Psalm 116 is known as the shortest chapter not only in the Psalter, but in the entire Bible. It contains only two verses. Despite its brevity, it is interpreted by theologians on a par with longer chapters of Holy Scripture. It is also used in worship - not only in Orthodoxy, but also in other Christian denominations.
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General content
Known from the opening lines in Latin (Laudate Dominum omnes gentes). In the Church Slavonic version, it sounds like “Praise the Lord, all nations” (that is, all the peoples of the world). From the opening word - Hallelujah - you can understand that this psalm is one of praise. Western theologian Isaac Watts compiled a brief summary of the essence:
- All you who live under heaven, praise the Creator.
- The Redeemer should be sung in every language on earth.
- Lord, Your mercies are everlasting; the truth of Your word is also eternal.
- Praise will sound from shore to shore,
- Until the sun rises
- To never come again.
Russian theologians agree that Psalm 116 speaks allegorically about Christ. Prophetic lines foretell how the Lord's ministry will change the world after the second coming. Then the apostles will begin to pronounce their testimony in every corner of the Universe.
Psalm 90 Living in Help in Russian and interpretation
The essence of Psalm 90 in trusting in God, the idea behind David's writing of the 16 verses that make up Psalm 90, is the irresistible power of the Lord. Prayer Psalm 90 Living, with the help of the Most High, instructs people on the path of true faith, indicates how many benefits trust in God brings. A person who lives with faith and hope in God will find in Him a protector who will save him from all misfortunes in life.
The ninetieth Psalm prophetically points to the coming of Christ. It is God who is almighty, He is the most reliable protector of man and the closest. Interpretation of each verse of Psalm 91:
- Living in the help of the Most High, he will settle in the shelter of the Heavenly God. Having the help given by God, he will be preserved under the protection of God. By God's help we must understand the law of Divine commandments given by the Lord to help people against demons and any misfortunes.
- Says the Lord: Thou art my Protector and my Refuge, my God, and I trust in Him. Possessing firm faith, a person says to the Lord: “My refuge and my defense; My God, I trust and hope only in you.”
- Yako Toy will deliver you from the snare of the trap, and from rebellious words. God will deliver “from the snare of the trap” - from an unexpected physical attack on the body or an attack by demons in the form of a sudden appearance of lust of any sinful passion. It will also get rid of “rebellious speech” - slander that raises rebellion in the soul of the slandered person.
- His cloak will cover you and you will hope under His wing: His truth will surround you with weapons. He will overshadow you with His feathers, and under His wings you will be safe; shield and fence - His truth. The implication is that the Lord will protect you and take you under his wing, you will feel completely safe. “His truth” will be your protection. God loves truth and will protect those who are true before Him.
- You will stop being afraid of nightly fear and flying arrows during the day. A person who lives in the help of God will not be afraid of night terrors from demons, or from bad people; You will not be afraid of arrows and shots that strike the body; You will not be afraid of mental arrows coming from demons.
- He will protect you from the things that pass in the darkness, from the debris and the midday demon. “Things that pass away in darkness” - fornication, adultery. “The Midday Demon” - symbolizes the demon of carelessness and laziness, who corrupts people during their midday rest with vile temptations and carnal thoughts.
- Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will fall at your right hand; will save you. Thousands of arrows will fall on your left and ten thousand arrows on your right, but they will not harm you. A thousand on the left is a temptation to sin. Ten thousand on the right means an attack by demons to counteract righteous Godly deeds.
- Look at your eyes and see the reward of sinners. With God's help, you will see with your own eyes the retribution of the wicked who are at enmity against you.
- For You, O Lord, are my hope. You have made the Most High your refuge. You will have strong protection from God because you have relied on God with all your heart and mind and chosen Him as your refuge.
- Evil will pass you by when the wound gets closer to your body. If you have made God your refuge, then “evil will pass you by,” meaning that you are not afraid of any trouble or temptation. “When the wound approaches your body,” everything bodily will be protected, your house from fire and robbery, and your body from illness.
- As His Angel commanded you, keep you in all your ways. The Lord instructs His angels to protect you in all your ways. God, through Angels, protects those who trust in Him.
- They will take you in their arms, but not when you dash your foot against a stone. They will carry you in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. The hands of Angels will support you during temptations and protect you in difficult circumstances.
- Tread on the asp and the basilisk, and cross the lion and the serpent. Asp and basilisk are two types of poisonous snakes. A righteous person is not afraid of poisonous snakes and predators; they will not harm him. When the Holy Fathers wrote the verse under snakes and beasts, they meant victory over evil.
- For I have trusted in Me, and I will deliver; I will cover, and because I have known My name. A person who trusts in God is protected from any danger. The name of God is not known to the one who knows in general who God is, but only to the one who shows zeal in fulfilling the commandments and will of God.
- He will call to Me, and I will hear him: I am with him in sorrow, I will destroy him, and I will glorify him. He who trusts in God will call to him in danger, and He will hear, and come to the rescue, and free him, as he helped many martyrs in suffering. And he will not only liberate, but also glorify him in earthly and eternal life. Provided that he who trusts in God will not ask for anything unworthy, contrary to God’s truth.
- I will fill him with long days, and show him My salvation. The interpretation of the verse implies that those who trust in God for their efforts are rewarded with eternal life; in addition to providing the kingdom of heaven, the Lord can extend earthly life.
Interpretation of Psalm 116
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This chapter of the Psalms was quoted by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. The Romans were pagans at that time, and Paul very accurately captured the general mood of the prophetic lines. They say that the pagans are also called to share with the chosen people the mercy of the Messiah. He came to earth not only to fulfill promises, but also to save everyone who is not yet familiar with God.
According to Ivan Lopukhin, a famous Russian theologian, Psalm 116 is a continuation of the previous two:
- Psalm 114 is the king’s personal appeal to the Lord;
- Psalm 115 - thanksgiving in the presence of Jews.
Previously, the author offers thanks and praise on behalf of his fellow Israelis. Through the lips of the psalmist an invitation sounds to all earthly tribes - the king offers to glorify the Lord of the universe. Appealing to the pagans who did not know Jehovah, the true God, testifies to David's deep faith.
David often uses the words hesed (mercy) and emeth (truth, faithfulness). These epithets refer to Immanuel. The prophet saw very clearly how the Lord worked in the world. Tribes who worship false gods must sooner or later turn away from them. The only question is when this blessed time will come, but for David there was no doubt that it would come. And with his appeal he is trying to speed up his arrival.
History of writing
In his youth, David was a simple shepherd, but the Lord crowned him king. King Saul, who ruled at that time, did not want to give up power, so he tried to kill the righteous man and sent robbers to search for him. David never aspired to become king and remained loyal to Saul, but was forced to flee in fear of death.
The text of Psalm 53 is dedicated to the events that took place at that time. The Lord warned David about the impending danger, and he fled to the Ziph desert to hide from the king. The Ziphites did not want to quarrel with Saul, who brought an entire army. They wanted to hand over the righteous man who was hiding in the rocky mountains. When the end was near, a messenger rode up and informed King Saul of the Philistine attack. The army quickly returned, and David was saved thanks to the mercy of the Lord.
In moments of despair and despondency, when defeat seemed inevitable, David did not abandon faith and continued to pray to God. His sincere requests were heard by the Lord, who does not leave those in need in trouble. Psalm 53 is one of the songs in the Psalter dedicated to those terrible moments in which God remained the only hope and salvation.
Christology of the Psalms
In many texts - no matter whether in Russian, English or Slavic - the prophets spoke about Christ. Of course, every Bible verse has both a literal meaning and a mysterious meaning. The entire Bible speaks in one way or another about the Coming of the Son of God.
There is a deep meaning in the first verse. In an amazing way, the prophet foresees events that will occur many centuries after his death. The Savior came, began to preach, and performed many miracles. He suffered and accepted death, sacrificed Himself, then the Resurrection occurred. Then, appearing to the apostles on the day of Pentecost, He gave them a great commission: to go to the ends of the earth and bring the Gospel.
- Today there is hardly a person who has never held the Bible in his hands. The New Testament has been translated into many languages and is available for study even to people who profess other religions. It was to them that King David addressed his appeal.
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Why does the prophet suggest praising the Lord? For what He has done in our lives - for deliverance from the burden of sin and eternal death, for the opportunity to unite with Christ, for the fact that the gates of heaven are again open for believers. Jesus came down to our world so that its inhabitants could ascend to heaven. Through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, people can make this ascent because He took upon Himself the burden of our sins.
- Text of Psalm 60;
- Interpretation of Psalm 3;
- Psalm 50 - how prayer helps.
Reading rules
In church services, the reading of the Psalter occurs daily, and in a week it is read in full. There are psalms that need to be read at a strictly designated time or day of the week, and for reading each of them, of course, there is a reason, pain or excitement
Since ancient times it was accepted that the Church Slavonic language became the language of worship; its drawling and melodious quality gives additional grandeur to kathismas and attracts all the attention of believers
It would be right for every Orthodox Christian to study this language and pray in it, even if the reading of the Psalter takes place at home. However, at present, not all believers know it well enough to understand the entire deep meaning of scripture without being distracted by the complexity of the interpretation of words. Therefore, the Church allows the reading of the Psalter in Russian, provided that this is necessary for studying and understanding the sacred meaning of the psalms. The main thing is to maintain peace of mind when reading the prayer, to believe and hope for the mercy of God.
How Christ changed the world
The entire history described in the Old Testament testifies that humanity is not able to save itself. The world was not getting better, things were getting worse and worse. Men and women were satiated with sinful pleasures; they ate, drank, and indulged in debauchery. Life without a Savior has no meaning because it has no spiritual direction. The Bible even tells us about human sacrifice. So society slipped lower and lower.
And then the incarnation of the Son of God took place. Thousands of souls reached out to Christ, because their souls needed his love. According to the Gospel, about 5 thousand people followed the Teacher. They all needed repentance, cleansing of conscience and joyfully accepted the Word. But the main thing that conquered Jesus was His love, boundless love for His creation. Not everyone could comprehend why a simple carpenter innocently ascended to Golgotha. This is too difficult and incomprehensible for many, but even for them there is a chance of salvation.
After the Resurrection of Christ, many things began to change, although not immediately. Christian communities appeared, then kings accepted the new faith, saints appeared, the first states based on faith in God. Today we really have something to say “Thank you, Lord!”:
- By the sacrament of Repentance, believers can clear their conscience;
- through Communion, accept into yourself a part of the Lord Himself;
- believers have the opportunity to be spiritually born of water and the Spirit.
After being born again, the personality is transformed and praise to God becomes a necessity.
About the author About the book
Prayers after the 16th Kathisma:
According to the 16th kathisma, Trisagion. Also troparia, tone 1:
Peace awaits you, soul, and the Judge wants to expose your secret and cruel. Do not remain among those here, but precede the crying Judges: God, cleanse me and save me.
Glory
For I am beset with many sins and immeasurable wounds, O Savior, when I sin, I pray to Your compassion, O Christ: visit the physician of the sick, and heal and save me.
And now
My soul, why are you living carelessly and being lazy? Why are you not concerned about the evil ones you have done in your life? If you try to correct yourself first, even the Lord will not close the door for you. O Mother of God, come down and cry out: Hope of the hopeless, save me, who have sinned so much against You, Most Pure Lady.
Lord, have mercy (40) and prayer:
Holy Lord, Living in the Highest, and with Your all-seeing eye You look upon all creation, We bow to You, soul and body, and we pray to You, Holy of Holies: stretch out Your invisible hand from Your holy dwelling, and bless us all, and forgive us every sin, voluntary and involuntary, in word or deed. Grant us, Lord, tenderness, grant spiritual tears from the soul, for the cleansing of many of our sins, grant Your great mercy to Your world and to us, Your unworthy servants. For blessed and glorified is Your name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
Alleluia, 114
1 I love that the Lord will hear the voice of my prayer, 2 that He incline His ear to me, and in my days I will call. 3 Mortal diseases came upon me, the troubles of hell came upon me, sorrow and sickness came upon me, and I called on the name of the Lord: 4 O Lord, deliver my soul. The Lord is merciful and righteous, and our God has mercy. 5 The Lord protect the children: humble yourself and save me. 6 Turn, my soul, to your rest, for the Lord is good to you. 7 For they will take away my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my nose from creeping. 8 I will please the Lord in the land of the living.
Translation of the psalm into Russian
Glory:
Alleluia, 115
1 I believed, and I also spoke, and I greatly humbled myself. 2 But I said in my confusion: Every man is a lie. 3 What shall I render to the Lord for all that I have rendered? 4 I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, 5 I will offer my prayers to the Lord before all His people. 6 The death of His saints is honorable before the Lord. 7 O Lord, I am Your servant, I am Your servant and the son of Your handmaid; You have torn my bonds to pieces. 8 I will devour a sacrifice of praise for you, and in the name of the Lord I will call. 9 I will offer my prayers to the Lord before all His people, 10 in the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of you, Jerusalem.
Translation of the psalm into Russian
Alleluia, 117
1 Confess to the Lord that He is good, for His mercy endures forever. 2 Let the house of Israel say, For He is good, for His mercy endures forever. 3 Let the house of Aaron say: For He is good, for His mercy endures forever. 4 Let all who fear the Lord say: For He is good, for His mercy endures forever. 5 Out of sorrow I called on the Lord, and heard me into space. 6 The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man does to me. 7 The Lord is my Helper, and I will look upon my enemies. 8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in man. 9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in princes. 10 All the nations have circumvented me, and in the name of the Lord they have resisted them; thorns, and in the name of the Lord I resisted them. 13 I have rejected the mouth, and the Lord has accepted me. 14 The Lord is my strength and my song, and He will be my salvation. 15 A voice of joy and salvation in the villages of the righteous: 16 The right hand of the Lord create power. The right hand of the Lord has exalted me, the right hand of the Lord has created strength. 17 I will not die, but I will live, and I will tell the works of the Lord. 18 When the Lord punished me, He did not put me to death. 19 Open the gates of righteousness for me; let me go in and confess to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord, the righteous shall enter into it. 21 We confess to You that You heard me, and You were my salvation. 22 The stone that was built carelessly, this became the cornerstone: 23 This came from the Lord, and is marvelous in our own hands. 24 This day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad on it. 25 O Lord, save, O Lord, hasten. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; let him bless you from the house of the Lord. 27 God is the Lord, and appear to us: make a feast in the frequenting ways of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will confess to You; You are my God, and I will exalt You. Let me confess to You that You heard me, and You were my salvation. 29 Confess to the Lord that He is good, for His mercy endures forever.
Translation of the psalm into Russian
Glory:
About God's mercy
“For His mercy is established upon us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever,” we read in the second verse. This is the quality of the Creator that sinners most often remember. Because it was precisely this that became the reason that people have the opportunity to return to their heavenly fatherland.
Even ordinary everyday activities turn into punishment if you do not take blessings on them. You can work hard, but without the help of the Holy Spirit, your efforts will go to waste and there will be very little results. There is no spiritual progress either: the heart does not become kinder, mercy and love for one’s neighbor does not appear.
A person who does not know the Lord is always dissatisfied with something, is aggressive and turns his complaints to heaven. The unfortunate man does not understand why such torment is being sent to him. But everything is simple - there is no communication with Christ in his life. Another thing is a believer. He perceives all events, even unfavorable ones, in a different light. Through trials, the Almighty tries to teach us, cleanse us, and bring us closer to Himself. In fact, He never abandons those who are faithful to Him. Little Psalm 116 teaches us a lot.
Explanatory Psalter
And this psalm is one of thanksgiving. He calls all peoples to glorify and give thanks to Christ for the abundance of good deeds and mercy shown to all peoples by the dispensation of His incarnation.
Ps.116:1. Praise the Lord, all nations, praise Him, all people
Bring, he says, all nations who have believed in Christ, songs and praises to the Lord because the path from Him has been shown to you, and you have come out of the darkness of error and idolatry and have been resettled in the region of light, truth and knowledge of God. And all nations praise the Lord. Here, he says, is the same as what he said above, to increase the praise of Christ. (1) Or he calls those Jews who believed in Christ people. Or names all people in general; since everyone in general should thank Christ, as having become man for the salvation of all people and deigning to accept saving suffering, and especially for the salvation of all Jews: for I, he says, was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24).
(1) Words of Eusebius: It is very clear that these words contain a prophecy about good things in the church and a foreshadowing of that preaching that occupied the whole universe. For this psalm calls not two or three nations, but the whole earth and sea; which came to pass when the coming of Christ dawned. For then, according to Theodoret, He provided ways for salvation to all nations, using in the service of this goodness the holy Apostles, who, having gone around the entire universe, destroyed the darkness of ignorance and showed the Sun of righteousness: go, he says, teach all nations. The same Theodoret adds to this: since the Jews were scattered throughout the entire universe and taught about one God, and no longer lived in Palestine alone, and did not remain in one people, submitting to one king, but scattered among all nations; then he decently calls them not a people, but peoples. Or, perhaps, as Eusebius says, he also calls those who believed among the nations, in accordance with what is written in Zechariah: and many nations will flock to the Lord and become His people (Zechariah 2:11). For hitherto, being pagans, they were not His people. But, having changed their former life, they become His people. Note that the Apostle Paul cited these words in his Epistle to the Romans to show their fulfillment then. He says this: but for the Gentiles out of mercy, so that they may glorify God, as it is written: Praise the Lord, all Gentiles, and glorify Him, all nations (Rom. 15:11).
Ps.116:2. For His mercy is established upon us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.
The Lord’s mercy, he says, became strong and firm and was extremely poured out on all people, according to His great love for mankind, although some people turned away from it and did not want to accept it, where David also counts himself among those who accepted the mercy of God, as he does in other psalms, counting himself among the Christians of the nations and considering himself one of those who believed in Christ. And the truth of the Lord, which endures forever, is the truth of the Gospel, the one that Christ taught to the apostles: because the law was a shadow of the truth of the Gospel, according to Chrysostom; why, when the truth of the Gospel appeared, the legal shadow passed, just as the first drawing and painting of the shadows of an icon stops when painters bring true colors to it; for grace, he says, and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).(1)
(1) of the Golden One: He also says the reason for salvation, that they were saved not by their good deeds and not by their courage in life, but by their love for mankind alone. For, according to Theodoret, love for mankind brought about our salvation one by one. So blessed Paul said: not because of works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His great mercy He saved us; and again: by grace you are saved. It is appropriately said in the prophetic words that the nations would not have received such a change if the mercy of God had not been stronger than our sins; if it were not stronger than our evil nature and did not conquer all superstition and delusion. Hesychia: That is, the mercy established in us was coeternal with the truth. In many places these names (mercy and truth) refer to the Savior, as in the following: God sent his mercy and his truth, and delivered my soul from among the skims. Therefore, having shone forth in the human race, she calls all nations and all people to praise, teaching them to give thanks to the Father, who established his mercy and extended his truth to the ages: Chrysostom: His mercy was established on us, that is, it was established, it became strong and harder than stone ; Moreover, it increases daily.
Using text
Many great composers have adapted the words of the psalm to their own tunes:
- Claudio Monteverdi wrote melodies for solo and ensemble, and a bass aria.
- Antonio Vivaldi used the couplet in vespers for the Nativity of the Mother of God.
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart consulted the text twice to compose the Solemn Vespers (339 and 321). Both produced a part for soprano, sounding at a slow tempo.
At Orthodox services, the text of Psalm 116 is read before the choir begins to sing the stichera on “Lord, I have cried.” Jews use these lines as part of a prayer of thanksgiving, expressing praise to the Creator.
When and why do they read?
The chant is part of the 16th kathisma of the Psalter. Reading it privately is not always easy, because short but succinct words require deepening into them, thoughtful comprehension, and therefore a lot of spiritual work.
Interesting fact
In the church, chants are sung at Vespers. The 116th is one of the four so-called psalms “I cried unto the Lord.” They are called so because they begin with a prayerful invocation of the Heavenly Father:
- “Lord, I have called to You...” (Ps. 140),
- “I cried to the Lord with my voice” (Ps. 141)
- “Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord” (Ps. 129)
The 116th is the last in this series, it is, as it were, an answer to a prayer request, gratitude to the Creator.
