Chapter 65

Ps.65:1. At the end, the song of the psalm of resurrection. In this psalm, the prophet points to the calling of the pagans and preaches about the future resurrection of their souls, according to what was said: “raise up the poor from the earth” (Ps. 112:7). He also introduces the face of the Apostles, who inform what they suffered for preaching the Gospel and what sorrows brought them into eternal joy. The psalm also speaks of the rejection of the Jewish people. Ps.65:2. Shout to the Lord, all the earth, and sing to His name. Exclamation is a song of victory, sung when enemies fall. So, after the overthrow of the princes of this age, at the coming of Christ, all pagans are commanded to shout songs of victory. Ps.65:3. Shout to God: How terrible are Your works! What kind of things does he understand? Are they not Divine signs, and are they not the expulsion of many unclean demons? In the multitude of Your strength Your enemies will lie to You. Accuses the Jews of insensitivity, because the greatness of the miracles did not lead them to submission. Ps.65:4. Let the whole earth worship You and sing to You. Because the Jews, seeing all the greatness of the signs You performed, lied to You; then instead of them the whole multitude of pagans worships You. Ps.65:5. Come and see the works of God. Here the person of the Apostles is introduced, who inform the pagans that this One, who at the time of His coming in the flesh performs Divine signs, is the same One who of old dried up the Red Sea and cut off the currents of the Jordan, so that the children of Israel could cross on dry land. Ps.65:6. They turned the sea into dry land. The proof of this is what had already happened when He changed the sea into dry land. Symmachus expresses himself this way: “he turned the sea into dry land; crossed the river with our feet.” This God, who has granted us return and salvation, is the same one who anciently divided the sea and the river, and commanded our ancestors to cross them safely. Let us rejoice in Him. The word “tamo” means time. Therefore, he says that from the time He reigns in the new age, we too will reign “there” with Him and rejoice with unspeakable joy. Ps.65:7. His eyes gaze upon tongues. He pays attention to everything, experiences everything that is done. Let those who are grieving not exalt themselves. Who are the “over-grievers?” Is it not those about whom it is said: “Son of man,” go “to the house of the one who grieves Me” (Ezek. 2:3), and: “If you have grieved Him many times in the wilderness” (Ps. 77:40), and also: “Do not harden your hearts, as if in anger” (Ps. 94:8)? Ps.65:8. Bless the Gentiles of God. Better yet, all of you, gathered together as one, praise Him and marvel at Him. Ps.65:9. Putting my soul in my stomach. I will rejoice in such miracles and in Him who performed them. He, as the Lord and overseer of everything, distinguishes those living on earth and imposes punishments on the unworthy. By eyes the Psalmist means the Apostles. Ps.65:10. As you have tempted us, O God, you have kindled us. The prophetic Spirit foretells the sorrows that will befall the Apostles for preaching, describes on their behalf nets or prisons, and points to temptations by fire and water. Ps.65:13. I will go down to Your house with a burnt offering, i.e. to the house of heaven, and with a mental burnt offering, because they offered themselves entirely as a burnt offering to God. I will give You my prayers. I will repay you, he says, according to my vows, everything that I promised in sorrow. I made a vow, having freed myself from real sorrow, to always send praises to You. For these are Your orders, Master, and our business is to enter the church and offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving. This is what the sayings “speak” and “verb” mean (Ps. 65:14). This expresses what vows he made. Ps.65:15. I will offer full burnt offerings to You. I will readily consecrate to You everything that You have instituted to offer. “Fat” he calls the well-fed sacrifices, because the Law commanded that sacrifices be offered immaculate and perfect. And the prophet Malachi curses those who, having such sacrifices, sacrifice crippled animals (Mal. 1:7-8). This was the beginning of troubles for Cain as well. Through this we also learn to honor God with what is most precious to us. I will offer You oxen from the goats. All this, as I said, both the burnt offerings, the oxen and the goats, which I promised to give to God, must be understood spiritually. Ps.65:16. Come, hear, and I will tell you. What else will he tell, besides what he has already depicted in advance, namely: “how you have tempted us,” and so on? Ps.65:18. If I see untruth in my heart, may the Lord not hear me. I knew that God would not have heard my prayer if I had indulged in untruth. Aquila translates: “seeing useless things in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” And this means: when I raised petitions to God, I tried to do what was proper, knowing that the petition would not be in my favor if I did not do what was proper. And also, as it were, he boasts before God that he has become beyond all unrighteousness, and therefore hopes to be heard. You might be interested in: