Six Psalms: text of prayer with accents in Russian, numbers of psalms

Six Psalms in worship

Every day during the morning service in churches, the Six Psalms are read - these are six specially selected psalms, read in a strictly established order: 3, 37, 62, 87, 102, 142. In the general church choir, the Six Psalms can be identified by their minor sound and the creation of a particularly strict environment. In the church, the royal doors are closed, the candles and lights are extinguished, all the gathered believers stand motionless, and the reader solemnly recites psalms from the middle of the temple. These words contain a prayer of sorrow, repentance and hope.

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The Six Psalms are considered obligatory for morning worship, and this continues all year round, with the exception of Easter week. This fact speaks of the enormous importance of six psalms. It is believed that it reflects the most important event in the life of mankind - the coming of the Lord into the world.

In its current form, the Six Psalms entered worship around the 7th century. Mentions of this can be found in the charters of monasteries and in the records of many priests of that era. According to some information, it was believed that, to some extent, the Six Psalms could replace the entire Psalter. It is still not known exactly who established the Six Psalms. It is also not known for certain why these six psalms are included in it. However, the fact that they have something in common is an established fact.

Averintsev S.S. Translation of SIX PSALMIA

(Ps 3):

Lord, how those who oppress me have multiplied! Many rise up against me, many say to my soul: “There is no salvation for him in God.” But You, Lord, are my defense, You are my glory, You lift up my head. With my voice I cried out to the Lord, and He heard me from His holy mountain. I fell asleep, and slept, and arose, for the Lord protects me. I will not be afraid of the multitude of people surrounding me from everywhere. Arise, Lord! Save me, my God! You defeat all my adversaries, you crush the teeth of sinners. From the Lord is salvation, and on Your people is Your blessing. I fell asleep, and slept, and arose, for the Lord protects me.

(Ps 37):

Lord! Do not rebuke me in Your wrath, and do not punish me in Your anger; for Thy arrows have entered into me, and Thy hand is heavy upon me. There is no whole place in my flesh because of Your wrath, there is no peace in my bones because of my sins; for my iniquities have exceeded my head, like a heavy burden, weighing me down; My wounds stink and fester because of my madness. I am bent and drooping immensely, I walk all day, lamenting, for my loins are full of illness, and there is no whole place in my flesh. I am exhausted and very contrite, I cry out from the oppression of my heart. Lord! All my desire is before You, and my sighing is not hidden from You. My heart trembles, my strength has left me, the light of my eyes has left me - and that is not with me. My friends, my comrades retreated from my misfortune, and my neighbors stood at a distance. But those who seek my soul lay snares, those who wish me harm prepare words of murder, prepare forges all day long. But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; like a dumb man, I do not open my mouth; Yes, I was like one who does not hear and has no rebuke in his mouth. For in You, O Lord, I trust; You will hear, Lord, my God! And I said: Let not my enemies rejoice over me, and let them not boast before me when my foot fails! For I am ready for wounds, and my sorrow is always before me, I proclaim my iniquity and grieve over my sin. Meanwhile, my enemies live in great power, and those who hate me innocently have multiplied, repaying me evil for good, enmitying me because I seek good. Don't leave me, Lord, my God! Don't leave me! Hasten to help me, Lord of my salvation! Don't leave me, Lord, my God! Don't leave me! Hasten to help me, Lord of my salvation!

(Ps 62):

Oh, God, You are my God, I have sought You from the early dawn. My soul thirsted for You, my flesh yearned for You in the desert, and dry, and waterless land. Oh, to see You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory! For Your mercy is better than life, and my lips will praise You. I will bless You as long as my life lasts, I will lift up my hands in Your name: my soul will be satisfied with fat and oil, and my lips will praise You with a voice of joy, when I remember You on my bed, in the morning I will think about You; for You are my Helper, and under the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul clings to You, and Your right hand holds me. And those who catch my soul will go down to the underworld of the earth, they will be given over to the power of the sword, and they will become prey to the jackals. The king will rejoice in God, everyone who swears by Him will be glorified, for the lips of those who speak lies will be stopped. In the morning I will think about You, for You are my Helper, and under the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul clings to You, and Your right hand holds me. (Glory, even now.) Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. (Thrice) Lord, have mercy (Thrice). (Glory, even now.)

(Ps 87):

Lord, God of my salvation! Day and night I cry out to You. May my prayer come before Your face; incline Your ear to my prayer; for my soul was filled with troubles, and my life came to hell. I am numbered among those who go down to the grave, I have become like a faint man, left among the dead, like those killed in the tomb, whom You will no longer remember, and whom Your hand has cast away. You brought me down into the pit of the grave, into darkness and the shadow of death; Your wrath is heavy upon me, and You brought all Your waves upon me. You have removed my neighbors from me, you have made me an abomination to them, you have imprisoned me, I cannot be released. My eyes are tired of grief; I cried out to You, Lord, all day long, I stretched out my hands to You. Or do you work miracles over the dead? Or will the dead rise and praise You? Or will Your mercy be proclaimed in the tomb, and Your faithfulness in a place of corruption? Or will Thy wonders be known in darkness, and Thy righteousness in the land of oblivion? But I cry to You, Lord, and in the morning my prayer is before You. Why, Lord, do you reject my soul, do you turn away your face from me? I am poor, and in sorrows from my youth, I bear the burden of Your terrors and am exhausted. Your wrath has passed over me, Your terrors have confused me, every day they surround me like water, they surround me all together. You have removed friend and companion from me, and my neighbors are not visible as if in darkness. Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to You day and night. May my prayer come before Your face; incline Your ear to my prayer.

(Ps 102):

Bless, my soul, the Lord, and all that is in me is His holy name; bless, my soul, the Lord, and do not forget all His gifts. He forgives all your iniquities, heals all your ailments, delivers your life from corruption, crowns you with mercy and generosity, satisfies your desire with good things; like an eagle, your youth will be renewed. The Lord works mercy, protects the rights of all those oppressed. He revealed His ways to Moses, and His deeds to the children of Israel. The Lord is generous and merciful, long-suffering and abundantly merciful, He is not completely angry, and He does not quarrel forever; He did not create for us according to our iniquities, nor did He reward us according to our sins. As the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as the east is from the west, He has removed our iniquities from us. As a father has mercy on his sons, the Lord has mercy on those who fear Him. For He knows our composition, remembers that we are dust. Man - his days are like grass, like the flower of the field, they fade; it blows over him, and he is not, and his place is not known. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness is upon the sons of sons, who keep His covenant, remembering His commandments to do them. The Lord has erected His throne in Heaven, and His Kingdom embraces everything. Bless the Lord, all you His angels, mighty in strength, who do His word, listening to the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all His armies, His servants, who do His will. Bless the Lord, all His works! In every place of His dominion, bless the Lord, my soul! In every place of His dominion, bless the Lord, my soul!

(Ps 142):

Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my prayer in Your truth, hear me in Your righteousness, and do not enter into court with Your servant, for no one living will be justified before You. For the enemy oppresses my soul, tramples my life into the ground, casts me into darkness, like those who died in ancient days. And my spirit is sad within me, my heart is troubled within me. I remember the days of old, I meditate on all Your deeds, I consider the works of Your hand, I stretch out my hands to You; my soul is a waterless land and thirsts for You. Hear me soon, Lord! my spirit faints. Do not turn Your face away from me, lest I become like those who go to the grave. Reveal Your mercy to me in the morning, for I trust in You; Show me the path that I should go, for I lift up my soul to You. Deliver me from my enemies, Lord! I come running to You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your Good Spirit lead me to the land of righteousness. For the sake of Your name, Lord, give me life; For the sake of Your righteousness, bring my soul out of sorrow; and by Thy mercy destroy my enemies, and destroy all who oppress my soul, for I am Thy servant. Hear me, O Lord, in Thy righteousness, and do not enter into judgment with Thy servant. Hear me, O Lord, in Thy righteousness, and do not enter into judgment with Thy servant. May Your Good Spirit lead me to the land of righteousness. https://www.sfi.ru/lib.asp?rubr_id=289&art_id=2602

Structure of the Six Psalms

One thing can be said for sure: the Six Psalms are not spontaneously chosen psalms. These are texts collected together, they have a common “melody”, structure and differences. These features include:

1. The psalms for the six psalms are chosen evenly from its different places. Thus, it becomes clear that they seem to represent the entire holy book.
2. All selected psalms include the biography of King David and relate to the period of his life.
3. The tone and content of these psalms are approximately the same. The essence comes down to this: the righteous man is persecuted by enemies, but he trusts only in God.
4. 3, 37, 87 and 142 are petitions for deliverance from enemies, and 62 and 102 are gratitude for this miraculous deliverance.
5. Each one talks about night and morning, which is why they are read at the morning service.
6. There is a clear alternation of sad psalms (they are in even places) and joyful ones (respectively, in odd ones).

Psalm 62

God, my God! to You in the morning; My soul thirsted for Thee, since my flesh multiplied for Thee in the empty, impassable, and waterless land, so in the Holy One I appeared to Thee, to see Thy power and Thy glory: for Thy mercy is better than life. With my lips praise Thee; Thus I will bless Thee in my belly, and in Thy name I will lift up my hands. For my soul may be filled with fatness and ointment, and my lips will praise You with joy. If I remember You on my bed, I will learn from You in the morning, as if You were my helper, and in Your shelter I will rejoice. My soul clings to You; Thy right hand is acceptable to me. They, having sought my soul in vain, will go down into the underworld of the earth; they will surrender into the hands of arms, parts of the fox will be. The king will rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him will boast, because the mouth of those who speak unrighteously is stopped. In the morning I learned from You, as You were my helper, and in the shelter of Your wing I will rejoice. My soul clings to You, but Your right hand accepts me! Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages, amen. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to You, God (three times - without bowing).

Life of King David according to the Six Psalms

The inscriptions indicate that the author of these psalms is King David, who is also a psalmist and prophet. The period of his life is 1000 years before the birth of Christ. The psalms speak of the fact that David was persecuted by enemies from a young age; his entire life’s path was strewn with dangers, temptations and sorrows.

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It is mentioned that David never lost faith in God, even in moments of mortal danger. At the same time, the king always indicated the Almighty - the tone is basic for all six psalms. Unconditional trust and trust in the Lord shines through in every line.

1. In the 62nd - the period when David found refuge from a fierce enemy in the Judean desert. This enemy was jealous of David and feared for his throne - it was King Saul. According to some sources, this psalm reflects the rebellion of David’s son Absalom. David perceived this uprising as a punishment from the Lord. Therefore, he did not see the right to suppress the rebellion of his treacherous son by force, but left everything to the judgment of the Lord. It was for this reason that he did not raise his troops against his son, and not at all from a lack of courage or from a lack of warriors. In this situation, David saw one possible way out for himself - to escape.
2. In Psalm 37 one can most clearly hear the repentant motive. At the time of writing this text, Absalom's rebellion was just being prepared.
3. The 87th is very close to the previous one in content. Its author is Heman the Israelite, whom David made the leader of one of their choirs. Heman was part of David’s closest circle, knew him well and joyfully shared all the hardships of the king’s life. This is all reflected in this psalm.
4. Psalms 3 and 142 are directly the rebellion of Absalom, and it is described very eloquently, especially how the son pursued his fleeing father. The entire text is permeated with the main idea - David firmly trusted only in the will of the Lord, but not in his own human strength.
5. Psalm 102 belongs to the pen of David himself, but refers to a later period, when he had already reached a fairly advanced age. This text can be called gratitude to God for deliverance from Babylonian slavery.

Psalm 142

God! Hear my prayer, inspire my prayer in Thy truth, hear me in Thy righteousness, and do not enter into judgment with Thy servant! For no one living will be justified before You; Because the enemy drove my soul, he humbled my belly to the ground; He made me sit in dark, like dead centuries. And my spirit is depressed within me, my heart is troubled within me. I have remembered the days of old, I have learned in all Your works, I have learned Your hand in all creation. My hand has lifted up to You, my soul, like a waterless land to You. Hear me soon, Lord: my spirit has disappeared; do not turn Your face away from me, and I will become like those who go down into the pit. I hear Thy mercy upon me in the morning, for I trust in Thee. Tell me, Lord, the way, I will go, as if I have taken my soul to You. Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord; I have come running to You, teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Your good Spirit will guide me to the right land! For Thy name's sake, Lord, live for me; By Thy righteousness Thou hast delivered my soul from sorrow; and consume Your mercy by my enemies, and destroy all my cold souls, for I am Your servant. Hear me, O Lord, in Thy righteousness, and do not enter into judgment with Thy servant (twice). Your good Spirit will guide me to the right land! Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages; Amen. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to Thee, O God (three times).

Comparison of Psalms

It is not without reason that the Six Psalms are read with extinguished candles, at a time when dawn begins to spread across the morning sky. This symbolizes the transition from Old Testament darkness to Gospel light. It has already been mentioned that the theme of night and morning is reflected in all six psalms. It is noteworthy that such alternations seem to grow, and at the end there is a bright hope for God’s mercy.

In addition, the tonality of the poems and content are uniform. In four psalms the theme is the praise of God, the author offers prayers, and the Lord hears them. The effect is enhanced by the constantly repeated word “hear.” This gives rise to a feeling of continuity of prayer, as well as the fact that it is truly heard.

The theme of persecution can also be seen in many psalms of the sixth psalm. It is especially noted that among the enemies there are many people who were among King David’s close associates.

Everything that happened is the wrath of the Lord. This is especially noted by the author in the texts. David talks about this in the saddest psalms - 37 and 87. This is his interpretation of all his misfortunes. However, a change in David’s mood can be traced: if at first he prays not to punish him with anger, then he humbly accepts such punishment and sees in it an expression of God’s will.

Trust in God is the main theme; it runs through the entire Psalter and Six Psalms. The idea that He deals with everyone not with justice, but with mercy. Psalm 102 even mentions that the Heavenly Father cares for his sons more than an earthly father. He always knows what to do to make it better for His children.

Psalm 37

God! Let not Thy wrath reprove me, nor punish me with Thy wrath: for Thy arrows struck me, and Thou didst strengthen Thy hand upon me. There is no healing in my flesh from the face of Your wrath, there is no peace in my bones from the face of my sin: for my iniquities have exceeded my head, for a heavy burden has weighed down upon me. My wounds have grown stale and rotten because of my madness. Suffered and sloshed to the end; I walked all day, mourning, because my body was filled with reproaches, and there was no healing in my flesh. I was embittered and humbled to death: I roared with the sighing of my heart. God! All my desire is before You, and my sighing is not hidden from You; my heart is troubled, my strength has left me, and the light of my eyes, and she will not be with me. My friends and my sincere ones have come closer and closer to me; and my neighbors are far from me, and those who seek my soul are in need; and those who seek evil say vain words to me, and I will learn from the flatterers all day long. But because I am deaf, I do not hear, and because I am dumb, I do not open my mouth; and as a man he did not hear, nor did he have reproach in his mouth. For in Thee, O Lord, have I trusted; You will hear, O Lord, my God. As if I said: may my enemies never give me joy, and may my feet never move, but your words will never be able to move against me; for I am ready for wounds, and my illness is before me. For I will proclaim my iniquity, and take care of my sin. My enemies live, and have become stronger than me, and those who hate me without truth have multiplied. Those who reward me with evil, repaying the slander of me, persecute the goodness. Do not forsake me, O Lord my God, do not depart from me. Please help me. Lord of my salvation! Do not forsake me, O Lord my God, do not depart from me. Come to my help, O Lord of my salvation!

Features of the composition

The main features are:

1. The Six Psalms consists of two parts; a small amount of doxology is used as a connecting link.
2. Alternation of joyful and sad psalms (in some interpretations they are called morning and evening, major and minor). Moreover, the peak of joy occurs at the end of the major odd triad, and sadness - in the middle of the even one. According to researchers, the overall optimistic tone of the Six Psalms depends on this, even despite the lamentations.
3. The unity of the Six Psalms is betrayed by the fact that its first and last psalms are more similar than all the others.

The insertions of words between the psalms are of no small importance, although interpreters are not inclined to attach any importance to them. Moreover, they influence both the composition itself and the general meaning of the six psalms. These words are the links that unite the psalms together. They also add melody to the Six Psalms, which is why it literally turns into a continuous long prayer.

The period when three kathismas are read at Matins

Period:

• From the giving of the Exaltation to December 20 (old style)
• From January 15 (Old Style) to Saturday before the Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Note: On weekdays, if a polyeleos matins or vigil is served, then at Vespers on the eve of the holiday the ordinary kathisma is omitted, and instead the 1st antiphon of the 1st kathisma (“Blessed is the man”) is sung. At Matins, 2 kathismas are read, and the third row is read at Vespers, instead of the 18th.

Spiritual meaning

Even after thoroughly studying the history, content and composition of the Six Psalms, it is not always possible to immediately comprehend the spiritual meaning. In it, as well as in the Psalter, two main directions of spiritual consideration can be traced:

1. Messianic theme.
2. Spiritual and moral component.

The topics are inextricably linked. The messianic theme is revealed by the fact that King David, being a prophet, constantly, throughout his life, declared the Almighty, His power, the Last Judgment.

Each of the mentioned psalms in one way or another contains a prophecy about the Messiah. This looks like individual verses of a prophetic nature, intricately woven into the texts of the Six Psalms. The spiritual and moral theme reflects the same prophecy - the psalmist shows in the psalms the worldview of a Christian man.

Psalm 87

Lord, God of my salvation! I cried in the days and in the nights before You. May my prayer come before You, incline Your ear to my prayer: for my soul is filled with evil and my belly is drawing near to hell. He would be used with those descending into the ditch, like a man without help, there would be freedom in the dead; like a plague sleeping in a tomb, you did not remember them, and they were rejected by your hand. Placing me in the pit of hell, in the dark and shadow of death. Thy wrath was established upon me, and all Thy waves were brought upon me. You removed those who knew me from me, making me an abomination to yourself, and you were betrayed and did not depart. My eyes are weary from poverty; I have cried out to You, O Lord, all day long: I have lifted up my hands to You. Eating dead people work wonders? or will the doctors resurrect and confess to You? Who is the story of Thy mercy in the grave, and Thy truth in destruction? Will Thy wonders be known in darkness, and Thy righteousness in forgotten lands? And I cried to You, O Lord, and my morning prayer will precede You. Why, O Lord, dost Thou take away my soul, and turn Thy face away from me? I am poor, and in labor from my youth, I was lifted up, humbled and exhausted. Thy wrath has come upon me, Thy fears have troubled me. You washed me over like water all day long, possessing me all together. You removed from me a friend and a sincere and known one from my passions. Lord, God of my salvation! I cried in the days and in the nights before You. May my prayer come before You, incline Your ear to my prayer!

Reading rules

As already mentioned at the very beginning, the Six Psalms requires a special approach to reading. Reading in the middle of the temple helps create the most solemn atmosphere. The same can be said about the lights being turned off and the candles being extinguished. The twilight should help the assembled believers to be immersed in what they are reading and prevent distraction by extraneous objects. Beginners may not immediately understand the essence of what is happening and are sometimes perplexed as to why all these manipulations are being carried out. Gradually, the hidden meaning of all these actions will also reach them.

According to the rules, when reading the Six Psalms, special reverence should be expressed - there is no need to make unnecessary movements, whisper, not to mention conversation. It is believed that the Six Psalms should be read as prayers, and not as kathismas.

Home reading of the Six Psalms is allowed, and it is also possible to listen to it on audio media.

Rules for reading the Psalter at an Orthodox service

The period when two kathismas are read at Matins

Period:

• From the Week of Antipascha to the celebration of the Exaltation
• From December 20 to January 14 according to the church calendar
• During Meat and Cheese Weeks

Note

On weekdays, if a polyeleos matins or vigil is served, then at Vespers on the eve of the holiday the ordinary kathisma is omitted, and instead the 1st antiphon of the 1st kathisma (“Blessed is the man”) is sung.

During the period of Great Lent

Note: If the polyeleos are sung at Sunday Matins, then the reading of the 17th kathisma is canceled, only the 2nd and 3rd are read.