KATHISMA 1

EXPLANATION AND BRIEF INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 5

About the heir, a psalm to David. In the Russian edition of the Psalter, the inscription reads as follows: “To the head of the choir (that is, this psalm was transferred to the choir director for the singers to learn it), on wind instruments, a psalm of David.”
About inheritance, according to St. fathers, of course the Church, or the Christian people. This psalm also belongs to David, who composed it, according to some, during the persecution of Saul, according to others, after the rebellion of Absalom.
This psalm is a prayerful conversation between the prophet and God, in which David pours out his feelings before the Lord regarding enemies that are at war with him, dishonest, deceitful and treacherous. In a mysterious sense, most of the interpreters see in this psalm the prayer of the Church or a pious soul, overwhelmed by adversity, for salvation.

Ps.5:2-3 Teach my words, Lord, understand my calling. Listen to the voice of my prayer, my King and my God, as if I pray to You, Lord.

These prayer words of the prophet and king David are pronounced daily in church services: they begin the first of three psalms of one of the morning services, the so-called "first hour".
my verbs means the words of my prayer; inspire- take it in your ears, listen; understand the rank therefore, understand what my invocation, which I declare, consists in; heed the voice of my supplication, i.e. Please, pay attention to my request.
The Holy Church sets the Prophet David to all Christians as an example and example of repentance and prayer. After all, God does not hear prayer when the one who prays is so entertained by thoughts in prayer that he himself is not conscious of his words, or does not understand what he is praying for. God does not understand the one who asks, when he himself does not know what he is asking for, or when he asks for something that is not useful. God does not heed prayer when the one who prays is not worthy to be heard, either due to a lack of due humility, or, being a great sinner, does not think about repentance and does not feel contrition for his sins. This is what the words of this Psalm prayer remind us of.
My king and my God- so the prophet turns with a petition to the Lord God, firstly, as to the King, Who has care for people subject to Him and tries to fulfill their good desires, and secondly, as to God, before Whom he is not only as His servant, but also as an insignificant creature, capable of nothing by itself and dependent on God in everything, and by this expresses its complete humility before God and perfect obedience to His all-good will.

Ps.5:4 In the morning hear my voice: in the morning I will stand before Thee, and see me.

It was a custom among the Jews to stand up for prayer three times a day: in the morning, at noon and in the evening. Therefore, David, who considered prayer to be his most important duty to God, says to Him: in the morning, i.e. before I start doing something, I will present to you I will stand before You, Lord. And then I will see, I will see behold), before my thoughts begin to think about worldly things, I will discern Your Divine properties in prayer ..

Ps.5:5-7 As God does not want iniquity, you are: the wicked will not settle down with you, the lawless will be lower before your eyes: you hate all those who do iniquity, destroy all those who speak lies: the Lord abhors a man of blood and flattering.

Since, in the morning, I will stand before You, Lord, and I will see that You are Holy and Righteous, and that all lawlessness is contrary to You. You do not hear the prayers of dishonest people, unrepentant sinners, and therefore won't settle down ( can't get close to you) sly, i.e. cunning, evil person.
All who do evil, do not love and break Your law, will not appear before You, because all unrighteousness and all lawlessness are hateful to You. According to Your holiness and justice, You will not leave without punishment, You will destroy all the deceitful, vicious, committing deeds of unrighteousness. The bloodthirsty and treacherous hypocrite is abhorred, the Lord is turned away.

Ps.5:8 But with the multitude of Thy mercy I will enter Thy house, I will bow to Thy holy temple, in Thy fear.

Further, the prophet says this: having in mind Your holiness, O Lord, and fearing Your wrath, I, by Your mercy, enter Your house with reverence and offer prayers in Your temple with fear.
Here the house and the temple signify the tabernacle of God, which, before the construction of the temple under Solomon, the son of David, replaced it and was also called the temple.

Ps. 5:9-10 Lord, guide me in Your righteousness, for my enemy's sake make my way straight before You. As if there is no truth in their mouths, their heart is vain, their throat is open to the grave, their tongues are lying.

David says further: Send me Your grace to guide and instruct me on the path of righteousness and help me to fulfill Your commandments and through this avoid all sins that are hateful to You. Correct, guide me on the immaculate path, so that I walk along it, always having You, my God, before my eyes.
And do all this because of my enemies, in order to avoid wiles and evil from them. Carry in their mouth the truth, but only lies, deceit and deceit: they say one thing, and think the other. Their heart is vain, i.e. their hearts are so distorted by malice that they are incapable of righteousness and truth, and think only of vain and false things.
The coffin opened their larynx, those. their larynx (meaning the mouth) is like an open coffin with a stinking corpse, no good words are heard from it, but only lies, deceit and deceit.
Tongues with their lishahu, i.e. only sweet but flattering speeches descend from their tongues, which mask malicious intentions and hateful feelings.

Ps.5:11 Judge them, O God, that they fall away from their thoughts; according to the multitude of their wickedness, forgive me, as if I had grieved Thee, Lord.

Judge them (the ungodly), God, by Your righteous judgment, according to their dignity and merit, take away from them all hope for the fulfillment of their wicked intentions.
For the multitude of their wickedness, forgive me, i.e. reject them for their many iniquities, deprive them of the inheritance of eternal blessings, prepared for the righteous who love You, because, rebelling against Your chosen ones, they rebelled against You and offend Your holiness.
Such a prayer of pious people for the punishment of the wicked should be understood not as a natural desire for revenge, but as a pious zeal for God, which the Holy Spirit arouses in their hearts, and which will be followed by the very fulfillment, i.e. the destruction of the wicked unless they reform.

Ps.5:12 And let all who trust in Thee rejoice; for ever shall they rejoice, and dwell in them: and they that love Thy name shall boast in Thee.

When, says David, you do Thy righteous judgment, O Lord, then all will receive a righteous recompense for their deeds, then all those who, hoping for the mercy of God, endured slander, attacks and various insults from the wicked, will rejoice and rejoice, and their joy will be eternal, never-ending (John 16:22). And, continues the prophet, all who love Your name will boast in You.

Ps.5:13 Like you bless the righteous, Lord, like a weapon of good will crowned us.

The reason for the eternal joy of the righteous is the favor of the Lord God towards them. How would he explain this reason in this way: You, Lord, the eternal and righteous Judge, from eternity, before the foundation of the world, favored Your chosen ones, who loved You and hoped for You, to show Your mercy, and therefore You bless them (give Your grace) and you protect, as if with a strong shield, with your help. Your favor serves them instead of a weapon; they are, as it were, adorned with a crown. This crown is woven from mercy, truth, grace and glory.

From the content of this psalm, one can see the various movements and actions of nature and grace in human hearts. Everyone is looking for good, and everyone imagines something good in their deeds or words - that is why many are deceived under the guise of good. Nature works for the flesh and is comforted by carnal desires and pleasures; but grace acts to exalt the freedom of the spirit. There is an unceasing struggle between the laws of the flesh and the spirit: what one wants, the other turns away from.
St. Tikhon of Zadonsk teaches wonderfully about this subject. “The flesh wants,” he says, “to be proud, magnified, exalted, but the spirit wants to humbly philosophize. The flesh wants to be in glory and honor, but the spirit - all in the ability to impute (read as rubbish - Ed). The flesh wants to rest, but the spirit wants to stay awake and work. The flesh wants to feast, be merry, but the spirit wants to abstain, fast, and complain about sins. The flesh wants to take revenge on its enemies, but the spirit wants to love enemies, do good to those who hate. The flesh wants to steal someone else's, and the spirit wants to distribute its own to those who demand it. The flesh wants to please its lusts, but the spirit wants to be chaste. The flesh wants to do its will in everything, but the spirit wants to do the will of God. So it is in other things - the flesh and the spirit oppose each other.

In the worship of the Orthodox Church, the Psalter is very widely used. Psalm 5 is included in the daily hours (daily short service). For the sake of convenience, hours in modern practice are connected with other services. But for independent reading, study, this is available at any time. What are the circumstances and purpose of writing, in what cases it is customary to read the text - we will tell in this material.

Meaning of Psalm 5

Many chapters of the Psalter have an inscription, in this case - "of the heir", which indicates the topic to which this chapter of Scripture is devoted. It tells about what kind of inheritance he has prepared for the sinful and the righteous. This is followed by a comment intended for the leader of the choir - psalm 5, according to the author's intention, should be performed on wind instruments.

• God is always willing and able to hear us, wherever we are.
• David speaks to the Lord with all passion (shouts), he is sure that he will receive a timely answer.
• He promises to pray at any time in his life. This is the first thing that the earthly king is busy with in the morning. He also does not leave him for daytime chores.
• Having strengthened the soul with prayer, a person can be sure that throughout the day he will keep the right attitude - he will not forget God's commands.
• The author of Psalm 5 does not require specific actions from the Lord of heaven, he knows that God will make the best decision.

Through thoughtful reading, we can also learn about the attributes of Jehovah. He hates lawlessness because it is deeply contrary to His holy nature. He is just, because he does not tolerate sinners, he will not honor them with His mercy.

Verses 8-13

David describes himself, his enemies, the people of Israel. Despite persecution and slander, the righteous remains faithful to God, strives to be closer to Him. At the same time, David is not ashamed of his faith. He prays not only in private, but also comes to public worship all the time. A good example for those who pray only at home and consider it sufficient.

• The king exposes his enemies with lies. Such a sin is so disgusting to God that we see a comparison of them with open graves. Deviations from the will of the Creator are not accidental or one-time, there were "many" of them. Therefore, the Creator will act justly, depriving the enemies of the righteous of mercy.
• As a ruler, David does not forget to ask for the people of God entrusted to him. He wants the souls of his subjects to be filled with joy and exultation. And it has to do with being in the mercy of the Lord. The prophet teaches everyone to pray not only for their own needs, but also for those around them.

David's humility indicates that he has some sins before God. Therefore, he believes that he deserves punishment. He does not take active steps to defend himself. His means of salvation are only prayer and repentance. A wise king does not ask to kill his ill-wishers. He only wants the Lord to stop their insidious plans. According to folk tradition, the text of the 5th psalm is read for eye diseases. But you can say it in whatever circumstances you see fit.

Psalm 5 - text in Russian, interpretation, why they read was last modified: June 13th, 2018 by Bogolub

Psalm of David, not inscribed among the Jews, 32

1 Rejoice, righteous ones, in the Lord! It is fitting for the upright to praise Him.

2 Praise the Lord on the harp, sing to Him on the ten-stringed psalter!

3 Sing a new song to Him, sing to Him in harmony with jubilation!

4 For the word of the Lord is true, and all his works must be believed.

5 The Lord loves merciful judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were established, and by the Spirit of his mouth all their strength.

7 He collects, as if in bellows, the waters of the sea, concludes in the storehouses of the abyss of waters.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the world tremble before Him!

9 For He spoke, and there were; He commanded, and they were created.

10 The Lord rejects the intentions of the nations, sweeps aside the plots of men, sweeps away the plots of princes.

11 But the counsel of the Lord endures forever; the thoughts of his heart are true from generation to generation.

12 Blessed are the people who worship the Lord as their God, the people whom he has chosen to be his own.

13 The Lord looked down from Heaven, saw all the sons of men;

14 From his eternal abode, he looked at all who live on earth;

15 Whoever created their hearts alone in the world understands all their deeds.

16 His great army will not save the king, and his great strength will not save the giant.

17 The horse is unreliable for salvation; its great strength will not save the king.

18 The eye of the Lord is fixed on those who fear him, who hope in his mercy,

19 May He save their souls from death and feed them in the days of famine.

20 Our soul hopes in the Lord, for He is our Helper and Protector.

21 Our hearts will rejoice in him; we hope in his holy name.

22 May Thy mercy be upon us, O Lord, for we trust in Thee!

them when he pretended to be insane Psalm of David, sung

before Abimelech; and he let him go, and

he left, 33

2 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall not cease in my mouth.

3 My soul will praise the Lord; let the meek hear me and rejoice.

4 Praise the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name!

5 I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my troubles.

6 Draw near to Him and be enlightened, and you will not be ashamed.

7 Behold, the wretched man called, and the Lord heard him, and saved him from all affliction.

8 The angel of the Lord will protect those who fear him and deliver them.

9 Taste and see how good the Lord is; blessed is the man who trusts in him.

10 Fear the Lord, all his saints, for those who fear him will not suffer hardship.

11 The rich became poor and hungry; but those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of any good.

12 Come, children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

13 Who truly loves life and longs to see good days?

14 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy mouth from evil speech!

15 Turn away from evil and do good; desire peace and strive for it!

16 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his hearing is on their prayer.

17 But to those who do evil, the Lord manifests his wrath, so that their memory may be destroyed from the earth.

18 The righteous called, and the Lord heard them, and delivered them from all their troubles.

19 The Lord is near to those who are broken in heart, and He will save those who are humble in spirit.

20 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, and the Lord will deliver them out of them all.

21 The Lord keeps all their bones, not one of them will be broken.

22 The death of sinners is cruel, and those who hate the righteous will sin.

23 The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants, and all who trust in him will not sin.

Psalm of David, 34

1 Judge, O Lord, those who offend me, overcome those who fight me!

2 Take up arms and shield and rise up to help me!

3 Draw your sword and block the path of my persecutors! Say to my soul, "Your salvation is in Me!"

4 Let those who seek my death be ashamed and put to shame; let those who wish me harm turn back and be put to shame!

5 Let them be like dust tossed by the wind, and let the angel of the Lord cast them out!

6 May their path be dark and slippery, and may the Angel of the Lord pursue them!

7 For they, through no fault of mine, spread their nets for me, in vain they reproached my soul.

8 May each of them be entangled in a net that he does not expect, and the trap set by him may catch him himself, and let him fall into the net!

9 But my soul shall rejoice in the Lord; it shall be glad that it has been saved by him.

10 My bones cry out: “Lord, Lord, who is like You?” You deliver the weak from the hand of the strong, the poor and the wretched from the plunderers of his goods.

11 Unrighteous witnesses rose up against me; they questioned me about what I did not know.

12 They rewarded me with evil for good, and condemned my soul to oblivion.

13 But I, when they persecuted me, put on sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned to my heart.

14 Like a neighbor, like my brother, I pleased my enemies; crying and lamenting, humbled himself.

15 But they gathered against me in triumph. They were going to inflict wounds on me, but I did not know it; they fell into strife and did not relent.

16 They tempted me, mocked me, mocked me, gnashed their teeth.

17 Lord, when will you see this? Deliver my soul from their villainy, from my only lions!

18 I will praise you in the great church; in the midst of a multitude of people I will praise you.

19 Let them not triumph over me who fight against me unrighteously, who hate me in vain and wink at one another!

20 For they spoke to me in peace, but in anger they thought of deceit.

21 Opening their mouths to me, they said: “Good to you, good, we have seen everything with our own eyes!”

22 You also saw, O Lord, do not be silent! Lord, don't leave me!

23 Arise, O Lord, and give ear to my righteousness; Lord, my God, intercede for me in my litigation!

24 Judge me, O Lord, according to thy righteousness, O Lord my God, and let them not triumph over me!

25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Good for you, good for you, everything is to our liking!” And let them not say: “We swallowed him up!”

26 Let those who rejoice in my misfortunes be ashamed and put to shame! May those who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace!

27 Let those who desire me justification rejoice and be glad, and those who desire peace say to me, his servant: “May the Lord be exalted!”

28 My tongue shall learn thy righteousness; all the day shall I praise thee.

To the end, servants of the Lord David, 35

2 The lawless one speaks in his soul about his sins; there is no fear of God in his heart.

3 For he deceived himself, saying that he knew his iniquity and hated it.

4 The words of his mouth are iniquity and lies; he did not want to understand and do good.

5 He plotted iniquity in his bed; entered into every path that was not good, and did not hate evil.

6 Lord, Thy mercy is in heaven, and Thy truth is above the clouds;

7 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are a great deep; You save people and livestock, O Lord!

8 How much You have multiplied Your mercy, O God! The sons of men will be safe under the shadow of Your wings.

9 They shall be satisfied with the abundance of thy house; from the stream of blessedness thou shalt give them drink.

10 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we shall see light!

11 Continue to show Thy mercy to those who know Thee, and Thy righteousness to those who are upright in heart.

12 Let not the foot of a proud man come near me, and let not the hand of a sinner shake me!

13 Those who do iniquity have fallen; they were cast down, and they shall not rise.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever, amen

Psalm of David, 36

1 Do not imitate the evil ones, and do not envy those who do iniquity!

2 For like grass they will soon dry up, and like green grass they will soon wither.

3 Trust in the Lord and do good; settle down on the earth, and you will reap its riches.

4 Delight in the Lord, and He will fulfill the desires of your heart.

5 Tell the Lord your way and trust in him, and he will do you good.

6 And he will make your righteousness clear as light, and your destiny as noon.

7 Submit yourselves to the Lord and pray to Him. Do not imitate a man who prospers in his way, who does iniquity.

8 Put aside anger and leave anger. Do not imitate the deeds of the evil ones!

9 For the evil ones will be cut off, but those who trust in the Lord will inherit the earth.

10 A little more, and there will be no sinner; you will look for the place where he was, and you will not find it.

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth and enjoy great peace.

12 The sinner watches over the righteous and gnashes his teeth.

13 But the Lord will laugh at him, for he knows that the day of his destruction is near.

14 The sinners have drawn the sword; they have drawn their bow, to cast down the wretched and the poor, to slay those who are upright in heart.

15 Let their sword pierce their hearts, and let their bows be crushed.

16 Better is the small wealth of the righteous than the great wealth of sinners.

17 For the strength of sinners will be broken, but the Lord strengthens the righteous.

18 The ways of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will be preserved forever.

19 They will not be put to shame in the time of evil, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied, but sinners will perish.

20 But the enemies of the Lord, when they glorify and exalt them, they will vanish like smoke, they will vanish.

21 The sinner borrows and does not return, but the righteous gives generously.

22 Whoever blesses Him will inherit the earth, but whoever curses Him will be cut off.

23 The Lord directs the steps of man and favors the way of the righteous.

24 When a righteous man falls, he will not be broken, for the Lord strengthens his hand.

25 I was young, and behold, I have grown old, but I have not yet seen the righteous forsaken, and his offspring asking for bread.

26 The righteous man is always merciful and lends, and his offspring will be blessed.

27 Turn away from evil and do good, and you will live forever.

28 For the Lord loves righteousness and will not leave his righteous; forever unharmed; but He will drive out the wicked, and the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.

29 But the righteous shall inherit the earth and dwell on it forever.

30 The lips of the righteous will learn wisdom, and his tongue will proclaim righteousness.

31 The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps will not stumble.

32 The sinner looks after the righteous and seeks to kill him.

33 But the Lord will not leave him in the hands of a sinner, and will justify him by executing judgment on him.

34 Trust in the Lord, keep His way, and He will exalt you so that you will inherit the earth; and you will see the death of sinners.

35 I saw a wicked man who exalted himself above the people and towered over like the cedars of Lebanon.

36 Passed by - and he is not; I looked for him, and did not find the place where he was.

37 Keep goodness and observe the truth, for the memory of a peaceful man will be alive.

38 And all the wrongdoers will be cut off, and the memory of the wicked will be cut off.

39 The Lord saves the righteous, He is their protector in time of trouble.

40 The Lord will help them, deliver them from sinners and save them, for they trust in Him.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever, amen

Psalter. Kathisma 5 - you can watch a video with subtitles, read in Church Slavonic, text in Russian and read the interpretation.

Psalter. Kathisma 5. Patristic interpretation.

Psalter. Kathisma 5. Psalm 32

Psalm to David, not inscribed by the Jew, 32
This psalm refers to Christ, and therefore is not inscribed by a Jew. For they (the Jews), as soon as they saw that the inscriptions contain some evidence of the God-manhood of Jesus Christ, they did not recognize such.
The psalm is spoken on behalf of David, but refers to the honor and glory of Christ, who is called David because of the carnal birth from the blood of Jesse, a descendant of David (Cyril, Gregory of Nyssa).

1 Rejoice, righteous ones, in the Lord: praise is due to the upright.

Rejoice in the righteous (virtuous ones) in the Lord who came from heaven to earth, praise Him with your right life: choose what is pleasing and pleasing to Him, run away from worldly lusts and worldly noise ... Divine joy and joy constantly abide in the righteous, because the Holy Spirit dwells in him (Cyril , Vasily V., Gregory of Nyssa).

2 Confess to the Lord in the harp; in the ten-stringed psalter sing to Him.

Under the harp is meant the contrite and humble heart of one who confesses to God in prayer. Ten-stringed. the body is called a psalter because it has five senses and five mental activities; for in every feeling a special activity of the soul is revealed (Vasily V., Augustine).

3 Sing to Him a new song; sing well to Him with exclamation.

The new song is sung by the one who shies away from evil and forces himself to do good deeds. And whoever cries out to God with a cry of tears, he sings to God with an exclamation (Vasily V., Ambrose).

4 For the word of the Lord is right, and all his works are in faith.

All the works of God are in faith, not in proof. If you see the sky and order in it, this is your guide to faith. Likewise, if you look at an ant or a bee, you can see the wisdom of the Creator everywhere. Let nothing lead you to unbelief.
There is nothing disorderly and indeterminate or accidental about what exists. Do not say - an evil accident or an unkind hour. These are the words of ignorant people. How many hairs are on your head? None of them are forgotten. You see the eye of God, how nothing and the smallest escapes His supervision (Vasily V.).

5 The Lord loves charity and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.

If the judgment of God alone acted on its own, then none of the people would be saved. But God, co-presiding on the royal throne, did almsgiving, which he shows with judgment, according to the dignity of everyone, measuring by measure, number and weight. But before judgment, he loves almsgiving to the penitent. A corruptible person who is in sins is the earth and is worthy of a thousand sorrows, but exists thanks to the condescension, long-suffering and inexpressible goodness of God (Vasily V.).

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were established, and by the breath of his mouth all their strength.

The Spirit of God is called spirit in relation to the creature. The Lord breathed His hypostatic Spirit - and at the beckoning of His life-giving Spirit, an innumerable multitude of spirits appeared (by the spirit of His mouth all their strength). He blew with His Spirit into the human body and was a man into a living soul ( Gen. 2, 7). Therefore (from this) the third person in God is called the Spirit, while God is already the Spirit (John of Kronstadt).

7 Lay up like a skin of sea water, lay in the treasures of the abyss.

Scientists note and experience clearly shows that water is above the earth. How does it not sink the earth?.. The Lord, for the sake of the well-being of the human race, with His omnipotent power keeps the terrible deeps of the sea as if in some kind of treasury, protecting them with shores and showing them the limit beyond which the raging waves do not extend.
Some people call the abysses the many waters enclosed by the Creator in secret places under the earth. Gather like fur - into the clouds and send rain (from earthly waters) (Chrysostom, Theodoret, Hesychius).

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all who live in the world move from the Worthless.

Let them move from the worthless - "let them revere before Him" ​​all who live in the universe. No one fear anything else but God. Are the animals rampant? - Fear God. Does the person hate you? - Fear God. Does the devil fight? - Fear God. All creation is under the control of Him whom David commands to fear. Why did Solomon say that “besides Him, fear no one” (Augustine).

9 As he spoke to the same, and it was: He commanded, and it was created.

Not out of need - because he does not need anything, but out of His only goodness, goodness, God created the spiritual world, the angelic (invisible), then - the world we see, and, finally, a person who belongs to the spiritual world by soul, and according to body - to the material world, which is why it is called the "small world" (John of Kronstadt).

10 The Lord destroys the councils of tongues, and sweeps aside the thoughts of men, and sweeps aside the counsels of princes.

When you hear that someone threatens many and promises to inflict grief, wounds and death on you, then raise your eyes to the Lord, Who destroys the councils of tongues and sweeps aside the thoughts of people (Vasily V.).

11 But the counsel of the Lord abides forever, the thoughts of his heart unto generation and generation.

What God has ordained in His counsel must surely come to pass. For who can resist the will of God? In order for the advice of the Lord to abide constantly in our souls, it is necessary first to be ruined in us by human thoughts. And the heart, for a reasonable perception of the words of God, needs to be cleansed of nasty thoughts (Vasily V., Tikhon).

12 Blessed is the tongue, which is the Lord his God: the people I have chosen for my inheritance.

Blessed is he who places his trust in God and uses His help (Theodoret).

13 The Lord looked down from heaven; he saw all the sons of men:

Look and see, Christians. God looks at all of us and sees what we do and think, and hears what we say and converse with one another. And he writes every deed, word and thought in his book, good and evil, and on the last day he will reward everyone according to our deeds (Tikhon).

14 From His ready dwelling look upon all that dwell on the earth.

Have before your eyes the divine Seer, who watches over all your deeds. Whatever you do, day and night: you have the watching “eye” of God (Vasily V.).

15 Whoever formed their hearts on one basis, understand in all their deeds.

Keep these words in your heart and remember them always. With what disposition and with what zeal we do something to please people or to fulfill His commandments - He understands all this without witnesses. Therefore let us give an account to Him in every idle word. God, knowing that most of the sin is committed in the mind, commanded, first of all, to have purity in the dominant soul - the mind.
For the more often and more conveniently we sin, then he honored us with the greatest care and protection. Therefore beware: listen to yourself; Let no word of iniquity be hidden in your heart Deut. 15, 9) - may no lawless thought enter your heart. Knowing what is in the heart of a person is characteristic of the one who created it. He has no need of witnesses to know the thoughts of His own creations. Every person is open before Him and He knows everything about a person before a person is born.
Everything that exists is not hidden from Him and cannot hide it, and in His way He looks at our deeds, rather than how people look at them. Like a man sees on the face, God sees on the heart ( 1 King. 16, 7), which He created on one, separate from all other living beings. Immeasurable love and care for a person! (Vasily V., Gregory the Theologian, Chrysostom).

16 The king will not be saved by the abundance of his strength, and the giant will not be saved by the abundance of his strength.
17 The horse lies for salvation: but in the abundance of its strength it will not be saved.

If the heart of Tsarevo is in the hand of God ( Prov. 21, 1), then the Tsar is saved not by the power of arms, but by God's grace (power). Lies horse - i.e. the power of the horse to save. The Prophet called the deceitful horse bodily strength, about which we try in vain; in general, we are protected by the strength of relatives, friends and wealth; for no one can save without help from above.
Take Goliath and Pharaoh as an example: the first, despite the fact that he was a giant and a giant in strength, was defeated by a simple youth David, and the second, although he pursued Israel with many chariots, found a coffin for himself in the sea (Basil, Hesychius, Maxim the Greek).

18 Behold the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, who trust in his mercy.
19 Deliver their souls from death, and feed me in gladness.

When we look to the Lord as servants into the hand of our Lords ( Ps. 122.2), while, as it were, we attract the eyes of the Lord to look at us (Vasily V.).

20 Our soul yearns for the Lord, as our Helper and Protector is.

This word encourages us to be patient, so that when any offender attacks us, we will not be separated from the love of God ( Rome. 8, 39), but with all their hearts they carried labors, expecting help from God (Vasily V.).

21 For our hearts will rejoice in him, and in his holy name we hope.

The psalmist shows that whoever accepts insults for the name of the Lord with great joy will be rewarded with divine joy of the heart for his patience (Vasily V.).

22 Be, O Lord, Thy mercy upon us, as if we put our trust in Thee.

These prophetic words are filled with great boldness and boldness. For who has such hope as to fearlessly say, Measure mercy with my hope? This is what Christ teaches: measure according to the smallest measure, it will be measured to you ( Matt. 7, 2). Therefore, let us acquire both perfect and sincere hope, and a life in accordance with hope, so that the fruit of this will have great mercy (Theodoret).

Psalter. Kathisma 5. Psalm 33

1 Psalm to David, always change your face before Abimelech, and let him go, and depart, 33

The God-father prophet David, filled with the greatest gratitude for deliverance from the impending danger, expresses his intention to glorify the Lord all his life, inviting all believers to the praise of God: for this pious man saw that all his cunning, which he used to save his life, pretending to be insane, would not have helped him in the least without the help and favor of God (Vasily V.).

2 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise is always in my mouth.

Learn Is it possible? —Perhaps, because the inner man has some spiritual lips with which he can always thank the Lord. The thought of God, affirmed in the mind, can be called the praise of God. Take out - i.e. unceasing praise of the Lord in the mouth of the faithful, especially after the sacrament of the life-giving Mysteries of Christ (Vasily V.).

3 My soul will boast in the Lord; let the meek hear and rejoice.

To boast in the Lord means to refer everything to the Lord, as it is said: let not the wise boast of their wisdom, and let not the strong boast of their strength, and let the rich not boast of their riches. But about this, let boast, boast, if you understand and know the Lord your God ( Jer. 9, 23-24). The meek are the gentle or the poor, who, if they are in misfortune, let them rejoice when they see my miraculous salvation from enemies by the power of God for my gentleness (Vasily V., Feofan).

4 Praise the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

How can we, the humble, magnify the Lord, greater than all creation and comprehension? Nothing else than if we do, speak and think worthy of the majesty, glory, splendor and holiness of God. For just as the name of God is defiled by bad deeds and impure thoughts of dishonest people, so it is sanctified by our actions and thoughts. Why does the Savior say in prayer: hallowed be Thy name, that it may be hallowed in us by our holy thoughts and deeds (Anfim, Didim).

5 Seek the Lord and hear me, and deliver me from all my troubles.

Seeking the Lord is a painful cry to Him. It is most necessary to seek the Lord by fasting and prayer, mercy and all sorts of virtues that deliver a person from all temporary and eternal sorrows. Saint David - a man after God's own heart 1 King. 13, 14); however, it was also given to him to experience extreme sorrows, for a complete removal from them would be useless. For if sorrow makes patience, patience is an art ( Rome. 5, 3), then the one who avoids grief deprives himself of experience (Vasily V., Feofan).

6 Draw near to Him and be enlightened, and your faces will not be put to shame.

The Lord is everywhere: but how to approach Him? - Painful pestering in fervent prayer, like the gospel widow pestering the unrighteous judge (cf. OK. 18). Whoever approaches God with such sincere constancy will be heard. Blessed is the one whose conscience is not defiled by vicious deeds.
And those who did evil will rise to reproach and shame, in order to see in themselves the abomination and the imprint of the sins committed. A terrible word about the shame of sinners: perhaps more terrible than darkness and eternal fire is the shame in which sinners eternally abide, having before their eyes traces of carnal sins that continuously continue in their spiritual memory, as if from some indelible paint (Vasily V., Feofan) .

7 This poor man called, and the Lord heard, and saved him from all his troubles.

Saint David teaches here how one can be heard from the Lord. If you cried out and were not heard, it was because you were rich before God. Cry like a beggar and the Lord will hear you. Do not appropriate any merit for yourself, but recognize yourself as miserable and poor, and this until you acquire the One who makes everyone who calls on Him rich. Every virtue, and above all poverty, has a distinctive feature of free will (Augustin, Vasily V.).

8 The angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear him, and deliver them.

Human dignity is high. See what heaven, earth, sun and moon are like: and the Lord did not deign to rest in them, but only in man. Therefore, man is more precious than all creatures, even, I dare say, not only visible, but also invisible (angels). It is said: angelic hosts are around those who fear Him.
From the time of baptism, every Christian is assigned from God a holy guardian angel to be kept from enemies visible and invisible, unless a person drives him away from himself with bad sinful deeds. For just as smoke drives away bees, so the sinful stench of a person drives away a guardian angel.
As spiritual angels, they see the soul, and listen to our prayers with a readiness to provide any timely help. Therefore, how reasonable and obligatory is our appeal to them in prayers (Macariy V., Feofan).

9 Taste and see how good the Lord is: blessed is the man who hopes Nan.

The holy fathers see a special source of partaking of the goodness of God in the communion of the divine Mysteries. This verse is sung in the Church during the Communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. Hope is characteristic not of those who live in carelessness and carelessness, but of those who day and night work vigilantly in exploits and good deeds.
Do not delude yourself: hope in God is preceded by work for God and sweat shed in doing good. And in Christianity one can partake of the grace of God. And this tasting is undoubtedly the active power of the Spirit, performing its service in the heart. And such ascetics do not learn anything from people - grace itself writes the laws of the Spirit on their hearts (Theophanes, Isaac, Macarius V.).

10 Fear the Lord, all his saints, for there is no hardship for those who fear him.

A saint is one who sanctifies and completely cleanses the inner man. Abstinence from visible evil deeds is not yet perfection, but the purification of the mind is perfection! For if the fear of God does not govern our lives, then it is impossible for sanctification to take place in the body. The God-fearing person does not sin in anything, because he does not despise anything. Work diligently for the Lord - and you will lawfully seek all help from Him (Makariy V., Vasily V., Feofan).

11 Riches are impoverished and drunkards; but those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of all good.

Do not interpret this passage literally, but understand spiritual blessings, invisible to the eyes, but tasted by the heart. Formerly rich in spiritual gifts, the Jews lost all this for their ungodliness against Christ. Those who seek the Lord are those who voluntarily neglect the blessings of the world. They have boldness before God for their God-fearing life and a clear conscience. The rich in this century can also be understood as those who rely in everything on their mind and strength, money, connections or position (Vasily V., Augustine, Feofan, Maxim the Greek).

12 Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

This is the voice of a sincere Teacher, calling for teaching with paternal mercy. The Prophet does not have his own school, but the school of the Holy Spirit, as he himself confessed: The Spirit of the Lord speaks in me, and His word is in my tongue ( 2 Kings 23, 2). This knowledge is above all knowledge and requires vigilant study. The fear of the Lord can be taught only by those who have the true fear of God (Vasily V., Chrysostom).

13 Who is a man who wants his life, loves to see good days;

Does everyone truly understand what happiness is and how to achieve it? - Do not look for good days here. For on earth everyone lived in labor and cramped conditions. Read the Scriptures that are written for our comfort and instruction, and you will be convinced of this. Here, in the days of the prophet Elijah, there was a terrible famine, such that mothers roasted their children (see 2 Kings 6, 2630).
Did the Apostle Paul have good days, when it is known that he spent them often in hunger and thirst, in cold and in hunger (see 2 Cor. 11, 27). Yes, and Vladyka Himself did not have good days in earthly life, but endured reproach and mutilation, the cross and all evil. And the promises of the Prophet refer to the future life: there will be good days (Augustine).

14 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips speak no lies.

Our life is filled with the fall of the tongue, and almost everyone acts with their tongue, at random. Many fell with the edge of the sword, but not like the tongue ( Sir. 28, 16). For only curbing the tongue will live quietly, humbly, and blessed, even if your mouth does not creep ( Sir. 19.6). To keep one's tongue from evil means: not to hurt the conscience of one's neighbor with anything, not to slander, not to irritate.
And not to speak flattery with your mouth means not to deceive your neighbor, for flattery is a hidden villainy against your neighbor, committed under the guise of goodness (Vasily V., Dorotheus).

15 Turn away from evil, and do good: seek peace, and marry and.

Thou shalt not do evil, and no evil will overtake thee: depart from iniquity, and it will turn away from you ( Sir. 7, 12). Hold on to peacefulness with all your efforts and, if possible, from you, have peace with everyone ( Rome. 12, 18). Peace is the same as all-embracing love. What world is the prophet talking about? About inner or outer, about peace of the heart or about peace with others? About this and that. For peace with neighbor is impossible if it is not in the heart. First cleanse your heart of passions and be at peace within yourself, and then the peace that has settled in your heart will spread around you and outside.
He who seeks peace seeks Christ, who is our peace ( Eph. 2, 14). And the search for Christ is impossible without prayer. Everyone who wants to be saved must not only not do evil, but must also do good, for example: if someone was angry, he must not only not be angry, but also acquire meekness; if anyone was proud, he should not only not be proud, but also humble himself, and this means: turn away from evil and do good. For every passion has a virtue opposite to it (Vasily V., Feofan, Dorotheus).

16 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are on their prayer.

Righteous here calls the virtuous. Just as every deed of such a man is worthy of the sight of God, so is every word of his, for the righteous one speaks without idle talk, powerfully and effectively. Before the appeal, - I will answer: he will still speak, and I will already hear (Ex. 65, 24) - says the Lord God (Vasily V., Gregory of Nyssa).

17 But the face of the Lord, against those who do evil, consume their remembrance from the earth.

David depicts here the definition of God Himself: I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, give the sins of the father to the children up to the third and up to the fourth generation to those who hate Me ( Ref. 20.5). Those who did not celebrate under the righteous Noah - the flood drowned everyone; Sodomites and Gomorrites - the fire consumed them all. Who remained from the offspring of the rebels Dathan and Aviron, whom the earth swallowed up with their dwellings? Extinct, according to the prescribed Law of the Truth of God, the whole family of Sauls, Ahabs, Jezebelins, Herods, and many similar examples are presented by sacred history (Theophanes).

18 Call the righteous, and the Lord heard them, and deliver them from all their troubles.

The cry of the righteous is mental, and it is pronounced in the secret of the heart and reaches to the very hearing of God. And as they seek the great and heavenly, the Lord heeds their voice, not so much freeing them from grief, but strengthening them above everything that happens (Vasily V.).

19 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the humble in spirit.

Mostly, however, God cares for those who have modest thoughts about themselves, for such He called contrite hearts. The same is the one who weeps over his sins, for tenderness and tears greatly crush the heart and thought. Also, the one who is alien to any arrogance and is not proud of anything human is broken in heart and humble in spirit (Vasily V., Theodoret).

20 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, and the Lord will deliver them all.

God's people must prepare themselves for struggle and feat: they must endure sorrows, external and internal battles, so that, taking blows upon themselves, they can overcome them with patience. This is the way of Christianity. Where the Holy Spirit is, there, like a shadow, persecution and scolding follow. You see how the prophets, although the Spirit worked in them, were always persecuted by fellow tribesmen. You see how the Lord, who is the Way and the Truth, was persecuted not by another people, but by his own. Therefore, we should not be amazed: the truth needs to be persecuted (Macariy V.).

21 The Lord keeps all their bones, not one of them will be broken.

Wouldn't it be better to understand this about the inner man? For the Prophet called thoughts bones. Just as the body rests on hard bones, so the soul acquires salvation through worthy thoughts. And no matter how strong sorrows are, the inner structure of the righteous remains indestructible. They do not succumb to cowardice, grumbling, or wavering in faith.
It is appropriate to understand the words of this verse in the literal sense: namely, about the incorruption of the holy relics of the saints of God and about the future resurrection and glorification of all the righteous on the day of the future death of the world (Vasily V., Theodoret, Anfim).

22 The death of sinners is cruel, and those who hate the righteous will sin.

Just as the lovers of virtue enjoy so many blessings, so those who live viciously will die according to life. They hate the righteous, because they themselves live in sins, and the morals of the righteous, like the straightness of the rule, convict them. Not enduring reproof, they hatefully turn to the righteous... Sinners have many pretexts for hating the righteous, but the main one is that the righteous by his very appearance and presence convicts sinners (Vasily V., Theodoret).

23 The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants, and all who trust in him will not sin.

Save, i.e. God will strengthen the patience of the souls of His servants from the evil intentions of vicious people and demons. And they will not sin, i.e. Those who trust in Him will not be subjected to severe spiritual distress, because they are saved by the grace of God through repentance. For hope in God (hope) keeps one from being carried away by passions (Cassian, Athanasius).

Psalter. Kathisma 5. Psalm 34

Psalm to David, 34

This psalm is a fervent prayer to God for intercession and deliverance from enemies. Jesus Christ pointed to the words of this psalm as a prophecy about the causeless hatred of the Jews towards Him (see John 25:25).
And since David in his sufferings was a prototype of the Messiah Christ, ungratefully rejected by his people, the Christian Church from ancient times saw in this psalm a prophetic prefiguration of Christ the Savior hated and persecuted by the Jews, as well as those who believe in Him. This psalm is useful to read during the onslaught of impure thoughts. Here is the prayer of every faithful one against offending visible and invisible enemies (Athanasius, Studite).

1 Judge, O Lord, those who offend me; overcome those who fight me.

The prophet, in his gentleness enduring offense, flows to the Righteous Judge God, asking that by His justice he will forbid the enemies who offend him. Know that the passions hidden in us are not our own, but alien. Under those who offend and fight, understand crafty spirits that are opposed to Christ's virtues (Macarius, Athanasius).

2 Take up arms and shield, and stand up for my help.

Lists the types of weapons to frighten those who live viciously. God, however, does not set in motion so many tools, punishing offenders; A word is enough for him to bring them to their final execution (Theodoret).

3 Pull out your sword and make a stand against those who persecute me. The mouths of my soul: your salvation is Az.

Since the Prophet mentioned weapons, he shows, not without reason, that God does not need such benefits, but with a single word he punishes some, and favors others. The mouths of my soul that You will be its Savior (Theodoret).

4 Let those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; let them turn back and be put to shame who think evil of me.
5 Let them be as dust before the face of the wind, and the angel of the Lord insulting them.
6 May their path be dark and creeping, and the Angel of the Lord guide them.

The angel of the Lord is sent from God to punish the evil ones: such was the one who destroyed the first-born Egyptians, and the one who killed 185 thousand Assyrians (Theodoret).

7 It is as if you have hidden the ruin of your net for me in vain, blaspheming my soul in vain.

Tune - without my fault.

8 Let a net come to him, not a message, and a trap, but a hidden one, let him embrace it, and let it fall into the net into the nude.

All this is said about the disasters that befell the Jews for the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and about Judas and the devil. Judas fell into the net of the gallows (hanged himself); God-fighting Jews themselves are entangled in their own nets, pursued by persecution and "scatter" throughout the universe. Similarly, the devil, who invented the network of the Cross, lost his kingdom through the Cross (Hesychius).

9 But my soul shall rejoice in the Lord, rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones say: Lord, Lord, who is like you; Deliver the poor from the hand of those who strengthen him, and the poor and the needy from those who plunder him.

He calls the bones both the internal members of the body and the guarding thoughts of the soul. The soul always rejoices in the Lord. He consoles the mournful and tormented soul not to lose heart in difficult circumstances, as the holy apostle testifies, saying: in everything grieving: out of battle, inside of fear; but comfort the humble, God comfort us... 2 Cor. 7.5) (Student).

11 Standing up on me as a witness of iniquity, though I know not, I will inquire of me.
12 The wicked one rewarded me with goodness, and the childlessness of my soul.

From this verse, the face of Christ is introduced, which is discussed by false witnesses at the bishop's court. The Orthodox Church explains this verse especially touchingly in her hymns on the Great Heel, turning on behalf of Christ: “My people, what will I do to you? or why are you cold? Enlighten your blind, cleanse your lepers, correct your husband, who is on the bed. My people, what shall I do to you? or what do you give me? - for manna bile, for water otset, for a hedgehog to love Me, nail Me to the Cross ... ”(stichera of the sixth hour) (Athanasius, Cyril).

13 But when they are cold, they put on sackcloth, and humble my soul with fasting, and my prayer will return to my bosom.

From this we learn how to endure misfortune. Do not be deceived, you will not be able to free yourself from the mental pharaoh if you do not always eat bitter potion and unleavened bread: i.e. compulsion and patience of fasting and humble sophistication. Prayer in the bowels - i.e. returns in favor of the soul of the one praying (Theodoret, Ladder).

14 Like a neighbor, like our brother, so please: like weeping and mourning, so humble yourself.

These verses reveal the beauty of the soul of the Prophet, beloved by God, and tell how, in deep sorrow for the sick king who hated him, he fasted and prayed to propitiate the Lord to him; explain to us the secret of the healing power of his music, showing that its effectiveness in driving away the evil spirit that tormented Saul was determined by the preliminary feats of fasting and prayer.
In the face of David grieving for Saul, we are shown a prototype of Christ the Savior, Who, for the salvation of humanity aching with sin, put on sackcloth of human flesh and “as a brother or friend, tried to do good deeds to them” and “grew so much for their death that he grieved and grieved, and wept and prayed for their sins” (Athanasius).

15 And they rejoiced at me, and gathered together: they gathered wounds against me, and did not know; they were divided, and did not repent.
16 Tempt me, imitate me with imitation, gnash your teeth at me.

It was in this form that the relationship of the Saul courtiers to David was built (see 1 Kings). The gnashing of teeth calls slander. In a illustrative sense, here is the prejudice of ingratitude towards Jesus Christ of the Jews, who showered Him with slander and ridicule and achieved before Pilate that He be condemned to be crucified (Athanasius, Cyril, Hesychius).

17 Lord, when you see; arrange my soul from their wickedness, from my only begotten lion.

Since the rattle is characteristic of lions, he rightly called the leaders of the Jews lions, exposing their bloodthirstiness and brutality of hearts. You can mean by lions and opposing forces. He called the only begotten soul, devoid of any human help (Athanasius, Theodoret).

18 I will confess Thee in many churches; among the heavy people I will praise Thee.

People who are burdensome - first burdened with sins, then cleansed by holy Baptism and repentance, became strong in faith - God is glorified in them (Theodoret).

19 Let them not rejoice over me who are at war with me in unrighteousness, who hate me, and who anoint my eyes.

Tune means in vain, and he calls flatterers who commemorate ochima. Everywhere in divine Scripture, blinking of the eyes is condemned. So, in Proverbs it is noticed about evil that he (the foolish and lawless) winks his eye, gives a sign with his foot, teaches by nodding his fingers (see ch. Prov. 6, 12-13). And another wise man says: the merciful eye forges evil ( Sir. 27, 24).
These reproaches fall on those who, with a proud thought, despise and dishonor the lower ones, showing pride through the appearance and movement of the eyebrows. Note that the Lord mentions all this in the Gospel of John, saying: “But let the word that is written in their law be fulfilled: as if you hated me to a tuna” ( In. 15, 25), where the name of the law is taken more extensively and is also said in relation to the psalms (Vasily V.).

20 As for me, I have spoken peacefully, and I have thought of the wrath of flattery.
21 Opening your mouth against me, saying: Good, good, you have seen our eyes.

David means blasphemous mockery of enemies at the cross of Christ (Athanasius).

22 Thou hast seen, O Lord; do not remain silent: O Lord, do not depart from me.
23 Arise, O Lord, and attend to my judgment, my God and my Lord, on my right.
24 Judge me, O Lord, according to thy righteousness, O Lord my God, and let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts: Good, good for our souls;
26 Let them be ashamed and put to shame together who rejoice in my evil: let them be clothed with shame and shame who speak against me.

Those and it is decent to be in shame, which scoff at relatives. Therefore, David asks that the majestic and eloquent be in shame (Theodoret).

27 Let them rejoice and be glad who desire my righteousness;
28 And my tongue shall learn thy righteousness, all the day long thy praise.

This is how the psalm ends. And I implore the readers not to turn the prayers of the righteous into any harm for themselves, and not to extract from this a reason to curse the enemies, but to know that David did not say this cursing, but prophetically foreshadowing what will undoubtedly happen. For David did not take revenge on those who offended, as he himself says: if I repay those who repay me evil, then I will fall away from my enemies thin ( Ps. 7.56) ... and his deeds are clearer than words.
For twice having the enemy in his hands, he not only did not kill him himself, but also prevented him from doing so. And when the enemy fell in battle, he mourned him bitterly; and who announced his death, because he reported with delight and boasted that he himself had killed, put him to death. I considered it necessary to spread about this for the sake of those who themselves slander and represent the divine David as an example, so that they would profitably take David's lofty wisdom (Theodoret) as a model for themselves.

Psalter. Kathisma 5. Psalm 35

1 To the end, to the servant of the Lord David, 35

David, seeing the increasing pride and malice in people, under the inspiration of the Spirit, composed a real psalm in order to reveal the malevolence of every cunning and treacherous person. In the end means the prophecy of the eternal death of such people. Anyone can be called a servant of the Lord for his own pleasing to God, as a faithful servant of God. The prophet marvels at the excessive love of God and sends up a prayer that protects from falling into pride (Athanasius).

2 The most lawless saying is to sin in oneself: there is no fear of God before his eyes.

The lawless one thinks that he sins secretly in his conscience, and that God does not see his embittered heart. What is the reason for such insensitivity? - There is no fear of God before his eyes. The more carnal way of life a person leads, the more he becomes all carnal: he does not see God in anything, even in the most wonderful manifestations of His Divine Power - he sees flesh, matter in everything, and everywhere and at all times there is no God before his eyes (Athanasius, John of Kronstadt).

3 To flatter before him, to find your iniquity, and hate him.

He flatters himself in his own eyes, as if looking for his iniquity in order to hate it. It is not he who confesses who says: I have sinned and remains in sin, but he who has found his iniquity and hated it. For what is the use of a doctor's diligence for the sick when the patient does what upsets his life.
So there is no benefit from the forgiveness of sins to those who continue to do untruth. But when is sin abandoned? - When the virtues in the soul mentally produce in it hatred for the opposite passions (Vasily V.).

4 The words of his mouth are iniquity and flattery;
5 Consider iniquity in your bed: stand before every way that is not good, but do not be indignant at wickedness.

He does not think that God knows and hates not only sins, but also the sinner himself (Athanasius).

6 Lord, Thy mercy is in heaven, and Thy truth is up to the clouds.
7 Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God; Thy judgments are many abyss: save men and cattle, O Lord.
8 Thou hast multiplied thy mercy, O God;

The prophet marvels at the boundless mercy of God and philanthropy, at the fact that He saves both faithful people and those who live bestially, carnal, but turning to Him with repentance. Everything heavenly and earthly depends on the mercy of God. The prophet confesses the incomprehensibility of the judgments of God, calling the judgments of God a great abyss, in which it is impossible to investigate the foundations either by measure or feeling. For even what we know is the work of the wisdom of God.
We must be convinced of only one thing, that everything is sent by God for our benefit, and of the very way not to investigate and not to grumble, and not to lose heart when we do not know it: for our truth is a commensurate division according to the justice of reason, and God's truth is a corrective and rewarding according to divine laws (Vasily V., Gregory the Theologian, Chrysostom).

9 They will drink in the fatness of your house, and give me a drink of your sweetness.

When divine Scripture speaks of intoxication, it does not mean intoxication with wine, but the wiser action of the word. Get drunk, i.e. will be satisfied. The house of God is the Holy Church, its fatness is Divine grace emanating from the flow of the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. And some under the stream of sweetness mean the communion of the Most Pure Body and Blood of Christ (Chrysostom, Theodoret).

10 As You have a source of life, in Your light we shall see light.

God is Light. In Your Light, i.e. in the enlightenment of the Spirit we shall see the true Light, which enlightens every man ( In. 19). The Spirit in Himself shows the glory of the Only Begotten, and in Himself communicates the knowledge of God. Therefore, the path of theology is from the one Spirit, through the Only Begotten Son, to the one Father. Here is the theology of the Trinity: from the Light of the Father we receive the Light of the Son in the Light of the Spirit (Vasily V., Gregory the Theologian).

11 Show Thy mercy to those who guide Thee, and Thy righteousness with the right heart.

He asks those who know God to continue Divine mercy, and to those who are right in heart and mild-mannered - always give righteous help and worthy retribution (Cyril).

12 Let not the foot of pride come upon me, and let not the hand of a sinner move me.

The prophet asks in prayer for help from the Lord to avoid being stung by the arrow of pride. Because all other passions are directed either against sinners or people; this one is against God Himself; The Lord opposes the proud Jacob. 4, 6).
The newest teachers interpret this passage curiously, saying that pride has only one leg, because the proud one trusts only in himself and relies entirely on himself. Or that it is like some kind of monster and animal with one leg. The sinner's hand is a demonic impulse to shameful deeds (Cassian, Athanasius).

13 There, all the workers of iniquity have fallen down;

Davil, as if with a finger, points to the death of the wicked in the next age. There, at the Last Judgment of God, all those who do iniquity from time to time will be in hellfire forever (Jerome).

Psalter. Kathisma 5. Psalm 36

Psalm to David, 36

The psalm contains a saving medicine for the faint-hearted, who, seeing the wicked prosperous in the world, are tempted by this and doubt God's Providence. The prophet urges to take care not of temporal, but of eternal blessings; for the righteous for temporal misfortune awaits eternal prosperity (Athanasius).

1 Do not be jealous of the wicked; be jealous of those who do iniquity.
2 Zane like grass will soon wither, like a potion of cereal will soon fall away.

The prophet, as a spiritual physician, urges the sorrows encountered to endure complacently, and to recognize the prosperity of the evil ones as worthy of all regret, for: all flesh is hay, and all the glory of man is like a flower of grass. The grass is gone, and the flower is gone, but the word of our God abides forever ( Is. 40, 68) (Theodoret).

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good deeds, and fill the earth, and enjoy its riches.
4 Delight in the Lord, and give thee the petitions of thy heart.

The prophet shows the benefits of trusting in God. The predominant benefit is received by those who consider unceasing prayer to God as their pleasure. Enjoy the Lord, i.e. converse unceasingly with the Lord (Theodoret).

5 Open your way to the Lord, and trust in Him, and He will do it.
6 And it will bring out your righteousness like a light, and your fate like noon.

A faithful person opens all the thoughts of his heart in prayer to God the Knower of Hearts, constantly asking for His grace-filled help (Athanasius).

7 Be obedient to the Lord, and implore Him: do not be jealous of the one who sings in his way, the man who commits transgression.

Obey the Lord, i.e. depart from evil, for whoever sins is disobedient to the Lord. He expounds here two glorious virtues: humility and prayer. For in humble obedience to the Lord lies the fulfillment of all His commandments, and prayer is, as it were, a kind of mental favor and fragrance to God (Cyril).

8 Cease from anger, and leave fury: do not be jealous of deceitfulness.
9 But those who are evil will be consumed: but those who endure the Lord, these shall inherit the earth.

The penitent should not be angry, not vindictive, but forgive everyone their sins. Man retains anger against man, says the Wise One, but seeks healing from the Lord ( Sir. 28, 3). This impure passion - anger inflames even the prudent, and not in such a way that it embarrasses one and not the other, but I have to say that it confuses all people, except for the perfect ...
Fervent prayer against this passion is needed. Deceit is an arbitrary evil deed: for it is another thing to do evil out of ignorance and as if conquered by it, and another thing to do evil on purpose; the latter is such evil, according to which the devil is also called evil (Chrysostom, Cyril).

10 And yet it is not enough, and there will be no sinner: and you seek his place, and you do not find it.

The life of man is very short, and the time of bodily life has been shortened. Therefore, the sinner, being overtaken by the end of life, will not see his place, for he will undoubtedly move to hell. However, the survivors will not recognize this place, because of its desecration by many iniquities (Cyril).

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight in the abundance of the world.

The meek are the generous and patient, who overcome the passion of anger. They are deservedly granted the inheritance of the eternal earth, since they were often deprived of the blessings of this temporary life due to their meekness and lack of curiosity. The one who does not take on the forms of evil spirits and through this does not intend sin, but pronounces a strict sentence on the earth of his heart, paying tribute to sin (Theodoret, Hesychius) will enjoy the abundance of peace.

12 The sinner looks upon the righteous and gnashes his teeth with his teeth.

This can be understood about the devil (Athanasius).

13 But the Lord will laugh at him; he will not see, that his day will come.

The sinner does not tolerate the virtue of the righteous, considering it a denunciation of his depravity, so he watches how to depose the immaculate. Although the righteous does not know this, the all-seeing God chuckles at the vain mischief of the wicked, knowing that on the day appointed by Him He will reward one with eternal life, and the other with eternal torment (Athanasius).

14 Draw the sword of the wicked, bend your bow, bring down the wretched and the poor, slay the upright in heart.
15 Let their sword go into their hearts, and let their bows be crushed.

And this gives consolation to the offended, for it shows that the sinner, although he uses all sorts of methods against those who have not offended him, nevertheless gets entangled in his own nets (Theodoret).

16 Better is a little for the righteous, than the riches of sinners are much.

It is better to do a little with the fear of God than a lot and a lot with confusion. Will shortcomings confuse you, remember the words of Christ the Savior: seek first the Kingdom of God, and all this will be added to you ( OK. 12, 31) (Barsanuphius).

17 For the sinners' muscles will break, but the righteous Lord declares.
18 The Lord knows the way of the undefiled, and their inheritance will be forever.

The property of the immaculate is the Kingdom of Heaven (Tikhon).

19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied: as sinners will perish.

The righteous during famine and general scarcity will be sated just as Elijah was fed by the raven during the famine, and many others who miraculously received food from God. During times of persecution, the Lord Himself will saturate those who believe in Him with the Holy Spirit. In a figurative sense, the Prophet indicates that those diligent in the study of the Scriptures will not experience the pleasure of hearing the word of God ( Amos. 8, 11), and sinners will suffer the hunger of holy teachings (Chrysostom, Athanasius, Cyril).

20 Defeat the Lord, glorify them and exalt themselves, vanishing like smoke has disappeared.

God-hating people because of their iniquities, after they bloomed for some time and seemed famous and glorious, disappeared like smoke (Theodoret).

21 The sinner borrows and does not return, but the righteous is generous and gives.

The sinner does not repay with thanksgiving for what he has been blessed by God. And the righteous one repays with bounties and imitates his Lord. The wicked desires evil lust all day long, but the righteous has mercy and mercy mercilessly ( Prov. 21.26) (Athanasius).

22 For those who bless him shall inherit the earth, but those who curse him shall be consumed.

God cares so much for the righteous that he even has mercy on those who respect and glorify him; how, on the contrary, he punishes those who do not respect and dishonor him; why did he say to Abraham: I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will be cursed ( Gen. 12, 3) (Theodoret).

23 From the Lord the steps of a man are straightened, and his ways will be greatly desired.

Christian wise reasoning that God's Providence is present in all human affairs! So, first of all, we must have firm faith in God: for without Him nothing good can be done, just as He Himself said: without Me you can do nothing ( In. 15.5) (John of Tobolsk).

24 When it falls, it is not broken: as the Lord strengthens his hand.

It is good for the ascetic not to fall, but if he fell, did he really perish completely? - Never. And for him there is consolation: he will not be broken, because he has God as his support. And the philanthropic God does not want to break anyone who falls by sin, but strengthens his infirmity with His Divine help, expecting that he will rise again whole and unharmed through repentance. Only the one who, after sinning, indulged in every sin fell (Chrysostom, Athanasius).

25 The youngest was, for he grew old, and did not see the righteous left, asking for bread below his seed.

The Lord never deprives a righteous man of His providence, He even cares about his kinship. So about Israel, even those who transgressed the law, He hunted for the forefathers' virtue. And Solomon, who fell into wickedness, suffered for his father's love of God (Theodoret).

26 All day long the righteous one has mercy, and the righteous one gives in return, and his seed will be a blessing.

The righteous with his generous charity through money, things, words and advice - has mercy on those who receive, and in return gives to God all of them, according to the word of the Wise: have mercy on the poor, give to God in return ( Prov. 19, 17) (Theodoret).

27 Turn away from evil, and do good, and abide forever and ever.

God exacts from man a good will, which must be constant. And if the sinner does not first hate sin, then he will not be able to become a doer of righteousness (the elders of the Egyptian skete).

28 For the Lord loves judgment, and will not forsake his saints: they will be preserved forever. But the wicked will be wed, and the seed of the wicked will be consumed.
It is not for nothing that different tribes and peoples are observed by God with delusions regarding the single divine truth. Even for the sake of one who turns to the truth, the Lord saves the whole generation from which he comes. For example: the long-suffering Job was a descendant of Esau hated by God; and the father according to the flesh of the patriarch Abraham was the pagan Paran. If, however, what tribe or people are so wicked that not a single righteous man can come from them, then this seed of the wicked will be destroyed (Ambrose of Optina).

29 The righteous women will inherit the earth, and dwell on it forever and ever.

Not sensual land. For after the general resurrection, according to the command of God, all creation must change and be renewed and become spiritual, and the spiritual must inherit the earth, spiritual and incorporeal, incorruptible and eternal. The sky will become incomparably brighter and brighter; the earth will perceive a new and inexpressible beauty, dressed in diverse unfading flowers, bright and spiritual; the sun will shine seven times stronger than now. The whole world will become spiritual and divine and unite with the intelligent (angelic) world - and will appear as the heavenly Jerusalem. Not a single person has yet inherited this land: we are all strangers and strangers on earth ( Heb. 11, 13). When the earthly is united with the heavenly, then the righteous will inherit the renewed earth (Simeon the New Theologian).

30 The mouth of the righteous will learn wisdom, and his tongue will pronounce judgment.

It is a fitting thing for the saints to speak wisdom, for the saints reject idle talk. The burning silver is the tongue of the righteous, but the heart of the wicked is worthless ( Prov. 10, 20). Judgment is called the correct reasoning about each subject. A righteous person does not have a word without consideration: having judged how it should be said, he speaks in due time and is silent, because the lips of the wise are connected by feeling ( Proverbs 15:7) (Kirill).

31 The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps will not stumble.

He who constantly converses with God receives from the Lord the gift of prudence and always speaks wisely. In conversations, the righteous will not sin with the tongue and will not be able to be caught in the word, because he constantly contains prayer and meditates on the commandments of God. Let us also receive in our hearts the law of the Spirit of God, as He promised: I will put My law in their inwardness, and I will write it on their hearts ( Jer. 31, 33),
to keep the mind in truth, and the speech in simplicity, in order to have the mind of Christ ( 1 Cor. 2, 16) and walk in newness of life ( Rome. 6, 4), not manifesting one in the heart, and the other in the external. For God hates a false and feigned disposition. No wonder the Lord has unquestionably announced to us that what defiles a person from within, comes from the heart ( Mk. 7, 23) (Chrysostom, Theodoret, Macarius V.).

32 The sinner looks at the righteous, and looks for a hedgehog to kill him.
33 But the Lord will not leave him in his hand; he will judge him below, when he judges him.

The Lord of heaven and earth will not leave the righteous man unsupervised when evil people plot against him, but will arrange so that the righteous man will jump over all these evil networks (Theodoret).

34 Be patient with the Lord, and keep his way, and he will exalt thee to inherit the earth: when a sinner is consumed, behold.

An excellent work is patience, because experience produces, and it produces hope that will not be put to shame. In all inspired Scripture we find that patience is glorified as leading to all good (Cyril).

35 He saw the wicked, exalting himself, and exalting himself like the cedars of Lebanon.
36 And I went past, and behold, I sought him, and found not his place.

Those who exalt themselves with a false mind, and imagine that they have comprehended the secrets of the Most High God, are also called cedars. And their extermination is instantaneous. They went past, and behold (Vasily V., Feodorit).

37 Keep kindness, and see righteousness, as if there is a remnant of a peaceful man.
38 But the wicked shall be consumed together; but the remains of the wicked shall be consumed.

Offers exhortation and advice not to pay attention to temporary sorrows, but to care for the simplicity of the heart in the hope of future retribution. For God, as a reward to a peaceful person, gives the same pious offspring, and to him, after death, indescribable blessings, according to what was said: blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, for their deeds go after them ( Apoc. 14, 13). The lawless, on the contrary, will be consumed with their remains, since in their lusts and iniquities they destroyed all their heritage (Athanasius, Theodoret).

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, and their protector is in time of trouble.
40 And the Lord will help them, and deliver them, and take them away from the sinner, and save them, as having trusted in Him.

Delve with your mind and heart into these divine words of the Spirit - they do not need human explanation.

About the inheritor, a psalm to David, 5

Inspire my words, Lord, understand my calling. Listen to the voice of my prayer, my King and my God, as if I pray to You, Lord. In the morning hear my voice, in the morning I will appear to You and see me. As God does not want iniquity, You are: the crafty will not settle down with You, below the lawless ones will be before Your eyes: you hated all those who do lawlessness. Destroy all who speak lies: the Lord abhors a man of blood and flattering. But with the multitude of Thy mercy, I will enter Thy house, I will bow to Thy holy temple, in Thy fear. Lord, guide me in Thy righteousness, for the sake of my enemy, straighten my path before Thee. It is as if there is no truth in their mouths, their heart is vain, their throat is open to the grave: tongues with their tongues. Judge them, O God, that they fall away from their thoughts; according to the multitude of their wickedness, forgive me, as if I had grieved Thee, Lord. And let all who trust in Thee rejoice, rejoice forever, and dwell in them, and those who love Your name boast in Thee. Like you bless the righteous, Lord: like a weapon of good will, you crowned us.

Psalm 5 in Russian

Interpretation of Athanasius the Great

Ps.5:1. About the heir, a psalm to David.

The "inheritor" is the God-loving soul, or the Church. What does she inherit? “They eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and has not entered into the heart of man” (1 Corinthians 2:9). She prays, and in order to be heard, she represents her rightness, and exposes the cunning of her opponents.

Ps.5:2. Suggest my verbs...
Ps.5:3. Like I will pray to you.

In the enjoyment of mental light I will pray to You; therefore I "hope" that you will hear me.

Ps.5:4. Tomorrow I will appear to you.

Great praise for diligence is to present yourself to God from the very bed and precede the sun with thanksgiving. For thus, he says, I will behold Thy divine and holy mysteries, prepared by Thee for those who love Thee.

Ps.5:5. Like God does not want iniquity, You are.

I hope that I will be heard by You, because I did not do anything hated by You. And hateful to you are iniquity, deceit, injustice, lies, envy, deceit.

Ps.5:6. Thou hast hated all those who do iniquity,
Ps.5:7. Kill all those who tell lies.

Workers of iniquity He called those who sin in the way of life; and they are hateful to God. And those who have fallen away from the truth and those who think differently, he called those who speak lies; and God will destroy them. Note the difference between the sayings: "thou hate" and "destroy" - firstly, in the fact that in the expression "destroy" it is expressed worse than in the saying "thou hated", and secondly, that one verb is placed in the past and the other in the future tense. By those who tell lies, he also means those who call idols and the demons themselves gods, and who in idols utter false and obscure answers and divinations.

The Lord abhors a bloody and flattering man.

For God hates and abhors such.

Ps.5:8. But in the multitude of Thy mercy I will enter into Thy house,

- to the heavenly Jerusalem and the mother of the firstborn.

I will bow to Your holy temple, in Your fear.

The Temple of God is a valiant and holy state of soul, which those who have reached with boldness say: “But Christ, as the Son rests in His house, in whose house we are” (Heb. 3:6). Enjoying Your benevolence, says a holy and pure soul, and protected by Your right hand, I offer You unceasing worship in the sacred temple of Your glory; because, always keeping your fear in me, I will not dare to reject it, by relying on your philanthropy.

Ps.5:9. Enemy for my sake

That is, spiritual enemies,

make my way right before Thee.
Ps.5:10. Their heart is vain,

That is, the heart of the wise of this age, or even heretics; for they do not know the word of truth.

The coffin opened their larynx, their tongues to the liar.

They soften their tongue and utter deadly teachings.

Ps.5:11. Let them fall away from their thoughts.

For all these thoughts have been turned against me, opposing my progress in God.

Due to the multitude of their wickedness, I forgive them,

Making them pious. For those who persecute the soul that does what is pleasing to God grieve God, becoming obvious fighters against God.

Ps.5:12. And immerse yourself in them.

For he himself and his Father will come, and they will make an abode with him (John 14:23).

And those who love Your name will boast in You,
Ps.5:13. as You bless the righteous, Lord.

Inasmuch as You favor Your servants with Your blessing and providence; then those who have consecrated themselves to be lovers of Thy name, under Thy care, will be exalted in spirit, telling Thy power. This is what the blessed Paul says: “Boast, then, that you may boast in the Lord” (2 Corinthians 10:17).

As if you crowned us with a weapon of goodwill,

That is, at the end, for our labors, you give us a crown, protecting us with it, as with some kind of weapon.