Изъяснение псалма 36-го.

Ps.36:1. Do not be jealous of evildoers, do not envy those who commit iniquity. "Psalm to David". “Do not be jealous of those who are evil; be not jealous of those who do iniquity.” The Divine David, having learned from experience that meekness brings many benefits, but the end of those who live in unrighteousness and indulge in arrogance is sad and consistent with their lives (he learned this from the lives of Saul, Absalom and others who acted like them), offers an admonition to all people, urging them to endure the sorrows they encounter with good-naturedness, and not to recognize the prosperity and success of wicked people as worthy of pleasure, and even more so call them distressed. That’s why at the very beginning of the psalm he says: “Do not be jealous of those who are evil; do not envy those who do iniquity.” The word: “do not be jealous,” Symmachus translated: “do not enter into competition,” and Theodotion: “do not be irritated,” in the sense: do not encourage yourself to imitate those who live lawlessly, seeing the good lot they have received. And, showing the short duration of this prosperity, the Prophet immediately added: Ps.36:2. For they, like grass, will soon be cut down and, like green grass, they will wither. “Like the grass they will soon dry up, and like the herb the herbs will soon fall away.” Blessed Isaiah also said this: “All flesh is hay, and all the glory of man is like the flower of grass. The grass has dried up and its flower has fallen away, but the word of the Lord abides forever” (Is. 40:6-8). Blessed David said the same thing. Ps.37:3. Trust in the Lord and do good; live on earth and keep the truth. Ps.36:4. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. “Trust in the Lord, and do goodness, and populate the earth, and enjoy its riches.” “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will grant you the petitions of your heart.” The Prophet taught everyone the benefits of trusting in God. He who trusts in God, he says, and whom God shepherds, will enjoy what is given from God. Those who will receive these benefits primarily are those who take constant conversation with God as their delight. Ps.36:5. Commit your way to the Lord and trust in Him, and He will accomplish it. Ps.37:6. And he will bring out your righteousness like the light and your justice like the noonday. “Open your way to the Lord, and trust in Him, and He will do it.” “And he will bring out your righteousness like light, and your destiny like noonday.” Dedicate yourself and your deeds, says the Prophet, to God, and expect help from Him. He, as a Judge, will pronounce a truthful verdict, proclaim about you, make you glorious; You will be visible to everyone like the midday light. Ps.36:7. Submit to the Lord and trust in Him. Do not be jealous of the one who succeeds in his way, the wicked man. “Obey the Lord and beg Him.” Therefore, knowing this, obey the God who rules you and do not stop asking Him for good. “Do not be jealous of the man who ripens on his way, the man who commits lawlessness.” If you see that another has chosen evil, and does not remain unsuccessful in his intention, but achieves his goal, do not be upset, do not be indignant, indulging in the thought that no one controls the creature. For this expresses what was added by the Prophet: Ps.36:8. Stop being angry and leave rage; do not be jealous to the point of doing evil. Ps.36:9. For those who do evil will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will inherit the earth. Ps.36:10. A little more, and the wicked will no longer be; you look at his place, and he is not there. Ps.36:11. But the meek will inherit the earth and enjoy much peace. “Cease from anger and abandon rage; do not be jealous or deceitful.” “The wicked will be consumed.” Do not look at their prosperity, but look forward to the end, and you will see destruction. “But those who endure the Lord will inherit the earth.” “And yet a little while, and the sinner will not be: and you will seek his place and will not find it.” “The meek ones will inherit the earth and enjoy the abundance of the world.” For be sure that those who are firmly established in the divine hope and have chosen a modest life will spend it in calmness and peace, finding constant pleasure for themselves in the purity of conscience, and those relying on short-term prosperity will experience rapid vicissitudes and will be consigned to final oblivion. Ps.36:12. The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him. Ps.37:13. The Lord laughs at him, for he sees that his day is coming. “The sinner despises the righteous and gnashes his teeth.” “The Lord will laugh at him, he will see for sure that his day will come.” The Prophet also gives consolation to the offended. For he makes it possible to see how the lawless one becomes furious and angry at those who love a quiet life, but the Righteous Judge laughs at his enterprise, because he foresees the speedy end of the lawless. Ps.36:14. The wicked draw their sword and draw their bow to overthrow the poor and needy, to pierce those who walk on the straight path. Ps.36:15. Their sword will enter their own heart, and their bows will be broken. “Draw the sword of the sinner, strain your bow, cast down the wretched and the poor, slay the upright in heart.” “Let their sword enter into their hearts, and let their bows be broken.” And this has the same meaning as what was said above. For it shows that the sinner, although he uses all sorts of methods against those who have not done him any harm, will nevertheless become entangled in his own networks. For the Prophet called various executions by the sword and the bow. This is similar to what was said in the seventh psalm: “a pit of destruction and fossils, and it will fall into the pit that it has made” (Ps. 7:16). Ps.36:16. A little of a righteous man is better than the riches of many wicked people. “Better is a little for the righteous than much for the riches of sinners.” To have one thing necessary and to be truthful, says the Prophet, is better than wicked wealth and unrighteous abundance. Then, showing the fruits of both, he says: Ps.36:17. For the arms of the wicked are broken, but the Lord strengthens the righteous. “The muscles of sinners will be broken, but the Lord confirms the righteous.” The Prophet figuratively called strength muscles; because people usually act through muscles. He very appropriately used the expression: “confirms the righteous,” because, driven into turmoil by demons and people, but supported by Divine grace, they stand and overcome the adversities that come their way. Ps.36:18. The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will endure forever. Ps.36:19. They will not be put to shame in times of evil, and in days of famine they will be satisfied. Ps.36:20. But the wicked will perish, and the enemies of the Lord will disappear like the fat of lambs, vanishing in smoke. “The Lord knows the way of the blameless, and their inheritance will endure forever.” “They will not be ashamed in times of evil, and in days of famine they will be satisfied.” Those who have chosen a blameless life will take advantage of every providence for them, because even if they fall into disasters, they will overcome them, and in times of general poverty they will receive what they need from God, and, moreover, they will enjoy eternal blessings. I think that the Prophet here represents the famine that threatened the ancient Jews: “I will send a famine on the earth, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord” (Am. 8:11). “For sinners will perish. Defeat the Lord, become famous for them and ascend, vanishing like smoke." The opposite of the conjunction “whether” produces a distinction between persons, and gives rise to representing some under the name of sinners, and others under the name of enemies of the Lord. But Aquila and Symmachus, replacing “the same” with the conjunction “and,” showed through this that they are the same sinners and enemies of the Lord. The Prophet says that people who hated God because of their iniquities, after they had bloomed for some time and seemed famous and glorious, disappeared like smoke. Ps.36:21. The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous is merciful and gives. “The sinner borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives.” Such was Saul, to whom the divine David always did good, and who did not want to repay the benefactor with good, while blessed David, like his Master, shining “His sun on evil and good” (Matthew 5:45), did not cease to do good. Such were the Jews, about whom the holy Apostles took all possible care and who showed them a bloodthirsty disposition, while the divine Apostles generously bestowed upon them Divine gifts. Ps.36:22. For those blessed by Him will inherit the earth, and those cursed by Him will be destroyed. “For those who bless Him will inherit the earth, but those who curse Him will be consumed.” The God of all promised this to the Patriarch Abraham: “I will bless the one who blesses you, and I will curse the one who curses you” (Gen. 12:3). Ps.36:23. The Lord establishes the feet of such a person, and He favors his path. Ps.36:24. When he falls, he will not fall, for the Lord holds him by the hand. “It is from the Lord that a man’s feet are straightened, and his ways are greatly admired.” “When he falls, he is not broken, for the Lord strengthens his hand.” The Lord blesses the one who blesses the righteous, and rewards the one who swears him equally, because He Himself rules the paths of the righteous. For without His grace it is impossible for anyone to walk blamelessly in any way of virtue. But whoever has this goal, He helps him; and to acquire virtue, it is necessary to flock together both human zeal and Divine providence. Thus, even if he crawls while making this journey, he will have Divine help. So blessed David, having stumbled and was in danger of falling to the ground, was raised up by Divine grace. Ps.36:25. I was young and old, and I did not see the righteous abandoned and his descendants asking for bread. Ps.36:26. He shows mercy and lends every day, and his descendants will be a blessing. “The youngest was, for he had grown old, and had not seen the righteous, and was left below his seed asking for bread.” “All day long the righteous man shows mercy and gives back, and his seed will be a blessing.” And when I was young, and when I reached old age, as far as I know, I did not see a righteous person deprived of God’s providence for him, because the truthful Judge not only about them, but also about those born by them, applies all His care. So for Israel, even those who transgressed the law, He provided for their forefathers’ virtue. So Solomon, who fell into wickedness, suffered for his father’s love for God. The expression: “all day long the righteous have mercy and give in return” means all kinds of benefits provided to the righteous, in money, things, words, advice. By doing this, he has mercy on those who benefit from the benefit, and gives it back to God. For it is said: “The poor who have mercy give back to God” (Prov. 19:17); because mercy and lending are one and the same thing. Ps.36:27. Avoid evil and do good, and you will live forever. “Turn away from evil and do good, and dwell in the age of the century.” Therefore, every person, knowing this, having learned what the reward is for both virtue and vice, let him avoid all types of vice, and take the opposite path in order to enjoy eternal blessings. Ps.36:28. For the Lord loves righteousness and does not forsake His saints; they will remain forever; [and the wicked will be cast out] and the descendants of the wicked will be destroyed. Ps.36:29. The righteous will inherit the earth and will live on it forever. “For the Lord loves judgment and will not forsake His saints: they will be preserved forever: but the wicked will be married, and the seed of the wicked will be consumed.” “The righteous will inherit the earth, and will dwell in it for ever and ever.” Observing just and truthful judgment, the Lord of all will create rewards in accordance with their undertakings, and will vouchsafe those who love righteousness every care for them, and will uproot those who choose the opposite. Thus, having shown the fruits of both, the Prophet then teaches how one can succeed in godly righteousness. Ps.36:30. The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue speaks righteousness. Ps.36:31. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet shall not be shaken. “The mouth of the righteous shall learn wisdom, and his tongue shall speak judgment.” “The law of his God is in his heart, and his feet will not falter.” Both in tongue and in thought, says the Prophet, one must have the words of God, and constantly learn from them. For in this way the lover of virtue, knowing what he should do, remains fearless, unshakable, defeating those who would depose him. David said this in the first psalm: “But his will is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he shall learn day and night” (Ps. 1:2), and so on. Ps.36:32. The wicked spies on the righteous and seeks to kill him. Ps.36:33. But the Lord will not deliver him into his hands and will not allow him to be accused when he is judged. “The sinner looks at the righteous and seeks to kill him:” “The Lord will not leave him in his hand; he will judge him lower when he judges him.” The Prophet expresses the same thing in different ways, so that what he has been paying more attention to is more firmly established in his memory. He says that the Lord does not leave the righteous person unattended when wicked people plot against him, and does not give His consent when they dare to do so, but arranges it so that the righteous person will escape the snare. This was used by Abraham in the double abduction of Sarah. Isaac also took advantage of this, suffering the same thing; Jacob used it when his brother and father-in-law were jealous of him; Joseph used it when envy and slander attacked him. And should I list everything? It is not difficult for those who are curious to collect the ancient and discern the new. Ps.36:34. Trust in the Lord and keep His way: and He will exalt you to inherit the earth; and when the wicked are destroyed, you will see. “Have patience with the Lord and preserve His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the earth; you will see that you will always be consumed by a sinner.” Therefore, having learned this, wait for the Divine determination, and preserve the established laws. In this case, you will be glorious in your present life, and in the future you will enjoy constant blessings, and you will see the unfortunate end of sinners. Then, since many are upset by the fact that they now do not see punishment for the unjust, and have been waiting for this for a long time, the Prophet very opportunely assures in the future with what has already happened. Ps.36:35. I saw a terrible wicked man, expanding like a rooted many-branched tree. Ps.36:36. But he passed, and now he is gone; I'm looking for it and can't find it. “I saw the wicked exalting themselves and towering like the cedars of Lebanon”: “And I passed by, and behold, I was not there, and I sought him, and his place was not found.” For the great David saw the end of the reign of Saul, and the fall of Absalom’s autocracy, as well as the pride and death of the Ammanite Naash, and with arrogance, the death of the foreigner Goliath, besides this arrogance, pride and the final death of many others. Therefore, he rightly compared their prosperity to barren trees, and noticed that not only they themselves, but also their places had disappeared. By the word “place” he meant the memory of them. Then he again offers admonition and advice. Ps.36:37. Observe the blameless and behold the righteous, for the future of such a person is peace. “Keep innocence and see righteousness, for there is a remnant for a man of peace.” Symmachus expressed it this way: “keep simplicity and look to what is right; because for a peaceful person there is a future,” that is, do not look at the sorrows of the present, but look forward to the future; the time will come when those who practice simplicity and righteousness will be given a proper reward. Ps.36:38. And the wicked will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will perish. “The wicked will be consumed together: the remnants of the wicked will be consumed.” Symmachus expressed this again like this: “those who humiliate will be blotted out together, and the last of the wicked will be destroyed,” that is, at that time they will receive retribution and suffer common destruction. Ps.36:39. Salvation comes from the Lord for the righteous; He is their protection in times of trouble. Ps.36:40. And the Lord will help them and deliver them; He will deliver them from the wicked and save them, for they trust in Him. “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, and their Protector is in time of trouble:” “And the Lord will help them, and deliver them, and remove them from sinners, and save them, because they have trusted in Him.” The workers of righteousness will take advantage of Divine help, achieve salvation, and triumph over those who attempt to cause offense, as having acquired their only hope. You might be interested in: