History of the composition and poetry of the Psalter
Psaltirion, in Greek, is a stringed musical instrument, accompanied by which in ancient times prayer chants addressed to God were sung, hence the name psalms, and their collection began to be called the Psalter. The psalms were combined into one book in the 5th century BC. This book in its Hebrew original is a collection of hymns of religious and lyrical content and mood, which were performed during worship in the ancient Jerusalem temple during the era of state independence of the Kingdom of Judah. Therefore, they became unusually widespread both in the pre-Christian era and especially during early Christianity. The Psalter was translated into the Slavic language from Greek in the initial period of the development of writing in Rus' by Saints Cyril and Methodius - after all, without its text it was impossible to perform a single church service. Since even in the early Christian era the Psalter satisfied various needs, there were editions of this book, depending on its practical purpose. This is how the main types of psalter texts arose: the Psalter followed (or “with recitation”), used in church services, and the Psalter explanatory (with interpretations of the text compiled by Athanasius of Alexandria, Theodoret of Cyrrhus and other early Christian authors). In the first half of the 16th century. In Moscow, a new translation from Greek of the explanatory Psalter was made by Maximus the Greek (Trivolis). The texts of the 150 psalms that make up the Psalter were translated from Hebrew into Greek along with other parts of the Septuagint (translation of the books of the Old Testament by seventy commentators). An additional Psalm 151 was added to them, revealing the life of David, the king and poet, with whose name a significant part of the psalms are inscribed. Despite the fact that they are known under the name of David, there is no indication that they all belong to the king and the prophet. Saint Athanasius the Great believes that the inscriptions show who owns any psalm. David chose four captains of singers and two hundred and eighty-eight to serve them. Therefore, as can be seen from the inscriptions, the psalms of these four leaders are found. Thus, when it is said: a psalm to the sons of Korah, Etham, Asaph and Eman; this means that they sing the psalm. When it is said: a psalm of Asaph or Idithum, then it is shown that this psalm was spoken by Asaph or Idithum himself. If it is said: a psalm of David, it is shown that the speaker was David himself. When it is said: a psalm to David, it means that others are speaking about David. In the Psalter of 150 psalms, part refers to the Savior - the Lord Jesus Christ; they are important in soteriological terms (soteriology is the doctrine of saving a person from sin). These psalms are called messianic (Messiah, from Hebrew, means Savior). There are messianic psalms in the literal and in the educational sense. The first ones talk about the coming Messiah - the Lord Jesus Christ. The latter tell about the persons and events of the Old Testament (King and Prophet David, King Solomon, etc.), prefiguring the New Testament of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church.
Already in the early Christian era, the Greek translation of the Psalter formed the basis of Christian liturgy and hymnology. As part of the so-called “daily” services (midnight office, matins, hours, vespers and compline) about 50 separate psalms are used. In the modern liturgical Charter of the Orthodox Church, it is customary to divide the Psalter for convenience when using it during worship and in the home (cell) rule into 20 sections - kathisma (kathisma), from the Greek. “kafiso” - “sitting”, each of which is divided into three “Glory”, or articles.
What are the spiritual benefits of reading the Psalms?
Saint Ambrose of Milan says: “In all Scripture the grace of God breathes, but in the sweet song of the psalms it breathes primarily. History instructs, the law teaches, prophesies, foretells, moral teaching convinces, and the book of psalms convinces of all this and is the most complete physician of human salvation.” In the temple, psalms are read daily during all morning and evening services. What is the spiritual benefit of reading the Psalter? Why is it important to use this book religiously in your home prayer routine? The clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church answer these questions.
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Priest Dimitry Shishkin
Priest Dimitry Shishkin:
Reading the Psalter, we, despite all our falls, raise our hearts to grief
– The Psalter is a collection of what must be the most ancient liturgical texts, compiled at different times by different people, but basically written by the Old Testament king and prophet David. Already based on the fact that this book is primarily liturgical, its benefit lies in the possibility of a person’s closest and lively prayerful communication with God. And the purpose of such communication is our sanctification and communion with the goodness of God. In addition to liturgical use, there is an ancient Orthodox tradition of home, or “cell,” reading of this great book. In any case, the spiritual benefit of reading the Psalter is to bear spiritual fruits, which are: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control (Gal. 5:22). All of these are gifts of the Holy Spirit, but they are given to those who seek God, and reading the Psalter, on the one hand, serves as a confession of this search of ours, and on the other hand, it helps us in this search. Because the psalmist David was precisely distinguished by his extreme, complete striving for God. Moreover, he was not without sins and worries, fears, and struggles (all this is reflected in the Psalter), as is typical for us. But David overcame all this everyday, let’s say, rebellion with constant extreme trust in God with love and repentance. That is why, reading the Psalter, we, together with this great man and ourselves, despite all our falls, sorrows and difficulties, raise our hearts to grief, in the hope that the Lord will not leave us, but through the prayers of the saint, who also knew the difficulties of earthly journeys, will give us the determination to persistently and daily strive for the Lord and trust in Him. And the fact that the Lord never leaves a person who has such a contrite heart and corresponding labors - we again find many confirmations of this in the Psalter, where David again and again thanks the Lord for the fact that in all the complex and dangerous circumstances of life He does not leaves His servant, bestowing many mercies and bounties, the main of which is the very possibility of close and living communication with God.
Priest Pavel Konkov
Priest Pavel Konkov:
The lines of the Psalter have remained relevant for almost three thousand years
– The Psalter is the most popular book of the Old Testament now. Based on the meaning of the short songs, which were previously performed to the accompaniment of an instrument similar to the harp, one can understand that their authors set as their goal the praise of God in any everyday situation: from repentance and glorification of God to climbing the steep steps of the Old Testament temple. And since the modern reader has a rather varied life, the lines of the Psalter have remained relevant for almost three thousand years. Unfortunately, there is a rather serious inflection in society: many consider the Psalter to be exclusively a book for the dead. But this diminishes the significance of the wonderful work of the prophet David and like-minded people. After all, those lines about repentance, about God’s justice, about His mercy, about care and about the duty of a faithful follower help not only the deceased, but also those who read. This is where I see the source of the spiritual benefit of the Psalter.
Archpriest Oleg Stenyaev
Archpriest Oleg Stenyaev:
– In the Gospel of Matthew we read about the events that took place on Calvary: And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice: Either, Or! Lama Savakhthani? that is: My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me? (Matt. 27:46). This text is reproduced by Christ from the Psalter: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Ps. 21:2). Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us that in the most difficult moments of life we need to turn to the Holy Psalter and from its psalms find prayerful words of consolation for ourselves. And indeed, when we pray according to the Psalter, on the one hand, we praise God, since in the Jewish tradition this book has been called since ancient times - the Book of Praises (Hebrew: תהלים (tehilim). And on the other hand, many psalms have repentant content, direction, and they prompt us with words that help us, in heartfelt repentance before God, to open our souls and perform an act of real repentance. And since the Psalter contains not only penitential, but also psalms of praise, we repent before God by reading Psalter, and we glorify Him by reading the Psalter, and also chant His wonderful Names, which are present in abundance on the pages of the Psalter when it speaks of God - the Great, the Mighty, the Merciful, the Loving, etc.
In Ancient Rus', the Psalter was a favorite reading. Children were taught to read from the Psalter
In Ancient Rus', the Psalter was a favorite reading. Children were taught to read from the Psalter. And when in Soviet times they studied birch bark letters, then, although people mainly wrote on birch bark on everyday topics, it was possible to identify hidden quotes. Based on hidden quotes, it was determined that the most read book of Ancient Rus' was the Psalter. The second place was occupied by the parables of King Solomon. I don't know why. Maybe because it very often touches on family topics, raising children - something that was close to our ancestors, who perceived Orthodoxy primarily as a way of life.
Reading the Psalter is a special state of spirit: when a person immerses himself in these verbs, he, as it were, acquires angelic grace. We know that angels constantly stand before the Throne of God and sing His wonderful Names. And every time an Orthodox Christian, adult or child opens the Psalter and begins to pray through it, they join the angelic choir. And, living on earth, they seem to find themselves in heaven.
Priest Valery Dukhanin
Priest Valery Dukhanin:
The Psalter is God's word to us. God Himself gave us the Psalter as an example and model of prayer
– Why is it important to read the Psalter, and not just prayer books or akathists? Because the psalms are not just ancient, difficult to understand prayers, as many people think, but part of the Holy Scriptures given to us by God Himself. If any prayer is our appeal to God, a desire for Him, like the flame of a candle rushing to the sky, then the Psalter is God’s word to us, it is the light descending from heaven and enlightening the most secret sides of our soul. The Psalter is a revealed book. Through the king and prophet David, God Himself gave us the Psalter as an example and model of prayer. “This is how you should turn to Me, repent of your sins, ask for something, glorify Your Creator and admire the Providence of God,” the Lord tells us through the holy book of Psalms.
The Psalter is spiritual protection from any dark forces
The Psalter includes everything, all types of prayers: here is repentance for sins, and petition for various needs, sorrows of our life, and thanksgiving to God for His many blessings, and joyful praise of the Lord as our Father and Provider. The Psalter is spiritual protection from any dark forces, and instead of being afraid of some kind of damage everywhere, it is enough to simply read the Psalter regularly, so that no tempter will approach you. It is no coincidence that psalms are included in almost all church prayers and prayer services.
The Psalter briefly sets out the sacred history - from the creation of the world until the Last Judgment, about which it is said that the Lord is coming to judge the earth: to judge the world in righteousness and people in His truth (Ps. 95:13). Our entire divine service is filled with sacred lines from the Psalter, so those who read the psalms at home understand the divine service better in church.
The Psalter is a tuning fork that sets a very precise tone for all spiritual life
Sometimes they say that we do not understand the psalms, and therefore, why read them. But if we do not understand the composition of the medicine, this does not mean that we should not take it when we are sick. As they also say, “you don’t understand, but the demons understand”: they move away from a tempted person when they hear the sacred words of the psalms. If you don’t start reading the Psalter, you will never learn to understand it. The meaning becomes clear as we grow and experience spiritually, when the psalms enter our spiritual life, when they become consonant with the voice of our heart.
The Psalter has exceptional value, which we sometimes do not think about. This value is difficult to convey in words. You understand it over time. The Psalter is like a tuning fork that sets a very precise tone for all spiritual life. The Psalter gives us spiritual courage and sobriety, frees our hearts from the temptations that come our way, and helps us straighten our path in life along the path of fulfilling God’s will.
The meaning of the Psalter
The Psalter is an excellent guide to prayer and to the glorification of God, and therefore is constantly used in church services. Ap. Paul exhorted believers to practice psalmody (Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16). And indeed, believers in the first times were constantly engaged in singing psalms, and thereby inspired themselves in deeds of piety; with psalms they sweetened the difficult days of persecution and aroused themselves to courageously endure suffering; the psalms served them as pleasant relaxation during various labors and activities and as edifying entertainment during rest.
St. Athanasius the Great: “I think that in the words of this book all human life, all states of the soul, all movements of thought are measured and embraced, so that nothing more can be found in a person. Is it necessary to perform repentance and confession? Are you overwhelmed by sorrow and temptation? Are they persecuting you or plotting against you? Has despondency taken possession of you? Or, seeing yourself happy and your enemy humiliated, do you want to bring gratitude and praise to the Lord? Everyone can find guidance in the Divine Psalms. Let them read their words about each of these states, and everyone will offer them to the Lord, as if they were written about him.”
St. Gregory of Nyssa: “What a pleasant companion for people at all points of their lives is the prophet David. How well he adapts to any spiritual age and shares all kinds of activities! He rejoices with the infants of God, labors with men, instructs young men, strengthens elders - everything happens to everyone: for warriors with weapons, for ascetics with instruction, for those learning to fight with a palaestro, for victors with a crown, at feasts with joy, at funerals with consolation. There is not a moment in our life that would be devoid of all kinds of his pleasant benefits. Is there any prayer that David does not affirm? Is there any festival that this prophet would not make bright”?
Bible Encyclopedia. Work and publication of Archimandrite Nikifor. Moscow. 1891 Reprint edition 1990
Orthodox books
“Well, I’ll tell you what! You once told me that the enemy was shooting his arrows at you. Do not be afraid! None of them will touch you, don’t be afraid of any rubbish: rubbish will remain rubbish. Just take my advice as a rule, listen: read in the morning and evening before your prayer both of these psalms - the 26th and the 90th, and before them the great Arkhangelsk joy - “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice.” If you do this, neither the fire will take you, nor the water will drown you... At these words, the elder stood up from his chair, hugged me and with some special strength, in a rolling ringing voice, he didn’t even say, but shouted out: “I’ll tell you more: it won't explode with a bomb! I kissed the old man’s hand that hugged me. And he again, pressing himself close to my ear, again exclaimed loudly: “And the bomb won’t explode!” And don’t pay any attention to any rubbish: what can rubbish do to you? This is what I wanted to talk to you about. Well, now go with the Lord!..”
Archangel's greeting to the Most Holy Theotokos
Virgin Mary, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.
Psalm 26 (speaking of the believer’s perseverance in persecution and his consolation through the protection of the Lord)
The Lord is my enlightenment and my Savior, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Protector of my life, from whom shall I fear? Sometimes those who are angry approach me and destroy my flesh; those who insult me and defeat me become exhausted and fall. Even if a regiment turns against me, my heart will not fear; Even if he fights against me, I will trust in Him. I have asked one thing from the Lord, and this I will require: that I may live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may behold the beauty of the Lord, and that I may visit His holy temple. For He hid me in His village in the day of my evil, for He covered me in the secret of His village, and lifted me up on a stone. And now, behold, you have lifted up my head against my enemies: the waste and devouring in the village of His sacrifice of praise and exclamation; I will sing and make praise to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, my voice in which I cried, have mercy on me and hear me. My heart says to you: I will seek the Lord, I will seek your face, O Lord, I will seek your face. Do not turn Your face away from me and do not turn aside in anger from Your servant: be my helper, do not reject me and do not forsake me. God, my Savior. As my father and mother abandoned me. The Lord will accept me. Give me the law, O Lord, in Thy way, and guide me on the right path for my enemy’s sake. Do not betray me into the souls of those who are afflicted by me: for I have stood up as a witness of unrighteousness, and lied untruthfully to myself. I believe in seeing the good of the Lord on the land of the living. Be patient with the Lord, be of good courage, and let your heart be strong, and be patient with the Lord.
Psalm 90
1 He who lives in the help of the Most High will dwell in the shelter of the Heavenly God. 2 Says the Lord: Thou art my Protector and my Refuge. My God, and I trust in Him. 3 For He will deliver you from the snare of the trap, and from rebellious words, 4 He will cover you with His cloak, and you will trust under His wing; His truth will surround you with weapons. 5 Thou shalt not fear from the fear of the night, from the arrow that flies during the day, 6 from the thing that passes in darkness, from the cloak, and from the demon of the midday. 7 Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will be at your right hand, but it will not come close to you, 8 but look at your eyes, and see the reward of sinners. 9 For You, O Lord, are my hope, You have made the Most High your refuge. 10 No evil will come to you, and no wound will come near your body, 11 for His angel commanded you to keep you in all your ways. 12 They will lift you up in their arms, but not when you dash your foot on a stone, 13 tread on the asp and the basilisk, and cross over the lion and the serpent. 14 Because I have trusted, I will deliver, and I will cover, because I have known My name. 15 He will call to Me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation, I will destroy him, and I will glorify him, 16 I will fill him with long days, and I will show him My salvation.
Prayer to the Holy Cross
Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your Honest and Life-giving Cross, and save me from all evil.
— Service “Elitsy.Notes”: Order prayers for all everyday and spiritual needs to the venerable Orthodox Shrines of Russia and the world: zapiski.elitsy.ru/special/ozdravii?partner=elitsyweb
Psalter
Saint Gregory of Nyssa:
“The psalms are so pleasant and sweet that not only perfect men, who have already purified their spiritual feelings, study them, but also wives assimilate them to themselves as their own property, and children find pleasure in them, as if in amusements, and for the weak they replace a rod and give them rest; those who are merry consider the singing of psalms to be a gift that belongs to them, just as those who are in a sad disposition, due to their circumstances, think that this book of Holy Scripture was given to them. People who travel and sail on the sea, who spend their lives sedentary at their occupations, in general, men and wives of any condition, healthy and sick, consider it a loss for themselves when they do not have the sublime teachings of David in their mouths. Even at feasts and wedding celebrations, those who are having fun take the Psalter as one of the accessories of fun, not to mention the sacred use of psalms at all-night services and their singing in church.”
Saint John Chrysostom:
“It is better for the sun to cease from its course than to abandon the Psalter. Well, it is useful to learn the psalm and read the Psalter diligently. All books are for our benefit and create sorrow for the demonic, but not like the Psalter: for this reason let us not be negligent.”
Saint Athanasius the Great:
“I think that in the words of this book the whole human life, the whole state of the soul, the whole movement of thought is measured and embraced, so that nothing more can be found in a person. Is it necessary to perform repentance and confession? Are you overwhelmed by sorrow and temptation? Are they persecuting you or plotting against you? Has despondency taken hold of you? Or, seeing yourself happy and your enemy humiliated, do you want to bring gratitude and praise to the Lord? Everyone can find guidance in the divine psalms. Let them read their words about each of these states, and every person will lift them up to the Lord, as if they were written about him.”
Saint Basil the Great:
“A psalm is a refuge from demons, entry under the protection of Angels, a weapon in night insurance, repose from daytime labors, safety for infants, decoration in a blooming age, comfort for the elderly, the most decent decoration for wives.” “Don’t let a single day go by without singing psalms. If you leave some need, having laid it down from now on, begin again in the morning, and do not stop for the sake of laziness... And if you correct what was spoken and learn the commandments of God, then the Lord will open your eyes and you will understand the wonders of His Law.” Amen.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk:
“Take consolation from the holy psalms.” “Indeed, where do we get consolation when, due to the influence of the enemy’s power, we feel completely abandoned, completely humiliated, completely insulted, completely defeated, completely doomed? Including from the psalms."
St. himself Tikhon knew the Psalter by heart and usually read or sang psalms on the way.
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov:
“The Book of Psalms is the most sublime spiritual book. It describes in depth and detail the inner feat of a warrior of Christ. Transformative shadows and allegories are often used, giving the book mystery and darkness (there is a veil on it for a reason!). There is no need to take it literally: the literal understanding of Scripture kills the soul. Spiritual understanding is necessary: it gives life, it puts you on right and holy paths.”
St. Gregory the Theologian:
“The Psalter is the bread of angels, by which souls who hunger for God are fed.”
St. Righteous John of Kronstadt:
“Where is now the reading in homes of the divinely inspired Psalter, which inspires such great faith in God, such strong trust in God in adversity, in illness, in troubles and sorrows, and such ardent love for God? Where is the reading of inspired psalms, which was the favorite reading of our ancestors, not only ordinary ones, but the boyars and the princes themselves? It is not there: but in many there is no faith, Christian hope and love for God and neighbor, but there is unbelief, despair, hatred. There is no fiery prayer, no purity of morals, no spirit of contrition for sins and tenderness, no truth, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Most Christians are imbued with the spirit of the world, the spirit of magazines, newspapers and secular writers in general, who themselves are in turn imbued with a pagan, not Christian, spirit of denying the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures and exalting themselves, their proud and pompous mind, the spirit of everyday vanity.
David's divinely inspired songs lead everyone to prayer, devotion to God, praise and thanksgiving to God for everything; they enlighten, nourish, delight and strengthen the souls of believers; they drive away invisible enemies, heal spiritual passions, teach them to love God and keep His commandments, pray for everyone and constantly ascend to God; and their sweetness, their benefit for the souls of the pious is innumerable..."
St. Ambrose Optinsky:
“You will see from experience how great the power of the inspired psalm words is, which scorch and drive away mental enemies like flame. And prayer is always stronger with psalm words than with our own.”
St. Augustine:
“The love of psalmody gave birth to monasteries.” “Singing psalms decorates the soul. He calls on angels for help, drives away demons, drives away darkness, makes holy things... he puts the devil to shame, he shows God... he crushes anger, there is unceasing praise from God. The singing of psalms is like honey!”
St. Ephraim the Syrian:
“The sharpest sword against the devil is a psalm in the mouth of a monk. Let the psalm be continually in your mouth.”
St. Neil of Sinai:
“Let a psalm of prayer be in your mouth, for the utterance of God’s name puts demons to flight.”
St. Parthenius of Kyiv:
“Reading the Psalter tames passions, and reading the Gospel burns the thorns of our sins: for the Word of God is a consuming fire.”
St. Seraphim Sarovsky:
“Most of all, one should practice reading the New Testament and the Psalter... From this comes enlightenment in the mind, which is therefore changed by the Divine change.” During his lifetime, Father Seraphim commanded the sisters of the Diveyevo community he established to read the Psalter day and night in church, to twelve sisters, changing every two hours, and to read it aloud without fail throughout the year, except Easter.
St. Paisiy Svyatogorets:
“I consider the hour and a half during which I read the Psalter to be my real offering to the world. I look at everything else as entertainment: the unfortunate ones will come, tell me their pain, well, I’ll give them some advice. Therefore, I do not consider help as my own offering: prayer helps people. If I could devote all my time to prayer, I would help the world more. Indeed, psalmody along with the Jesus Prayer helps a lot in such cases. It makes the soul tender, delights it, because constant sorrows and pains oppress the soul, and it grows cold.”
Schema-abbot Savva (Pskov-Pechersk):
“Reading the Psalter is necessary for the Jesus Prayer, the psalms and the Jesus Prayer are living water from one source: the Psalter supports the Jesus Prayer, like the walls of a temple support its roof.” The elder loved the Psalter very much. At some point in his life, he experienced some difficulties: there was not enough time for everything, he felt weak and despondent. And then one day, in a subtle dream, the Most Holy Lady appeared to him and quietly said: “Child! But you need to read the Psalter! This is your life! And all the difficulties disappeared as if by hand. From then on, he never stopped reading the Psalter, and subsequently led the reading of the “Indestructible Psalter” in the Pskov-Pechersk monastery.
Elder Jerome of Sanaxar:
“Where the Undying Psalter is read, it is like a pillar of fire reaching to the sky.”
Elder Arseny the Hesychast:
“All Holy Scripture is inspired by God, and we must read it all. From the Old Testament, special attention should be paid to the Psalms. This is a very powerful prayer."
— Service “Elitsy.Notes”: Order prayers for all everyday and spiritual needs to the venerable Orthodox Shrines of Russia and the world: zapiski.elitsy.ru/special/ozdravii?partner=elitsyweb
