THE THIRD PSALM OF REPENTANCE This psalm is a personal lamentation; one of the seven psalms of repentance. The prophet David, passing through a great tribulation, and his sufferings reaching their climax, this psalm revealed four things that made his sufferings greater: a- A serious sickness dwelt upon him, which prevailed upon any other aspect of his life (5 – 8); his body utterly failed, and his soul was embittered . The psalmist appears broken-hearted, knows no taste of comfort, as though a fever has come over him, that weakened his heart, and withered his eyes. b- His very close friends (11 – 14; 19, 20) forsook him, and looked upon him as a fugitive, assuming that health, honor, and riches, are all fruits of good works; whereas sickness, poverty, and loss of good reputation, are all fruits of evil works (Deuteronomy 32: 23, etc.; Job 6: 4; 16: 12, etc.). c- He faced persecutions by wicked deadly enemies (12, 19); endured their vain accusations in silence (13, etc.), trusting in the mercy of God on him. d- He suffered more because of feeling his own sin, which he openly confessed before God (4, 8); he felt swallowed by his iniquity (4, 5); Beside feeling that the good he did was paid back with evil (20 etc.). … Anyway, he returned to God, and cried out to Him with no despair, hoping in https://coptic-treasures.com/ His compassion. He found before him no one to resort to for help, except the Lord, who is alone able to wipe out the foolishness of his past, and the misery of his present, together with their activities. The Ashkenazi Jews (whose origin is in Eastern Europe), use this psalm in the evening prayers of the third day of the week; on account of that, in the evening, a feeling of loneliness and doubts usually dwell upon man; and with the darkness with its horrible sounds and nightmares, there is a greater need of this psalm. This psalm is suitable as a prayer that brings us forth into a personal retreat with God, in which we tell Him about our serious spiritual and physical ailments; to enjoy the Holy of Holiness. This psalm includes 22 verses, alphabetically founded According to some, the sufferings mentioned in this psalm concern the Lord Christ; Hence are sung by the church choir during the prayers of the great Friday in the Catholic church. In some of the Greek texts, it came as: They rejected Me, the beloved, “like a corpse trodden under foot” (see Isaiah 14: 19); as a hint to the crucified Christ. Whereas in the Coptic text, it came more obvious as: [They nailed my body]. The title: With this painful cry-out, this psalm shares with psalm 70 the title: ‘To bring to remembrance’, probably referring to the sacrifice of remembrance (Leviticus 2: 2, 9, 16; 5: 12; Isaiah 66: 3). Singing praise with this psalm was probably offered together with a sacrifice. In the https://coptic-treasures.com/ Aramian Tergom, the title is spread to be: (a daily offering of remembrance). As remembrance to God is work, the word here implies a presentation of a case before God, crying out for His help. In other words, feeling his continuous need of God, his Helper, particularly at the time of tribulation, man lifts his heart in prayer, and offers sacrifices of love, to proclaim his inner cry-outs, mixed with thanksgiving and praise, for the sake of his past experience of God’s dealings with him, to proclaim his acceptance of the good will of God, and to anticipate His salvation, unceasingly working in our life. Whom, or what, to bring to remembrance? 1- The prophet David put this psalm as a remembrance for himself as well as for others; so as not to forget soon the Lord’s chastisement on him; and the temptations through which he passed. So did King Hezekiah (See Isaiah 38); And the prophet Jeremiah did not forget his sufferings and past misery (See Lamentations 3: 20). 2- Being, ourselves, God’s remembrances, we remind Him of our sufferings, and what we need of His help. 3- According to the Septuagint version, the title of this psalm came as: (to bring to remembrance, for the sake of the Sabbath); which implies that the psalmist remembers the true comfort, the spiritual Sabbath. However great are his sufferings from his enemies, hidden and manifest; here he confesses that, there is only one way to reach that Sabbath; namely, through repentance, confession, and trust in God. The general frame: https://coptic-treasures.com/ 1- A Repentance and confession 1 - 4 2- A serious illness 5 - 8 3- The r eturn to God 9 - 15 4- Confidence in confronting the enemies 16 – 22 1- REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION: (1 – 4) “O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath; Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure” (1) Although these are almost the same first words of the first psalm of repentance (Psalm 6: 1); yet, according to the Hebrew text, they are not completely similar. As we previously said in our interpretation of psalm 6, the psalmist is not asking God not to rebuke him, but not to rebuke him in His wrath; For he is in need of God’s rebuke in His divine care, and not in His wrath. Because of sin, we fear God’s anger and wrath; But looking forward to His fatherly compassion, we see in His chastening, love and care: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves, He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverb 3: 11) + Confess these things before God; Confess your sins before the divine Judge in prayer; if not by the tongue, do it by remembrance, to be qualified for His mercy. (St. John Chrysostom) “For Your arrows pierce me deeply, and Your hand presses me down” (2) Feeling that his iniquities have covered his head; and that the arrows of the battle have stabbed his conscience; and pierced his heart, the https://coptic-treasures.com/ prophet David perceived that the hand of the Holy God presses him in chastisement. What are “the arrows of God”, but His chastisements emerging from His love for us; that wound, yet do not kill; separate the truth from the vain; and enflame the soul toward the new life holy in the Lord, to come to be “lovesick” (Songs 2: 5; 5: 8). Our hearts are wounded by “the arrows of God”, in order for us to experience the life of repentance from the depths of the heart, and to have our hearts burn with love for God our Savior. “The arrows of the Lord” are His promises proclaimed in His Holy Book; Or His Word that grants alertness and true knowledge of the soul and of God, and an ability to repentance; by which the soul would be wounded, to enjoy the true Sabbath; namely, comfort in the Lord. “The arrows of God”, are the incarnate Word of God, who was stabbed for our sake, and His side opened up to let us enter into His heart, and perceive the secrets of His love. They, themselves, are “the arrows of the Father”, which never miss the goal, but pierce the heart to grant it the wounds of comfort, set upon unceasing exalted love! They are “the Hand of the Father”, by whose incarnation and crucifixion, He took hold of me; approached me, entered into my depths, became my Head, and in Him I came to have fellowship with Him! … It is as though the psalmist says: [Chasten me; but send Your arrows; namely, send the Word of God to my world; … Let Him enter into my depths; … Let Him receive my heart, mind, and body; … Let Him take complete hold of me. + What made the arrows pierce him? … the punishment; and probably the pains of the mind and the bodyr, which we are committed to endure in this life; which he called the arrows. https://coptic-treasures.com/ The righteous ‘Job’ mentioned these arrows when he suffered severe pains; proclaiming: “The arrows of the Almighty are within me” (Job 6: 4). The words of God, even if they are like arrows, yet they produce love and not pain! … Loving something we do not possess, we feel pain …. The bride of Christ, in the person of the church utters these words in the Song of songs: “I am lovesick” (Song 2: 5; 5: 8); …. She was sorrowful for she loved something she has not yet (perfectly) possessed; She is wounded; yet her wound will soon bring her forth into perfect health. (St. Augustine) “For Your hand presses me down” (2) The children of God perceive that the hand of God presses them down because of their sins:: a- To reveal to them the extent of the bitterness of sin b- To protect them by His divine care, even while they suffer from His chastisements. c- To grant them the repentance and the return to Him, to “seek the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 9: 13) “The hand of God”, as we already said, are His arrows; which, on one aspect, refer to His chastisements, meant for the salvation of His children; And, on another aspect, refers to the Lord Christ who, being “the working Hand of the Father”, consummated the salvation; on account of that He and the Father are One; “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son….’”; proclaiming by the cross, the divine love. If God desires to grant salvation to His children, using every means possible; His children, on their side, perceiving His love, seek from Him to keep His anger away from https://coptic-treasures.com/ them, but to take away their sins which deprived them of the security of their inner life, and destroyed their bones; namely, their inner strength; expressed by the psalmist as: “There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger; nor is there any health in my bones because of my sin” (3) Because of man’s sins, God’s anger will dwell upon him. Unless he is supported by the divine mercies; he would lose all the health of his body; as though having a destructive illness; and his inner bones; namely his inner being will tremble. The mighty David, known for his courage; who was not terrified, as a boy with no weapons, by the lion, the bear, nor by Goliath with all his weapons; … Now, as a king, is greatly terrified and tremble by his own sin. The sweet psalmist has lost all gladness, and forgot all glories, to confront a sure eternal perdition. “For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me” (4) The psalmist proclaims the multitudes of his sins, whose burden has gone over his head, too heavy for him, they bowed his head down to the dust. He proclaims that he became in need of God’s amazing salvation. + There is no more arrogant than the proud wicked who lifts his head up in haughtiness against God … How would God deal with such a man? …. He will bring his iniquities over his head, as a heavy burden over his crown. (St. Augustine) + If, after all that, virtue seems to you as a heavy burden, you should know that iniquity is heavier. That is what the Lord Christ revealed by saying “Take My yoke upon you” (Matthew 11: 29), He said: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11: 28); to show that sin, as well, is https://coptic-treasures.com/ a heavy burden, too heavy to endure. He did not only say: “all you who labor”, but said: “and heavy laden”, the way it was described by the psalmist, saying:, “like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me”; and as described by Zechariah as “a lead disc” (Zechariah 5: 7).. Sin is extremely heavy like lead; as said about Pharaoh and his soldiers who “They sank like lead” (Exodus 15: 10). And when the sin of doubt entered into the life of St. Peter, “He began to sink” (Matthew 14: 31). 2- A SERIOUS ILLNESS: (5) The hand of chastisement by the Lord came down over him as a serious illness, because of his sin; there was no health in his body; nor in his soul; in humiliation he mourned all day long, and groaned because of the turmoil of his heart;. “My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness” (5) + Sin is not only a heavy burden, but is foul smelling … Foolishness is the cause of all our evils. + Nothing is more filthy, unclean, and foul-smelling than sin; that led the psalmist to say: “My wounds are foul and festering” (St. John Chrysostom) + The beauty or ugliness of the soul is a product of her virtues or iniquities, and of the color thereof; it either makes her glorious, to hear the prophet say to her:: “The king will greatly desire your beauty” (Psalm 45: 11); or ugly, to confess the foulness of her shame, saying: “My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness” (5); and to hear the Lord ask:: “Is there balm in Gilead? Is there no https://coptic-treasures.com/ physician there? Why then there is no recovery for the health of the daughter of Mt people?” (Jeremiah 8: 22).. (Father Pavnotius) + Sin has an abhorrent odor; and virtue ha a fragrant one. + Your good works are your fragrant perfume; otherwise, your sins would produce the festering odor of foolishness. (The scholar Origen) The psalmist showed that foolishness is the beginning of every sin. + The arrogant and the anger-ridden man fall victims of their attitudes, and their lack of wisdom; Saying: “There is no soundness in my flesh; My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness” (3, 5), the psalmist shows that foolishness is the beginning of all sins. A virtuous man who fears God is more understanding than others; according to Solomon the Sage: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverb 1: 7). (St. John Chrysostom) “I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly, I go mourning all the day long” (6) Who is He, who is so troubled, whose soul bowed down greatly within him, and mourned all the day long, but the Lord Christ who knew no sin, became sin for our sake; bore our foul and festering sins, and received our wounds in His body?!... . And behold, He enters into passion, https://coptic-treasures.com/ and is bowed down to the ultimate end, to the reproach of the cross, to bring us forth into His eternal comfort (His Sabbath). When the tax-collector bowed his head down because of his sins (Luke 18: 16)), he was lifted up by Him who was bowed under the weight of the cross for his sake. He lifted his head, even his whole being, to make him partake of His righteousness and glory. Every day of our life on earth, we mourn because of our sins; to hear Him, who bore our sorrows, say: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5: 4). The psalmist probably intends to proclaim that man’s haughtiness leads him to sin, that humiliates him in his depths, and bows his soul down to dust. God allows for chastisement to reveal to him the humiliation caused by sin, and to make him return to his Savior and lifts his head in the Lord. + He bowed because he has exalted himself; For “He who humbles himself in the sight of God, He will lift him up” (James 4: 10) God would easily find a burden to crush you with, which is “your iniquities that have gone over your head”, that make you bow down to earth. … By saying: “All day long”, he means (to the end, or until death). (St. Augustine) “For my loins are full of inflammation, and there is no soundness in my flesh” (7) The wicked may probably enjoy good health, but for a sometime; Whereas the godly believer will enjoy the spiritual body, eternally glorified. https://coptic-treasures.com/ Now, having discovered the fruits of sin, destroying his soul and body, that may even deny him the enjoyment of the eternal glory, his groans turned into cry-outs of true repentance coming out of his heart, and said: “I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart” (8) + You often hear the men of God interrupt their prayers by groans and sighs; and you may wonder why! … Beside those groans and sighs, heard by those near by, there are inner groans, not heard by human ears! Someone may mourn his loss of a son or a spouse; …. And another may mourn his vineyard destroyed by hail; … they cry out by physical groans; but the men of God, cry out for remembering the Sabbath, “where the kingdom of God is, that flesh and blood cannot inherit” (1 Corinthians 15: 50); to say: “I groan because of the turmoil of my heart” (8). (St. Augustine) + Let us pray, not with a loud voice, Let us cry out with our hearts to God (Father Caesarius, bishop of Arle) 3- THE RETURN TO GOD: (9 – 15) “Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You” (9) Here the cry-out is to God, the wholly knowledgeable; who hears the hidden sighs; and the only Physician who can hear and see the hidden things. If man’s heart is broken https://coptic-treasures.com/ because of sin, God will approach him as a Physician and a Savior, to heal both his soul and body + Put your sighs before God, “Your Father who sees in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6: 6). Your sighs are your prayer; if your sighs are continuous, so will be your prayer as well. Hence the apostle says: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5: 17). Can we, unceasingly, bow our knees, worship with our bodies, or raise our hands? No! … But there is another way of inner praying, namely, the unceasing sighs. If you long for the Sabbath (the comfort), “Pray without ceasing”. “My sighing is not hidden from You” If sighs are perpetually hidden, so are the groans; which, although would not always reach the ears of men, yet they are not hidden from those of God. (St. Augustine) + I wish no one despise repentance or humility; As it was David, the great king who has so done, namely, (offered repentance with humility), it is befitting of us to cry out loudly as though on someone dead; and to weep with a flood of tears, on the soul, perished by sin. (Father Caesarius, bishop of Arle). “My heart pants, my strength fails me; As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me” (10) https://coptic-treasures.com/ Knowing no hypocrisy, the psalmist accuses himself in strong faithfulness, initially proclaims that he suffers, not from any harm done by others, but rather from himself; … it is his own sin that destroys his heart, and makes him lose his inner insight. He suffer in his body; his heart is disturbed and filled with troubles; his strength failed; and the light of his eyes has gone from him; namely he has lost his life, strength, and enlightenment; and came to be in need of God to shine on him, and to grant him the enlightenment anew. + The Father “has seen”; He “who dwells on high” (Psalm 113: 5, 6); He “who regards the lowly, but the proud He knows from afar” (Psalm 138: 6); “His father saw him” (Luke 15: 20);The features of the father shone upon the face of the son approaching him, in a way that scattered all the darkness brought on him by his iniquity. The darkness of the night is not like that brought forth by sin. Listen to the psalmist say: “My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up” (Psalm 40: 12); and: “My iniquities like a heavy burden are too heavy for me”” (4), then adds, “The light of my eyes has gone from me” (10). Like the night that swallows the light of the day that passed, sin destroys the strength of our perception … It is obvious that unless the heavenly Father shone with His light on the face of His returning son; … unless He took away the mist of His reproach by the light of His splendor, this son would not be able to behold the splendid face of God. (Father Botros the Kheriologios) Now, as the psalmist lost the health of his body, the soundness of his soul, and the light of his inner insight, what is the position of his loved ones, friends, and kinsmen? “My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; and my kinsmen stand afar off” (11) https://coptic-treasures.com/ His loved ones and friends (neighbors) turned into enemies, stood aloof from him, with no feelings of friendship nor love; Assuming that God is against him, they sought his soul, and laid snares to catch him. His kinsmen stood afar off, not supporting him against his oppressors who used all possible means to destroy him. … An extremely painful situation; yet convenient for the divine care to come to his support. Who are the neighbors who (came close) to the Lord? And who are the kinsmen who stood afar from him? … The Jews were His neighbors who came close to Him when He was crucified. And the apostles were like His kinsmen, yet they stood afar for fear of partaking of His passion. This could be interpreted in a different way: By “His friends” he probably means those who pretended to be His friends, when they said to Him: “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth” (Matthew 22: 16), trying to catch Him concerning paying tax to Caesar; He convinced them through the words they themselves uttered. (St. Augustine) His own came against Him; and His disciples escaped at the moments of His crucifixion. What David suffered from his own people was a shadow of what the Lord Christ Himself suffered. The prophet David complains from the malice of his enemies, who, used the chance of his illness and troubles, to seek his soul, namely, to destroy his life completely; using lies and slanders “Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, and plan https://coptic-treasures.com/ deception all the day long” (12) Before all their deceptions, the psalmist, in wisdom of the spirit, stood silent, to keep his composure in confronting those tempests. “But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; and I am, like a mute who does not open his mouth” (13) What an amazing contradiction between tongues that do not cease to speak slanders, and silence and quiescence. It is a symbolic portrait of what happened during the trial of the Lord Christ, about whom is said: “He, who has no deceit in His mouth; who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2: 22, 23: Isaiah53: 7). + David was not perpetually silent, but for sometime; he was not utterly mute, but he used to refrain from answering the enemies who stirred him up, and the wicked who offended him. (St. Ambrose) + (from the story of life of Abba Anthony) After few months, when the demons came singing bible verses, “I am like a man who does not hear” (Psalm 38: 14). Another time they came stirred up in a way that shook the whole place; Yet, I prayed to keep my mind from being disturbed; Then they came clapping their hands, whistling, and dancing. (Pope St. Athanasius the apostolic) + It is so befitting of you to act, as though you are deaf, mute, and blind. (St. John Cassian) https://coptic-treasures.com/ 4- CONFIDENCE IN CONFRONTING THE ENEMIES: (16 – 22) His sin gave his enemies the chance to exult; the same way the world perpetually do before the failure of the righteous, when falling into sins. But, by repentance, the psalmist confronted his enemies, not by his own capabilities, but by the possibilities of God. “For I pray, ‘Only do not let them rejoice over me; those who boast against me when my foot slips; for I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever with me” (16, 17) The psalmist was silent before his enemies, like his Lord, about whom is said: “He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent” (Isaiah 53: 7). But he was not silent before God, but sang: “I pray, ‘Only do not let my enemies rejoice over me”. With his silence, he stood anticipating the work of God with the spirit of wisdom. Now he speaks to God, praying to Him, not to let his enemies rejoice over him, exult over his fall, magnify themselves over him with wounding words, and ridicule when his foot slips. For “they might have occasion to reproach him” (Nehemiah 6: 13); he resorts to Him who is capable of lifting him up from his fall. The psalmist raised his prayer and supplications to God, not to relieve him of his tribulation, but to forgive his sins. As to the tribulation, he declares his readiness to fall under scourges, for his weaknesses are ever before him. About that St. Augustine comments, saying: [He uttered those words in great awe, as though he intends to say: ‘For that, I was born, to be scourged’]. Not waiting for the reproaches of the wicked, the psalmist confesses his sins, saying: “For I will declare my iniquity, I will be in anguish over my sins” (18) https://coptic-treasures.com/ + Here, he reveals that the cause of his pain; is not falling under punishment, but because of the wound, and not of the healing; for punishment is the medication for sin. You are committed to confess your iniquity (disobeying the law), and to grieve for your sins. (St. Augustine) + Repenting with sorrow, we remember our sins; For the flood of tears that accompany the confession of our iniquities, will certainly quench the fire in our consciences. (Father Pavnotius) + “For I declare my iniquity” Contemplate in what the Holy Book exhorts us, not to keep our sin hidden in us. For once man accuses himself and confesses his sin, he will vomit the cause of his illness. But, beware of whom you are going to confess your sins. Be careful to chose the one to whom you are going to expose the cause of your illness. (The scholar Origen) Having confessed his weaknesses, casting the blame on himself, the psalmist cried out to God to save him from his enemies; namely the devil and his evil works. “But my enemies are (alive), and they are strong; and those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied” (19) https://coptic-treasures.com/ Saying that they are (alive), he means that the devil and his spiritual hosts have started war since the days of the first man, and are still working. Beside their vigor and strength; they gained experience of long years of war against mankind, … To whom shall I resort, except to the living God, the Grantor of life and strength?!... There is no cure for my spiritual illness, and for the afflictions brought on me by my adversaries, except to pray and to resort to the Savior God. “ Being evil by nature, the devil renders evil for good, on account of that he hates the truth, and cannot endure the good; He has no interest but to oppress those who follow justice and goodness. In another location, the psalmist cries out, saying: “In return for my love, they are my accusers, but I gave myself to prayer. Thus they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love” (Psalm 109: 4, 5). That is always the portion for him who follows what is good, to become a subject of hatred and persecution of the devil; like “Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil, and his brother’s righteous” (1 John 3:12). What they do to the righteous are an extension of what they did to the Grantor of goodness, Himself, the Lover of mankind; on whose tongue the psalmist says: “They have rejected Me, the beloved One, as an abominable dead carcass; they have pierced My body with nails” (20) He gave love, and they gave back rejection, “as an abominable dead carcass”; and instead of His goods, they nailed His body on the cross. https://coptic-treasures.com/ Now, the rejected Savior talks in the name of all His believers, members of His body, and partakers of His passions, saying: “Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord , my salvation” (21, 22) Whoever gets attached to the Crucified, would never know despair, because he sees that the Lord, the Helper of his salvation, would never forsake him, but will hasten to lift him up. It is obvious that the psalmist was not in despair, or else, he would not use the last verse in this psalm, which is the highpoint of his whole prayer. For, while the enemies were seeking his soul, and while he was living in great tribulation, the Lord hastens to receive him, to lift him up anew. The whole outer circumstances may appear to be controversial; but God is capable of changing what is apparent. ------------------------- AN INSPIRATION FROM PSALM 38 CHASTEN ME, O LORD, BY THE ARROWS OF YOUR LOVE + O my Lord, the arrows of sin have wounded me; My inner wounds are foul and festering; There is no soundness in my flesh, and my soul collapsed; I am bowed down to dust; My insight came to be so dark, to be able to behold Your majesty. + Chasten me, O Lord, by the arrows of Your love; https://coptic-treasures.com/ Let Your beloved Son pierce my heart like a fiery arrow; The wounds of Your love heal the wounds of my sins; Your arrows destroy the arrows of my iniquities. + Listen, O Lord, to the sighs of my heart; Open my eyes up, O Lord; Enter into my life; for my loved ones have forsaken me; and my adversaries have oppressed me. + You are my love; and You are my Sanctuary; You are the light of my eyes; You are my close Ally, and my intimate Friend; You are the Savior of my soul and body.
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