Изъяснение псалма 141-го.

Ps.141:1. David's teaching. His prayer when he was in the cave. “The mind of David, that he should never be in a den praying.” The content of the psalm is clear. The divine David, driven by Saul, flees into the cave and hides in its innermost part. Then, seeing Saul come there, he drives fear out of his thoughts, calls on God’s help, and receives it. Ps.141:2. With my voice I cried to the Lord, with my voice I prayed to the Lord. “With my voice I cried to the Lord, with my voice I prayed to the Lord.” And from this it is clear that the Prophet calls heartfelt jealousy by calling. For one who hides and wants to hide himself, could he be called out with a voice? Therefore, this expresses that he prayed to God with all zeal. Ps.141:3. I poured out my prayer before Him; I revealed my sorrow to Him. “I will pour out my prayer before Him, I will declare my sorrow before Him.” I made my misfortune obvious to Him, says the Prophet, and diligently offered prayer about it. And that the petition was strong, I expressed in the word: “I will pour it out.” Ps.141:4. When my spirit fainted within me, You knew my path. On the path that I walked, they secretly laid nets for me. “My spirit never disappears from Me.” He did this, seeing the excessiveness of the disaster; because he moved in at the very moment of death. “And You have known my paths.” Everything I have is obvious to You, and not a single one of my actions is hidden from Your eye. “On this path, I walked unwisely, hiding the net for me.” And the catchers of beasts keep track of the paths and place on them whatever they can catch. Imitating them, Saul scouted about David, and as soon as he found out where David was, he set up ambushes for him there. The devil does the same; for those who walk the path of chastity, he lays out the net of voluptuousness, and for those who love to give alms, he lays out reasons for vanity; for those who do not love money, he presents reasons for covetousness, for virginity, reasons for pride; in short, for every way of life he has a means of how to catch them. Ps.141:5. I look at the right side and see that no one recognizes me: there is no refuge for me, no one cares about my soul. “Look at your right hand and look at me, and do not know me.” Nowhere, says the Prophet, have I seen a single helper. “Perish the flight from Me, and do not seek my soul.” I am surrounded by insurmountable obstacles, I find no way out to escape, no help. Ps.141:6. I cried to You, Lord, I said: You are my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Ps.141:7. Hearken to my cry, for I am very weak; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than me. “I cried to You, O Lord, I said: You are my hope.” Therefore, I beseech You, in Whom I have placed my hope. “Thou art my part in the land of the living.” “Listen to my prayer, for you have greatly humbled yourself.” The divine David repeatedly called God “his part,” and now he is doing the same. I have, he says, no other help; You are my only Helper, I beg for this, so that I may receive life from You. “Humility” here refers to disasters. Symmachus also expressed this: listen to my broadcasts, because I am extremely exhausted. “Deliver me from those who persecute me, for you have become stronger than me.” The enemies have become stronger than me; but with Your help I will escape their hands. Ps.141:8. Bring my soul out of prison, so that I may glorify Your name. The righteous will gather around me when You show me a benefit. “Bring my soul out of prison, to confess to Your name.” Aquila translated it this way: bring my soul out of prison; because it was as if he was locked up and in a prison when the enemies were sitting at the entrance to the cave. The Prophet promises, having achieved salvation, to reward good deeds with songs. “The righteous are waiting for me, Dondezhe reward me.” And Symmachus translated this: Your name will be crowned by the righteous when you show me a benefit; because they will accept the benefit shown to me as a guarantee of their own salvation, and will praise You, the Righteous Judge. You might be interested in: