Изъяснение псалма 68-го.

Ps.68:1. To the head of the choir. On Shoshannim. Psalm of David. “In the end, for those who have to change, a psalm to David.” This psalm foretells a certain change. It speaks about the Jews deported to Babylon, and is presented in such a form as if in it these immigrants pray and ask for liberation. Together with this psalm, it foreshadows liberation from slavery, the return, and the building of Jerusalem, in short, the former prosperity of Judea. But it also contains a prophecy about the Master’s suffering and about the final destruction that befell the Jews for this. because what they themselves suffered from their enemies, they dared to do against the Benefactor and Savior; what the enemies wished for, the truthful Judge condemned them to. Ps.68:2. Save me, O God, for the waters have reached [my] soul. “Save me, O God, as water came down to my soul.” This prayer is offered by a host of pious people. He calls many disasters waters. From everywhere, he says, I am overwhelmed with sorrows. Ps.68:3. I am mired in a deep swamp, and there is nothing to stand on; I entered the depths of the waters, and their rapid current carries me away. “The coal-miner is in the darkness of depth, and there is no constancy.” Symmachus translated: “I have plunged into boundless depths, and there is nothing to stop at.” The image of speech is borrowed from those falling into the depths of the sea, who sink down for a long time and barely reach the solid bottom. This Prophet expresses the greatness of the disasters that befell those led into slavery. “I came to the depths of the sea, and the storm drowned me.” The prophet peppers his speech with various images, not finding enough to express the sorrow that besets the people. Ps.68:4. I was exhausted from crying, my throat was dry, my eyes were tired from waiting for [my] God. “My voice has grown weary, my throat has become silent,” that is, I am constantly begging and crying out to such an extent that even the very instruments of the word have become weak. By title the Prophet means increased tension in mental prayer. “My eyes have perished because I trusted in my God.” This is said in a figurative sense, and the image of speech is taken from a person who is waiting for the return of someone close and familiar from a foreign country and is looking along the roads. I have become weary, says the Prophet, waiting for Your help. Then what is expressed above is allegorically presented more clearly. Ps.68:5. Those who hate me without guilt are more than the hairs of my head; my enemies, who persecute me unjustly, have become stronger; what I did not take away, I must give. “The power of my head has increased more than the tuna that hates me; my enemies have become stronger, those who drive me out unrighteously.” Let none of the lovers assume that this is said on behalf of God and our Savior. For, as we noted above, the psalm was spoken no more than on behalf of those who were taken from Jerusalem into slavery in Babylon. The people say: the hostiles exceed any number, are invested with great power and are hostile to me, who did not give them a reason to hate. “If you don’t admire, then you will reward.” Where I have not done any injustice, I am punished for that. For, as the people say, I am not being taken into slavery by them as a kidnapper or as a wrongdoer. Ps.68:6. God! You know my madness, and my sins are not hidden from You. “God, You have taken away my madness, and my sins have not been hidden from You.” You know everything, Lord, and nothing done is hidden from You. Therefore, you know that I have not sinned against them in anything, but have transgressed Your laws. This is similar to what was said: “I have sinned against You alone, and I have created evil before You” (Ps. 50:6). Ps.68:7. Let not all who trust in You be put to shame within me, O Lord, God of hosts. Let not those who seek You, O God of Israel, be put to shame in me. “Let not those who suffer You, O Lord, Lord of hosts, be ashamed for my sake; let not those who seek You, O God of Israel, be ashamed for my sake.” Having expected salvation from You and having been deceived in trusting in You, may I not become a harmful example for others; On the contrary, let those who know about You learn from what is happening to me that shame is not the fruit for those who hope for salvation from You. Ps.68:8. For for Your sake I bear reproach, and my face is covered with dishonor. “Because for Your sake I have endured reproach, covering my face with shame.” I am filled with shame, hearing how You are reviled; and my enemies often mock me, calling my slavery Your weakness. Ps.68:9. I became a stranger to my brothers and a stranger to my mother’s sons. “I was strange to my brethren, and strange to my son’s mother.” He enumerates the reasons for sadness, thereby urging him to the mercy of a man-loving God, and first pointed out the reproaches of the wicked, and then the separation from relatives and friends, because, as captives and forced to be in slavery, they did not have permission to live according to their kinship. Ps.68:10. For zeal for Your house consumes me, and the slander of those who slander You falls upon me. “For jealousy of Thy house consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproached Thee attacked me.” Most of all, what saddens me and plunges me into grief is the desolation of Your holy house and the laughter of the wicked; I am offended by blasphemies against You. Ps.68:11. And I weep, fasting with my soul, and this is reproached to me. Ps.68:12. And I put on sackcloth instead of clothing, and I become a byword to them. “And I covered my soul with fasting, and it became my reproach”: “And I put on my garment sackcloth, and became a parable to them.” I grieve over this and exhaust my body with fasting; but even this turned into a reason for laughter for them. I torture myself and, dressed in sackcloth, take on a sad look, but the lawless also took this for themselves as a reason for ridicule. Ps.68:13. Those who sit at the gate talk about me, and those who drink wine sing in songs. “Those who sit in the gates mock at me, and those who drink wine mock at me.” Both in meetings and at feasts my misfortunes are publicized and ridiculed. In ancient times, people's gatherings were located at the city gates. Ps.68:14. And I with my prayer to You, Lord; in an acceptable time, O God, according to Your great goodness, hear me in the truth of Your salvation. “My prayer is to You, O God.” Symmachus translated it this way: “and my prayer is to You, Lord,” that is, in this state of affairs, I lift up my eyes to You, and expect help from You. “Time of favor, O God.” Symmachus expressed it this way: “time of reconciliation, O God.” The punishment imposed on me is enough; time to free him from him and show You His love for mankind. For the Prophet calls God's good will good will. “In the abundance of Thy mercy hear me, in the truth of Thy salvation.” Measure punishments not by my sins, but by the immeasurable mercy of Your love for mankind, and use Your true and just judgment against those who do me so much evil. Then again, allegorically, the people list disasters, trying to motivate them to mercy by describing them. Ps.68:15. Draw me out of the mire, so that I do not sink; May I be delivered from those who hate me and from the deep waters. “Save me from the clay, so I won’t drown.” I become like those who have fallen into a muddy ditch and are awaiting death. Therefore, I ask You for salvation. “May I be delivered from those who hate me and from the deep waters.” I ask for liberation from both enemies and the disasters they cause. For the Prophet called the depth of the waters the punishments imposed by the enemies. Ps.68:16. Let not the rush of the waters carry me away, let not the abyss swallow me up, let not the abyss of its mouth close over me. “Let no storm of water drown me, let the depth below devour me”; that is, may the multitude and greatness of evils not overwhelm me. “The peer will speak of me with his lips.” Do not deny me salvation, Lord; do not close the doors of humanity for me. Those who fall into a well, while its hole is open, still have some small hope of freeing themselves from there, but when it is blocked, they despair of salvation. Ps.68:17. Hear me, O Lord, for Thy mercy is good; according to the multitude of Your compassions, look upon me. “Hear me, Lord, for Thy mercy is good: look upon me according to the multitude of Thy compassions.” According to Your love for mankind, and not according to my dignity, grant me deliverance from the disasters I have described. Therefore, look at me, mired in troubles, and stop the troubles. For Your appearance alone is enough to disperse the cloud of sorrows. Ps.68:18. Hide not Thy face from Thy servant, for I am grieved; hear me soon. “Do not turn Your face away from Your servant.” For this is usually done by those who are angry and reject the prayers of those who have sinned. “As I grieve, hear me soon.” Due to the excessiveness of the disease, give me quick relief. Ps.68:19. Come close to my soul, deliver it; for the sake of my enemies save me. “Take my soul and deliver me.” Your single view is enough to dispel sorrows. “For the sake of my enemy, deliver me.” Although my sins exceed the measure of any excuse, my enemies are wicked and enslaved to evil. For the sake of the reproaches that I suffer from them, grant me, O Lord, Your love for mankind. For the Prophet expressed this also in the addendum. Ps.68:20. You know my reproach, my shame and my disgrace: my enemies are all before You. “For you weigh my reproach, and my shame, and my shame: before You are all those who insult me.” Nothing that happens among us is hidden from You, but You see everything, both their reproaches and my shame. For I am ashamed and grieve together, being reproached by them. Ps.68:21. Reproach crushed my heart, and I was exhausted, I waited for compassion, but there was none, I found no comforters. “My soul and passion long for reproach: and I waited for the one who grieved, and did not receive, and those who consoled, and did not find.” Struck from everywhere by so many painful blows and expecting others even more painful, I have no consolation. The sorrows that cause me exceed the number, but there is no one who consoles, no one eases my grief by participating in sorrow. Ps.68:22. And they gave me gall for food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. “And you gave me gall for my food, and gave me something to drink for my thirst,” that is, they made the food itself bitter and unpleasant for me. Ps.68:23. Let their table be a snare to them, and their peaceful feast a snare. “Let their table be a snare before them, and a reward and a temptation.” Therefore, Lord, change their joy into disaster, and let them themselves fall into the same thing that they did to others. For the Prophet called joy a meal, and a net punishment. This is how Symmachus translated: “Let their table be a snare before them and a punishment, and serve as a trap for them.” Ps.68:24. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and let their loins be relaxed forever. “Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see.” Bring a dark cloud of disaster upon them. “And I will take out their backbone.” Condemn them, Master, to slavery, so that they may fall into the same thing as they do to others, and will always be bent over in difficult work. Ps.68:25. Pour out Thy wrath upon them, and let the fire of Thy wrath engulf them. “Pour out Thy wrath upon her, and let the fury of Thy wrath be upon them” ; that is, turn all the punishing wrath on them, subject them to immediate and great disaster. For with the word “rage” the Prophet expressed speed (such is the nature of rage), and with the word “anger” - duration (such is the property of anger): because rage is quick and short-lived, and anger, although slower, is nevertheless longer lasting. Therefore, the Prophet called swift and lasting punishment the fury of anger. Ps.68:26. Let their habitation be empty, and let there be no dwellers in their tents. “Let their courtyard be empty, and let there be no living thing in their dwellings.” In all these sayings he asks for a truthful verdict, and begs to be subjected to what they have done. Since the enemies, having defeated Jerusalem and other Jewish cities, brought them to desolation, the Jewish people beg that their fatherland suffer the same. And he received what he asked for; because Babylon was desolate, and remains so to this day. But you should know that what the Jews asked of the Babylonians, who treated them wickedly and wickedly, they themselves suffered when they furiously rebelled against the Benefactor and Savior. For the Babylonians made food bitter for them, however, not really giving them such food, but through difficult slavery, taking away its natural sweetness from food; The Jews, without suffering any unrighteousness, but on the contrary, having experienced all kinds of good deeds, gave gall to their Benefactor, and, like some harmful grapes, even otset itself. And therefore the Jews were subjected to the same punishments, and their meal became a snare for them, and a reward, and a temptation, because instead of their former prosperity they were condemned to slavery. And their eyes were darkened, unable to bear to see the true light; and their backbone was bent by slavery and poverty for their arrogance and stiff-neckedness, “and their courtyard became empty,” and none of them lives in the dwellings of Jerusalem. Therefore, they fell under their own oaths, and what they wanted for the Babylonians, suffering insults from them, they themselves suffered, insulting the Benefactor and becoming ungrateful to Him. Therefore, the divine Apostles borrowed evidence from here, understanding the twofold content of the prophecy. But let us return to the interpretation of what follows in order. Ps.68:27. For those whom You have struck, they still pursue, and the sufferings of those wounded by You multiply. “You smote Him because of Him, and drove them away, and added ulcers to my illness,” that is, You, subjecting me to punishment for iniquity, handed me over to them as executioners, but they burdened me with great disasters contrary to Your command, and increased the illness caused to me by sin. God of all sorts accuses them of this cruelty. For he says: “I breathed into your hand, but you did not give them mercy, and you greatly burdened the old man with a yoke,” and you did not have mercy on the young man (Is. 47:6). Ps.68:28. Add iniquity to their iniquity, and let them not enter into Your righteousness. “Add iniquity to their iniquity, and let them not enter into Your righteousness.” The Prophet called the punishment imposed for sins lawlessness, and as if he was saying: impose a worthy punishment on them who live lawlessly, and may they not receive the benefits that you usually give to the righteous. Ps.68:29. May they be blotted out from the book of the living and may not be written with the righteous. “Let them be consumed of the book of the living, and let them not be written with the righteous.” What is said is similar to this: “the wicked will not rise again for judgment, nor the sinner for the council of the righteous” (Ps. 1:5). Daniel mentions these books; for he says: “The judgment was seated, and the books were opened” (Dan. 7:10). The meaning of the prophetic words is the following: may they not partake of what You give to those who have dedicated themselves to You; may they not have a share in the vocation that we are worthy of through Your love for mankind. Ps.68:30. But I am poor and suffering; May Your help, O God, restore me. “I am poor and sick: let the salvation of Thy face, O God, receive me.” From here the Prophet begins to predict a change in circumstances, the end of slavery and the return of the captives. That is why the psalm is inscribed: “in the end, those who have will change,” because two opposite changes followed with them; having resorted to repentance in Babylon, they accepted their former freedom, and then, furiously rising up against the Lord, they were condemned to complete slavery. Therefore, both are predicted by the present psalm. What was said: “I am poor and sick” means: having seen me in poverty and tested by many illnesses, You have made me worthy of Your salvation. And therefore Ps.68:31. I will praise the name of [my] God in song, I will extol Him in praise. “I will praise the name of my God with song, I will magnify Him in praise.” I will not be ungrateful for the benefits, but I will repay the mercies with songs, showing His greatness to the ignorant through the narration of His benefits. Ps.68:32. And this will be more pleasing to the Lord than an ox, rather than a calf with horns and hooves. “And it will please my God more than a young calf that wears out its horns and wears its nose.” The sacrifice of praise will be more pleasing to Him than a young and fat calf, whose hooves are barely growing, and horns are barely emerging. The lawlessness of the Jews, who do not want to understand that serving under the law is characteristic only of children, is worthy of tears. And the Babylonian captives vow upon their return not to offer sacrifices, but to sing songs to God, because singing is more pleasing to God. But let’s leave their accusation for now, let’s move on to interpretation. Ps.68:33. Those who suffer will see this and rejoice. And your heart will revive, you who seek God. “Let the poor see and be glad.” Let all who fall into such calamities borrow from us a reason for good hope. “Seek God, and your soul will live.” Moreover, he advises to achieve salvation by trusting in God and prayer. Ps.68:34. For the Lord listens to the poor and does not despise His prisoners. “For when the poor Lord hears, He does not despise His chains.” For, seeing the misery, He accepted our prayer and loosed the bonds of slavery: the Prophet called them chained, because the Lord Himself gave them into slavery. Ps.68:35. May the heavens and the earth, the seas and everything that moves in them, praise Him. “Let the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that live in it, praise Him.” I call upon all creation to participate in song, because the human tongue is not enough to convey the mercies of God. Ps.68:36. For God will save Zion, create the cities of Judah, and they will dwell there and inherit it. “For God will save Zion, and the cities of Judah will be built.” I bring this hymn to Him, seeing Zion bright and glorious, and the cities of Judah, which are now desolate, having regained their former prosperity. Thus, having foreshadowed the renewal of cities, he also predicts a multitude of inhabitants. “And they will dwell there and inherit and.” Those who are now living in captivity, as soon as they are returned, will build their own cities and move into them, not only themselves, but also their children and descendants. For this was added by the Prophet: Ps.68:37. And the descendants of His servants will be established in it, and those who love His name will dwell in it. “And the seed of Your servants will hold back.” But since their frantic rebellion against the Savior would result in their complete and final destruction, the Prophet rightly appended such a conclusion to the psalm. “And those who love Your name will dwell in it.” - “For not all that are are of Israel, these are Israel: neither are they the seed of Abraham, but all are children” (Rom. 9:6-7). In agreement with this is the prophetic saying: “If the number of the children of Israel is like the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved” (Is. 10:22). Blessed David also said this: “And those who love Your name will dwell in him.” For after the cross and after the demonic demon, the dogs were driven out, but those who loved Him dwelt in Zion, offering Him a sacrifice of praise. You might be interested in: