Изъяснение псалма 74-го.

Ps.74:1. To the head of the choir. Don't destroy it. Psalm of Asaph. Song. “In the end, let us not corrupt you, a psalm of song to Asaph.” And Symmachus translated: “a victorious psalm for incorruption to Asaph.” Since this psalm contains a prediction about the righteous judgment of God, and foretells both the destruction of the workers of wickedness and the good rewards of lovers of virtue, the prophetic word, not without reason, commands in the inscription not to corrupt pious thoughts, but to keep them healthy and inherit incorruption. And this psalm is spoken on behalf of the captives in Babylon, who vow to sing songs to God if they are worthy of God’s mercy. Ps.74:2. We glorify You, O God, we glorify You, for Your name is near; They proclaim Your wonders. Ps.74:3. “When I choose the time, I will execute judgment with righteousness. “We confess to You, O God, we confess to You, and let us call on Your name.” And from this it is clear that they spoke this without having yet to return; they vow to sing songs to God and to be magnified by His venerable name. For what is said: “Let us call upon Thy name” means: We will again be called by Thy name, and we will be called Thy people. “We will tell all Your wonders.” “Whenever I take the time.” And Aquila and Symmachus translate this: “when there is a meeting”; that is, when we return and gather in Your sacred church, then we will rightfully begin to praise You and proclaim Your good deeds to the ignorant. For that time will allow us to do this, but now we cry: “How can we sing the song of the Lord in foreign lands?” (Ps. 136:4). Thus the prophetic word, having taught what was to be said to the captives in Babylon, shows how God responds to the vows given and says; “I will judge what is right,” that is, I will render justice to both you and the Babylonians according to the law. Ps.74:4. The earth and all that dwell therein are shaken: I will establish its pillars.” “The earth and all who live on it melt away,” because I am the Judge of the whole universe and I will impose a worthy punishment on everyone. “I established its pillars.” I am the ruler over everything, as the Creator of everything. For I created and founded the earth, supporting it with My statutes as with certain pillars, “lay down a commandment, and it will not pass by” (Ps. 149:6). Therefore, as a judge, I do not want to punish, but I predict punishments in order to make those who sin by threat more chaste, and I exhort and advise them to hate every kind of lawlessness, and take care of a truthful and modest way of thinking. This is also taught in the addendum: Ps.74:5. I say to the foolish: “Do not be foolish,” and to the wicked: “Do not lift up your horns, “Rek to the transgressors, do not do wrong; and to those who sin, do not lift up your horns.” For of all illnesses the most cruel is not only to sin, but also to glory in it. Ps.74:6. do not lift up your horns high, [do not] speak [against God] stiff-necked." “Do not lift up your horns on high.” Then the Prophet shows what height he means. “And do not speak falsely against God.” Animals that have horns are too proud of them. The prophetic word exhorts not to increase iniquity with arrogance and not to open your mouth against God. Ps.74:7. For the exaltation is not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the wilderness, Ps.74:8. but God is a judge: he humiliates one, and exalts another; Ps.74:9. For the cup is in the hand of the Lord, the wine is boiling in it, full of mixture, and He pours from it. Even its yeast will be squeezed out and drunk by all the wicked lands. “Like below from the exodus, below from the west, below from the empty mountains”: “For God is a judge.” The Prophet called the east the exodus (as the fifth edition also shows), and the northern and southern countries the empty mountains, because due to excessive cold and heat they remained completely uninhabited. Therefore, the Prophet teaches that it is not possible to escape the judgment of God; because whether anyone reaches the east, or attempts to go to the west, or to the south, or to the north, is everywhere subject to God’s judgment. Then he teaches that changes in life happen by God’s determination. “This one he humbles, and this one he exalts.” “Like a cup in the hand of the Lord, the wine is not dissolved; full of dissolution, and turn away from sowing into this.” The prophecy of the divine Jeremiah also teaches about this cup. For he is commanded by the God of all to take the cup and give water to Jerusalem, and the princes, and the neighboring nations (Jer. 25:15-28). The Prophet calls punishment wine, because, like intoxication, it takes away strength and disrupts harmony in composition. Therefore, the prophetic word says that the righteous Judge, sometimes on us, and sometimes on them, imposes punishment; and now he lifts up one, and humbles another, and again gives height to others, and changes adversity, and imparts prosperity. The captives in Babylon were not only inspired to say this, but the slavery of the Babylonians and their own freedom were foreshadowed to them, because, after not much time, Cyrus crushed the power of the Babylonians, and returned their former freedom to the Israelites. “Before his thirst is exhausted, all the sinners of the earth will drink.” He called the most severe punishment trembling. I, he says, drank what was more established, that is, I was subjected to less disasters, but the Babylonians will drink the very scum, that is, they will suffer the most severe disasters that they caused. I, having been in slavery for seventy years, have been returned, but they will be given over to eternal slavery. Ps.74:10. And I will proclaim forever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob, “I will rejoice forever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.” Just as they mocked our misfortunes when we drank from them, so we, seeing their punishment, will lift up a song to God, not laughing at them, but expressing gratitude for their blessings. Ps.74:11. I will break all the horns of the wicked, and the horns of the righteous will be exalted. “And I will break all the horns of sinners, and the horn of the righteous will be exalted.” With these words it was foreshadowed to them that he would crush the enemies who would take up arms against them upon their return. That is why the Prophet said: “all the horns of sinners,” because, from different nations gathered, they launched war against them. The prophecies mention this: Ezekiel, and also Micah and Zechariah. After the destruction of these enemies, the Israelites became glorious and famous, as having won such a victory. The Prophet called the horn of the righteous a pious way of thinking. And if anyone wants to understand that he who is called here righteous is Zerubbabel, whom God, having used as a servant, achieved this victory, then he will not sin against the truth. You might be interested in: