2 Be constant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving. Epistle to the Colossians of the Holy Apostle Paul. Chapter 4
2 Үҥergitiger үҥүу makhtanan turan, tiһigin byspakka sergehtik үҥer buoluҥ.
Sibetiey Paul the Apostle Colossus Christiannarygar Ildyit Suruga. 4-s tүһ.
Some people are perplexed: why pray to God in “other people’s” words, when everyone can talk to Him in their own way? But how can the words of saints be foreign to a person who seeks holiness and is involved in it to one degree or another? “My tongue is the reed of a scribe,” says King David, the author of the psalms included in the Psalter, a collection of prayer chants. But the “cursive scribe” is our God. The Lord Himself gave us psalms - 150 sips of Living Water. Even Christ in the New Testament quotes the holy psalmist David. The last words of the Lord on the cross “My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me? and “Father! “into Your hands I commit My spirit” - these are the lines of the psalms.
Naturally, the psalms were among the most frequently encountered liturgical elements during the liturgical year. And it is just as natural that at different moments in their lives Christians read those psalms that are closest to them in mood and theme.
For example, when preparing for Communion, we open the 115th psalm (“I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord”), in moments of danger - the 90th, when we repent - the 50th and 37th. And if we want to thank the Lord, we choose Psalm 145, which is sung at the beginning of the liturgy along with Psalm 102. They are also called “pictorial” because they depict God’s benefits to humanity in the Old Testament.
Today we will introduce you to this wonderful psalm in Church Slavonic and Yakut ( translated by D.K. Suorun Omolloon and Sargylana Leontyeva) languages.
Text of prayer Psalm 145
In churches they use text in Church Slavonic. At home, the text of Psalm 145 is read in Russian.
In Church Slavonic
Alleluia, Haggea and Zechariah
1 Praise the Lord, my soul.
2 I will praise the Lord in my life; I will sing to my God as long as I am.
3 Do not trust in princes, in the sons of men, for in them there is salvation.
4 His spirit will depart and return to its land. On that day all his thoughts will perish.
5 Blessed is the God of Jacob, his Helper; his trust is in the Lord his God,
6 who created the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, keeping the truth forever,
7 who brings judgment to the wronged, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord will decide the chained ones.
8 The Lord makes the blind wise. The Lord raises up the downtrodden. The Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord protects strangers, He will welcome the orphan and the widow, and He will destroy the way of sinners.
10 The Lord your God will reign forever in Zion, forever and ever.
In Russian
Alleluia, Haggai and Zechariah
1 Praise the Lord, my soul.
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing to my God as long as I exist.
3 Do not put your trust in princes, in the son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
4 His spirit departs, and he returns to his land: on that day his thoughts perish.
5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 who created the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, who is ever faithful,
7 who brings justice to the oppressed, who gives bread to the hungry. The Lord releases the prisoners
8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind, the Lord raises up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord protects the stranger, supports the fatherless and the widow, and perverts the way of the wicked.”
10 The Lord will reign forever, O thy God, O Zion, to generation and generation. Hallelujah.
Explanation of Psalm 145.
"Hallelujah" In other lists the following is appended: “Haggai and Zechariah.” But I did not find this either in the Hebrew text, or in other translators, or in the Exaplah of the Seventy. This psalm also commands us to sing songs to the God of all; this also makes it possible to see the inscription; because “Alleluia,” as we have said more than once, is interpreted: praise God.
Ps.145:1. Praise the Lord, my soul.
"Praise the Lord, my soul." The grace of the Spirit commands us all to awaken ourselves to the praise of God.
Ps.145:2. I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing to my God as long as I exist.
“I will praise the Lord in my belly, I will sing to my God until I am.” In the sixth psalm the Prophet said: “For in death I will not remember You, but in hell who will confess to You” (Psalm 6:6)? Therefore, we learn to sing songs to God while we live, until we accept the end of our present life.
Ps.145:3. Do not trust in princes, in the son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
"Do not rely on princes." Good advice; because princes do not always rule, but their power is temporary, and not all princes respect justice. And if there were both; then we must keep in mind the frailty of nature. For the Prophet adds the following:
“For the sons of men, in them there is no salvation.” Look to nature, and do not rely on authority; because “man is like vanity” (Psalm 143:4); and: “man is like the grass of his days” (Psalm 103:15).
Ps.145:4. His spirit departs, and he returns to his land: on that day his thoughts perish.
“His spirit shall depart and return to his land.” The Prophet here calls the soul the spirit. When the soul departs, the body returns to what is akin to it, according to the Divine definition: “as you are earth, you will return to earth” (Genesis 3:19).
“On that day all his thoughts will perish.” After the separation of the soul from the body, and after the body is resolved into dust, the dreaming of thoughts turns out to be vain. The Lord taught us this in a parable. For imagining that the rich man, whose cornfield had been harvested, was plotting to destroy the barns and build a larger one, he added: “foolishly, this very night they will take your soul from you; )? And other people, some dream of commanding and ruling, others about acquiring fields and building houses, others imagine victories in war, others arrange the death of their enemies. But suddenly death comes, and the dream of thoughts remains unfulfilled. Thus, the Prophet, having shown the vanity of hope in people, proves the benefit of trusting in God.
Ps.145:5. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.
“Blessed is the God of Jacob who is his helper; his trust is in the Lord his God.” It was not without reason that the Prophet called the God of Jacob, but, reminding us of what kind of providence Jacob used, relying on God, how many and what fruits he reaped from this hope, he convinces us to hope in the God of Jacob, and calls him Lord and God, and both proclaims His power. Then he teaches us to cognize His goodness and power from the creation of creatures.
Ps.145:6. Creator of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them, forever faithful.
Ps.145:7. He who brings justice to the oppressed, who gives bread to the hungry. The Lord looses the prisoners.
Ps.145:8. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind, the Lord raises up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.
Ps.145:9. The Lord protects strangers, supports the orphan and the widow, and perverts the path of the wicked.
“He who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.” The Prophet briefly embraced in words all visible and invisible creation. He mentioned not only the sky, earth and sea, but also everything that is in them; and in heaven are Angels, and the nature of the invisible, and the sun, and the moon, and many stars; on earth and in the sea there are people and tribes of dumb people. Such is the power of the Creator of all things, says the Prophet. Therefore, look at the difference between princes, who are subject to corruption, and the Creator of all things. Thus, having shown that God is the Creator of all things, he shows that He provides for everything that He has created.
“Who keeps the truth forever”: “Who brings judgment to the offended: who gives food to the hungry.” For He who promised is not deceitful, loves the truth, fulfills his promises, protects the offended, judges truthfully, and gives to all who are hungry the food they need. After this, the Prophet also predicts the benefits provided by the incarnation of the Savior.
“The Lord will decide the bound:” “The Lord makes wise the blind: the Lord raises up the downtrodden.” This was foretold by the God of all through the mouth of the Prophet Isaiah. For, having said: “I have given you into the light of tongues,” he added: “Open the eyes of the blind, to bring them out of the chains that are bound, and from the prison house of those who sit in darkness” (Is. 42:6-7). And in another place he said on behalf of the Lord Christ: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; For the sake of My anointing, to bring My ambassador to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to preach release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind” (Isa. 61:1). And in another place: then “the foolish words of the book will be heard, and those who are in darkness, and those who are in darkness, the eyes of the blind will see” (Isa. 29:18).
“The Lord loves the righteous”: “The Lord protects the strangers.” The Lord of all gives to everyone accordingly; and He rewards the righteous who love Him in the same way, and rewards them with fatherly and merciful love. And those who escaped the wickedness of their fathers and come to Him with faith are worthy of all protection and providence. For the Prophet calls strangers “strangers.” So Blessed Paul said that we were once “without Christ, alienated from the life of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope: but sometimes we were far off” and became “near” (Eph. 2:12-13).
“He will receive the orphan and the widow, and he will destroy the way of sinners.” The Prophet, from a general providence, turns his speech to particular cases, and says that the Ruler of all does not leave anyone without care for him, but deigns all zeal, even those deprived of human care for them, and destroys the intrigues arranged against them.
Ps.145:10. The Lord will reign forever, O thy God, O Zion, to generation and generation. Hallelujah.
“The Lord will reign forever, your God will reign in Zion forever and ever”; because the eternal power and the unceasing kingdom belongs to the One who is recognized as your God only, Zion.
History of writing
The author of the text of Psalm 145 is King David. The prayer tells us how the Jews returned from captivity to the destroyed Jerusalem. At that time, wars were common because land was so valuable. And if these are the lands of Holy Jerusalem, then their value doubles. In one of the wars, the Jews were captured, their beloved city was completely destroyed, and their religion was destroyed. But King David asked for help and protection of his people under the wing of the Lord. And the prayer describes the times of liberation of the Jewish people.
"THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON"
Image "E. WITH." first found on the “Four-Part” icon from the local row of the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, painted during restoration work after the great Moscow fire (1547). On the upper right mark of the icon, the images represent the content of the verse, which is sung after the 2nd antiphon of the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: “The Only Begotten Son and Word of God, Immortal, and willing for our salvation to be incarnate from the Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, immutably made man; crucified, O Christ God, trampling death by death, the One of the Holy Trinity, glorified to the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us.” In addition to this text, the beginning of which is included in the title of the composition, next to numerous images there are inscriptions explaining individual episodes of this multi-part scene, the iconographic composition of which is broader than the illustration of the text of the chant.
"Only Begotten Son." Fragment of the “Four-Part” icon. 1547 (GMMC) “The Only Begotten Son.” Fragment of the “Four-Part” icon. 1547 (GMMK)
The background of the upper part of the composition is gold, the lower - slides. At the top of the composition, the “Fatherland” (“New Testament Trinity”) is represented in 3 intersecting medallions, which corresponds to the final words of the verse. In the center is Christ Emmanuel, whose appearance and hairstyle resembles an angel. Dressed in a white ornamented chiton with a mantle and covered with a golden himation, He sits on fiery seraphim. The medallion of glory surrounding Christ is supported by 2 flying angels. In his left hand He holds an unfolded scroll with the text: “Filling the Spirit of grace, the spirit of wisdom...” - a list of the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to the Church by Divine Wisdom. Above Christ's halo there is a small medallion with the image of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. The composition is crowned by a half-length image of the Lord of Hosts in white robes with hair scattered over his shoulders. His head is surrounded by a round halo with a star-shaped octagonal halo superimposed on it. The latter consists of intersecting blue and red diamonds. The Lord of hosts also appears in a medallion of glory with the forces of heaven - green cherubs. With both hands He holds the circle of glory with Christ Emmanuel, as if located in His bosom. On the sides, 2 angels hold disks of the sun and moon with “masks” (personification of heavenly bodies) above their heads. On the left, the composition is closed by the image of a white 3-domed temple with triple zakomars, in front of the golden door of which stands an angel in a white surplice with a golden incense cup in his left hand; in the background, to the left of the building, fragments of a cinnabar inscription have been preserved. According to O.I. Podobedova, this is an image of arch. Gabriel and Heavenly Jerusalem (Podobedova. 1972. P. 50). The image of “Christ the Logos” facing this building and pointing at it with his outstretched right hand allows us to interpret the building as a symbolic image of the Church founded by Christ. On the right, the composition is closed by a complex tower-shaped multi-tiered building shown at an angle with deep arched openings and roofs supported by columns. In front of the tower in the cloud segment is an angel in a green chiton and red himation, with a staff topped with a cross in his right hand and a mirror filled with a cloud pattern in his left hand. Below it reads the inscription: “Shaking the earth and disturbing the waves and [struggling] the underworld and the wretchedness of the abyss.” On the right, fragments of another inscription are discernible: “The Lord will call from Zion, His mystery from Jerusalem, and He will judge His people...” According to Podobedova, this is arch. Michael, and the building repeats those depicted in the composition “Wisdom created a house for herself” (Ibid. p. 51). On the icons of the “Only Begotten Son” of the 17th-18th centuries. “The Annunciation” or “Our Lady of the Sign” were depicted against the background of the building. This confirms that on the icon from the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, the building symbolizes the Temple of Wisdom, i.e., the flesh of Christ, and points to the incarnation of the Logos, illustrating parts of the verse: “... and he who deigns our salvation for the sake of being incarnate from the Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, immutably became human ..."
The verse “Crucified, O Christ our God, trampling down death by death” is illustrated in the lower part of the icon. Here is the composition “Don’t cry for Me, Mother,” based on the texts of the Holy Saturday service and which became widespread in the 14th century. to Byzantium. and Russian monumental painting (painting of the altar of the Transfiguration Church on Kovalev) and on icons. She represents the Mother of God hugging Christ in the tomb.
The tomb of Christ is located between the spurs of the hills, as if in the center of the earth. His figure on a golden background testifies to the fact that through the saving incarnation and death of Christ on the cross, earthly things are united with heavenly things. In the left corner, against the background of a cave depicting hell, a large cross is written, on top of which sits Christ in armor, a cloak and a helmet. His sword is half out of its scabbard. Under the cross, Satan was defeated and bound, whom Arch. Mikhail is pierced with a spear, stepping on his throat; to the right are the fleeing demons. In the background one can read the inscription in gold: “And defeat Thy enemies...” This is how the victory of the risen Christ over death is represented.
"Only Begotten Son." Icon. Con. XVIII century (Gallery of icons of the apostles Peter and Paul, Vaduz)
"Only Begotten Son." Icon. Con. XVIII century (Gallery of icons of the apostles Peter and Paul, Vaduz) Another cave is located symmetrically on the right, in the center of which is depicted death riding on a beast. She has a quiver of arrows over her shoulders and a scythe in her hand. Death moves over the corpses of people covering its path. Birds and animals torment dead bodies, among which are kings in crowns, husbands and wives, young men and maidens. Before death, a fiery cherub flies with a sword in his hand. To the right of the cave is the inscription: “Hate good and work for evil. Wearing out death. Proceeding into pernicious hell." In the background between the caves, above the bodies of the dead, there is an inscription: “Birds of the sky and beasts of the earth, come to demolish the bodies of the dead.” The image of a fiery cherub reminds of the expulsion of our ancestors from paradise, of sin, through which death entered the world, and of its inevitability for humanity. The apocalyptic image of death, correlated with the Last Judgment, is compared with the image of Christ asserting victory over death with the cross. Thus, the composition on the theme of liturgical chant is both an illustration of the hymn and a revelation of its meaning in the sequentially presented history of the salvation of the world through the incarnation of the Divine Logos, Christ, constantly abiding in the bosom of the Father, the Crucifixion and Resurrection and the Church created by Him.
In the Klintsovsky icon-painting original (18th century) it is recommended to make other inscriptions, the edition also concerns the elements of the images: “... and that the Savior sits on cherubim, in his circle it is written: sit on the cherubim, see the abyss, do all kinds of hunting, frighten enemies and exalt the humble spirit"; on the right side to the angel holding the cup: “The cup of the wrath of God, the wine undissolved, full of dissolution”; Signature for mercy: “Lay down your soul for your friends”; and that the Savior is sitting on the cross armed, and the signature: “Come death upon death, the only one of the Holy Trinity, we bow down to the Father.”
On the “Only Begotten Son” icons there are various variants of images, including those that closely follow the description of the Klintsovsky original. So, in the drawing of the 17th century. (Benchev. P. 196) on the right against the background of the building is the “Annunciation”, on the left against the background of the temple are the angel and saints Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and Gregory the Theologian, blessing the cup; Christ in armor with a crown on his head; arch. Michael, chaining Satan, and demons rushing into the mouth of hell in the form of the jaws of leviathan; death riding a lion. On an icon of the 17th century. (Museum of Icons, Recklinghausen) The Lord of Hosts is represented on the throne, above the “New Testament Trinity”, in the “Old Testament Trinity” segment; the composition is complemented by groups of angels in 2 medallions and symbols of the evangelists in the corners of the rhombus. On the left, against the background of the temple, is a throne under the ciborium. The Infant of God lies on the throne, and the archangel bows before the throne. On the right, against the background of the building, is a version of the “Annunciation”: the Mother of God on the throne, with an angel to Her right. On the icon XVIII century (Gallery of Icons of the Apostles Peter and Paul, Vaduz) on the left, against the background of the building, is a Crucifix with the inscription: “Let Christ God be crucified”, on the right - “Our Lady of the Sign” with the inscription: “He deigned to become incarnate for the sake of our salvation”; the image of a warrior sitting on the cross of Christ with a crown on his head is supplemented with the inscription: “Tread death upon death”; near the chaining angel there is an inscription: “Where is the victory in hell?” above death there is an inscription: “Where is the sting of death.”
The icons painted by Pskov masters for the Annunciation Cathedral were distinguished by a complex program and iconographic themes that were new to Moscow art. They aroused the violent indignation of clerk John Viskovaty, who called them “Latin wisdom.” Remarks presented by the clerk, Metropolitan. Moscow Macarius, discussed at the Council of 1553-1554. Among the images rejected by Viskovaty as not corresponding to Orthodoxy. the teaching included details of the composition “E. S.", e.g. the image of Christ in armor, which appeared in Russian. icons are already in the end. XV century For clarification regarding the controversial images, Pskov residents turned to St. Maxim the Greek, who reacted negatively to such images; The opinions of the archbishop were also negative. Gennady of Novgorod and Zinovy of Otensky. Nevertheless, such images continued to be painted, and their interpretations spread.
Compliance of new compositions with Orthodoxy. understanding of the image, patristic teaching and Byzantium. iconographic tradition was confirmed by Metropolitan. Macarius. His response and analysis of new iconographic themes, including the composition “E. S.”, lie in line with the Russian tradition. theology of icon veneration, which was started by the “Enlightener” St. Joseph Volotsky. Indeed, early Christ. and early Byzantine. iconography knows numerous images of a cross crowned with a victorious chrysism (relief of the so-called Passionate Sarcophagus, 4th century, Vatican Museums), Christ in the armor of Rome. a warrior trampling a lion and a serpent (mosaics of the oratory of the Archbishop's Chapel, Ravenna, late 5th - early 6th centuries; relief of the Orthodox Baptistery, Ravenna, between 494 and 519). On the miniatures of the Utrecht Psalter (B-ka Univ., Utrecht - Ms. 32, 809) above the “Crucifixion” scene there is an image of Christ the Conqueror of Death in a helmet and armor, reminiscent of the image on the “Four-Part” icon. In the Middle Ages. European In art, the image of the warrior Christ is based on images taken mostly from the Apocalypse. Christ was depicted on horseback with a bow, with arrows and with a sword coming out of His mouth (miniatures from the Commentary on the Apocalypse of Beatus of Lieban, 12th century, cathedral church in El Burgo de Osma, Spain). The theme of the army of Christ became especially relevant and was developed during the period of the Crusades. The work of Erasmus of Rotterdam on the militant Church, which influenced Western Europe. The iconography of Christ the warrior, partly echoes the Russian. themes of war and the Church, characteristic of the era of Metropolitan. Macarius and Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible. However, Western European The iconography was not accepted by the Russians. art, as well as understanding the feat of Christ’s warrior in the ideology of the Crusades, where he was perceived as a victory over the infidels.
The image of death, popular in Western Europe. art as an independent theme (“Dance of Death” - Dance macabre) and as an illustration of the Apocalypse, was transferred without changes to the “Four-Part” icon. Similar compositions are known in large numbers from engraved sheets that became widespread in the Russian icon-painting environment in the middle. XVI century
Composition “E. S.”, which included some Western European. iconographic motifs, at the same time, is an example of the development in Byzantium and Rus' of the desire to present poetic metaphors of liturgical poetry in visible images. Continuing the artistic traditions of the Byzantine Empire. and Russian masters who created pictorial cycles of the Akathist of the Theotokos, compositions on the themes of the stichera of the Nativity of Christ (“Cathedral of the Theotokos”), troparions of the canon to the prophets (“Praise of the Theotokos”), the chant “It is Worthy to Eat”, etc., icon painters of the circle of Met. Macarius turned to the subjects of liturgical poetry as lit. based on images. This series includes 2 more images on the “Four-Part” icon from the Annunciation Cathedral (“In the carnal tomb” and “Come, people, let us worship the three-part Deity”), the icon “Blessed is the army of the Heavenly King”, “It is worthy to eat”, etc.
Lit.: Andreev N. E. Monk Zinovy Otensky on icon painting // SK. 1936. T. 8. P. 259-277; Podobedova O.I. Mosk. school of painting under Ivan IV: Works in Moscow. The Kremlin of the 40s - 70s. XVI century M., 1972; Benchev I. Icons of angels: Images of heavenly messengers. M., 2005; Kvlividze N.V. Western European. sources of iconography of the “Four-Part” icon from the Annunciation Cathedral // Lazarus Readings: The Art of Byzantium, Dr. Rus', Western Europe / Proceedings of the conference. 2008 (in press).
N. V. Kvlividze
Interpretation
The interpretation of Psalm 145 speaks of the times of the return of the Jewish people from Babylonian captivity. This song of praise is very popular among believers.
Verses 1-2: Praising the Lord. The second verse describes the vow of praise.
Verses 3-6: People are truly powerless and there is no need to expect help from them. Only the Lord can provide protection. After all, he believes and helps those who truly think with him.
Verses 7-10: The Most High is just. He takes those in need under his wing. God delivers the Jewish people from captivity. God's mercy is not for everyone; the wicked do not receive help or protection.
ALLELUIAH, HAGGEA AND ZECHARIAH (PSALM) 145
The last six psalms, starting with this 145th, belong to the group of so-called “praise psalms,” which is why almost all of them begin with the words: Praise, O my soul, the Lord... Praise the Lord... Praise, O Jerusalem, the Lord
- and each of them is inscribed with the word
alleluia
, which means: praise God.
Some of them, like this 145th psalm,
have the addition of the words
Haggai and Zechariah
alleluia . This addition, according to the note of the blessed one. Theodoret, is not in the lists of either the ancient Jewish Psalter or the LXX interpreters, but it was included, as we noted above, in the preface to the explanation of Psalm 137, by later interpreters, for the purpose of showing that this psalm was beloved and very a song used during the ministry of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. All these six psalms are from the post-exilic period of the life of the Israelite people and are conveniently explained from the circumstances of the time of the priest Ezra and the ruler Nehemiah.
Art. 1 and 2. Praise the Lord, my soul: I will praise the Lord in my life, I will sing to my God as long as I am. How well this beginning of the psalm resembles the similar beginning of other psalms with the words: “Bless the Lord, my soul” (Ps. 102 and 103). Although not the same person was the compiler of all these psalms, the spirit of zeal for the glory of God equally penetrated their soul and heart and aroused them to the praise and blessing of God. The same praise to the Lord with which this psalm begins was sung throughout the entire content of the previous (144th) psalm. Due to the nature of these psalms, St. John Chrysostom makes the following remark: “Where the prophet ended, he begins again.” He ended in the previous psalm with praise, saying: “My lips will utter the praise of the Lord,” and here he begins again: Praise, my soul, the Lord.
.
For this serves a lot to cleanse the soul, i.e. praise be to God. And he calls praise that which is made up of deeds, which Christ also said: Let your light so shine, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven; and Paul also: Glorify God with your body and with your spirit. And then he says: but let’s see what it means: praise the Lord, my soul. We sing these words with David now, for although he is not here in body, he is in spirit, since the righteous are with us and sing together...” [7, p. 11:31]. From these laudatory appeals we see that the psalmist tried to constantly keep himself in a prayerful mood in order to always be ready to glorify God, both in the present life and especially in the future, where there will be no obstacles to this, why as in the previous one (144th ) in the psalm he said: “I will bless you every day” (v. 2), and so here he says: I sing to my God until I am
, which he literally expressed in Psalm 103, verse 33, i.e. I will sing the praises of my God as long as I exist.
Art. 3 and 4. Do not trust in princes, in the sons of men, for in them there is no salvation. His spirit shall depart and return to his land: in that day all his thoughts shall perish. The Jews who returned from the captivity of Babylonia attributed all the benefits of the freedom they received not so much to the benefactor of God as to the favor of the Persian kings and the goodwill of the leaders they appointed to the region and, forgetting about God, they gave all the honor and glory to these leaders and placed all their hope in them in the matter of building the walls. the city of Jerusalem and the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. Therefore, the psalmist, in these two verses and those following them, inspires his compatriots that they are mistaken in giving honor and glory to princes and rulers, and that they hope in vain in these princes
, the same and as limited people as themselves, that
in them
, as
sons of men, there is no salvation.
“Do not trust,” he says, in princes, in the son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
His spirit departs, and he returns to his land: on that day all his thoughts disappear” (translated from Hebrew). In almost the same expressions, he expresses his thoughts about the vain and vain hope in the princes
and powerful people of this world in Psalm 117 (vv. 8-9).
They are strong while they are alive and have the opportunity to take advantage of favorable circumstances. But as soon as the end of the life of one or another of them comes, then his spirit will reign and
he will return with his body
to his land
, according to that creative definition that was spoken in paradise (see Gen. 3:19).
During the construction of the second temple in Jerusalem and the restoration of the destroyed walls of this city, among their leaders there were those ( princes
) who favored and assisted them in their enterprises, but there were also many who betrayed them and acted to their detriment, helping their enemies them, as the Samaritans were then, and through them other nations at war with them.
This gave the psalmist a reason to exhort his people to trust only in God, who gives life and sends death to man, along with which
all the thoughts
on the same day
(i.e., on the day of death) .
“For by the unharnessing of the soul,” according to the blessed one. Theodoret, and the destruction of the body into dust, all dreaminess of thoughts suddenly turns out to be vanity. And some dream of superiors and powers, others, like sleepy dreams, see victories in battle. But, coming suddenly, death leaves this dream of thoughts without fulfillment” [7, p. 1133]. And according to the interpretation of Eusebius of Caesarea, “the words: his thoughts will perish
are spoken about thoughts relating to this age, such as: to buildings, to places, countries, and the like. All this, as soon as the soul leaves the body, will disappear from it and will not remember anything then, and it will not take care of it” [7, p. PZZ].
Art. 5, 6 and 7. Blessed is the God of Jacob who is his helper; his trust is in the Lord his God, who created the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them: keeping the truth forever, bringing justice to the wronged, giving food to the hungry. The Lord will decide the chained ones. Having found out that it is useless for a person to place his hope in a mortal man like himself, the psalmist comprehensively proves what great good or happiness a person has if he hopes
only
one God
, the God Whom the Patriarch
Jacob
and Who was always the faithful
Helper
and reliable patron of this Patriarch and those of his descendants who did not forget the God of Israel.
Having called blessed
who
places his trust in the Lord his God
, the psalmist proves with various arguments and examples of the various blessings of God that man has no one else to rely on but God, that God alone reigns forever and to Him alone belongs
eternal praise.
Blessed is the man who has
God as his assistant, who created heaven and earth, the sea and everything that
is
on them
, i.e.
in heaven and on earth and in the sea; That God who keeps the truth forever,
i.e.
faithful to all His promises; Which carries out judgment, protecting the offended
and punishing the offenders;
Who is so merciful and compassionate towards the needs of the hungry
that he satisfies all these needs, both material and spiritual,
by giving food to the hungry
;
Who frees
people not only
from
material shackles (
resolve shackled
), such as the chains and bonds of prison, but also from spiritual shackles, such as all the harmful passions that man, with the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit, gradually mortifies. And the prophet Jeremiah, in agreement with the psalmist, not only rewards those who trust in the Lord with the blessing of the Lord, saying: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord will be his hope,” but also threatens with curse those people who trust in a person, in such words: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and sets his flesh on him, and his heart departs from the Lord” (Jer. 17:7,5). This remark from the darling will not be superfluous here. Theodoret: “With these words (v. 6) he briefly embraces all visible creation; for he not only mentioned the sky, the earth and the sea, but also what is in them and in the sky, angels and all the nature of the invisible, also the sun, the month and many stars; on land and in the sea people and various kinds are dumb. So great, he says, is the power of the Creator of all. From this you can conclude how great the difference is between the corruptible rulers and the Creator of all” [7, p. 1134].
Art. 8, 9 and 10. The Lord makes wise the blind: the Lord raises up the downtrodden: the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord protects strangers, He will accept the orphan and the widow, and He will destroy the way of sinners. The Lord your God will reign forever in Zion, forever and ever. And in these last verses, with various examples of God’s mercies and good deeds, the psalmist continues to clarify to His people the truth that everyone should hope
not on a mortal man like himself, but
on God
, Who
makes the blind wise
, i.e.
“The Lord opens the eyes of the blind” (translated from Hebrew). This is said not in the sense that the Lord gives sight to the blind with their bodily eyes, although this often happens, by the special mercy and grace of God, but this means that the Lord gives light to those who are in spiritual darkness, the light of faith and piety to those who are in the darkness of unbelief and wickedness. “In these words, according to the interpretation of the blessed one. Theodoret, the prophet psalmist predicts the good deeds accomplished by the Savior through His incarnation, which God foretold to everyone through Isaiah. For, having said: I will give you as a light to the nations, he added: to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out those who are bound by them and from prison those who sit in darkness; and in another place: then the deaf words of the book will hear, and the eyes of the blind, covered with darkness and mist, will see” (Is. 42:67) [7, p. 1134-1135]. Through sin and various sinful lusts, a person not only falls into spiritual darkness and blindness, but also receives various diseases and infirmities, so that he becomes like that gospel traveler who walked from Jerusalem to Jericho and, having been robbed and beaten by robbers, remained barely alive ( Luke 10:30). The prophet mentions unfortunates like him here in the words: The Lord raises up the downtrodden
.
Without losing sight of anyone through His fatherly care, the Lord especially favors the pious and righteous, about whom the prophet says: The Lord loves the righteous
.
By aliens
we mean strange people who came from a distant country and among the society of people who do not have close kinship or patrons;
and the name sire and widow
usually refers to homeless orphans and poor widows, who, due to their poverty and defenselessness, are dependent on others in everything.
The very, so to speak, social position of both places them in complete dependence on strong and rich people and forces them to rely
on these people, sometimes not impeccable in moral terms.
And it is to them, these strangers, that the prophet inspires them to never forget that the Lord protects the strangers, will receive the sire and the widow, and will destroy the way of sinners
.
The last words speak not about the sinners themselves, but
their
path about all their intentions and deeds, about all the undertakings and undertakings of sinners
, which the Lord does not bless with success, and they will perish, the same thing is said as in the last words of the first psalm: “And the way of the wicked will perish.”
The words of the last verse express a prophecy about Christ, the Son of God, and about His Church, which is called here Zion
.
The Lord Jesus Christ, after the fulfillment of times, will appear on earth, will establish His eternal Kingdom of grace and will reign (reign) forever, thy God, in Zion, for generations and generations.
HALLELUIAH (PSALM) 146
Both this and the previous one (145th) and all subsequent five psalms no longer have the word psalm
, but only
alleluia
, and there is also one of the psalms of praise, as stated in the preface to Psalm 145.
Art. 1. Praise the Lord, for the psalm is good: Let the praise of our God be sweet. When beginning to compose this psalm, the psalmist first of all calls his people to praise
Lord and says that praising or glorifying the Lord is a good deed:
for the psalm is good
.
The word good
in relation to the word
psalm
should be understood not as an epithet explaining or indicating the quality of an object, but as a predicate speaking about the essence of the object, testifying to its dignity.
Let us, he says, sing a song of praise to God in such a way that His praise
will be pleasant and useful to us, and God wills it, so that it fully corresponds to the greatness of God’s being, and befits us as worthy worshipers of our God.
Art. 2, 3 and 4. The Lord builds Jerusalem: he will gather together the scatterings of Israel: he heals the brokenhearted and obliges their contrition, reads the multitude of stars and names them all. In these verses, the psalmist points out the great deeds of God and His mercies done for the people, so that from this indication it can be seen why especially, for what mercies people should glorify and thank the Lord God with praises worthy of Him. The Lord God founded Jerusalem
, as a place intended by Himself to glorify His holy name (
Lord build Jerusalem
);
He restores
it after this city had been in ruins for a long time.
He also gathers
(in the Slavic translation the future time
of the dispersion of Israel will gather
- put instead of the present) the exiles of Israel.
After the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the Jews were taken as captives to Babylon, but not all, but many of them were scattered
to different regions of the Medo-Persian kingdom, where they settled down, and then the descendants of the captives, having received the right to return to Jerusalem, reluctantly and they were not soon
going
to their fatherland.
Expelled from their fatherland and forced to live in a foreign land, the Jews endured many sorrows, but the Lord is always “near the brokenhearted” (Ps. 33:19), which is what the grave disaster of their expulsion from their fatherland and captivity in a foreign land made the Jews. And so, as a consolation to their descendants returning from captivity, the psalmist says: “The Lord heals the brokenhearted and heals their sorrows. Counts the number of stars, calls them all by their names” (translated from Hebrew). Just as a doctor bandages the wounds of the seriously ill, so the Lord Himself binds and heals the brokenhearted.
As the all-wise and all-powerful Creator of heaven and earth, He knows the exact location of the stars in the sky, and what purpose each of them has.
If all this is known to Him, then even more so is the situation of each of the Jews who have not returned from captivity known, whom He will gather and whose contrition He will heal
and absolve them from their sins.
Art. 5 and 6. Great is our Lord, and great is his strength, and his understanding is without number. Accept the meek Lord, and humble sinners to the ground. About the greatness of the Lord and great strength
, or His almighty power, the prophet speaks here, of course, in order to assure those who heard his previous speech that everything is possible with the Lord God: the restoration of destroyed Jerusalem and the former glory of this city, and the gathering into it of
scattered
across different countries, and
the healing
of their sorrows, by which we can mean not only deliverance from external worldly sorrows or the burdens of life, but, mainly, resolution from sins, according to the same psalm word: “Heal my soul, for I have sinned” (Ps. 40:5 ).
The last mercy of God can be hoped for especially by the meek and humble in heart,
whom
the Lord accepts
, or, as expressed in translation from Hebrew, “The Lord exalts the humble, but brings the wicked to the ground,” that is, he throws the sinners and the proud to the ground, or, as it is even more clearly expressed in the book of Proverbs (3:34), “The Lord resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” And according to the blzh. Theodoret, “this means the special providence of God. For some, as those who are subject to malice because of meekness, He worthy of His care, and others, as those who unrighteously attack them, He puts to death, and makes some glorious and famous, while others and memory consigns to oblivion. This is how the ever-memorable face of St. Apostles and St. Cathedral martyrs, and the memory of those who fought against them is consigned to oblivion” [7, p. 1139].
Art. 7, 8 and 9. Begin to confess to the Lord, sing to our God with the harp: to him who covers the clouds of the sky, who prepares rain for the earth: to him who grows grass and grain on the mountains for the service of man: to him who gives their food to cattle, and to the chick of a corvid who calls him. Calling the people to praise or glorify the Lord, the psalmist suggests starting with confession
, or solemn recognition of the great deeds of God, which are repeated almost daily -
begin with the Lord
, he says,
in confession
and continue
singing to our God
with the accompaniment of a musical instrument -
the harp
.
“Sing one by one the praise of the Lord, sing to our God on the harp” (translated from Hebrew). The harp
was the name given to the musical instrument (cithara) used during worship by the Old Testament Jews.
These harps
were used by the Jews during the post-exilic period, during their regular or so-called antiphonal singing, in the temple, to the glory of the Lord.
We will have no shortage of reasons for such thanksgiving singing, as the prophet continues his speech. There is something to thank us for the hand of the Lord that benefits us. Start
with the fact that the Lord
dresses the sky with clouds,
and not in order, of course, to cover the sky with darkness, but in order to
prepare
the rain the earth
needs , in order to grow
grass
not only in the valleys and meadows, but also
on the mountains
;
and not only the grass needed for food by livestock, but also that grass ( grain
) that is used
to serve people
, for example, apothecary herbs suitable for the preparation and preparation of medicines.
Thank the Lord with singing and music ( in the harp
) not only for what you yourself use, but also for what He
gives to livestock
and other foolish creatures as food, such as, for example,
chicks of corvids that call on Him
, i.e.
with their cry reminding them that they are hungry. Thank God for all His actions, in which His love and protective providence are expressed, extending not only to people, but also to all the animals and livestock
of the earth.
In the words of St. Gregory the Theologian there are such expressions “that even the raven chicks call on God, meaning a whole kind of birds” [7, p. 1141]. And blzh. Theodoret adds to this: “That is why, I think, that the Lord Christ, leaving the other birds, mentioned the ravens and said to his disciples: Look at the ravens, that your Heavenly Father feeds them (Luke 12:24)” [7, With. 1141]. Art. 10 and 11. He delights not in the strength of the constitution, but in the baldness of men he delights: the Lord delights in those who fear Him and in those who trust in His mercy. In the first of these verses, the prophet gives two examples on which people sometimes rely in their actions, especially in military matters. These two examples are: horse power
, i.e.
the strength of the horses and the agility of the legs, In the balts
(from the word - lyst, , tibia, crus - shin)
of men
means the same as “in the legs”, or “in the legs of men, strong and fast”.
Neither one nor the other example, according to the prophet, the Lord approves of, delights in, or favors
.
Translated from Hebrew, both verses are expressed as follows: “He does not look at the strength of the horse, nor does He favor the speed of human feet; The Lord delights in those who fear Him, in those who trust in His mercy.” Condemning the first methods of resistance to enemies, the Lord
expresses his
favor
towards the latter, i.e.
to the fear of the Lord and trust
in His mercy. The Lord God, as the Creator of the world and the King of heaven and earth, does not find it necessary to act as the kings of the earth, or the rulers of the world, act: these also need an army to resist their enemies and keep the people in obedience. But the Lord God, as the Supreme Being throughout the world, holds in His hand all the springs of power; He can arm all nature when He pleases to destroy the enemies of His name. And therefore He can and always wants to protect His faithful from all misfortunes, if only they have the fear of God, do not indulge in vain hopes and do not lose hope in God’s mercy.
Psalm 36 - text in Russian, interpretation, why they read it
1 Davidov. Do not be irritated when you see the wicked, do not envy those who practice iniquity.
2 For they are like grass; they are soon cut down and wither like green grass.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good; live on earth and keep the truth.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord, and trust in Him, and He will bring it to pass.
6 And he will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
7 Trust in the Lord and wait for Him. Do not be irritated when you see someone who is successful in his journey, a person who accomplishes his plans.
8 Calm your anger, and forsake rage; do not become irritated to the point of doing evil;
9 For those who do evil will be destroyed, but those who wait for the Lord will inherit the earth.
10 Yet a little while, and there will be no wicked man; you look at his place, and he is not there.
11 But the humble will inherit the earth and enjoy much peace.
12 The wicked plots against the righteous, and gnashes his teeth at him.
13 But the Lord laughs at him; for he sees that his day is approaching.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bow to smite the poor and the needy, to pierce those who walk in the right way.
15 Their sword will go into their heart, and their bows will be broken.
16 Better is the little of a righteous man than the riches of many of the wicked;
17 For the arms of the wicked are broken, but the Lord strengthens the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their portion endures forever.
19 They will not be put to shame in times of evil, and in days of famine they will be satisfied.
20 But the wicked perish, and the enemies of the Lord, like the beauty of the meadows, disappear like smoke.
21 The wicked borrows and does not pay, but the righteous gives and gives.
22 For those who are blessed by Him will inherit the earth, and those who are cursed by Him are destroyed.
23 In the Lord his husband’s steps are established, and his way is pleasing to Him.
24 When it falls, it will not fall; for the Lord holds him by the hand.
25 I was young and old, and I have not seen a righteous man forsaken, nor his children asking for bread.
26 He gives and lends every day, and his descendants are blessed.
27 Avoid evil, and do good, and live forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever: [and the wicked will be overthrown], and the tribe of the wicked will be cut off.
29 The righteous will inherit the earth and will live in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue speaks truth.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.
32 The wicked watches over the righteous and seeks to kill him:
33 But the Lord will not deliver him into his hand, and will not allow him to be accused when they are tried.
34 Wait for the Lord, and keep to His way: and He will make you possess the land; you will see the destruction of the wicked.
35 I saw the wicked, terrible, expanding like a rooted branchy tree:
36 But he disappeared, and now he is no more; I'm looking for it and can't find it.
37 Keep purity and observe righteousness: for a peaceful man will have offspring.
38 But the wicked will disappear altogether, the descendants of the wicked will be destroyed.
39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble.
40 The Lord will help them and deliver them, deliver them from the wicked, and save them; for they trust in Him
