In the 9th–10th centuries before the birth of Christ, the famous prophet David wrote the famous “Psalter” - prayerful and reverent chants describing the history of the Kingdom of God, an abbreviated version of the Holy Scriptures.
The Psalter consists of Psalms - instructions for believers on the true path, helping to soften their souls, calling for unity. It is not for nothing that Jesus Christ himself sang psalms at his last supper, emphasizing their significance. The main idea of all the chants is the praise of the Lord God, who gives healing and salvation to anyone in need. Psalm 22 is a clear confirmation of this.
The psalms of David, according to the clergy, have miraculous protective power, more than once helping those who doubt and wander in the dark, showing them the true path. Psalm 22 of David tells how a king, who was in the desert and suffering from thirst and hunger, was practically saved by three men who unexpectedly brought him both food and water.
The meaning of the chant
Psalm 23 teaches us that in any difficult situation there is always a way out if you trust in your Lord and believe in his protection. Today the text of the Psalter has been translated into all languages of the world, including Russian. Many believers , wanting to understand the deep meaning of David’s words, read the text of the prayer Psalm 22 in Church Slavonic.
Kathisma third.
2 I will love you, O Lord, my strength!
3 The Lord is my rock and my refuge, my Savior, my God, the Giver of help, I trust in Him! My Defender, in Him is my salvation, my Intercessor!
4 I will praise the Lord and be saved from my enemies.
5 The torments of death have seized me; the torrents of iniquity have thrown me into confusion.
6 The torments of hell have seized me; the snares of death have overtaken me.
7 But in my affliction I called on the Lord, I cried to my God; and He heard my voice from His holy temple; my cry reached His ears.
853 And the earth shook and trembled, and the foundations of the mountains shook and were shaken, for God was angry.
9 Smoke rose up from His anger, and fire kindled from His face; the coals were kindled by Him.
10 And He bowed down the heavens and came down; and darkness is under His feet.
1154 And he sat on the Cherubim, and flew, flew on the wings of the wind.
1255 And He made darkness His covering; around Him is His abode; the water is dark in the clouds of heaven.
13 Clouds, hail, and burning coals flashed before Him in the flash of lightning.
14 And the Lord thundered from heaven, the Most High uttered his voice.
15 He sent down arrows and scattered the enemies,
and he multiplied the lightning and threw them into confusion.
16 And springs of water appeared, and the foundations of the world were revealed at Thy threat, O Lord, at the breath of Thy wrath.
1756 He stretched out his right hand
He lifted me up from on high and brought me out of many waters.
18 He will deliver me from my powerful enemies and from my haters, for they have become stronger than me.
19 They overtook me in the day of my trouble, but the Lord is my strength.
20 And He brought me out into the open; delivered me, because He was pleased with me.
21 And the Lord will reward me according to my righteousness, according to the integrity of my hands he will reward me;
22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not been wicked before my God.
23 For all His judgments are before me; I have not departed from His commandments.
24 And I will be blameless before Him, and will keep myself from iniquity.
25 And the Lord will reward me according to my righteousness, according to the integrity of my hands in His sight.
26 You will deal with the righteous according to Your righteousness, and with the innocent man according to his innocence;
27 And you deal with the chosen as if you were the chosen, but with the evil one according to his wickedness.
28 For You will save the humble people, and You will humble the eyes of the proud;
29 For You kindle my lamp, O Lord my God, You give light to my darkness.
30 For through You I will be delivered from temptation, and with my God I will overcome the wall.
31 My God! His way is blameless; the words of the Lord are fiery; He is the Protector of all those who trust in Him.
32 For who is God except the Lord? And who is God besides our God?
33 God has girded me with strength and made my way blameless;
3457 He strengthened my legs, like swift ones
the legs of a deer, and raised me to heights.
35 He taught my hands to fight, he made my muscles a bow of brass.
36 And He gave me the shield of salvation, and Your right hand upheld me; and Your instruction will correct me, Your instruction will teach me.
37 Thou hast enlarged my steps in my path, and my steps have not failed.
38 I will pursue my enemies, and I will overtake them, and I will not return until they perish!
39 I will crush them, and they will not be able to stand up; they will fall under my feet!
40 And You girded me with strength for battle; You brought down before me all those who rose up against me.
41 And I put my enemies to flight, and destroyed my haters.
42 They cried, but there was no one to save; they cried to the Lord, but He did not hear them.
43 And I will scatter them like dust blown by the wind, like dirt in the path, I will trample them!
44 You delivered me from the strife of men; made me head of the nations. Tribes I did not know submitted to me:
45 When they heard about me, they submitted. But the strangers betrayed me.
46 The foreigners became weak and lame in their ways.
47 As the Lord lives, and blessed is God, exalted be God who saves me.
48 God, who rewards for me and subdues the nations for me!
49 My deliverer from my furious enemies! You will exalt me above those who rebel; you will deliver me from the unrighteous man.
50 Therefore I will glorify You among the nations, O Lord, and I will sing praises to Your name.
51 You have magnified the king whom You saved, and show mercy to Your anointed David and to his descendants forever.
Glory:
Text of prayer Psalm 23
In Church Slavonic with accents
1 The Lord shepherds me, and will deprive me of nothing. 2 In a green place, there he dwells me, and on the water brings me up in peace. 3 Convert my soul, guide me in the paths of righteousness, for your name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk into the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your club, that comfort me. 5 Thou hast prepared a table before me against those who were cold against me; thou hast anointed my head with oil, and Thy cup maketh me drunken, like a mighty power. 6 And Your mercy will marry me all the days of my life, and make me dwell in the house of the Lord for many days.
In Russian
1 The Lord shepherds me and will not let me need anything 2 in a place where greenery is abundant - there He settled me, raised me by calm waters, 3 converted my soul, directed me on the path of righteousness for the sake of His name. 4 For even if I walk in the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff have encouraged me. 5 You have prepared a table before me in front of those who oppress me, You have anointed my head with oil, and Your cup makes me drunk like the strongest. 6 And Your mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for many days!
Extended translation from Aramaic – Israel Roytman
I am your Shepherd. You will never need anything that I want to give you. If you trust in Me and actually allow Me to be the Shepherd of your life, then I will give you such great peace of mind that it will be like resting in the cool green grass of a spring meadow.
And while you learn deeper love and trust, peace will descend on your soul like a serene, quiet lake. It will be a great refreshment for your inner man. Preparations are underway for the accomplishment of many tasks that I have set before you. And do not underestimate any tasks given to you by Me. For this is for My glory and honor, and not for yours.
There will be times when, because of My love for you, I will need to lead you into great darkness. It will be so huge that you will feel as if you are standing on the very edge of the earth and death is waiting for you below. But always remember that I am still your Shepherd. In the darkness you may not be able to see Me, but you have My eternal promise that I will never leave or forsake you. If you continue to trust in Me even through times of darkness, I will once again flood your heart with such peace that you will be able to sit even in the midst of your enemies. Your joy will be so great that it will overflow into the lives of other people. And as your reward, I will give great and important things into your life. And when you have accomplished everything that I have planned for you to do, I want you to go and live with Me forever and ever.
Psalm 90
Another version of Psalm 22 in Russian
- The Lord is my Shepherd; I won't need anything:
- He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters,
- strengthens my soul, guides me on the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
- Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff - they calm me.
- Thou hast prepared a table before me in the sight of my enemies; anointed my head with oil; my cup is overflowing.
- So may [Thy] goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life, and I will abide in the house of the Lord many days.
The meaning and significance of Psalm 22
Psalms are spiritual, Divine poetry. It is always symbolic, because it goes beyond the boundaries of our worldly life, it speaks, touching with hints, to the secrets of the world. Along with spiritual experience comes an understanding of the truths sown in the verses.
The structure of Psalm 22 includes 6 verses (verses), which many generations of holy fathers worked on deciphering.
The psalm is seen as a spiritual message to believers. The priests of the Orthodox Church today convey its meaning this way:
- The Lord is called the Shepherd for the first time in this psalm, and this is not accidental. The first line of the verse explains that God always provides everything we need and knows better than ourselves what we need in life. Before we ask for anything in prayer, the Almighty already knows our needs.
- The second line talks about pastures and waters. A rich, fertile place is called a green place, and in this verse it symbolizes the church. For in the church we receive spiritual food that can save us.
In the subtext, “water” is the word of God. And “quiet” indicates the need to constantly and slowly search the Scriptures, as David did. Stormy waters quickly dry up, but calm waters are endless. Just as limitless is the pure, unclouded truth, which one must always strive for. Only in silence, in solitude can one achieve true enlightenment.
- The third line says that through the word of God, through Scripture, as the highest truth, a person steps on the righteous path. The name “Lord” is mercy, love. That is, guided by God’s instructions, the highest meaning is found, contained in a sweet heart and unconditional love.
- The fourth line makes it clear to believers that at the moment when a mortal threat looms, God is always close to those who trust him and does not allow fear. The “rod” is a symbol of admonishing power, and the “staff” is a symbol of help, consolation, and the “Jesus Prayer.”
- The fifth line (through the meal, oil and cup) indicates the secret meal, anointing, communion. After them, thoughts become pure, thoughts become fair, and deeds become good. The Holy Fathers see the image of enemies - tempting demons, who after communion run away from the believer.
- Having partaken of all that has been said, the believer will always live in the goodness and mercy of the Lord, and this is the Eucharistic meaning of the verses.
When is David's Psalm 22 read?
You can read Psalm 22 of the Psalter in various situations:
- before an important event, so that the Lord will instill confidence in you;
- being in doubt and depression - reading slowly, with understanding of the line of Psalm 22, you will understand that our Father will definitely tell you the true path;
- when leaving home, say the thoughtful words of the prayer “The Lord is my Shepherd,” and this day will be successful for you and those around you;
- read the Psalm daily, and if this is not possible, then be sure to say a prayer during church holidays.
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Trust in the Shepherd
David wrote Psalm 23 with a keen understanding of the life of a shepherd. However, he wrote this song through the eyes of a sheep. The land of Judea is a wonderful reminder of how hopeless life is for a sheep without a shepherd.
Dependent on a shepherd and protector, sheep can feel quite vulnerable without someone to rely on. David knew this and turned his gaze to God. As we stand in the midst of this land and look around us, we may wonder: What kind of pastures was David writing about?
Psalm 23 is a beautiful picture of who God is and who He desires to be for us. In Israel, it is easier to see how much more meaning and depth there is in these comforting verses. We need God's guidance even just to survive .
Following Him
We believe that the paths of righteousness should be very clearly marked. We want what is right to be obvious. But more often than not, there are many different paths, options and options from which to choose.
Perhaps today you are wondering which step is right for you? This is why we have a Shepherd to guide us. He knows the right choice in any circumstance.
Author - Estera Vieja / firmisrael.org Translation - Igor Padushin for ieshua.org
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General rules for reading the psalm
If we talk specifically about Orthodox services, then the psalms are read before the rite of Communion, and then during repentance. They can be read both in Russian and in Church Slavonic.
Most often, ordinary believers read these lines to strengthen their spirit and faith in the Lord.
Participle
Repentance
Prayer at home
Pastures in the desert
Imagine a small plot of land with grass in the desert. At night, the warm air of the Mediterranean Sea blows through the desert. And when that warm, moist air passes over the side of a hill or cliff, some grass can grow overnight.
This amount of grass is enough for one time, no more. To find more food, the sheep needs to turn to its Shepherd. Where's the supplement? The Shepherd patiently leads His sheep, making sure they have enough to eat.
I'm afraid that on a green pasture like in the movies, we won't need a shepherd. In a culture that is so focused on self-sufficiency, God calls us to depend on Him. We can trust our Shepherd even in the desert—trust Him to lead us to food.
Why are interpretations of the Psalms needed?
Depending on the “volume” of grace present in us, the words of Psalm 23 (and any other) will either touch the soul or not find a free, clean corner in it.
When reading ancient prayers, one cannot rely on one’s own mind, the fabrications of the heart, if it is not cleansed of passions. For this purpose, interpretations are given by the holy fathers, who had a common opinion on the subject. We saw the true essence of the words laid down by the prophet of God. But even without knowing them, the grace emanating from prayers teaches, invisibly instructs, and heals a person’s soul. Therefore, it is recommended to read even when the meaning is not entirely clear. Over time, you will develop a desire to study the topic more deeply.
Important: Psalm 22 is included in the Follow-up to the Communion of the Blood and Body of Christ. One prepares for the Sacrament not only physically, but also spiritually. The words of the song tune a person to the desired “wave”. The place is cleared for the Grace given by God. It is advisable to understand prayer, because it contributes to the deification of the communicant.
History of writing
There is no reliable information about the origin of the psalms. Scientists can only put forward hypotheses about the history of the creation of these works. The most popular one says that King David himself wrote these lines while fleeing Jerusalem from an uprising organized by his son. During their wanderings, people were hungry and needed shelter. Scholars say that the lines were written by the king when his servants brought food for the people.
The main idea of the prayer is that the Lord protects and protects man
Why should the laity read the psalms?
It is difficult to express the essence of the Psalms in simple words. Each line contains many images that are understandable to people of different levels of knowledge. The monks learn the Psalter by heart, use prayers constantly, and know what Great Power they contain. Lay people are advised to read regularly, as every day enriches the soul with something. Ancient verses:
- the wise will be made wise;
- faithful - blessed (happy);
- he who weeps will be rejoiced;
- the mourner will be healed of sadness;
- the weak will be strengthened;
- the rebellious will be calmed down;
- those who are angry will be softened;
- those at war will be reconciled.
Conclusion: Man is in the stage of improvement, developing, and the Psalms are some steps that help to go up the Mountain. Each time, reading the same lines, we catch ourselves in the fact that the familiar text has revealed a new facet of previously unknown knowledge. David's poems have no bottom. No matter how deeply we penetrate into the essence of words, we will not comprehend the whole secret. This is the property of the Holy Spirit - He has no boundaries.
