Text of prayer Psalm 148
In Church Slavonic
Alleluia, Haggea and Zechariah.
1 Praise the Lord from heaven, praise Him in the highest.
2 Praise Him, all your angels; praise Him, all your powers.
3 Praise Him, O sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars and light.
4 Praise Him, the heavens of the heavens and the waters that are above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord: for He spoke, and He commanded, and He was created.
6 I have established a commandment forever and ever, and it will not pass by.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, the serpents, and all the deeps:
8 fire, hail, snow, scorch, stormy spirit, doing His word,
9 the mountains and all the hills, the fruitful trees and all the cedars,
10 beasts and all livestock, creeping things and birds of feathers.
11 The king of the land and all the people, the princes and all the judges of the land,
12 young men and maidens, old men and young men
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for the name of the One is exalted, His confession is on earth and in heaven.
14 And the horn of his people shall exalt a song to all his venerables, to the sons of Israel, to the people who draw near to him.
In Russian
What is printed in italics (names of prayers and explanations) is not readable during prayer. If you have taken a break from reading the Psalter for more than a day, we recommend that you first read the prayers before starting to read the Psalter.Alleluia, Haggai and Zechariah.
1 Praise the Lord from heaven, praise him in the highest.
2 Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His armies.
3 Praise Him, O sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light.
4 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens and waters that are above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He spoke, and they were made, He commanded, and they were made;
6 He established them forever and ever; gave a statute that will not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great fish and all the deeps,
8 Fire and hail, snow and fog, a stormy wind that fulfills His word,
9 the mountains and all the hills, the fruit trees and all the cedars,
10 beasts and all livestock, creeping things and winged birds,
11 The kings of the earth and all the nations, the princes and all the judges of the earth,
12 youths and maidens, elders and youths
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His alone is exalted, His glory is on earth and in heaven.
14 He has exalted the horn of His people, the glory of all His saints, the children of Israel, the people who are close to Him. Hallelujah.
Alleluia, Haggea and Zechariah, 148
1 Praise the Lord from heaven, praise him in the highest.
2 Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His might.
3 Praise Him, O sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars and light.
4 Praise Him The heavens of heavens and the waters that are above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord: for He spoke, and was commanded, and was created.
6 I have set a commandment for ever and ever, and it will not pass by.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you serpents and all the deeps:
8 fire, hail, snow, bareness, stormy spirit, doing His word,
9 the mountains and all the hills, the fruit trees and all the cedars,
10 beasts and all livestock, creeping things and birds of feathers.
11 The kings of the earth and all the people, the princes and all the rulers of the earth,
12 youths and maidens, elders with youths
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for the name of Him alone is exalted, His confession on earth and in heaven.
14 And the horn of His people shall exalt a song to all His holy ones, the sons of Israel, to the people who draw near to Him.
Alleluia, 149
1 Sing a new song to the Lord, His praise in the church of the saints.
2 Let Israel rejoice in him who made him, and the sons of Zion rejoice in their king.
3 Let them praise His name in person, in the tympanum, and in the psalms, and sing to Him.
4 For the Lord delights in his people, and will lift up the meek to salvation.
5 The saints will be praised in glory and will rejoice on their beds.
6 The praises of God are in their throats, and two sharp swords are in their hands:
7 bring vengeance on the nations, reproof on the people,
8 The kings shall bind their fetters, and their glorious hands with iron shackles,
9 to do in them judgment is written. This glory will be to all His saints.
Alleluia, 150
1 Praise God in His saints, praise Him in strengthening His power.
2 Praise Him according to His strength; praise Him according to the abundance of His majesty.
3 Praise Him with the voice of the trumpet, praise Him with the psaltery and the harp.
4 Praise Him in the tympanum and the face, praise Him in the strings and the organ.
5 Praise Him with cymbals of good accord, praise Him with cymbals of shouting.
6 Let every breath praise the Lord.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to You, O God!
This psalm was written specifically by David, and outside the number of 150 psalms, you were always in single combat against Goliath.
He was small among my brethren and the youngest in my father’s house, tending my father’s sheep. My hands created an organ, and my fingers composed a psalter. And who will tell my Lord? The Lord Himself will hear. He himself sent his angel, and took me from my father’s sheep, and anointed me with his anointing oil. My brethren are good and great, and the Lord has no favor in them. I died to meet the foreigner, and I was cursed by my idols. And I, plucking the sword from him, beheaded him, and took away the reproach from the children of Israel.
At the end of the twentieth kathisma, additional prayers are read:
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (three times)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Also troparia, tone 8:
You are the fulfillment of all good things, O my Christ, fill my soul with joy and gladness, and save me, for I alone am merciful.
Glory:
Even if I have sinned, O Christ my Savior, before You, do I know no other God? I dare to Your mercy, when you turn, accept me, Good compassion, when you turn, accept me, Compassionate Father and Only Begotten Son and Holy Spirit, like the prodigal son and save me.
And now:
We know no other refuge and warm intercession than You, for having the boldness to be born of You, Lady, help and save me, Your servant.
Lord, have mercy (40 times) and prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ my God, have mercy on me, a sinner, and forgive me, Thy unworthy servant, for those who have sinned throughout my whole life, and even to this day, and even if I have sinned like a man, my voluntary and involuntary sins, in deed and word, even with my mind and thoughts, even out of admiration and inattention, and much of my laziness and negligence. If I have sworn by Your name, or have sworn falsely, or have blasphemed my thoughts, or have reproached anyone, or slandered, or been saddened, or in wicked anger, or stolen, or committed fornication, or lied, or secretly poisoned, or a friend approached me and despised him, or my sorrowful and bitter brother, or standing by me in prayer and psalmody, my wicked mind went around the wicked one, or enjoyed myself more than foolishly, or laughed madly, or spoke blasphemously, or was vain, or proud, or saw vain kindness and was deceived by it , or ridiculous mocked me. If I was negligent in my prayers, or did not keep the commandments of my spiritual father, or idle talk, or did other evil things, I remember all these deeds, which I remember below. Have mercy, O Lord, and forgive me everything, so that I may sleep and rest in peace, singing, blessing, and glorifying Thee, with Thy Beginning Father and with Thy Most Holy, Good, and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayers
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History of writing
The psalm expresses the enthusiastic gratitude of the Jews upon their return from Babylonian captivity, for the strength given by the Creator, with the help of which they managed to restore the state and build the Second Temple. King David calls on everyone to praise God: heavenly angels, kings and princes, people of all classes and ages, as well as animals and fish, heavenly bodies and seas.
Why read Psalm 148?
Psalm 148 is heard in the church during Matins, which is part of the morning service, performed immediately after Vespers, that is, in the evening. Any Christian can perform home readings, that is, private readings, regardless of the time of day.
The psalm of praise has a special meaning. People praise the Lord for all His creations and hope for future blessings. The psalm is read for good weather, harvest, and protection from natural disasters. It is noted that reading the psalm prevents defeat from fire. In ancient times, the text of Psalm 148 written on paper was kept in wooden houses behind the shrine, and firefighters carried it in their breast pocket.
Alleluia, Haggai and Zechariah, 148
This is how this psalm is written in our Slavic Psalter. Just like the previous one and all those that follow it, it belongs to the number of “psalms of praise” and represents a solemn invocation to glorify the Lord of the entire visible and invisible world, rational and irrational nature. The same must be said about its inscription as was said regarding the inscription of Psalms 145 and 147.
Ps.149:1-2 Praise the Lord from heaven, praise Him in the highest. Praise Him, all your angels; praise Him, all your might.
Wanting to call the whole world, visible and invisible, to glorify the Lord God, the psalmist in his thought seems to divide this world into two halves in order to call to praise God, first one half, and then the other. Turning his thoughts to heaven, he says: praise the Lord from heaven
.
There, in heaven and above heaven
, we, limited, imagine His residence, although we know that He is “everywhere”;
there, in heaven, let us ascend mentally to sing the glory of Him who lives in heaven: glory to God in the highest! Praise Him, Who lives in the highest! And he is the first to call for this glorification of angels, as the highest beings and closest to God. Praise Him
, he says,
all His angels
.
They, of course, do not need this calling, and without that they glorify Him, constantly crying out, as the prophet Isaiah says (Isaiah 6:3): “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts: fill the whole earth with His glory.” And in other places of Scripture they are also depicted as “servants of God, doing His will” and constantly praising Him. And calling here the angels to universal praise of God with all creatures, the psalmist expressed only the desire of his soul, together with all the angels, to praise and glorify God, and immediately added: praise Him, all His might
, as translated from Hebrew: “All His armies “- and with this addition he indicated that he invites to the general praise not only the lower and closest angels, but also all those who are strong to do the word, or will, of God, and about whom in another psalm it is said: “Bless the Lord , all His might, His servants, who do His will” (Ps. 102:21).
Ps.149:3-6 Praise him, O sun and moon: praise him, all the stars and light. Praise Him, heavens of heavens and waters that are above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for He spoke, and He commanded, and was created. I put it in the age and in the age of the century: put the command, and it will not go unnoticed.
Turning his thoughts to the other half of the creatures created by God, the prophet calls on them to participate in the general glorification of God, the Creator of all things. And first of all he calls to the praise of God the heavenly bodies, such as the sun and moon, stars and light,
- meaning, of course, those very luminaries whose creation is spoken of by the Genesis of the Prophet Moses and which are known and visible to all people who are not devoid of sight and reason.
To the question that arises, how these luminaries, who have neither a voice, nor a language, nor a rational soul, can praise the Lord, St. gives the answer. John Chrysostom, according to whom “there are three ways of glorification: the first, produced by the voice, about which Moses spoke, together with his sister Mariam, praising God and saying: “Let us sing to the Lord, for He is glorified” (Ex. 15:1). The second way of doxology is when it is done through sight, or seeing with the eyes, in which sense it is said: “the heavens proclaim the glory of God” (Ps. 19:1). The third way of doxology is when it is done through a virtuous life and good deeds: “so that they may see,” he says, “your good deeds, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). So, praise, he calls, God and you, dumb and soulless (luminaries), with your properties, which prompt your spectators to be surprised and bring praise to your Creator for you, and turn the tongue of your greatness, your beauty, your location and the use that you provide by your service, constancy, firmness and other similar natural qualities of yours, to the praise of God.” Next, the prophet calls on the heavens to praise God, speaking of him in the plural - heavens
.
Students of the Hebrew language know that, by the nature of this language, in some cases, instead of the singular, it uses the plural. By this, however, we do not mean to say that there is only one heaven. In the Holy Scriptures, both the Old and the New Testaments, both heaven and the heavens are very often mentioned; and St. The Apostle Paul says of himself that he was “caught up into the third heaven” (2 Cor. 12:2). above the heavens
also calls for this praise , i.e.
that atmospheric air from which water pours out in the form of rain. By the heaven of heavens
we must understand both that visible heaven, which was created at the beginning of everything (Gen. 1:1), and that which is above it and invisible to people.
“Let them praise,” he says, “the name of the Lord, for He spoke and they were made, He commanded and they were created; set them for ever and ever; gave a charter that will not pass away (according to the translation from Hebrew). According to His creative word, or command, everything received the beginning of its existence: as He said, so it became, as He commanded, so it became. And the sun, and the moon, and each of the stars (including the planets) He indicated its place; and also to that sky (firmament of heaven), in which he indicated the place and established each of these luminaries, He gave a charter ( command laid down
), according to which they must carry out the actions assigned to them, and to each their own rotation - and all this is carried out (
and not passing by
). Among scientific people, in the so-called physical sciences, these creative commands, for example, regarding the change of weather, day and night, the four seasons, etc., are known under the name of the laws of nature.
Ps.149:7-10 Praise the Lord from the earth, the serpents and all the deeps: fire, hail, snow, hunger, a stormy spirit, who does His word: the mountains and all the hills, the fruitful trees and all the cedars: the beasts and all the cattle, the creeping things and feathered birds.
Having called upon the heavens and heavenly bodies to praise God, the prophet lowers his gaze to the earth, and here, first of all, he draws attention to the abysses of the sea and to the serpents living in them, meaning by the name the last whales and other huge sea animals. Reading a description or listening to stories about these animals, one cannot help but be surprised and praise the Creator of these animals, Who designated as their home the inaccessible areas of the sea ( abyss)
) and indicated the limits beyond which they should not go, so that they do not harm floating ships and cannot destroy various genera of fish that are useful to humans.
The prophet calls all earthly creatures, and with them various atmospheric phenomena, to praise God in the following expressions (translated from Hebrew): “Praise the Lord from the earth, great fish and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and fog, stormy the wind that fulfills His word, the mountains and all the hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all livestock, creeping things and winged birds.” All these atmospheric phenomena, which are so well known to people, fulfill the will of God ( creating His word
) and bring benefit or harm to man, depending on how the will of God directs them, sometimes punishing for the sins of people: both through
fire
(lightning) and
hail
, and
storms
, etc., - and blessing the labors and piety of man with the blessing of the air and the abundance of the fruits of the earth.
Along with these aerial phenomena, calling from the earth to the praise of God the mountains and all the hills
the trees
growing on the mountains , especially
fruitful ones
, as well as those that provide man with building material, such as
all the cedar trees
with which the Lebanese mountains abounded, not forgetting the
beasts and all the livestock
, as well as
creeping things and birds
, which serve to benefit man, and often cause harm and instill fear in him, forcing him Therefore, be attentive and careful.
Ps.149:11-13 The kings of the earth and all the people, the princes and all the judges of the earth: young men and maidens, old men with young men. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for the name of the One is exalted, His confession on earth and in heaven.
Mentally moving from soulless and unreasonable animals to people, as rational creations of God, the prophet calls on people of all ages and both sexes to praise the Lord, starting with kings and princes: Let them praise
“,” he says, “
the name of the Lord is the kings of the zemstia and all the people, the princes and all the judges of the zemstia
.”
Not without a special intention, of course, the prophet, in his call to the general praise of the Lord, names separately the kings and princes and judges of the earth, letting them understand that if simple people, not endowed with power and dignity, are obliged to glorify the Lord God, the King of the whole world, then all the more so should high-ranking people do this, such as kings, judges and princes. Because when they, these high-ranking people, are aware of their duty to recognize and glorify the Supreme Being of God, then they will spread this consciousness and their realized sense of duty among other people subordinate to them, especially among young people, such as young men and women
who Young people should develop and maintain a religious feeling in themselves - a feeling of praise and gratitude to God.
And together with the youths
, the prophet calls for the same praise on
the elders
, who should always carry in their souls the consciousness and feeling of gratitude to God for the fact that, by the grace of God, they have reached old age.
Nevertheless, in general, rational beings, both in heaven and on earth, must glorify the name of the Lord because “His only name is exalted, His glory is on earth and in heaven,” as it is expressed in translation from the Hebrew, and this name is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom, according to the word of the Apostle, God so exalted that “he gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God.” Father" (Phil. 2:9-11). This is the confession of Him on earth and in heaven
that the prophet speaks of here.
Ps.149:14 And the horn of His people shall exalt: a song to all His holy ones, the sons of Israel, the people who draw near to Him.
In a word horn
signified in the psalms, as well as in the Holy Scriptures in general, is a national, political force, expressing the civil state of the people (Ps. 132:17; Luke 1:69; Ezek. 29:21).
Here again it is necessary to point out the difference in grammatical forms allowed in the Greek-Slavic and Hebrew translations, as well as others. In our Slavic Psalter it stands: will lift up the horn
, in the future tense, and in the Vulgate it is translated: exaltavit, in the past perfect;
in Tremellia's edition – effert, in the present; and in ancient Hebrew, i.e. translated from it - also in the past: “exalted”, or “exalted”, and the whole verse, translated from Hebrew, reads like this: “He exalted the horn of His people, the glory of all His saints, the children of Israel, the people close to Him.” Taking into account this difference in the expression of time, we must allow such an understanding of the prophet’s speech set out in the last verse. Upon the return of the Jews from captivity, upon their liberation from external enemies and upon the restoration of the walls and gates of the city of Jerusalem, the psalmist sees a change for the better in the civil fate of his people, and, wishing to express consolation to them after enduring various sufferings and disasters of captive life, as if This is what he says to him: The Lord lifted up the horn of the people, improved their fate as the people of Israel, exalted and glorified them, as he once exalted the descendants of Israel, as chosen people and close to Him ( people approaching Him
).
Translators and interpreters of subsequent times, all the words and sayings of this verse, in all likelihood, referred to the believers of the New Testament Christian Church, and therefore the word “exalted” or “exalted” was replaced by the future: exalt
, i.e.
He will bless His people. And the words: a song to all His saints
, like the words “psalm to David,” began to be understood and explained as follows: from all the sons of the Israeli people, i.e.
from all true Christians approaching God
, with faith and love (
to His venerables
), a song of praise will ascend to God, together with the angels and with all the saints.
Interpretation of Psalm 148 by Theodoret of Cyrus
The interpretation of sacred books was carried out by saints from different eras. That is why in Orthodoxy the Holy Scriptures (the Bible, Psalms, Gospels, etc.) are revered along with patristic traditions (interpretations). One of the earliest interpretations of the Psalter was compiled by Bishop Theodoret of Cyrus of Antioch (393-457 AD). The theologian explains each verse of the psalm.
Hallelujah
An appeal to greater zeal of the soul to sing songs to the Creator. The exclamation, which in this context can be translated as “All together!”
1 Praise the Lord from heaven, praise him in the highest.
Moses teaches that the Lord created two heavens. One along with the Earth, he commanded the other to be among the waters and called it the firmament. David calls upon the Lord to sing songs from heaven and on high, that is, to the disembodied faces that dwell in both heavens. The prophet calls on the angels to join in singing and praise the Lord with him.
2 Praise him, all his angels: praise him, all his might.
Now the prophet turns to certain angelic ranks: Power and Strength, because they are mighty in strength, doing His word (Ps. 103:20).
3 Praise Him, O sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light.
Theodoret of Cyrus cites the previous description of Symmachus: praise all the stars of light, but in the translation of the Seventy it turns out differently. God created light on the first day, and the heavenly bodies on the fourth. That is why the prophet David mentioned the light separately and calls upon the sun, moons and stars additionally, addressing them as animate and verbal creations. At the same time, he addresses people, urging them to look at the heavenly bodies as creations of God’s wisdom and to tirelessly praise the Lord.
4 Praise Him, the heavens of heavens: and the waters are above the heavens.
God divided the watery nature into the firmament and commanded the solar fire to move through the hardened waters. This way the fire does not go out and the hardened water does not evaporate. King David refers to heaven in the plural, according to the rules of the Hebrew language, according to which the word heaven is not used in the singular.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He [spoke, and they were made,] commanded, and they were made;
David says that it is worthy to glorify the Creator, who created with the Word and created in the beauty that we see.
6 He established them forever and ever; gave a statute that will not pass away.
And he not only created, but also continues to think about creation, due to which all creatures, animate and inanimate, continue to exist as long as He pleases. And everyone fulfills His laws: the sea does not overflow its banks, day and night follow each other. Only people neglect God's laws.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great fish and all the deeps,
By great fish we mean whales that live in the seas - parts of the earth. Great is the wisdom of the Creator, who imprisoned huge animals in the seas, showing their power, but protecting people from them so that they would not be harmed.
8 Fire and hail, snow and fog, a stormy wind that fulfills His word,
Fire can appear not only on the ground, but also form in the air in the form of lightning and fireballs. Snow, hail and fog come from water; storms, which David calls a stormy spirit, also refer to atmospheric phenomena due to the difference in pressure and humidity. Such phenomena obey God, but do not behave like something animate and intelligent.
9 the mountains and all the hills, the fruit trees and all the cedars,
Thank you to the Lord not so much from amazement at the greatness of His creatures, but also from the benefits to man - extensive and varied.
10 beasts and all livestock, creeping things and winged birds,
David separates the fierce beasts from the meek, but encourages both to praise the Lord, because there is not a single creature that is useless or superfluous, although this is hidden from our knowledge.
11 The kings of the earth and all the nations, the princes and all the judges of the earth,
The prophet calls on kings, nations, princes and judges to glorify the Lord.
12 youths and maidens, elders and youths
May immature and overripe age also praise the Lord.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His alone is exalted, His glory is on earth and in heaven.
They praise the name of the Lord, because the memory of other false gods has faded, and the only One who exists will not pass through the centuries, not only in heaven, but also on earth.
14 He has exalted the horn of His people, the glory of all His saints, the children of Israel, the people who are close to Him.
The Lord will exalt the people who honor Him. A horn is a fortress; King David refers to the likeness of animals armed with horns. God will make this people not only strong, but also revered. The Lord will give glory to the children of Israel and the people close to Him. Further, Theodoret of Cyrus writes that the celebrity passed with piety, and the Israelites lost that glory, but the pagans will receive the gifts of God. The theologian foresaw the spread of the Orthodox faith throughout the world, and people who were pagans in the 4th century would become pious Christians.
Discourse 58 on Psalm 148124
Ps.149:1-2. Hallelujah. Haggai and Zechariah. Praise the Lord from heaven, praise Him in the highest (villages). Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His armies.
The call of all creatures - spiritual and sensory - to glorify the Creator and the special purpose of this call. – Why does the prophet speak a little about heavenly powers and more extensively about visible objects? – Various ways to glorify God; Praise be to Him inanimate creatures. – The world has a Creator and Provider. – Addressing the creatures of the earth, why does the psalmist list those that seem useless or harmful? – We must thank God for establishing the power of the Kings. – “For the name of His One is exalted” (Ps. 149:13). – The Lord will extend His glory to Israel if they keep His commandments.
1. This is what saints usually do out of their great reverence: when they intend to thank God, they call many to participate in the praise and invite them to join them in this good service. This is what the three youths did, who, being in the cave, invited all creatures to glorify the benefit shown to them and to glorify God. This is what the prophet does here too, calling on both worlds, above and below, sensual and spiritual. The prophet Isaiah does the same when he says: “Rejoice, O heavens, and be glad, O earth...; for the Lord has comforted his people” (Isaiah 49:13). And the same Psalmist, when he says: “When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a barbarous people: the mountains leaped like rams, and the hills like lambs among sheep” (Ps. 114:1, 4). And Isaiah in another place: “let the clouds shed righteousness” (Is. 45:8). As if finding themselves alone insufficient to glorify the Lord, they try to make everyone participants in the glorification. The Psalmist does this especially often, for example, when he says: “Worship Him, all His Angels” (Ps. 97:7); and again: “mighty in strength, doing His word” (Ps. 103:20).
By this he suggests something else. What is it? So that none of the crazy people think that there are two Creators. Since creatures are different, differ from each other in their essence, namely: some are sensual, others are spiritual, some are visible, others are invisible, some are clothed with bodies, others are incorporeal, so that no one, from the differences in creatures, should conclude that there are two Creators, the prophet establishes one choir, sending up one song to God from all and instilling in him that the same God should be praised by both the creatures above and below, and thereby teaching that there is one Creator of both. He begins with the highest creatures and says: “Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His armies.” Another translator (Symmachus) says: “all his armies” (στρατιαὶ). He means here cherubim, seraphim, dominions, principles, powers. This is a sign of a fiery soul, this is the property of ardent love: to encourage everyone to praise the beloved; this is a sign of a soul constantly enjoying the thought of God, amazed and amazed at His glory, devoted to Him. “Praise Him, O sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars and light” (Ps. 149:3). Another (Symmachus): “stars of light” (αστέρες φωτὸς). “Praise Him, heavens of heavens and waters that are above the heavens: let them praise the name of the Lord, for He spoke and they appeared, He commanded and they were created” (Ps. 149:4-5). Another (unknown translator, see Orig. Ex.): “he made them to abide forever” (διαμένειν αιωνίως). “He has made them for ever and ever: he has given a commandment, and it shall not pass away” (Ps. 149:6). Why did the prophet, having said a little about the heavenly powers, immediately leave them and, turning to visible objects, speak about them at length, listing everything separately, located both above and below? Because these objects were more understandable to the listeners of that time, as visible and before their eyes. Therefore, Moses, in the story of the creation of the world, without saying anything - neither little nor much - about the creatures of the heavens, begins his speech with heaven and earth, then moves on to the sun, moon, plants, swimming, four-legged animals, and ends with man. With the words: “heaven of heavens,” the prophet does not mean here a multitude of them, but expresses one and the same heaven of heavens. In Hebrew the sky is usually called the heavens. Likewise, in another place he says: “The highest heaven is the Lord’s, but He has given the earth to the sons of men” (Ps. 113:24). "And the water that is above the heavens." You heard Moses, who says that God placed some waters below, others established above the vault of heaven, when he founded the firmament in the midst of the abyss and commanded the waters to remain above the firmament.
But perhaps someone will say: how can all these creatures praise God, having no voice, no language, no soul, no sense, no reason, no organ of voice, no thought? There are two ways of glorifying: one through words, the other through contemplation, and, in addition, the third through life and deeds. So people, not only with words, but also in silence, can bring glory to God, as Christ says: “Let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). And again: “May the Lord give you children by this wife in place of the one you gave to the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:20). There is praise through the tongue, as Moses praised God with Mariamne when they said: “I sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted” (Ex. 15:1). There is also praise through the creation itself, as the same Psalmist says: “The heavens will tell of the glory of God, and the firmament will tell of the work of His hands” (Ps. 18:2). So here, too, the creature glorifies Him with its beauty, location, greatness, properties, use, service, constancy, and the benefits that come from it. So, when the prophet says: “Praise the Lord... the angels..., the powers..., the heavens..., the moon..., the sun..., the stars..., the water that is above the heavens,” he expresses that each of the creatures is worthy of the wisdom of the Creator and is filled with great miracles. Moses also briefly expressed the same thing at the beginning in the words: “And God saw everything that He had created, and, behold, it was very good” (Gen. 1:31) - beautiful in such a way that it glorifies the Creator and disposes the viewer to glorify the Artist.
2. Thus, the prophet calls “praise” the beauty of creatures, which gives praise to the Creator. Paul also says: “For His invisible is His eternal power and Godhead” (Rom. 1:20). And the Psalmist, having spoken about the creatures and left those who contemplate them to study their beauty, greatness and benefit, he himself points to the Author of all this and says: “for He spoke and they appeared, He commanded and they were created. He has appointed them for ever and ever: he has given the commandment, and it shall not pass away.”
That creations are beautiful and amazing can be seen just by looking at them; and that they have a Creator, do not exist by themselves and are without beginning, this is sufficiently clear from his very words. If anyone doubts, then let him learn from me that they have a Creator, Artist, Provider and Preserver. The Prophet here inspires two thoughts, or, better said, three, and if we examine more closely, then four; namely, it says that God created everything, created from nothing, created easily and supports what was created. The expression: “He said” means ease of action, just as Paul, also explaining, says: “to those who give life to the dead and call things that do not exist as if they exist” (Rom. 4:17), in the word “commanded” indicating ease. And that God supports what was created, this is shown by the prophet himself, adding: “he set them for ever and ever: he gave the commandment, and it shall not pass away.” Look, how here again he expresses the power, the power of God, not only with the word: “set,” but also with the word: “gave the command,” meaning His activity in human expressions. Just as it is easy for you to say, and not difficult to give an order, so for God it is to create the non-existent and maintain the created; or not even like that, but much easier. It is impossible to imagine the extreme ease with which He created everything. And it is amazing not only that He supports everything and that the laws of nature remain immutable, but also that they remain indefinitely. Imagine how many centuries passed, and nothing that existed was destroyed: neither the sea flooded the earth, nor the sun burned up visible things, nor the sky was shaken, nor the boundaries of day and night were confused, nor did the seasons change, nor anything else. similar, but He arranged each of the lower and higher creatures in such a way that it strictly observes the limits once assigned to it in the beginning. Having spoken about the highest and heavenly creatures, the prophet then descends to earth. Just as he acted in relation to the higher creatures, namely: starting with those above the heavenly, he moved on to the heavenly, so here he moves from the heavenly to the earthly. There are people who say that the creatures in heaven are worthy of God’s creativity, but they condemn those on earth, pointing out that there are scorpions, echidnas, dragons and other kinds of wild animals, as well as barren trees; therefore, the prophet, as if refuting them, reveals his subject from the other side. And look how he acts: leaving out those animals that are undoubtedly recognized as good and whose usefulness is proven by experience, such as sheep, oxen, donkeys, camels and other animals that serve us to transport heavy loads, he turns to animals that seem useless , pointing to dragons, to the impassable part of the sea, and to what seems harmful, such as: fire, hail, snow, frost; then to barren trees, mountains; Leaving the fields and plains, convenient for agriculture and growing good fruits, he moves on to mountains, hills, desert places, and mentions reptiles. However, in order to see this more clearly, you need to listen to his very words. Having said: “I gave the commandment, and it will not pass away,” he continues: “Praise the Lord from the earth: serpents and all the deeps; fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy wind, doing His will.” Another translator (unknown translator, see Orig. Ex.) says: “wind of Typhon” (ανεμος τυφωνος). “The mountains and all the hills, the fruitful trees and all the cedars; beasts and all livestock, creeping things and birds of feathers" (Ps. 149: 7-10). Why did he compose his speech this way? In order to further prove the providence of God. If those creatures that seem useless and hostile to the human race are so beautiful and so useful that they bring praise and glorification to God with their composition, then imagine what the others are like. If you like, let's look at each of the named creatures. “Snakes,” he says, “and all the abysses.” “Snakes” he calls whales here, as in another place he says: “this serpent, which You created to humiliate him” (Ps. 103:26). And in many places this animal is called that.
3. But how do you say this animal glorifies the Creator? How does it not glorify? When you look at its size and body composition, which Scripture speaks about in great detail in the book of Job (Job 41), can you not be surprised by the Creator who produced such an animal? And not only because of its size it is worthy of surprise, but also because an impassable part of the sea was assigned to it for its dwelling. It is also surprising how this wild and huge animal does not exceed its limits, but remains in the places assigned to it for residence, and not only does not go onto land or inhabited countries, but does not harm that part of the sea that is convenient for navigation, and does not destroy different kinds of fish, but lives in its own place. And not only this deserves surprise, but also the very depth of the abyss. What is said about this beast, the same can be said about the sea. And it, being uncontrollable during strong winds and having such an abundance of water, does not go beyond its limits, does not flood the neighboring land, but is also bound by inextricable bonds, although water is restless by nature. If it has such a huge size and is disturbed by such winds, then imagine how great a miracle it is that it does not protrude from its place, despite its restless nature, nor the enormity, nor the strength of the winds, but in such disorder it maintains perfect order. Reflecting on this, you can formulate praise to God from here, and marvel at His power, wisdom, strength, and authority. There are other inexplicable reasons for these phenomena, which only the Creator himself knows. That’s why someone said: don’t say: why “what is this?” “What is this for?” for everything will be revealed in due time” (Sir.39:22). “Fire, hail, snow, ice, and stormy wind, doing His will.” Here the prophet adds something new to the above. In the previous psalm, he was amazed at how snow and frost cover the entire earth in a short time, how it hardens, changes, turns into the opposite state; and here he is amazed at how things, having come from non-existence, continue to be, and, continuing to be, perform the work of serving God, although they themselves are unreasonable, and carry out His command with great obedience. Even the same thing, at His command, often produced actions that were opposite in nature - as, for example, in the Babylonian oven the fire both burned and irrigated, doing both at the same time. But, you say, does this really deserve gratitude? And great. God should be glorified equally both when He punishes and when He delivers from punishment. Both testify to His care; both are the work of His goodness. People do one thing out of kindness, and another out of malice and anger; but God does both out of love for mankind. Thus, we must equally glorify Him both for the fact that He settled Adam in paradise and for the fact that He expelled him, and to thank not only for the kingdom, but also for Gehenna, because He prepared it and threatens it with it. to turn us away from evil. As a doctor, we respect not only when he feeds, but also when he exhausts with hunger, not only when he takes him out into the street, but also when he confines him at home, not only when he anoints, but also when he burns and cuts off - because, although these actions are opposite, but have one goal in mind - so God should be glorified for everything, and especially since there is a man, and here is God, and that those actions often have the opposite outcome, and the works of God are performed with the greatest wisdom and providence . Hail and fire not only serve as punishment, but they also sometimes relieved people of punishment, stopped wars, and drove away attacking enemies. Or do you not know how many miracles were created through these elements in Egypt, among the Jews and in our generation? The power of the Commander is such that He often performed the same miracles through the elements that He performed through the angels, these rational and supreme powers, so that when an angel performs them, one of the madmen would not attribute them to himself, but would attribute them to To the one who commanded. So, did the angel stop the war? And the hail also stopped it. Did the angel destroy the firstborn? And a sea storm destroyed an entire people. Therefore, thank the humane God for everything. “The mountains and all the hills, the fruitful trees and all the cedars; beasts and all livestock, reptiles and birds of feathers.” Look how the prophet dwells more on objects that are not so useful, on mountains, ravines, hills, wild animals, reptiles and barren trees. Fruitful trees themselves are of obvious benefit, as are level fields and gentle animals; And what kind of benefit do you say that wild animals, reptiles, mountains and barren trees bring? Great and greatly contributing to the maintenance of our lives. Thus, mountains and hills and barren trees are very necessary for our construction, so that if we did not have them, then nothing would protect our race from destruction. Just as we need flat fields for food, so we need barren trees and stones for building houses and for preparing countless other products from them.
4. And what benefits do snakes, scorpions, dragons, and lions bring to life? What's the use of them? Great and indescribable, no less than from meek animals. Those are useful for bodily needs, but these instill fear in you, make you prudent, accustom you to fight, bring to your memory the sin of your ancestor in paradise and show you what evils can be caused by disobedience. Previously, animals were not like this, they were not scary and dangerous for humans, but they were meek and tame. God brought them to Adam, and he named them. The serpent speaks to Eve, and Eve does not run away from him. But when the commandment was broken and disobedience to God was shown, then the honor of man decreased. Therefore, when you see a lion or a snake, then remember these events and they will serve you as a considerable reason for wisdom. Remember also about Daniel, how terrible beasts became unafraid for him when he returned to the ancient image (of God), just as the echidna did for Paul, and from this you will gain considerable zeal and care for the soul. At the same time, and for another reason, one must marvel at God’s dispensation and order for them. Why? Because He assigned them places to live, remote from cities, deserts; being terrible, they do not live in cities and do not attack those living in them, but love and prefer the desert, since God assigned it to them from ancient times, so that they would have a comfortable and characteristic place of life there. When you sleep, they walk in the desert. So the prophet says in another place: “You spread darkness, and night comes, when all the beasts of the forest walk” (Ps. 103:20). Do you see how even now there are still traces of your power, although reduced, but testifying to your former honor? Wild animals, like runaway slaves, are separated from you by both time and place; and if you yourself do not go to them, then they will not attack you, but will live in the deserts. When you are upset and wondering why wild animals were created, you act very foolishly, because if you yourself behave well, you will not suffer any harm from them; If you suffer harm from animals, then remember that you often suffer much worse harm from people. Man can be worse than the beast. He directly reveals his brutality; but this one hides his malice under the guise of meekness, and therefore it is often difficult to beware of him. However, if you are prudent, then neither animal nor man will not only cause you no harm, but will also bring very great benefit. But what am I saying about beast and man, when the devil himself not only did not cause any harm to Job, but also served as a reason for him to receive countless crowns? And what am I saying: beast and man, when even from the substances contained in you, if you are careless, you can suffer much greater harm, as, for example, from bile or phlegm, if through some immoderation you allow them to multiply too much? Thus, careful prudence is needed in everything. Just as with negligence you receive the greatest harm from them, so with prudence and attentiveness you will gain from them no unimportant benefit. Everything depends on your will. So, what does snow, fire and storm serve in all of nature, and in addition, phlegm, blood and bile serve in the body. Therefore, you need to moderate them with the greatest prudence in order to receive some benefit from them and not harm. But what am I saying about the body, when the soul also has such accessories that become diseases if you allow them to reach immoderation, and when they are moderated, they serve as benefits? So anger, if you use it as you should, serves as a saving medicine, but if you use it immoderately, it becomes the cause of death. And lust, controlled with moderation, makes you a father, since it is useful for the birth of children; and if you do not moderate, it often plunges you into fornication and adultery. So, do not blame foreign objects, but always blame your will. If you neglect it, you will suffer harm from yourself, you will die from your own body; and if you improve it, you will not experience anything bad or unpleasant either from demons or the devil, and not just from animals.
“The kings of the earth and all the nations, the rulers and all the judges of the earth.” Another translator (unknown translator, see Orig. Ex.) says “all tribes” (φυλα). “Young men and maidens, old and young” (Ps. 149:11-12). Other (unknown, see Orig. Ex.): “chosen ones” (εκλεκτοὶ). "The old with the young." Another (unknown, see Orig. Ex.): “with the young” (μετὰ νέων). “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for the name of His One is exalted: His confession (is made) in heaven and on earth!” (Ps. 149:13). Here the prophet speaks about another type of God's providence - about leaders. So Paul, in his letter to the Romans, very wisely proves that the division of all people into rulers and subordinates is a matter of the wisdom of God: “for the ruler
is God's servant for your good" (Rom. 13:4). If you destroy this order, everything will perish. If even now, when there are many bad people among the leaders, this very thing is so necessary that even with the bad qualities of the leaders there is great benefit from them, then imagine what prosperity the human race would enjoy if those who had power in their hands used it well. However, the establishment of power is the work of God; and the fact that vicious people are allowed to access it and do not use it as they should depends on the depravity of people.
5. So, the prophet says that we must offer great thanks to God both for the fact that there are kings and for the fact that there are judges. Having concern for the welfare of people, so that many of them would not live more senselessly than animals, God established the power of rulers and kings, like the reins for driving a chariot or the helm for steering a ship. Therefore, if you are a boss, then thank the man-loving God that you are worthy to participate in such care; if you are a subordinate, then thank Him again for having a boss who cares about you and does not allow evil people to plot your intrigues. Whether you have reached old age or are still young, thank God. This entire psalm especially teaches that you should glorify God in everything, even if you were a leader, even if you belonged to the common people. Expressing this, the prophet said: all people. Are you a young man, he says, or an old man, a wife or a husband? “Exalted is the name of His One.” Another (unknown translator, see Orig. Ex.): “because it is excellent” (ύπερέχον). “His confession (is made) in heaven and on earth.” Another (unknown, see Orig. Ex.): “and his song” (ύνμνος). “And He will exalt the strength of His people. (This is) the song of all His saints, the children of Israel, the people who draw near to Him” (Ps. 149:14). The meaning of his words is as follows: from everything visible, I showed his industry, glory, greatness; but we must glorify Him not only for this, but also without it. Indeed, both before and without this, greatness, glory and gratitude belong to God from everyone. The expression: “His One” is used here in contrast to the imaginary gods. Then, raising the listener to higher concepts, the prophet again transfers him from earth to heaven. Just as at the beginning of the psalm he descended from heaven to earth, so now from everything visible he raises the listener above heaven and says: “His confession (is made) in heaven and on earth,” that is, although higher powers, invisible and spiritual, They do not cease to thank and glorify God, but such a great and so good God has deigned to call us His people, and not only to call us, but also to exalt and exalt us. Therefore, he adds: “and He will exalt the strength of His people,” again encouraging them to serve God most diligently and instilling in them that He has no need for their service (how can He need it, to Whom by His nature belongs glory and is subject to so much creatures?), but by goodness alone he brought them closer to Himself, glorified and exalted them throughout the entire universe. This is what the prophet expresses in the words: “the song of all His saints, the sons of Israel, the people who draw near to Him.” So that the expression: “the sons of Israel” does not give the listeners a reason to become careless and arrogant, and so that they, relying on this name alone, do not begin to neglect spiritual virtues, the prophet, after the words: “the song of all,” did not simply say: to people, but : “His reverends,” and further, after the words: “the sons of Israel, he added: people approaching Him.” Another translator (unknown translator, see Orig. Ex.), instead of: “song,” said: “praise” (έπαινος). The meaning of his words is as follows: if you are righteous, if you begin to draw closer to Him, you will receive great glory. Everything that belongs to Him is permanent, because He is so rich and so glorious; but we must do what is due on our part; then we too will achieve great glorification, through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Reading rules
You can read the Psalter both in Old Church Slavonic and in Russian. What is important is not a mechanical, but a thoughtful, meaningful reading. The psalm is read while reading kathisma 20. The reader pronounces each phrase, pauses after the sentence so that not a single word is said in a tongue twister.
Psalm 148 is not only praise to the Creator, but also gratitude for the future in the words of the pious King David. Just as they thank people in advance, they turn to God in full confidence in the help of the Creator.
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