Chapter 55

Ps.55:1. In the end, about the people removed from the Saints, David in the pillars of the pillars, who also kept foreign women in Gath. Six hundred men followed David when he fled from Saul, and then, having come to Gath, he was received with honor by the foreigners, because they assigned Ziklag as his residence (1 Sam. 27:2-6). But this psalm can also be attributed to the face of the Church, which in ancient times, while servile to idolatry and demons, was removed from the saints, but delivered from mental enemies by Him who came in the flesh from the seed of David, fought for us, and, as if on a pillar, wrote the victory won for us. For after this, the foreigners, that is, the pagans who believed in Him, also honored Him. Ps.55:2. God have mercy on me, for man has trampled upon me. Either David says this about Saul, or one of the saints because of the sorrows that they have in the world. And often our fallen man endures this difficult battle, fighting and trampled underfoot by Satan all day long. For, although the psalm mentioned man, it nevertheless makes it clear that Satan himself (who in divine Scripture is often called man), or one of those at war with Satan. However, it is appropriate to sing this to the pagans, who for a long time were deceived by Satan and suffered abuse from him through the malice of demons, which David makes clearer in his subsequent words. Ps.55:3. Begging and hitting me all day. David knew that Saul was plotting against him, guided by invisible demons. Or this expresses what has been said: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but... against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). Like so many fighting me from above. Although they rebel, I will overcome them all by trusting in You. This hope has given me such strength that I am not afraid of those who have been fighting against me for a long time. Ps.55:5. I will praise my words about God. Fighting with enemies, so as not to suffer any evil, I arm myself, turning all my words into chants and offering them as a gift to God, and placing my trust in Him, which is how I repelled the fear of all flesh from myself. Ps.55:6. All day long I abhor my words. All day long, he says, I offered up my words as a gift to God, but all day long they did not stop their efforts, plotting evil against me. Ps.55:7. They will move in and hide: they will save my heel. It is said “will move in” in the sense of “gather together.” The meaning of the speech is this: they worked all day, arming themselves with words against me, all their thoughts were directed against me, they only tried to get together and secretly prepare intrigues for me, they didn’t even stop there, but they observed my heel, that is, my behavior, in order to find any opportunity to stumble and overthrow me. They even noticed my footprints, wherever I went, to catch me. And those who persecuted me did all this to me in vain. But You, Lord, are my hope, deliver me from their unrighteous intentions, overthrow them with Your wrath. Ps.55:9. God, I declare my life to You. With boldness, he says, without being ashamed of my life, I told You all of it, and You, approving of it, did not reject my tears, but You “laid them down” before Your eyes, confirming Your promise with your very deed, in which it is said: “I still say to you, Behold, I have come” (Is. 58:9). From which it happened that, as soon as You heard me, my enemies turned back. That's why I say: Ps.55:10. On the same day I will call upon You. May my enemies return back. In fact, I comprehended and knew exactly that hope was not in vain, and that I had acquired God as an assistant. Ps.55:13. The God of prayer is within me, even I will give Your praise. Since You have made us worthy of Your economy and saved us, what shall we render to You except sacrifices of praise? Ps.55:14. For you have delivered my soul from death. From spiritual death, that is, from ignorance of God. And my nose is crawling, speaks of sin because it brought down to death. I will be well-pleasing before the Lord in the light of the living. For he who has got rid of sin and become pure will please the Lord in the land of the living in the age to come. And to get rid of death, to be freed from sin and to have a part in the land of the living - all this is given to us by the coming of the Lord. That is why the psalm is inscribed - “a pillar written to David.” You might be interested in: