1 Head of the choir. Sons of Korea. On the musical instrument Alamof. Song.
2 God is our refuge and strength, a quick help in trouble,
3 Therefore let us not be afraid, though the earth be shaken, and the mountains be moved into the heart of the seas.
4 Let their waters roar;
5 Rivers make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
6 God is in his midst; he will not hesitate: God will help him early in the morning.
7 The peoples made a noise; kingdoms moved: [the Most High] gave his voice, and the earth melted.
8 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our protector.
9 Come, and see the works of the Lord, what havoc he has wrought on the earth:
10 He stopped fighting to the ends of the earth, broke the bow and broke the spear, burned the chariots with fire.
11 Stand still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, exalted in the earth.
12 The Lord of hosts is with us, our intercessor is the God of Jacob.
PSALM 46
Listen to PSALM Psalm 46 online
2 Clap your hands, all nations, shout to God with a voice of joy;
3 For the Lord Most High is awesome, great King over all the earth;
4 hath subjected nations and nations under our feet to us;
5 He chose for us our inheritance, the beauty of Jacob, whom he loved.
6 God ascended with shouts, the Lord with the sound of the trumpet.
7 Sing to our God, sing; sing to our King, sing,
8 for God is the King of all the earth; sing wisely.
9 God reigned over the nations, God sat on his holy throne;
10 The princes of the nations gathered to the people of the God of Abraham, for the shields of the earth are God's; He is exalted above them.
PSALM 47
Listen to PSALM Psalm 47 online
1 Song. Psalm. Sons of Korea.
2 Great is the Lord and all-praised in the city of our God, on his holy mountain.
3 Beautiful high place, the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion; on the north side is the city of the great King.
4 God is known in his dwellings as an intercessor:
5 for, behold, the kings have come together, and they have all passed by;
6 they saw and were astonished; they were troubled and fled;
7 Fear seized them there, and anguish, like that of women in childbirth;
8 With an east wind You crushed the ships of Tharsh.
9 As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish him forever.
10 We meditated, O God, on your goodness in the midst of your temple.
11 As your name, O God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.
12 Let Mount Zion rejoice, [and] let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments, [Lord].
13 Go around Zion and go around it, number its towers;
14 turn your heart to its strongholds; consider its houses, to tell them to the generation to come,
15 For this God is our God forever and ever: He will be our guide until death.
PSALM 48
Listen to PSALM Psalm 48 online
1 Head of the choir. Sons of Korea. Psalm.
2 Hear this, all you nations; listen to this, all who live in the universe,
3 both the common and the noble, the rich as well as the poor.
4 My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditations of my heart shall be knowledge.
5 I will incline my ear to a parable; on my harp I will reveal my riddle:
6 “Why should I be afraid in the days of distress, when the iniquity of my ways surrounds me?”
7 Trusting in their strength and boasting in the abundance of their riches!
8 A man will not redeem his brother in any way and will not give God a ransom for him:
9 the price of the redemption of their souls is dear, and it will never be,
10 so that someone would live forever and not see the grave.
11 Everyone sees that the wise also die, just as the ignorant and senseless perish and leave their property to others.
12 In their minds, that their houses are eternal, and that their dwellings are for generation and generation, and their lands they call by their names.
13 But a man will not abide in honor; he will be like animals that perish.
14 This way of theirs is their folly, although those who follow them approve of their opinion.
15 Like sheep they will shut them up in hell; death will feed them, and in the morning the righteous will rule over them; their strength will be exhausted; the grave is their dwelling.
16 But God will deliver my soul from the power of hell when He receives me.
17 Do not be afraid when a man grows rich, when the glory of his house increases:
18 for when he dies he takes nothing; his glory will not follow him;
19 though he pleases his soul while he is alive, and they glorify you because you satisfy yourself,
20 but he will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light.
21 A man who is honorable and foolish is like animals that perish.
PSALM 49
Listen to PSALM Psalm 49 online
Psalm of Asaph.
1 God of Gods, the Lord hath spoken and called upon the earth, from the rising of the sun to the west.
2 From Zion, which is the height of beauty, God appears,
3 Our God is coming, and not in silence: a consuming fire is before Him, and around Him there is a violent storm.
4 He calls heaven and earth from above to judge his people:
5 "Gather unto me my saints, who have entered into a covenant with me by sacrifice."
6 And the heavens will proclaim his righteousness, for this judge is God.
7 “Listen, my people, I will speak; Israel! I will testify against you: I am God, your God.
8 Not for your sacrifices will I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are always before me;
9 I will not accept a calf from your house, nor goats from your courts,
10 For all the beasts of the forest are Mine, and the cattle on a thousand mountains,
11 I know all the birds on the mountains, and the animals in the fields are before me.
12 If I had been hungry, I would not have told you, for the universe is mine and all that fills it.
13 Do I eat the meat of oxen or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer praise to God and pay your vows to the Most High,
15 and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will glorify Me."
16 But God says to the sinner, “Why are you proclaiming my statutes and taking my covenant in your mouth,
17 But you yourself hate my instruction, and cast down my words for yourself?
18 When you see a thief, you join with him, and associate with adulterers;
19 You open your mouth to slander, and your tongue weaves deceit;
20 You sit and speak against your brother, you slander against your mother's son;
21 you did it, and I was silent; you thought I was the same as you. I will convict you and present you [your sins] before your eyes.
22 Understand this, you who forget God, lest I take you away, and there will be no redeemer.
23 Whoever sacrifices praise honors me, and whoever watches his way, to him I will show the salvation of God.”
PSALM 50
Listen to PSALM Psalm 50 online
Psalmist David - repentance. Artist Yu. Sh von KAROLSFELD
1 Head of the choir. Psalm of David
2 when the prophet Nathan came to him, after David went in to Bathsheba.
3 Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgressions.
4 Wash me often from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin,
5 For I acknowledge my iniquities, and my sin is always before me.
6 You, You alone, have I sinned and done evil in Your sight, so that You are righteous in Your judgment and pure in Your judgment.
7 Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and in sin my mother bore me.
8 Behold, you have loved the truth in your heart, and within me have shown me [your] wisdom.
9 Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.
10 Let me hear joy and gladness, and the bones that are broken by you will rejoice.
11 Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.
12 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
13 Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
14 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a domineering spirit.
15 I will teach the transgressors Your ways, and the wicked will turn to You.
16 Deliver me from the blood, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will praise your righteousness.
17 Lord! open my mouth, and my mouth will proclaim your praise:
18 For you do not desire sacrifice, I would give it; you are not pleased with the burnt offering.
19 A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; a contrite and humble heart You will not despise, O God.
20 Benefit, [Lord,] according to your good pleasure Zion; raise the walls of Jerusalem:
21 then the sacrifices of righteousness, offerings and burnt offerings, will please you; then they will offer calves on your altar.
The Psalmist David is a petition. Artist Yu. Sh von KAROLSFELD PSALM 51
Listen to PSALM Psalm 51 online
1 Head of the choir. David's teaching
2 After Doeg the Edomite came and reported to Saul and told him that David had come to the house of Ahimelech.
3 Why do you boast of wickedness, mighty one? the mercy of God is always with me;
4 your tongue invents destruction; like a sophisticated razor, you have it, insidious!
5 you love evil more than good, more lying than telling the truth;
6 you love all sorts of disastrous speeches, deceitful tongue:
7 For this God will crush you utterly, will tear you down and uproot you from your dwelling place and your root from the land of the living.
8 The righteous will see and be afraid, they will laugh at him [and say]:
9 “Behold, a man who did not build his strength in God, but trusted in the abundance of his wealth, was strengthened in his wickedness.”
10 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God, and I hope in the mercy of God forever and ever,
11 I will praise you forever for what you have done, and I will put my trust in your name, for it is good in the sight of your saints.
PSALM 52
Listen to PSALM Psalm 52 online
1 Head of the choir. On a wind instrument. David's teaching.
2 The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They have become corrupted and committed heinous crimes; there is no one who does good.
3 God has looked down from heaven on the sons of men, to see if there is anyone who understands and seeks God.
4 All deviated, became equally obscene; there is no one who does good, there is none.
5 Will not those who practice iniquity come to their senses, who eat my people as they eat bread, and do not call on God?
6 There they will be afraid of fear, where there is no fear, for God will scatter the bones of those who oppose you. You will shame them because God rejected them.
7 Who will give salvation to Israel from Zion! When God restores the captivity of His people, then Jacob will rejoice and Israel will rejoice.
PSALM 53
Listen to PSALM Psalm 53 online
1 Head of the choir. On string instruments. David's teaching
2 when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Isn’t David hiding with us?”
3 God! save me by your name, and judge me by your power.
4 God! hear my prayer, heed the words of my mouth,
5 For strangers have risen up against me, and the mighty seek my life; they do not have God before them.
6 Behold, God is my helper; The Lord strengthens my soul.
7 He will repay the evil of my enemies; destroy them in your truth.
8 I will diligently offer you a sacrifice; I will glorify your name, O Lord, for it is good,
9 For you have delivered me from all troubles, and my eye has looked on my enemies.
PSALM 54
Listen to PSALM Psalm 54 online
1 Head of the choir. On string instruments. David's teaching.
2 Hear my prayer, O God, and hide not from my prayer;
3 listen to me and hear me; I groan in my sorrow and I am embarrassed
5 My heart trembles within me, and mortal horrors attacked me;
6 Fear and trembling came upon me, and terror seized me.
7 And I said, “Who would give me wings like a dove? I would fly away and calm down;
8 I would have gone far, and remained in the wilderness;
9 would hasten to hide from the whirlwind, from the storm.
10 Disturb, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I see violence and strife in the city;
11 day and night they walk around on its walls; evil deeds and disaster in the midst of it;
12 in the midst of his destruction; deceit and deceit do not leave its streets:
13 for it is not the enemy who reviles me, but I would endure it; it is not my hater who magnifies himself over me - I would hide from him;
14 but you, who were to me what I am, my friend and my lover,
15 with whom we shared heartfelt conversations and walked together into the house of God.
16 May death come upon them; May they go down alive into hell, for wickedness is in their dwellings, in their midst.
17 But I will call upon God, and the Lord will save me.
18 In the evening, and in the morning, and at noon, I will beg and cry, and He will hear my voice,
19 He will deliver my soul in peace from those who rise up against me, for I have many of them;
20 God will hear, and He who lives of eternity will humble them, because there is no change in them; they are not afraid of God,
21 stretched out their hands against those who are with them in peace, broke their covenant;
22 Their lips are softer than butter, but there is enmity in their hearts; their words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.
23 Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous waver.
24 You, O God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction; bloodthirsty and treacherous will not live up to half their days. And I trust in You, [Lord,]
PSALM 55
Listen to PSALM Psalm 55 online
1 Head of the choir. About the dove, silent in the distance. David's writing when the Philistines captured it at Gath.
2 Have mercy on me, God! for man wants to devour me; attacking me every day, oppressing me.
3 My enemies seek every day to devour me, for there are many who rise up against me, O Most High!
4 When I am in fear, I put my trust in You.
5 In God I will praise his word; I trust in God, I am not afraid; what will the flesh do to me?
6 Every day they pervert my words; all their thoughts about me are for evil:
7 gather, hide, watch my heels to catch my soul.
8 Shall they escape the retribution for their iniquity? In wrath bring down, O God, the nations.
9 With you my wanderings are numbered; put my tears in Your vessel; are they not in Your book?
10 My enemies turn back when I call on You, from which I know that God is for me.
11 In God I will praise his word; in the Lord I will praise his word.
12 I trust in God, I am not afraid; what will a man do to me?
13 On me, O God, vows to you; I will give you praise
14 For you delivered my soul from death, [my eyes from tears,] and my feet from stumbling, that I might walk before the face of God in the light of the living.
Psalm 45: the text of the prayer in Russian
1. God is our refuge and strength, a helper in sorrows that have befallen us hard.
2. Therefore, let us not be afraid when the earth shakes and the mountains move in the heart of the seas.
3. Their waters roared and stirred; the mountains shook at His might.
4. River streams gladden the city of God - the Almighty sanctified His abode.
5. God is in his midst, and he will not hesitate, God help him early in the morning.
6. The peoples were troubled, the kingdoms bowed, the Almighty gave His voice - the earth shook.
7. The Lord of hosts is with us, our intercessor is the God of Jacob!
8. Come and see the works of God, what miracles He has done on earth,
9. Abolishing wars to the ends of the earth, the bow will crush and break weapons and burn shields with fire.
10. Calm down and know that I am God; I will ascend among the nations, I will ascend on earth.
11. The Lord of hosts is with us, our intercessor is the God of Jacob.
Psalms are the most ancient prayers. Compiled over eight centuries. In fact, these are songs performed to the accompaniment of a musical instrument. Among the Jews, services were equated with a festive action, where they not only sang, but also danced. If anyone has heard how these verses sound in Hebrew (Aramaic), he will understand the beauty that fascinated many. Before the verse indicate the authors:
- Most of the psalms were composed by King David. About 80 texts are attributed to his hand, among which there are many Messianic, that is, prophesying about Christ.
- There is also a prayer of Moses (apparently one of the first), then it entered the book at number 89.
- There are songs of Solomon, the sons of Korah (Psalm 45), the prophets Asaph, Haman and others.
- In some (41) psalms, authorship is not indicated.
Recommended: First read the Psalms in modern Russian translation, then in Slavonic. It is more melodic, easier to remember, but not always clear. Therefore, assimilate the meaning according to the first option, study the patristic interpretation. And enjoy Old Church Slavonic. This language was created for the knowledge of God.
Types of psalms
For example, while in Babylonian captivity, Jews were asked to sing prayers in order to enjoy listening to beautiful-sounding, deep-meaning texts. The versatility of the themes of spiritual dispensation fascinates. They were written mainly by prophets who had a connection with God. By character or style they are divided (sometimes of a mixed type) into the following:
- penitential;
- gratitude;
- laudatory;
- Missionary;
- instructive and enlightening.
Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, a book was born, the significance of which cannot be overestimated. A person of any level of knowledge will find in these lines consonance with the strings of his own soul.
Note: As a collection of prayers, the book appeared in the time of the prophet David. He also introduced the tradition of not only reading, but also singing to music. Thanks to him, the name "Psalter" appeared - a musical instrument.
What are psalms used for?
Few people will be left indifferent to psalmody. In relation to the content of the book, one can judge the spiritual state of a person: the proud one will turn away from such reading, the one who seeks God will find a storehouse of wisdom, the humble one will fill the soul with grace, cleanse it of sins, and wash it with tears. The holy fathers noticed: the psalms have the power that:
- drives away evil spirits, tormenting demons;
- relieves nightmares, fears, fear of darkness;
- protects babies, children;
- gives delight to the worker, tired of the day's worries;
- ossified in sin, insensitive, leads to tearful repentance;
- enlightens the unreasonable, introduces into conversation with the angels, God;
- elevates the soul to the Heavenly, pacifies the angry, grants peace.
Psalms are used in daily church services. Throughout the week, the entire Psalter is read. Many prayers contain texts from ancient verses. For example, Ps: 50 (repentant) sounds every day in morning prayers. Monastic life is unimaginable without constant recourse to these prayers. The monks memorize all 150 songs.
Note: If you resort to reading in a humble repentant disposition of the soul, the grace of the Holy Spirit will cover a person with such clarity that it will transform everything around. The world will open the doors of miracles that will relentlessly pursue at every turn! This is a stunning state, having lost it, you are constantly looking for a way to return it.
On the Meaning of the Psalter Verses
The monks noticed that a certain prayer helps most of all in some situation. For example, for each verse there is not only an interpretation to understand what it is about, but also a meaning: on what occasion it is best to read it. So Arseny of Cappadocia compiled a list where you can select a specific prayer for a specific case. For example, Psalm 45 is read for:
- Praise (Glory) to God. This song is the hope for the mercy and protection of the Heavenly Forces. Faith that the Lord will always help, save us from trouble. Firm hope that God's protection will not allow misfortunes.
- According to the meanings of Arseny of Cappadocia (mentor of St. Paisius the Holy Mountaineer), they pray when the young cannot marry, due to some kind of obstacles. If people (demons) cause problems out of envy, they are solved by resorting to Psalm 45.
In Russia, having taught children the alphabet, the Psalter was used as a textbook for reading. The book accompanied a person from childhood to death. It was published as a manual, which was always at hand, even if a trip was coming. With any confusion, problem, bewilderment, sorrow or joy, they turned to known prayers.
Note: People made sure: the main author of the song is the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the reading of the Psalms is able to solve the discord that can happen to anyone. This is the pattern of the life of the soul in God. Prayers were used both for the healing of diseases and for the expulsion of unclean spirits.
Interpretation of Psalm 45
The authorship belongs to one of the sons of the Koreevs. The performance of "Alamof", which means in a thin voice - a girl's. The general content reads: In any misfortunes and troubles, a person has protection - this is God. Whatever happens: cataclysms, natural disasters, wars, nothing is terrible for those who trust in Him Who established the universe. Therefore, remember all peoples: the Lord Jacob is the One and True God who brings Salvation.
Line by line explanation:
- “Therefore let us not be afraid…”- under the image of "waters and mountains" one can understand the peoples who rise in war; enemies, both external and internal. Or the number of sins that fill the soul to the brim. But nothing will destroy the one who invokes the Name of the Omnipresent. He will protect, save from all troubles and misfortunes.
- "River flows are fun"- this is God who feeds the Holy Land and the people with quiet, clean waters. Gives victory and joy to those who hear His Word, who drink from His source of life-giving moisture.
- "God is in the midst of him..."- in the morning, that is, soon, at the most appropriate time, he will give help to the one who asks.
- "Peoples roared..."- no matter how great, frightening the enemy is, God will overthrow him, sweep him away, destroy his evil intentions, and lead to death.
- "stop fighting..."– having freed his people, God will give them rest and peace for a long time. Will remove all enemies to the ends of the earth.
- "Stop and know..."- having granted victory, showing the enemies the miraculous Power that protects the people who have the True God, says to all spiteful critics: "Stop, make sure: whoever has a Strong God, do not oppose those, so as not to perish." Know all the earth who the Lord thy God is.
Conclusion: Despite the fact that Psalm 45 speaks of enemies, envious people who prevent the young from uniting in a magnificent union are such. Therefore, as you read this verse, call on God as a deliverer from all who interfere with the children of the Lord. There is no force that can resist a believing Christian who resorts to the Almighty Patron.
Psalm 45: listen online
1. God is our Refuge and Strength, Helper in sorrows that have found us green.
2. For this sake let us not be afraid, the earth is always troubled and the mountains are turned into the hearts of the sea.
3. Their waters roar and quail, the mountains quail because of His strength.
4. River aspirations gladden the city of God: the Most High has sanctified His village.
5. God is in his midst, and will not move: God will help him in the morning in the morning.
6. The tongues are confused, the kingdoms are deviated: the Most High gave His voice, the earth moved.
7. The Lord of hosts is with us, our Intercessor God Jacob.
8. Come and see the works of God, even put miracles on the earth:
9. Withdrawing battles to the end of the earth, the bow will crush and break weapons, and burn shields with fire.
10. Be abolished and understand that I am God: I will ascend into the tongues, I will ascend to the earth.
11. The Lord of hosts is with us, our intercessor God Jacob.
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Interpretation of Psalm 45
This is the Song of exaltation of the Lord as a reliable protector of believers at all times. When God is in His habitation in Zion, the enemies are powerless before His people. Jerusalem, although not named here by name, is at the center of the author's thoughts, therefore Ps. 45 is one of the Songs of Zion.
A. God is the refuge of his saints (45:2-4)
Ps. 45:2-4. The psalmist reminds those who listen to him that God is a refuge for those who believe in Him, and the power that acts on their side, in troubles He comes to their aid. Describing possible disasters, the author resorts to hyperbole (verses 3-4), but whatever they may be, we will not be afraid, he exclaims, for believers are under reliable protection.
B. God is in His Zion (45:5-8)
Ps. 45:5-6. The peaceful flow of the river ("river streams") washing the city of God, i.e. Jerusalem ("rejoicing" the holy habitation of the Most High), symbolizes the presence of God Himself - in contrast to the "surging, noisy" waters in verse 3. (compare with Is 8:6; 33:21, where the Lord is likened to a river washing over His city.) As long as God is in the midst of Jerusalem, he will not fall under the onslaught of enemies (will not be shaken). Years will pass, however, and the city will fall. Because of the idolatry in the temple, God left the temple, left His city; Ezek. 8 and 10. Deprived of His protection, he became the prey of the Babylonians.
Ps. 45:7-8. Here is a picture of the "movement of the kingdoms" against the Jews, and, therefore, against the God of Jacob. The image of His power, "melting" the earth. compare with Ps. 2:1-4 and with "The Lord will be mocked by them" - ibid., in verse 4. The Lord is the intercessor of the Jews, as long as they turn to Him in faith.
C. The Lord will be exalted on earth (45:9-12)
Ps. 45:9-12. In order to secure the life of His people for a long time, God made ... devastation among their enemies and thereby "stopped the battles ... on the earth," to the borders of the Jewish state (to the ends of the earth; verse 10). (Historically, what is implied here may be tied to events in the reign of Jehoshaphat, when the Jews were attacked by the combined forces of the Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites; 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.)
In verse 11, the psalmist, through the mouth of God Himself, calls the people to "stop and know" that He is God. I... will be exalted among the nations, exalted in the earth.
The idea of God's protection was emphatically repeated in the psalm (verses 8 and 12), and this could not but inspire courage in the Jews who listened to him.
1 Head of the choir. Sons of Korea. On the musical instrument Alamof. Song.
2 God is our refuge and strength, a quick help in trouble,
3 Therefore let us not be afraid, though the earth be shaken, and the mountains moved into the heart of the seas.
4 Let their waters roar;
5 Rivers make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
6 God is in his midst; he will not hesitate: God will help him early in the morning.
7 The peoples made a noise; kingdoms moved: Almighty gave his voice, and the earth melted.
8 The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our intercessor.
9 Come, and see the works of the Lord, what havoc he has wrought on the earth:
10 He stopped fighting to the ends of the earth, crushed the bow and broke the spear, burned the chariots with fire.
11 Stand still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, exalted in the earth.
12 The Lord of hosts is with us, our intercessor is the God of Jacob.
Psalm 45: God is with us
During the First World War, many young people were taken from the highlands of Scotland for military service. Getting ready to sail to the mainland, they, together with their relatives and friends who were seeing them off, sang:
God is our refuge and our strength,
He helps us in trouble;
Therefore, let the whole earth tremble,
We are not afraid.
Let the hills fall into the seas;
Let the waters roar
And worry; let the hills
They will collapse and be swallowed up by the seas.
There is a river whose streams delight
City of our God;
Sanctuary where the Lord
The Almighty abides.
God lives in His city;
And nothing will crush him;
The Lord will help him
And soon he will prove his loyalty.
Be calm and know that I am God:
In heaven I
I will be lifted up; on the ground
I will be famous.
Our God, Lord of Hosts,
On our side:
The God of Jacob is our refuge,
He will remain forever.
From the Scottish Psalter.
This is one of the thousands of examples where the saints of God were comforted by the words of this psalm in times of crisis. Many hearts were inspired by these majestic lines in hospital wards, at the moment of sorrow, in prisons, in suffering and tragedies. It was this psalm that inspired a tired and exhausted Augustinian monk named Martin Luther to write the famous hymn "Our God is a mighty fortress." Its content is relevant at all times, and the encouragement it brings is endless.
This psalm can be divided into three parts, and J. Campbell Morgan defines them as follows:
1-3: Nothing to fear. God is with us. Call to Faith.
4-7: The Lord reigned in Jerusalem. Mystery of Faith.
8-11: Peace on earth and God's worldwide rule. Confirmation of Faith.
It is generally believed that the historical context of the writing of the psalm is the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem, besieged by the Assyrian wolf Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:13 - 19:35; Is. 36:1 - 37:36).
At this time, the people of Judah were very much aware of God's presence, manifested in a unique way. Therefore, the psalm praises Emmanuel - God is with us.
45:2-4 God is our refuge and strength, a quick helper in trouble. He is "ready to help us in our time of need" (NASB). We are blessed when we realize that our safety and protection does not depend on wealth and armies, but only on Jehovah!
Imagine the worst that could happen! Imagine that the earth itself melted, filled with the lava of a giant volcano. Imagine that an earthquake moved mountains and moved them into the heart of the seas. Imagine that the water stream is noisy and heaving, that the mountains are trembling in terrible convulsions.
Mountains can also be considered the personification of empires or cities, and waters - peoples. The very foundations of society are crumbling; kingdoms perish and disintegrate. The peoples of the world are struggling with political, economic and social chaos, the world has never been shrouded in so many problems at the same time.
But God...! The worst that can happen is not yet a cause for fear. God is still with us!
45:5 He Himself is the streams that gladden the city of God. In fact, there is no river in the city of Jerusalem. But all that a river is to an ordinary city, God is to His holy habitation. Moreover, He is the source of life and joy, the river of mercy and goodness!
There we will have a great Lord instead of rivers, instead of wide canals; no oared ship will enter there, and no great ship will pass (Isaiah 33:21). 45:6 Since the throne of God is in Jerusalem, he will not be shaken: God will help him from early morning. God's people have lived through a long dark night, but soon the morning will come and Christ will take His rightful place. He
stand on the side of His people in all His strength.
45:7 The nations of the earth will roar in rage; kingdoms will be troubled. When God speaks in anger, the earth will melt in obedience to Him.
45:8 These words especially apply to the period of great tribulation, when the earth will shake from terrible natural disasters, suffer from wars and plagues, and experience incredible torment. Then the Lord will appear from heaven to crush all recalcitrant rebels and rule in justice and peace. At this time, the believers of Israel will say: "The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our intercessor."
The confidence expressed in this verse is extraordinarily pleasing. The Lord of hosts is with us, that is, the Lord of the heavenly angelic armies. But He is also the God of Jacob. Jacob was a deceiver who took what was not rightfully his. But God calls himself the God of Jacob. Put these two ideas together and you will see that the God of the angelic armies is also the God of the unworthy sinner. One who is so immeasurably great can also be incredibly humble. He is with us at our every step, He is our unshakable intercessor in all life storms.
45:9 In verse 9 the cataclysms and commotions are complete. Man's time is over. Now the King is seated on His throne in Jerusalem. We are invited to come to Him and consider the field of His victory. Everywhere we look, we see the destruction of His defeated enemies. Everywhere are the testimonies of the terrible judgment that our world was subjected to during the great tribulation and His glorious appearance.
45:10 Now that the Prince of Peace has reigned, warfare throughout the world has ceased. What the councils, leagues, and summits failed to do, the Lord Jesus did with His iron rod. Disarmament has become not a dream but a reality. Weapons have been destroyed, and funds that used to be spent on weapons are now being spent on agriculture and other types of production.
45:11 The voice of God resounds for all the inhabitants of the earth, instilling in them confidence in His supreme authority. "Stop and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, exalted in the earth." All fears and anxieties have subsided. His people can rest. He is God. His cause will win. He rules over the nations, rules over the whole earth.
Verse 10 of this psalm was inspired by Katharina von Schlegel, author of the hymn "Be still, my soul":
Take it easy, my soul; your God
He will guide you in the future as He did in the past.
Nothing will shake your hope and faith;
All that is now secret will become clear.
Be calm my soul: winds and waves
45:12 No matter what happens and no matter how gloomy the situation, the believer can say with confidence and without fear: "The Lord of hosts is with us, our intercessor is the God of Jacob." If the commander of the heavenly armies is on our side, who can defeat us? The god of the unworthy worm Jacob is a fortress in which we can all take refuge from the storms and uncertainties of this life!
Be calm, the morning will come
The night will end;
Believe in Christ, your Light,
Your faithful friend.
Know that He is God
Whose perfect will
Does everything for your benefit:
Look to the heavens - and be calm.
Art. 1, inscription: In the end, about the sons of Koreov, about the secret ones, a psalm. In the Psalter, translated from the Hebrew original, this inscription reads as follows: Choir leader. Sons of Korah. On the musical instrument alamof, song. This means that this psalm, after compiling it, was handed over for singing and musical performance to the head of the choir, consisting of the Levitical tribe of the sons of Koreov, and that this choir was instructed to perform it on a musical instrument called alamof, corresponding to the "voice of the virgins", i.e. it had to be sung in a very thin and gentle voice (soprano). And according to the translation from the Greek, the inscription reads like this: the end, through the sons of Korah a psalm, and it means that a) this psalm contains prophecies, the fulfillment of which will follow at the end of time, and b) that it was performed by the choir of the sons of Korah on a musical instrument and choral singing. Word secret not in either translation, no doubt, because the subsequent compilers of our Slavic translation of the psalms replaced the Hebrew with this word alamof. The Holy Fathers of the Church, explaining this psalm in a mysterious sense, indicated in it a prediction about the liberation of the Church from all her enemies, which for the Old Testament psalmist was a matter of the future and, therefore, unknown, secret. This is the meaning of the words: In the end and about secret.
Some of the interpreters attribute the origin of this psalm to the time of the terrible devastating invasion of Judea by the Assyrian king Sennacherib under Hezekiah, the king of the Jews, but it is much more thorough to accept the opinion of those who attribute this psalm to the circumstances from the history of the reign of the Jewish king Jehoshaphat, described in the 2nd book. Chronicles (), when the Moabites and Ammonites united against the Jews, and with them some of the Maonite country and other inhabitants of Mount Seir. Allied enemies suddenly appeared near the Jewish capital, but, not yet wanting to cause any harm to the Jews, they perished with the same speed and suddenness in an internecine war, and their remnants fled, so that the Jewish army that opposed them found only corpses in the abandoned them camp. For this reason, it can be assumed for certain that this psalm was not only sung by the choir of the sons of Korah, but was also composed by one of the singers of this family during the time of the pious king of the Jews, Jehoshaphat.
God is our refuge and strength, a helper in sorrows who have found us green.
With these words, the psalmist, on behalf of the whole people of Israel, who experienced the strength and patronage of the all-good and all-powerful God, begins to solemnly glorify the great power and help of God. By many occasions and experiences, we have become convinced, as he says, that we have no other stronger protector in troubles and a more reliable helper and comforter in case of sorrows that suddenly befall us, except for the one God, and in the last case of sorrows that have befallen us suddenly and so strongly, no one else turned out to be our patron and helper, like the Lord God; He is our refuge and strength, He is fast assistant in trouble. Word green, according to St. John Chrysostom, refers to the word "helper" and has the meaning that the Lord God is strong helper in sorrow. For He, according to Chrysostom, does not so much give us help as the nature of disasters requires, but much more. The Lord allows sorrows on us to strengthen our patience in exploits, but He is always ready to help those who endure sorrows and temptations and will not allow us to be defeated by them. It is only a pity that people do not always know how to take advantage of comprehending sorrows and, instead of enduring them, resort to God with prayers for deliverance from sorrows.
For this sake let us not be afraid, the earth is always troubled, and the mountains are turned into the hearts of the sea. Their waters roar and tremble, the mountains tremble because of His strength.
People who are confident in the strong patronage of God and His quick help, in case of imminent danger, further express their fearlessness in the face of all the greatest upheavals and upheavals that can happen not only in visible nature, but also in the political life of peoples. The upheavals and upheavals presented here, which are possible in the physical world, serve only as an image of unrest and upheavals in the field of the phenomena of the political or civil life of peoples and human societies (see below, Art. 7). God is our reliable protection in troubles and the most faithful and quick help in all mournful circumstances - we are sure of this, and therefore do not afraid when fluctuates Earth, when even the mountains begin to move into the hearts(deep) seas. Let them make noise, let their waters rise, let them sway from the great power of Him (i.e. God) - we are not afraid of this. Confident in God's help, we have enough strength and firmness of spirit to overcome every fear. St. Athanasius the Great and Blessed Theodoret, figuratively, under earth turmoil understand the confusion of people at the beginning of the gospel sermon, under sea hearts- the abyss of human sins and iniquities, under mountains- opposing forces, or demons, under noise and turmoil- the confusion of the peoples, who were indignant at the news and the irresistible power of the preaching of the apostles; all who heard about this sermon were perplexed, because by the power of this sermon the Hellenic faith, betrayed to them from the fathers, was overthrown and destroyed. Let us not be afraid, as the preachers of the Gospel, St. apostles and martyrs of Christ, when the mountains enter the seas, i.e. when demons rising like mountains and proud will enter the corrupt hearts of unfaithful people and make them testify against us in order to destroy us.
River aspirations rejoice in the city of God: the Most High has sanctified His village. in the midst of him, and he will not move: God will help him in the morning in the morning.
The city of God in the literal sense, the psalmist called here the city of Jerusalem with its sanctuary, the most famous temple of Solomon in the time of the kings of the Jews. After translating the first half of verse 5 with the words, “the strivings of the stream make the city of God glad,” Bishop Porphyry gives the following note to these words: “And now, when the stream of Kidron emerges from the earth in Gethsemane, the inhabitants of Jerusalem rejoice by its waters.” The Most High Lord, commanding Solomon to build a temple in Jerusalem and appointing it as His visible dwelling, thereby sanctified this village of His. God Himself thus settled in the midst of him, and therefore He will not let him, His holy dwelling, shake: in case of danger, He will help him from early morning (morning in the morning), as he helped during the attack of allied enemies, the Ammonites and Moabites with others (), which, of course, is what the psalmist is talking about here. According to the explanation of St. fathers (St. Athanasius of Alexandria, St. Basil the Great, etc.), in a figurative sense, those mysterious concepts are set forth here, according to which an inscription about secret ones was made to this psalm. The river is here called Christ, because of the sweetest words of His teaching, which make drunk and gladden the souls of Christians and make them capable of bearing the fruits of virtues. The rapids of this river are the apostles who rushed to preach the gospel doctrine, according to the word of Christ: “Go, teach all nations to observe all that I have commanded you” (). The city of God and His village, or God's habitation, is the Christian Church, which the Most High Lord sanctified by His teaching and His sojourn in it, as it is written: “I will dwell in them and will walk with them” (). He is in the midst of His Church, as He Himself said: “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them ... behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the age” (). Therefore, this city of God, this is His village, or, which is the same, the Christian Church will not move, will be unshakable under all violence from visible and invisible enemies, striving to destroy it, just as again Christ Himself said: “The gates of hell will not prevail against” My Churches. (). He, the Head of His Church, who is in the closest communion with her, will not delay His help in all her calamities and dangers: He will help her early, in the morning.
The tongues were confused, the kingdoms were deviated: the voice from above gave forth, the earth moved. The Lord of hosts is with us, our intercessor Jacob.
The Psalmist here briefly mentioned the danger that threatened Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah from the attack from the Ammonites and other peoples who were in alliance with them, in the days of the pious Jewish king Jehoshaphat, in order to show how the Lord will soon give help to His faithful servants who are in trouble and danger. The peoples rebelled, he says, and the kingdoms moved and went to war against Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his face to seek the Lord and declared a fast throughout Judea. And the Jews gathered, from all the cities they came to beg the Lord. And so, when all the Jews stood in prayer before the face of the Lord, the Spirit of the Lord among the assembly descended on Joziel and he said: Listen, all Jews and King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: do not be afraid and do not be afraid of this great multitude, for the war is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow morning (morning morning, v. 6) go out to meet them, and the Lord will be with you (). Thus the Almighty through the prophet gave His voice. And then the whole land of Judah moved, on the one hand, because the Lord stirred up disagreement and civil strife between the peoples attacking Judah, and they began to destroy each other, and on the other, because all the Jews and Jerusalemites, and King Jehoshaphat at their head , having collected the rich booty that remained in the camp of the exterminated enemies, they returned with joy to Jerusalem, and they came with psalters, and zithers, and trumpets to the house of the Lord, and the singers in the magnificence of the shrine, speaking in front of the armed ones, glorified the Lord. “And the fear of God was in all the kingdoms of the earth, when they heard” that the Lord Himself fought against the enemies of Israel (vv. 22,23,25,27–29,21). Having imagined in his imagination all the details of this glorious event and embraced by a feeling of reverent delight before the power of God and His boundless goodness, the prophet exclaims: The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our intercessor. At the same time, not without reason, he called the Lord of hosts the God of Jacob, wanting to show that the Israelites (although, perhaps, not all) remember the covenant that God made with their fathers - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, promising with His help not to leave them and their descendants until all His former promises are fulfilled (). The Holy Fathers of the Church, explaining the sayings of these verses in a mysterious sense, see in them a prophecy about the effect that the evangelical sermon had on the pagans. All nations, says the psalmist, were confused when they heard the gospel sermon carried by the apostles throughout the world, and some of them resorted to faith in Christ, while others armed themselves against it. And the kingdoms of the world, which were at enmity against the Church of Christ, are finally defeated by her, so that they either weakened or submitted to her, having accepted faith in Christ. In words: give your voice- indicates the great miracles performed by Christ and His apostles, and the power of the Divine teaching, which could not be resisted by all those opposed to the truth of this teaching (;). The Word of the Gospel of Christ was for those who opposed it a voice given from the Most High God. And the earth (i.e., all those living on earth) moved, as if it were shaken by this voice. According to blj. Theodoret, truth, evidence of deeds and universal miracles were with God as if by a certain voice, with which He showed people His height and filled their souls with fear. And despite this confusion among the peoples, this movement of those living on earth from the fear of the voice of God, the servants of Christ, the preachers of the gospel doctrine, were not afraid of anything, saying aloud: The Lord of hosts is with us, our intercessor Jacob.
Come and see the works of God, even put miracles on the earth: taking away the battle to the end of the earth, the bow will crush and break the weapon, and burn the shields with fire.
Although the kings of the Jews, Jehoshaphat and his father Asa, were distinguished by piety, the Jews subject to them, already corrupted by the example of the previous reigns of Rehoboam and his son Abijah, and even more corrupted by the temptation from the ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel related to them, were insufficiently devoted to the faith of their fathers (), and therefore the psalmist, a contemporary of Jehoshaphat, needed not only to bear witness to the miraculous deeds of God performed in his time, but also to convince his compatriots that they should pay special attention to these deeds of God, as to deeds that go beyond ordinary deeds, as to miracles. God's. Come, he says, and look at the works of God, you yourself will see what miracles He did on earth, stopping wars and battles to the ends of the earth. King David waged such wars and battles with neighboring nations, but under his son, Solomon, they were completely stopped for forty years. The Ammonites with hostile allies also attacked the kingdom of Judah, but the Lord caused an internecine defeat among them, crushed the bow from which they were preparing to shoot arrows, broke the spear with which they thought to stab their opponents, and burned their chariots and shields with fire (translated from Hebrew predicates are expressed in the past tense), which brought “the fear of God on all the kingdoms of the earth. And after that the kingdom of Jehoshaphat became calm, and God gave him rest on all sides ”(). In general, biblical history presents many examples of how God removed battles from the borders of the land of Judea. And the psalmist, remembering the Israelites about those wonderful deeds that God did with their enemies, no doubt, did this with the intention that we, during the troubles of life, resort to God and only expect peace and quiet from Him (cf.). St. Chrysostom and bliss. In the words of verse 10, Theodoret sees a prediction about the establishment of peace on earth after the Nativity of Christ, when the Roman kingdom subjugated the peoples and pacified the kingdoms (Interpretation of Bishop Palladius, p. 211).
Abolish yourself and understand that I am God: I will ascend to the tongue, I will ascend to the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us, our intercessor Jacob.
Abolish (from the word - abolish - lat. vacate, to have leisure, to be idle, not to engage) means: "stop, calm down from the hustle and bustle of life." With a sudden turmoil that occurred in the camp of the allied pagan peoples, who had the goal of expelling the Israelites from the country they occupied, and their internecine defeat and beating, the Lord brought fear to all the kingdoms of the earth, as the biblical story says about this (). Now drawing the attention of the pagan nations to such a great event, the psalmist says: relax and understand- invites these peoples to leave their vain and criminal plans to stop all hostile actions against the people of God and recognize the One God, who so recently showed Himself so great among the pagans. And in order to give more meaning and strength to his word, he introduces God Himself into his speech saying: Come, peoples, says the Lord through the prophet, and marvel at the works of the God of Israel, which He does on earth, marvel and be afraid, then calm down from your bold undertakings and you will know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be glorified on earth. The essence of this speech is that the pagan peoples, hostile to the Jews, should know that, in their enmity against the people of God, they are waging war not with people, but with God, and that, having tamed the rebellious passions, they would submit to the God of the Israelite people and give Him due glory, otherwise, if they continue their fury, then let them know that the terribly punishing power of God is not limited only to the borders of the Judean land, which can spread His power to all the kingdoms of the world and glorify Himself throughout the earth. “I think,” says St. Chrysostom, - that the prophet here broadcasts to the pagans and, as it were, says: know the power of the Lord and His might, which is in the universe; but for this you must be calm, you must have a sound soul.
The psalm ends with a literal repetition of verse 8, with the words of which the psalmist, on behalf of his people, wants to show here that the commands of the Lord God expressed in the previous verses (9-11) - to know Him, to submit and give Him due glory - apply to pagan peoples. As for us Jews, as he says so, we know our God, the Lord of hosts, who is always with us, and He, the God of Jacob, is our constant intercessor. The Orthodox Christian prays with the same words of the psalm when, during the days of Great Lent, she performs nationwide repentance before God for sins, and expresses the same thought that the Lord, who has the power and authority to forgive sins, is with us, near all those who call on Him, and that He our only intercessor: we have no other helper in sorrows (one of the hymns of Great Compline).