Беседа 49 на псалом 139 110

Ps.139:1-2. To the end. Psalm of David. Remove me, O Lord, from the evil man, deliver me from the unrighteous man. A crafty or vicious person is worse than a wild beast; in the proper sense, the evil one is the devil. – Like the latter, a vicious person always harms himself more. – A Christian needs to feel sorry for evil people and ask for help from above to get rid of their dangerous machinations. – Those who constantly practice evil sin gravely. - “Do not hand me over, O Lord, to a sinner... The main subject of their deliberation, discussed by their lips, will befall them” (Ps. 139:9-10). – Backbiting is also a type of wickedness, which is also subject to punishment, just as animals are caught. - Praise of the righteous to the Lord. 1. Where now are those who say: why are wild animals, why are scorpions, why are vipers? Here is an animal that displays great malice, not by nature, but by will - man. Therefore, the prophet, without mentioning all the others, asks to be delivered from him. Tell me: if man is like this, then shouldn’t people exist? To say this is extremely crazy, because there is nothing harmful in a person, except sin alone, and when sin is destroyed, then everything is easy, convenient, peaceful, and when it exists, then there are pitfalls, storms, shipwrecks in everything. Let no one condemn us for calling a vicious man worse than a wild beast. The beast, although it does not have meekness by nature, can easily be deceived and reveal itself as what it is; and it is much more difficult to beware of a person who is plotting evil and taking on various forms than from a wild beast; often he dresses himself in the skin of a sheep, and hides a wolf inside; Therefore, many are careless and fall into its snare. Since it is difficult to catch such animals, the prophet turns to prayer and calls on God’s help to get rid of such a scourge. The devil often works through such people and thus strikes. So, there are many misfortunes from all sides: a vicious person attacks, an evil demon is at enmity, and unbearable temptation worries. That is why we are commanded to say in prayer: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). The struggle is varied, the attacks are varied, you need to be prepared for everything. Just as someone who intends to go out to sea must anticipate the rush of disorderly waters, the pressure of violent winds, the accumulation of clouds, underwater rocks, and rocks, and encounters with wild animals, and the attacks of sea robbers, and hunger and thirst, and the dangers of the sea, and the inconvenience of the pier, and the resistance of sailors, and the lack of food supplies, and all the like, and be prepared for everything, so exactly the one who entered The whirlpool of real life must be ready for the suffering of the body, and for illnesses of the soul, and for the machinations of people, and for the attacks of enemies, and for the deceptions of imaginary friends, and for poverty, and for temptations, and for slander, and for hordes of demons, and for the rage of the devil, if it wants to reach the royal city and enter the harbor with a full load. So, here the prophet calls “the evil man” (Ps. 139:2); and when the devil is spoken of, he is simply called the evil one. Why? Because the devil himself is the father of wickedness; That is why he is primarily called the evil one, and instead of his own, this adjective name is enough for him, due to his excessive malice, which, however, is not innate to him, but occurred later. If you want to know where the very name wickedness comes from, then you can get great benefit for yourself from this. It is called “deceit” (πονηρία) because it causes torment (πόνον) and exhaustion to those who are devoted to it. That is why the Wise One, pointing to this, says: “If you are wise, then you are wise for yourself and for your neighbors; and if you are violent, then you will endure alone” (Proverbs 9:12). How can one evil person obtain evil when he does evil to many? But it does not harm anyone who is not careless or careless. If you want, then we, leaving the evil person, will introduce the evil demon himself. Tell me: did he not pour out all his anger, but did he harm Job in any way? On the contrary, did he not make him more glorious, but did he not cause himself a grave fall? Also, was it not Cain alone who exhausted evil? No, you will say, but together with Abel. How and in what way? He was soon escorted to a serene haven; but it was the greatest blessing for him that he ended his life with a good deed, that he fulfilled the common duty of nature with benefit. What happens to everyone in general and happens out of necessity, happened for him with benefit; and therefore it meant not to endure evil, but to be adorned with the brightest crown. And what harm did Joseph’s brothers do? Haven't they themselves exhausted the evil? But, you say, Joseph became a slave. So what? I will add that he is also a prisoner; but the question is not whether he was a slave and a prisoner, but whether he suffered any harm from this. On the contrary, we find that he received the greatest benefit, acquired greater boldness before God, and through the very thing that seemed calamity, achieved real prosperity. Let us not be afraid of evil people, but feel sorry for them. Then indeed they were terrible, when the high path leading to wisdom had not yet been discovered; and now that heaven is open to us and people become angels, they are no longer scary. So an animal, rushing with great swiftness at the tip of a spear, apparently threatens the one holding the spear with danger, but inflicts a severe wound on itself; and the one who rushes “against the pricks” (Acts 9:5) also stains his feet with blood. 2. Such is virtue - a sharp sword is born; and all evil people are worse and crazier than wild animals. When they attack the good, they cause much more harm to themselves; They cause a loss in money or health to the good, and they themselves cause significant harm to their soul. If the loss of property harmed our own virtue, then Paul would not have commanded to endure insults, and not to offend (1 Cor. 6:7). If tolerating insults were evil, then the Lawgiver of good would not have commanded evil. However, although this is indeed the case, one should not give oneself over to evil people and have communication with them, but run away and evade their society; and when they attack, then face them courageously. That is why we are commanded to pray so as not to fall into temptation. That is why the prophet, having said: “Remove me, O Lord, from the evil man,” adds: “Deliver me from an unrighteous man” (Ps. 139:2), again meaning vice in general, because he speaks here of unrighteousness not only in relation to property, but to everything. The prophet asks to be delivered so as not to fall, or so as not to become the same. Moreover, he asks not simply, but by doing what is due on his part. That is why at the end of the previous psalm he said that we avoid them and their company, but here he asks for God’s help; there he did his due, saying: “Bloodthirsty men, get away from me! For you are bold in your plans” (Ps. 139:19-20), and here he asks God to deliver him from their wickedness. Indeed, to move away from such societies and to keep oneself as far as possible from intercourse with the evil is not only conducive to prosperity, security, freedom and all pleasure, but is also the greatest happiness. Therefore, describing their malice, the prophet continues: “If they thought untruth in their hearts, they prepared themselves for battle every day” (Ps. 139:3). Do you see how difficult it is to guard against these beasts, who hide evil in their thoughts and plot in secret? They “thought...,” he says, “in their hearts,” i.e. until they revealed anger, but hid it and nourished it inside, and, worst of all, not out of passion, not with haste, but carefully did their job; this is exactly what it means: “have you thought”, i.e. with diligence, with all diligence. “We prepared for battle every day”; by this he means all his life; and by the name “battles” he means here not those that happen in battle formation and through weapons, but those that happen through insidious plans that people wage in marketplaces and in houses, without putting on armor and not protecting themselves with a shield, but instead of any weapon using anger and throwing words more caustic than arrows. The greatest degree of their evil lies not only in the fact that they are insidious, hostile, always ready for war and battle, but also in the fact that they are like this throughout their lives and never stop their evil attack. Meanwhile, if they wanted to wage war, they would have another fair reason. They should have armed themselves against sins, fought against the devil, struggled against illnesses of the soul, sharpened their swords against demons; but they do not even show any inclination in such a fight, but throw arrows at each other. “They have sharpened their tongue like that of a snake: the poison of asps is in their mouth” (Ps. 139:4). Do you see the baseness of vice? He turns people into beasts, asps and serpents, and turns rational language into brutal. What he accused them of above, he accuses them of again here. What exactly? “The poison of asps is in their mouth,” he says, always, constantly. As he said above: “every day they prepared for battle,” so here: “they sharpened their tongue like that of a snake: the poison of asps is in their mouth”; This is exactly what διάψαλμα means everywhere, which in Hebrew is called: “sel”, i.e. constantly 111. If short-term vice is a grave evil, then what forgiveness, what justification can those who constantly practice it and are never satisfied have? “Save me, O Lord, from the hand of the sinner, from the unrighteous people among me, who are planning to trample my feet. The proud hid the net for me, they made a snare of ropes for my feet; they set snares in my way” (Ps. 139:5, 6). There is no one more unrighteous than people who, practicing evil, harm their own souls before anyone else. In fact, if they are the culprits of temptation, if they give reason to the foolish to blaspheme the glory of God, if they do not do what is due, but, having received soul and body from the man-loving God, do not show gratitude and, enjoying such blessings of such a world, repay the Benefactor with opposite deeds, then what could be more unrighteous than this, what could be more ungrateful? Moreover, they - which makes the evil even more serious and extremely great - try to harm others. “We are planning,” he says, “to bury my feet.” If their plans were not fulfilled, then this was a matter of God’s love for mankind. He destroyed their evil plans. 3. Look how diligently their deceit was, with what care their intrigues were built. They hid and expanded their networks, and, moreover, “on the way,” so that by their extension, and secrecy, and proximity, they could catch and take into their own hands. They were artists of evil, they laid nets everywhere, considering their only business to destroy him. Do you want to know how the devil sets up similar networks? Look again at what happened to Job. What is wider, what is longer, what is closer than the nets that he placed not only in his neighbors, in his friends, in his wife, but also in his very body? “I said to the Lord: You are my God, hear, O Lord, the voice of my prayer. Lord, Lord, the power that saves me! You have overshadowed my head in the day of battle” (Ps. 139:7-8). Another (unknown, see Orig. Ex.): “the power of my salvation” (κράτος). Having spoken of war and plans and pointed out unbearable disasters, the prophet resorted to irresistible help, calling from heaven a Helper who could destroy them. This is the sign of a noble soul, this is the property of a wise mind - under such circumstances, surrounding on all sides, not to resort to human help and not to seek it in mortal judgments, but to turn one’s gaze to heaven, to call on the omnipresent God and not to indulge in despondency, confusion and anxiety. Look with what dignity he presents his speech. He didn’t say: I did this and that well, I acted fairly in this and that, but what? “You are my God,” he says, representing the most important right to help in that he resorts to his Lord, Creator and King. “Hear, O Lord, the voice of my prayer. Lord, Lord, the power that saves me.” He says: “saving power,” expressing that there is also the power of torment and punishment; To me, he says, You gave me the power of salvation; You can punish and kill, but you have always used Your power for my salvation. Look at the love of the speaker: by repeating the word: “Lord” and adding the words: “she who saves me,” he expresses great affection. “You have overshadowed my head in the day of battle.” Do you see a noble soul? He also remembers the previous time, how God brought him safety - because this is the meaning of the word: “overshadowed.” Look how he shows the ease of this matter for God. He didn’t just say: before; but on that very “day”, when disasters threatened, when there was a struggle, when I was in extreme danger, then You made me safe. God, who sees everything, the present, the future, and the past, is able to do everything and is always present with ready help, has no need for preparation or forewarning. Further, wanting to express the superiority of victory and security, he did not say: he saved me, but what? - “overshadowed my head”, i.e. You did not allow me to suffer even the slightest sorrow, even the kind that comes from the heat, but you placed me in such security and, along with security, gave me such pleasure and tranquility that I did not even feel any unpleasant heat, but enjoyed the shade, i.e. deliverance and freedom from disasters. That is why he added: “overshadowed,” showing this very thing, and at the same time signifying the ease of help for God by the name of the shadow, as if to put it this way: You just need to be present, and everything will happen. “Deliver me not, O Lord, to a sinner (having removed) from my desire: whether they have thoughts against me, do not forsake me, lest they be arrogant” (Ps. 139:9). Another (Symmachus and Theodotion): “Lord, do not allow the desires of the wicked” (τας επιθυμίας του παρανόμου). The meaning of his words is as follows: do not give at will against me, i.e. what he wishes against me, do not let him fulfill it. He did not say: what he wants, but: “from my desire,” as if expressing the following: do not allow the slightest part of what he desires to be fulfilled. Such are the wicked people; with great diligence they plot intrigues against their neighbors, like the devil, about whom it is said: he walks “like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). So diligently did he attack Job; So he wanted to depose Peter, which is why the Lord said: “Behold, Satan asked that he might sow you like wheat” (Luke 22:31). Do you see what desire he had? There are also people who, out of envy and hatred, compete with him in malice, rejoicing in the misfortunes of others. Scripture calls such people unhappy: alas, it says, “who rejoice in doing evil, delight in evil debauchery” (Prov. 2:14); and very justly, because this is a sign of a corrupt soul. If one must grieve, lament and cry for those who are perishing, then what forgiveness, what justification can those who not only do not sympathize, but also rejoice? Don't you see how Christ Himself, as he was about to be executed, weeps over the destruction of Jerusalem? Don't you see how Paul also grieves, laments and weeps over the destruction of others? But there are people so depraved that they consider the misfortunes of others to be a consolation for their own misfortunes. “Do they think against me, do not leave me, lest they be exalted”: this means: διάψαλμα. Another (Symmachus and unknown translator, see Orig. Ex.): “so that they never ascend” (μὴ αποβαίης). This is the sign of a wicked and depraved soul when they apply diligence, deliberation and effort to commit evil. For you, it is not enough what happens by chance, it is not enough to destroy us through negligence, but you also need deliberation, time and reflection to commit evil. 4. What excuse can you have for turning deceit into an occupation, holding meetings to commit evil and calling on accomplices? But look at the prophet's humility. He did not say: do not leave me because I am worthy, do not leave me for the virtues of my life; but what? - “Let them not be arrogant,” so that they do not become more arrogant and indulge in greater pride from my helplessness. “The main subject of their deliberation, discussed with their lips, will befall them” (Ps. 139:10). Another (Symmachus): “the bitterness of those around me, let the infection of their mouths turn on them” (ό πικρασμός των κυκλούντων με, ό μόχθος των χειλέων αύτων πωμασάτω αύτούς ). “Environment” he calls here the assembly, the Sanhedrin, the wicked society, the depraved councils. The meaning of his words is as follows: let the wicked advice itself, the very totality of insidious and depraved intentions, crush and destroy them. Here he calls deceit the subject of “their conference.” Such is deceit: it turns into destruction for the one who surrenders to it, and plunges him into the abyss. So it was with David. His enemies hoped to subject him to countless calamities, but he became more glorious. Yes, you say, but that’s not what I want; show how those who plotted evil were amazed by their own plans and perished; tell me where did this happen? With Joseph's brothers; They, wanting to make him a slave and destroy him, exposed themselves to extreme danger, although he, as far as it depended on them, was subjected to both slavery and death. And Absalom, wanting to destroy his father by violence, died himself from violence. “Coals of fire will fall on them, you will overthrow them with suffering, and they will not stand” (Ps. 139:11). The meaning of his words is as follows: vice itself is enough to destroy those who practice it, but at the same time they will also be subject to punishment from God. Here he calls “coals of fire” the punishment sent from above. Often it was accomplished through the fire itself, as, for example, over Dathan, Korah and Abiron and over those surrounding the Babylonian cave. “You bring them down with suffering, and they will not stand.” Another (translator unknown by name): “they will fall into the abyss so that they will not rise” (πεσουνται εις βοθύνους μήποτε ανστωσιν). Third (unknown, see Orig. Ex.): “soon they will not rise” (εσπευσμένως). According to one translator, these words mean: destroy them so that they no longer rebel; in another way: with great speed, this is the meaning of the word: εσπευσμένως. “The evil-tongued man will not be corrected on earth, but evil will catch the unrighteous man to destruction” (Ps. 139:12). Having spoken of the wrath of God, he again shows that vice in itself is sufficient to destroy those who have it. This type of wickedness is also important - to be impudent and not hold your tongue. “Evil-tongued” here he calls a slanderer, a talkative, slanderer, constantly barking and acting no better than a dog. What, tell me, are the consequences of this? “It will not be corrected, he says, on earth.” Another (unknown, see Orig. Ex.): “will not be strengthened” (ουκ εδρασθήσεται), i.e. will be overthrown, will be overthrown, will perish. This is the fruit of slander; such a person is hostile to everyone, unpleasant to everyone, disgusting and intolerable to everyone. Just as a long-suffering, modest and silent person is safe, constant and pleasant to everyone, so this person leads a dangerous life, bringing upon himself countless enemies from all sides, and first of all, disturbing his own soul and not allowing it to be at peace, but even when no one else bothers, stirring up countless wars and turmoil inside it. “Evil will catch the unrighteous husband to destruction.” So another wise man says (Symmachus): “iniquities ensnare the man” (παρανομίαι αγρεύουσιν). See again how vice is enough to destroy the one who indulges in it. But why did he use the expression: will they catch? So that you see the inevitability of punishment, so that when you act unfairly and are not immediately punished, you do not have too much hope. Such is the catch; it does not always succeed, and not immediately; however, the wild animals caught, although not caught, and not yet caught in the net, are not safe. Likewise, the soul, when it acts unjustly, should not hope too much, although it is not yet caught, because someday it will be caught. Therefore, if you want to be safe, stop doing evil and you will enjoy great peace. Why did he say: “to destruction”? Because many were caught for salvation, as, for example, through the apostles, through holy men. But the unrighteous, caught in vice, do not do so, but lead to destruction and corruption. Why is a vice not immediately followed by punishment? According to the love of the Lord; if He wanted to immediately punish each of the sinners, then most of the human race would have been exterminated long ago. “I knew that the Lord would bring judgment to the poor and reward to the needy. Therefore the righteous will confess Your name, and the upright will dwell before You” (Ps. 139:13-14). Another (Symmachus): "before your face" (παρὰ). Instead of: “they will move in,” the other (Symmachus) says: “they will remain” (διαμενουσιν); third (Aquila): “they will sit” (καθεδουνται), and instead (unknown translator): “knew” - “I know” (οιδα). Since he said that they “will be caught” and “perish”, and expressed that punishment does not immediately follow the crime, so that any of the rude people would not become more careless from this, he adds: “knew”, instilling that this will certainly happen; the offended will not remain unavenged. “Beggars” he here calls not just the poor, but the most humble, contrite; and, saying this, he He comforts those who are offended, and admonishes those who are offended; so that some do not despair from waiting, and others do not become more careless from delay. Slowness leads to repentance, and God punishes the stubborn more severely, and very fairly. Why? Because they, taking advantage of such goodness, did not become better. Imagine what God’s love for mankind is like when He allows those devoted to Him to suffer evil and does not take revenge for them, wanting to correct you through repentance. “Therefore the righteous will confess Your name.” What does He say? Whatever happens, he says, they will give thanks; although they will see the humble oppressed and the unrighteous exalted, they will not demand an account of events. This is especially characteristic of the righteous - to always give thanks for everything. “And the upright will dwell before You,” i.e. having received Your help, thinking about You, always being with You, they will never depart from You; no matter what happens, they will never be upset, they will never grumble about what is happening. It is characteristic of a strong soul and an unyielding mind not to ask the Lord for an account. That’s why Paul said: “Who are you, O man, that you argue with God? Will the product say to the person who made it: “Why did you make me this way?” (Rom.9:20)? Let us also constantly observe this gratitude and thank God for everything, to whom be glory and thanksgiving and worship, now and ever, and to the endless ages of ages. Amen. The psalms in the text are translated by P. Yungerov - Editorial office of the ABC of Faith sat down or sela (διάψαλμα) actually means: “change of tone.” The Slavic translation does not contain this word. You might be interested in: