Изъяснение псалма 105-го.

“Alleluia” In the one hundred and fourth psalm, the prophetic word described God’s benefits; and in this psalm he recalls good deeds, and accuses those who have been blessed of ingratitude, and shows the various punishments imposed on them. The psalm is presented as if on behalf of the pious, who mourn common misfortunes and beg for mercy. Ps.105:1. Praise the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever. “Confess to the Lord that His mercy endures forever.” And for your previous good deeds, sing songs to the Lord, and expect the fulfillment of good hopes; because the Lord is good and philanthropic, and never ceases to be led by mercy. Then the Prophet shows how much the story of God's miracles exceeds human nature. Ps.106:2. Who will speak of the power of the Lord and proclaim all His praises? “Who will proclaim the mighty powers of the Lord? Will all His praises be heard?” No word is sufficient for the song of the God of all. Ps.106:3. Blessed are those who keep judgment and do righteousness at all times! “Blessed are those who keep judgment and do righteousness at all times.” Consciousness of sin is followed by satisfaction of virtue; because he who bears the punishment for sin pleases those who have freed themselves from sin and who adorn their lives with righteousness - he pleases not the one who once acted truthfully, but who always and unceasingly follows in the footsteps of truth. Ps.105:4. Remember me, O Lord, with favor towards your people; visit me with Your salvation. “Remember us, Lord, in the favor of Your people, visit us with Your salvation.” Here the Prophet means a new people and a church of pagans, which the Lord has vouchsafed salvation, and the fellowship with which the Jews are learning to admire. In accordance with this understanding, what is added is also added. Ps.105:5. That I may see the prosperity of Thy chosen ones, may rejoice in the joy of Thy people, and may glory in Thy inheritance. “To see Thy chosen ones in goodness, to rejoice in the joy of Thy tongue, to glory in Thy inheritance.” That is, we beg that we too may be partakers in the joy of your new people, and have fellowship in the goodness shown to them. Ps.105:6. We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have committed unrighteousness. “We have sinned with our fathers, lawless, untruthful”; that is, as if we had received from our fathers the violation of Thy laws as a certain inheritance; The Prophet does not call the holy patriarchs fathers, but those who came after them. He made this clear in the words that followed. Ps.106:7. Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders, they did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, and they were troubled by the sea, by the Red Sea. “Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders, without remembering the abundance of Your mercy.” For after so many miracles performed for their sake in Egypt, they did not want to understand Your power. “And the great sorrow went up into the Red Sea.” For when they saw that the Egyptians were pursuing, and the sea was preventing them from fleeing, they did not want to wait for Your help, but they cried out to the great Moses, saying: “Because we were not to be a grave in Egypt, You brought us out to slay in the wilderness” (Ex. 14:11). However, although they turned out to be ungrateful, You made them worthy of salvation. For the Prophet added the following. Ps.105:8. But He saved them for His name's sake, in order to show His power. Ps.105:9. The rivers threatened the Red Sea, and it dried up; and led them through the abysses as through dry land. Ps.105:10. And he saved them from the hand of the hater and delivered them from the hand of the enemy. “And He saved them for His name’s sake, and declared His power”; “And rebuke the Red Sea, and dry it up, and send me into the abyss as in the wilderness.” “And I saved from the hand” of the hater, “and I delivered from the hand of the enemy.” For, in a word, having exposed the bottom of the sea from the waters, he made this great abyss for them a desert passable for horses. In the deserts there is a lot of convenience for those walking because there are no plants or obstacles to hinder the procession; Therefore, the Prophet expressed the convenience of crossing the sea by comparing it to the desert. Ps.105:11. The waters covered their enemies, not one of them remained. “He covered the water that chilled them; not one escaped from them”; because the water drowned all the Egyptians; the same sea served as salvation for the Jews, and as punishment for the Egyptians. Ps.105:12. And they believed His words, [and] sang His praises. “And you believed His words, and made haste to praise Him.” For the leader of the singing men was the great Moses, and the leader of the women was the Prophetess Mariam. And their songs and writings are devoted to writing. Ps.105:13. But they soon forgot His deeds and did not wait for His will. Ps.105:14. They were carried away by lust in the desert, and tempted God in the uninhabited. “I hastened, and forgot His works: I could not bear His counsel”: “And I desired desire in the desert, and I tempted God in the arid place.” Having so many strong proofs of God’s power, they did not ask for the necessary supplies, and did not expect God’s gift, but immediately began to slander God’s servants. Ps.105:15. And He fulfilled their request, but sent a plague on their souls. “And he gave them their petition, sending satisfaction to their souls.” The Prophet called a wish a petition; because they did not ask, but grumbled. However, God gave them an abundance of meat, and bread not made with hands, and abundant sweet water. Ps.105:16. And they envied Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord, in the camp. “And you provoked Moses to anger in the camp, Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.” For Korah and his accomplices attempted to steal the priesthood, and Dathan and Abiron were plotting to usurp another leadership for themselves. Ps.105:17. The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan and covered the crowd of Aviron. Ps.105:18. And a fire kindled in their congregation, and the flame consumed the wicked. “The earth opened and devoured Dathan, and covered the host of Abiron”: “And a fire was kindled in their host, and sinners fell into the flame.” Dathan and Aviron with their entire family were swallowed up by the earth, and Korah and those who were with him were burned by fire sent from God. God imposed these punishments, encouraging others to become more chaste, but they did not want to benefit from this. This is clear from the story of what they dared to do. Ps.105:19. They made a calf at Horeb and worshiped the image. "And I made a calf in Horeb." The Prophet did not simply mention grief, but with the intention of showing the excess of wickedness. For on this mountain the Lord of all appeared; there he filled them with fear, appearing in a strong fire, with the sounds of trumpets, with thunderclaps, among terrible phenomena, uttering the law; there they dared to commit wickedness. "And bowed down to the graven image." And this serves as an accusation of another kind of madness. For they saw that it received its appearance from human art, and they gave divine honor to it. Ps.105:20. And they exchanged their glory for the image of an ox eating grass. “And He changed His glory into the likeness of a calf eating grass.” The Prophet depicted their foolishness with very decent features. For instead of the One who performed so many miracles, who granted them this wonderful salvation, and can perform so many such works, they honored the image of a calf when the one from whom this image was taken has a need for food. And the calf’s food is not bread, offered to verbal beings, but grass and hay. And the image of a calf is much less important than the calf itself, which is dumb by nature, eats hay and is given to serve people. For this image is not only wordless, but also not animated, it can neither act, nor moo, nor eat. However, they preferred even this powerless thing to God of all kinds. Ps.106:21. They forgot God, their Savior, who did great things in Egypt. Ps.105:22. Wonderful in the land of Ham, terrible at the Red Sea. “And they forgot God who saved them, who did great things in Egypt.” “Miracles in the land of Ham, terrible in the Sea of ​​Chermny.” They did not remember their own salvation, nor the execution of Egypt, nor the great miracle at sea; but suddenly they despised all this. Ps.105:23. And he wanted to destroy them, if Moses, His chosen one, had not stood before Him in the cleft to turn away His wrath, so that He would not destroy [them]. “And he said to consume them, unless His chosen Moses stood in contrition before Him, to return His wrath, so that He would not destroy them.” For when the God of all things said: “Leave Me, and enraged with anger, I will consume them: and I will make you into a great tongue” (Ex. 32:10); then blessed Moses said: “If you forgive them sin, forgive it; otherwise, blot me out of the book, you wrote it in the book” (Ex. 32:32). Ps.105:24. And they despised the desired land and did not believe His word. Ps.105:25. And they murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the Lord. “And she destroyed the desired land, not having faith in His word”: “And she murmured in her villages, not hearing the voice of the Lord.” The Prophet mentions disobedience on another occasion. For when God commanded to enter the Promised Land, they, having fallen into the disease of fear, clearly resisted, saying that the Canaanites were courageous, but they themselves did not have sufficient strength to enter into battle with them. And this is a clear sign of disbelief; because it was right for the witnesses of so many great miracles to trust in everything to the power of the Savior of them. Ps.105:26. And He lifted up His hand against them to overthrow them in the wilderness. Ps.105:27. To overthrow their tribe among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. “And lift up Your hand against them, I will cast them down into the wilderness,” “And I will cast down their seed among the nations, and scatter them into the lands.” The Lord wanted to subject them to execution, which would correspond to their unbelief, and to bring destruction upon everyone together; but, driven by His usual love for mankind, partly only punished them. Ps.105:28. They clung to Baalphegor and ate sacrifices to the soulless. Ps.105:29. And they provoked God with their deeds, and the plague came upon them. “And took communion with Beelphegor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead”: “And provoked Him in his undertakings.” Having again given themselves over to intemperance, and mixed with the wives of the Moabites, they learned their wickedness. Beelphegor is an idol revered by the Moabites; and Peor was the name of the place where the idol stood, and the idol itself was called Baal. They say that in the Hellenic language it is called Cronus. The Prophet calls “sacrifices of the dead” the so-called libations among the Hellenes, which they had the custom of bringing to the dead. But it would not be a mistake to call even the so-called gods themselves dead. “And their fall shall be multiplied.” For he sent another kind of death upon them. Ps.105:30. And Phinehas rose up and carried out judgment, and the plague stopped. “And propitiate the hundred Phinehas, and stop flogging.” Ps.105:31. And this was counted to him as righteousness throughout all generations and generations forever. “And it will be counted against him for righteousness, for generations and generations forever.” The word: “flog” Symmachus translated: plague. This is also shown by history. For Zamri, who had the shamelessness to clearly commit fornication with a certain Midianite, Phinehas pierced with a spear along with this woman. God, being jealous, praised him himself, but forbade him to execute others. Ps.105:32. And they angered God at the waters of Meribah, and Moses suffered for them. Ps.105:33. For they grieved his spirit, and he sinned with his lips. “And He was angered by the waters of dissent, and Moses became embittered for their sake”: “For His spirit was greatly bitter, and His lips were discordant.” For, having approached Moses, who was mourning his sister, with great outrage they asked to satisfy their need; and he, faint in spirit and seeing their intemperance, overwhelmed by both anger and sorrow, did not fulfill God’s command with his usual obedience, but, expressing some doubt in his words, struck the stone and brought out the water. This is what was said: “discord with his lips,” that is, he said not without doubt. For it is said: “Moses said to them: ... out of this rock I will bring you water” (Num. 20:10)? For this, of course, the God of all, being angry, did not give him the land promised to the fathers, but commanded him to accept the end of his life, and fulfilled the promise through Joshua. But the Ruler of all, although, apparently, turned this into a punishment for Moses, when doing this he also had something else in mind. Firstly, knowing the foolishness of the Jews, he did not allow all the promises to come to fulfillment by Moses, so that they would not consider him God; because those who deified the image of a calf, what honor would they not give to the former servant of so many miracles? That is why God made his tomb hidden. In addition to this, what happened to the legislator, thereby pleased God to show the temporality of the law. For if the legislator did not enjoy the possession of the promised land, then it was easy to understand from this that they would not long enjoy this provision for them. Thus, having described what happened in the desert, the Prophet denounces the crime committed by the Jews in the land of promise. Ps.105:34. They did not destroy the nations that the Lord told them about. “I have not consumed the tongues that the Lord spoke to them.” Ps.105:35. But they mixed with the pagans and learned their works. Ps.105:36. They served their idols, which were a snare to them. “And mixed among the nations, and became accustomed to their deeds.” “And she worked with their idols, and became a temptation for them.” God forbade mixing because of communion in wickedness, so that, having taken away the beginning and prevented the end, he could destroy the fruit at the root, and first suppress the worse with a lesser evil. However, even in this they violated God’s law, “not consuming” the evil “tongues”, did not avoid communication with them, but were jealous of their evil life. Ps.105:37. And they sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. “And he devoured his sons and his daughters to the demon.” Ps.105:38. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was defiled with blood. Ps.105:39. They defiled themselves with their deeds, they committed fornication with their actions. “And she shed innocent blood, the blood of his sons and daughters, even devouring the image of Canaan. And the land was quickly slain with their blood.” “And be defiled by their deeds.” They showed the extreme height of wickedness in themselves. For isn’t it the highest degree of wickedness to defile the earth with the blood of sons and daughters and sacrifice them to bloodthirsty demons? They did not bring anything legal to God, but sacrificed even their children to idols. “And I have gone astray in my undertakings.” Here the Prophet calls fornication not only lewdness, but also service to idols. because, having entered into a union with God, they loved serving idols; This superstitious celebration rightly called fornication. Ps.105:40. And the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people, and He abhorred His inheritance. Ps.105:41. And he delivered them into the hands of the pagans, and those who hated them began to possess them. Ps.105:42. Their enemies oppressed them, and they humbled themselves under their hands. “And the Lord was angry with His people and detested His property”: “And I delivered it into the hands of the enemies, and possessed them of those who hated them.” “And smite them with the cold, and humble yourself under their hands.” This is also shown by the history of Judges and the book of Kings. God betrayed them, sometimes to the Moabites, sometimes to the Ammonites, and sometimes to the Amalekites, Midianites and Philistines, so that this punishment would serve their benefit. Ps.105:43. Many times He delivered them; They irritated [Him] with their stubbornness, and were humiliated for their iniquity. “I have delivered in multitudes: but they have grieved him with their advice, and have humbled themselves in their iniquities.” Having imposed punishment, he again demonstrated his love for humanity; but they repaid Him against those who were contrary. Ps.105:44. But He looked upon their sorrow when He heard their cry. “And the Lord saw them always grieve, and always heard their prayer.” History also shows this, namely, that those forced by necessity turned to God with petitions, and as quickly as they asked, they were heard. Ps.105:45. And He remembered His covenant with them and repented according to the abundance of His mercy. “And I will remember My covenant and repent according to the abundance of My mercy.” For for the sake of the promises given to the fathers, he showed mercy. The Prophet calls the cessation of punishment repentance; because God does not repent; He does not please either one or the other, but, ruling everything wisely, he imposes punishment and shows philanthropy. Ps.105:46. And he aroused compassion for them in all who captivated them. “And I will give in generosity to all those who have taken me captive.” So he pacified and bowed to the mercy of Cyrus, and did so that he gave freedom to the captives. Ps.105:47. Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, to glorify Your holy name, to glory in Your glory. “Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the tongue; confess to Your holy name, glory in Your praise.” And this makes it clear that the prophetic word teaches the Jews how they must appease God in order to be worthy of His care for themselves. And the divine Apostle foretold the future salvation of the Jews through Elijah the Tishbite. “He will come from Zion,” he says, “to deliver, and will turn away wickedness from Jacob: and this is my covenant for them, when I take away their sins” (Rom. 11:26-27). Therefore, no restoration of Jerusalem, in accordance with the fables of the foolish, no service under the law, no dumb sacrifices, no circumcision, no Sabbath, no sprinklings that served only for hay, should await them after all-holy baptism (this is the delirium of drunken old women); but calling, and knowledge of the truth, and faith in the Lord Christ, and the establishment of the new covenant. Ps.105:48. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say: Amen! Hallelujah! “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and all the people say, Be ye, be ye.” For we all praise the Lord of all, who called himself the God of Israel, having done so much for the salvation of man. The whole people should conclude the voice of those singing with the word: “Amen”; because the Jew expresses this: “wake, wake” with the words: “amen, amen.” This is why the custom is observed in churches for the people to express their consent to the priest’s praise with the word: “Amen”, to enter into communication with him through this, and to receive the blessing. You might be interested in: