On the meaning of the verses of the Psalter
The monks noticed that a certain prayer helps most in some situation. For example, for each verse there is not only an interpretation to understand what it is about, but also a meaning: for what reason it is best to read it. So Arseny of Cappodocia compiled a list where you can select a specific prayer for a specific case. For example, Psalm 45 is read for:
- Offering praise (Glory) to God. This song is a hope for the mercy and protection of the Heavenly Forces. Faith that the Lord will always help and save you from trouble. Firm hope that God's protection will not allow misfortunes.
- According to the meanings according to Arsenius of Cappodocia (mentor of St. Paisius the Holy Mountain), they pray when young people cannot get married due to some obstacles. If people (demons) cause problems out of envy, they are solved by resorting to Psalm 45.
In Rus', after teaching children the alphabet, they used the Psalter as a reading textbook. The book accompanied a person from childhood to death. It was published as a manual that was always at hand, even if there was a journey ahead. In case of any confusion, problem, bewilderment, sorrow or joy, they turned to well-known prayers.
Note: People have verified that the main author of the songs is the Holy Spirit. Therefore, reading psalms can solve problems that can happen to anyone. This is an example of the life of the soul in God. Prayers were used both to heal illnesses and to drive out unclean spirits.
This is interesting: Psalm of David 5: studying together
The end of the world and the afterlife in the psalms
In the psalms, the terms thanksgiving and praise are often mentioned. Not every person is able to distinguish between these concepts, considering them synonymous. But, it's quite simple. Thanksgiving comes from a person to God for some of His gifts, while praise is an undeniable worship of Him, almost ecstasy. Thanksgiving glorifies the Almighty for some blessings, praise - for the fact that it is God.
The Book of Praises describes the topic of the afterlife in a very mysterious way, one might say that this is a more mysterious topic here. Life after death is covered with a curtain of secrecy. Even the creator himself asked the Lord a question: who will glorify him after the death of the psalmist? This moment gave rise to the fact that for a long time in Israel there was no belief in the existence of an afterlife. It appeared to people in the form of non-existence.
The psalms often deal specifically with the theme of non-existence. Even in the Old Testament, the topic of the afterlife is not fully disclosed; the prophets did not even establish the specific space where human souls would live after death. In the Psalter there is also no heaven and hell, which is usual for everyone; instead, there is a certain kingdom of the dead, Sheol - a land of oblivion and silence. Those who the Lord will never remember the most, those who could not glorify Him, end up there.
The researchers, in their own reasoning, argued that Sheol cannot be called complete non-existence; a weak form of life is still located there. She is worthless, joyless, aimless, but she exists. This must seem to almost everyone a suffering even more terrible than complete non-existence. As follows, everyone must do everything possible during their lifetime to get rid of the power of Sheol in the future.
The magical world of magic and esotericism can there be MAIN LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE
Every person wants to touch something special and previously unknown, to discover new boundaries of understanding, to stumble upon something supernatural and unfamiliar. Therefore, everyone who is in search of high spiritual practices, who exactly wants to look “behind the curtain,” eventually receives answers. Turning to the depths of the universe, I must say that at all times there has been talk about wizards, sorcerers and healers, mystical phenomena, inexplicable events and much more, what is it? is beyond comprehension. Over time, people managed to dispel all their practices and interests in the mysteries of the Universe through the path of self-knowledge
And the present is called in one word - esotericism. However, it is worth immediately drawing attention to the fact that magic and esotericism are two cardinal opposites. Despite the fact that they directly work with supernatural things, esotericism professes pure practices that have negative consequences
Magic, in turn, involves working with spells, using props and appealing to the Forces of Light, that is (i.e.) the Forces of Darkness. Esotericism prefers not to touch on this; it preaches prayer to energy flows that can transform the life of everyone who learns to “adjoin” them. So, in order to understand the vital necessity of esotericism, comprehend its laws and learn to master it perfectly, you should become more thoroughly acquainted with it and understand how it works.
The money will also not take long to arrive if you regularly feed your mind with the right thoughts. So, you should take one of the banknotes in your wallet, place it in front of you, put your palm on it, close your eyes and imagine how this banknote attracts other funds, how it is like a magnet, attracts money to itself, how the wallet becomes everything thicker and thicker, as milk yield comes from different sides... Thus, when visualizing a picture of your successful financial future, it is not a sin to be 100% sure that it will definitely come, and leave it exactly as it was born in your imagination.
Second Book of Psalms. Psalms 41–71
This psalm, one of the most beautiful, but also the most difficult in the Psalter, was written by one of the sons of Korah298 and was originally already used during divine services (in the inscription: lamnatseakh to the head of the choir
), was appointed for the instruction and edification of the people (
in mind
), which is important here;
an ordinary wedding song would hardly have received such a purpose, nor would it have been accepted into the canon. Those who want to explain this song purely historically, as an ordinary betrothal song, attribute it either to the betrothal of Solomon to the Egyptian woman (1 Kings 3:1), then to Ahab with Jezebel, or to Jehoshaphat with the princess of Tyre, or to Joram of Judah and Athaliah of Israel, even to the Syrian king Alexander with the Egyptian princess Cleopatra, but all this, as completely impossible, is refuted by sound criticism. "The tone of the song is prophetic, and that the king here is the Messiah
is clear enough from the content."
Against the historical interpretation, it must be noted that the Bridegroom of the psalm takes several brides
, which is not usual anywhere;
further, it is said about him that he reigns forever
(v. 7), makes his sons princes
of all the earth
(v. 17), is glorified
by all
the nations of the earth (v. 18), but most importantly, the royal Bridegroom is called directly
God
(v. 7–8).
Due to such strong internal grounds, which already partly speak against interpreting it in a representative-messianic sense, LXX considered this psalm exclusively messianic; such an interpretation during the time of Jesus Christ was widespread among the Jews, as can be seen from Hebrews 1:8,9 (cf. and Targum), and also now among many of the Jews. The Fathers of the Church explain everything about the Messiah. – The King is the Messiah; the first of the brides is the Old Testament people, the firstborn, εκλογη from the nations; after the Forerunner had already acted as a friend of the groom
(John 3:29), Christ
first
turned to Israel, in which the Logos had long been active, and which He chose as His inheritance (Sir.24:13), as His property ( John 1:11), and only
after that
the pagan peoples were called to messianic salvation.
At first
the church was formed from Judaism, and the Judeo-Christian church appears to be the main bride, and the pagan peoples who converted to Christ through it should be considered its friends.
– Therefore, we recognize this psalm as directly messianic, although we do not deny that the psalmist used the circumstances of Solomon’s
time in the poetic depiction of his thoughts; the pious Israelite in Solomon, especially in the early years of his reign, could see an image of the messianic time and its circumstances.
With a prophetic gaze the psalmist contemplates the future Messiah, sees Him in His incomparable beauty (v. 3), as a victorious hero (v. 4–6), as a glorious King of eternity (v. 7–9, sees (v. 10–18) tender His love for His bride (Hos. 2:19-20), and for the brides (Matt. 8:11; cf. 22:1) At such contemplation, his heart is stirred with sacred enthusiasm, from his rapturous heart a joyful song flows299; he solemnly expresses ( verb
) that this song (
deeds
)300 is dedicated to the king.
If only I, he exclaims further, had succeeded well, if only my tongue was capable enough for such a sublime subject301! Admired by the incomparable beauty of the Messiah, the psalmist immediately begins to glorify her
(v. 3);
in it he recognizes the reason why God forever showered blessings on the Messiah. – The Jews expected from the Messiah that He would appear as a mighty hero (cf. Ps. 109, etc.), overthrow all the hostile opposites in the world (pagans), and establish a kingdom of universal peace and imperturbable truth. Our psalmist also contemplates the Messiah as the Hero of heroes ( stronger
), and solemnly urges Him to come out to fight against the anti-Messianic forces (v. 4) 303 urges Him further to defeat these forces in His solemn heroic procession (v. 5a) 304 and thus show (
reign
) Yourself as King (of kings), fulfill promises (
for the sake of truth
), give the oppressed right (
for the sake of meekness
) and truth victory305;
accompanied by majestic miracles ( wonderfully
), His almighty right hand will accomplish this heroic deed (v. 5 b), He will subjugate all hostile forces to Himself (v. 6)306.
The throne of the King-Messiah, the King-God ( God
)307 stands unshakably; His power is completely just (v. 7);
and how could it be otherwise! His throne is based, so to speak, on truth; for He loved righteousness, hated sin, and in order to practically and powerfully, energetically express His hatred of sin and His love of righteousness, He gave up His dear life to death, that thus sin might be put away and righteousness might prevail. Therefore
(
for this reason
), since He thus testified to love for truth and hatred of sin, God (and according to His human nature in the Ascension) blessed Him with high glory, the highest bliss (oil of joy), granted Him royal power over heaven and earth , and thereby exalted Him above all His brothers, above all people (
participant
) (cf. Phil. 2:8-10)308.
In His glory ( myrrh, stacti and cassia
) He does not separate, He does not want to selfishly use it alone;
but shares with his royal brides, who in elephant palaces give off a fragrance like Him and constitute His joy309 (v. 9). One of the brides (Judean Church) is different from all the others (pagan nations); the psalmist’s main attention is drawn to her, standing in majestic clothing on the right side of the king (closest to Him, most powerful) (v. 10)310. He addresses her with a speech in which he encourages her, leaving everything dear to her, to completely surrender to the king (v. 11), in order to be worthy of His love; much more does He deserve such devotion, since He is her God and Lord, Whom is worshiped (v. 12). 311 When she has done this, and by virtue of her devotion has become intimate with the King, then rich and proud Tire himself will bow down before the queen, by gifts will seek her favor, so that through her medium he will be received from the King into His kingdom (v. 13)312. – The Psalmist again depicts the glory of the chief bride inside her palace v
. 14), ready to appear before the King, to be brought to Him to see Him eye to eye (Esther 2:12), to have an eternal wedding feast with Him313 ;
then he turns his gaze to her friends ( sincere
), to other virgin brides who have joined her and are following her to the royal palace (heavenly glory) (vv. 15-16)314.
In v. 17 he again addresses the King, betrothed to such glorious brides, and wishes him numerous offspring, and for his offspring dominion over the whole world (v. 17)315; always and everywhere the King will be glorified (v. 18). The main ideas of this psalm, which is very similar to the book of the Song of Songs
, are briefly as follows: The most beautiful Messiah among all people, the Hero who conquers all enemies, who establishes an eternal kingdom, who unselfishly loves first of all the Jewish people and pagan peoples and gives them a share in His glory, who establishes infinitely a union rich in blessings (v. 17), for which man is unable to adequately thank Him (v. 18).
Interpretation of Psalm 67
Verse 1-4. King David remembers his great predecessor, namely the prophet Moses, who led the Jews out of Egypt. Being in solidarity with the prophet of the past, the king remains in repentance before the Lord and asks that His children always be under supervision. The ruler spoke these words when the powerful shrine of God’s chosen people ascended to Mount Zion closer to safety. The king himself in these verses uses a large number of metaphors and comparisons, where His enemies are like disappearing smoke.
Verse 5-7. David speaks to his people, telling of the great and all-encompassing love of God. He also encourages the Israelis to be in love with the Creator and to be grateful for his gifts.
Verse 8-11. From David's lips come words of praise to God for His miracles during the captivity of the Jews. The Israelis had no home, but the Lord did not forget about them and gave Palestine. In difficult times, He sent rain, providing a bountiful harvest for His people.
Verses 12-13. The victories of the Jewish people are innumerable. He always moved forward, despite the dangers, because the Lord did not leave him and all the affairs of the people were His affairs.
Verses 14-15. War and battles are a necessary measure of cleansing the world. After each clash, the Lord allows people to rest and arranges peace. At this time, people are not burdened with anything and can live in peace.
Verses 16-21. God is an intercessor and helper for everyone. Anyone in need who turns to him with prayer will be heard and saved.
We advise you to study the Icon of the Ladder
Verse 22. David states that sinners make a conscious choice in favor of the power of the devil. They commit crimes themselves.
Verses 23-24. The king mentions the gifts of God, their abundance. But at the same time, in order to deserve them, you need to be grateful to the Lord and accept Him into your heart. With these speeches he also addresses all the pagan peoples around the kingdom of Judah in order to bring His faith into their hearts.
Verses 35-36. In these final verses, David confirms the thoughts that the Most High is great and His word is Law.
Interpretation
As already mentioned, Psalm 42 is a complement to Psalm 41, and in some manuscripts they are a single whole. But more often Psalm 41 is considered as an independent song.
Psalm 41
Psalm 41 has two parts that are separated from each other by the chorus, “Why are you discouraged, my soul?” In the first part, I shows my mental suffering as if God had abandoned him. In the second, Nadya tells him that he will soon be freed from all misfortunes.
The authorship of this psalm is attributed to the sons of Korah, who were the gatekeepers of the Jerusalem temple. But the existing inscription “Psalm of David” confuses many. In fact, Miserere is dedicated to King David and all the difficulties that befell him in life.
The coming generations of Korah were also close and faithful companions of David, who did not turn away from him even in the difficult moment of fleeing from the rebellion. They dedicated a real psalm to him, which in Orthodoxy began to be considered the song of an exile. In the song, Vidya laments that he has become an exile outside his country. In the presence of all his despair, the king does not lose faith in God, and no less this keeps him from despair in a foreign land.
Therefore, Psalm 41 is recommended for those who are currently in a foreign land and suffering from separation from their native land. In addition, song 41 helps all those who suffer from unrequited love.
Interpretation
- The sons of Korah teach the Israelites the right attitude towards God.
- David grieves over those blessed times when he had the opportunity to express his prayers to God in the temple, and is very sad that he is deprived of this at the present time. But despite everything, David does not allow despondency to seep into his soul.
- David's melancholy reaches such an extent that God appears to him everywhere - even in the sound of waterfalls.
- For a heart that loves God with all its soul, there is no need to express its feelings in any special way; love flows from the heart itself, like the stormy streams of a river.
- David’s sadness turns to the fact that the Lord’s enemies revile Him and make false accusations.
- In conclusion, David expresses the hope that someday everything will return to normal, and he will again be close to God.
What are psalms used for?
Few people will remain indifferent to psalmody. In relation to the contents of the book, one can judge the spiritual state of a person: the proud one will turn away from such reading, the one who seeks God will find a storehouse of wisdom, the humble one will fill the soul with grace, cleanse it from sins, and wash it with tears. The Holy Fathers noted: the psalms have a power that:
- drives away evil spirits, tormenting demons;
- relieves nightmares, fears, fear of darkness;
- protects babies and children;
- gives delight to the worker who is tired of the daily worries;
- ossified in sin, insensitive, leads to tearful repentance;
- enlightens the foolish, brings them into conversation with Angels and God;
- elevates the soul to the Heavenly One, pacifies the angry, and bestows peace.
Psalms are used in daily church services. The entire Psalter is read throughout the week. Many prayers contain texts from ancient verses. For example, Ps: 50 (repentant) is heard every day in morning prayers. It is impossible to imagine monastic life without constantly turning to these prayers. Monks learn all 150 songs by heart.
Note: If you resort to reading in a humble, repentant disposition of the soul, the grace of the Holy Spirit will cover a person with such clarity that it will transform everything around him. The world will open the doors of miracles that will relentlessly pursue you at every step! This is a stunning state, having lost it, you are constantly looking for a way to get it back.
We advise you to study the Icon of the Mother of God “Sovereign”
Psalm 41 – listen and read the text. Interpretation.
Old Testament
Psalter
- Book of Genesis
- Book of Exodus
- Book of Leviticus
- Book of Numbers
- Book of Deuteronomy
- Book of Joshua
- Judges
- Book of Ruth
- 1st Book of Samuel
- 2 Samuel
- 1st Book of Kings
- 2nd Book of Kings
- 1 Chronicles
- 2 Chronicles
- Book of Ezra
- Book of Nehemiah
- Book of Esther
- Book of Job
- Psalter
- Book of Proverbs of Solomon
- Book of Ecclesiastes
- Book of Song of Songs
- Book of the Prophet Isaiah
- Book of the Prophet Jeremiah
- Book of Lamentations
- Book of the Prophet Ezekiel
- Book of the Prophet Daniel
- Book of the Prophet Hosea
- Book of the Prophet Joel
- Book of the Prophet Amos
- Book of the Prophet Obadiah
- Book of the Prophet Jonah
- Book of the Prophet Micah
- Book of the Prophet Nahum
- Book of the Prophet Habakkuk
- Book of the Prophet Zephaniah
- Book of the Prophet Haggai
- Book of the Prophet Zechariah
- Book of the Prophet Malachi
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Here you can listen and read the text of Psalm 41
Interpretation of Psalm 41
II. Book II (Psalms 41-71)
Seven psalms in the second book of Psalms (Ps. 41; 43-48) have at their beginning a reference to the “sons of Korah.” This may mean either the involvement of someone from the Korah family in the creation of these psalms, or an indication of their performance by them (“the sons of Korah” were members of the temple choir; 2 Chronicles 20:19).
One of the psalms in this book belongs to Asaph (Ps. 49), the author of twenty (Ps. 50-69) is named David, three are anonymous (Ps. 42; 66; 70), and one was written by King Solomon (Ps. 71).
In all likelihood, Psalms 41 and 42 once formed one psalm - in many Hebrew manuscripts they are combined into one. This is confirmed by the fact that the refrain repeated twice in Ps. 41 (“Why are you discouraged, O my soul, and why are you troubled?” – verses 6 and 12), repeated at the end of Ps. 42 (verse 5). In both psalms there is a theme of the psalmist’s passionate yearning for God, joyful anticipation of communication with Him and praise to Him.
The “inscription” corresponds to verse 1.
A. Longing for the living God (41:2-9)
Ps. 41:2-3
. The psalmist compares his longing for God... the living one with the longing of a doe, eager to touch streams of water. Just as a deer cannot live without water, so he cannot live without God, who nourishes the life of his body and spirit (compare Ps. 142:6).
Ps. 41:4-5
. The psalmist explains that he experienced a bitter feeling of being abandoned by God, surrounded by people who further irritated his spiritual wounds, asking every day: “Where is your God?” (meaning “why doesn’t He come to your aid?”). I wept for this day and night, says the psalmist. He cried, remembering how, among many people (in a crowd; verse 5), he joyfully entered Jerusalem (obviously in festive processions), entered the house of God.
From the text of these verses it appears that the psalm refers to a time when its author was outside his own country and had no access to the place of official worship of Jehovah. He lived somewhere near the mountains of Hermon (it is believed that the “Mount Zoar” mentioned in verse 7 (correctly read “Mizar”) was one of the peaks of Mount Hermon), far from Jerusalem.
Ps. 41:6
. Here is a refrain repeated in this and the next psalm (introduction to Ps. 41); faith in the living God is so strong in the psalmist that even with all his sadness it does not allow him to fall into despair. In trusting in the Lord, he reminds himself, salvation from complete despondency I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God, he exclaims.
Ps. 41:7-9
. Salvation from despondency is in “remembering” God—a thought repeated in verse 7.
The peaks of Mount Hermon, rising high above sea level, were covered with snow, and when it melted, streams of water, strengthened by spring showers, rushed down the steep mountain slopes with a roar. These furious “waterfalls”, “following each other,” were associated in the mind of the author of the psalm with “the abyss calling upon the abyss.” And in them, “waters and waves,” he sees a symbol of his misfortunes in a foreign land. However, sad feelings are replaced by hope. In verse 9, the psalmist hopes that the Lord will show him His mercy, and he will respond to it with a song of thanksgiving.
B. Plea for Intercession (41:10-12)
Ps. 41:10-12
. In verse 10 it is more correct to read “I will tell God.” The psalmist returns again to lamenting that God has forgotten him, and complains about people who are hostile to him, who insult him and mockingly inquire: “Where is your God?” (compare verse 4). The psalmist conveys the severity of his experiences in the image of physical suffering: enemies... seem to strike his bones.
The psalm ends with an optimistic refrain in verse 12.
You can learn more about God and the Bible on the website The Bible about God
About man and society in the psalms
The concept of salvation plays a dominant role in the Psalter. With all this, a person looks very impartial - he is presented as such a nest of evil and vice. Sin accompanies him from the very moment of birth and accompanies him until he leaves for another world. Throughout life, sin is also a constant companion of a person, paralyzing his soul and body, taking away his will and spiritual world. The fact that people become enemies to each other is also a destructive effect of the same sin, man’s constant companion.
In almost all psalms, relationships between people are given great importance. But from the very beginning it becomes clear that without the presence of God, the population of the earth would be a mass of malicious, brutal and deceitful creatures. In the psalms, such people who live outside of faith in God are called enemies. The enemies oppressed the creators of the psalms, thirsting for their defeat and death. For opponents, the most suitable atmosphere is one of heresy, slander, vanity and chaos.
These atheists can be found by their type of life - they do not suffer from anything, they are accompanied by strange fortune, they do not work in human work, and do not experience attacks from others. Their character traits include pride, rudeness, an irresistible love of gossip, and contempt for others. It is immediately mentioned separately that even the best friend, a person who has been given endless trust, can become a traitor. And this is even more terrible than the machinations of the most ferocious opponents.
The result of all this will be that the creator of the psalms becomes an outcast, loneliness among the masses is his lot, because the righteous is always alone. Even in those psalms where this is not directly mentioned, it is clear that a feeling of loneliness constantly accompanies the creator. He has no support or protection. If here and there there is talk of a meeting of the righteous, then these are only moments of presence at divine services where the glory of God is preached. But even here one can see a complete detachment from warmth, cordiality, good healthy sensuality, a lack of support and a friendly role.
Only in a single psalm, number 127, is the idyll of home life described, and in 132 - the friendly life of two brothers. There is nothing unusual, because the Bible also said: “Seek out the enemy in your house” - this means that a traitor and enemy can constantly creep into the family.
Almost all the psalms reveal complete despair and darkness, the hostility of others, but this is reality. The Creator outlines the traps and snares into which his enemies want to lure him, they slander and gossip about him.
The Creator directs all his experiences and sorrowful thoughts into prayer, expressing with all this that God is his only probable protection and support. And not only him.
Often in the psalms it is made clear that even in such hopeless darkness one can maintain holiness and righteousness. But the creator realizes that he cannot hope to be justified by God, he simply hopes so. This is expressed in the 7 penitential psalms, where the creator expresses the hope of receiving forgiveness not by merit, but by grace.
After repentance, the creator's life seems to be an effort to maintain his own righteousness. He realizes that God’s support can be expected only when you yourself act righteously towards the people around you, even if they are militant.
The psalms often trace the theme of freedom of choice for humans. His responsibility for the perfect choice is also emphasized separately and very clearly.
1196 In the end, the sons of Korah, about the mysteries, psalm, 45.
2 God is our refuge and strength, the Giver of help in the grave sorrows that have befallen us.
We advise you to study St. Nectarius of Aegina
3 Therefore we will not be afraid when the earth is shaken and the mountains are thrown into the depths of the sea.
4 The waters made a noise and were troubled, the mountains shook with His great power.
5 The rushing waters make the city of God glad; The Almighty sanctified His monastery.
6 God is in the midst of the city, and it will not be moved; God will help him at dawn.
7 Nations were in turmoil, kingdoms were subjected; The Most High uttered His voice, and the earth shook.
8 The Lord of hosts is with us, our Advocate, the God of Jacob!
9 Come and see the works of God, what wonders He will do on earth.
10 He will put an end to war throughout all the borders of the earth; He will break the bow, and break the weapons, and burn the shields with fire.
11 “Detach yourself and understand that I am God! I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
12 The Lord of hosts is with us, our Advocate, the God of Jacob!
Glory:
Third penitential psalm.
The Story of Psalm 41
The Psalter, or Book of Psalms of David, is part of the Old Testament. Like all Holy Scripture, the Psalter admonishes and instructs believers in their relationship to God and people. The hymns report on the works of the Almighty Creator and glorify God's grace. The Holy Book gives wisdom through experience in the remission of sins, and establishes faith in the Savior in the soul of a layman.
The Psalter, which consists of 150 psalms, is divided into 20 parts called “kathismas”. Kathismas are approximately the same size. The number of psalms in kathisma varies and depends on the size of the psalms included in it. For example, the seventeenth kathisma contains only one psalm 118, and the eighteenth kathisma contains 15 psalms.
In the Jewish version, the Psalter is called Tehillim, which literally means “praises.” The difference from the ancient Greek translation is that the hymns are numbered differently. And also some lyrics are combined, while others are split into two songs. In addition, the prayers are collected in five books.
Arrangement of psalms in Jewish Tehillim:
- The first book is from 1 to 40.
- The second book is from 41 to 71.
- The third book is from 72 to 88.
- The fourth book is from 89 to 105.
- The fifth book is from 106 to 150.
In Orthodoxy, Psalm 41 and 42 are included in the sixth kathisma. Both hymns are united in meaning and are called the “exile’s prayer.” The unity is confirmed by the verbatim repetition of the prayer in the sixth and twelfth verses of the first canto, as well as in the final fifth line of the second canto.
about the author
During the reign of the prophet David, priests from the Korah family were famous for singing divine hymns. Sometimes singers, in addition to singing psalms, also composed new texts. Authorship is indicated in the first line of the verse. Twelve psalms belong to the pen of poets with the surname Korey, including the forty-first prayer of the Psalter.
The Korah family comes from the tribe of Levi, the third son of Jacob. Korah himself was the cousin of Moses, who led the Jews out of Egyptian captivity. While wandering through the Arabian desert, Korah rebelled against the prophet. God severely punished the rebel, but had mercy on his sons, who did not support their father, and allowed them to serve as singers in the tabernacle and reach the promised land.
History of writing
King David, who united Judah and Israel into a single state, is considered one of the Old Testament prophets. The ruler's third son, Absalom, killed his half-brother Amnon, who had raped his sister Tamar. For three years the young man hid from the wrath of his father, who had lost his first-born son. The fugitive found refuge in Syria with his maternal grandfather.
Returning to his homeland, Absalom believed that he could become a teacher of the Israelis and replace the sovereign's judges. Four years later, the young man persuades the inhabitants of Hebron to revolt against the king. With devoted people, including the descendants of Korah, David leaves Jerusalem and goes northeast beyond the Jordan River.
In the Mahanaim desert, located near Mount Hermon, David grieves over the sins he has committed. Together with his people, the exile dreams of returning to Jerusalem, to his native temple. Here, in the Trans-Jordan side, the prayerful lamentations of the Israelis formed into the forty-first psalm.
Psalm 41 in culture
Mosaic in the apse of the Basilica of San Clemente. Two deer drink from a spring gushing from the foot of the Cross.
In the ancient Church of Alexandria, Psalm 41 was sung during communion, that is, at the place where now in the Byzantine rite it is sung “ Receive the Body of Christ ...
" Monastic literature of early Christian Egypt, using the example of Psalm 40, explained the indispensable weekly departure of ascetics from the desert to the city to participate in the Eucharist:
The comparison of a Christian, who finds in the Eucharist a source of living water, with a doe striving for streams of water, is one of the popular themes of early Christian art. Examples include the mosaics of the Ravenna mausoleum of Galla Placidia (5th century) and the apse of the Roman Basilica of St. Clement (in its current form, the 12th century, but there is reason to believe that it was transferred from the “lower” basilica of the 5th century).
Arrangements of Psalm 41 to music:
- “Sicut cervus” (Giovanni Pierluigi, 16th century)
- “As Pants the Hart” (Handel, 18th century)
- “Psalm 42” (Mendelssohn, 19th century)
- "Psalm 41, verse 2" ('2e verset du 41e Psaume') (Charles Valentin Alkan, 19th century)
