Изъяснение псалма 86-го.

Ps.86:1. Sons of Korah. Psalm. Song. "Son of Korah, a psalm of song." And this psalm foreshadows the salvation of the pagans, and predicts a pious life, which the Lord Christ taught when he became man. Ps.86:2. Its foundation 21 is on the mountains of the saints. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the villages of Jacob. "Its foundations are on the mountains of the saints". The foundation of piety is divine instructions, and the holy mountains on which these foundations are erected are the Apostles of our Savior. For Blessed Paul said about them: “on the foundation that was once an Apostle and a Prophet, I am the chief cornerstone of Jesus Christ himself” (Eph. 2:20); and again: “Peter and James and John were like pillars” (Gal. 2:9). And the Lord, after this true and divine confession, said to Peter: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18); and again: “You are the light of the world; a city cannot be hidden on top of a standing mountain” (Matthew 5:14). On these holy mountains the Lord Christ established the foundations of piety. “The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the villages of Jacob.” And what kind of Zion this is, the divine Paul interpreted: “Come near to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem and ten thousand angels and the Church of the firstborn in heaven, which are written” (Heb. 12:22–23); and again: “And Jerusalem which is on high, there is freedom, which is the mother of us all” (Gal. 4:26). And in the Epistle to the Hebrews, speaking about Patriarch Abraham, the Apostle added the following: “For he was waiting for the foundation of a rich city, of which God is the artist and maker” (Heb. 11:10). And he also says about other Saints: “for such people appear as if they were seeking the fatherland. And if only they had remembered it, having come out of it, they would have had time to return: but now they desire the best, that is, the heavenly” (Heb. 11:14-16). From this we learn that there is a certain heavenly city called Jerusalem, having neither pillars nor fences, not shining with the brilliance of stones, but glorified by the faces of the Saints and adorned with the life of angels. And it will not be a mistake to call the Church existing on earth the gates of this city, because through them one can enter the city. In them, being instructed and trained, we learn how to live in this city. About these gates the prophetic word was spoken that they were loved by the God of all and preferred to the villages of the Jews. Ps.86:3. Glorious things are proclaimed about you, city of God! “Glorious words spoken about You, the city of God.” What is predicted about You is something wonderful and extraordinary; it exceeds all human expectation. And that what is said in the Psalm is in no way befitting Zion below, this is evidenced by what is added. Ps.86:4. I will mention to those who know me about Rahab 22 and Babylon; The Philistines and Tire and Ethiopia will say, “So-and-so was born there.” “I will remember Rahab and Babylon who led Me: and behold, foreign women, and Tire, and the people of Ethiopia, these Bysha there.” This is what has been said about you, divine city, says the Prophet. And those who of old lived in wickedness, possessed by the darkness of ignorance, will be deemed worthy to dwell in you, and will partake of your residence. That is why I mentioned the above-mentioned peoples as the most lawless and as prevailing in wickedness, in order to designate other nations as well. For Rahab is both a Canaanite and a harlot, and Babylon is a beastly and wicked city; foreigners, or Philistines (we have already explained what kind of people they are) are both superstitious and lawless people. The wickedness and lewdness of Tire were presented in deplorable terms by the Prophet Ezekiel. And the prophetic word called the Ethiopian people not only the Ethiopians themselves, whose souls are likened in color to the body, but also all those blackened by the soul. For in the Song of Songs the bride cries out: “I am black and good, daughter of Jerusalem” (Song. 1:4), and allows us to see together both the darkness of wickedness and the beauty imparted by Divine grace. It was precisely these peoples, under the Jews, who did not come to Jerusalem and did not love the lawful life, but, after the incarnation of our Savior, they live in this Jerusalem, and fill the churches throughout the world, and move to Zion on High, and become partakers of this blessed life. Ps.87:5. About Zion they will say: “such and such a man was born in it, and the Most High Himself strengthened it.” "Mati Zion, says the man". Everyone will call Zion mother, every person will say that Zion is mother. "And man was born in it." In connection with what was said: “a man speaks,” these words are also posed. For he who calls Zion mother also confesses the birth of Man, born in Zion. But so that no one would consider Him a simple man, the Prophet immediately added: “And He is the basis and the Most High.” For this Man born in Zion is both the Creator and Creator, as the Most High and God. Ps.86:6. The Lord will write in the census of nations: “So-and-so was born there.” “The Lord tells the story in the scripture of the people and the princes who were in him.” Symmachus translated this: “The Lord will number, writing the people, this one was born there.” For he who was worthy of writing the people who lived in him was born in him according to humanity, being Lord and God. Our Lord also informed us about this calculation, saying to the holy Apostles: “To you also the principal things were counted” (Matthew 10:30). And he revealed the writing to His disciples, saying: “Do not rejoice, for the souls are subject to you: but because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). Ps.86:7. And those who sing and play, all my sources are in you. “For the dwelling of all who rejoice is in You,” because this residence in heaven, removed from all despondency, has unalloyed and pure joy and complacency, and the fosterlings of piety do not dwell in it temporarily, but dwell forever. 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