Изъяснение псалма 49-го.

"A Psalm to Asaph". This is the mentor of a special group of psalmists, as the book of Chronicles makes clear (1 Chron. 25, 26). For the psalms previously explained and beginning with the forty-first psalm were entrusted to be sung by the sons of Korah, who themselves were leaders of another party. And there are other psalms whose inscription contains their name, and which, God willing, we will explain. The present psalm, attributed to Asaph, agrees with the psalm preceding it; because it also foretells the future judgment and the coming of our God and Savior; at the same time foreshadows the new covenant, showing that service under the law is not pleasing to God. Ps.49:1. God of Gods, the Lord has spoken and called upon the earth, from the rising of the sun to the west. “The God of gods is the Lord of the verb, and called the earth from the east of the sun to the west.” The previous psalm called for all people to hear the teaching, but this one calls for all the ends of the universe. For this is what the words mean: “from the east of the sun to the west.” And what was said: “God of gods” was interpreted differently by three translators: “The mighty God, having spoken, called the earth.” But the seventy call those gods who are given the right to rule and judge, which is characteristic of the one God. Psalm eighty-one, also written to Asaph, teaches us this. For having said: “God is one in the assembly of gods: in the midst the gods will judge,” the Prophet added: How long will you judge unrighteousness and accept the faces of sinners? Judge the poor and the poor, justify the lowly and the poor” (Ps. 81:1-3); and this is characteristic of priests and all others who are entrusted with carrying out justice. So the law prescribes: “Do not speak evil of the gods, and do not speak evil to the prince of your people” (Ex. 22:28). In a more proper sense, those created in the image of God and who have preserved this image unchanged can be called gods, because it is them who God gathers the universe for judgment. Ps.49:2. From Zion, which is the height of beauty, God appears. “From Zion is the splendor of its beauty.” He himself in Zion revealed His splendor and His beauty, accepted saving suffering, and in the explained psalms he is called red in kindness more than the sons of men. Ps.49:3. Our God is coming, and not in silence: before Him is a consuming fire, and around Him is a great storm. “God will come, our God, and will not remain silent.” Do not think that His second coming will be the same as the first. Then He hid His splendor in humiliation and poverty; and now he will clearly show everyone His dominion and royal dignity, no longer guided by long-suffering, but by judging truthfully. “A fire will kindle before Him, and a storm will surround Him.” Blessed Daniel saw this. For he says: “a river of fire flows forth before Him: His throne is a flame of fire, His wheels are scorching fire” (Dan. 7:9-10). Ps.49:4. He calls heaven and earth from above to judge His people. “He will call the heavens from above and the earth to judge His people.” And during the laying down of the law, he commanded blessed Moses to gather the people and testify with heaven and earth: which is what Moses did, giving the beginning of his song: “Awake, O heaven, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth” (Deut. 32:1). He calls them as a testimony to frighten those who hear, not because they too are animated, but because they contain all other creatures. So blessed Abraham set up seven lambs as a testimony, and said: “This treasure is mine” (Gen. 21:30). So Jacob and Laban called the hill “the hill of testimony” (Gen. 31:47). Ps.49:5. “Gather to Me My saints, who have entered into covenant with Me by sacrifice.” Ps.49:6. And the heavens will proclaim His righteousness, for this judge is God. “Gather to Him His venerables, who have made His covenant about sacrifices.” “And the heavens will declare His righteousness: for God is the judge.” In what was said above, the Prophet showed that His judgment is terrible, and in these and the following words he reveals the imperfection of the service under the law and the ungodliness of the sacrifices made. He calls Moses, Aaron, Eleazar, Phinehas, and all those who after them were priests under the law, venerables. God commands them to gather together, not in order to subject them to punishment as having thought anything contrary (because the law was given by God, and in obedience to the law, each of those named by us made sacrifices), but in order to show them His own purpose through the present and, putting an end to the teaching that was appropriate for infants, to teach perfect teachings. After this is accomplished, says the Prophet, the heavens marvel at the truthfulness of the definition, and by heaven he means the heavenly Powers. Ps.49:7. “Hear, My people, I will speak; Israel! I will testify against you: I am God, your God. “Hear, My people, and I will speak to you.” And showing which people he was speaking to, he added: “To Israel, and I will testify to you.” And then He reveals His dominion: “God, your God is I.” I freed you from Egyptian slavery, gave you a way across the sea, brought you to the desert, gave you this law. Recognize in Me no other legislator, seeing the difference in laws. Ps.49:8. It is not for your sacrifices that I will rebuke you; Your burnt offerings are always before Me. “I will not reprove you because of your sacrifices, but your burnt offerings will be taken away before Me.” I will not blame you for neglecting the sacrifices, he says, because you offer them constantly, but I am giving you advice not to place righteousness in them. Ps.49:9. I will not accept a bull from your house, nor a goat from your folds. Ps.49:10. For all the beasts of the forest are Mine, and the cattle on a thousand mountains. Ps.49:11. I know all the birds on the mountains and the animals in the fields before Me. “I will not accept bulls from your house, nor goats from your flocks.” “For all the beasts of the oak trees, the cattle of the mountains, and the ox are Mine.” “I know all the birds of the sky, and the beauty of the countryside is with Me.” I am the Creator and Lord of all, both animals living on land and birds flying in the air. Therefore, do not think that you are satisfying My need. I gave them existence, and I commanded fruits to grow from the earth. For he calls all kinds of earthly fruits beauty. Since oxen, goats and sheep were sacrificed from animals living on land, and from birds - pigeons and turtle doves, and from fruits - hemp, wine, oil, and incense, it is necessary to mention all this in order to put an end to all such service. Then, as if laughing, he says: Ps.49:12. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the universe and everything that fills it are Mine. “If I hunger, I will not say to you: for the universe and its fulfillment are mine.” If I need food, I have no need of your alms; because I am together the Creator and the Lord of every creature. Then He allows you to see the dispassion of His nature. Ps.49:13. Do I eat the flesh of oxen and drink the blood of goats? “Eating yam meat yuncha? Or do I drink the blood of goats?” Thus, having shown their lack of meaning, and having suggested that for the sake of their childish understanding, he legitimized them in ancient times to make these sacrifices, he first gives a revelation about the new covenant and legitimizes a sacrifice pleasing to Him. Ps.49:14. Sacrifice praise to God and pay your vows to the Most High. Ps.49:15. And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will glorify Me.” “Consume the sacrifice of praise to God and offer your prayers to the Most High”: “And call upon Me in the day of your tribulation, and destroy you, and glorify Me.” He also revealed in good time the venerable number of the Holy Trinity, and combined it with the new testament, because with it we also received the knowledge of the Holy Trinity. The Prophet introduces division not in order to separate the actions of the indivisible and Holy Trinity, but in order to prophetically teach this number to posterity. Therefore he says: “devour the sacrifice of praise to God, and render your prayers to the Most High, and call upon Me in the day of your sorrow.” And from this we recognize three Persons, however, not in the sense that what is asked is given either only by God, or only by the Most High, or by the one who receives the sacrifice of praise. For each Person is both God, and the Most High, and the Giver of blessings. The Prophet calls the hymns appropriate for the righteous a sacrifice of praise, and their vows prayers. For this is what he says in the twenty-first psalm: “I will offer my prayers before those who fear Him” (Ps. 21:26). since he said: “I will not reprove you about your sacrifices,” he finally shows what he will convict you of. Ps.49:16. But God says to the sinner: “That you preach My statutes and take My covenant in your mouth. Ps.49:17. Do you yourself hate My instruction and cast My words aside for yourself? “But God said to the sinner: How many will you tell of My justifications, and will you accept My covenant with your lips?” “But you hated punishment, and you rejected My words back.” since others, when others sin, reproach them and remind them of God's laws, and they themselves violate what they teach, then he justly addresses the word to such, saying: why, being magnified by My justifications, interpreting the law in one way or another, you yourself did not derive from this the benefit that should have been derived, and are you neglectful of My words? The prophet also describes the crimes they dared to commit. Ps.49:18. When you see a thief, you associate with him, and associate with adulterers. Ps.49:19. You open your mouth to slander, and your tongue weaves deceit. Ps.49:20. You sit and speak against your brother, and slander your mother’s son. “If you saw your aunt, you flowed with him, and you considered your participation with the adulterer.” “Your mouth multiplies malice, and your tongue weaves together flattery.” “Thou didst slander thy brother, and thou didst cause offense against thy mother’s son.” Numerous and varied are the crimes of the law that you dare to commit; for, in the words of the Apostle, “If you say, do not commit adultery, commit adultery” (Rom. 2:22), and you become an accomplice and accomplice of those who dare to do such things. Having deprived your lips of truth, you filled them with lies and deceit; pretense refines your tongue. Therefore, you neglect kinship, trample on the laws of nature, secretly weave intrigues among your brothers, and never cease to denigrate in word and prepare evil in deed. Thus, depicting their iniquity, He makes it known what kind of long-suffering He has, and also predicts what punishment He will impose. Ps.49:21. You did this, and I was silent; you thought that I was the same as you. I will expose you and bring [your sins] before your eyes. “This is what you did, and while you were silent, you repented of iniquity, because I would be like you.” Seeing what you dare to do, and led by long-suffering, I expect repentance. And you turned long-suffering into a reason for wickedness, suggesting that, enjoying your iniquity, I do not impose punishment on you. Therefore, “I will reprove you and bring your sins before your face.” Since the easy medicines of long-suffering did not heal you, I will prepare for you powerful medicines, I will put the mark of reproach on you. And this is in accordance with the apostolic saying: “not knowing how the goodness of God leads you to repentance, according to your cruelty and unrepentant heart, you store up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will reward everyone according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:4-6). So, after threatening punishment, the Lover of Humanity again offers admonition. Ps.49:22. Understand this, you who forget God, lest I take away, and there will be no deliverer. “Understand this, you who forget God, lest he snatch away, and never deliver”; that is, think carefully about everything that is said. And those who are sick from forgetting God, because forgetting God leads to sin, heal the ulcers with the medicines of repentance, before death steals you, which, like a lion, attacks people, so that no one is able to stop its strong aspirations. Then the Prophet turns to the new law, and it adorns the end of the psalm. Ps.49:23. Whoever sacrifices praise honors Me, and whoever watches his path, I will show God’s salvation to him.” “The sacrifice of praise will glorify Me: and there is the way in which I will show him My salvation.” Symmachus translated this more clearly: “He who sacrifices instead of praise will glorify Me, and to him who walks in order I will show the salvation of God.” For one must not sing songs only to God, and not only offer sacrifices of praise to Him, but also walk in order and order one’s life well. For in this way it is possible to obtain salvation from God. According to the translation of the seventy, God says: “I delight in the sacrifice of praise, I recognize it as a glory suitable for Me, and to the one who offers this sacrifice I will show My way for it, the end of which is salvation from God.” It should be noted that two Persons are mentioned here; God says: “sacrifice will glorify Me.” And thus, pointing to his own Face, he added: “and there is the way by which I will show him God’s salvation.” For with the new covenant, which instructs in what is perfect, the perfect teaching of the knowledge of God must also be combined. You might be interested in: