Psalm 19 of David - text in Russian, interpretation, why read

When opening the Psalter, people often limit themselves to one chapter. But the holy fathers sometimes advise reading the holy books in their entirety, or at least several pages in a row. This reveals a meaning that the reader might not have noticed before. For example, Psalm 19 is integral to the next one, so it is better to study them simultaneously.

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Text of Psalm 19

The Lord will hear you in the day of sorrow, the Name of the God of Jacob will protect you. Help will come from the Holy One and help will come from Zion. He will remember all your sacrifices, and make your burnt offering abundant. The Lord will give you according to your heart and fulfill all your advice. Let us rejoice in your salvation and be magnified in the name of the Lord our God. The Lord will fulfill all your requests. Now I know that the Lord, having saved His Christ, will hear Him from His Holy Heaven, with the power of His right hand to save. These on chariots, and these on horses, we will call in the name of the Lord our God. We fell asleep and fell, but we woke up and corrected ourselves. Lord, save the king and hear us, if it is daylight we will call on You.

Psalm - what is it. How to read them

Psalter - what is it? Abbreviations in the psalms How to read the psalms Which psalms to read in what situations. Psalm meanings by number

WHAT ARE PSALMS

The Psalter for a Christian is one of the important books. The name Psalter comes from the Greek “psalo,” which means to play on strings.

The Psalms are considered to be a book of prayers for all occasions; even lists are compiled that indicate the meanings of the Psalms. They were composed over 8 centuries. More than 80 psalms were written by King David (10th century BC), in whose life there was grief and joy, love and betrayal of loved ones. In addition to his psalms, the book includes the psalms of Solomon, Moses, Asaph and his descendants, Heman, Etham, the sons of Korah, and 41 psalms of unknown writers.

King David was the first to accompany the singing of his prayers to God by playing the “psaltyrion,” a musical instrument very similar to the modern harp.

Very often during services the 33rd Psalm of thanksgiving is performed - it is a very beautiful and heartfelt work.

We are used to reading only prayers, and forget about the psalms. The Church recommends remembering them, therefore many verses from the psalms are included in church services, in modern prayers, and the 50th penitential psalm, which has already become a classic, is included in the daily morning rule for reading. Knowing what sin the holy prophet David committed, and the words in which he expressed his regret and repentance about this, recorded in the 50th Psalm, you begin to understand the feelings conveyed in the psalms much better. These prayerful appeals to the Lord are filled with love and thanksgiving and instill in the hearts of people a feeling of reverence and empathy, repentance and joy in the Lord.

An interesting incident happened to me, the author of the article, at the airport. Our flight was delayed. Just like the previous flight of the same airline, which was supposed to fly to the same destination as us, but an hour earlier, was postponed. We are sitting, waiting for departure. My wife took out a psalter and began to read psalms. I read several psalms and suddenly, the passengers of our flight are asked to board. Our plane nevertheless departed on time, and the departure of the previous flight, unfortunately, was again postponed.

Saint Ephraim the Syrian wrote about the psalms:

Psalm – driving away demons. The psalm is a weapon against the fear of the night. Psalm - calmness from the day's labors. Psalm - safety of babies. The psalm is a consolation for the elderly, the most decent decoration for women. He makes the holidays bright, he produces sorrow for God. The psalm also brings tears from a heart of stone. Psalm is the work of Angels, heavenly residence, spiritual censer. It enlightens the mind, it lifts people to heaven, it makes people interlocutors with God, it delights the soul, it stops judgment, it humbles those at war. Where there is a psalm of contrition, there is God with the Angels.

ABBREVIATIONS IN THE PSALMTER

The abbreviations written in the text of the Psalter mean the following:

Glory: Read:

General content

The chant was used for the people to offer prayers for the king. David, the ruler of the Jewish state, spent a lot of time at war. This psalm was written on the occasion of his next campaign; it was also used in ordinary services. Psalm 19 is divided into two main parts:

• A petition for the king on behalf of his people (verses 2-5).
• The rejoicing of those praying that their prayers have been fulfilled (verses 6-10).

David here can be seen as the forerunner of the Savior. The Kingdom is the Church. The inscription indicates that the text of Psalm 19 was written by David, there is no contradiction in this. After all, God’s anointed on earth could offer prayers for himself personally. It was not shameful for him to compose a chant, which would later be used during divine services.

Why read Psalm 19?

Psalm 19 is quite famous and is often read at holiday services in church and is the so-called royal psalm. This psalm is perfect when you need spiritual support for a believer who cannot resolve his predicament. For a person in sadness, it is words of love from the Lord that are necessary, which inspire hope for a successful outcome. The prayer is usually pronounced in Church Slavonic, regardless of the place where it is read. However, there are exceptions and Orthodox Christians are allowed to read Psalm 19 in Russian for the purposes of knowledge and study, since the Church Slavonic language is quite complex for an unprepared person.

The need for petitions

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What is the special power of conciliar (that is, common) prayer? Managing a state is always fraught with certain difficulties. That is why loyal subjects must especially earnestly ask the Lord for protection and help to those who rule the country. To this day, there is a tradition in the Christian church to pray for government officials and, of course, for the clergy.

Even godly righteous people like David should not refuse the prayerful support of their friends. For example, the Apostle Paul always asked his disciples to ask Christ for him. Rulers must support believers in every possible way, because without their prayers the Lord can completely deprive them of blessings. After all, it is not in vain that he gives people the opportunity to control the destinies of others - power should be used only for good! Otherwise, as seen in the example of Saul, it can be transferred to another.

Reign of David

The young shepherd from the clan of Judah had great strength, he was handsome, gifted with eloquence, intelligence and talent as a musician. Having quickly advanced in Saul's court, David began to arouse the ruler's suspicions, although he never consciously attempted either his life or the throne. The Lord himself chose a humble young man as His protege when Saul disobeyed God's command.

Many of Saul's subjects went over to David's side and fled with him from persecution. The text of Psalm 19 does not tell these details, because in it we have a ruler already enthroned. How did he end up being king? When Saul was killed during another battle with the Philistines. Three of his sons also died in the battle. As the Holy Scripture says, the Lord punished his rebellious servant because he turned to the sorceress on the eve of the battle.

Left without a ruler, the elders themselves came to David, who was hiding in Hebron. David conquers Jerusalem and carries the Ark there, his intentions being to build the Temple. However, the prophet Nathan says that this matter will be entrusted by God to his son. And so it happened - the Temple was built by Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba.

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Although the ruler often fought, most of his campaigns were forced and their purpose was to protect the state from numerous enemies:

• Philistines.
• Edomites
• Amalekites.
• Ammonites.

Defensive campaigns ended with David's kingdom only expanding. He divided the country into 12 regions, each with its own civil and religious institutions. It was David who made Jerusalem the religious center of the country, where pilgrimages were made from all over Judea.

Text of Psalm 19

It is not necessary to read a prayer at home in Church Slavonic, which is heard in churches during church services. If a believer has such a desire, he is recommended to use the text with the emphasis placed in it. An easier-to-understand alternative is a psalm in Russian.

In Church Slavonic

In Russian

Theological interpretation of Psalm 19

Psalm 19, like others, requires careful reading. It is divided in meaning into two main parts - from verses 1 to 6 and from 7 to 10.

Part 1

Here the careful Christian will learn an important life lesson - even a high-ranking, successful and godly person should not neglect prayer. David had priests, people, and many good, loyal friends under his command. But he did not believe that their prayers would replace his own, and he never neglected communication with God.

Although the ruler was protected by an army consisting of strong warriors, the king asked for God's protection. The name of the Lord was a reliable refuge for him, a strong tower in which to hide from enemies.

• The third line speaks of help from the sanctuary and from Zion. The Ark, which was kept as a great shrine, had great sacred significance. He recalled God's special favor to the chosen people. Therefore, the person asking hopes that heavenly power will help him fulfill his promises, and that a prayer offered in a holy place will have special power.

The Power from Zion is a special spiritual force that lives within the believer. We must ask for it, desire it for our neighbors, especially when they need help in ministry or difficult circumstances.

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• Verse 4 recalls the miracle when the Lord sent fire from heaven and consumed Abraham's sacrifice. This made it clear to everyone around her that she was pleasing. Today Christians do not sacrifice animals. But they can judge whether the spiritual sacrifice has been accepted. If the Holy Spirit kindles the fire of godly love and righteousness, it means the Lord hears us.

Psalm 19 can only be sung with firm faith in the heart. If it is not there, or it has not yet become strong, always remember that faith can be cultivated in your heart, like a flower. And reading the Holy Scriptures should serve as soil and water. Repeating the pious lines, God's faithful children should have good desires for honest service - each in the place in which the Lord has placed him.

Some theologians see in the lines a prophecy about the coming of the Son of God, who traces human genealogy precisely from David. The Lord answered all the prayers that have been heard since the creation of the world. He showed his love by sending his only Son into the world. Jesus Christ voluntarily accomplished the work of our salvation. Could there be a more generous sacrifice, a deeper love?

Part two

The following lines are written in the first person - David speaks for himself. He expresses joy because he sees others praying for him. The Lord sent a good sign from heaven - after all, the disposition to prayer is also nothing more than a gift of the Holy Spirit. It is given only to those who suffer from communication with higher powers. When a person not only pronounces the words of the Holy Scripture with his lips, but also strives to fulfill them with his heart, then affirmation in faith occurs.

Verse 8 shows the difference between the world's people and God's godly people. It can be seen in what hopes are placed on. Worldly souls rely on horses and physical strength, a large number of strong warriors. Israelis behave differently. Although they do not have such weapons, they do not strive to have them, since they rely only on God. Many have never understood Psalm 19 in this context, so it is best to listen carefully to it again.

The main thing for holy righteous people is their relationship with God, the correct praise of His Name. This is all that is necessary for happiness on earth and in the hereafter. For an ordinary vain person attached to this world, such behavior seems crazy. But for the one who entrusts his fate to the heavenly ruler, everything is exactly the opposite. The magnificent chariot will overturn, the horses will get tired, what will he do who is not protected by God? The surest path to prosperity and affirmation is obedience to God and hope in Him.

• The final verse 10 is a doxology about the ruler of the earth - the people ask to save the king. This request is twofold - here is not only a wish for David’s good luck, but also a desire for him to become a blessing to his subjects.

Also, these words can be applied to the King of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ - the people are awaiting the coming of the Messiah, they want their appeals to be heard by the Son of God, who will be able to convey them to His Father.

Interpretation

The prayer of the believing people to help King David begins the psalm, and the text continues with the narration of the author himself. Each verse of Psalm 19 is imbued with prayer and petition. Theologians closely link Psalms 19 and 20, explaining that they were written during the same events.

• Verse 1: this reflects the address to the leader of the choir; the psalm itself is written in the third person, which is no exception and is already found in the Psalter. Interpreters believe that this is a kind of David’s prayer about himself.
• Verse 2-3: The people put their hope in God’s help in the fight against David’s enemies, not believing in their own strength. Having heard the requests, the Lord will send mercy to the people led by David, sitting in his place on Mount Zion.
• Verse 4: The author says that every sacrifice that David makes will only attract favor and mercy from the Creator. The sacrifice of a “fat”, that is, a fat animal, indicated that the sacrificer was pious, because he was ready to give away the most valuable thing from his household.
• Verse 5: The psalmist hopes that God will allow David to successfully accomplish his plans and gain victory over his enemies.
• Verse 6-9: Again and again the Jews yearn for help from God because their enemies are outnumbered and outnumbered. The author replaces temporal concepts, calling the future the present, where, during the war with the Ammonites, God’s anointed will feel his love and mercy. The people truly believe that it is God’s power and help that will help them resist thousands of enemies.

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