The collection “Psalter” includes many ancient works. The authorship of most of them belongs to David, but a number of songs were also composed by other people who lived on earth at a time when the king did not live. These include Psalm 45, composed by one of the sons of Korah, whose father turned out to be a traitor who fell in sin. Despite the deeds of their own blood, they remained faithful to God, which is how they ultimately earned his mercy. In his work, the author expresses gratitude to the Almighty for the protection He has given, he bows before His power and strength, and praises His name.
Text of Psalm 45
Read Psalm 45 in your choice of Church Slavonic or Russian. The first option is preferable for many; also, according to the canon, this version of the song is performed during services in the temple. It will be difficult for an unprepared believer to use this text, therefore, for a better understanding of the meaning of the work, it is customary to use its modern translation.
In Church Slavonic
In Russian
Structure
Psalm is a form of Christian lyric poetry. It is read at services in churches and independently at home. As a rule, in psalms, as well as in prayers, praise is offered to the Lord or pleas for help.
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Each psalm consists of verses, the same, in turn, are divided into half-verses (there may be two or more of them). It is noteworthy that this division may vary depending on the edition of the Psalter. The form of writing the psalms is based on syntactic parallelism (uniform construction of sentences, when all their main members are in the same sequence) and metrical organization (when the lines are proportional in time and there is an alternation of long and short syllables).
As you study the psalms, you will notice that some of them contain acrostics. This is when the initial letters of strings form a word or phrase. All psalms follow the general rules of Jewish poetry.
The content of the texts of different psalms differs somewhat in genre varieties. Here there are psalms of praise to God, lamentations, historical reviews, reflections and even curses. What is common in all the psalms is that they contain an appeal to the Lord.
Psalms often have inscriptions that present particular difficulty in determining their meaning. Here, as a rule, the author and the event preceding the writing of this text are indicated. Sometimes the inscriptions contain instructions for their implementation.
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Individual words, both in the psalms themselves and in the inscriptions, do not have an exact meaning, so there are different translations. For example, the word “Mizmor” does not have a precisely established meaning. According to one version, it has a common root with the word “to tremble,” and according to another, it is a designation of those psalms that are intended for worship in the Jerusalem Temple. This word is an inscription for a third of all available psalms. Or take the word “Shigayon” with an unclear meaning, presumably denoting a type of melody or some kind of musical instrument, and perhaps translated as “lamentable song.”
History of writing
The sons of Korah, who were Jewish, witnessed many wars, during which Israel was left devastated more than once. Sometimes, nevertheless, the chosen people managed to become triumphant, but the victory was certainly followed by a military failure, because of which the state remained devastated for a long time, and its inhabitants forgot about celebrations and peace. Psalm 45 describes difficult times for the Jews, a period when only those who sincerely believed in God and hoped for His mercy were able to survive.
Psalms in Orthodoxy
There is a certain assignment of psalms to daily services - they are read every day. For example, for Vespers - 140, 141, 129, 116, 33 (this is generally mandatory). In the morning they read 3, 37, 62, 87, 102, 142, and always 50. At funeral services, the 118th is always played, it is very large, and it is read in its entirety only on the eve of parental Saturday.
Sometimes the psalm itself is read, but in some cases they are alternated with hymns written by church authors.
There is an ancient tradition in monasticism, according to which the psalter must be read in full within a week. For convenience, the book is divided into 20 parts (kathisma). Each of them has its own division into three parts. A kathisma can include a different number of psalms - from 6 to 9. As a rule, two kathismas are read in the morning, and one at Vespers. In some cases, three kathismas are read at once in the morning. During Lent, the Psalter is read twice a week. Not every temple observes such a strict charter, but in monasteries it is mandatory.
The Psalter also has a conventional division. It's practically five different books, each ending with a song praising the Lord.
- contains Psalms 1-40. This is the book of David, because all these psalms, with rare exceptions, were written by him;
- Psalms 41-71. At the beginning there are texts under the authorship of the sons of Korah, then the authors change, and these are Asaph, Solomon, 18 psalms belong to the pen of David, and three belong to unknown psalmists;
- 72-88 - called the book of Asaph, despite the fact that in addition to his texts there are also works by other authors;
- Psalms 79-105. It begins with two Mosaic psalms, then two from David and 14 pieces belonging to unknown people. Because of this, this part got its name - “The Book of Unknown Singers”;
- 106-150 - has the name “Book of Holiday Songs”, since it contains mainly laudatory texts. Their authors are David (15 psalms), Solomon (1) and unknown psalmists (28).
In ancient Rus', the Psalter was used to teach literacy; it was the third book intended for this purpose, after the primer and book of hours. The Psalter and its psalms accompanied people in Rus' from infancy until death. It was customary to always have it at hand, especially in times of troubles, sorrow, joy, and when traveling.
Interpretation
To understand the meaning of the work, carefully study the interpretation of its individual verses, pay attention to the introduction, which contains an indication of the author. The sons of Korah are mentioned here, as well as the word “alamoth,” which should be understood as “subtle voice.” Given this, it can be assumed that Psalm 45 was traditionally sung by a soprano to the accompaniment of a musical instrument.
Verse 1 – The Almighty is the main support for a person; people look to him for protection in moments of deep sorrow, during difficult trials.
Verses 2 to 4 - the emphasis is on the fact that God never abandoned the Jewish people, he helped them from a long time ago. When faced with trouble, the righteous should not forget about it; they should rely on the Lord, his protection in any trouble or misfortune.
Verse 5 to 7 – the power of the One Creator is limitless and unshakable. Almighty, He watches over the believers, stands on their guard. Help comes to those who see their salvation in God. This came repeatedly to the Israelis, who, during terrible wars, relied on patronage from above.
Verses 8 and 9 - the Almighty uses his power to put an end to wars and injustice, to create a true miracle.
Verses 10 and 11 - despite the fact that God is above everything, he is always close to the righteous, acting as their protector.
Experts have reason to believe that Psalm 45 was composed during the reign of King Jehoshaphat over Israel. Moreover, the text is not associated with a specific war, it is associated with a long period in history, a period when the enemies failed to break the Jews only because of their sincere faith in God.
Psalm 45
In the end, about the sons of Korah, about the secret ones, psalm | For execution. Through the sons of Korah, about the mysteries. Psalm. |
| 1 God is our Refuge and Strength, our Helper in the sorrows that have come upon us. | 1 God is our refuge and strength, our helper in the tribulations that have befallen us so hard. |
| 2 For this reason let us not fear, for the earth is always troubled and the mountains are cut into the hearts of the sea. | 2 Therefore we will not be afraid when the earth shakes and the mountains are removed in the heart of the seas. |
| 3 They made a noise and trembled their waters, they trembled the mountains with His strength. | 3 Their waters roared and were troubled, and the mountains shook at His might. |
| 4 The river's aspirations make glad the city of God: the Most High has sanctified His village. | 4 The river streams make the city of God glad; the Most High has sanctified His abode. |
| 5 God is in his midst, and does not move: God will help him in the morning. | 5 God is in his midst, and he will not be shaken; God will help him early in the morning. |
| 6 The nations were in confusion, the kingdom was thrown aside: the Highest gave His voice, the earth moved. | 6 The nations were troubled, the kingdoms bowed down, the Most High gave His voice and the earth shook. |
| 7 The Lord of hosts is with us, God is our Advocate. | 7 The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our protector! |
| 8 Come and see the works of God, even he performed miracles on earth: | 8 Come and see the works of God, what wonders He has done on earth, |
| 9 Taking away the battle to the end of the earth, he will break the bow and break the weapons, and burn the shields with fire. | 9 Abolishing war to the ends of the earth, the bow will crush and break weapons and shields will be burned with fire. |
| 10 Be ye abolished, and understand that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted upon the earth. | 10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth. |
| 11 The Lord of hosts is with us, God is our Advocate. | 11 The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our advocate. |
| Glory: | Glory: |
God is our Refuge and Strength, our Helper in the sorrows that have come upon us greatly. For this reason let us not be afraid, for the earth is always troubled and the mountains are given into the hearts of the sea. They made noise and trembled their waters, they trembled the mountains with His strength. The river's aspirations rejoice the city of God: the Most High has sanctified His village. God is in his midst, and does not move: God will help him in the morning. The pagans were in turmoil, the kingdom was straying: let the Most High give His voice, and the earth moved. The Lord of hosts is with us, our Advocate is God Jacob. Come and see the works of God, even as He placed miracles on the earth: taking away the battle to the end of the earth, the bow will crush and break the weapons, and the shields will burn with fire. Be abolished and understand that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted to the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us, our Advocate is God Jacob.
Glory:
Themes of the psalms
There is a classification of psalms according to the type of their impact on humans:
- This includes psalms for reprimanding the evil eye, damage and various human fears.
- Psalms for reprimanding bodily ailments and damage. These psalms are suitable in cases where negativity has already begun its harmful effect on the human body.
- Reprimanding spiritual actions, bad thoughts, expressing repentance. Without repentance there will be no benefit from reading.
- Reading to children under 12 years of age, as well as reprimanding family relationships. This group includes very powerful psalms; we can say that they have universal cleansing power.
- Spiritual illnesses and corruption.
- Karmic problems, hard life. Reading the psalms of this group removes negative attitudes in life, and also cleanses one from serious illnesses that can shorten life.
- The most commonly used group of psalms used to reprimand against negative influences.
- Protection of man, his ennoblement and purification.
- Rarely used, specific psalms that carry a strategy of struggle, a threat to life, a choice of life path.
- Songs of praise.
Interpretation
The creator of the 45th Psalm is one of the offspring of Korah. It should be performed in a booming voice – a girl’s voice. The meaning of the text is that in all situations a person has only one protection - the Almighty. Nothing can frighten a person who undeniably trusts in him - neither natural disasters, nor wars.
The text often uses hyperboles - stylistic figures of deliberate exaggeration that enhance the expressiveness of the thoughts expressed. Examples of such exaggerations:
