THE FIRST PENITENTIAL PSALM It is the first of the seven penitential psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130 and 143), that are especially suitable to express repentance, a collection probably designated as such by St. Augustine. Some scholars find that these seven psalms correspond to David's seven sins, which are:1 1. Pride or vanity when he called for general numbering of Israel. 2. Adultery with the wife of Uriah the Hittite. 3. Deceit upon calling Uriah from the army to hide his sin. 4. Covering his sin by demanding Uriah to sleep with his wife. 5. Killing Uriah. 6. Leniency with his son Amnon who did evil with his sister. 7. Deafness of heart as David was unwilling to confess his sin until Nathan the prophet came to him after 2 years. The mood of this psalm is adequately one of a repentant person as it expresses deep sorrow for sinning, crying with heavy tears [6], hating sin [8], and hoping to receive mercy from God [2]. While the three previous psalms reveal the suffering of the godly due to the acts of the ungodly, their enemies, we find here their own deep suffering due to their sins. David, the Prophet, was gravely sick when he wrote this psalm. He recognizes sin's effect on his life: physically, psychologically and spiritually. This psalm allows the desperately sick persons to place their distress, their sufferings, their doubts, and their desperation honestly before the Lord. In other words, instead of giving in to suffering and grief they have to repent and be involved in their Savior as the source of true joy and comfort. He instructed the chief musician to accompany the psalm with an eight-stringed instrument "Sheminith," therefore its title is "To the end, in the hymns of the eighth, a psalm to David." This psalm was used in the Jewish and Christian liturgies, as it was recited daily in the synagogues and in the ancient Latin Church. It is also used every morning (canonical prayers) in the Coptic liturgy. OUTLINE 1. A cry to the true Physician [1-3]. 2. The valley of the shadow of death [4-7]. 3. Rejection of the fellowship with the wicked [8]. 4. Prayer heard [8-10]. THE SUBSCRIPTION 1 YoussefMankarius&HabibGirgis: El-Roud El-Nadier Fi Tafseer El-Maxzamir, p. 98, 99 (in Arabic). https://coptic-treasures.com/ 2 "To the chief musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A psalm of David." According to the Septuagint "Unto the end, in hymns for the octave (eight), a psalm of David." 1. "Unto the end": review the subscription to Ps.4,5. 2. "Upon Niginoth" means "played on strings." 3. The phrase "Upon Sheminith" is found in 1 Chron. 15:21 where we are told of the appointment of certain singers to sound with harps on the Sheminith, "to excel." It is also found in the title of Ps. 12. There are various interpretations to the word Sheminith1. a. Some render it, upon the superabundance. b. The literal rendering of "upon Sheminith" is "upon the eighth." If for the eighth we read the octave our minds instantly turn to something relating to music, and so this term seems to point to something pertaining to music in the public worship of God. Some see that it refers to an instrument, perhaps a harp of eight strings. c. Some see that it points to the day of final judgment, which is to follow the six days of toil of this life and the seventh day of rest of souls, and then comes the eighth day, which is the end of the world. Some of the Jewish writers consider the eighth day, the day of circumcision. Some ancient Christians referred it to the Lord's day, being the day after the Jewish Sabbath. It led to theological speculation about the Christian new creation in the Risen Christ. It also refers to the heavenly Messianic kingdom, where all spiritual illnesses are healed. "Messiah" wrote one rabbi, "will loosen the bonds which shackle us to this world2." Onesimus of Jerusalem states that number eight refers to the resurrection of Christ, for He was risen on the first day of the second week, or the eighth of the first one. Therefore our repentance must be practiced through our faith in the Risen Christ, who grants us hope in the new life. We may safely interpret the octave as the Day of Judgment, for the end of the world will admit us to life everlasting, and then the souls of the just will no longer be subject to the vicissitudes of time. Since all time advances by the repetition of the same seven days, the octave may very well signify that eighth day which is beyond such rotation. St. Augustine And after the observance of the Sabbath, let every friend of Christ keep the Lord's day as a festival, the resurrection day, the queen and chief of all days (of the week). Looking forward to this, the prophet declared, "To the end, for the eighth day," on which our life both springs up again, and the victory over death is obtained in Christ, whom the children of perdition, the enemies of the deny," whose god is their belly, who mind earthly things" (Phil. 3:18, 19), who are lovers of pleasures, and not lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (2 Tim. 3:4)3. 1 Plumer, p. 93. 2 Feuer, Tehillim, p. 100. 3 Ep. Ti theMagnesians, 9. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 3 St. Ignatius of Antioch Since this psalm is the first of the penitential psalms concerning with repentance which is the second baptism, it is appropriately entitled "to the end, to the eight." At such a stage, a person enjoys the circumcision of the spirit, heart, and senses for it is through repentance that we can be united with our Christ who is the aim and end of our faith. Then He will establish His kingdom in our hearts. Through repentance, we enjoy the resurrection with Him as on the first day of the weak or the 8th day of the week after His crucifixion... we are crucified with Him daily on account of our sins and we arose with Him carrying His righteousness as our own. Through repentance we renew the circumcision of our spirits which we had already done in baptism and so we crucify the works of our old man and carry constantly a new life within our inward being. Through repentance we return with the prodigal son into the arm of the Father (Luke 15), enjoying this promise to us while still on earth, and reaching perfection on the 8th Day of the Lord! No wonder therefore that the psalm urges us to cry and beg for mercy in order to attain forgiveness from the physician of our souls and bodies, and to avoid being swallowed by the death of sin. We hope He will carry us to His joyful kingdom rather than be drowned in the darkness of the night. A CRY TO THE TRUE PHYSICIAN O Lord, rebuke me, not in Your anger, nor chasten me in Your wrath (hot displeasure). Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is exceedingly troubled. But You, O Lord, how long? [1-3]. 1. David was a weeping prophet as well as Jeremiah. He had more courage and consideration to mourn for any outward affliction; but, when sin sat heavily upon his conscience then he refused to be comforted1, waiting for God's mercies. 2. David asks God to rebuke him not in His anger [1]. He does not pray, Lord do not rebuke me, but do it as the father with his son in whom he delights. Jeremiah says, "O Lord, correct me, but with justice; not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing" (10: 24). David asks that his afflictions may be the chastisement of a son, not the punishments of a cast-away. The wrath of God destroys, but his paternal love corrects, reclaims and saves. David asks God to rebuke him in mercy and goodness and not in His anger, for anyone on whom God pours His wrath is lost. For there are two rods of God, one is a rod of mercy and the other is of furious wrath. St. Paul refers to the latter one, saying, "treasure up unto you anger against the day of the anger of the just judgment of God" (Rom. 2: 5). David complains of the following sufferings: a. Inward trouble, as his soul is sorely vexed. There are no troubles like soultroubles. Sin mars anything. It makes any soul wretched. 1MatthewHenry Comm. In one volume, p. 583. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 4 b. Bodily pain and sickness: Where the heart is troubled, the whole body is faint and broken. c. Outward enemies: David acknowledges that bodily sickness and outward enemies are not serious, the true problem is within himself, that is sinning. Nehemiah had the same thought, therefore, in hearing about the great distress in Jerusalem: the wall was broken and its gates were burned by fire, he sat down, wept and mourned for many days. He prayed before the Lord of heaven, confessing that he and his father's house had sinned, asking for forgiveness, before starting his movement of restoration (Neh. 1). He did not complain from the enemies, nor did blame other leaders but himself and his father's house, trusting in God who grants victory to His saintly believers. David sees a close connection between sin, God's anger, sickness and suffering. The sorrows through which the godly have passed produce a brokenness of heart on account of sin, therefore the psalmist stretches out his arms towards God whenever he is overcome by his misery, and cries to God, the Physician of the soul, mind and body, saying, "Heal me, O Lord, for my bones shake (are troubled)" [2], that is the support of my soul, or strength: for this is the meaning of "bones." Some scholars see that "bones," the inner skeleton, here represent the whole body; and by adding the "soul" [3] the psalmist means his whole being. For the healing of his body and soul, the only way opened to the psalmist is to take refuge in the grace and mercy of God. If God would have compassion on his weakness and would deliver him from the terror with which his soul is stricken! This cry is a confession of our utter weakness and incapacity for relieving ourselves. Our hope for anything good is in the divine mercy. St. John Cassian says that some believe that anger is not injurious, if we are angry with those who do wrong, since God Himself is said to be angry, for the psalmist says, "O Lord, rebuke me not in Your anger, neither chasten me in Your displeasure" [2]. The Church finds that Jesus Christ is the Subject here since He is the bearer of our sins. We therefore pray verse 2 in the eleventh hour on holy Wednesday before Easter as it refers to the true sufferings of Christ due to our sins. His spirit was exceedingly heavy and He cried:" My spirit is heavy unto death". He said that as He experienced the weakness of the body and added: "The spirit is truly ready, but the flesh is weak," (Mark 14: 38). It is also said that while He was in the garden of Gethsamane: And being in agony. His sweat was as it were drops of blood..., Luke 22:44. To That extent He was disturbed, not due to sins He had committed but due to our sins that He bore to kill on His Cross! VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH "But You, O Lord, how long ? For in death no one remembers You, and who will confess You in hell?" [4, 6]. "O Lord, how long?" is an unfinished question of desperation, and occurs 30 times in the holy Scriptures. The psalmist feels that he deserves death due to his sin and that his being is crumpling. Therefore he cries out of his depths praying God not to despise him or forsake him, leaving him to destruction until the end. Death is close and so is hell... hence there is no rescue except through Divine Grace and mercy [3, 4]. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 5 St. Augustine states that the Psalmist calls sin death, because it procures death. David acknowledges that through sin he was inclined to hell as if he were a dead man and he has no other way for salvation except the mercy of God, he has to attain through repentance. 1. David starts his repentance with an open speech, as he says, "But You, O Lord, how long?" St. Augustine says, [God, to whom it is said, "And You, O Lord, how long ?" must not be deemed as if cruel: but as a kind convincer of the soul, what evil she has procured for herself. For this soul does not yet pray so perfectly, as that it can be said to her, "While you are yet speaking I will say, Behold, I am" (Isa. 65: 24).] 2. "Return, O Lord, deliver my soul" [4]. Why does the Psalmist say "return"? Isn't God present everywhere? We need to distinguish between two kinds of presence: God's overwhelming presence everywhere and the presence of His Grace that lives in midst of His people and within their hearts thus in union with them. God's presence is everywhere. This encourages His people to pray to Him, knowing that He can hear me. But His gracious presence is often wanting to His people. One of the most grievous affections is the absence of God. In this alarming strain He threatens His people: "I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early" (Hos. 5: 15). When God hides His face, people are troubled. His return is regarded as a great mercy1. St. Augustine states: [Turning herself, the soul begs the Lord to turn likewise towards her, as it is said, "Turn you unto Me, and I will turn unto you, says the Lord" (Zech. 1: 3). Or is it to be understood according to that way of speaking, "turn, O Lord," that is, make me turn, since the soul in her turning feels difficulty and toil? may be perfected in us which finds You ready, and offering Yourself for the fruition of them that love You."] The pleas with which he enforces his petitions are intended not to move God but to move himself, so that he may attain the divine favor and God be reconciled with him. He pleads his own misery; he pleads God's mercy. He pleads God's glory [5]; for in death there is no remembrance of God. 3. "Save me for Your mercy's sake" [4]; as if he is saying, "Heal me, not for my merit's sake, but for your merciful sake." 4. "For in death no one remembers You, and who will confess You in hell?" [5] We must not be surprised that David believes that death completely severs every bond between God and the sinner, for there will be no chance for repentance. God's pleasure is in the righteous person who praises Him not only by his tongue but also by his life; therefore the psalmist incites God to grant him His divine grace before the proper time passes. A further interpretation is that by death the psalmist signifies sin committed in defiance of the divine law. Thus we call it the sting of death, in so far as it leads to death, for the sting of death is sin (1 Cor. 15: 56). This death consists of ignoring God 1 Plumer, 97. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 6 and despising His law and precepts; thus the psalmist uses the term “hell" that blinds and engulfs the soul which is slain by sin. St. Augustine For as the kingdom of the devil is gained by consenting to sin, so the kingdom of God is attained by the practice of virtue in purity of heart and spiritual knowledge. But where the kingdom of God is, there most certainly eternal life is enjoyed, and where the kingdom of the devil is, there without doubt is death and the grave. And man in such a case, cannot praise the Lord, according to the saying of the prophet... For no man even though he were to call himself a Christian a thousand times over, or a monk, can confess his belief in God when he is sinning; no man who allows those things which the Lord hates, remembers God, nor calls himself with any truth the servant of Him. A person who scorns with obstinate rashness God's commandments suffers the death of which the blessed apostle declares that the widow suffers when she gives herself to pleasure. He says: "a widow who gives herself to pleasure is dead while she lives" (1 Tim. 5:6). There are many who while still living in this body are dead, and lying in the grave cannot praise God; and on the contrary there are many who though they are dead in the body yet bless God in the spirit, and praise Him, according to this, "O you spirits and souls of the righteous, bless you the Lord" (Dan. 3:86 LXX), and "every spirit shall praise the Lord" (Ps. 150: 5)1. Abbot Moses For the present life is indeed the season for living uprighteously, but after death is judgment and punishment. "For in hell," it is said, "who will confess unto You2." It is great calamity to depart into the next (world) with loads of sin about us... for there is the place of judgment; then there is no longer a chance for repentance3. St. John Chrysostom Let us then repent here, so that we may find God merciful unto us in the day that is to come; and be enabled to enjoy abundant forgiveness, which we may all obtain4. St. John Chrysostom In the ancient concept of the abode of the dead (the nether world, in Hebrew, Sheol) there was supposed to be no activity or lofty emotion among the deceased, who were pictured as surrounded by the darkness of oblivion. The Hebrews shared this common idea almost to the time of Christ, when God revealed a clearer notion of the hereafter5. 5. "Every night I bathe my bed, and water my couch with my tears" [6]. 1 Cassian: Conf. 1: 14. 2 InMatt.Hom. 36. 3 In Eph.Hom. 24. 4Hom. On St. John 34: 3. 5 TheNew American Bible, p. 546. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 7 As he committed sin he became in the darkness as if he was in night, laying in the bed of carnal lusts, therefore he wept asking God's mercies. David mourned in the night upon the bed where he lay communing with his own heart, and no eye was a witness to his grief, but the eye of Him who is All an eye. A thing may be washed merely by pouring water on it, whereas "wetting" it means soaking it right through, thus signifying the tears which drench the inmost heart. St. Augustine The sin which (David) had been committed long ago, after so many years, after so many generations he bewailed, as if it had recently occurred1. He was not at all hurt by the purple robe and the diadem: he was not puffed up; for he knew himself to be a man, and inasmuch as his heart had been made contrite, he indulged in mourning. If we continually reflect on our sins, no external circumstances can make us elated: neither riches, nor power, nor authority, nor honor; nor, even should we sit in the imperial chariot itself, shall we sigh bitterly2. Do you wish to see what makes a bed truly beautiful? I will show you now the splendor of a bed, not of a citizen or a soldier, but of a king... the greatest king, more kingly than all other kings, who is still honored in song throughout the world: I am showing you the bed of the blessed David. What kind of bed did he have? Not adorned all over with silver and gold, but with tears and confessions... He fixes his tears like pearls everywhere on his bed3. The psalms of David cause fountains of tears to flow... Think what it was for them (the saints) to spend the whole night in this employment4. St. John Chrysostom By the shedding of tears the washing away of offenses is gained5. Abbot Pinufius Not every kind of shedding of tears is produced by one feeling or one virtue. * For in one way does that weeping originate which is caused by the pricks of our sins smiting our heart (Ps. 6: 7)... * In another,(tears may flow and arise from the contemplation of eternal good things and the desire of that future glory (Ps. 119: 5, 6)... * In another way do the tears flow forth, which without any conscience of deadly sin, yet still proceed from the fear of hell and the recollection of that terrible judgment, 1 InHebr.Hom. 31. 2 InHebr.Hom9: 9. 3 On Lazarus and the richman, serm. 1. 4 In I Tim.Hom14. 5 Cassian: Conf. 20: 8. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 8 with the terror of which the prophet was smitten and prayed to God, "Enter not into judgment with your servant, for in your sight shall no man living be justified" (Ps. 113: 2). * There is, too, another kind of tears, which are caused not by knowledge of one's self but by the hardness and sins of others; whereby Samuel is described as having wept for Saul...1. Abbot Isaac Prayer offered at night possesses a great power, more so than that offered in the day. Therefore all the saints used to pray during the night, while they were combating against the heaviness of the body and the sweetness of sleep, Thus expelling bodily nature... There is nothing so feared, even by Satan, as prayer which is offered during vigils2. This shall be the sign for you, when you are near to enter that country; when grace begins to open your eyes so that they perceive things by a particular sight, at that time your eyes will begin to shed tears till they wash your cheeks even by their density3. Tears relate to the mind to indicate the sure distinction between the bodily and the spiritual state, between the state of perception and that of purity4. Every time when the spirit is stirred by the thought of God, the heart becomes hot with love at once, the eyes will shed multitudinous tears; for love is accustomed to shed tears at the recollection of the beloved5. St. Isaac the Syrian 6. "My eye is troubled with anger" [7]. Listen to the Psalmist tell how anger clouds the eye of the heart: "My eyes are dimmed," he says, "with sorrow" [7]. Moreover, John the Evangelist testifies how hatred blinds the eye of the heart: "He who hates his brother," he says, "is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and does not know whither he goes; because the darkness has blinded his eyes" (1 John 2: 11). According to this evidence, then, the eye of the heart is clouded by sudden anger, but the light of charity is extinguished by hatred6. Fr. Caesarius of Arles 1 Cassian: Conf. 9: 29. 2 On Vigils 3 Six Treatises on the Behavior of Excellence, 4. 4 A Treatise inQuestions and Answer. 5 A Treatise inQuestions and Answer. 6 Sermon 149: 2. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 9 Nothing so troubles the eye as an evil conscience...; nothing so darkens it. Set it free from this injury, and you will make it vigorous and strong, ever nourished with good hopes1. St. John Chrysostom A soul in that disturbed state which prevents it from seeing God can seek to write with divine Wisdom so that its interior sun, can begin to rise and shine forth. St. Augustine REJECTING THE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE WICKED The assurance that the worshiper's prayer has been answered, as a gift from God, fills his heart with new strength. The train of his thought, his tone and his mood changes. In place of weary and despondent lamentation we hear him speaking like a man who has regained his composure and displays a strong will in God. In answer to the prayer of the penitent heart the night's sorrows become the morning's salvation. The Psalmist now refuses fellowship with the wicked to avoid the darkness, the shadow of death and hell. "Depart from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has received my prayer. May all my enemies be ashamed and deeply troubled; may they soon be routed and utterly confounded" [9,10]. What is expressed here is not any desire or anger, but the certain knowledge that has come by faith, namely the knowledge that what God will do with him and in him will have the desired effect on his adversaries. Either the prophet foretells that on the Day of Judgment the evildoers will depart, will be separated from the righteous, or he tells them to separate now; for although both share the same society, yet on the threshing floor the pure grains of wheat will be separated from the chaff, although apparently still hidden among it. They can exist together, but they cannot be blown away together by the wind. St. Augustine PRAYER HEARD [8-10] A sudden change occurs, he that was groaning, and weeping, and giving up all for lost, here looks and speaks with great joy. Mercies, obtained by weeping and prayer, are well suited to give us courage and hope. It is easy for God in a moment to put to confusion all our enemies and to restore our joy due to our salvation and happiness resting on Him. 1 InHebr.Hom. 17: 9. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 10 GRANT ME REPENTANCE Grant me O You the true Healer torrents of tears that I may weep over my many sins ! Enroot the death of sin that my whole life may be consecrated to your praise! Save me O Lord through Your bounteous mercy and grace! Carry me into Your Joyful kingdom!
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