Собеседование 14 на псалом 81

The inscription of the psalm is brief, because its content is an exhortation to do the truth and rebuke those who do not follow it. “God stood in the company of gods, so that he might execute judgment among the gods” (Ps. 82:1). And this serves as a great proof of God’s love for us, that He, the Creator, gave His name to the creation. Called God Himself in an exclusive sense, He by grace also allowed those who, out of love for God, the Lord of all, preserve their original dignity, to be called gods. Therefore, even now the prophet called the leaders of the people gods, about whom Moses also said: “Do not curse the judges and do not revile the ruler of your people” (Ex. 22:28). Those of them who speak the truth and avoid lies, who maintain the dignity of a prophet, a priest, or a leader, God honors with such a part that, as the psalmist says, he stands in their assembly; of all creation deprives them of dignity and honor and exposes them to shame because, having been placed in charge, they themselves subject themselves to wickedness. The prophet further condemns such leaders on the one hand, and admonishes them on the other. “How long will you... judge unrighteously and... show partiality to sinners?” (Ps. 81:2) Well the prophet used the word “until” at the beginning, wanting to show that they stubbornly persist in unrighteousness, and do not notice the long-suffering of God, and are completely oblivious to the fact that time flies and passes, after which execution will come for the unrighteous. That is why they judge unrighteously and show partiality to sinners, whereas everywhere the face of God should be shown, who desires righteousness and therefore represents His face in every judgment, which is why Moses said: “Do not be afraid of the face of man, for judgment is the work of God” (Deut. 1:17). Why does the prophet say: “show partiality to sinners”? Because anyone who tries to pervert the truth and set judgment against his neighbor is in fact a sinner, even if he appears to be righteous. The psalmist introduces a change of tone, because he changes censure to exhortation. “Give (right) judgment... to the orphan and the needy, justify the humble and the needy” (Ps. 81:3). He does not say: judge the righteous, or the prophet, or the priest, regarding whom God gives such a command: “Touch not My anointed and do not do evil to My prophets” (Ps. 105:15), but to the orphan, he says, and the poor, the humble and to the poor. Why? Because they usually suffer insults, as Paul said: “Why would it be better for you not to endure hardships?” (1 Cor. 6:7). Meanwhile, it is extremely difficult for them to endure insults due to weakness resulting from age and poverty. Therefore, the legislator takes special care of them. “Take the poor and needy from the hand of the sinner and deliver him” (Ps. 81:4). Those who rejoice over untruth and insult are spoken of as wild animals, which is why it is said elsewhere: “they lie in wait in a hidden place, like a lion in his den, he lies in wait... to seize the poor” (Ps. 9:30). Therefore, the one who saves the poor receives the honor and reward of the shepherd, of course - that shepherd who gave himself for us and delivered us from mental beasts, and whoever causes harm and offenses, is placed in the ranks of animals. Wanting to increase our concern for the offended, the prophet added: “from the hand of the sinner and deliver him,” so that we would rush to our defense if we see someone who is weak, commits untruths, and has no compassion. The sinner is weak because he has offended God; he is devoid of compassion because he does not spare himself; if he had compassion for himself, he would not have sinned; and since he is deprived of it, he does not spare his neighbor all the more. “They didn’t know. They didn’t understand. They walked in darkness. Let all the foundations of the earth shake!” (Ps. 81:5). What didn't you know? They did not realize the transience of real life, the impermanence of human life, that by adding houses to fields and houses, they often accumulate treasures for their enemies. What didn’t you understand? The fact that, caring for insignificant blessings, they deprive themselves of great blessings. That is why they walk in the darkness of wickedness, ashamed to come to the light: “Everyone who does evil hates the light,” as the Savior says (John 3:20). Perhaps the prophet also blames them for the fact that, walking in darkness, they did not recognize and understand what followed. What exactly? Listen: “Let all the foundations of the earth be shaken.” If the foundations of the earth shake, how can what is on it remain? Why, while the latter remains, do we offend our brother and devour the poor, if this does not benefit us? “I said: you are gods... and everyone is the son of the Most High. However, you, as people, die and, like every ruler, you fall" (Ps. 82:6-7). When did God say that all are gods and sons of the Most High? After all, here we are no longer talking about the rulers alone, but about all people. When God, having created man, gave the following definition of his dignity: “Let us make man in Our image [and] after Our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, [and over the beasts], and over all the earth, and over all the creeping things" (Gen. 1:26). If people had preserved this dignity and had not distorted the image of God by disobedience, they would not have been punished by death. Failure to recognize the greatness of God is pride before God and the disease of the devil, says the prophet, showing that death for people is suffering. But. a person could not have died if he had kept the law of God from the beginning, since our nature had the ability to do both. “Like every ruler,” he says, “you fall,” pointing to the devil, since he had power and was a prince among the angels, which is why Paul says: “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers” (Eph. 6:12), but, having become proud and desiring more, he fell. In the same way, man: having heard the words of the serpent: “But God knows that in the day in which you eat them,” that is, from the tree, “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5), he fell into disobedience, so that he is rightly compared to the devil in his pride and fall. “Arise, O God, judge the earth, for You will have an inheritance among all the people” (Ps. 82:8). The prophet does not point to the present inheritance, but to the future. Therefore, he prays to God to rise and judge the earth, i.e. person. When He rises, He will inherit all nations. He will give the appropriate lot to everyone: one to the humble, another to the chaste, another to the merciful, another to the fornicators, another to the arrogant, another to the covetous. In this case, the prophet did not call different kinds of languages tongues, but different kinds of life. Creations attributed to St. John Chrysostom and in the Patrology of Min, classified as Spuria The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: