Chapter 68

Ps.68:1. In the end, about those who have to change, a psalm to David. The psalm contains a prayer offered by the Savior on behalf of humanity, as well as the reasons why He suffered the death of the cross. He also describes in clear terms the suffering itself and the disasters that befell the Jews through suffering. On top of this, it depicts the introduction of the gospel life and the teaching of worship in spirit and truth, which is what the psalm consists of. And that the entire Savior’s prayer is offered on behalf of human nature, the Psalmist makes it clear at the end of the psalm when he says: “For the Lord has heard the poor and despised not His own bound” (Ps. 69:34). Ps.68:2. Save Me, God, for You brought water down to My soul. Since he took upon himself our sins, “he is sick for us” (Is. 53:4), then it is right to pray for deliverance from temptations, like a stream that surrounded His soul. Ps.68:3. The coal-burner is in a time of depth, and there is no constancy. For this is what human nature suffered, drawn by sin into death, and even into hell itself, which the prophet here calls “the time of the depths” and “the depths of the sea.” Ps.68:4. My call has grown weary, my larynx has become silent. And what and for what he cried out, he clearly showed this in the following, saying: “Let me get rid of those who hate Me, and from the deep waters” (Ps. 69:15) and “Let no storm of water drown Me” (Ps. 69:16) and so on, which was added to this. For he prays, as I said, for human nature, so that the power of death may be crushed, because hell does not shut its gaping mouth against our nature, which is why it says: “The peer will speak of Me with his mouth” (Ps. 69:16). Ps.68:5. Having multiplied more than the power of My head, those who hate Me, because there are numerous demons who plot against human nature, and although they have not suffered any offense from us, they are in a hurry to put us to death. My enemies, who drive Me out unrighteously, are strengthened. Shows that the verdict on Him was pronounced unfairly. Ps.68:6. God, You have taken away My madness. “Madness” refers to what people consider to be riot, and specifically the violence of preaching about the suffering of Christ. For, according to the words of the holy Apostle, the cross of Christ became “a temptation for the Jews,” but “madness” for the pagans (1 Cor. 1:23). Therefore he says: You, Father, “thou tookst away” the dispensation of the cross. And he says this because “I would have obeyed the Father even to the point of death, death on the cross” (Phil. 2:8). And My sins are not hidden from You. This is similar to what was said: “for he who knew no sin, create sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21). This is what the words mean: “I will not hide from You.” Ps.68:7. Let not those who bear with You be ashamed because of Me, O Lord, Lord of hosts. It is said: “about Me” instead of: “for My sake,” or “because of My suffering for them.” It is also said: “Let them not be put to shame” instead of: “Let them not be put to shame any more,” as they were of old put to shame by the corruption to which they were subjected. The meaning of the speech is this: since I took it upon myself to taste death for them; then let the shame be taken away from them, in which they were previously due to death, because for a person created in the image of God, death reigning over him was a shame. Therefore, he makes it clear that by His resurrection death will be destroyed. According to this interpretation, another verse similar to the present one also means: “let those who seek You be ashamed because of Me.” As above, so here, it is well said: “about Me.” For He Himself urged patience, and being defeated, He would bring shame to those who believed, as having chosen danger for themselves through deception and gullibility. Ps.68:8. For for Your sake I have suffered reproach. I ask, he says, that death be destroyed, because, “having obeyed,” I dedicate it to You. Ps.68:9. I was a stranger to My brethren. This is due to the abandonment of His own by all during suffering. Ps.68:10. For zeal for Your house has consumed Me. They denied Me because I convicted them of wickedness towards Your house, John clearly describes the event when Christ drove them out of the church with a whip. And the reproaches of those who revile Ti attacked Me. Not only was I removed and alienated, but I was also subjected to the reproach of “those who reproach You” with their evil deeds, but I suffered all this for nothing other than zeal for Your house. Ps.68:11. And I covered my soul with fasting. Grieving over the future destruction of their souls, I did both. But those for whom I did this, at every time and in every place had Me in their mouths, reproaching Me for the suffering that I suffered for them. Ps.68:14. My prayer is to You, Lord. Although they repaid Me with evil for all the blessings, I do not cease to offer prayers for them. This is clear from the words of the Evangelist, who represents Him on the cross praying for those crucifying. “When the end of the year had come, God sent His Son, who was born of woman, to be under the law, that He might redeem those under the law” (Gal. 4:4-5). The one who came to this says: “It is a time of favor, O God.” Ps.68:15. Save Me from the clay, so that I don’t drown. This is what He cried out when praying for humanity, which is why He says: “Hush My throat” (Ps. 68:4). The word “become silent” means unremitting prayer. Ps.68:16. Let no storm of water drown me, let the depth below devour me. Since a decree and a terrible oath have been uttered, that if an Angel brings good news to us, or teaches us something other than what Paul taught, “let him be anathema” (Gal. 1:8), then can anyone surpass Paul, or, better to say, Christ speaking in him? Therefore, Christ himself refers such a prayer to Himself, and He testifies of Himself when the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews says that “in the days of His flesh - that is, ascending to the cross - prayers and supplications to Him who was able to save Him from death - that is, to the Father - with a strong cry and with tears he brought and was heard from reverence, even if the Son had been, even more so from those who suffered, to obedience” (Heb. 5:7-8). Here Paul, or, better to say, Christ speaking in him, revealed to us what was silent and abandoned by the Evangelists, saying that “with a strong cry and with tears” this prayer was made: “Father... let this cup pass from Me” (Matthew 26:39). Not feignedly, not with the intention of deceiving Satan, and not appropriating the will of the world to Himself, but on His own behalf voluntarily, according to the economy, although He really is the Son of God, Christ prays with a cry, with tears, in sweat and drops of blood, strengthened by an Angel and, as it were, encouraged and comforted by Him. “And having prayed in labor,” as the Evangelist says, even “more diligently” (Luke 22:44), he even offered prayer to the Father twice and three times. And therefore, since Paul, or better yet, Christ Himself speaking in Paul, refers such a prayer to Christ, can anyone pervert what Christ Himself testified about Himself? Ps.68:18. Do not turn Your face away from Your servant. Since God and the Father turned away from human nature for the crime in Adam, he begs God to turn His face to it. Ps.68:19. Take in my soul, and deliver me from the death that holds it. My enemy, for the sake of delivering Me. The insult that we suffered from our mental enemies inclines the Father to show mercy to us. Ps.68:20. You must weigh My reproach. This is similar to what was said: “For Your sake I suffered reproach” (Ps. 68:8). Ps.68:21. My soul is reproached. This begins the description of suffering, clearly described by the Evangelists. Ps.68:23. Let their table be set before them in a net. This depicts what will befall the Jews after His suffering. And as if he were saying this: they will endure the same thing that they prepared for Me, wanting me to experience it. Woe to the evil one, “the evil one will befall him according to the work of his hands” (Isa. 3:11). Ps.68:24. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see. And indeed, have we not become darkened by not receiving the Sun of Truth? And I will take out their backbones, because it was not a temporary captivity, like that of the Babylonians, that befell them. Ps.68:26. Let their yard be empty. He says this because of the devastation that befell Jerusalem. And let no one live in their dwellings, that is, from themselves, because none of the Jews live in the dwellings of Jerusalem. Ps.68:27. You struck him down and drove him away. Indication of the reason why they will suffer such disasters. This is similar to what was said: “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (Matthew 26:31). Thus, by not accepting the One who, by Your good pleasure, accepted defeat in suffering, they deprived themselves of their own salvation. And I will add My wounds to the disease. He says this because Christ humbled Himself, but they put Him to death. Ps.68:28. Add iniquity to their iniquity. And he says this because both after the crucifixion and after the resurrection they slandered Him. And let them not enter into Your truth. Let them be removed from the bliss that will be given to the righteous. Ps.68:29. May they be consumed from the book of the living. Although they were inscribed because the promises were given to them, yet, since they did both, they will justly be blotted out. Ps.68:30. I am poor and sick: let Thy salvation, O God, receive me. Here the gospel life is preached, which was foreshadowed by the poor according to God, to whom it is said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). This poor face also enters, giving thanks for the salvation done to him by the Only Begotten, for He is the image of the Father. It is also announced that it will no longer be bloody sacrifices, but rather sacrifices of praise and spiritual song. Ps.68:33. Let the poor see and rejoice. Having known this, the poor in spirit will rejoice. The Apostles say this for the sake of those who through them believed in Christ. Ps.68:34. As if the poor Lord heard. What kind of prayer did you hear, other than the one in which the Only Begotten prayed for them? And what did he pray for if not for their deliverance from the bonds of death? Therefore it is said: and do not despise your bound ones. For he broke the bonds of everyone, saying “to those who are in bonds: come out, and to those who are in darkness: open yourselves” (Is. 49:9). And do not despise your bound ones. He did not despise us who were in need. And he well called us chained because we suffered this. Ps.68:35. May heaven and earth praise Him. If “there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:7), then how much more will heaven rejoice after the liberation of the whole earth. If heaven rejoices over human salvation and praises God for this, how much more will those saved on earth themselves praise the Savior. Therefore he added: “the sea and everything that lives in them.” He says this because God’s salvation will be received on the islands. And the words “in them” mean: both on land and in the sea. Ps.68:36. For God will save Zion, and the cities of Judaism will be built. Who does he call “Zion” if not the holy Church, in which cities were created, that is, the raised souls of men? They were fallen when they did not know God, but they were raised up by confession, because the Jews interpret it as confession. And they will dwell there and inherit and Those who are now in captivity, upon their return, will build their cities and inhabit them. And not only will they themselves dwell in them, but also their sons and grandsons. For the prophet added this too. Ps.68:37. And the seed of Thy servants will restrain him, and those who love Thy name will dwell in him. Just as His servants are the holy Apostles, according to what is said: “Paul is the servant of Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:1), so their seed are those who believed in Christ through the Apostles. You might be interested in: