follows: “his soul reached iron,” that is, he was in danger of being killed. Ps.104:19. Until his word was fulfilled, the word of the Lord tried him. “When his word came, the word of the Lord kindled him.” Joseph, tested like gold, endured all this, not in order for the God of all, who knows everything before this happens, to recognize the purity of Joseph’s virtue, but in order to show other people his wisdom, and present in him an example of truth. Ps.104:20. The king sent, and the ruler of the nations allowed him and freed him. Ps.104:21. He made him lord over his house and ruler over all his possessions. “The king sent an envoy and let him go; the prince of the people and let him go.” “Make him lord of your house, and ruler of all your wealth.” And showing the benefits of this economy, the Prophet added: Ps.104:22. So that he instructs his nobles according to his soul and teaches him wisdom to the elders. “The princes punish him as themselves, and the elders make him wise.” For, having become known to the king through the interpretation of dreams, and having achieved power, Joseph led others to the knowledge of God, not only by words, but also by deeds, attracting them to the same piety. Ps.104:23. Then Israel came to Egypt, and Jacob moved to the land of Ham. “And Israel went down into Egypt, and Jacob went into the land of Ham.” This, says the Prophet, was the reason for the patriarch to move to Egypt “And he calls Egypt the land of Ham; because Mesrem was the second son of Ham. It is said: Ham begat Hus the firstborn, and Mesrem his brother. But the divine Scripture calls Ethiopia Hus, and Egypt Mesrem. The Prophet calls one and the same Jacob and Israel; for he received the first name from his parents, and the last was given to him by God, expressing in this name the Epiphany that happened to Jacob. Ps.104:24. And God multiplied His people greatly and made them stronger than their enemies. “And my people may grow greatly, and I will strengthen them more than their enemies.” This is also shown by history in the book of Exodus; for it is said: how much evil did they do to them, so much so that the earth multiplied them (Ex. 1: 7, 12). Ps.104:25. He aroused in their hearts hatred against His people and deceit against His servants. “Turn their hearts to hate His people.” He Himself did not change the will of the Egyptians, but gave place to their freedom, did not hinder their plots, but exalted those against whom they plotted before those plotting them. “Thou shalt create flattery among His servants.” The Egyptians either ordered the midwives to kill Jewish male babies, or ordered them to be thrown into the river. However, even at this, the Jewish race avoided tricks against their lives. Ps.104:26. He sent Moses His servant Aaron, whom He had chosen. Ps.104:27. They showed among them the words of His signs and His wonders in the land of Ham. “Moses sent His servant Aaron, whom He had chosen for Himself.” “Put in them the words of Your signs and Your wonders in the land of Ham.” Appointing Moses and Aaron to be ministers and collaborators in the liberation of their fellow tribesmen, God gave them the power of miracles. Ps.104:28. He sent darkness and made it gloomy, and they did not resist His word. “Send darkness and darken, for you have made His words bitter.” These blessed servants of God did not resist the Divine commands, but did what was commanded, and brought upon the Egyptians the longest three-day night, or, better to say, darkness, which was darker than night, because night, even a moonless one, is tempered by the radiance of the stars; and the Divine Scripture calls this darkness “tangible” (Ex. 10:21). Ps.104:29. He turned their water into blood and killed their fish. Turn their waters into blood and starve their fish to death.” For he changed not only the color of the waters, but also the quality of their taste, so that all kinds of fish were destroyed. Ps.104:30. Their land produced multitudes of frogs, even in the bedroom of their kings. “Their land will boil with frogs in the treasuries of their kings.” because the Egyptians threw Hebrew babies into the river; then God turned the river water into blood, thereby exposing the murder that had been committed; Then he caused toads to emerge from the waters in great numbers, crawling like dead babies, entering houses, and even penetrating into the royal palaces. Ps.104:31. He spoke, and various insects came and scattered throughout all their borders. “He spoke, and the dogs came, and flies came, and screeches came into all their borders.” The word was followed by deed; As soon as God commanded, and Moses spoke, and immediately “dog flies and scones” filled the earth, not transgressing the borders of Egypt and not harming others, but punishing some God-hating ones. This is meant by the words “all over their borders” - that is, nothing like this was seen outside the borders of Egypt. Ps.104:32. Instead of rain, he sent hail upon them, scorching fire upon their land. Ps.104:33. And he smote their grapes and their fig trees, and broke in pieces the trees within their borders. “Put their hail to rain and fire to burn in their lands”: “And destroy their vines and their figs, and destroy every tree of their border.” The clouds were not fraught with what was usual for them, and instead of rain they produced hail, and with the hail came lightning and fireballs, and the opposite natures, water and fire, did not harm one another; neither fire melted the hardened water in the hail, nor water extinguished the fire; but, having stopped the natural struggle, they punished the Egyptians in agreement and exposed their atrocities; because, although they themselves were people, they did not respect nature, and those who were of the same nature with them were forced to do bitter work. Why were their grapes and figs and other kinds of plants destroyed from them? Ps.104:34. He said, and locusts and caterpillars came without number. Ps.104:35. And they ate up all the grass of their land, and ate the fruit of their fields. “He said, and the springs and caterpillars came, there was no number of them”: “And they ate up all the grass in their lands.” God destroyed the trees with hail and fire, and swamps, meadows, and harvests with plows and caterpillars; because he destroyed not only the fruits of the Egyptians, but also all herbs. Ps.104:36. And he smote every firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their strength. “And thou shalt smite every firstborn of their land, the firstfruits of all their labor.” This was the last plague imposed on the Egyptians, after which God forced the Jews to leave Egypt. Every house was filled with tears and sobs when all the firstborn died suddenly; because God punished in what was most kind to the Egyptians, striking with the most stinging arrows those who were insensitive to the previous executions. Ps.104:37. And he brought out the Israelites with silver and gold, and there was no sick man among their tribes. “And I am gone with silver and gold.” since the Egyptians did not allow the Jews to take their property; then, in addition to their property, they also took the wealth of the Egyptians, as if in some kind of payment for hard slavery, they took with them gold and silver. And God did not command this to happen contrary to justice, but to admonish those who offended and to console those who were offended. “And don’t hurt their knees;” because they did not experience the plagues inflicted on the Egyptians. Ps.104:38. Egypt rejoiced at their departure; for fear from them fell upon him. “Egypt rejoiced at their departure, for their fear had come upon them.” But the Egyptians were so frightened by all kinds of punishments that they considered the liberation of the Jews a benefit for themselves. Ps.104:39. He spread a cloud to cover [them] and fire to give light to [them] at night. “Spread the clouds to cover them, and the fire to enlighten them through the night.” For the cloud, too, served as shade for them during the day and did not allow the scorching rays of the sun to reach them, and at night, becoming fire-like, it provided them with illumination. Ps.104:40. They asked, and He sent quails, and filled them with the bread of heaven. “I asked for and came to steal, and I was filled with heavenly bread.” since the Jews also lusted after meat; then God sent them birds, which themselves were given as prey, and to those who needed bread he gave them from above, giving from the clouds not rain, but this food. Ps.104:41. He opened the stone, and waters flowed out, flowing like a river through dry places. “Open the stone, and water flows, flowing into waterless rivers.” He also quenched their thirst with the extraordinary creations of the stone; because in a waterless land, devoid of moisture, he commanded rivers to flow. “Rivers” the Prophet calls streams of water produced from stone. Ps.104:42. For He remembered His holy word to Abraham His servant. Ps.104:43. And He brought forth His people in joy, His chosen ones in gladness. “For I will remember My holy word to Abraham My servant”: “And He brought His people with joy, and His chosen ones with joy.” Yet God gave this to the Jews, fulfilling the promises He spoke to Abraham. Ps.104:44. And he gave them the lands of nations, and they inherited the labor of foreigners. “And give them the language of the country, and inherit the labors of the people.” For he not only freed them from Egyptian slavery, but also gave them the land of the Canaanites, made them the owners of what they had acquired through the labors of others, and punished the Canaanites fairly, and in fact fulfilled His own promises. And that it was not contrary to justice that he expelled the former inhabitants of Palestine is also shown in the law given to the Jews, commanding them to avoid imitating the Canaanites in their lives. Proclaiming promises to Abraham, he teaches why he does not suddenly give him possession of this land, but allows him to be a prisoner for a long time. For he says: “The sin of the Ammorites has not yet been fulfilled until now” (Gen. 15, 16), that is, they have not yet ventured into deeds worthy of final destruction, and it is not fair to impose punishment on them, so to pronounce a definition of punishment based on foreknowledge of a great sin, but must wait for the end of the deeds; because I keep measure, I determine everything by weight, and nothing happens to Me without weight; That’s why I’m waiting for the expiration of four hundred years. So God drove out some, and fulfilled His promises to others. Ps.104:45. That they may keep His statutes and keep His laws. Hallelujah! “Let them preserve His righteousness, and let them seek His law.” He gave them, says the Prophet, the land that he promised, first giving them a law and commanding them to lead their lives in accordance with it. You might be interested in: