ANTICHRIST, THE BLASPHEMER AND BLOODTHIRSTY In this lament the Prophet David turns his attention to Ahithophal, the wicked advisor to Absalom who is comparable to the antichrist [6]. He contrasts the security of the house of God [8-9 and 12-13] with the danger of the company of the wicked [5-7 and 10-11], and makes a comparison between himself and Ahithophal. He represents the Church - the spiritual House of God - that is united with the Son of David and that enters into a continuous battle against the Antichrist, while Ahithophal represents the Antichrist and his followers, the wicked people. This prayer of lament is deeply personal and at the same time touches the believer as a member of the one church. As we have already said, in our worship we cannot separate our personal life from the communal one. Here the psalmist starts the psalm with personal invocation, saying "my words, my cry, my King and my God" [1, 2], and concludes it in a communal attitude, saying, "But let all who trust in You be glad in You. They will rejoice for ever" [11]. This lament belongs to everyone of every age, and belongs to the whole church as well. In five strophes, three are turned full-face to God, and alternate with two others that passionately denounce the enemy to Him. The whole psalm expresses the spirit of the cry in verse 2, "my King and my God1". It enables us to weather the worst crises of betrayal within a family or community. We sing it every morning (the Canonical Hours) in order to be filled with hope. This personal lament seems to have been uttered in the temple in connection with the morning sacrifice (see verses 3,7; 2 Kings 3: 20; Amos 4: 4)2. Dahood classifies this psalm among the "Psalms of innocence" (5, 17, 26, 139). The psalmists and prophets, however, never thought of denying their own sins, but asked to be delivered from it. Their innocence is based not on their own righteousness, but on the grace they attained from God, through their sincere desire to be in communion with God. In other words they are innocent of the falsely accusations which the wicked used to raise against them. OUTLINE 1. An appeal to the Lord [1-3]. 2. Wickedness and God are incompatible [4-6]. 3. The righteous worship God [7-8]. 4. Deceit of evil people [9]. 5. The liturgical acclamation and blessing [12-13]. THE TITLE The subscription according to the Hebrew text is "To the chief musician upon Nehiloth, a psalm of David," and according to the Septuagint, "Unto the end for her that obtains the inheritance. A psalm of David." 1 Kidner, p. 57. 2 Weiser, p. 123; Sabourin, vol. 2, p. 6. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 2 1. For the explanation of the words: "To the chief musician," see above on Psalm 4. 2. "Nehiloth" is explained in several ways: * Some think it signifies armies. These would render the preceding word not upon, but against, so as to read, To the chief musician against the armies, i.e., a hymn to be sung against the hostile bands that arose in the country or invaded it . This view rests upon very slender grounds1. * Some think Nehiloth is the first word of some popular song, and indicates the tune to which this psalm is to be sung. * Some translate it as "wind instruments," similar to "Niginoth" in the preceding psalm signifying "stringed instruments." * Others render "Nehiloth" by the word "heritages." This view is sanctioned by the Septuagint. This supposes that David here calls the twelve tribes "the heritages," and that this psalm is a prayer for the nation of Israel2. 3. The title according to the Septuagint is: "Unto the end." St Augustine says, ["The end of the Law is Christ, unto justice to everyone that believes" (Rom. 10: 4). This end, however, signifies completion, not destruction.] St. Jerome comments: [Our inheritance is not promised at the beginning, but at the end of the world That is precisely why the Apostle John says, "Dear children, it is the last hour" (1 John 2: 18).] 4. Many Fathers of the church comment on the word "heiress mentioned in the title according to the Septuagint: * St. John Chrysostom says that the Psalmist speaks on behalf of the bride and starts out, and so intercedes in the courts, by telling us of the one he is defending, and says that he is speaking "on behalf of her who is receiving an inheritance"; the heiress is the Church3. For what does the heiress ask? Let us listen:"Give ear, O Lord, to my words" [1]. She calls her Bridegroom her Lord, for this is the duty of a well-disposed bride. If it happens in the case of those who have the same nature that the wife calls her husband her lord, how much more is this case with Christ and the Church, where He is by His very nature Lord4? St. John Chrysostom *St. Jerome says David sings in the name of the Church5. This psalm concentrates on the Antichrist and his followers, who fight against the Church. But this battle ends by her victory and glory. *St. Augustine states that the Church of the New Testament herself is the inheritance of Christ and receives the eternal inheritance. The Church in her turn is called God's inheritance in the original text: "Ask of me, and I will give you the Gentiles for your inheritance" (Ps 2: 5). Thus God is termed our inheritance because He sustains and holds us our very being, and we are called God's 1 William S. Plumer: Psal,s, p. 77. 2 Ibid. 3 Expos. In Ps. 5. PG. 55: 63 B-C. 4 Expos. In Ps. 5. PG. 55: 63 D. 5 Hom. 2. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 3 inheritance because He governs and rules our lives. This psalm therefore is the song of the Church called to an inheritance in order to become herself the inheritance of our Lord. The Church then is the one signified, who receives for her inheritance eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ; that she may possess God Himself, in cleaving to whom she may be blessed, according to that, "blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth" (Matt. 5: 5) Augustine The inscription of this psalm in the Syriac reads, "A prayer in the person of the church when she comes early in the morning to the house of the Lord." But this is an interpretation, not a translation1. According to (Ps 142:5) the inheritance of the church is our Lord Himself, "You are my hope, my portion in the land of the living." DAVID AS A SYMBOL OF THE CHURCH 1. A Man of prayer and meditation [1,2]: He has access to God, to whom he always cries. He is anxious that not only his words and his cry reach the ear of God, but also that God may hear the inner voice of his prayer [2]. "Give ear to my words, O Lord" [1]. No one has confidence like this except the Church. The sinner does not dare to say, "Give ear to my words, O Lord," but rather hopes that God wills not to hear him "Consider my cry" The word cry in the Scripture does not refer to the cry of the voice, but to the cry of the heart. In fact, the Lord says to Moses, "Why are you crying out to Me?" (Exod. 14: 15) when Moses had not uttered any cry at all Likewise the words of Jeremiah, "Let there be no repose for my eyes" Lam. 2:18. Notice what he says: "Let not even the pupil of my eye be silent." Sometimes, the very pupil of our eye cries out to God2. St. Jerome The Psalmist clearly well shows what this cry is; how from within, from the chamber of the heart, without the body's utterance, it reaches unto God; for the bodily voice is heard, but the spiritual is understood.("consider" my cry). St. Augustine David cries thrice asking God to hear his prayer, saying: "Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my cry (meditation). Attend to the voice of my prayer, my King and my God" [1, 2]. Onsemius of Jerusalem states that David on behalf of the church refers in his cry to the Holy Trinity [Lord, my King and my God]. For the Father she says "Lord," and not "my Lord for the Jews also know Him, but she attributes the Son and the Holy Spirit to herself [my King and my God], for she alone acknowledges them. The repetition here [thrice] denotes the strength of David's affection and his perseverance in prayer. He reveals by these various expressions the variety of his 1 Plumer, p. 77. 2 Hom. 2. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 4 complaints. It therefore signifies that he prays neither coldly nor briefly in few words, but that, according to the vehemence of his grief which urged him, he was earnest in bewailing his calamities before God. 2. The scholar, Daniel El-Salhy, says: [Note that David does not refer to himself as king in his prayer. He degrades himself of all royalty and calls God his King and his Lord. Thus he stresses that God alone is the One King. He who is subject to the King is not a king and therefore David says "My Lord and my God" to mean "You alone are my King."] Since Absalom pursues his father, wishing to take his life as well as his throne, David cries "..Cause me to know the way for I lift up my soul to you" (Ps.143: 8, 9). It is as though he is saying: I need your Holy Spirit to lead me into the royal way to raise me through the cross to You that I may live as a king since I'm joined to the King of kings. I am unable to protect the throne and guard the royal palace, but through You I can enter into the grace of God for You are the One true King! 3. He had trust that even in the future he would have access to God although banished from among God's people and the holy city. Perhaps he used to enter the house of God every day especially in the morning, to stand before the Lord so that the Lord Himself may visit him and watch over him [3]. "You will hear my voice in the morning, in the morning I will stand before You, and You will visit and watch over me" [3]. "Morning" is no doubt a normal time for prayer (Ps. 88: 13) and temple service (Exod 29: 38- 40; Lev 6: 12-13, 2 Kings 3:20) In fact, the morning and evening sacrifice of the temple lies behind the Christian prayer of Lauds and Vespers, accompanied with incense. Morning was also a symbol of deliverance from Egypt (Exod 14: 20-24); from Assyrians (Isa 38:26), and from the night or the darkness of sin. Dawn or morning was considered as the most auspicious time for prayer, "O Lord, be their arm (strength) every morning" Isa. 33:2. The compassions of the Lord are renewed each morning (Lem 3: 23), which we attain through prayers. The same theme occurs in several psalms: the kindness of the Lord is expected mostly in the morning (59:16; 90:14), God will help the holy city at the break of dawn and save it (46:5; 101:8), a probable allusion to the angel of the Lord's intervention against Sennacherib's army (2 Kings 19:35). There may be an allusion to the "resurrection" theme when the psalmist speak of awaking in the presence of the Lord (3:5; 17:15)1. To pray early in the morning is to seek Him earnestly before asking others for help. The person, who gives his first waking thoughts to God, will not be indisposed to acts of devotion at later hours of the day. Prayers are recited early in the morning so that the first movements of the soul and the mind may be consecrated to God and that we may take up no other consideration before we have been cheered and heartened by the thought of God as it is written, "I remembered God and was delighted" (Ps 77: 4), and that the body may not busy itself with tasks before we have fulfilled the words: "To You will I pray, O Lord; in the 1 See Saburin, vol. 2, p. 7. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 5 morning You shall hear my voice. In the morning I will stand before You and will see [2]1. St. Basil the Great Some interpreters explain these words quite simply in this way: I rise at dawn to pray and make supplication to You Listen to what the words really mean: As long as I am wandering in the darkness of error, You do not hear me, but after the Sun of justice has come into my heart, then You will hear my voice in the morning ; just as soon as the shades of night begin to scatter, You hear my voice; just as soon as I begin a good work, You hear my voice; you do not wait for the end. While the light of virtue is beginning to penetrate my soul I stand before You - not sit down, not lie down, but stand and You fix my steps firmly upon a rock (Ps 39: 3), then by degrees, I shall deserve to see You2. St. Jerome "In the morning" Wickedness, treachery, lying, murder, deceit, and suchlike form the night which must pass away, before the morning can dawn, in which God will be revealed. What does, "I will stand," but "I will not lie down"mean? Now what else does to lie down mean, but to take rest on the earth, which denotes seeking happiness in earthly pleasures? "I will stand," says the psalmist, "and I will see." We must sacrifice the things of the world if we would see God, who is visible only to the clean of heart ! St. Augustine Onsemius of Jerusalem states that the psalmist here refers by the word "morning" to the Christian worship. For the Jews who were under the shadow of the law used to celebrate the Pasch in the evening, now as the Sun of Righteousness shines through the incarnation we worship Him in the morning, illuminated by His divine rays. We can say that the new Pasch or the Christian Pasch has been realized in the morning by the resurrection of our Savior, who conquers death and destroys the power of the devil. The scholar, Daniel El-Salhy, says: [the spirit of sonship informs us of great heavenly secrets through the tongue of the blessed David. After having called Emmanuel "a fruitful tree" in psalm one, David calls Him "the eternal one" on psalm 2, and in psalm 3 "Lord, God, and Savior;" then in psalm four, he calls Him "the righteous one and the light of God's face." In psalm five, David pleads to escape the night of the law and prophetically invokes the coming of the bright day that is the eternal Word of God itself David wishes to teach us that Emmanuel is called the "morning" because He is the true light that is untouched by darkness and He has come after the dark night of the law. He is the morning named by John: "The true Light that shines for all men in the world," for the darkness of the law could not touch Him similarly, Our Lord came one morning as the true light and after the world was immersed in the darkness of sin. The light of life said: I am the light of the world; then He added: "He who follows me, shall not stay in darkness but shall see the light of life." 1 The Long Rules, Q. 37. 2 Hom. 2. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 6 The psalmist was looking up with confidence, waiting for God's answer to his cry [3]. The imagery is taken from placing one in a watch-tower to announce the approach of a returning messenger or any one else. This state of mind is elsewhere described by the prophets. Thus (Habakkuk 2: 1), "I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say to me;" and (Michah 7: 7) "There I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." 4. The psalmist dares to call the Lord [1], for he stands before Him every morning in the House of the Lord. In contrast to him the wicked cannot call Him for they are not admitted to the sanctuary as His "guests" and dwell with Him [4]. The psalmist is conscious of the holiness of the Lord, therefore he keeps himself aloof from the wicked, who are liars, deceitful and bloody. "You will destroy all who tell lies; the Lord abhors a bloody and deceitful man" [6]. Lies, deceit and all sins do not injure God, but they destroy those who commit them. Fr. Theodoret of Cyrus comments on these words, saying, [Nothing injures God who cannot be defiled1.] Since in turning their (liars) backs upon that which has existence (the truth), they turn aside to that which has none (the lie) St. Augustine We should always be cautious to avoid lying since a liar cannot build a relationship with God for lying is instigated by the evil of whom it said "he is a liar and a father of liars," (John 8: 44) While God as truth and accordingly says: "I am the Way, the Truth, and Life" John 14:6. Hence, if we wish to be saved we should love truth with all our hearts and protect ourselves from all wickedness so as not to be separated from the Truth and the Life. Let us avoid evil (lies) in order to be rescued from the hands of the enemy and let us persevere and hold on to the truth in order to be united with Him who said: "I am the Truth" (John 14: 6). May God grant us to be worthy of the Truth which belongs to Him2. Fr. Dorotheos of Gaza 5. God's house is his refuge and worship is his armor. “But as for me, in your abundant mercy I will enter Your house; and in the fear of You I will bow down towards Your holy temple" [7]. David says that the godly worships God looking towards the Lord's holy temple. It was customary to pray in the direction of the Holy of Hollies wherever the worshipers might be (1 Kings 8: 30, 38, 42; Dan 6: 10) and the synagogues in Galilee, after the destruction of Jerusalem, were pointed towards Jerusalem. "They will rejoice forever and You will dwell in them" [11] Happy are they who will become the tabernacles of Christ! 3 1 On Divine providence, Disc. 10: 17. 2 Dorotheos of Gaza: On Falsehood. 3 Hom. 2. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 7 St. Jerome I will enter into Your house [7], as a stone into a building, I suppose, is the meaning. For what else is the house of God than the temple of God, of which it is said, "for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are"(1 Cor. 3: 17) ? Of which building He is the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20), whom the Power and Wisdom of God co-eternal with the Father assumed. St. Augustine Perhaps, David, expresses his conviction, that his exile will not be of long duration, and declares his determination to embrace the earliest opportunity of entering into the house of God. In all this he is humble. He relies not on his own merits, wisdom or strength, but on the abundance of God's mercy: "But as for me, I will come into your house in the multitude of your mercy" [7] It is noteworthy that fear of God and worship are inseparable: and in their fear will I worship [7] 6. God is the Leader: "Guide me, O Lord, in Your justice direct my way before You because of my enemies" [8]. If the Lord guides us, we shall be safe from our spiritual enemies. The world subjects us to injustice, but God the Just One takes care of His children, showing His mercy, defending and preserving them. We ask Him to direct us before Him or in His sight, imploring divine omniscience both to guide and to search our ways. In His love for us, our Lord gave us Himself as "the Way" which the enemy cannot overcome. His way is the way of the Cross which becomes our way and which is sweet and easy because we share it with Him. Divine Justice allowed Christ to carry the Cross to announce His infinite and complete mercy and justice. A justice that is wholly merciful and thus offering the Cross to us as the conquering all powerful and royal way. Lastly, we are bidden to show Him our ways, and make them known, for they are not made straight by our own labor, but by His assistance and mercy. And so it is written,"Make my way right before Your face," so that what is right to You may seem also right to me. Solomon says the same - " Commit your works unto the Lord, and your thoughts shall be established when we commit all we do to the Lord our helper, resting it, as it were, upon the firm and solid rock, and attribute everything to Him1. St. Jerome 7. God is the source of man's blessedness. "For You will bless a righteous person, O Lord" [12]. St. John Chrysostom states that the righteous person does not care of men's insults since God Himself blesses him, for what is his profit if the world and not God honors him? 8. According to God's will his daily walk is joyful, attaining safety and blessing [11, 12]. 9. God is his shield and his crown [13]: 1 Against the Palagians, 3: 8. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 8 St. Jerome says, [In the world, a shield is one thing and a crown is another, but with God, He Himself is our shield, He Himself is our crown.] St. John Chrysostom says that our life is a spiritual battle, we must be ready, for the devil does his best to incite us to sin. And in the Psalm it is written, "O Lord, you have crowned us with your favor as with a shield." For our victory is won and the crown of our victory is gained by His protection and through His shield; and here we run that hereafter we may attain; there he shall receive the crown who in this world has proved the conqueror1. St. Jerome AHITHOPHAL AS A SYMBOL OF THE ANTICHRIST 1. Evil [4, 5]: "For You are not a God who wills iniquity; evildoers cannot dwell with You" [4]. The Antichrist and his followers are evildoers, while God who is Holy has no pleasure in any wickedness. He cannot but love his own image (righteousness). He cannot but hate the image of the wicked one. God and wickedness can never dwell together, for "what fellowship has light with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?" (2 Cor 6: 14, 15). St. Jerome says, [God is fire and a consuming fire (Deut 4: 24), everyone who is stubble, everyone who is wood, runs away from the fire lest he be consumed2.] The Psalmist did not say, those who have been guilty of wrongdoing, but those who are evildoers, i.e., those who preserve in sin. 2. Proud [5]: He had no access to God, on the contrary he was rebellious against God, and against His church. Rebellion against God is seen on all sides; violence is in the earth under the leadership of the Antichrist. 3. Deceitful [6] "You will destroy all who tell lies; the Lord abhors a bloody and deceitful man" [6]. St. Clement of Alexandria says, [He calls him man, as perfect in wickedness. And the Lord is called man, because He is perfect in righteousness (2 Cor. 11:2)3.] St. Jerome says, [The man who lies is more unfortunate, therefore, than the one who does evil. Though the evildoer is subject to the hatred of God, the liar perishes altogether. "A lying mouth slays the soul." Wisd. 1:11”4.] 4. Bloodthirsty [6]. 5. His throat is wide-open tomb; with his throat he brings death [9]. David experienced that the tongue is as deadly as the sword. He concentrated on the mouth of the Antichrist as a source of blasphemy that reveals his inner evil. The evil throat is a wide-open tomb, which never has enough or is satisfied. It is cruel as the tomb, gaping to devour and to swallow up; insatiable as the tomb, which never say, "it is enough" (Prov 30: 15, 16). 1 Ibid 3: 1. 2 Hom. 2. 3 Paed. 1: 5. 4 Hom. 2. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 9 Hear how men make the tongue an instrument, some of sin, others of righteousness! "Their tongue is a sharp sword" (Ps. 57:4). But another speaks thus of his own tongue, "My tongue is the pen of a ready writer" (Ps. 45:1). The former wrought destruction; the latter wrote the divine law. Thus one was a sword, the other a pen, not according to its nature, but according to the choice of those who employed it. For the nature of this tongue and of that was the same, but the operation was not the same1. If these heretics employ the wisdom of the Gentiles, we must not admire, but laugh at them, because they employ foolish teachers They are great men in their district, grow beautiful curls, and are enfolded in cloaks; thus far goes their philosophy; but if you look within there is dust and ashes and nothing sound, but "their throat is an open sepulcher" [9], having all things full of impurity and corruption, and all their doctrines (full) of worms2. St. John Chrysostom Heretics do not have Christ, the Truth, on their lips because they do not have Him in their heart. Their heart is vain (Cf. Ps. 5:10) they speak with piety and conceal impiety. They speak Christ and hide the Antichrist, for they know that they will never succeed with their seduction if they disclose the Antichrist. They present light only to conceal darkness, through light they lead to darkness3. St. Jerome The psalmist uses the excellent phrase "open tomb," for greed is insatiably openmouthed, unlike tombs which are sealed up after receiving the corpse They themselves are in a manner of speaking lifeless, being devoid of the life of truth, they swallow dead men whom their lying words and cunning hearts have first murdered and then drawn into themselves. St. Augustine Such are many men now also, decking themselves indeed outwardly, but full of iniquity within. For now too there is many a mode, and many a care for outward purifications, but of those in the soul not so much as one. But if indeed any one should tear open each man's conscience, many worms and much corruption would he find, and an ill savor beyond utterance; unreasonable and wicked lusts I mean, which are more unclean than worms4. St. John Chrysostom The mouths of such as bring forth words of death and destruction are called sepulchers, as also are all that speak against the true faith or make any opposition to the discipline of chastity, justice, and sobriety5. Origen 1 Concerning the Statues, 4: 10. 2 Hom. On St. John 66: 3. 3 Hom. 2. 4 In Matt. Hom. 73. 5 Comm.. on Songs 3: 5 https://coptic-treasures.com/ 10 6. Bitterness [11]: The righteous men attain the sweetness of God while the wicked find Him bitter to them. "Since they have embittered You, O Lord" [10]. Our Lord has said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven" (John 6:51), again, "Labor for the meat which wastes not" and "Taste and see that the Lord is sweet" (Ps. 34: 8). To sinners the bread of truth is bitter. Whence they hate the mouth of him that speaks the truth. They have therefore found God bitter, because sin has rendered them so sickly that the bread of truth, delicious to souls in health, tastes to them as unbearably bitter as gall. St. Augustine At last, the Psalmist says, "Judge them, O God, let them fall from their thoughts" [10]. St. Augustine states, [It is a prophecy, not a curse.] It is their own responsibility for they are punished by their own thoughts and sins. Sin has its own recompense in itself. Therefore our Lord says, "You shall die in your sins." https://coptic-treasures.com/ 11 A Cry pleading for inheritance Be an inheritance for me and accept me to be as inheritance to You, O my Lord and God! With every new morning, shine gloriously within me: Dissipate the darkness of my sins, that I might shine by Your righteousness and lightness! Dissipate the darkness of deadly law, that I might be led by Thy Living Spirit! Hear the words of my heart, for You alone can understand me! Destroy the plotting of the deceitful and deadly evil one who is full of bitterness! Open to me the doors of Your house that I might enjoy the glory of the holy altar. Grant me the grace to open the doors of my heart to You that you might construct Your altar within me! May your blessings be upon me, and may You train me to persevere and so attain victory! Grant me the Spirit of cheer and joy as I unite with all Your people and praise You!
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