Изъяснение псалма 71-го.

"About Solomon". That the present psalm is in no way befitting Solomon, I think this is recognized by the Jews who want to tell the truth, especially by the children of the faith. For, firstly, Solomon did not possess the boundaries of the land, did not collect tribute from the western and eastern peoples; Moreover, how a person, having lived a time commensurate with nature, accepted the end of life, and not even a glorious one. And the psalm shows that the One about whom he prophesies is older than the sun and the moon. More precisely, this will give an explanation of the sayings of the psalm. And the inscription is not indecent, and is freely applied to the Savior, because Solomon is interpreted as peaceful, and this is clearly shown by the history of Chronicles, for God through Nathan says to David: “His name is now Solomon, and peace will I give in his days” (1 Chronicles 22:9). The Lord Christ also has this name. The great preacher of truth, Paul, cries out: “This is our peace, making both one, and destroying the middle wall” (Eph. 2:14). And the Lord Himself says to the sacred Apostles: “My peace I give to you, My peace I leave with you” (John 14:27). Therefore, His kingdom, His restored peace and the salvation of the pagans are foreshadowed by this psalm. And since He is God and man, and He is always God, and He accepted humanity for our sake, the prophecy shows both, it says that, as God, He has power over everyone, and as a man, He receives it from His Father. Ps.71:1. God! Grant Thy judgment to the king and Thy righteousness to the king's son. “God, grant Thy judgment to the Tsar, and Thy righteousness to the Tsar’s Son.” The Lord Christ is both the King and the Son of Kings. That is why the prophecy calls Him the King and the Son of the King. So Patriarch Jacob calls Him both the lion and the lion's skim. For he says; “The skimen of the lions Judah: from the summer growth, my son, you rose up: you lay down and fell asleep like a lion and like a skimen: who will awaken Him?” (Gen.49:9). Not only is He a King, but also the Son of Kings, because, as God, He was born by the All-King God, and as a man, He has the ancestor of King David. And the prophetic word asks that He, as a man, be given truth from God. Then he reveals the reason. Ps.71:2. May He judge Thy people and Thy poor in judgment with righteousness. “Judge Your people in righteousness and Your poor in judgment.” For He will free those possessed by the poverty of sin from slavery to the evil tormentor, pronouncing truthful judgment on him and on those possessed by him. Ps.71:3. May the mountains bring peace to people and the hills bring truth. “Let the mountains bring peace to people and the hills bring truth.” This is a personification that shows the change in everyone. Thus, narrating about the departure of the people, the Prophet said: “The mountains leaped like rams, and the hills like lambs of sheep” (Ps. 114:4). However, we see a change in the very mountains and hills. For, instead of the wickedness that was inflicted on them of old, those who loved the angelic life reap the truth of the Gospel on them, and by interceding for people, they try to intercede for them Divine reconciliation. Ps.71:4. may he judge the poor of the people, may he save the sons of the poor and humble the oppressor. “He will judge the poor of men, and will save the sons of the poor, and will humble the slanderer.” The devil is rightly called a slanderer. For he slandered God, saying that out of envy he forbade eating from the tree, and he also uttered false words about Job, saying: “Does Job honor God with food?” Touch everyone, even if He does not bless You” (Job 1:10-11). In Psalm 8, the Prophet called him an enemy and a local (Ps. 8:3), here he calls him a slanderer. But the Lord humbled and crushed him, and granted freedom and salvation to those over whom he tormented. Ps.71:5. and they will fear You as long as the sun and the moon remain throughout all generations. “And he will remain with the sun, and before the moon, generations of generations.” He who does all this, to put it in the apostolic way, “neither has a beginning by day, nor an end to life” (Heb. 7:3); because he was born from the Father “before the moon of the generation of generations,” that is, with certain limitless generations it precedes the existence of the creature. But “and he will remain with the sun,” that is, he will have an ever-continuing existence. The Prophet does not say that the sun has an eternally continuing existence, but not finding a more permanent image, and seeing that the sun is so significant, and that times and days are produced by it, he applied to it the transformation of things from darkness into light, because the Lord Christ himself is called the sun of righteousness. Ps.71:6. He will fall like rain on a mown meadow, like drops watering the earth. “It will fall like rain on the fleece, and like a drop dripping on the ground.” Here the Prophet clearly presented to us the human birth, which took place without noise, extremely silently and mysteriously. Just as a fleece, receiving rain, does not make any noise, and drops of dew, falling to the ground, do not produce any sensation in the ear, so the Master’s conception took place, imperceptible to the betrothed who lived with Mary. Already later after conception, suspecting something extraordinary, “I wanted to let you go” (Matthew 1:19); but I learned from the Angel that this birth is not human, but spiritual. Ps.71:7. In his days the righteous will prosper, and there will be abundance of peace until the moon ceases. “In His days righteousness will shine forth.” These words are confirmed by deeds, because human nature, freed from former wickedness, learned piety. And if some of those who believe do not live according to the evangelical laws, then countless thousands, both soldiers and private people, city and rural residents, exert great care for virtue. “And the multitude of the world, the moon will be taken away from Dondezh.” For in ancient times, small possessions and separate kingdoms of each people, suffering from frequent wars, could not use the gifts of peace, and constantly spent their lives with weapons in their hands; and these wars are described by many of the Romans and Greeks. And the history of the Kingdoms and Maccabees shows us how many disasters were caused by small possessions. But, after the incarnation of our God and Savior, these possessions disappeared; one kingdom possesses our universe, and the peace He established gave the power to Divine preaching. The expression: “until the moon is gone” is used to mean the entire time of real life. For it is unnecessary to talk about the future life, in which the true world will be established. Ps.71:8. He will possess from sea to sea and from the river 18 to the ends of the earth. “And he possesses from sea to sea,” that is, he will prevail over all the boundaries of the universe. since the limit of the earth is made up of great and inaccessible seas, which some call the Atlantic, or the western and eastern oceans, the Prophet rightly expressed that the power of the universe is surrounded on the outside by seas. And this is made more clear by the next verse. "And from the rivers to the end of the universe." The Prophet calls the Jordan River, in which the baptized Master received testimony from the Father that He is “the beloved Son in whom you were well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). “From there,” says the Evangelist, “they began to preach and say: repent, for the kingdom of heaven is drawing near” (Matthew 4:17). That is why the prophecy says that it will prevail from the river to the end of the world. Then he explains this in another way. Ps.71:9. The inhabitants of the desert will fall before him, and his enemies will lick the dust. Ps.71:10. The kings of Tarshish and the islands will bring him tribute; the kings of Arabia and Sheba will bring gifts. “The Ethiopians will fall down before Him, and His enemies will lick His dust.” “The kings of Tharsia and the islands will bring gifts, the kings of Arabia and Sheba will bring gifts.” Both the blessed Isaiah and the wonderful Ezekiel call Carthage, the leading city in Libya, Tarshish. Sava is an Ethiopian people. And the Libyans, also called Afras, inhabit the western countries of the universe; The Ethiopians are eastern and southern; and the Arabians are in the middle of the land, and the islanders are in the middle of the sea. The Prophet said about all of them that they would fall down before Him, worship Him as God, and bring gifts as the King. And the enemies will fall under the oaths imposed on the serpent: “You will walk on the perch and belly, and you will carry away the earth all the days of your life” (Gen. 3:14). The enemies of God and our Savior are the all-evil demons, over whom he granted power, commanding them to “tread on the serpent and the scorpion” (Luke 10:19). After the Prophet mentioned three or four nations, and covertly foreshadowed the change in all nations, he speaks with greater clarity. Ps.71:11. And all kings will worship him; all nations will serve him. “And all the kings of the earth will worship Him” - some voluntarily in this life, and all after the resurrection. “We do not see Him, everything is subjected,” says the divine Apostle (Heb. 2:8); but then “every tribe of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth will worship Him” (Phil. 2:10). “All the nations will work for Him.” This is in accordance with the prophecy of Patriarch Jacob: “This is the desire of the tongues” (Gen. 49:10). But we also see the fulfillment of the prophecy. For there is no people who have not heard the gospel preaching; on the contrary, in every nation there are those who have received the ray of knowledge of God. Ps.71:12. For he will deliver the poor, the crying and the oppressed, who has no helper. Ps.71:13. He will be merciful to the poor and wretched, and will save the souls of the wretched. “For deliver the poor from the strong and the wretched, for he has no helper.” “He will spare the poor and the wretched: and he will save the souls of the wretched.” Everyone will worship Him, freed from the cruel torment of the devil. For the Prophet called the devil strong, and human nature poor, as it was then without God. Moreover, He humbles those in power with Divine laws, strikes them with hellish threats and forces them to show some mercy to the poor. For he added the following. Ps.71:14. He will deliver their souls from deceit and violence, and their blood will be precious in his sight. “He will deliver their souls from usury and from unrighteousness.” He called covetousness usury. This is what the Old Law calls it. “It will not bear interest or increase” (Ezek. 18:17). Therefore, says the Prophet, he will convince those who revel in unrighteousness and covetousness to lead by mercy and love of mankind. “And His name is honorable before them,” that is, He will be honored and glorious to everyone. Ps.71:15. And he will live, and they will give him from the gold of Arabia, and they will pray for him unceasingly, and bless him every day. “And he will live, and some of the gold of Arabia will be given to him.” Instead of Arabia, other translators put: “Sava.” But both foreshadow the gifts brought to Him by everyone, both kings and barbarians. It is said: “he will live,” instead of “he will remain.” “And they will pray for Him and bless Him all day long.” They will ceaselessly praise Him; They will also sing songs of praise to His Father, having borrowed the occasion for song from the Son. For what was said: “they will pray for Him” is similar to the apostolic saying: “I thank my God through Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:8); and again: “By this means the imams are brought to the Father” (Eph. 2:18). Therefore, for His sake, everyone will pray to the Father, and will sing songs to Him for the benefits shown to them by the Son, but they will also sing songs to the Son, as those who received these benefits from Him. Ps.71:16. There will be an abundance of grain on the earth, on the top of the mountains; its fruits will grow like the forest of Lebanon, and people will multiply in the cities like grass on the earth. “There will be confirmation of the lands on the tops of the mountains”; that is, He will establish and strengthen those who believe in Him, making them high and exalted, as if standing on the very tops of mountains. This is what the Lord said to His disciples: “a city cannot hide itself on top of a mountain standing: they burn a lamp below and put it in a secret place, but in a candlestick, and it gives light to everyone in the church” (Matthew 5:14-15). “Their fruit will be exalted more than Lebanon.” since the Prophet mentioned high mountains; By the way, he also brought to mind Lebanon, as the highest of the mountains in Palestine, and says that His teaching and its interpreters and preachers will be higher and more glorious than Lebanon. “And they will flourish from the hail, like the grass of the earth.” Just as those who believed in Him will bear such fruit, so the disbelieving Jews will be like grass that now grows and soon dies. Ps.71:17. His name will be [blessed] forever; as long as the sun remains, his name will be transmitted; and in him [all the families of the earth] shall be blessed, all nations shall call him blessed. “His name will be blessed forever: His name abides before the sun.” The words: “blessed” are not in any list, neither in the Exaples, nor in the Jews. By saying “before” the Prophet shows that He is older than the sun and the moon. For it is not simply said: “he abides before the sun,” but: “and the generations of generations.” And the words: “generation of generations” (Ps. 72:5) The Prophet used both about the sun and the moon, because the sun and the moon are modern, brought into being at the same time. It is said: “And God said, let there be lights in the firmament of heaven. And God made two great lights” (Genesis 1:14,16). Therefore, if “before the moon there were generations,” then also before the sun. “And in Him all the tribes of the earth will be blessed.” The prophet here recalls the promise given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God promised these three Patriarchs that they would be blessed, then “all the nations of the earth” (Gen. 22:18), then “the tribes of the earth” (Gen. 12:3). These various names signify the entire human race. And blessed Paul, explaining this, said: “And to Abraham the vows were spoken, and to his seed. He does not say, neither by seed, as many, but as one, even to Your seed, who is Christ" (Gal. 3, 16); and in the Epistle to the Hebrews he says: “It was not from an angel that he received” (Heb. 2:16). The present psalm also foretells about Him, saying that “in Him all the tribes of the earth will be blessed.” “All the nations will please Him.” The prophetic word was spoken, some as about man, and some as about God. But the word: “blessed,” as we find, is also used about God. It is said: “blessed, and the only mighty one, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the only one who has immortality, and in the light he lives without transgression” (1 Tim. 6:15-16). The Prophet says: all nations call Him blessed and worthy of song. Then, revealing His hidden Divinity more clearly, he added: Ps.71:18. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone works miracles. “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, He alone works miracles”; that is, this very One about whom the prophecy is spoken will also perform the miracles mentioned above. He is both the God of Israel and the Lord of all. Ps.71:19. and blessed is the name of His glory forever, and the whole earth will be filled with His glory. Amen and amen. “And blessed is the name of His glory forever and ever.” Therefore, everyone should sing songs to Him. For if we do not know His nature as something approachable, then we have learned His saving name. “And the whole earth will be filled with His glory: awaken, awaken.” What he predicted more than once throughout the entire psalm, he also added prophecies at the conclusion to make the prediction more certain. He says: throughout the whole earth it will be revealed and known that He is God and the Lord of all, and will accept honor from everyone, and will illuminate everyone with the rays of His knowledge of God. And having learned this, the Prophet, by the grace of the Spirit and inflamed with desire, begs for this to happen and for the prophecy to come true. That’s why he adds: “wake up, wake up”, or according to Akila’s translation: “right, right”; that is, what is said is not false and true and will certainly come to pass. You might be interested in: