11. He came to his own people, but did not receive him from his own people.

He came at his own time, not out of any need of his own (because, as I said, the Divinity does not need anything), but for the benefit of his own. Despite this, their own did not accept, but rejected the One who came to them for their own benefit; Moreover, having driven Him out of the vineyard, they killed Him (Luke 20:15). And with all this, He did not prevent them from repenting, but gave them the opportunity, if only they themselves wanted, and after that lawlessness to cleanse all their sins by faith in Him and become equal to those who did nothing of the kind and were more dear to Him than others. And that I say this not without reason and not in jest, all the circumstances of blessed Paul also provide clear evidence. He persecuted Christ after His crucifixion, and killed His witness Stephen with the hands of many others; but when he repented, condemned his previous sins, resorted to the One whom he persecuted, He immediately numbered him among His friends and, moreover, the first, made him - a persecutor, blasphemer and insulter - a preacher and teacher of the entire universe. He himself was not ashamed to preach about this, admiring the love of God for mankind, and in his writings, as if on a pillar, depicting his former audacity, he revealed them before everyone, considering it best to put his former life on display in front of everyone, in order to show his greatness all the more clearly. gift of God, rather than hide the ineffable and inscrutable love of the Lord for mankind, not wanting to reveal his own error to everyone. For this purpose, here and there he mentions persecutions, slander and his militias against the Church; in one place he says: I am not worthy to be called an Apostle, for I have persecuted the Church of God (1 Cor. 15:9); in another: for Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first (1 Tim. 1:15); in the third: you heard my life sometimes in Judaism, because they persecuted the Church of God in great numbers and destroyed it (Gal. 1:13).
( Saint John Chrysostom. Interpretation of the Gospel of John. Conversation 10. PG 59.73-74).

12. The little ones received Him, and gave them the realm to become children of God,

So, my brethren, let everyone carefully understand the power of these words and test himself by them - whether he accepted the Word of God who came into the world, and whether he became a child of God, as if he was born not only of flesh and blood, but also of God, did he know that God the Word incarnate had dwelt in him, and did he see His glory, the glory as the Only Begotten of the Father? In whom all this has happened, he is truly a Christian; he sees himself born again from above, and knows the Father who gave birth to him not only by word, but also by the work of grace and truth. Let us stand, my brethren, before this mirror of truth and let us avoid the harmful and heretical teaching of those who say that the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ is not now revealed in us believers by the grace of the Holy Spirit. For grace is given with this revelation, and this revelation is effected by grace. Why does no one accept the Holy Spirit without the Spirit being revealed and visible with intelligent eyes, and no one beholds such a revelation unless he has been enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit. One who has not received the grace of the Holy Spirit cannot even be called faithful.
( Venerable Simeon the New Theologian. About the terrible day of the Lord and about the future, word 57).

to those who believe in His name,

And it is clear to everyone that flesh is a substance and a creation. So, I honor the substance through which my salvation was accomplished, and I reverence [it] and worship [it]. But I honor him not as God, but as filled with divine action and grace. Isn’t the substance the tree of the cross, thrice happy and blessed? Isn’t the substance a mountain, a revered and holy place, a place of beauty? Is not substance the life-giving rock, the holy tomb, the source of our resurrection? Isn’t the substance the ink, the skins [on which the books of] the Gospels are written? Isn’t substance a life-giving meal that provides us with the bread of life? Isn’t the substance both gold and silver, from which crosses, and holy discos, and chalices are made? Is not the substance, preferable to all this, the body and blood of my Lord? Either eliminate the veneration and worship of all this, or allow, according to church tradition, the worship of icons, sanctified by the name of God and the friends of God and for this reason overshadowed by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
( Venerable John of Damascus. The second word of defense against those who condemn the holy icons).

13. who was not born of blood, nor of carnal lust, nor of manly lust, but was born of God.

Our mysterious rebirth and cleansing from all previous sins takes place in baptism; but to remain clean in the future and not allow any filth to come to us again is a matter of our will and care. That is why (the evangelist) reminds us of the very method of (spiritual) birth and, by comparing it with carnal birth, shows its superiority, saying: “Who were born neither of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”(John 1:13). And he said this so that we, having learned the insignificance and humiliation of our first birth from blood and carnal lust, having comprehended on the contrary the importance and dignity of the second birth by grace, would have a high concept of it, a concept worthy of this gift from the One who gives birth to us in this way, and then on their part they showed great care for him. We must be very careful lest, by subsequent negligence and vices, we defile this beautiful robe, and be thrown out of the bridal chamber, like the five foolish virgins, or like the one who did not have a wedding robe.
(St. John Chrysostom. Discourse 10 on the Gospel of John. PG 59).

INTERPRETATION OF ACTS

HOLY APOSTLES,

SELECTED FROM INTERPRETATIONS

SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

AND SOME OTHER FATHERS

BLESSED THEOPHYLACTUS,

ARCHBISHOP OF BULGARIAN

Our Holy Father

John Chrysostom

advance notice

to the Acts of the Holy Apostles

Many people, and not just anyone, know neither the book itself nor the person who compiled and wrote it. Therefore, I considered it necessary to undertake this interpretation, with the goal of both teaching those who do not know and not allowing such a treasure to be unknown and hidden under a bushel; because no less than the Gospels themselves, the penetration of such wisdom and such right teaching, and especially that accomplished by the Holy Spirit, can bring us benefit. So, let us not ignore this book; on the contrary, we will study it with all possible care; because in it one can see those prophecies of Christ that are contained in the Gospels actually being fulfilled; in it one can also see the truth shining in the deeds themselves, and a great change for the better in the disciples, brought about by the Holy Spirit; in it one can find dogmas that would not be so clearly understood by anyone if it were not for this book; without it, the essence of our salvation would remain hidden and some of the dogmas of the teaching and the rules of life would remain unknown.

But most of the content of this book consists of the acts of the Apostle Paul, who labored more than anyone else. The reason for this was that the writer of this book, blessed Luke, was a disciple of Paul. His love for his teacher is evident from many other things, but especially from the fact that he was constantly with his teacher and constantly followed him; while Demas and Hermogenes left him, one went to Galatia, the other to Dalmatia. Listen to what Paul himself says about Luke: Luke is one with me(2 Tim. 4:10); and sending a letter to the Corinthians, he says about him: His praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches(2 Cor. 8:18); also when he says: appeared to Cephas, also to the one ten, according to the gospel, and received(1 Cor. 15, 1. 5), means his gospel; so that no one will sin if this work of Luke (the book of Acts) is attributed to Him; saying: to Him, I mean Christ.

If anyone says: why did Luke, being with Paul until the end of his life, not describe everything?, then we will answer that this was enough for the zealous, that he always focused on what was especially needed, and that the primary concern of the apostles was not in writing books, since they conveyed much without writing. But everything contained in this book is worthy of surprise, especially the adaptability of the apostles, which the Holy Spirit instilled in them, preparing them for the work of economy. Therefore, while talking so much about Christ, they spoke little about His deity, but more about His incarnation, His suffering, resurrection and ascension. For the end to which they aimed was to make the hearers believe that He had risen and ascended into heaven. Just as Christ himself tried most of all to prove that He came from the Father, so Paul tried most of all to prove that Christ was resurrected, ascended, departed to the Father and came from Him. For if before the Jews did not believe that He came from the Father, then the whole teaching of Christ seemed to them much more incredible after the legend of His resurrection and ascension into heaven was added to it. Therefore, Paul imperceptibly, little by little, brings them to an understanding of more sublime truths; and in Athens Paul even calls Christ simply a man, without adding anything more, and this is not without purpose: because if Christ himself, when He spoke of his equality with the Father, was often attempted to be stoned and was called for this a blasphemer of God, then with difficulty could have accepted this teaching from the fishermen and, moreover, after His crucifixion on the cross.

And what can we say about the Jews, when the disciples of Christ themselves, listening to the teaching about more sublime subjects, were confused and tempted? That's why Christ said: The imam said a lot to you, but you cannot wear it now(John 16:12). If they could not wear it, they who had been with Him for so much time, who were initiated into so many mysteries and saw so many miracles, then how did the pagans, having abandoned altars, idols, sacrifices, cats and crocodiles (because that this was the pagan religion) and from other unholy rituals, could they suddenly accept an exalted word about Christian dogmas? How did the Jews, who read and heard daily the following saying from the law: Hear to Israel: The Lord your God, the Lord is one(Deut. 6, 4), and isn't there any other way for me?(Deut. 32:39), and at the same time they saw Christ crucified on the cross, and most importantly, they crucified Him and laid Him in the tomb, and did not see His resurrection - how are these people, hearing that this very man is God and equal to the Father , could not be embarrassed and not fall away completely and, moreover, faster and easier than everyone else? Therefore, the apostles gradually and imperceptibly prepare them and show great skill in adapting; and they themselves receive more abundant grace of the Spirit and in the name of Christ they perform greater miracles than those performed by Christ himself, in order in one and another way to raise them prostrate on the earth, and awaken in them faith in the word of the resurrection. And therefore this book is primarily proof of the resurrection; because by believing in the resurrection everything else was conveniently perceived. And anyone who has thoroughly studied this book will say that this is primarily its content and its whole purpose. Let us first listen to the very beginning of it.

From the book Soulful Teachings by Dorofey Avva

Teaching 21. Interpretation of some sayings of Saint Gregory about the holy martyrs It is good, brothers, to sing the words of the holy God-bearers, because they always and everywhere try to teach us everything leading to the enlightenment of our souls. From these very words chanted (at festivals), one should

From the book Soulful Teachings by Dorofey Avva

Lesson Twenty-one Interpretation of some sayings of Saint Gregory about the holy martyrs It is good, brethren, to sing the words of the holy God-bearers, because they always and everywhere try to teach us everything leading to the enlightenment of our souls. From these very words sung in

From the book Lives of the Saints - the month of August author Rostovsky Dimitri

From the book Lives of the Saints - the month of June author Rostovsky Dimitri

From the book of Creation, volume 7, book 2. Interpretation of St. Matthew the Evangelist. by John Chrysostom

The Works of Our Holy Father John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople Volume Seven Book Two Commentary on Saint Matthew

From the book of Creation, volume 8, book 1. Interpretation of the Gospel of John. by John Chrysostom

The Works of Our Holy Father John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople Volume Eight Book One Interpretation of the Gospel of

From the book New Testament author Melnik Igor

Like the saints of our father John, Archbishop Constantine of the city of Chrysostom, selected works Conversations on the Gospel of John the Theologian. Book one. CONVERSATION 1 (introductory). 1. Praise for the Gospel of John. Its superiority and benefit. - Who can understand him.

From the book Commentary on the Books of the New Testament author Theophylact the Blessed

Acts of the Holy Apostles! The Gospels are over. They started... Stop. Why did the gospels end? There are already 60 of them lying around in the Vatican. They could select 12 - according to the number of apostles. Although no, it wasn’t worth it from Judas. Or was it worth it? Now they're making noise, but it's fake. Yes, they took away four.

From the book Soulful Teachings by Dorofey Avva

BLESSED THEOPHYLACTUS, ARCHBISHOP OF BULGARIAN, INTERPRETATION ON THE ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES, briefly selected from the interpretations of SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM and some other fathers (in Russian translation) INTRODUCTION CONTENTS OF THE BOOK OF ACTS This book is called “Acts”

From the book of Lives of the Saints (all months) author Rostovsky Dimitri

Our Holy Father John Chrysostom forewarning of the Acts of the Holy Apostles Many, and not just anyone, know neither the book itself nor the one who compiled and wrote it. Therefore, I considered it necessary to undertake this interpretation, with the goal of teaching those who do not know and

From the book To help the reader of the Psalms author Strelov Vladimir Sergeevich

Lesson twenty-one. Interpretation of some sayings of St. Gregory about the holy martyrs. It is good, brothers, to sing the words of the holy God-bearers, because they always and everywhere try to teach us everything leading to the enlightenment of our souls. From these very words sung in

From the book Palestinian Patericon by the author

Word of St. John Chrysostom on the Nativity of the holy prophet, forerunner and baptist of the Lord John. The day of celebration and general joy is opportune, on which the ministry of Gabriel and the priesthood of Zechariah came to my mind, and I think about the one condemned to muteness for unbelief. Have you heard

From the book Voice of Byzantium: Byzantine church singing as an integral part of Orthodox tradition by Kondoglu Photius

Word of Saint John Chrysostom on the day of the beheading of the holy Forerunner of the Lord John Again Herodias rages, again is embarrassed, again dances, again demands from Herod the lawless beheading of the head of John the Baptist. Jezebel is plotting to take the vineyard again

From the author's book

Interpretation of St. John Chrysostom on Psalm 10. The great power of trust in God and the powerlessness of enemy intrigues and attacks. – Why do many of the wicked overcome others? -What is the weapon of the righteous against the wicked? - “He who loves falsehood hates

From the author's book

1. Orthodox worship as the Tradition of the Holy Apostles and Holy Fathers of the Church Orthodox worship is a source of joy and a subject of praise for every Orthodox soul. It was formed gradually, starting from the first years of the existence of the ancient Church, through the works of

Psalter. Kathisma 17 - you can watch a video with subtitles, reading in Church Slavonic, text in different fonts and read the interpretation.

Video in Church Slavonic language.

Video in Church Slavonic, Russian font.

Psalter. Kathisma 17. Patristic interpretation.

Psalter. Kathisma 17. Psalm 118

The divine David experienced many changes in his life: he put his enemies to flight and escaped from his enemies, sometimes he was exposed to sorrows and misfortunes, and sometimes he had joys in life, and sometimes he walked the path pleasing to God, and sometimes he stumbled on it.

And he collected all these life upheavals in this psalm, mentioning in it the unwritten prayers that he offered daily to God. This psalm is most perfect, because it leads the virtuous to perfection, awakens those living in absentmindedness to diligence, inspires those who are discouraged, corrects the careless and, in a word, gives all kinds of healing against various human infirmities.

In the highest sense, the Prophet depicts here the life of the saints: exploits, sorrows, struggles, uprisings of demons that induce countless sinful thoughts... and what the saints use to win victories: the law, the words of God, patience, help from above, and, moreover, rewards, crowns, and rewards for your efforts.

The sayings of the psalm are simple in form, but not simple in content. Blessed Augustine testifies that for a long time he could not begin to interpret this psalm, being amazed by its depth. He said that other psalms contain moral lessons; but those are like stars scattered across the sky; and this one is like the sun, shedding abundant light at noon.

The Holy Church, wanting us to more deeply assimilate the meaning of this psalm, ordered its reading at the daily midnight office, when thought, refreshed by sleep, is able to more vividly perceive and penetrate deeper.

The psalm differs from others in the number of verses, and in the fact that each of the 176 verses says something about the law of God, calling it only by different names: commandments, justifications, testimonies, words, fates, ways, advice, paths and others.

And in so many poems (which is surprising!) - everything is about the same subject, there are no weak sayings and no completely identical repetitions. There are verses similar to one another, but each of them indicates a special feature of the law, or some shade of the same feature.

The psalm is composed according to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, each of which contains 8 verses, and each of these verses of the “octagon” begins with the same letter: 22 (letters) x 8 (verses) = 176 verses. Poems are not parables, but prayerful appeals to God: each verse is a prayer, and all about one thing - about fulfilling the will of the Lord, about how to live.

Blessed Augustine, once thinking about such a wonderful construction of the psalm, suddenly saw a beautiful tree with 22 branches, each of which had 8 small branches and sweet drops flowed from all these branches.

The saint was surprised at such a wonderful vision of a beautiful tree and realized that it was a wondrous image of this sweet psalm (Chrysostom, Athanasius, Cyril, Augustine, Ambrose, Jerome, Theodoret, Theophanes).

1 Blessed are the blameless ones who walk in the law of the Lord.

A person who is blameless has a heart free from reproaches for sins. The path is what real life is called. This path is difficult and dangerous. Saint Macarius depicts this path as running among thorns and swamps, where poisonous reptiles and snakes hide, and stakes and swords are stuck in places. How much attention, tension, labor, struggle is required here...

Everyone desires and seeks bliss, but not everyone understands what it is and how to achieve it. It is achieved by walking immaculately in the law of the Lord (Athanasius, Theodoret, Macarius V., Augustine, Theophan).

2 Blessed are those who experience His witness; they will seek Him with all their hearts.

What a wonderful order! No one can comprehend the correct test of the Divine Scripture unless he first walks immaculately in the path of Christ through active behavior. For with a pure soul one must experience His testimonies.

He who does not divide his thoughts between God and the worries of everyday life, but devotes himself entirely to God, seeks God with all his heart. The Prophet here calls for unceasing prayer day and night (Chrysostom, Cassian, Theodoret).

3 For those who do not do iniquity walk in His ways.

Translated from Hebrew: such people no longer commit iniquity, but walk in His ways.

4 Thou hast commanded that Thy commandments should be kept strictly.

With this verse begins a divinely thought and prayerful appeal to God. The Prophet urges not only to keep the commandments of God, but to keep them earnestly, that is, with all zeal (Chrysostom, Theophan).

5 That my ways may be corrected, Thy justifications may be preserved.

The power of the verse is in the appeal: so that - oh if only! This is the same as: Lord, help, strengthen, send down Your grace. David urges us not to rely on ourselves, but to seek God’s grace and help. For as long as anyone lives in negligence, he feels strong...

When, having become exhausted, he does not achieve success in the spiritual, then with humility he resorts to God’s help through much prayer (Chrysostom, Theophan, Athanasius).

6 Then I will not be ashamed, even if I regard all Your commandments.

David says that one must fix one’s gaze on the commandments, focus exclusively on the commandments, and this means the complete destruction of sin both in deed and in thought.

He who fulfills the commandments of God draws courage and boldness from his conscience; the Lord fulfills that petition, and he will not be ashamed on the day of the Lord’s judgment trial before his conscience, God, angels, saints... (Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophanes).

7 Let us confess to You the uprightness of our hearts, ever to teach us the destinies of Your righteousness.

The beginning of salvation is the confession of previous sins in the rightness of the heart, i.e. with all my heart and with all my soul. And fulfilling the commandments of God enlightens the mind and a person acquires spiritual reasoning (Athanasius, Theodoret, Anthimus, Theophanes).

8 I will keep your excuses: do not leave me until the end.

God sometimes leaves at special discretion for the benefit, so that the ascetic reaches the highest perfection. So, for example, Job, the prophet Elijah and other righteous people were abandoned. And one who is left until the end is already a lost person, for example: Saul, Absalom, Judas. There are abandonments when the Lord reduces His grace for human conceit: this is why disorder begins within and disorder outside...

It is necessary to confess your powerlessness, endure and humbly pray to the Lord (Chrysostom, Theodoret).

9 In this way the youngest will correct his path; always keep Your words.

The Prophet David asks: how can a young man preserve the years of his youth in order? And he answers: by always remembering the words of God. For the thought of the divine law purifies and protects.

How can we acquire this soul-saving grace, this true mind of God? – The Holy Spirit answers: by preserving the commandments of God (Athanasius, Plato, Maxim the Greek).

10 With all my heart I seek You: do not turn me away from Your commandments.

In ancient times, the heart was the name given to the entire inner life. Do not reject, i.e. take not away Thy grace, O Lord, without whose assistance it is impossible to fulfill Thy commandments (Theophanes).

11 I have hidden Your words in my heart, lest I sin against You.

It is dangerous to speak not only what is false, but also what is true (divine), when someone announces what should not be proclaimed at all. Pearls must not be cast before swine, nor holy things given to dogs ( Matt. 7, 6). When the Lord grants you to read and learn a word from the Scriptures, take care that it does not pass by (in vain); but learn from it with your mind, imprint it on your heart and keep it indelibly in your memory (Chrysostom, Athanasius, Theodoret, Ephraim).

12 Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach me thy righteousness.

With gratitude he blesses God for being worthy of the intimate knowledge of the Divine mysteries and asks to grant him an even more faithful and higher understanding of His commandments (Athanasius).

13 With my mouth I have declared all the destinies of Your mouth.

Offers a lesson on what kind of speeches should be made in mutual interviews with each other. Being a king and busy governing the people in everything, constantly surrounded by high society, he is not ashamed to proclaim the destinies of the mouth of God. The deeds of Christ the Savior and the holy apostles, the fate of the Church and the fate of God's Providence, the lives of holy and glorious men - these are the subjects of Christian conversations.

Our speeches always leave a mark on the speaker and the listener. These are the seeds of thoughts. And idle talk devastates the soul, insults the Holy Spirit living in us (Theophanes).

14 In the way of Thy testimonies we have enjoyed ourselves, as in all riches.

Shows that there is wealth according to God. For nothing could captivate him in this life: neither gold, nor dignity, nor power; instead of all this, meetings became a desired pleasure and treasure (Athanasius).

15 I will mock Your commandments, and understand Your ways.

From this we learn that the ways of God can only be understood by diligent teaching in the words of God, for the word “I will mock” indicates a diligent study of them (Theodoret, Theophanes).

16 I will learn from Your justifications; I will not forget Your words.

Even for Anthony’s first students, it was a rule to memorize individual psalms and reread them by heart on the road or in their cells. Similar things are contained in the fathers’ books about the unceasing Jesus Prayer. And in the time of Basil the Great, children memorized psalms and parables.

So now it is difficult for someone living in the world to achieve peace of thoughts from the great multitude of surrounding evil, which, remaining in the memory, constantly crowds into his attention and brings painful sorrow.

Therefore, the fathers offer prophetic instruction: to memorize certain passages of Scripture. Then the soul is, as it were, saturated with the memorized words of God, discards shameful thoughts and is filled with remembrance of divine things (Theophanes).

17 Reward Your servant, live me, and I will keep Your words.

Such prayer is possible only for the righteous, because those who have an unclean conscience will not provoke the Judge to retribution; but whoever is aware of the purity of his thoughts can rightfully ask for the enlightenment of his mind in order to know the wonderful works of God.

And so that the words do not seem proud, they have some basis; for He did not say: Reward me, but reward Your servant, i.e. to the one who is Your servant, Master, and serves You (Chrysostom, Athanasius, Theodoret).

18 Open my eyes, and I will understand the wonders of Your law.

When you sit down to read or listen to someone reading, first pray to God, saying: “Lord Jesus Christ! Open the ears and eyes of my heart, so that I may hear Your words and do Your will. I hope, my God, that You will enlighten my heart.” “Always pray to God that He will enlighten your mind and reveal to you the power of His words.”

Many, relying on their own understanding, fell into error and claimed to be wise. bullshit ( Rome. 1, 22). Since the time of Adam's crime, some kind of veil of death has fallen on the human soul and prevents it from seeing the truth of things. It is removed by the illumination of the Holy Spirit from the souls of the faithful and truly worthy. For this reason there was the coming of Christ (Ephraim, Macarius V.).

19 I am a stranger on earth, do not hide Your commandments from me.

We are not residents on earth, but strangers (wanderers), for having spent life for a short time, we move on to another life... But others are proud of earthly blessings, as permanent and lasting, forgetting the transience of life; but a wise husband does not become attached to real blessings, but prays to God not to leave him in ignorance of God’s commandments (Theodoret).

20 My soul love to desire Your destiny at all times.

Many desire the judgments of God and strive for the Kingdom of Heaven, but not constantly: their love for the divine alternates with serving carnal passions. David is constantly yearning for this love: for all time (Chrysostom).

21 Thou hast rebuked the proud: curse them that turn aside from Thy commandments.

Let us be afraid, brethren, lest a curse from the Holy Spirit come upon us; Let us take care that, calling others cursed, we ourselves do not suffer this through our own deviation from the commandments through the enemies of God. We are dishonest, even though no one has dishonored us, and we are cursed, because we shy away from accepting dishonor for our sins.

A damned soul is one that, knowing its unclean deeds, does not gratefully tolerate dishonor, but deceiving its conscience, easily accepts evil thoughts from demons.

You, however, follow the path of patience, complacently endure continuous losses in property, give thanks for dishonor, confessing that you justly suffer for your sins (Chrysostom, Abba Zosima).

22 Take away from me diarrhea and humiliation, for I have sought Your testimonies.

Our sins are worth reproach; why also sinners on the day of Resurrection will rise to reproach and eternal shame, as Daniel says. Therefore, whoever, after committing sins, brings worthy repentance can say to God: do not recognize me as worthy of reproach and humiliation (Didim, Hesychius).

23 For the princes are gray and slander me: but Thy servant mocketh Thy justifications.

Let the evil be angry, and you do your thing: fear God and keep His commandments ( Ecc. 12, 13). But on the other hand, the same justifications testify that there is no person without sin. For if not now, then something has been done before that requires due retribution; this is what came in the guise of falsehood.

The mercy of God arranged it this way in order to subject you to purifying suffering here and to save you from punishment in eternity. And courage for those who endure sorrow and adversity comes as they are mocked, i.e. deepening into the justifications of God, in which they find consolation for themselves (Theophanes).

24 For Thy testimonies are my teaching, and Thy counsels my justifications.

While the heart is weak and cannot bear the bitterness that occurs during external and internal battles, it is enough to occupy the mind with the study of the Scriptures in order to firmly bind one’s (wrathful) thoughts with the thought of the wonderful guidance of God and prevent them (Isaac).

25 My soul cleaves to the earth: live me according to Your word.

This is the voice of a repentant, feeling the attack of carnal earthly desires. Under the earth we mean everything material and carnal and love for it. Clinging to the earthly is the death of the spirit. Live me is a prayer for the influx of grace-filled forces against earthly attractions and habits (Ambrose, Augustine).

26 Thou hast declared my ways, and Thou hast heard me: teach me by Thy justification.

I have proclaimed my ways - (I) confessed my sins, and you heard me - (You) forgive them to me; Teach me by Your justification - show me, Lord, what should I do so as not to make a mistake? (Chrysostom, Hilary).

27 Let me understand the way of Your justifications, and I will mock at Your wonders.

We need divine understanding in order to succeed in virtue: to practice mercy towards people without vanity, not to seek human praise, to live in chastity. We must pray to the Lord that He will instruct us to walk this path truly and heartily; for strength does not lie in the external course of affairs, but in the internal dispositions of the heart (Theodorit, Theophanes).

28 My soul slumbers from despondency: strengthen me in Your words.

The constant attack of sin weakens the power of thoughts and leads the ascetic to indifference; a relaxed soul falls into despondency, into this destructive sleep of the soul; when the desire for everything is lost due to boredom and languor. Such a person, due to the relaxation of spiritual energy, either loiters or moves from place to place.

Just as one who is dozing is drawn to sleep, so one who is spiritually weakened is drawn to sin. And truly, it is not the body, but the soul that sleeps at this time. What to do? - confirm me in Your words - and this teaches that it is impossible to drive out the spirit of despondency except by teaching in divine words.

We must be sober and watchful according to the word of Christ: watch and pray ( Matt. 26, 41). First of all, pray and force yourself to do the same.

Delve into the meaning and depth of the Divine and God-inspired Scriptures, since the word of God disperses despondency (Chrysostom, Theodoret, Ambrose, Cassian, Theophanes, Hesychius, Athanasius, Theodore).

29 Leave me from the path of unrighteousness, and have mercy on me by Your law.

The path of unrighteousness is the path of sin. I am a damned (poor) man: who will deliver me from the body of this death? ( Rome. 7, 24) – The grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Hilary).

30 I have chosen the path of truth, and I have not forgotten Your destiny.

The path of truth is chosen (loved) by the one who does not utter lies with his lips, but speaks and does everything openly. And equally, the one who, in every action, remembers and places before his eyes the judgments and commandments of God - he can say: and I have not forgotten Your destinies (Eusebius).

31 I cleave to Thy testimony, O Lord, do not put me to shame.

The heart cannot be without affection: this is its nature. By detaching itself from one, it clings to the other. God can remove from us everything that serves to our shame and disgrace if we can conscientiously say: cling to Thy testimonies, and with these words we express our excessive disposition towards the words of God.

Incline your ear more often to spiritual words, and your mind will move away from unclean thoughts (Theodoret, Hilary, Theophanes, Thalassius).

32 The path of Your commandments flowed when You enlarged my heart.

(I rushed on the path) of Your commandments, when You enlarged my heart. From here it follows that both are needed: because the grace of God is not given to those who do not have zeal for good, and a person cannot perform virtues without help from above. Our heart expands through temptations and sorrows, which lead to trust in God, and the worries of everyday life oppress Him (Theodoret, Mark the Ascetic).

33 Lay down for me, O Lord, the way of Your justifications, and I will seek and take away.

Lay down the law, i.e. teach, definitely show me what I should do. Know that Christ lays down the path of procession for the saints. We see a prototype of this in the transition of the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land. He preceded them by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire.

The pillar was the legislator of the path; God spoke to them from the pillar. This pillar was a type of Christ. Let us also surrender our path to the guidance of the Savior, so that His commandments will be the law of our path (Ambrose, Theophan).

34 Give me understanding, and I will try Your law, and I will keep it with all my heart.

And the Lord commanded us to test the Scriptures; but those who try need illumination from above, both in order to find what they are looking for and in order to preserve what they have found. Testing (studying) the words of God teaches the knowledge of God (Theodoret, Thalassius).

35 Guide me in the path of Your commandments, as I have desired.

The path is the thorny path that many righteous people walked before us. For we must imitate Christ and take up the cross and follow Him (Athanasius).

36 Incline my heart to Thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.

Look around and you will see: everyone’s main concern is about having; and the more someone has, the more he wants to have. This disease is called greed or covetousness.

Having mastered a person, this passion occupies all the forces of his soul so that there is no time to even think about God and His holy will. The prophet asks God to turn his heart away from such trouble, knowing that everything that interests the flesh is harmful to the soul (Ambrose, Augustine, Theophan).

37 Turn away my eyes from seeing vanity: live me in Your way.

Our terrible traitor is a distracted eye, and we suffer considerable abuse from him. Human eyes are windows into the heart: whatever the eyes see enters the heart. The prophet asks God not to allow sin to enter his heart through these windows, because the liberation of the eyes kills the soul.

And vanity is everything that is done not out of need and benefit, but to delight one’s feelings. The world is chock full of such things and events. This is a hustle without any use or benefit. The prophet asks to turn your eyes away from such vanity, because it, despite all its emptiness, is attractive (Efrem, Pimen, Theophanes).

38 Make Thy servant Thy word to fear.

Instill in me Thy fear, which does not allow me to serve the lusts of the flesh, carnal wisdom, enmity against God ( Rome. 8, 7). He asks for that fear due to which he is afraid to offend his Beloved (Chrysostom, Augustine).

39 With them is my reproach, even the nepschev: for Thy fate is good.

When they revile you for the sake of Christ, this reproach does not apply to you, but to Christ; and when they reproach you for your sins, then you can pronounce these prophetic words: take away my reproach (which was the result of sin), the nepshchevah (whom I fear): for your judgments are just: reproaches follow sins.

Forgiveness of sins is given immediately as you repent, but cleansing the soul from sins requires a lot of work (Chrysostom, Athanasius, Hilary, Theophan).

40 Behold, I have desired Your commandments: live me in Your righteousness.

The prophet focused on devotion to the will of God. And this hope comes at the end, when all one’s means and efforts are exhausted. By Your righteousness, O Lord, revive me: help (me) to fulfill what You command: grant Yourself what You command.

For You have determined that without Me you can do nothing ( In. 15.5) (Augustine, Feofan).

41 And let Thy mercy, O Lord, come upon me, Thy salvation according to Thy word.
42 And I answer those who reproach my word, because I have trusted in Your words.

The goal of God's mercy is our salvation; therefore it is proper to pray first for the mercy on which our salvation depends. He who has acquired mercy also has boldness against those who revile and rebel against him (Chrysostom, Theodoret, Athanasius, Theodore, Hilary).

43 And do not take away from my lips the words that are truly true, because I trusted in Your destiny.
44 And I will keep Your law forever and ever.

The one who prays needs nothing more than this. And if anyone falls into any sin, the word of truth is taken away from him not only from his lips, but also from his heart. For truth is precious, as Christ Himself said: I am the truth and the life ( In. 14, 6) (Epiphanius, Chrysostom, Anthimus).

45 And I walked in breadth, because I sought Your commandments.
46 And speak of Thy testimonies before the kings, and do not be ashamed.

This is a fearless testimony to the truth of God. Even if before the kings, then there is nothing to say about others. Living according to the commandments of the Lord produces boldness: an example of which is David himself.

Before the Fall he conversed very freely with Saul; after the fall - even running away from his son, who rebelled against him, he walked, bowing to the ground and with his head covered (Chrysostom, Athanasius, Theodoret, Theophanes).

47 And I learned in Your commandments, which I loved dearly.
48 And I lifted up my hands to Thy commandments, which I loved, and mocked at Thy justifications.

David also combined doing the commandments with teaching, showing his ardent love for them by constantly mocking, i.e. delved into them (Chrysostom).

49 Remember Your words to Your servant, whose hope You have given me.
50 Comfort me therefore in my humility, for Thy word liveth me.

When God gave the law, He promised His mercy to those who kept it, and threatened punishment to the criminals (see. Ref. 20, 6). So, he asks that God remember His promises, on which He commanded people to place their trust. For it was hope that consoled me in all my troubles.

To the extent that the word of God increases in the human soul, comprehended and accepted by it, to the same extent the ability to live virtuously increases (Chrysostom, Athanasius, Theodoret).

51 Pride has transgressed the law to the fullest, but I have not deviated from Your law.
52 I have remembered Your destiny from eternity, O Lord, and have been comforted.

The Gordians not only broke the law, but also incited others to do so, imitating those living under the law and laughing at them. David shows how he defeated the power of evil in the proud: we did not deviate from the law, we remembered fate and were consoled (Theophanes, Nameless).

53 I have received sorrow from sinners who forsake Your law.

We must grieve over our brethren who sin, because they are like that, and nurture in ourselves the same dispositions that this divine hymnist had: for for a sinner, worshiping God is a ridiculous custom; and for the God-fearing, lawlessness is terrible because he foresees a terrible punishment.

The righteous person grieves not only for his own sins, but also for those that are committed before his eyes. When a righteous person’s own life needs correction, he cries and grieves in order to completely atone for his sin; but when he sees the sins of others, then, leaving his own sin, he begins to mourn the sins of others (Athanasius, Nameless, Chrysostom).

54 Peta bahhu Thy justification for me, in the place of my coming.

What is held in the heart is what is usually sung about; and what is sung is better imprinted on the feelings. The place of arrival is real life. All the saints considered this life to be a journey, having a fatherland in heaven, and therefore they sang in this life the justifications of God (Ambrose, Chrysostom).

55 I have remembered Your name in the night, O Lord, and kept Your law.

David wet his bed with tears every night: he got up in the night and confessed to the Lord, - and you think all night long to give yourself up to a sound sleep! Then you should most of all pray and fear sin and ask for His help. For the darkness of the night is the kindler of sin. The witness is your own conscience!

When the body becomes heated by sleep and food, then the alertness of the mind weakens and evil spirits disturb the soul with all sorts of unclean thoughts. At this time, the memory of God is especially necessary: it encourages and enlivens the mind and drives away nasty thoughts. The face of the saints is always awake at night, praying and chanting God (Ambrose, Chrysostom, Theodoret).

56 This was done to me, as I sought the justification of Your demands.

The memory of God strengthened in the Prophet from night vigils and helped him fulfill divine justifications (Chrysostom).

57 Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have decided to keep Thy law.

In the Old Testament, the Lord was the part and lot of the priests and Levites. For the sons of Levi he says that there is no portion among their brethren; for part of them I am the Lord (cf. Number 18, 20).

David here says: despising everything else, both abundance and wealth, I only have a part of You and try to keep Your commandments. These words can be spoken by those who, like the Levites, have no desire for the things of life (Theodoret).

58 I prayed to Your face with all my heart: have mercy on me according to Your word.

These words teach us that when we pray to God, we must stand before Him as if we were directly before His face: placing all our hopes for mercy on Him. For the One whom we ask Himself knows in what way to show us mercy.

So a prudent patient will say to the doctor: heal me as you know, as art requires. For He often brings about salvation through admonition, and punishment is the work of His love for mankind; as doctors say: the opposite is cured by the opposite (Chrysostom, Theodoret).

59 I have thought about Thy ways, and brought my nose back to Thy witness.

The Prophet remembers how he acted and gives a lesson on how we should act. He thought about his every step and considered it in such a way that he was always in accordance with the testimonies of God (Hilary).

60 We have prepared ourselves and are not dismayed to keep Your commandments.

A reasonable person always expects to encounter sorrow, if not today, then tomorrow, and is not embarrassed. He curbs his anger with silence and even reproaches himself. There are many obstacles to those who wish to please God: for the Creator tests souls with both peace and sorrow. But this helps the faithful and courageous to salvation (Barsanuphius V., Macarius V., Abba Zosimas).

61 The sinner has already obligated himself to me, and has not forgotten Your law.

Snake - there is a chain of evil thoughts with which demons try to cast off the face of God (Athanasius).

62 At midnight I rose to confess to You about the destinies of Your righteousness.

It is not enough to pray during the day - you have to get up at midnight. The Lord Himself spent nights in prayer in order to motivate you to prayer by His example. Previously the Prophet said: I remembered Your name in the night (see v. 55), but now he says: I rose at midnight, to teach you not only at night, but also at midnight to get up to pray.

You can remember God at night and not get up; You can get up and not stand for prayer, but the Prophet got up for prayer, because at this time we must primarily pray to God and mourn our sins, since at that time many temptations come to us... and the mind, overcome by sleep, loses its wakefulness.

We also need to get up at this time because the Bridegroom comes at night. The Holy Fathers attribute to this feat very great significance in spiritual progress. The king, bound by many worries during the day, talked alone with God at night, and, offering sincere and fervent prayers, received what he wanted.

So, we, private people, will imitate him - the king, leading an easy and calm life - the one who, clothed with purple and a crown, surpassed the monks in (strict) life (Ambrose, Isaac, Chrysostom).

63 I am a partaker of all those who fear You and keep Your commandments.

So the Holy Spirit says this about Himself (Pimen).

64 Fill the earth with Thy mercy, O Lord: teach me Thy righteousness.

When you see many sinners, the wicked, those who speak lies on high, and think about God’s long-suffering towards such iniquities, that God even after such serious crimes commands His sun to shine on the evil and the good and to rain on the righteous and the unjust, then you will certainly say these words (Eusebius, Theodoret).

65 Thou hast done kindness to Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word.

Do not be insensitive to the good deeds of God, because you would not have been freed from sin and would not have been numbered among the servants of the Lord if some divine grace had not been to blame (Athanasius).

66 Teach me kindness, and discipline, and wisdom, as in Thy commandments of faith.

The Prophet knows that punishment is useful, and that the Lord, imposing it on people, is guided by philanthropy, which is why he asks for it. For punishment brings reason (knowledge). If Saint David, being a Prophet, had the need to pray for the granting of these qualities to him, then how much more should we care about acquiring them.

Goodness is love for God and neighbor for God’s sake, through self-reproach and apology for others. The one who is punished is everyone who is instructed in the fear of God. Reason is the correct understanding of the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Sacraments; for all nations read the Holy Gospel, but understand it differently.

The Orthodox Church alone accepts all Holy Scripture, old and new, in full, while non-Orthodox ones accept it by choice (Chrysostom, Theodoret, Augustine, Ambrose of Optina).

67 Let me not even humble myself first, since I have sinned: for this reason I have preserved Your word.

A person humbles himself when he carefully considers his sin. Until the Lord humbles a person with misfortunes, he wanders and sins; admonished by disasters, he humbles himself and begins to keep the commandments of God (Chrysostom, Gregory the Theologian, Theodoret).

68 Thou art good, O Lord, and by Thy goodness teach me by Thy justification.

The job of a righteous person is to accept everything sent from Divine Providence with pleasure, even if something very difficult is sent, he says: You are good, Lord; and from the Lord Himself he asks for knowledge of justifications. And he said: goodness, because God also has severity (Hesychius).

69 The iniquity of the proud has multiplied against me, and with all my heart I will test Your commandments.

The harder someone works for the Lord, the more he stirs up enemies against himself. For the righteous with his right life exposes their wicked life. And if you are reproached in the name of Christ, you are blessed: for the Glory and Spirit of God rests upon you ( 1 Peter 4, 14) (Ambrose).

70 Their hearts are as if they were milky; I have learned Your law.

Just as milk hardens when it turns into cheese, so the hearts of the proud harden because of their iniquities. Uta, thicken, widen: and forsake God who created him, and depart from God his Savior ( Deut. 32, 15). For the heart of the proud is fattened, but the heart of the saints is refined. Therefore, do not be embarrassed when you are given over to cruel and grievous temptations that humble you in life and teach you to mortify and enslave the body, and to walk in the strait and narrow path (Athanasius).

71 It is good for me, for Thou hast humbled me, that I may learn by Thy justification.

Prosperity is not useful to us: it makes us lazy, proud, and the devil attacks us more strongly. It produces more evil than disaster. Therefore, the Prophet gives thanks to the harsh measures of the Doctor, as having brought him health. For there is nothing worse than pride.

This is why there are temptations and sorrows, why there are sufferings and illnesses, and many unfortunate circumstances are sent to curb the soul, which is easily arrogant and reaches the point of pride.

If even now, when such labors lie upon us, we sin incessantly, then why would we not dare if God left us with pleasures and also in inaction? “For all evil,” says Scripture, “was taught by idleness ( Sire. 33, 28).

This saying is confirmed by daily events. Therefore, it is salutary not only for evil, but also for good people to be subjected to humiliation and suffering. Sorrows encourage the saints to be humble and meek, for no one can be considered worthy of the knowledge of God's justifications without first being humble and oppressed by many tribulations.

That is why the sacred singer, finding pleasure in sorrows, which he here calls humility, favored weaknesses and needs, so that by enduring them he would be rewarded with the knowledge of God’s justifications (Chrysostom, Cyril).

72 The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver.

It is good because it gives peace to the spirit. Through the law of the Gospel, the Lord cleanses the soul, preparing for Himself a dwelling in it. And perishable wealth is thousands of gold and silver, i.e. all the treasures of the world irritate the lust of greed and the thirst for enrichment (Cyril, Feofan).

73 Thy hands made me, and ye created me: give me understanding, and I will learn Thy commandment.

What honor has man received from God?! When everything else is arranged by His word, the body of man is said to be made by Him Himself.

This does not mean that God acted as if with his hands, since He is incorporeal and formless: spirit is God ( In. 4, 24); but that He showed special favor to this creation, having created it after His own image (cf. Life 1, 26) and endowing him with intelligence. The Prophet asks His Creator to grant him an understanding of the divine commandments (Chrysostom, Athanasius).

74 Those who fear You will see me and rejoice, because they trust in Your words.

The righteous is pleasing only to the pious, tangibly known to them in the word of wisdom; for others it is difficult to even see him; because his life is not like the lives of others.

In each locality, those who are equally disposed know each other: “The pure is naturally disposed towards the pure and rejoices in him; the merciful is disposed towards the generous and rejoices with him; faster to faster, prayer book to prayer book.” Although they are not together in body, they are always inseparable in spirit. If someone happens to be in another area, there he will soon become acquainted with those who are unanimous (Athanasius, Ambrose).

75 I understood, Lord, that Thy destiny is righteous, and Thou hast truly humbled me.

Of the sad things that happen to us, nothing befalls us unjustly, but everything happens according to the righteous judgment of God. Some suffer for their own evil deeds, while others suffer for their neighbors.

We will accept the one who reproaches us as a God-sent accuser of the evil thoughts hidden in us. Nothing happens without God's knowledge; everything that happens happens according to His Judgment... (Mark the Ascetic, Chrysostom).

76 Be Thy mercy, that Thy servant may comfort me according to Thy word.

Many who have received consolation mistakenly believe that they acquired it through their prudence or their own intelligence. So, in order not to be mistaken with them, let Your mercy be my consolation (Athanasius).

77 May Thy compassions come to me, and I will live, for Thy law is my teaching.

Being deprived of divine favor, the Prophet imagines himself as a corpse and begs for God’s love for mankind to revive him, to revive him in the feeling of his heart (Chrysostom, Theodoret).

78 Let pride be ashamed, for I have committed unrighteousness against me; I will mock Your commandments.

He does not wish harm to his enemies, but prays for them. Shame serves for our correction and promotes salvation: having experienced this healing on himself, the Prophet wishes it for his enemies. If I mock, it means I will study diligently (Chrysostom, Theophanes).

79 Let those who fear You and those who know Your testimonies convert me.

This verse was translated more clearly by another translator: may those who fear You - the prophets, apostles, saints, venerable and righteous servants of Yours - return me to the path of repentance and faith (Athanasius, Theodoret).

80 May my heart be blameless in Your justifications, so that I will not be ashamed.

This means the complete destruction of sin both in deed and in thought. Because those who wish to be worthy of sonhood must not only have an immaculate body, but also an immaculate soul (Makariy V.).

81 My soul disappears for Your salvation, I have trusted in Your words.

Disappears, i.e. strongly desires salvation through the study of divine words. He wants to study exactly the meaning of the Divine Scriptures and recognizes the search for meaning as a consolation and joy (Athanasius).

82 My eyes have perished in Thy word, saying, When Thou hast comforted me;

All the mysteries of God are revealed in the word of God, but are comprehended only when grace allows them to be comprehended. Suddenly the mind sees in the word something that it had not previously seen in it, although it had read and pondered it several times (Ambrose).

83 For I have become like fur on my face; I have not forgotten Your justifications.

Fur swells from heat and, swelling, increases in volume: on the side, i.e. in the cold it shrinks and hardens. So the body, by its nature, becomes pampered from luxury and rebels against the soul, but from an ascetic life and from other graces of the Almighty it is suppressed and deadened to the passions (Chrysostom, Theodoret, Mark the Ascetic).

84 How many are the days of Thy servant; when you bring judgment upon me from those who persecute me;

The days of our life are few; and we are also haunted by bad thoughts, carnal passions, worldly worries, all kinds of persecutors, first of all, the devil and spirits of evil. Although man appears to be our persecutor, the first persecutor is not man, but the devil, whom man only imitates (Chrysostom).

85 The transgressors have told me mockery, but not like Thy law, O Lord.

Mockery is verbosity. There cannot be a strong, healthy or saving word in the soul of a lawbreaker, because he lives lawlessly. Many try to speak, but since they do not live well and lawfully, they speak verbosely and empty words.

Many strive to explain the divine Scripture, but not all speak well. For rarely does anyone have a gift from God for this (Cyril).

86 All Your commandments are true: having persecuted me unrighteously, help me.

Through reverent prayer the Prophet revives his courage. He who does not endure persecution has not yet begun to live truly, piously in Christ Jesus (Ambrose).

87 I have not yet passed away upon the earth: I have not forsaken Thy commandments.

Great is the wickedness and power of the enemies: but the commandments teach not to avenge oneself and not to repay evil for evil, but to ask for God’s help and to submit offenses to His judgment (Chrysostom).

88 Live me according to Thy mercy, and I will preserve the testimonies of Thy mouth.

The Prophet decorated this word with humility. For he does not ask for life as a reward for his righteousness, but as a gift of mercy, promising for this to keep the commandments of God. This petition is marked by devotion to the will of God, which is the essence of prayer (Chrysostom, Theophan).

89 For ever, O Lord, Thy word abideth in Heaven.
90 Thy truth endureth unto generation and generation: Thou hast founded the earth, and it endureth.

David is speaking prophetically here. By the word abiding forever, we mean the only begotten Son of God, who is the Truth (cf. In. 14, 6). The earth was founded by this same Truth. Lies reign in all nations; the truth is only in the Church, for believers constitute one race (Basily V., Cyril, Athanasius, Theodore, Ambrose).

91 The day endures through Your discipline, for all kinds of work are done by You.

Everything that exists was created by God and serves Him, and nothing happens by chance. Everything moves according to the laws of God’s mercy and truth, wisely and expediently (Epiphanius, Theodoret, Theophanes).

92 For if it were not for Thy law that my teaching had been, then I would have perished in my humility.

This can be said to every pious person who falls into disaster: for humility here refers to the time of temptations and sorrows, the battle of evil thoughts and the attacks of opposing forces (Athanasius, Theodoret).

93 I will never forget Your justifications, for You have revived me in them.

Happy is the one who lifts this voice to God with complete truth. For a sinner cannot say: I will never forget Your justifications, as a transgressor of God’s commandments (Chrysostom).

94 I am Thine, save me, for I have sought the justification of Thy demands.

Not everyone can use these words: for the slave of sin lies if he calls himself God: for whoever is overcome, to this he also works ( 2 Peter 2, 19). God Himself calls those who faithfully do His will His faithful servants, slaves, friends, sons and daughters by grace (Chrysostom, Athanasius).

95 Waiting for the sinner to destroy me, I understood Your testimonies.

By understanding Your Commandments and thinking about You, says the Prophet, I invalidated the plans of sinners against me (Athanasius).

96 I have seen the end of every end; Your commandment is wide.

Everything human has an end; The commandment of the Lord is broad and inexhaustible and limitless: for its final limit is perfect likeness to God: therefore ye shall be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect ( Matt. 5, 48).

He who begins to walk according to the commandments enters the boundless expanse where the will of God reigns (Chrysostom, Climacus, Theophanes).

97 Since I have loved Your law, O Lord, I am my instruction all day long.

He who loves something willingly desires it and constantly thinks about it. Just as the Prophet loved the Law, he is constantly occupied with it: he is not distracted by other activities and the vanity of this age, but all day, i.e. all the time of his life he exercises himself in fulfilling the requirements of the Law (Hilary, Didymus).

98 Thou hast made me wiser than mine enemy, according to Thy commandment, even as I am in my age.

David attributes everything to divine grace. Devotion to the commandments drives away blindness from the eyes of the mind and makes a person wise against the machinations of enemies, visible and invisible (Chrysostom, Theophan).

99 More than all those who taught me, I understood that Your testimonies are my teaching.

Although Christ said that a student is not higher than a teacher and a slave is not higher than his master ( OK. 6, 40; Matt. 10, 24), but this was said by the Savior after He, having explained himself in advance, said definitely: do not call anyone on earth a teacher for you: for you have one Teacher, who is in heaven (see. Matt. 23, 78).

So, in relation to this particular Teacher, the student is not higher than Him, and many of the teachers designated here are not like that, but those over whom the student often becomes not only higher, but also more intelligent, through the most diligent exercise in the word of God (Eusebius).

100 Moreover, the elder understood that I have sought Your commandments.

Why did grace enlighten David so much that he understood the works of God more than an elder? - Because he exacted the commandments of God. Grace replenishes maturity and the wisdom of old age becomes the property of those who are not old in years, for the age of old age means living undefiled ( Prem. 4, 9).

From an early age, David made it the law of his life to please God by diligently fulfilling His commandments, knowing that wisdom does not enter an evil soul ( Prem. 1, 14) (Ambrose).

101 I have forbidden my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Thy words.

Deviation from evil ways is external labor, and internal labor must also be added to it—restraining the mental feet from the evil mental paths.

The main thing: avoidance of evil thoughts. If you hasten to replace evil thoughts with good ones, then your task will be 100 times easier (Theophanes).

102 I have not deviated from Your judgments, as You have laid down laws for me.

The judgments of God are commandments, strong faith in the constantly vigilant all-seeing Providence of God, which determines all the incidents of our lives. The immediate and direct will of God is the chance for good that is before your eyes (Theophanes).

103 If Your words are sweeter to my throat than honey to my lips.

The sweetness of the word of Scripture is compared to honey only because we have nothing sweeter than it; and not because this was the only measure of it. The prophet, with a weak comparison, expresses his pleasure derived from fulfilling the commandments of God.

Honey is sweet only for the throat, and then goes into the belly and is cast down: the words of God delight both the heart and the soul. There is nothing more pleasant than divine teaching. Where there is spiritual teaching, there is humility, honesty, and modesty; there husband and wife, and children are united in harmony and love by the bonds of virtue, there is Christ in the middle (Chrysostom).

104 I understood from Your commandments: for this reason I hated every way of unrighteousness.

Having understood the divine commandments, David felt disgust for every kind of evil, which is a sure sign of purification of the heart. The wound does not heal until all the pus is drained; so the wound of the soul festers while sympathy for sin breaks through in it (Vasily V., Chrysostom, Barsanuphius V., Theophanes).

105 The lamp of my feet is Your law, and the light of my paths.

One must continuously practice the words of God and use the Holy Scriptures as a kind of lamp (Cyril).

106 I swore and appointed them to preserve the fate of Your righteousness.

He called the firm decision of the soul an oath: he decided to endure all kinds of calamities with gratitude, confessing that God brings everything with His righteous judgment. And since the Lord said: I do not do My will, but the will of the Father who sent Me ( In. 6, 38), then any decision of one’s own will is not reliable (Vasily V., Chrysostom, Theodoret).

107 I humble myself to the core: Lord, live me according to Your word.

Because God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble ( Proverbs 3, 34). Humility to the extreme (to the extreme) is confession of sins. God’s word promises to revive those who repent, since God shows us mercy and love for mankind after confessing our sins: Confess, he says, to the Lord, for it is good, for His mercy endures forever ( Ps. 135, 1) (Theodorit, Apollinaris).

108 Be pleased with the freedom of my lips, O Lord, and teach me Thy destinies.

Virtue must be arbitrary (free) and free from any coercion: such was David’s, who prayed to God that he would be pleased to accept only his arbitrary deeds: God loves the giver willingly (God loves the giver). 2 Cor. 9, 7) (Kirill).

109 I will take my soul into Your hand, and I will not forget Your law.

When we surrender our souls into the hands of God in order to receive food, life, honor and glory from them, then we will not be subjected to the slightest oblivion of God, but we will always remember Him, and nothing in life will lead us into anger or irritation at our attackers (Theodore).

110 The sinners have laid a net for me, and from Thy commandments I have not gone astray.

Lawless people and demons weave all kinds of intrigues, but I decided to follow the path of Your commandments without temptation (Theodoret).

111 I have inherited Your testimonies forever, for this is the joy of my heart.

Likewise, the testimony of God made the hearts of the apostles rejoice when they left the cathedral, rejoicing that they were worthy to accept reproach for the name of Jesus (Apollinaris).

112 I incline my heart to create Your justifications forever for reward.

The Lord Almighty Himself says: turn to Me, and I will turn to you, and I will pour out My blessing upon you ( Small 3, 7). The Prophet bowed his heart with the hope of reward, knowing that the more someone works here, the more joy he will receive there (Theophanes).

113 I have hated the lawbreakers, but I have loved Your law.

Just as he who loves light hates darkness, so he who loves the law of God hates law-breaking thoughts and actions. Such is the praise of the saints. And whoever remembers evil is a transgressor (Chrysostom, Isaiah).

114 Thou art my Helper and my Protector: I trust in Thy words.

The prophet does not ask: be you my helper, but he confesses that God is already his helper and intercessor (Chrysostom).

115 Turn away from me, you wicked ones, and I will test the commandments of my God.
116 Intercede for me according to Your word, and I will live: and do not disgrace me because of my hope.
117 Help me, and I will be saved, and I will learn from Your justifications.

He speaks about those evil ones with whom our heart is filled: for from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, theft, false witness, blasphemy: these are the things that defile a person ( Matt. 15, 19, 20).

It is to these thoughts that he says: turn away from me; and then calls on God for help, so that the evil forces are driven away by God's wave from his soul. For while we are here, we need His constant help.

And if you want your enemies to leave you idle, do not stop your conversation with God. True prayer will never give offense (Athanasius, Theodoret, Theophanes).

118 Thou hast brought to naught all who turn away from Thy justifications: for their thoughts are unrighteous.

This is the end that awaits those who reject the law of God: they are destroyed. Sober your heart from weakening thoughts, for it is not only God who punishes deeds, but also the thoughts of the heart, cherished in secret (Athanasius, Theophan).

119 Those who transgress against all the sinners of the earth: for this reason I have loved Your testimony.

Those who transgressed nepschevah (I considered them criminals) all the wicked on earth, and knowing what harm comes from crime, I applied all my zeal to fulfilling the words of God.

For if the eyes of our souls were enlightened, then the souls of sinners would appear as dark shadows, arousing horror.

This is how the heavenly powers and saints of God always see them. By such darkness, demons recognize them as their own, and enter into them and commit the atrocities characteristic of them (Theodorit, Theophanes).

120 Nail my flesh with Thy fear: for I am afraid of Thy judgments.

If the fear of God does not control our lives, then it is impossible for sanctification to occur in the body. For just as the members of the body of those nailed to nails remain motionless and inactive, so those embraced in the soul by the fear of God avoid all passionate overwhelm by sin and purify their souls through prayer.

Where fear dwells, spiritual purity dwells. Here it is still necessary to nail our sinful passions to Christ. For under flesh and blood, of which the apostle says that they cannot inherit the kingdom of God ( 1 Cor. 15, 50), what should be understood is not this visible body (it was created by God), but the wisdom of the flesh, excited by the spirit of malice.

One must not only believe in Christ, but also suffer with Him. He who has seen God in governing the world and has revered the destinies of God can only nail the fear of God (wisdom) to the flesh. God controls the universe: He controls the life of every person in all its details (Vasily V., Macarius V., Ignatius).

121 I have done justice and righteousness: do not betray me to those who offend me.

Having said this, blessed David learned to practice all the virtues and commandments... Who now has such purity of soul to dare to apply these words to himself? (Chrysostom).

122 Consider Your servant for good, so that pride does not slander me.

Slander is hard, even if it is well rewarded. The wondrous Joseph and many others were subjected to it. And the Lord commands us to pray so as not to be tempted. And besides, slander of proud and strong people is especially difficult, because untruth, based on strength, brings great harm.

But slander does not cause pain to an innocent and God-devoted person, but strengthens the aspiration of his mental eyes towards God, for purity of conscience gives boldness to resort to God’s intercession in case of slander (Chrysostom, Theophanes).

123 My eyes perish for Thy salvation, and for the word of Thy righteousness.

The word disappearance means an increased desire for salvation. You see that those who are only taught by God the law are those who wish to serve Him, renouncing other ministries. It is to them that God instructs and imparts knowledge about Himself, so that they not only read, but also learn the meaning (of the law) (Apollinaris).

124 Deal with Thy servant according to Thy mercy, and teach me Thy justification.

This is a prayer for grace-filled help. David asks himself for admonition to know the commandments of God; for admonition is given by God and is kept with Him as in a treasury; since the prophet Isaiah says that the spirit of wisdom and understanding rests on Him ( Is. 11, 2) and other gifts rest on Him (Athanasius, Theodoret).

125 I am Thy servant: give me understanding, and I will hear Thy testimony.

By nature, all people are servants of God; but by disposition - those who sincerely accept His dominion are slaves. As a reward for slavery, he asks for intelligence, given by God by grace, about which it is said in Proverbs: the understanding of good things gives grace ( Proverbs 13, 16).

The Holy Fathers called the ability to clearly see for oneself and determine the will of God the gift of “reasoning thoughts.” What kind of guidance is there for us who are weak? - Ask the elders and tell you ( Deut. 32, 7) (Athanasius, Theodoret, Theophanes).

126 It is time for the Lord to do: I have destroyed Your law.

God is patient with human sins, but when he sees that wickedness increases, then he imposes punishment; Therefore, the Prophet says that it is time for You, Master, to rise up in defense of the offended, for the enemies have trampled on the law too much.

The words: time to create the Lord, without context, can be used before the beginning of any work dedicated to God, especially prayer. When approaching it, everyone can say to themselves: you have been doing the things of life, now is the time to begin the work of God, to do it for God. (These words are used in this sense in our service book before the beginning of the liturgy) (Theodoret, Theophanes).

127 For this reason I have loved Your commandments more than gold and topaz.

Topaz is a precious stone that has the color of gold, which is why David classified it as gold. But wisdom is better than precious stones; and everything else is unworthy of her. The prophet loves the commandments more than any wealth. This is the perfection of a Christian! (Chrysostom, Athanasius, Theodoret).

128 For this reason I have been guided by all Your commandments; I have hated every way of unrighteousness.

Whoever wants to truly please God, to receive from Him the heavenly grace of the Spirit, to grow and be perfected in the Holy Spirit, must force himself to fulfill all the commandments of God and conquer his heart, even against his will... constantly praying and asking the Lord.

One must not cultivate virtue and vice together in oneself, but give birth to only the fruits of virtue, and the soul should not be in communion with two spirits: the Spirit of God and the spirit of the world (Makariy V.).

129 Wonderful is Thy testimony: for this cause am I to try my soul.

The commandments of God are worthy of wonder; they teach every kind of virtue and drive away every kind of evil. The witness is marvelous, since God is marvelous and His providence is incomprehensible. For the sake of testing my soul, that is, I began to intensively investigate. Scripture does not know scientific research in the form of naked knowledge: it is all about life and its structure (Chrysostom, Didymus, Theophanes).

130 The manifestation of Your words enlightens and instructs little children.

By babies we mean those who are infants of malice and simple in heart, who innocently accept the word of God and “do not torture” - why? As they hear, they will follow (Chrysostom, Theophan).

131 My mouth was opened, and my spirit was drawn, because I desired Thy commandments.

This expression refers to the inner man: the mouth, i.e. the zeal of the soul attracts the grace of the Spirit. The understanding of divine words does not allow one to be deceived by pleasures or empty glory (Chrysostom, Ambrose, Athanasius).

132 Look upon me and have mercy on me, according to the judgment of those who love Your name.

Every person, being in sorrows and temptations, constantly needs the mercy of God. God's charity is the manifestation of divine grace to those who love His holy name and pray in meekness and lowliness of heart, for the Lord Himself says: to whom will I look, only to him who is meek and silent and trembles at My words ( Is. 66, 2) (Theodorite).

133 Direct my steps according to Thy word, and let not all iniquity possess me.

Feet, i.e. The thoughts of a faithful person who prays fervently are directed by the grace of God to the creation of virtues. More precisely, God Himself begins, He Himself accomplishes all good, and He Himself strengthens with His grace our will and desire for the desire for good; why Paul, in confirmation of this, says: Jesus Christ will complete this good work in you until the day of Christ ( Phil. 1, 6),

and there is also God, who works in you to do what you will and to do for good pleasure ( Phil. 2, 13); and Solomon: The will of the Lord is prepared ( Proverbs 8, 35). And the Lord said: without Me you cannot do wicked things ( In. 15.5) (Theodoret, Eusebius).

134 Deliver me from the slander of men, and I will keep Your commandments.

There is no mental illness that would be more painful than slander; no one can despise it, except the one who, like Susanna, looks to God, who alone can deliver from troubles, and reassure people, and comfort the soul with hope.

Yes, and the Lord Christ called those worthy of surprise and blessed who are reviled and slandered: blessed are you when they revile you and condemn you and say all sorts of evil things against you who lie, for my sake Matt. 5, 11), at the same time he commands to watch and pray so as not to fall into misfortune (see. Matt. 26, 41) (Theodorite).

135 Make Thy face shine upon Thy servant, and teach me by Thy justification.

The Deity is incorporeal, simple and uncomplicated; but divine Scripture expresses itself about it in a rather corporeal and rude manner, applying it in words to human nature. So, the appearance of the face of God should be taken as the cessation of sad circumstances and the giving of blessings (Theodoret).

136 My eyes have seen the coming of the waters, but I have not kept Your law.

From the yearning of the heart, the eyes become watery. Tears of contrition are spiritual washing. The one who has cried is renewed. What brings such water out of the eyes of the penitent? – Love (Feofan).

137 Thou art righteous, O Lord, and Thy judges are righteous.

The Lord arranges everything justly and confirms His promises with deeds. The destinies of God are everything that happens in the universe. Everything that happens happens as a result of the judgment and decrees of God: one thing happens according to the will of God; the other is by His permission.

This conviction is the basis for the strength of moral life, deep inner peace, firmness in troubles and courage. These words, according to history, were uttered by the pious Emperor Mauritius during the beating of his wife and each of his children (before his eyes by the enemy) (Chrysostom, Ignatius, Theophanes, Didymus).

138 Thou hast commanded the truth of Thy testimony, and the truth greatly.

In his testimonies, the Lord set forth commands that were very righteous and true; because the law gives everyone their due: both the virtuous and the sinner (Theodoret).

139 Thy zeal has consumed me, for I have forgotten Thy words.

The Prophet mourns those who live in iniquity, and, seeing the Lawgiver in contempt, he is rightly indignant with jealousy, due to the trampling of the words of the Lord.

The divine Paul kept such jealousy within himself, as the Writer testifies that in Athens his spirit was embarrassed in him, seeing the idol full of the city ( Acts 17, 16) (Theodorite).

140 Thy word is kindled with great heat, and Thy servant loveth him.

How should we receive the words of God? - That they are all tested, that in Scripture not a single syllable is thrown in vain; but that they are like kindled silver.

That is why the Savior teaches us not to despise a single tittle written in Scripture, saying: one jot, or one tittle, shall not pass from the law, until all shall be ( Matt. 5, 18) (Unnamed).

141 I am the youngest and humbled: I have not forgotten Your justifications.

This is what David says about himself in a sense of humility: “You vouchsafed so much grace to me, a young man, who was considered nothing by my parents, and made me both a prophet and a king. Therefore, with all zeal I desire to preserve Your justifications” (Theodoret).

142 Your righteousness is righteousness forever, and your law is truth.

He who fulfills the commandments of God has eternal life as a reward for his labors, but he who is submissive to human laws does not receive due honor from the legislators in this life (Chrysostom, Theodoret).

143 Sorrows and needs have come upon me: Your commandments are my teaching.

This is inevitable for a righteous person: such are the exploits of the saints, their victories. The commandments strengthen us to endure everything sad courageously and generously (Chrysostom).

144 The truth of Thy testimony endures forever: give me understanding, and I will live.

In all this, the Prophet seeks admonition from God - the most necessary gift of God. For the foolish or foolish does not enter into that blessed life; but we must ask for admonition from God, who gives to those who ask Him with all our souls (Didim).

145 I cried with all my heart: Hear me, O Lord, I will seek Your righteousness.

With all my heart – i.e. body, soul, and spirit with all zeal. This means spiritual order, and not a cry from the lips. The Lord sees and feels the pain of our hearts...

“He cries out to God with all his heart, even though he does not think of evil, and it is better for God to bow to a heartfelt cry than to a verbal one; just as Moses silently called to God, and God said to him: Why do you cry to Me? Ref. 14, 15) (Chrysostom, Climacus, Theodoret, Theophanes, Psalter with interpretation).

146 I cried to You, save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.

In the word save, he combines the receipt of everything that is necessary to preserve the testimonies of the Lord (Theophanes).

147 I went ahead in hopelessness and cried out: I have trusted in Your words.

In hopelessness – i.e. not at the usual hour. It is wonderful and strange that David, despite the fact that he was a king and immersed in countless worries, and on top of that he was undertaking military campaigns, not only offered prayers to God during the day, but also in the middle of the night, without waiting for the roosters to crow: so he loved his Lord God; so earnestly asked Him for help; So he always trusted in the words of God: He will call to me, and I will hear Him ( Ps. 90, 15).

Preceding in hopelessness - anticipating the dawn, in darkness, in bad time, in the vagueness of circumstances. This time is accompanied by the most powerful attacks from mental enemies: because darkness itself contributes to their indecent actions. But David warned of this difficult time with a prayer to God (Chrysostom, Didymus, Athanasius).

148 Prepare my eyes for the morning, to learn from Your word.

Not only during the night, but also at dawn, before even the rising of the sun, David preceded the morning by teaching the words of God, although he was also a king. And we, being in poverty and having no care, spend the night tossing and turning on our beds, and do not even bring due praise to the Giver of blessings when the day comes (Theodoret).

149 Hear my voice, O Lord, according to Thy mercy: live me according to Thy destiny.

Possessing such great benefits, he prays for mercy, and by his example teaches us to pray for the same. We cannot know what is best for us. Therefore, it is reasonable to surrender everything to God’s discretion and humbly cry: live according to Your destiny.

Fate is God's providence for the salvation of man. And since everyone’s paths are unsearchable, it is appropriate to pray like this: “In the image of fate, save me” (Chrysostom, Theophan).

150 Those who persecute me with iniquity have drawn near; but they have departed from Thy law.

From these words we learn what the persecutors of the righteous will suffer. Thus, the scribes and Pharisees went straight to lawlessness, persecuting the apostles, to whom the Lord said: “Cast you aside, I am swept away, but reject Me, the One who sent Me is rejected ( OK. 10, 16), as it is said: the enemy will be your enemy, and I will resist your enemy ( Ref. 23, 22). That is why they moved away from the Law of the Gospel, not obeying the apostles (Chrysostom).

151 Thou art near, O Lord, and all Thy ways are the truth.

The Lord is near: in Him we live, and we move, and we are ( Acts 17, 28), as if you are everywhere and fulfill everything.

152 From the beginning I knew from Your testimonies that I founded the age.

From the beginning – i.e. From the first time the Prophet knew that the words of the Lord are firm and His commandments are constant. Royal and state laws change, but this does not happen with God’s laws; but just as heaven and earth endure forever, so do the commandments of God. Nothing can be added to them, and nothing can be taken away from them. The Lord also said: heaven and earth pass by, but My words will not pass by ( Matt. 24, 35) (Chrysostom).

153 See my humility and forgive me: for I have not forgotten Your law.

A blessed thing is humility before God. It is acquired by fulfilling God's commandments and enduring temptations. When we humble ourselves in this way, although we are subject to the malice of demons or hostility from evil people, we nevertheless have God as our deliverer, according to the word of the Apostle: Humble yourself before God, and he will exalt you ( Jacob 4, 10) (Eusebius).

154 Judge my judgment and deliver me: for Thy word live me.

When conscience denounces untruth, such a person is already self-condemned before God. But David has a clear conscience - from which boldness before God is born. Ascetics call a clear conscience the door of prayer, but they place their hope in the mercy of God (Theophanes).

155 Salvation is far from the sinner, for I have not sought Your justifications.

It is not salvation that sinners run away from, but they run away from salvation because they do not seek God’s justifications, which contain healing and compulsion to repentance.

So, not all sinners are far from salvation, but only those who do not seek God’s justification; although there is a lot of knowledge, there is no zeal for the divine commandments (Theodoret, Athanasius, Didim, Theophanes).

156 Thy bounties are many, O Lord, live me according to Thy destiny.

Relying on the wealth of generosity and philanthropy of the Lord, David asks for salvation. Live me according to Your destiny: or “save me according to Your destinies.” For no one will be saved except those who completely surrender themselves into the hands of God (Chrysostom, Theodoret).

157 There are many who drive me out and afflict me: we have not turned away from Your testimonies.

There is no time in which the righteous will not be persecuted, because everyone who wants to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted ( 2 Tim. 3, 12). And persecution occurs both externally from unrighteous people, and internally from hostile forces, through one’s own passions and sins themselves, which bring suffering and sorrow.

But he who keeps the divine commandments of his Master does not value the insults of his persecutors (Nicetas, Didymus).

158 I have seen those who do not understand and have ceased to say that I have not kept Your words.

The righteous must grieve for every wicked person: thus Paul grieved for the Jews, the Lord mourned Jerusalem, the divine Jeremiah shed tears for the wickedness of the people.

For when someone sees the soul of those who sin, as if ulcerated and devoured by beasts, and covered, as it were, with pus and rottenness, then he feels the same reverent state for sinners as for saints. And such a one truly melts away, like a candle from a fire. This is true love for God (Vasily V., Chrysostom, Athanasius, Theodoret, Theophanes).

159 See that I have loved Your commandments: Lord, live for me according to Your mercy.

By constantly reminding us of commandments, justifications, laws and revelations, the Prophet shows great love for them. Some keep the commandments with annoyance or under duress, but it is characteristic of the perfect to fulfill them with love (Chrysostom).

160 The beginning of Thy words is truth: and for ever the destiny of Thy righteousness.

This is the first commandment of God: to be true in everything: in deed, in word, and in thought; and therefore - in the exact confession of thoughts, wishes and desires (Cyril, Athanasius, Palamas).

161 The princes have driven me into oblivion: and at Thy words my heart feared.

David feared the commandments of God more than the princes of this age - the spirits of wickedness ( Eph. 6, 12) and the evil people under their control. Therefore, although Saul and his entourage chased him through the desert, David was not afraid of all this, because his heart feared the words of God (Chrysostom, Theophanes).

162 I will rejoice in Your words, for I have gained much gain.

The most faithful observance of the word is that which is done with joy. Therefore, the holy man, not only out of fear, obeyed the Divine words, but with great joy, which happens over acquired wealth. Here is a lesson for us, so that above any joy we put joy and joy in the commandments of God (Chrysostom, Athanasius).

163 I have hated and detested injustice, but I have loved Your law.

I hate lies and abhor them, because they were the cause of many and great sins. Troubles and sorrows appear as consequences of our sins. And whoever wants to love the law must abhor untruth, for only then can the benefits of the law be revealed (Basily V., Eusebius).

164 By day of the seven days we praise Thee about the destinies of Thy righteousness.

These words should not be definitely understood as if we praise God only 7 times, and not at every hour of the day; for this septenary is taken by the Jews to be multiple. After all, Saint David prayed at all times, i.e. incessantly. All this expresses the fiery love of the Prophet, for which he could not get enough of the divine chant.

Nor should we despise the established times of prayer, which are established out of necessity, for each time specifically recalls one of the blessings given by God. If the king, a man immersed in countless worries and always entertained, called on God so many times a day, then what excuse or excuse can we have, leading such an idle life, that we do not pray so often?

It is impossible, in no way impossible, for a person who prays with the proper zeal and often calls on God to sin. God is not ashamed of a place: he seeks one thing - a warm heart and a chaste soul (Vasily V., Theodoret, Chrysostom).

165 There is peace for many who love Your law, and there is no temptation for them.

In order to acquire peace of mind, it is necessary to especially practice reading the New Testament and the Psalter. It is very beneficial to engage in reading the word of God in solitude and to read the entire Bible intelligently.

From this, the whole mind of the reader delves into the truths of the Divine Scripture and receives warmth from God, which in solitude produces tears: from them the person is completely warmed and filled with spiritual gifts, delighting the mind and heart more than any word (Seraphim).

166 I have loved Your salvation, O Lord, and Your commandments.

The hope of salvation gave rise to a love for the commandments. Just begin by fulfilling the commandments as much as you can in the hope (desire) of salvation. Do not feel sorry for yourself, but force yourself without pity and even with some cruelty towards yourself, and then such compulsion will be reborn into your inspiring love for saving commands (Ambrose).

167 My soul preserve Thy testimonies, and I love dearly.

He who keeps the commandments is nourished and delighted by the spiritual current emanating from the commandments themselves. Begin to keep the commandments and you will love them dearly. Just as a lover yearns when he does not see his beloved object for a long time, so does the soul that has loved the commandments yearn if it does not find an opportunity to fulfill them for a long time (Theophanes).

168 I will keep Your commandments and Your testimonies, for all my ways are before You, O Lord.

The wise Sirach says that weakness to sin comes from the false confidence of those who sin that no one sees them... they do not understand that the eyes of the Lord are darker than the brightest sun, despising all the ways of men and looking in secret places ( Sire. 23, 25), therefore the holy ascetics taught to establish the memory of God in yourself first: that God is before you and before Him, all your ways are open: deeds, words and thoughts of the heart (Theophanes).

169 Let my prayer come near to You, O Lord: give me understanding according to Your word.

The prophet asks for understanding not human, but consisting in the knowledge of the words of God. A person who is in sins and attached to them cannot utter these words, for the Lord said through the Prophet: your sins separate between Me and you ( Is. 59, 2); This means that it is necessary first of all to renounce sins, and then it will be possible to say these words.

But a sinner cannot even use psalms, because it is written: Sing to the Lord, you who reverence Him ( Ps. 29.5), and not non-reverence (Chrysostom).

170 Let my petition come before You, O Lord: deliver me according to Your word.

You see what a strict order there is in divine words. First it is said: let him draw near; and then, what is more important: may my request be accepted; because rather than enter, you need to get closer; what was previously called prayer is here called petition. The Prophet resorts to such different words in order to soften the Lord in order to get rid of sins (Athanasius, Chrysostom).

171 My lips will burst forth with song, when Thou hast taught me Thy righteousness.

The inner (spiritual) person also has its own spiritual food. For words, like bread, have flesh, and when fed with them we can regurgitate a song from the mouth of the inner man. This spiritual regurgitation is not evidence of prayerful work alone, but a consequence of all the labors of a godly life, when the heart begins to approach purity (Nikita, Theophan).

172 My tongue proclaims Your words, for all Your commandments are true.

These are edifying words! They teach us how condemned those who engage in idle talk, who sing demonic songs, flatter and please people, gossip and make false reports are worthy of condemnation. Meanwhile, nothing else should leave our tongues except the words of God.

He who devotes his tongue to the study of God's words does not utter idle words. Doctors use language to determine the state of physical health, and speech reveals the state of mental health. What hurts someone’s soul is what he speaks about: out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks ( Matt. 12, 34) (Chrysostom, Athanasius, Theophanes).

173 May Thy hand be to save me, as I have willed Thy commandments.

The saving hand is a divine action. Whoever chooses the commandments of God, God undoubtedly assists him in his salvation (Chrysostom).

174 I have desired Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my teaching.

Our salvation is Jesus Christ. “As my eyes have seen Your Salvation,” said Simeon. It was this Savior that the Prophet desired. He who desires Christ the Savior must learn from His law (Athanasius).

175 My soul will live and praise Thee: and Thy destinies will help me.

David speaks about life in God: our real life is hidden with Christ in God ( Col. 3, 3). In the future life only the soul in its own sense will praise the Lord (Athanasius).

176 I have gone astray, like a lost sheep: seek Thy servant, for I have not forgotten Thy commandments.

This is a decent thing for anyone to say. And the Prophet, having said in what he has succeeded, again speaks of himself that he is the lost sheep, thereby maintaining his humility, and deliberately belittling and humiliating himself, so as not to be arrogant in accordance with the command of the Lord: when you have done everything, say: we are servants without keys ( OK. 17, 10).

Therefore, the conclusion of the entire psalm is crowned with humiliation of oneself (Chrysostom, Athanasius).

A number of psalms in the Psalter refer to songs of thanksgiving that are dedicated to a specific event in the life of King David or the Jewish people. Usually the event is associated with miraculous deliverance from the Lord and the entire text is a great song of gratitude and praise to the Almighty. Psalm 17 is also a text of thanksgiving and glorifies the Lord.

History of writing

Earlier in the Bible you can already find the words that make up this song - they are written in the Second Chapter of Kings, chapter 22, although in the Psalter the text is spelled out with great changes, the similarity of thoughts is obvious.

In Psalm 17, David thanks God for his many deliverances

The inscription of the song indicates that it was written at a time when King Saul’s persecution of the then simple warrior David ceased. The young man won a number of successful victories in the battle with his enemies, and the king was forced to stop his attacks on him. The inscription also suggests that the finished text was handed over to the head of the choir to be performed during Jewish services.

Important! The psalmist gives glory to the Lord and glorifies the Most High for delivering him from persecution and helping him cope with trials. The author here uses the words “slave” to express complete dependence on God.

Interpretation of the Psalm

In general, the text describes the torments and trials that befell the psalmist and describes how the Lord eliminated them and preserved the soul of his anointed one.

A few verses are especially interesting:

Note! Here in verses 12-16 we are talking about the descendants that David will have - this was revealed to him in a prophetic way through Nathan.

Reading rules

Psalm 17 belongs to the third kathisma, which also includes Psalms 18-23. Kathisma is read during the Sunday morning service on ordinary, non-holiday days. During Lent, kathisma is read 2 times in Church Slavonic:

I will love You, Lord, my Fortress. The Lord is my Strength, and my Refuge, and My Deliverer, my God, my Helper, and I trust in Him, my Defender, and the horn of my salvation, and my Intercessor. With praise I will call on the Lord and I will be saved from my enemies. Mortal diseases have overcome me, and the floods of iniquity have crushed me, the diseases of hell have overcome me, having preceded me to the snares of death. And when I was in sorrow, I called on the Lord and cried out to my God, hearing my voice from His holy temple, and my cry before Him would come into His ears. And the earth moved and trembled, and the foundations of the mountains shook and moved, as if God was angry with her. The smoke of His wrath arose, and the fire from His presence was kindled, and coals kindled from Him. And bow down the heavens, and below, and darkness under His feet. And mount the Cherubim, and fly, fly on the windy wing. And put Your dark cover, His village is all around Him, dark is the water in the clouds of the air. From the shedding before Him came clouds, hail, and coals of fire. And the Lord and the Most High thundered from Heaven and gave His voice. I sent down arrows and dispersed them, and multiplied lightnings and crushed them. And the springs of water appeared, and the foundations of the world were revealed, from Thy prohibition, O Lord, from the inspiration of the spirit of Thy wrath. He sent down from on high, and received me; they took me from many waters. He will deliver me from my powerful enemies and from those who hate me, for he has become stronger than me. Having anticipated me in the day of my bitterness, the Lord was my confirmation. And he brought me out into the wide world; he will deliver me, as he willed me. And the Lord will reward me according to my righteousness and reward me according to my purity. For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not dishonored my God. For His whole destiny is before me and His justification does not depart from me. And I will be blameless with Him, and I will be kept from my iniquity. And the Lord will reward me according to my righteousness and according to the purity of my hand before His eyes. With the venerable you will be, and with the innocent man you will be innocent, and with the chosen you will be chosen, and with the obstinate you will be corrupt. For You have saved the humble people and humbled the eyes of the proud. For You enlighten my lamp, O Lord my God, enlighten my darkness. For through You I will get rid of temptation and through my God I will go over the wall. My God, His way is blameless, the words of the Lord are kindled, the Protector of all those who trust in Him. Who is God, except the Lord? Or who is God, except our God? God gird me with strength, and make my way blameless. Make my nose like trees, and place me on high. Teach my hands to fight, and thou hast laid the bow of the copper on my arm. And You have given me the protection of salvation, and Your right hand will receive me, and Your punishment will correct me in the end, and Your punishment will teach me. Thou hast made my feet wide under me, and my feet are not weary. My enemies will marry, and I will suffer, and will not return until they die. I will insult them, and they will not be able to stand, they will fall under my feet. And you girded me with strength for battle, you slept all those who rose up against me under me. And you gave me a backbone to my enemies, and you consumed those who hated me. You cried, and did not save: to the Lord, and did not hear them. And I will crumble like dust before the wind, like I will smooth the clay of the paths. Deliver me from the bickering of people, put me at the head of languages. People we don’t even know worked with. Listen to me in the ear of your ear. The sons of strangers have lied to us. The sons of strangers have fallen and are lame from their paths. As the Lord lives, and blessed is God, and may the God of my salvation be exalted. God grant me vengeance and subjugate people under me. My deliverer from my wrathful enemies, lift me up from those who rise up against me, deliver me from the unrighteous man. For this reason, let us confess to You among the nations, O Lord, and sing to Your name: magnify the salvation of the king, and show mercy to Your Christ David, and to his seed forever.

Important! Every person experiences various trials and difficulties in his life, for which he simply must thank the Lord. This Psalm 17 can be read at special moments when the heart is full of gratitude to the Lord for everything that He has done in life.

And reading the text during trials will help maintain your spirit and strengthen your hope. You can read the text in Russian at any time:

1 To the director of the choir. The servant of the Lord David, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord, when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said:
2 I will love you, O Lord, my strength!
3 The Lord is my rock and my refuge, my Deliverer, my God is my rock; in Him I trust; my shield, the horn of my salvation and my refuge.
4 I will call upon the venerable Lord, and I will be saved from my enemies.
5 The pangs of death have seized me, and the torrents of iniquity have made me afraid;
6 The chains of hell have encircled me, and the snares of death have entangled me.
7 In my distress I called on the Lord and called to my God. And He heard my voice from His [holy] palace, and my cry came to His ears.
8 The earth shook and was shaken, the foundations of the mountains trembled and moved, for [God] was angry;
9 Smoke arose from His wrath, and from His mouth a consuming fire; hot coals fell from Him.
10 He bowed the heavens and came down, and darkness was under His feet.
11 And he mounted the Cherubim and flew, and was carried away on the wings of the wind.
12 And he made darkness his covering, the darkness of the waters, the clouds of the air, surrounding him.
13 Because of the brilliance before Him, His clouds, hail, and coals of fire fled.
14 The Lord thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave His voice, hail and coals of fire.
15 He sent forth His arrows and scattered them, a multitude of lightnings, and scattered them.
16 And springs of water appeared, and the foundations of the world were revealed at Thy terrible voice, O Lord, at the breath of the spirit of Thy wrath.
17 He stretched out his hand from on high and took me, and brought me out of many waters;
18 He delivered me from my powerful enemy and from those who hated me, who were stronger than me.
19 They rose up against me in the day of my trouble, but the Lord was my strength.
20 He brought me out to a large place and delivered me, for He delights in me.
21 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; He rewarded me according to the integrity of my hands,
22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not been wicked before my God;
23 For all His commandments are before me, and I have not departed from His statutes.
24 I was blameless before Him, and took heed lest I sin;
25 And the Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the integrity of my hands in His sight.
26 You deal kindly with the merciful, sincerely with the sincere man,
27 with the pure it is pure, but with the evil one according to his wickedness,
28 For You save the oppressed people, but You bring down haughty eyes.
29 You light my lamp, O Lord; My God enlightens my darkness.
30 With You I defeat the army, with my God I ascend the wall.
31 God! - His way is blameless, the word of the Lord is pure; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
32 For who is God besides the Lord, and who is a defense besides our God?
33 God girdles me with strength and makes a sure way for me;
34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and sets me on my high places;
35 He teaches my hands to fight, and my arms break the bronze bow.
36 You have given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand upholds me, and Your mercy makes me great.
37 You widen my step under me, and my feet do not falter.
38 I pursue my enemies and overtake them, and I do not return until I have destroyed them;
39 I strike them, and they cannot rise up; they fall under my feet,
40 For thou hast girded me with strength for war, and thou hast put under my feet those who rise up against me;
41 You have turned the rear of my enemies to me, and I destroy those who hate me:
42 They cry out, but there is no one to save; to the Lord, but He does not heed them;
43 I scatter them like dust before the wind, and trample them down like the dirt of the streets.
44 You delivered me from the rebellion of the people, you made me the head of the foreigners; a people whom I did not know serves me;
45 Because of one rumor about me, they obey me; foreigners caress me;
46 The foreigners turn pale and tremble in their fortifications.
47 As the Lord lives and blessed is my protector! Exalted be the God of my salvation,
48 God, who avenges me and subdues the nations for me,
49 and who delivers me from my enemies! You raised me above those who rebelled against me and delivered me from the cruel man.
50 Therefore I will praise You, O Lord, among the foreigners, and I will sing praises to Your name,
51 majestically saving the king and showing mercy to Your anointed David and his descendants forever.