Chapter 34

What is proposed in the psalm is spoken from the perspective of one who has placed his trust in God and is being fought by invisible forces, or from the host of the Apostles. The face of Christ himself is also introduced, describing how the Jews treated Him during His suffering, in order to teach patience and firmness to those who endure attacks from enemies for the sake of God. Ps.34:1. Judge, Lord, those who offend me, overcome those who fight me. Such speech is befitting the face of the Apostles. He means the Jews, who, not having peace in themselves, raise battles and rebel against Christ, Who is our peace. Ps.34:2. Take the weapon and the shield, and rise to my aid. Weapons, shields and swords mean the punitive forces sent by the Lord to help the righteous. Ps.34:3. The words of my soul: I am your salvation. I beg You to speak this to my soul, that is, that You will be its helper. Ps.34:4. Let them go back. A blessing to those who move from virtue to vice, if they return back. Ps.34:8. Let a net come to him, unknown to the south, and a catch, even hidden, embrace him, and let him fall into the net. For the snares are turned upon the heads of the evil one; those who are caught to death are themselves caught and put to death. Ps.34:9. My soul will rejoice in the Lord. So, those who have prepared a snare and formed a destructive plan against the Savior Christ, common to us all, will receive punishment for desecrating Him, as we said recently; my soul will always be out of all danger, constantly rejoicing in God and greatly rejoicing in His salvation. Ps.34:11. Having stood up to Me as a witness to unrighteousness, even though I did not know, I questioned Me. From this verse the person of Christ is introduced as false witnesses at the bishop's court. Ps.34:12. I have rewarded the wicked one, and the childlessness of my soul. He says this because they turned out to be unworthy to be called children of God. And this is what the Savior made clear most of all, saying like what was said: “How much have your fellow children desired” (Matthew 23:37)! Ps.34:13. But when I was in the cold, I dressed myself in sackcloth. He was so sad about their death that he grieved, and grieved, and cried, and prayed for their sin. And I humbled my soul with fasting. As proof of His humanity, He did not refrain from fasting. And My prayer will return to My bosom. This, perhaps, expresses the persistence of the Jews in sin. It was of no use to them, he says, because, due to their extreme ignorance, they seemed to have turned prayer away from themselves. Ps.34:14. Like our neighbor, like our brother, we please. Like a brother or friend, I tried to show them benefits, wanting to heal them. That's why I cried for them. Ps.34:15. And she rejoiced at Me and gathered together. And with this payment, he says, they repaid Me for being sick about them. I gathered my wounds and did not know. They inflicted wounds on Me, but I did not know and did not find any guilt in Myself. Divided and not moved. “The multitude was divided,” as the Evangelist says (Acts 14:4), some called it good, and others called it evil. And when this happened, they were not moved, they did not understand against whom all this was being done. He said this not accusing, but wanting help. When, he says, will You appear and help those who suffer injustice? Ps.34:17. Protect My soul from their wickedness. Whatever he suffers or says, he does all this for our salvation, because He, that is, Christ, descended and became incarnate for us. “Lions” refers either to the crafty and resistant forces that almost roared at Christ, or, perhaps, to the Jewish leaders themselves. For this is how he remembers them, in the words of the prophet: “My heritage became like a lion in an oak forest... for this reason I hated it” (Jer. 12:8). He calls His soul the only begotten, using the word “only begotten” instead of “beloved”; because the only begotten child is always in greater love. Ps.34:19. Those who hate Me and despise Ochima, that is, plotting deceit. Ps.34:20. For I have spoken words of peace, and thought of flattery against anger, saying: “To a good teacher” (Matthew 19:16), and: “the knowledge that... you have truly taught... do not see it on the face of man” (Matthew 22:16). Ps.34:21. You will widen your mouth against Me. He understands the blasphemies uttered at the cross. Deciding: it’s good, it’s good, what our eyes have seen. It was as if by their wish the matter ended, and Christ was nailed to the tree. Those who rejoice in the sorrows of the righteous do this. Ps.34:22. You have seen, Lord, but do not remain silent: Lord, do not depart from Me. The Only Begotten Word of God, having become man and without ceasing to be God, asks the judge Father about the offense inflicted on us by demons, asks to scatter the majesty of the proud. For then some will be ashamed, while others will rejoice, giving thanks for salvation. You might be interested in: