The Lord is the ruler of the Heavenly and Earthly kingdoms. His power is unshakable, since He is the only Creator in the history of this world. Psalm 94 clearly shows the situation of God's reign on earth. It also contains a mention of the coming of the Messiah, who will take away all human sins with him.
The author reports that faith in the Lord is the root cause of His miracles on earth. God's chosen people, without realizing it, are under the protection of the Lord as long as they believe in Him. If the obligations of the treaty are not respected, the wrath of God will fall on the heads of the Israelites. The result of this was wandering in the desert and a ban on entering the promised land.
Text of prayer Psalm 94
In Church Slavonic with accents
The song of praise to David is not written among the Jews,
1 Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, let us shout to God our Savior:
2 Let us first show His presence in confession, and let us shout to Him in psalms.
3 For God is the great Lord, and the Great King of all the earth,
4 For in His hand are all the ends of the earth, and the heights of the mountains are His.
5 For He is the sea, and He created it, and He created dry hands.
6 Come, let us worship and fall down before Him, and let us mourn before the Lord who made us:
7 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if you hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts because you were angry, in the days of temptation in the wilderness,
9 Your fathers have tempted Me, and you have seen My works.
10 Fourty years of the indignant generation of that generation, and they always erred in their hearts, but they did not know My ways,
11 Because they swore in My wrath, lest they enter into My rest.
In Russian
Song of praise of David. Not inscribed among the Jews.
1 Come, let us sing to the Lord, let us shout to God, the rock of our salvation;
2 Let us come before His face with praise, let us shout to Him in songs,
3 For the Lord is the great God and the great King over all gods.
4 The depths of the earth are in His hand, and the tops of the mountains are His;
5 His is the sea, and He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us worship and fall down, let us kneel before the face of the Lord our Creator;
7 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Oh, if you would now listen to His voice:
8 “Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as in the day of temptation in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tempted Me, tried Me, and saw My work.
10 For forty years I was provoked by this generation, and I said, “This is a people that is deceived in heart; they have not known My ways,
11 Therefore I swore in My wrath that they should not enter My rest.”
Psalm 50 – unclear passages
There are a lot of interpretations of the psalms. Anyone who wants to learn this work from David’s prayer can find materials on the Internet. For beginners, let's explain the more obscure parts:
- By saying that his mother gave birth to him in sin, this means the original damage that is transmitted to all people. We inherit passion (sinfulness) from Adam and Eve.
- You do not favor burnt offerings: There were two types of sacrifices offered in Israel. For sin, the animal was burned completely, thanksgiving - partially. About the whole thing being burned, it is said that the Lord does not want to see it, and this cannot atone for human sins.
- Last verse: God accepts another sacrifice, not animals, but the truth - repentance and contrition for sin. Then it is completely burned. Put on the Altartelians - “Slaughter” passions, sins, like sacrificial animals. This is the image of repentance God accepts. To some extent, this is a prophecy about the future form of human correction through the Sacrament of Confession.
Conclusion: Anyone who reads the psalter will find the answer to any movement of the soul.
- In sorrow there is consolation.
- In joy he will bring grateful praise to the Lord.
- Will find a way out of a difficult situation.
- He will overcome disorder in life, defeat despondency and the meaninglessness of life.
- Will gain strength for repentance and fight against the spirits of evil.
- A person is not afraid of witchcraft, damage or the evil eye if there are songs of psalms.
Even without understanding the many meanings of the verses, a person is invisibly transformed. Demons tremble from this book. Having learned from Psalm 50 to correctly repent, we will attract Grace: the protection and shield of the Lord.
History of writing
The text of Psalm 94 depicts popular rejoicing, which has a religious character and is expressed in the singing of songs of thanks and praise to the Lord. The reason for this rejoicing was the revelation of the Divine will to the entire Jewish people.
According to many theologians, the text of Psalm 94 was written during the time of Josiah. It was at this time that there was a rise in religious rejoicing, which was explained by the finding by the high priest Hilkiah of the autograph of the law of Moses and its announcement to the people. The author of Psalm 94 is unknown. It is suggested that it may have been written by Josiah himself.
The contents of the psalm are not related to the time of David.
When and why is Psalm 94 read?
Psalm 94 is part of the XIII Kathisma. In accordance with church rules of worship, it is read in churches on Thursdays, and during Lent on Tuesdays and Fridays. During Bright Week, Psalm 94 is not addressed, since at this time the reading of kathismas is not allowed.
During cell prayer, it is allowed to read Psalm 94 in Russian, but in church it is heard only in Church Slavonic.
The Orthodox Church recommends reading Psalm 94 in protection from demons, so that there are no problems and friction between spouses, and so that they are not affected by witchcraft. This recommendation is based on the advice of St. Arsenius of Cappodacia.
Psalm 100
I will sing mercy and judgment to You, Queen of Heaven, I will sing mercy, even though I humbly seek from You, I do not perish, but am saved, I will sing judgment, because for my iniquities I am deprived of Your maternal favor towards me, but I will praise, I will praise with song Your glorious name, Lady, and I will find true peace of my soul; I have lifted myself up to Thy goodness and bounty, and I will not be deprived of my trust and hope in Thee; Confirm my weak soul in faith, hope and love for Your beloved Son, Savior and my God, may You show forgiveness for my sins.
Song instead of glory
Rejoice, lover of solitude and desirer of eternal peace for all believers, meekest Virgin among the virgins of Jerusalem, fragrant flower, quiet and gentle Dove, loving Mother of children! Scatter, I pray to You, my vain thoughts and gather up my scattered spirit, as I sigh for You and worship You always, amen.
According to the 13th kathisma of the troparia, ch. 5
Knowing the innumerable grace of Thy mercy and the divine power of Thy power, O Lady, I diligently cry unto Thee: snatch Thy servant from every fierce sorrow, and fill my heart with joy, O O God-made One.
Take up arms against those who fight us as an enemy: for they are fierce in Thy inheritance, O All-Tsarina, destroy those insolence, so that they understand Thy strength: consume all with Thy divine mania
True salvation for Christians, indestructible intercession for sinners, our strong helper, cover me with the wings of Your sovereign cover, and stand before my outgoing soul.
Prayer
Oh, Most Holy Lady, my Lady Theotokos, Heavenly Queen! save and deliver me, Your sinful servant, from vain slander, from all misfortune and misfortune and sudden death. Have mercy on me in the daytime hours, and in the morning and evening, and preserve me at all times; Protect those who stand, those who sit, and those who walk on every path, and those who sleep at night, provide, cover and protect. Protect me, Lady Theotokos, from all my enemies, visible and invisible, and from every evil situation. In every place and at every time, be the Mother of God, an insurmountable wall and strong intercession always, now, and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.
Interpretation
This song is a messianic prophecy that predicts the widespread spread of the Christian faith and the reign of God. In order to better understand the interpretation of Psalm 94, it is necessary to consider its verses individually:
- Verses 1-2 - the author, with great religious enthusiasm, calls on all the Jewish people to rush to praise the Lord and glorify him.
- Verses 3-7 - they say that God is the Creator and Lord of the whole world. He shepherds and protects the Jewish people like a caring shepherd of his sheep.
- Verses 8-11 - the psalmist emphasizes in these lines that the righteous should treasure the favor of the Lord, obey his instructions and learn well the law of God. The author also reminds us of the wrong actions of our ancestors, which angered God. The Lord pronounced a very harsh, but completely fair sentence against them, saying that “they will not enter My rest.”
Reading Psalm 94 announces the teachings of Christ and allows every person to know his will. Accordingly, people can choose their attitude towards this will - to lose or inherit a place of peace, paradise, the bliss of being with God.
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Interpretation of Psalm 148 by Theodoret of Cyrus
The interpretation of sacred books was carried out by saints from different eras. That is why in Orthodoxy the Holy Scriptures (the Bible, Psalms, Gospels, etc.) are revered along with patristic traditions (interpretations). One of the earliest interpretations of the Psalter was compiled by Bishop Theodoret of Cyrus of Antioch (393-457 AD). The theologian explains each verse of the psalm.
Hallelujah
An appeal to greater zeal of the soul to sing songs to the Creator. The exclamation, which in this context can be translated as “All together!”
1 Praise the Lord from heaven, praise him in the highest.
Moses teaches that the Lord created two heavens. One along with the Earth, he commanded the other to be among the waters and called it the firmament. David calls upon the Lord to sing songs from heaven and on high, that is, to the disembodied faces that dwell in both heavens. The prophet calls on the angels to join in singing and praise the Lord with him.
2 Praise him, all his angels: praise him, all his might.
Now the prophet turns to certain angelic ranks: Power and Strength, because they are mighty in strength, doing His word (Ps. 103:20).
3 Praise Him, O sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light.
Theodoret of Cyrus cites the previous description of Symmachus: praise all the stars of light, but in the translation of the Seventy it turns out differently. God created light on the first day, and the heavenly bodies on the fourth. That is why the prophet David mentioned the light separately and calls upon the sun, moons and stars additionally, addressing them as animate and verbal creations. At the same time, he addresses people, urging them to look at the heavenly bodies as creations of God’s wisdom and to tirelessly praise the Lord.
4 Praise Him, the heavens of heavens: and the waters are above the heavens.
God divided the watery nature into the firmament and commanded the solar fire to move through the hardened waters. This way the fire does not go out and the hardened water does not evaporate. King David refers to heaven in the plural, according to the rules of the Hebrew language, according to which the word heaven is not used in the singular.
We advise you to study Prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker for children
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded, and they were created;
David says that it is worthy to glorify the Creator, who created with the Word and created in the beauty that we see.
6 He established them forever and ever; gave a statute that will not pass away.
And he not only created, but also continues to think about creation, due to which all creatures, animate and inanimate, continue to exist as long as He pleases. And everyone fulfills His laws: the sea does not overflow its banks, day and night follow each other. Only people neglect God's laws.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great fish and all the deeps,
By great fish we mean whales that live in the seas - parts of the earth. Great is the wisdom of the Creator, who imprisoned huge animals in the seas, showing their power, but protecting people from them so that they would not be harmed.
8 Fire and hail, snow and fog, a stormy wind that fulfills His word,
Fire can appear not only on the ground, but also form in the air in the form of lightning and fireballs. Snow, hail and fog come from water; storms, which David calls a stormy spirit, also refer to atmospheric phenomena due to the difference in pressure and humidity. Such phenomena obey God, but do not behave like something animate and intelligent.
9 the mountains and all the hills, the fruit trees and all the cedars,
Thank you to the Lord not so much from amazement at the greatness of His creatures, but also from the benefits to man - extensive and varied.
10 beasts and all livestock, creeping things and winged birds,
David separates the fierce beasts from the meek, but encourages both to praise the Lord, because there is not a single creature that is useless or superfluous, although this is hidden from our knowledge.
11 The kings of the earth and all the nations, the princes and all the judges of the earth,
The prophet calls on kings, nations, princes and judges to glorify the Lord.
12 youths and maidens, elders and youths
May immature and overripe age also praise the Lord.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His alone is exalted, His glory is on earth and in heaven.
They praise the name of the Lord, because the memory of other false gods has faded, and the only One who exists will not pass through the centuries, not only in heaven, but also on earth.
14 He has exalted the horn of His people, the glory of all His saints, the children of Israel, the people who are close to Him.
The Lord will exalt the people who honor Him. A horn is a fortress; King David refers to the likeness of animals armed with horns. God will make this people not only strong, but also revered. The Lord will give glory to the children of Israel and the people close to Him. Further, Theodoret of Cyrus writes that the celebrity passed with piety, and the Israelites lost that glory, but the pagans will receive the gifts of God. The theologian foresaw the spread of the Orthodox faith throughout the world, and people who were pagans in the 4th century would become pious Christians.
