Изъяснение псалма 32-го.

“Not inscribed in Hebrew.” This was attributed to the Seventy, translating the psalm, that is: do not look for the inscription in the translation, because we did not find the inscription. This psalm was spoken by blessed David about what happened under the wonderful Hezekiah, and is pronounced as if on behalf of Hezekiah himself, encouraging the people to sing, after the miraculous victory and death of the Assyrians. Ps.33:1. Rejoice, ye righteous, in the Lord: it is fitting for the righteous to praise. “Rejoice, ye righteous, in the Lord.” The word: “rejoice” Aquila, like Symmachus, was translated in many places: “praise.” “The right deserves praise.” It is fitting for those who have come to know God and have freed themselves from error to always praise God. Then the Prophet teaches them how they should perform hymns. Ps.32:2. Praise the Lord on the harp, sing to Him on the ten-string psalter. “Confess the Lord with the harp, sing to Him with the ten-stringed psalter.” Ps.32:3. Sing a new song to Him; sing to Him harmoniously, with an exclamation. “Sing a new song to Him, sing well to Him with shouting.” Nevertheless, this was performed in accordance with the divine service prescribed in the law, because harps, cymbals, tympans, and other musical instruments were used during the divine service. And an exclamation is a victorious cry, with which the victors accompany their fleeing enemies. But what has been said in a spiritual sense also befits us: it is also possible for us to organize ourselves into a harmonious and harmonious organ, and with all the sensual and mental abilities of the soul to sing songs to God. Ps.32:4. For the word of the Lord is right and all His works are true. “For the word of the Lord is right, and all His works are in faith.” Truly, says the Prophet, the Lord of all reigns over everything, and He has given us a vision of His works, calling us to believe, and not to inquisitively find out how they are done. Ps.33:5. He loves truth and justice; The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord. “The Lord loves alms and judgment,” because He commands everyone to accept what He does without empty curiosity and hesitation in thoughts, to take care of life and decorate it with mercy and judgment. “Fill the earth with the mercies of the Lord.” One must become like the Creator, says the Prophet. Just as He builds His economy with mercy and is merciful to the offended, so we must persecute those who have offended with justice, and show mercy to the offended. For our philanthropic Lord pronounced judgment on the Assyrians, but granted us mercy and philanthropy. Thus, having spoken about God's Providence, the Prophet begins to speak about creation and teaches that God, having created everything, rules over everything and provides for creatures as His own, and not alien to Him. Ps.32:6. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were established, and by the Spirit of His mouth was all their power.” God, when creating, says the Prophet, did not need either labor or time, but the word was enough for Him to create. “Speech: let the firmament be, and so be it; let there be lights in the firmament of heaven, and so be it” (Gen. 1:6, 14–15). This is at first glance the literal meaning of the prophetic words, because it was consistent with the powers of the ancient Jews. True theology shows us God the Word with the All-Holy Spirit, who created the heavens and the heavenly Powers. And this prophecy precedes the gospel teaching. Just as the divine John, the son of thunder, taught the whole universe that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was to God, and God was the Word: all things were by Him, and without Him nothing came into being” (John 1:1, 3): so blessed David proclaims, saying: “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were established, and by the Spirit of His mouth is all their power.” The Prophet does not separately attribute the creation of heaven to God the Word, but the creation of powers to the All-Holy Spirit; on the contrary, he says that both were created by God the Word and the Holy Spirit. By celestial forces, some meant the heavenly bodies, while others meant invisible forces. But the latter seems more fair to me, because the Prophet, indicating the Creator God, did not mention only the visible creature. Ps.32:7. He gathered up the waters of the sea like heaps, and placed the abysses in storehouses. “Gather like a skin the waters of the sea, and store them in the treasures of the deep”; because all the watery nature, as if in some treasury, is kept by God enclosed in separate containers; when it delights, it draws it into the lofty air, and gathers it in the clouds as if in some fur. Why does the Prophet say: “raising clouds from the last of the earth” (Ps. 134:7). And in another place the divine Scripture says: “Call for the water of the sea, and pour it out on the face of the earth” (Am. 5:8). Ps.32:8. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all who live in the universe tremble before Him. Ps.32:9. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it appeared. “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all who live throughout the world move from this unworthiness”: “As He spoke, and Bysha: He commanded, and was created.” Having mentioned the heavens and the invisible Forces, and then the watery essence, the Prophet brings upon the environment and the earth and those who inhabit it, teaching that they are God’s creatures, and commanding them to fear and tremble the Creator, and to obey His orders. Symmachus replaced the word: “let them move” with the word: “let them revere,” and Aquila: “let them retreat in fear,” attributing the reverence of the universe to the future time, because people had this fear not when the Prophet uttered these words, but after the incarnation, suffering and resurrection of the Lord Christ. Ps.32:10. The Lord destroys the councils of the heathen, destroys the plans of the nations, [destroys the councils of princes]. Ps.32:11. The counsel of the Lord stands forever; the thoughts of His heart to generation and generation. “The Lord destroys the councils of tongues, sweeps away the thoughts of people, and sweeps away the councils of princes.” “The counsel of the Lord endures forever, the thoughts of His heart to generation and generation.” What the Prophet said allows for a double interpretation, because the Lord not only destroyed the councils of the Assyrians, Sennacherib and Rapsacus and showed the power and truth of His own council, but also throughout the entire universe dispelled the revolt of the pagans against the Apostles, and made the power of His own power obvious to everyone. This is what the prophetic word makes clear when it says: “the thoughts of His heart to generation and generation.” Mentioning two births shows what happened then and what will happen after. Ps.32:12. Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord, the tribe which He has chosen as His inheritance. “Blessed is the tongue, for it is the Lord his God, O people, whom he has chosen as his inheritance.” We should please, says the Prophet, not those who are puffed up with wealth, but those who have placed their trust in God and use His help. The chosen people, who are called God's inheritance, were anciently the Jewish people, and then the people chosen from the pagans and receiving the rays of faith. For it is said: “Ask, and I will give Thee the tongues of Thy inheritance, and Thy possession the ends of the earth” (Ps. 2:8). Ps.32:13. The Lord looks down from heaven and sees all the sons of men. Ps.32:14. From the throne on which He sits, He looks down on everyone living on earth. “The Lord looked down from heaven and saw all the sons of men:” “From His ready dwelling He looked down upon all who dwell on the earth.” The Prophet said this in the thirteenth psalm, predicting the same thing. And since he said: “look”, so that no one would think that God does not know what people dare to do, he added by the way: Ps.32:15. He created the hearts of all of them and looks into all their affairs. “He who created their hearts in one, considered all their deeds,” that is, I said about the God of all, that He “looked,” but “looked,” not as one who did not know and wanted to find out, but as a judge pronouncing a sentence, because is it possible for the One who created the soul not to know its movements? The Prophet used the word: “hearts” instead of: “mind”. Ps.32:16. The king cannot be saved by the multitude of his army; great power will not protect the giant. Ps.32:17. The horse is unreliable for salvation; it will not deliver with its great power. “A king cannot be saved by much strength, and a giant cannot be saved by the abundance of his strength.” “A lie is a horse’s salvation, but in the abundance of its strength it will not be saved.” From the events themselves we learn that we should not rely on bodily strength, nor on spiritual courage, nor on the speed of horses, nor on the multitude of subjects, because, having excessed all this, Sennacherib did not receive any benefit from it, but suffered final destruction. So what should you do? show us the Prophet. Ps.32:18. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear Him and trust in His mercy. Ps.32:19. That He will save their soul from death and feed them during famine. “Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those who trust in His mercy: Deliver their souls from death, and feed me into famine.” Piety provides all the blessings, says the Prophet: it attracts Divine providence, puts a barrier to approaching death and poverty, and bestows many blessings. It is likely that during the siege under Hezekiah, the prisoners in the city lacked the necessary things, and then with the death of the enemy they got rid of this disaster. Ps.32:20. Our soul trusts in the Lord: He is our help and our protection. Ps.32:21. Our hearts rejoice in Him, for we have trusted in His holy name. “Our soul longs for the Lord, for He is our helper and protector”: “For in Him our hearts will rejoice, and in His Holy Name we trust.” Therefore, having enjoyed so many blessings, we have firm hope in God, and we will always expect help from Him, because He has given us real joy. Then he said: “For in His holy name we trust,” and asks for mercy and even hope. For he says: Ps.32:22. May Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we trust in You. “Be, O Lord, Thy mercy upon us, as we trust in Thee.” This word is of very great boldness and is bold for us. For who has such hope as to say without trembling: measure your mercy according to my hope? However, in the Holy Gospel the Lord teaches this too: “With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). Therefore, let us acquire both perfect and sincere hope and a life consistent with hope, so that as a result of this we may have great mercy. You might be interested in: