Изъяснение псалма 16-го.

"Prayer to David" Persecuted by Saul, enduring all kinds of intrigues, David calls on God of all kinds for help. Ps.16:1. Hear, O Lord, [my] truth, listen to my cry, accept the prayer from the lips of the untruthful. “Hear, O Lord, my truth, attend to my prayer, bring my prayer not into flattering lips.” And here again he calls truth not perfect virtue, but fair petition. Other translators did not add the pronouns: “my”; Symmachus and Theodotion called God the Lord of Truth, and Aquila said: “Hear, O Lord, the righteous,” instead of: “truthfully and not indifferently.” Symmachus expressed the words: “not with flattering lips” as follows: “not with flattering lips,” that is, with pure lips I offer prayer, I keep some things in my thoughts, and I speak others, but my tongue agrees with my heart. Ps.16:2. May judgment come to me from Your face; let Thy eyes look upon righteousness. “From Your presence my destiny will come; let my eyes see what is right.” I beg You to judge my affairs, because I know the justice of Your verdict. Ps.16:3. You tested my heart, visited me at night, tempted me and found nothing; My lips do not depart from my thoughts. Ps.16:4. In human affairs, according to the word of Your mouth, I have guarded myself from the ways of the oppressor. “Thou hast tempted my heart, thou hast visited me by night: thou hast kindled me, and thou hast not found iniquity in me. For let not my mouth speak of the deeds of men.” Here he teaches that, having repeatedly had Saul in his hands, he did not agree to kill him, but repaid the offense with a good deed. Therefore, he also mentioned the night on which he did this, saving Saul who was sleeping at night, and not allowing anyone to deal him a mortal blow. In a figurative sense, he calls disasters nights due to the darkening of cowardice, just as, after this, he calls temptation kindling. For he says: “You have kindled me, and iniquity is not found in me.” For, like some gold, when you expose me to temptation, you will find me, O Lord, unadulterated. I refrained from harming the enemy to such an extent that I even kept my tongue free from slandering him. “Because of the words of Your lips I have kept the cruel ways.” I accomplished this difficult and difficult task, obeying Your commandments. Ps.16:5. Establish my steps in Your ways, so that my feet do not falter. “Make my steps in Your paths, so that my steps may not move.” Therefore, I beg you not to change your intentions; and this will happen if I use Your help. For the Prophet called the decisive intention in an action feet. Ps.16:6. I cry to You, for You will hear me, O God; incline Your ear to me, hear my words. Ps.16:7. Show Thy wondrous mercy, O Savior of those who trust [in You] from those who resist Thy right hand. “I cried, for thou hast heard me, O God.” It was not in vain that I uttered these words, having experienced Your love for mankind; because many times You listened to me when I called. “Incline Your ear to me and hear my words.” “Amazing Your mercy, saving those who trust in You.” Therefore, accept the prayer, move my tongue to chant. For seeing that the offended have been shown mercy by You, they will praise Your providence. It is customary for you to give help to those who trust in you. Ps.16:8. Guard me like the apple of your eye; shelter me in the shadow of your wings Ps.16:9. From the face of the wicked who attack me, from the enemies of my soul who surround me. Ps.16:10. They are shut up in their fat, they speak arrogantly with their lips. “From those who resist Your right hand, save me, O Lord, like the apple of your eye.” He called those who were hostile against him those who opposed the right hand of God, and quite rightly, because he was anointed by God, and from Him he was honored to be appointed to the kingdom. Therefore, he says, having undertaken a struggle with me, they resist Your determination; and begs to be protected like the apple of the eye, which, as if instead of some kind of trenches, is served by eyelids, and instead of stamens by eyelashes, and which is protected by eyebrows, diverting the moisture of sweat to the churches and saving the vision from harm that could be caused by this moisture. The Prophet begs to be granted the same care. “In the shelter of Thy wing thou shalt cover me: from the face of the wicked they have made me angry.” Having again used a new likeness, he prays to grant him industry. For I heard what the great Moses said: “He stretched out His wings and received them, and lifted them up on His frame” (Deut. 32:11). And the Lord said to Jerusalem: “How many times did you desire to gather your children, as your chicks gather under the wing, and you did not desire” (Matthew 23:37). Krills refers to the quick and instantaneous protection of fishing: because the movement of krills is very easy. “Overwhelm my soul”: “You shut your fat, and their lips spoke pride.” By fat, others meant prosperity and bodily health; but it seems to me that the Prophet calls this kindness and brotherly love. This makes it possible to see the sequence of speech; for he says that, having included every natural feeling of pity, and not giving any place to thoughts of philanthropy, they speak loftily and arrogantly, and they lay all kinds of snares and ambushes for me. Ps.16:11. At every step we now surround us; they fixed their eyes to cast me down to the ground. “Those who cast me out have now passed me by, casting their eyes upon the earth.” They expelled me from my native land, and again rush here and there, wanting to capture me; because they do not want to look straight, but their eye is turned to the side. This is how Symmachus translated: “they decided for themselves; turn your eyes to the side, to the ground.” Ps.16:12. They are like a lion thirsting for prey, like a skinn sitting in hidden places. “I was declared to be like a lion ready to hunt, and like a skiman who dwells in secret places.” Having rejected the rationality of nature, they imitate animals that desire food, look out for it, and suddenly rush at it. Ps.16:13. Arise, Lord, warn them, bring them down. Deliver my soul from the wicked by Your sword. “Arise, O Lord, I will advance and sing unto them: deliver my soul from the wicked, Thy weapon, from the enemy of Thy hand.” Obstruct their aspirations, Lord, what obstacles You yourself know. For the Prophet expressed this with the word: “Stay away,” borrowing a figure of speech from those who secretly overthrow those who flee, and free me from their malice, using Your sword against them. For this is how Symmachus put it: “By Your sword.” Ps.16:14. From people - by Your hand, O Lord, from the people of the world, whose lot is in this life, whose belly You fill from Your treasuries; their sons are satisfied and will leave the remainder to their children. "Lord from the least of the earth." For by Your decree you put people to death. You said: “You are earth, and you will go back to earth” (Gen. 3:19). “I divided them in their bellies, and their belly was filled with Your hidden things.” Although it is easy for You to put them to death, I beg you to scatter them alive, destroy their evil agreement, and make them partakers of the executions prepared for You. So, in the song of the great Moses, God Himself says: “Is not this all gathered together with Me, and sealed in My treasures? On the day of vengeance I will repay, in the time when their foot stumbles” (Deut. 32:34-35). “She was satisfied with her sons, and left the remains of her child.” And Symmachus translated this as follows: “the sons will be satisfied and leave their remains to their babies,” that is, I know that Your righteous punishment will be imposed not only on them, but also on the sons and grandsons who imitate the wickedness of their ancestors. It is said: “they will be satisfied,” instead of: “they will partake of evil until they are full.” Ps.16:15. And I will look upon Your face in righteousness; Having awakened, I will be satisfied with Your image. “But I will appear before Your face in righteousness, I will be satisfied, and I will always appear before Your glory”; that is, to Your Son. For they will be punished so much, and I, according to Your righteous Providence, will enjoy the benefits, having seen the greatest experience of Your beneficence. On sed. "ἐπύρωσας", according to Slav. “thou hast tempted.” You might be interested in: