Chapter 67

Ps.67:1. Finally, a psalm of songs to David. In this psalm, the prophet depicts the coming of the Lord, the overthrow of mental enemies and the end of spiritual captivity; and also teaches that the Lord is the one who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt of old. In addition to this, the sermon promises the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who receive it, adds consolation to the Apostles with the promise of deliverance from all sorrow that befell them for preaching, and even promises that many of those who are over-grieved and mired in a sea of ​​pleasures will turn away. Nevertheless, it proclaims the election of the Apostles, also shows who they are and where they come from, preaches the faith in the Lord to all pagans, and at the same time clearly teaches about the ascension of the Lord into heaven. All this can be seen by examining each verse one by one. Ps.67:2. May God rise again and let His enemies be scattered. This word expresses God's urging to bring judgment on unclean demons; because by His coming the demons are deprived of the power to torment people. Ps.67:5. Create a path for the One who ascended to the West. Prepare yourselves to walk in the ways of the last of times who appeared in the flesh to those living on earth. Or, “To the one who ascended to the west” means “To the one who descended even to hell.” Ps.67:6. Let them be troubled at His presence, that is, hordes of demons. Father of the orphans and judge of widows. “Orphans” he calls the defenseless, and “widows” - souls who are not ignorant of the Word, because He is the protector of the weak, who, like us, do not have human help. Who is this Intercessor and what is He like? God is in His Holy Place. Because He called Him “having ascended to the west,” i.e. descended to the depths of hell, he again teaches that, having ascended to heaven, He stood in His place, although He never departed from it in the least by His Divine nature. Ps.67:7. God will bring like-minded people into the house. “Like-minded” he calls those who dedicated their lives to Him alone, and made it alien to all double-mindedness and worldly desires. Therefore, He promises such dwelling in His house, the heavenly city. Harassing those bound by courage. This is similar to what was said “to those who are in chains: come out, and to those who are in darkness: open yourselves” (Is. 49:9). He calls service to demons “chains” and “darkness.” Likewise, those who live in tombs are grieving. He says this because “preaching has descended” into hell, “to those who sometimes resist the spirit” (1 Peter 3:19-20). For “greatly grieving” is said instead of “greatly grieving.” Ps.67:8. God, you never go before your people, you never pass by in the desert. Shows that He who descended even to hell is the same One who, in ancient times, through Moses, brought Israel out of Egypt. And therefore he says that when You preceded Your people when they came out of Egypt, Ps.67:9. the earth shook, that is, his coming became known throughout the whole earth. The earth shook, for the heavens were in ruins. The heavens searched for spiritual food, meaning manna. those. God, who gave the law on Mount Sinai. Israel is a mind that sees God. Ps.67:10. The rain is free to separate, O God, to Your heritage. “Rain” refers to the Gospel word, according to what is said: “it will fall like rain on the fleece” (Ps. 71:6). He calls “free” in contrast to the service under the law, because the services under the law were not allowed by Him voluntarily, according to what was said: “Who... brought this delicacy out of your hands” (Is. 1:12)? or: “Your burnt offerings are not pleasing, and your sacrifices do not please Me” (Jer. 6:20). And exhausted, you did it. I was exhausted of old when I worshiped idols. But “you did it”, calling you with the gospel sermon. Ps.67:11. Your animal lives on it. Here he calls those who have partaken of life-giving food “animals.” “On it” doesn’t it mean the same as “in His possession”? Thou hast prepared with Thy goodness for the poor, O God. What have you prepared, if not “whose eye has not seen and ear has not heard” (1 Cor. 2:9)? And who is a beggar, if not one of those about whom he said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for to them is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3)? Ps.67:12. The Lord will give the word to those who preach the gospel with much power. He Himself will give the word to His holy Apostles so that they can preach the Gospel. And this is similar to what was said: “Do not worry about what you say, or what you say: in the hour that you speak, it will be given to you: for you will not be the ones who speak, but the Spirit of My Father who speaks in you” (Matthew 10:19-20). And what was said: “with much power” should be understood in connection with the words: “The Lord will give the word,” but not with the word: “bringing good news,” as some thought. For it expresses the idea that God with great power gives the word to those who preach the gospel, that is: to those who intend to tell us our good things, the same one gives the word, who gives the opportunity for the gospel. Ps.67:13. The king of the beloved's powers. The Lord Himself gave the word to the hidden ones, because He is the King of the beloved people, He is also their strength. The beauty of the house is shared by self-interest. “Home” – those who believed in Christ, “the beauty of the house” – His holy disciples and Apostles. Therefore, he says that to the beauty of the house, that is, to the Evangelists, he gives the verb to “share the self-interest,” i.e. attract the pagans to the faith and plunder Satan's gain. Ps.67:14. If only you could sleep in the middle... This speech is addressed to the holy Apostles. If, he says, the borders will accept you (“limits” he calls those who believed from two nations), and therefore, if you rest in them, then they will be given a “krill dove” with gold-plated “interplanes.” He understands that those who received the holy Apostles will be honored with the Holy Spirit. i.e. wise. Ps.67:15. The heavenly kings will always separate from her. He calls the Apostles, who became the rulers of His property, Kings. “They will be snowed” instead of “they will be cleansed,” and “in Selmon” is interpreted: “in retribution.” Therefore, he says that those who received the holy Apostles as reward or as a reward for acceptance from the heavenly King will receive the cleansing of sins. Ps.67:16. The mountain of God is the fat mountain. The Church calls it “Mountain” and calls it “fat” because it makes the souls of those who belong to it well-fed and anointed. The mountain is strewn, the mountain is fat. Ps.67:17. How do you feel the strewn mountains? “Deepened” means filled with milk, that is, a simple word of teaching, according to what was said: “You have been given milk to drink, and not broth” (1 Cor. 3:2). Therefore, he reproaches those who assume that heretical churches can also be watered down, because there is nothing in them that could educate for a spiritual state. Therefore, “you are not aware of everything”, as if outside the Church there are other strewn mountains, and not just this mountain, “why did God deign to live in it?” And that He lives in the Church is clear from what He himself said: “I will dwell here as I will” (Ps. 131:14). Ps.67:18. The chariot of God is likewise a thousand gob-hooters. “The Chariot of God” refers to the heavenly and mental forces that carry God. This is similar to what was said: “thousands of thousands served Him, and these stood before Him” (Dan. 7:10). They are also those who consume food, or rejoice, because they are delivered from sin. Therefore, he who is carried by darkness on this chariot is the same Lord who gave the law on the holy Mount Sinai. Ps.67:19. ascended to the heights, understands the height of the cross, and that is, he returned from captivity of the soul, captivated by the devil. For He promised this, saying: “If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to Himself” (John 12:32). You have accepted giving from people. From whom did you receive the gifts of people, if not from the Father, who said: “Ask of Me, and I will give You the tongues of Your inheritance” (Ps. 2:8)? For those who do not repent cannot move in. The very people whom You accepted as donations were in ancient times disobedient, but You also dwelt in them, he says. The meaning of speech is found through the rearrangement of words. Thou hast accepted giving from men, that is why you dwell in them, that is, in those given to you. But those very ones whom You accepted were disobedient from ancient times. It is clear that they were disobedient when they served the creature more than the Creator. Ps.67:20. Blessed be the Lord God, blessed be the Lord day by day. After completing a great deed, the Apostolic Face lifts up a song to God. God will hasten our salvation. You, Master, will open the door of the word so that the path of preaching may be successful for us. Ps.67:21. Our God is the hedgehog to save: and the Lord’s, the Lord’s departure from death. He clearly expresses his confidence that he will bring out those brought to death for preaching victoriously, because His essence is “the origin of death.” Ps.67:22. Either way, God will crush the heads of the enemies him, that is, the face of the Apostles, for he will deliver them, crushing the heads of their enemies. The expression is borrowed from the likeness of snakes, which, when they attack a person, are struck in the head and die themselves. But this speech also has an application to the leaders of the Jewish people. The top of the power of those who pass away in their sins. “Vlas on top” again calls the head, meaning that he will crush the heads of those who sin unrepentantly. Ps.67:23. The Lord said: I will turn from Bashan. “Vasan” is interpreted as: bitterness or grief. Therefore, he says that from the house of the one who grieves, i.e. from the house of Israel, he will turn to himself. I will turn you in the depths of the sea. And those who have fallen into the abyss of voluptuousness, he says, I will turn to Me. Ps.67:24. For let your foot be dipped in blood. Shows how they will turn. In what way exactly? Is it not because the evil forces will be overthrown? For, according to the words of Isaiah, “he brought their blood into the ground” (Is. 63:6), so that His foot was dipped in blood. Here the word describes this as if in the form of a narrative. The tongue of Your dog is from the enemy from Him. He calls the guardians of the spiritual flock, the holy preachers, dogs. Their tongue almost tastes the blood of their mental enemies. Therefore, he understands that the Apostolic word will almost become the cause of death for the crafty demons. Ps.67:25. Thy procession has been seen, O God. “Processions” of God calls what is accomplished according to the economy, such as: the birth of the Virgin, the working of miracles, the ascension to the cross, the death received through the economy, the resurrection from the dead, the ascension to heaven. He says about these processions that they became obvious. Processions of my God, my King, who is in the Holy One. You see how clearly it is expressed about Him who makes processions that He is both God and His King, and also preaches about Him that He is “in the Holy Place,” that is, on Mount Sinai, according to what was said: “The Lord is in them in Sinai in the Holy Place” (Ps. 67:18). Ps.67:26. Anticipating the princes near the singers. “Princes” he calls the holy Apostles, about whom it is said: “I have appointed princes throughout the whole earth” (Ps. 44:17). “Singing” refers to those who offer verbal sacrifices of praise. Therefore, he says that the princes “previously”, that is, they were the first to begin the ministry in spirit and truth, or the ministry of the gospel. “Virgins” he calls the souls of those who believed, strengthened by the Holy Spirit, and who proclaimed the gospel in the heavenly places, among whom we should also include the Holy Apostles, as the pioneers of the ministry. Ps.67:27. In the churches bless God, the Lord from the fountain of Israel. The “sources” of Israel were the blessed prophets and before them the Law. Therefore, he says that we must glorify God, not drawing praise from elsewhere, but only from them. He says this because of the non-Orthodox heretical writings. For from the writings of the Law and the Prophets the Lord is blessed by those who are able from them, as from the sources of salvation, to draw with joy the water about which the Savior said: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give to him will have in him a fountain of water flowing into an eternal belly” (John 4:14). But those who divide the Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures are worthy of reproof, because they cannot bless God in the churches without having the sources of Israel and their Lord, just as they dare to divide the Divinity itself. Ps.67:28. There, the youngest Veniamin is terrified. Where is “there” if not among the singers? And who is “Benjamin” if not the blessed Apostle Paul, who came from the tribe of Benjamin? He was called “the youngest” because the Lord appeared to him, the last of the Apostles. And it is said: “in horror” because of the abundance of revelations, in accordance with what he himself says: “if we are astonished, O God: if we are chaste, to you” (2 Cor. 5:13). He rightly mentioned him first of all, as one who worked more than the others. The princes of Judah are their rulers. “The princes of Judah,” he says, were ordained rulers and princes of the singers. And they were both from the tribe of Judah, and from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali: and from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, Peter, Andrew, James and John, as the Gospel informs, and from the tribe of Judah Levi, or Matthew, and the other Apostles. Ps.67:29. Commandment, O God, by Thy power. He calls the Son the power of the Father, according to what has been said: “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24). Therefore, the face of the Apostles begs the Father to strengthen him, “what he has done in them.” What did he do in them, if not their body? Therefore, they ask that, having freed them from corruption, He clothe them in incorruption, which is what the Lord will do when He descends from heaven, and the dead rise incorruptible. Ps.67:30. From Your temple to Jerusalem they will bring You gifts to the king. The Church calls Him “Church”, but calls those who believe in Christ “kings”, according to what was said: “you... are the royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). So he says that from the earthly church, that is, from the Church, those who are called by faith to the highest Jerusalem will bring him gifts, obviously spiritual. Ps.67:31. Forbid the reedy beast. Since many people look with hostility at the life of the Saints according to God, especially unclean demons, he therefore prays that God would forbid this “reedy beast.” Reed was the name of a place in Palestine that lay on the way to Jerusalem. This reed was filled with lions hiding in the swamp and there lying in wait for those going to Jerusalem. Therefore, just as those going to Jerusalem were waylaid by lions, so those going to mental Jerusalem are waylaid by mental lions. A host of youths among human youths. Understands other opponents of the sermon. Who are these if not the leaders of the Jewish people? They were called “youths” because the people were called “youngsters”. And that they were really called youths is clear from what was said: “The fat youths have overpowered me” (Ps. 21:13). It was they who incited the common people to fight against the preachers. Shut the tempted ones with silver. Silver – Divine words. He says: “forbid” both mental and sensory enemies, so that the preachers of the Gospel are not driven to the point of being unable to preach anymore. Or this: “forbid” both of them, so that preachers are not prohibited from preaching. Waste the tongues of those who want to curse: Obviously, he means the peoples in the spiritual sense and the battles raised against the Saints. Ps.67:32. Women of prayer will come from Egypt: Ethiopia will advance her hand to God. After the mental enemies are scattered and bound, the Egyptians and Ethiopians flock to preach. The name of the Egyptians means zealous idolaters and opponents of the life of Israel, and the name of the Ethiopians means the boundaries of the earth. But how Ethiopia flocked to the preaching can be seen in the example of the Ethiopian Eunuch. Ps.67:33. Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God. Shows that all other nations, together with their kings, will believe in Christ. Ps.67:34. ascended to heaven heaven. Since in the previous verses he preached about the suffering and descent of Christ into hell, he also preaches about the ascension of Christ into heaven. And the added “to the east” is said comparatively. For just as the sun, having hidden itself in the west, rises in the east, so the Lord, as if from the depths of hell, ascended to heaven. He will give His voice a voice of power. “The voice of power” refers to the voice that will raise up all the dead when they are resurrected at His command. Ps.67:35. Give glory to God. So Paul says: “glorify God in all your bodies, and in your souls, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20), because justice requires glorifying the Benefactor in everything. His glory is upon Israel, and His power is upon the clouds. Ps.67:36. God is wonderful in His Saints: the God of Israel, He will give strength and power to His people: blessed be God. Since the psalm mentioned His second coming, in which He will resurrect all the dead, it reveals to us the various honors that will be given to the Saints, as well as the various ranks of the Saints. And ranks are meant with the words: “Israel”, “clouds”, “Holy people”, and honors are shown in the words: “magnificence”, “strength”, “wonderful”, “power”. On top of all this he adds that God is “blessed.” For it is clear that the Saints in those abodes, that is, in heaven, will unceasingly bless God, imitating the order of the heavenly spirits. You might be interested in: