History of writing and interpretation of the holy message
The sons of Korah, having passed the great test of loyalty to God, wrote a message to the Most High. Enemies constantly committed devastating wars against Israel, and it does not matter whether the sacred song was written under King Hezekiah or Jehoshaphat, the main thing is that the Lord was on the side of the Jews. Other Psalms of David:
Other Psalms of David:
At the very beginning of the psalm, glory is given to God, while He is Refuge and Strength, Protection and Help.
- In verses 2-3, Saint John Chrysostom emphasizes that just as the Lord hastened to help the Jewish people, so to this day He is a Quick Helper in the hour of life’s trials for every believer.
- Verse 3-4 expresses confidence in a reliable Patron who will protect during the most terrible cataclysms, during earthquakes and sea storms. How often do storms happen in a person’s life in the form of incurable illnesses and financial collapse, the collapse of a family or its absence, while God says: “Do not be afraid, just believe in Me, a strong Patron!”
Psalm 45 gives thanks to God for victory over enemies
Verse 5-6 says that the Lord lives in our hearts; the psalmists wrote about Jerusalem, which rejoices at the waters of the Lord. Nothing can harm where the Most High God reigns; He vows to protect the home of those who keep the covenant with the Lord from dawn to dusk.
On a note! Modern Christians understand the river as Jesus Christ, whose presence brings joy to the abode of the Lord, and our souls.
- Verses 7-8 remind us that the enemy does not sleep, attacks are possible from all sides, as in the days of the children of Korah, the Ammonites constantly threatened the Jews, but the Lord is always ready to come to the rescue, the Intercessor is always nearby, and we are in His reliable hands.
- During an attack by enemies, King Jehoshaphat does not rely on the strength of the army, but on fasting and prayers pleasing to God. When the Israelites prayed, the Spirit of the Lord cried out through Jaziel that this war was being waged by the Lord himself, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem had nothing to fear or be terrified of. Jacob's intercessor laid down his people's enemies, confirming the covenant made with Abraham.
- In verses 9-10, God calls the nations to come to Him and see all the miracles created by the Creator in the lives of people. The emphasis is on loyalty, for the Jews often betrayed God by worshiping idols.
Important! You need to put aside earthly vanity and entrust your life to the Creator, who will become yours. The Creator calls for this in the concluding verses of Psalm 45, written by the sons of Korah
Prayer after Psalm 50
Complete collection and description: prayer after Psalm 50 for the spiritual life of a believer.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquity, and I will take away my sin before me. I have sinned and committed evil before You, the only One, so that You may be justified in Your glory, and triumph over the judgment of You.
Behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. You have loved the truth; you have revealed to me the unknown and secret wisdom of Yours. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Give joy and gladness to my hearing; humble bones will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities.
Create a pure heart in me. God, renew the right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Reward me with the joy of Your salvation, and strengthen me with the Lord’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your way, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation; my tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness.
Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. As if you had desired sacrifices, you would have given them: you do not favor burnt offerings. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit: a contrite and humble heart God will not despise. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built.
Then you will be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, the wave offering and the burnt offering: then they will lay the bullocks on Your altar.
They will see the righteous and fear, and they will laugh at him and say: “Behold, man, who did not put God as a Helper for himself, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and what was possible through his vanity.” I am like the olive tree that bears fruit in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever and ever. Let us confess to You forever, as You have done, and I endure Your name, for it is good before Your saints.
Psalm 50
Psalm 50 is the most commonly used prayer text from the Psalter. This is a special morning prayer, which at the same time refers to the canons: to the Mother of God, to the Guardian Angel, to Communion.
The main meaning of prayer is repentance for the fact that the person praying has ever committed a sin. This appeal contains a request that the Lord grant forgiveness for known and unknown sins.
Psalm 50: text of prayer in Russian
As you know, it is very important to understand the spoken prayer text. Therefore, during morning prayer, it is recommended to read Psalm 50 in Russian
Read Psalm 50 in Aramaic
The story behind Psalm 50 is both instructive and romantic. It is associated with the name of King David. The ruler was a pious man and always followed all the requirements of God's law.
But it so happened that he committed adultery, falling in love with the beautiful Bathsheba, whose husband was on a military campaign.
Moreover, his sin was aggravated by the fact that the king, with his power, sent the woman’s husband into the bloodiest battle, from which he did not return alive.
Brief interpretation of Psalm 50
- To discover a sin that no one (even the king) knew about except the Lord, who sees all our secret deeds.
- Understand that you do not cleanse yourself, but ask the One who will wash you and sprinkle you with hyssop (an infusion of herbs that gets rid of leprosy). This is a symbol of the future Sacrament of Baptism. It did not exist in David's time.
- Forgiveness does not come from our mind, but by the grace of the Lover of Humanity. We are called to righteousness. By violating the Law given by God, we lose Grace and connection with Him. His Love heals the wound that is inflicted on your soul.
David asks for Great mercy, since he cannot completely blot out his sins: His wife and child constantly remind him of the murder. It’s not easy to wash off blood, so we read: Get rid of blood. Conscience dictates that the Lord is right in judging him. He prays for the return of former purity and the gift of prophecy (Grace) to be renewed. Wash your heart many times so that not a trace of the Fall remains.
Interpretations
To deeply understand the meaning of the text of Psalm 40, you need to re-read it several times, analyze the meaning of individual verses, relying on the works of the Holy Fathers:
- Verses 1 to 4. David talks in the first person about his son who betrayed him, about the need to flee home, to wander again, being in exile. He talks about how his comrades turned their backs on him, making him feel abandoned, alone, and without compassion from others. It is compassion, in his opinion, that can save humanity.
- Verse 5 The author admits that he has committed sins in the past. He sincerely repents of them and asks God for forgiveness.
- Verse 6 to 10. This part of the work describes the suffering that the prophet has to endure. He also speaks of his physical illness as a punishment from above for distancing himself from the Lord. Here David draws a parallel between his friend who turned away from him and Judas.
- Verses 11 to 13. In a moment of suffering and despair in a test sent by God, the king sees an opportunity to draw closer to Him.
- Verse 14. The ruler speaks of the need to express gratitude to the Most High, which he does.
Interpretation
Psalm 35 begins with an inscription that indicates that its authorship belongs to King David, whom experts also call the servant of God, His son and youth. A deep understanding of the meaning of the work, which has survived to this day, is revealed to those who analyze in detail the meaning of individual verses of the song:
Verse 1: David speaks of meeting a man whose name he does not directly name, but even without this it is clear that he is talking about King Saul. When confronted with it, he is left with an indelible impression. The author is amazed at how much anger can hide in the human soul. She is the culprit why people become lawless. An apostate, who has suppressed the voice of conscience within, ceases to behave God-fearingly; he is not ashamed of bad deeds, words, and thoughts. Verse 2: the prophet says that his enemy repented of his sins and did not hide his hatred of him, but this is just a pretense. The king is not sincere in his words, he is trying to pass off wishful thinking. Verse 3: The author continues the theme of the enemy's lies. He promised to overcome the anger in his heart and restore justice, but he did not keep his word
Saul is blind to examples of lawlessness and does not want to learn an important life lesson. Verse 4: Continuing to talk about the king, David focuses on the fact that he entered the path of apostasy due to a lack of fear of God. Saul deceives himself, confuses those around him with slander and feigned repentance
As he prepares for bed, he is actually still a prisoner of evil thoughts. Verse 5: The focus shifts from Saul and his moral corruption to the Jewish people. Here the author mentions the mercy and goodness of the Almighty in the highest degree of their manifestation. The Lord turns a blind eye to the sins of the Jews and the disobedience of their king, and continues to sow grace on earth. Verses 6 and 7: The prophet speaks of those who sin, being confident that no one sees their sins, which means they will not face punishment. The truth is that for God there is nothing hidden or secret. The truth of man and the Lord are different, the first immediately punishes and punishes, the second tolerates and shows mercy to those who deserve anger. The salvation of apostates lies in sincere repentance. According to the justice of the Almighty, everyone has a chance to cleanse themselves and return to the true path. Verse 8: The author describes the spiritual benefits that await those who guard their dignity. Material gifts are not as valuable as those that come through awareness of closeness to God, through strengthening faith in Him. David emphasizes that for a righteous person, spiritual life and piety must remain in first place. The mercy of the Lord is more important than a hearty piece of meat at a magnificent feast. Verse 9: Vice reminds the reader that grace from above comes upon those who truly believe in God. The Almighty is able to give life not only on the physical level, but also on the spiritual level. Without His protection, people would be plunged into darkness, they would feel forgotten, weak, and helpless. Anyone who has already become a hostage to such feelings can turn to the Savior for help. Those who oppose this and commit sins will be punished with troubles, suffering, and death of the soul. Only the Lord is able to bring her back to life; this mercy comes in response to repentance for evil deeds. Verse 10: Returning to the theme of spiritual benefits, the author prays that God will not forsake him and that those who serve Him faithfully will avoid hypocrisy. Verse 11: David asks the Almighty to strengthen His spirit, protection from enemy forces, and the opportunity to repel the wicked. Verse 12: The author has no doubt that punishment awaits all apostates. Hell awaits them, complete darkness.
We advise you to study the Prayer of Xenia of St. Petersburg for help in work
History of writing
David did not want to oppose King Saul. The future ruler was an ordinary shepherd until chance made him anointed by God. Saul was angry with David and decided to destroy him. At that moment, he turned away from God, and the former shepherd had no choice but to flee away from Jerusalem, in fear of losing his life.
Psalm 53 tells about the events when the Lord informed David that Saul had become an atheist and now wants to destroy him. The future prophet does not see a better solution than to flee to the Ziph desert, in the hope that the angry king of Judah will not find him there.
Luck could have turned away from the future ruler, if not for a lucky chance. When Saul's troops overtook the fugitive, at that moment a messenger appeared, reporting that the Philistines were preparing a new, more serious blow. The king had no choice but to withdraw his troops from the desert, and David began to thank the mercy of the Almighty.
In moments when it seemed that everything was predetermined, one must not become despondent and continue to pray to God. The Lord will hear your tremulous and fervent request and will definitely help. It is this meaning that the author puts into the chant. Psalm 53 refers specifically to those prayers when you need help and support from Higher powers in the fight against life's difficulties.
