Беседа 3 на псалом 5

Ps.5:1. In the end, about the inheritor, Psalm to David 12 Explanation of the inscription: “at the end about the inheritor 13”: what kind of inheritance is meant, when is it to be received, under what conditions and who inherits? – The image of the inheriting Church in other books of the Old and New Testaments and in the Psalmist. – Prayer of the Church to her Bridegroom - the Lord “early” help. – An explanation of verses 5–7, which express the Psalmist’s confidence that the Lord will not leave the wicked unpunished. – Gratitude to the Church for the salvation granted to her and her prayer for divine guidance on the path of righteousness and judgment over the wicked for the consolation of the righteous who trust in God. – An admonition not to lose heart during life’s struggle and to bless the Lord for everything. 1. Let us first consider what kind of inheritance this is and whether it applies to us; then we will show the time when it is given. Truly, it would be reckless, in the case where property was denied to us by will, to investigate and take care of it as if it were an inheritance that belongs to us, to look for written evidence, to spend money, to consult with the laws, to copy copies from them and to exert all possible diligence; but here, when spiritual testaments lie before us and all the books are open, we must remain careless and careless, when, moreover, an immaterial inheritance is offered. So let’s get started, let’s open the letters, take a closer look at what’s written and see under what conditions this inheritance was given to us and what its essence is. The Lord left us an inheritance not simply, but under certain conditions. Which one exactly? “Whoever loves Me, He says, will keep My commandments” (John 14:21, 23); and also: “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:38) - and much more that is written in the covenant. We also examine the time when we should receive such an inheritance. This time is not the present, but the future, or better, both the present and the future: “seek, says the Lord, the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you” (Luke 12:31) and the full inheritance will be obtained then. Since real life is fleeting, and we are still in an imperfect state here, then just like worldly legislators who hand over the father’s property to adult heirs, God also acts with us. When we reach the maturity of husband and full age and move into imperishable life, then He will give us this inheritance. Meanwhile, He made an order here too, left us a written certificate and told us what we must do in order to receive the inheritance, so as not to lose or be deprived of it. If anyone is frightened by the fact that we are not yet perfect, and what I have said leads to doubt, then let him listen to Paul, who, talking about the present and future ages, says: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; but when he became a man, he left behind his children” (1 Cor. 13:11), and again: “until we all come... to a mature man, to the measure of stature" (Eph. 4:13). In real life, he says, we are brought up by this world, as if by a nurse; and when we prepare to enter the house of the Lord, then, having cast off the garments of corruption and having put on incorruption, we will move into another life. The same covenant threatens to disinherit many if they are rendered unworthy by the written conditions. Let us now see what this inheritance is. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man” (1 Cor. 2:9). How can we in real life receive to our advantage that which surpasses even our understanding? That is why it is preserved there for us. And look at the great providence of God: He appointed labors for real life, so that their burden would be lightened by the shortness of time; and preserved the blessings for the next century, so that the rewards could continue forever in an ageless life. He also calls this life the kingdom. Although this cannot be expressed in words, but, as far as we are able to hear, He depicts the future state, calling it now the kingdom, as I said, now marriage, now dominion, and with such brilliant names used among us, leading us to an understanding of the future, now eternal glory, immortal bliss, life with Christ, with which nothing can compare. What are the conditions of the Church, or better yet, of this inheritance? Those that don't present anything difficult. “In everything that you want, He says, that people should do to you, so do you also to them” (Matthew 7:12). Do you see that He did not prescribe anything strange, but the same as nature had previously required? As you want, He says, for your neighbors to do to you, do so yourself. Do you want to be praised? Praise yourself. Do you want to avoid being kidnapped? Don't kidnap yourself. Do you want to be honored? Honor others yourself. Do you want to receive mercy? Show mercy yourself. Do you want to be loved? Love yourself. Do you want to avoid hearing bad things about yourself? Don't say anything like that yourself. And notice how precise the expressions are. He did not say: “in everything as you do not want them to do to you,” but: “in everything as you want.” Since there are two paths to virtue, one of which consists in avoiding vices, and the other in practicing virtues, He offers the latter, clearly pointing through it to the first. God opened the first path when he said: what you hate, do not do to another (Tov. 4:15), and He clearly indicated the last, saying: “in everything, as you want people to do to you, do so to them.” 2. There is another condition. Which one exactly? Love your neighbor as yourself. What could be easier than this? Hating is difficult and fraught with anxiety; and loving is easy and convenient. Truly, if the Lord said: you people love animals, such a commandment would be difficult; but when he commanded people to love people, for which homogeneity and unity of origin and natural attraction serve as a great motivation, then what difficulty can there be here? This happens with both lions and wolves, and their affinity of nature predisposes them to mutual affection. Therefore, what excuse can we have if we do not attract to ourselves with love those who are similar to us, while we tame lions and accustom them to our home? Don’t you see how many, in order to receive an inheritance, chase and care for old people, being themselves young and healthy people, and constantly sit near them, enduring all the troubles of old age, from gout, weakening and other diseases that accompany old age? Meanwhile, there is only one hope for wealth, and, moreover, an incorrect hope; but here is heaven, and before heaven is the favor of God. The inscription of the psalm says: “about the inheritor.” Who is this inheritor? The Church and all its members; Paul says about her: “he betrothed you to one husband, that he might present you to Christ as a pure virgin” (2 Cor. 11:2); and John: “he who has a bride is a bridegroom” (John 3:29). But for an ordinary groom, after the first days of marriage, the power of love weakens, but our groom remains unceasingly loving us and constantly strengthens his love. Expressing this, John calls him the groom, since the groom’s love is especially strong. And he called the Church a bride not only for this reason, but also because he wants us all to be one body and one soul, out of virtue and love. And just as the bride does everything to please the groom, we should be like that throughout our lives. Just as a bride, from the very day she settles in the bridal chamber, cares about only one thing, how to please the groom, so, throughout our entire present life, we must care about one thing, how to please the Groom and preserve the good character of the bride. David also mentions this bride when he says: “The queen stood at Your right hand in Ophir gold...; her clothes are embroidered with gold” (Ps. 44:10, 14). Do you want to see her shoes too? Listen to Paul, the friend of the groom, who says: “And having shod your feet with the preparation of preaching peace” (Eph. 6:15). Do you want to see her belt, made of truth? He will teach you: “having girded your loins with truth” (Eph.6:14). Do you want to see her beauty? And you can learn this from him: “having no spot or wrinkle” (Eph.5:27). Listen to what the Wise One says about her: “You are all beautiful, my beloved, and there is no spot on you!” ( Song 4:7 ). Do you want to see her legs too? “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of peace, who bring good news!” (Rom.10:15). And it is truly marvelous and amazing that He, having adorned her in this way, did not come in all his glory, so as not to amaze and amaze her with the abundance of his beauty, but comes, clothed in the same clothes that the bride has, “he also took on the same flesh and blood” that she had (Heb. 2:14), and it is not her who is called by grief, but Himself from above comes to her, observing here the law according to which the groom comes to to the bride. Moses also says about this: “Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife” (Gen. 2:24); and Paul says: “This mystery is great; I speak in relation to Christ and to the Church” (Eph. 5:32). Having arrived at her dwelling, and finding her unclean, dirty, naked, stained with blood, he washed her, anointed her, nourished her, and dressed her in clothes better than which it was impossible to find. He himself becomes her clothing and, taking her in this way, takes her to himself. This is the one for whom the inheritance is destined. What does the prophet say about her? Much. He is her protector, and he foretold and foretold to her much of what was to come for her, for example, regarding the groom, marriage and the blessings awaiting her. So here he speaks about her, and at the very beginning, like orators speaking in courts, he notices about whom he is making a fair speech, namely: about the inheritor. What does the inheritor ask for? Let's listen. “Hear, O Lord, my words” (Ps. 5:2). She calls the groom Lord; this is characteristic of a prudent bride. In fact, if it happens with us, who have the same nature, i.e. a wife calls her husband her master, then all the more (this is proper) between the Church and Christ, who by his nature is the Lord. That is why she calls Him here Lord, not only as a groom, but also as a ruler, and disposes Him to listen to her request. Since she is about to (receive) an inheritance, and this inheritance will really only come about in this case if she exactly fulfills what is commanded, she asks and begs Him to be her helper in order to achieve the promised benefits and not lose the inheritance. That’s why she says: “Hear, Lord, my words,” and she says this with boldness, since she asks for what He himself wants to give her; and whoever would ask for something that is unworthy of the giver could not ask for mercy in this way. When someone prays against enemies, or against people who have done him some kind of harm, then these are not the words of a person, but of the devil. In fact, if the oath is from the devil - “and what is beyond this, says the Lord, is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:37) - then it is obvious that prayer against enemies comes from him. So, when you say: “hear my words,” then speak as it is natural for a meek and humane person to speak and who has nothing of the devil. 3. “Understand my thoughts” (Ps. 5:2). “I think” the prophet here does not mean the sound of the voice, but the disposition of the soul. So to Moses, although he was silent, the Lord said: “Why are you crying out to Me?” (Exodus 14:15) He did not say: “What are you praying to Me for?”, but: “Why are you crying out to me,” because Moses approached Him with a strong disposition of soul. And so that you can see that here He is not talking about a cry, but about the disposition of the soul and an intense appeal to God, he did not say: hear my cry, but what? “Understand”, i.e. know. So the prophet, although he uses human words, expresses exactly what he wants to say in the human words themselves. “Hear the voice of my cry, my King and my God! for I pray to You” (Ps. 5:3). Again he understands the inner voice. So Anna also cried out (1 Samuel 1:13). He did not simply say: listen to the voice of my prayer, but: “I pray to You,” because the one who prays must be, both in appearance and in his inner disposition, humbly supplicating. The suppliant does not use the words of the accuser; and whoever prays against enemies is more an accuser than a supplicant. Do you see how the prophet improved prayer and made it worthy of acceptance? Likewise, when we pray and want to be heard, we will arrange in advance that our prayer is a prayer, and not an accusation, following the example of the Psalmist, and then we will send it to God. “My King and my God” are words often used by the prophet; but even more they constitute the advantage of Abraham, of whom Paul says: “God is not ashamed of them, calling himself their God” (Heb. 11:16). The inheriting Church also used the same expression, and did it out of love. She did not simply say: King, but: “My King and my God,” showing her love. Then she states the reasons why she asks Him to hear her. What are these reasons? “For I pray to You.” But how, you say, doesn’t he pray to God? Many only seem to be praying to God, but they themselves do it for show to people. That's not what she does; but turns to God himself, forgetting everything human. “Hear my voice early” (Ps. 5:4). Do you see zeal and spiritual contrition? At the beginning of the day, he says, I do this thing. Let those who begin to pray after countless deeds listen to this. She does not do this, but at the beginning of the day she gives the firstfruits to God. “So that it may be known,” says the Wise One, that the sun must warn the sun with thanksgiving to You and turn to You to the east of the world” (Wisdom 16:28). With a king, you would not allow anyone inferior to you to bow to him before you; and here, when the sun is already worshiping God, you are still sleeping, you give up primacy to the creature, you do not warn all the creatures created for you, and you do not give Him gratitude, but, getting up and washing your face and hands, you leave your soul unclean. Or don’t you know that just as the body is cleansed with water, so the soul is cleansed with prayer? So, wash your soul first. Many stains of vice have stuck to her: let us wash them away with prayer. If we thus guard our lips, we will lay a good foundation for our daily activities. “I will appear before You early” (έπόψομαι) (Ps. 5:4). I will appear to you, he says, not by a change of place, but by deeds. Such a person can be close to God; and to be close or far from Him depends on the person himself, because God is everywhere. “I will come before You and wait, for You are a God who does not love iniquity” (Ps. 5:4-5). Another translator says: “and I will see (σχοπήσω) that God does not want you to be iniquitous” 14. "He who does not love iniquity." Here the prophet points to idols, because the pagan gods rejoiced at such people, and at all lawlessness, and at all wicked deeds. “He who does not love iniquity”: will not, he says, be dear to You, will not be close to You. “The wicked will not abide in Your sight” (Ps. 5:6). Here he shows that God hates evil, and teaches those who want to approach Him - to improve themselves in this way, because otherwise it is impossible to be close to God. If one who differs from him in his morals cannot be close to a good person, then even less so to God. And that the wicked cannot be close to virtuous people, listen to how they say about the righteous: “It is hard for us to even look at him” (Wis. 2:15). So John, being in prison and not showing himself to anyone, was unbearable for Herodias, although this woman was so far from him; and after death he weighed on the conscience of him who was then a tyrant. So, do not think that anyone living virtuously endures evil, even if the evil ones attack him; Those who do evil suffer evil. “You will destroy those who tell lies; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and treacherous” (Ps. 5:7). This is said not so that we just listen, but so that, hearing this often, we will learn to conform to the morals of the Bridegroom and become close to Him. If this does not happen, then we will lose the help from above, and nothing could be worse. 4. “You hate all who do iniquity” (Ps. 5:6), - even if he was a slave, he says, even if he was a free man, even if he were a king, and whoever he was, because God usually chooses His friends not by external merits, but by virtues. But since many of the rude people consider it nothing to be hated by God, listen to how he also adds the fear of punishment: “You will destroy, he says, those who tell lies,” turning his speech to the more rude sinners. The punishment will not be limited to God’s hatred alone, although this too is an unspeakable punishment; but He will destroy all who speak lies. And the first is terrible, and to be hated by God is worse than Gehenna; but he said this for those who were able to understand, and for those who were more rude he added a second one. So, do not be embarrassed, man, do not worry when you see that some tell lies, kidnap, indulge in covetousness, and do not endure anything bad: what is said will certainly come true, because such is God by His nature - He turns away from vices, always hates and does not tolerate them. By “those who speak lies,” the prophet here means those who live viciously, commit deeds of unrighteousness, given over to pleasures, intemperance, and covetousness; He usually calls all this untruth. “The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and treacherous”: here he speaks of a person inclined to murder, cunning, crafty, having one thing in his tongue and another in his soul, showing on the outside an appearance of modesty, but in fact the properties of a wolf, which cannot be worse than anything. It is not difficult to guard against an obvious enemy; and the one who hides his cunning and meanwhile acts maliciously, being not easily caught, can do a lot of bad things. That is why Christ commanded to stay awake when such people appear, because they “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). “And I, according to the abundance of Your mercy, will enter Your house” (Ps. 5:8). Since the Church also included such people - pagans, wizards, murderers, sorcerers, liars, hypocrites, and she said that God hates and turns away from them, then, wanting to show that she, not by right and not for her good deeds, but by the love of God, got rid of them and was brought into His inner chambers, adds: “I, according to the abundance of Your mercy, will enter the house Yours." So that someone does not say: how did you, who did this and that, receive salvation? - she shows how she received salvation, namely, that she was saved by great love for mankind, by the ineffable goodness of God. But there are people who are terminally ill and who do not accept mercy, such as the Jews. Grace and mercy, at least grace and mercy, but they save only those who want and receive grace, and not those who are stubborn and unwilling to accept this gift, such as the Jews were, about whom Paul said that they, “not understanding the righteousness of God and trying to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God” (Rom. 10:3). Having said what belongs to God, she then speaks about what belongs to her. “I will worship Your holy church in Your fear” (Ps. 5:8). When I receive grace, he says, then I will present my due and on my part, I will make you such a sacrifice: “I will bow to Your holy church in Your fear,” not like many of the praying ones, who at this time scratch themselves, yawn, doze, but, he says, with fear and trembling. He who prays in this way puts aside all evil, is disposed towards all virtue, and acquires God's favor for himself. "God! guide me in Thy righteousness for the sake of my enemies” (Ps. 5:9). Having said to the glory of God that He hates evil, that He loves mankind and provides for us, - having spoken about her salvation and how she is saved, - having said what she did after receiving salvation, namely, that she turned away from evil and clung to virtue - giving good hopes to those living wickedly, that they too can receive mercy if they want to improve, she then turns her speech into a petition and says: “Lord! guide me in Your righteousness." By this she teaches the listener, first of all, to send praise to God and thank Him for the blessings received, and then ask for what he wants, and again thank him for what he receives. But let's see what she asks. Isn't it something everyday? Isn't it temporary? Isn't it transitory? Isn't she talking about wealth? Isn't it about fame? Isn't it about power? Is it not about taking revenge on her enemies? She doesn't ask for anything like that. Why? "God! guide me in Your righteousness, for the sake of my enemies.” You see that she does not ask for anything temporary, and how she asks for help from above. After all, those who follow this path especially need this help. Virtue in general is called “truth” here. And she said well: “in Thy righteousness,” because there is also human truth, truth according to external laws, but insignificant truth, lacking perfection and completeness and based on human considerations. And I, he says, ask for Your truth, which descends from You and which leads to heaven; I ask for help to acquire this truth. 5. It’s also good that she said: “guides,” because real life is a path that needs higher guidance. If we, intending to enter the city, need a person who would show us the way, then all the more, intending to enter heaven, we need higher help, which would show the way, and affirm, and guide, because there are many crossroads that deviate from the path. Therefore, we must cling to the right hand of God. "For the sake of my enemies". Many, he says, enemies have risen up against me, wanting to divert me from this path, mislead me and lead me to another path. With such evil intentions, with such temptations, guide me Yourself; I need Your help. However, if leading is the work of God, then to be worthy of the leadership of the right hand of God is a matter of our zeal. If you yourself are unclean, then the right hand of God will not support you - if, for example, you are covetous or have some other impurity. “Make your path right before me” (Ps. 5:9), i.e. make it known, clear, familiar to me; make it straight for me. Another translator says: “make your way clear before me” (όμάλισον έμπροσθέν μου τήν όδόν σου), i.e. make it comfortable, easy (Symmachus). “For there is no truth in their mouth; their heart is destruction” (Ps. 5:10). It seems to me that here he is talking about those who are in error, condemning their lips and hearts as alien to all that is good, and about those who live wickedly. “Their throat is an open tomb” (Ps. 5:10) means either that they are inclined to murder, or that they utter deadening and fetid teachings. However, the one who calls the mouth that utters shameful words an open grave will not sin either, because this stench emanating from a rotting soul is much worse than the sensual stench. Such are the mouths of the greedy, who do not utter anything sensible, but only murder and theft. So let not your mouth be a grave, but let it be a treasury. Treasuries differ very much from coffins in that the latter spoil what they receive, while the former preserve it. Therefore, you should always have the abiding wealth of wisdom in your mouth, and not any stench or rottenness. And she didn’t just say “coffin,” but “open coffin,” to better express their disgustingness. Such words should be hidden; and they utter them, and thus reveal their illness even more. We deal with dead bodies differently, we bury them in the ground; But they do the opposite with their words, and what should be hidden in the depths of the heart and suppressed, they utter, causing harm to many and offering it to public disgrace. Let us, I exhort you, drive such people away from us. If we bury dead bodies outside the city, then all the more necessary is it to drive away somewhere far away those who utter dead and shameful words and do not want to hide them, because such lips are an infection for the whole city. “They flatter with their tongue” (Ps. 5:10). Here is another kind of evil. Some hide deceit in their souls, uttering flattering words, while others are so evil that the words themselves darken with their malice and build intrigues and deceptions. “Judge them, O God, that they may fall by their own devices” (Ps. 5:11). Notice here the meekness of prayer. She didn’t say: punish; but: “Judge them” and stop their malice; make their plots unsuccessful. And to pray that their evil deeds do not prosper means to pray for their own benefit. “Because of the multitude of their wickedness, cast them away, for they have rebelled against You” (Ps. 5:11) – i.e. I do not care at all about what happens to me, but I grieve about what concerns You. Truly, it is characteristic of a wise soul not to take revenge for an insult to oneself, but to strongly rebel against an insult to God. Meanwhile, many do the opposite, ignoring the things that concern God and taking revenge for themselves with great force. The saints are not like that, but they strongly rebelled against insults concerning God, while those concerning themselves were ignored. “And all those who trust in You will rejoice” (Ps. 5:12). This is the fruit of prayer: they both become better and lag behind the prophets, and others receive great pleasure seeing their change, turning to the better and successful correction. “They will rejoice forever, and you will be” (Ps. 5:12). This is the most constant joy. Other joys are no better than streams of water, only appearing and immediately disappearing; and joy in God is long-lasting and firm, reliable and constant, not disrupted by any unexpected circumstances, but even more elevated by the obstacles themselves. So the apostles were beaten and rejoiced (Acts 5:40); Paul endured sorrow and rejoiced, prepared to die and called others to share in his joy: “But if I, he said, am made a sacrifice for the sacrifice and service of your faith, then I rejoice and rejoice with you all. In this very thing you also rejoice and rejoice with me” (Phil. 2:17, 18). Whoever rejoices in this way, God dwells with them. That is why she says: “they will rejoice forever, and you will be.” Christ expressed the same thing when, wanting to show the immutability of this joy, he said; “But I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22). And Paul also says: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:16, 17). “And those who love Your name will boast in You” (Ps. 5:12). This is the only thing one can boast about, one can only rejoice at, one can only admire this. But whoever boasts about the things of this life is no different from people who rejoice in a dream. 6. And is there, tell me, anything in human things that one could boast about? Is it bodily strength? But it does not constitute a dignity that depends on our will, and therefore we cannot boast about it; Moreover, it soon weakens and is lost, and often even serves to the detriment of those who have it and those who use it differently than they should. The same must be said about beauty and good looks, about wealth and power, about luxury and about all everyday objects. But praise from God and love in Him - this is the adornment that is best - this is the distinction that surpasses thousands of diadems, even if the one worthy of it is in chains. This decoration does not diminish either from illness, or from old age, or from changes in circumstances, or from unfavorable times, or from death itself, but then becomes even more brilliant. “For you bless the righteous, O Lord” (Ps. 5:13). Since many who have a similar mood and are especially devoted to virtues are subject to condemnation and ridicule, so that one of the weaker people does not lose heart, see how the prophet strengthens his soul: “for You, he says, bless the righteous.” What harm does it do if people and the whole universe despise him, if the Lord of the angels praises and glorifies him? In the same way, there is no benefit if everyone who lives on land and sea glorified, but He did not bless. Therefore, we will always strive for Him to glorify us, for Him to crown us. If this happens, then we will become higher than everyone else, even if we are in poverty, even if we are sick, even if we are in extremely straitened circumstances. So blessed Job, sitting on a heap of sewage, covered with pus from his wounds and countless worms, enduring unbearable suffering, despised by slaves, insulted by friends, enemies and his wife, brought to poverty, hunger and incurable illness, was the most blessed of all. Why? Because God blessed him, saying: “This man was blameless, just and fearing God, and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). – “You crown him with favor like a shield” (Ps. 5:13). In conclusion, the prophet again pronounces gratitude, sending up thanksgiving praise to God. What does the weapon of favor mean? An excellent weapon, a weapon after God’s heart, the most reliable weapon. The meaning of these words is as follows: You have protected us with the best help. Another translator says: You will crown him (στεφανώσεις αΰτόν) (Aquila), referring to the righteous in this way: You will crown him, the righteous, i.e. your favor serves him instead of a weapon and an excellent weapon; or this way: You protect the righteous with the best help, so that neither his virtues are deprived of security, nor his security deprived of glory. Truly, who can be stronger, who is more valiant than a man protected by the right hand on high? This crown is woven out of mercy, as David himself says in another place: “he crowns you with mercy and mercies” (Ps. 103:4). It is also woven from righteousness, as Paul says: “And now there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness” (2 Tim. 4:8). He is also a crown of grace, as another writer says: “He will place a beautiful crown on your head, he will give you a magnificent crown” (Prov. 4:9). He is the crown of glory, as Isaiah says: “he will be a magnificent crown and a glorious diadem” (Is. 28:5). This crown contains everything - love for mankind, truth, grace, glory, and beauty; he is a gift of God, bringing a variety of grace. He is also the crown of incorruption, as Paul says: “they are to receive a perishable crown, but we are an incorruptible one” (1 Cor. 9:25). Thus, the meaning of these words is as follows: You have surrounded us with security and glory. These are the gifts of God - strong and beautiful; these are His crowns. This is not the case with people, but he who is in glory is not in complete security; and he who is safe is not always in glory; Both of them are not easily connected, and if they are connected, they are soon torn apart. For example: people in power, noble and glorious, are not safe, but because of the greatness of their glory, they especially stand in a dangerous place; Outcast and despised people, being safe due to their ignorance, do not enjoy honor, but especially because they are safe, they do not have honors. But with God it is not so, but both, security and glory, are united to the highest degree. Therefore, imagining the greatness of these blessings, and first of all, how great it is to be pleasing to God, which includes weapons, glory, security and many other blessings, let us patiently go through the feat ahead of us, we will never lose heart and remain without weapons. In this type of war it is impossible for a warrior to leave his weapon, but only then does the work end when the spectacle ends; and the spectacle ends when the soul is detached from the body. So, while we are in this life, we need to constantly struggle, both while sitting at home, and going out to the marketplace, and eating food, both in sickness and in health. Even times of illness are especially times of this struggle, when painful feelings disturb the soul on all sides, when sorrows besiege it, when the devil stands and incites you to say some unkind word. It is then that you especially need to keep yourself safe, protect yourself with armor, shield, helmet and other weapons, and constantly thank God. These are terrible arrows for the devil, this is a fatal blow for the evil spirit, and bright crowns are especially bestowed for this. So blessed Job - nothing prevents us from turning to him again - for this he became especially glorious, for this he became famous, for this he was awarded a crown, because during times of temptation, illness and poverty he showed an unchanging soul and an unshakable heart, and sent forth thanksgiving praises to God, this spiritual sacrifice. The sacrifice was his words that he uttered: “The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; [as the Lord pleased, so it was done;] blessed be the name of the Lord!” ( Job 1:21 ). We will always do the same, in temptations, in disasters, in sorrows, constantly glorifying and blessing God, because glory belongs to Him forever and ever. Amen. The word: “to the end” is not in Slavic; but in Hebrew, Greek there are 70 interpreters and in St. Chrysostom is According to the Greek translation of the 70 and, according to Chrysostom, the inscription of this Psalm reads: ύπέρ κληρονομούσης “about the inheritor”; This was the inscription according to some copies of the Ancient Slavic Psalter (see Archimandrite Amphilochia. “Ancient Slavic Psalter.” Second edition. T. 1st, p. 15). The inscription: “about the inheritor,” as printed on page 36 of this edition, is later (see priest N. Vishnyakova, “Interpretation of the Psalter.” Issue I, p. 19). An unknown translator mentioned in Origen's Exapla. You might be interested in: