Изъяснение псалма 54-го.

Ps.54:1. To the head of the choir. On string instruments. David's teaching. "In the end, in the songs of reason, David 14." This psalm was spoken by blessed David, persecuted by Saul, while in exile, and forced to live in the desert. At the same time, the Prophet foreshadows the malicious intent of the Jews against the Savior, and in himself he prescribes the Lord’s suffering. For he himself was persecuted by the favored Saul, suffered betrayal from people close to him, and saw with spiritual eyes that the Master would endure the same thing, would be betrayed and crucified by those to whom He had done good. Therefore, the inscription sends the reader “to the end” and commands him to intelligently listen to what is said in the psalm, because it contains a hidden prophetic meaning, and after the lapse of time it will come to fulfillment. Moreover, this psalm is included in the number of songs, containing in itself the outline of the Lord’s suffering, for it is right to always sing songs about Him who deigned to suffer this for the sake of human salvation. But let no one, looking at the derogatory nature of the sayings, consider them unworthy of the incarnation of Christ the Savior, but let him take into account that He who received gall, and sting, and nails, and thorns, and spitting, and strangulation, and every kind of desecration, and in the end, He who suffered death did not renounce the derogatory nature of the words. For words must be consistent with deeds. Here are His own sayings: “Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29); and again: “I have received a commandment, that I will river and that I will speak” (John 12:49); “I do nothing for Myself” (John 8:28); and: “My God, my God, have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). He spoke this and similar things to humanity, showing His human nature and condescending to the weakness of the Jews. Here the divine David, as he describes the injustice done to himself, also prescribes the one that will be shown to the Master - he describes, boasting of fellowship in His sufferings and almost crying out with Paul: “I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus on my body” (Gal. 6:17). Ps.54:2. Hear, O God, my prayer and do not hide from my prayer. Ps.54:3. Listen to me and hear me; I groan in my grief and am embarrassed. Ps.55:4. From the voice of the enemy, from the oppression of the wicked, for they bring iniquity against me and in anger they fight against me. “Inspire, O God, my prayer and do not despise my prayer”: “Listen to me and hear me.” The prophet brings various prayers, asking that they all be accepted. For he says: do not despise me who begs, but look favorably and give me help. “I was grieved by my sorrow and became confused” “from the voice of the enemy and from the sinner’s cold.” Enduring reproaches and attacks from enemies who treat me unjustly, and reflecting on their various intrigues, I am filled, says the Prophet, with great sorrow. For sadness (ἀδολεσχία) Divine Scripture calls unceasing meditation. Symmachus translated this as follows: “I lost heart, talking to myself, and was embarrassed by the enemy’s voice, from the anxiety caused by the wicked.” For the Prophet calls one and the same person both enemy and wicked, as one who has been favored and who prepares death for the benefactor. “For I have turned away iniquity and enmity against me in anger.” Symmachus expressed this more clearly: “they fell into wickedness against me and opposed me with anger,” because with a wicked disposition towards me they arranged my death. Ps.54:5. My heart trembles within me, and mortal terrors have attacked me. Ps.54:6. Fear and trembling came over me, and horror seized me. “My heart is troubled within me, and the fear of death attacks me”: “Fear and trembling came upon me, and darkness covered me.” Seeing this hostility of them and the intrigues they are organizing, I am horrified and afraid, and expect death. And it is not at all surprising if David, fleeing for his life and pursued by many enemies, feared death, like a man who, moreover, lived under the law and only saw the perfection of the Gospel from afar. For the Lord Christ Himself, Who repeatedly predicted and foreshadowed His suffering to the holy Apostles, and strictly forbade the divine Peter, who argued that this would happen (Matthew 16:22-23), just before the time of suffering exclaimed: “Now my soul is troubled” (John 12:27); and Divine nature allowed human nature to be in such languor that it exuded drops of bloody sweat, was strengthened by the Angel and conquered fear. For in this too it was necessary to show nature undergoing suffering. Ps.54:7. And I said: “Who would give me wings like a dove? I would fly away and calm down. Ps.54:8. I would go far away and remain in the desert. “And reh: who will give me a krill like a dove? and I will fly and rest.” “Behold, I went away in flight and settled in the desert.” This is what blessed David did: for he was fleeing from Saul, and again seeing the hostility of the foreigners in Gath, he disappeared into the desert, as the first book of Kings tells. And the Lord Christ repeatedly withdrew, now into the mountains, now into the desert, evading the hatred of the Jews. It is worthy of surprise that the great David wanted to have the wings of a dove, and not any other bird. From this it is clear that he desired spiritual grace, descending in the form of a dove. Ps.54:9. “I would hasten to hide from the whirlwind, from the storm.” “I hope for God to save me from cowardice and from the storm.” Swamped by so many waves and subjected to the attacks of certain winds and whirlwinds, I expect, says the Prophet, God’s help and am consoled by the hope of God’s assistance. Ps.54:10. Disrupt, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I see violence and strife in the city. Ps.54:11. Day and night they walk around its walls; evil deeds and disaster in the midst of it. Ps.54:12. In the midst of it is destruction; deceit and deceit do not leave its streets. “Flood, O Lord, and divide their tongues.” since they agree to evil, then destroy, O Lord, their unanimity. “For I saw lawlessness and discord in the city.” “Day and night it will haunt its walls: lawlessness and labor are in the midst of it, and unrighteousness.” “And his hundred years of profit and flattery never failed.” I think that these sayings do not apply to blessed David; because at that time the Jews did not yet own Jerusalem, and no other city was recognized as royal. It seems that the Prophet both predicts Jerusalem’s quarrel and resistance to the law, and lists all types of its vices: lawlessness, untruth, usury and flattery, out of love for which the Jews did not accept the laws of the Savior. It should be noted that not only in the perfection of the new covenant, but also in the life under the law, covetousness is condemned and ranked among lawlessness, untruth and flattery. Ps.54:13. For it is not the enemy who reviles me; I would bear it; It is not my hater who glories over me; I would hide from him. “As if the enemy had reviled me, I would have suffered slaughter; and even if he hated me, he would have spoken at me, hiding from him.” But what happens from hostile people, I consider tolerable and tolerable, because it is done by enemies and enemies. Moreover, you can sometimes escape from open warfare by flight. Ps.54:14. But you, who were the same to me as I, my friend and my close one. Ps.54:15. With whom we shared sincere conversations and went together to the house of God. “But you, an indifferent man, are my lord and my known one,” “Whosoever thou didst enjoy with me was blessed: in the house of God we walked with like-mindedness.” But it seems most regrettable to me if a person I know briefly, like-minded, shares a meal with me and eats the same food, who was my accomplice in divine and human affairs, acts hostilely and like an enemy. And in these words, prophetic grace clearly depicted to us the traitor Judas, whom King Christ installed as ruler, according to what was said: “I have made princes over all the earth” (Ps. 44:17), and who was a partaker of His meal and mysterious words, but became an instrument of those who plot evil. Instead of the words: “my lord,” Symmachus said: “briefly familiar to me.” This does not apply in any way to blessed David, because he, persecuted by Saul, was not betrayed by any of those close to him; neither Doik nor Zithei were short friends of his. This prophecy is in accordance with the Gospel legend; It is said: “Whoever eats bread with Me, lifts up his heel on Me” (John 13:18). So the Prophet, having predicted betrayal, also predicts the sudden death of the traitor. Ps.54:16. May death come upon them; May they go down alive into hell, for wickedness is in their dwellings, in the midst of them. “May death come to her, and may she go down to hell and live.” The traitor had such an end to his life: because, having put a noose around his neck, he suffered a quick death. The Jews also fell into such disasters after the cross, being involved in a war with the Romans, because they were driven out of life not according to natural law, but were struck by enemy weapons. Then the Prophet shows the justice of the punishment. “Like wickedness is in their dwellings, in the midst of them.” Dwelling refers to real life, in which we are temporarily, and not permanently settled. Ps.54:17. I will cry to God, and the Lord will save me. Ps.54:18. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray and cry, and He will hear my voice. Ps.54:19. He will deliver my soul in peace from those who rise up against me, for I have many of them. “I cried to God, and the Lord heard me.” “Evening and morning and noon I will proclaim and proclaim, and he will hear my voice.” “He will deliver my soul with peace from those who approach me: for in many troubles I am with me.” Seeing my unceasing prayer, offered by me day and night, David says, God will deliver me from my enemies and give me peace. The words: “I will fight with you in many ways” mean that the enemies are numerous. This is how Symmachus translated: “for very many were against me.” Ps.54:20. God will hear and He who lives from eternity will humble them, because there is no change in them; they don't fear God. “God will hear, and I will humble him who was before the world.” Having heeded my request, the Eternal God will make those who plot against me powerless. “For they will not change, for they did not fear God.” Symmachus translated this as follows: “for they will not change, and will not fear God,” that is, seeing their unrepentant disposition, God will plunge them into the disasters mentioned above. Ps.54:21. They stretched out their hands against those who were at peace with them, and broke their covenant. “Stretch out your hand for retribution.” Three interpreters translated this as follows: “He stretched out his hand on those who were at peace with him.” For Saul was not persecuting an enemy, but a benefactor, a man familiar and close to him. Also, Judas betrayed not the enemy, but the Savior and Giver of blessings. Therefore, what was said: “stretch out your hand to repay” means: having stretched out your hand to give retribution, you did not bring anything good, but everything was filled with wickedness. The same is true for the adjunct: “You will profane his covenant.” When the law of God commands to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39), they persecuted the benefactor as an enemy. Ps.54:22. Their lips are softer than butter, but in their heart is enmity; their words are gentler than oil, but they are drawn swords. “The wrath of his countenance separated, and their hearts drew near.” Enslaved to anger, they said one thing and planned another. For this is how Symmachus translated it: “Their lips are softer than butter, but the heart of each of them is hostile.” In agreement with this and added: “I make their words softer than oil, and they are arrows.” Such were the words of Saul and the words of Judah. For Saul said to David: “Is this you, child of David?” (1 Samuel 24:17). And Judas said: “I am food, Rabbi? and kissed Him” (Matthew 26:25, 49). And words are likened to the softness of oil and cow butter, and plans are like the sharpest arrows and spears, because Aquila translated the word “arrows” as “spears.” So the divine David, having described what happened to him, and adding to this the evil intentions against the Master, offers advice to all people, commanding them to have trust in God. Ps.54:23. Cast your worries on the Lord, and He will support you. He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. “Cast your sorrow upon the Lord, and He will feed you,” that is, have God as your ruler and reinser, make all your dependence on His providence, in this case you will remain motionless and unshakable. For the Prophet says: “He will never give fame to the righteous.” For if he allows you to fall into temptation, he will give you immediate help. This is completely similar to the apostolic saying: “God is faithful, who will not leave you to be tempted more than you can, but will also make the temptation abundant, so that you can bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13). Ps.54:24. You, O God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction; the bloodthirsty and treacherous will not live to see half their days. And I trust in You, [Lord,]. “But you, God, will bring them down into a student of decay.” For those who dare to plot evil against the righteous will be given over by God to never-ending torment. The Prophet called inevitable punishment a student of decay. Just as it is impossible for someone who has fallen into a well full of mud and mud to avoid death, so someone who is punished by God has nowhere to seek salvation. “Men of blood and flattery will not spend their days.” For those who decide to live by murder and deception, God sends a quick death, not allowing them to live out their legal time. “But, Lord, I trust in You.” For knowing Your power and Your truthful judgment, I expect help from You. According to the Slavic translation it reads: “Asaph”. You might be interested in: