Commentary on the Psalms 53 part 1/2

'O Lord, I have cried unto thee, hear me;'

'attend to the voice of my supplication.'

The words of this psalm nearly all men, so to speak, know, and throughout every age of life they continue to sing them;

but the meaning of what is spoken they are ignorant of.

And this is no small ground for accusation — that while singing every day and uttering the words with the mouth, they do not seek out the force of the meanings that lie stored up within the words.

Yet a man, seeing clear and pure water, could not bear not to draw near, and touch it, and drink;

and one who continually enters a meadow could not endure to go out without having gathered some of the flowers;

but you, meditating on this psalm from earliest childhood to extreme old age, continue on knowing only the words, and you sit beside a treasure that is overshadowed, and you carry about a sealed purse, and not even out of curiosity has anyone been stirred to learn what in the world is being said;

he did not seek, he did not search it out.

And yet neither can it be said that the psalm, being somehow clear, lulled everyone to sleep and left them no occasion to seek out what lay readily at hand.

For indeed it is obscure, and capable of rousing him who is not deeply asleep — nay, rather even him who is asleep.

For what is the meaning of 'Incline not my heart to words of wickedness'? And what of 'The righteous shall correct me in mercy, and shall reprove me'? And that which comes after this — tell me — is it not darker than any darkness? 'For even my prayer is in their good pleasures.'

'Their judges were swallowed up, being close by the rock.'

But nevertheless, though there are so many obscure things, the multitude run through it heedlessly, as though it were merely some song.

But lest, by pressing the accusation further, we make our discourse burdensome, come then, let us proceed to the investigation of what has been said.

But give heed with exactness;

for I do not think that this psalm was appointed

without reason by the fathers to be recited every evening, nor on account of that single expression which says:

'The lifting up of my hands is an evening sacrifice.'

For other psalms also contain this expression, like that one which says, 'In the evening and in the morning and at noonday will I declare and make known.'

And again, 'The day is Thine, and the night is Thine.'

And again, that word, 'Weeping may endure for the evening, but joy cometh in the morning.'

And one might find many psalms that are suited to the hour of evening.

It was not, then, for this reason that the fathers appointed this psalm; rather, they ordained by law that it should be said as a kind of saving medicine and a purgative of sins, so that whatever defilements we have contracted throughout the whole length of the day—whether in the marketplace, or at home, or wherever we chance to spend our time—these, when evening comes, we may put off by means of this spiritual incantation.

For it is a medicine that destroys all these things.

Such also is the morning psalm.

For nothing hinders us from making brief mention of that one too.

For it kindles the longing toward God, and rouses the soul, and having greatly set it aflame and filled it with much goodness and love, it thus permits us to draw near.

But let us see also from what point it begins, and what it teaches us.

'O God, my God, unto Thee do I rise early.'

Do you see how he shows the words of a soul set on fire? Where there is love of God, all wicked things vanish away.

Where there is remembrance of God, there is forgetfulness of sins and the abolition of evils.

'So have I appeared before Thee in the sanctuary, to see Thy power and Thy glory.'

What means, 'So'? With this longing, he says, with this love, so as to see Thy glory, which it is possible to behold everywhere upon the earth.

But lest, leaving aside the matter in hand, we introduce a digression, and, sending the hearer off to what has been said concerning that other psalm, let us now take hold of the matters set before us.

And what does this psalm say? 'O Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hearken unto me.'

Because you cried out, do you count yourself worthy to be heard, and set this down as a cause, as though it were a reasonable ground for being heard? Are loud voices, then, and voices with strength now required? But this would have no reason in it.

For what sin has he committed who is soft of voice, and weak of voice, and slow of tongue? Was not Moses such a one, and yet was heard more than all? Did not the Jews cry out more than all, and yet God did not incline to their entreaties? For to speak loudly or softly is an advantage or a defect of nature.

But these things make one neither heard nor unheard.

For they are worthy neither of praise nor of blame.

For many of the advantages of nature belong even to the vile.

Was not Absalom fair and comely, drawing to himself the beauty of the body down even to the very locks of his hair? And what then? Was not Elisha bald, so as even to be mocked by the little children? Yet neither did his comeliness profit the one at all, nor did his uncomeliness harm the other.

And why do I speak of the weak-voiced or the slow-tongued, when even Moses was heard while keeping silence, and Hannah though she uttered no sound? But God, in conversing with the Jews, said:

'Though ye multiply your supplication, I will not hearken unto you.'

What then does this man mean, 'I have cried unto Thee, hearken unto me'? He here speaks of the inward cry, which the enkindled heart brought forth, and the contrite mind—that cry with which Moses too was heard when he cried out.

For just as one who cries aloud empties out all his strength, so too he who cries with the heart gathers together his whole mind.

Such a cry, then, does God seek—the one that gathers the heart together, that does not permit the one who sings to gape and lounge about in idleness.

And not only does He seek such a cry, but also that we pray unto Him.

For there are many who indeed stand, but do not cry unto God; rather, their lips cry unto God and bear about the name of God, but their mind perceives nothing of what is being said.

Such a one does not truly cry, even though he shout aloud.

Such a one does not truly pray unto God, even though he seem to pray unto Him.

But not so was Moses; rather he cried, and was heard.

Wherefore also he hears from God, 'Why criest thou unto Me?'

And not only by crying, but even by keeping silence, he accomplished what he desired, having rendered himself worthy to be heard.

And if you wish to see sinners also praying earnestly, and prevailing, and crying out greatly, behold the harlot who cried in silence;

behold the publican who was justified by his prayer alone.

Such a cry does this man also make, wherefore he says:

'O Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hearken unto me.'

And on this account he counts himself worthy to be heard.

In my crying out unto Thee.

Observe yet another excellence of prayer.

For he counts himself worthy to be heard not merely from praying earnestly, but also from presenting such a prayer as to be worthy of those sleepless eyes.

And what manner of prayer is this? When one prays not against his enemies, when not for wealth and covetousness, when not for power and glory, nor for any of these perishable things, but for those incorruptible and immortal ones.

For seek ye, He says, the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.

In my crying out unto Thee.

Do you see how He wills that we too should call upon Him with earnestness, with eagerness? For indeed the devil then most of all lies in wait.

For since he knows that prayer is a most mighty weapon, and that even though we be sinners and put to shame, yet if we pray with exactness and according to the laws of God we accomplish great things,

he then makes haste to cast us into sloth, and to stir up wandering thoughts, so as to make us depart fruitless from prayer.

Wherefore we, knowing these things, must set up our own earnestness as a bulwark against him, and never pray against our enemies, but imitate the apostles.

For they too, having suffered countless dreadful things, and then having been cast into prison, and having endured the peril of their very lives, fled to prayer and said:

Look upon their threatenings.

And what after this? Did they say, 'Dash them down,' or 'Slay them'—which many oftentimes say when they curse? By no means.

But what? 'And grant unto Thy servants that with all boldness they may speak Thy word.'

How, and in what manner? By slaying those who plot against them, by making them vanish and giving them over to utter destruction? By no means.

But how? 'By stretching forth Thy hand to do signs and wonders through the name of Thy holy Child Jesus.'

Do you see a prayer full of true wisdom, which after so many dreadful sufferings asks no vengeance upon its enemies? Now thus did they pray while still living and breathing;

but Stephen, even when about to be severed from this present life, not only asked no evil upon them, but even earnestly sought by his prayer to snatch those who stoned and slew him from the wrath due upon this sin, and says, 'Lay not this sin to their charge.'

What pardon, then, could they deserve, what defence could they make, who pray against their enemies? And how could such a prayer be heard, when it is offered up contrary to the laws of God? Let us therefore say nothing of the kind.

For not only must we not pray against our enemies, but we must also do away with the anger against them;

I will that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.

That is, even if you have an enemy, quench your anger, and thus draw near to the Master; and not only say nothing against him with your mouth, but also cleanse your mind of the venom.

If such be the prayer, and you call upon God with earnestness, you shall be heard even before you have finished the prayer.

This the prophet himself also asks, saying:

Attend to the voice of my supplication in my crying out unto Thee.

For it is God's own promise which says, 'While thou art yet speaking I will say, Behold, I am here.'

Let my prayer be set forth as incense before Thee.

Another version: Let my prayer be ordered as incense before Thee.

The lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.

Another version: an evening offering.

What is it that the prophet wishes to teach us,

that he discourses concerning the evening sacrifice? Of old there were two altars, one wrought of brass, the other of gold.

And the one was, so to speak, for all the people, being set before the sacrifices of the whole multitude; but the other lay within the sanctuary and inside the veil.

Rather, in order that what is said may become clearer to us, we shall try to carry the discourse back to the beginning.

There was of old among the Jews a temple, forty cubits in length and twenty in breadth.

Taking off ten cubits of this length, he partitioned off the inner part by means of the veil, and the part thus set apart was called the Holy of Holies, while the outer was called the Holy only.

And all was resplendent with gold.

And some said that even that beam above was of beaten gold.

There, where the high priest alone entered once in the year, there also lay the ark and the cherubim;

there also stood the golden altar, where the incense-offering was presented, prepared for nothing else but for the incense alone.

But this took place once a year.

Now in the outer temple stood the bronze altar, and every evening a lamb was brought and burned upon it.

This was called the evening sacrifice.

For there was also a morning sacrifice, and twice each day it was necessary that a burnt offering be made upon the altar in the temple, apart from the other victims brought forward by the people.

For this was the ordinance and law given to the priests: that from their own means and out of their own resources, whenever no one else brought an offering, they should slay and burn one lamb in the morning and one in the evening.

And the one was called the morning sacrifice, the other the evening.

This had been ordained by God to be done, showing through what was performed that He must be worshipped continually, both at the beginning and at the close of the day.

This sacrifice, then, was always acceptable, and such was the offering;

but the sacrifice offered for sins was at one time acceptable and at another not acceptable, becoming the one or the other according to the disposition of those who offered it, whether toward virtue or toward vice.

But that which was offered not for any sins, but was a law of sacred service and a mode of worship, was in every case acceptable.

This man, therefore, asks that his prayer might so become like that offering which is defiled by no stain of the one who brings it, like that incense which is pure and holy.

And by making this request he also teaches us to make our prayers pure and fragrant.

For such is righteousness;

just as sin, on the other hand, is foul-smelling.

Therefore, hinting at its foul stench, this same man said:

"For my iniquities are gone over my head; as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me."

"My wounds stink and are corrupt."

Just as incense is in itself good and fragrant, yet then above all displays its fragrance when it comes into contact with the fire;

so too prayer is beautiful even in itself;

but it becomes more beautiful and more fragrant when it is offered up with a warm and fervent soul, when the soul becomes a censer and kindles a mighty fire.

For neither was the incense placed upon the hearth unless it had first been kindled, nor unless the coals were burning fiercely.

Do this also with your mind:

first kindle it with zeal, and then lay upon it your prayer.

He prays, then, that his prayer might become as incense, and the lifting up of his hands as the evening sacrifice.

And how might this come to pass? If both were pure, if both were blameless—both the tongue and the hands: the hands cleansed from covetousness and rapine, and the tongue set free from wicked words.

For just as a censer must contain nothing unclean, but only fire and incense;

so too the tongue must not utter any defiled word, but only holiness and words of praise;

and so too the hands must become a censer.

Let your mouth, then, be a censer, and take care that you do not fill it with filth.

Such are those who utter shameful and unclean things.

And for what reason did he not say "the morning," but "the evening" sacrifice? To me it seems that this too was said without any particular distinction.

For indeed, had he said "the morning sacrifice," the meddlesome person would have asked why he did not say "the evening." But if anyone were willing to listen without contentious curiosity, [he might learn] that the morning sacrifice awaits the evening one;

whereas the evening sacrifice, once performed, completed the sacred service, and the worship of the day is no longer in any way unfinished, but has been brought to fullness and reached its end.

But what does the stretching out of the hands in prayer signify? Since these hands are made to serve many wicked deeds—such as blows, murders, robberies, acts of greed—for this very reason we are commanded to lift them up, so that the ministry of prayer may become for them a bond restraining evil and a deliverance from wickedness; that when you are about to plunder, or to overreach, or to strike another, remembering that you are about to send these very hands as advocates to God, and through them to offer up that spiritual sacrifice, you may not put them to shame, nor render them unable to speak freely because of their service to wicked works.

Cleanse them, therefore, with almsgiving, with kindness to mankind, with the protection of those in need, and so lead them to prayer.

For if you do not permit them to be lifted up in prayer unwashed, much more would you be right not to defile them with sins.

If you fear the lesser thing, much more should you shudder at the greater.

For to pray with unwashed hands is not so very improper;

but to bring them forward defiled with countless sins—this incurs great wrath.

Let us reckon this also concerning the mouth and the tongue, and keeping it impassable to wickedness, let us thus offer up our prayer.

For if a man who owns a golden vessel would not choose to put it to some dishonorable service, because of the great value of its material,

how much more should we, who possess mouths more precious than gold and pearl, not be justified in defiling them with shameless obscene speech, with revilings, and with insults.

You do not bring your censer to an altar of bronze, nor of gold, but to one more precious than these—to a spiritual temple.

For in that other case the material is without soul;

but in you God dwells, and you are a member of Christ and His body.

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth.

Having besought the Master that his prayer might be heard and become acceptable, observe what sort of first petition he brings, what manner of supplication.

For he did not say, 'Give me riches, give me honors among men, give me to prevail over my enemies, give me children';

none of these things, but leaving all such things to lie cast upon the earth, he asks of God those things which it is right to ask of God.

What then? Ought we not, one asks, to seek things perceptible to the senses? We ought indeed, but with measure, as Jacob did when he said:

'If the Lord will give me bread to eat, and a garment to put on';

as Christ also commanded us to pray, saying:

'Give us this day our daily bread';

but before all things the things of the spirit.

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth.

Do you see his understanding? Do you see his wisdom? From where does he begin his petition? From the greatest of achievements, and from that which, when neglected, is the cause of all evils;

just as, when it is diligently pursued, it is the cause of all good things.

For the looseness of the tongue works countless evils, just as its careful guarding works good things.

Just as there is no benefit in a house, nor a city, nor walls, nor gates, nor doors, unless there are those who keep watch and know when it is right to shut and when to open;

so too there is no benefit in a tongue, nor in a mouth, unless reason be entrusted with the closing and the opening, with exactness and much knowledge, knowing what things ought to be brought forth and what things kept within.

For not so many, it says, have fallen by the sword as by the tongue.

It is not the things that enter into the mouth that defile a man, but the things that come forth out of the mouth.

a door and a bar for your mouth.

And this man, since he knows the matter to be exceedingly difficult, adds prayers as well, and calls upon God for this alliance.

Or rather, that other one also hints at this same thing, as when he says:

'Who will set a cunning seal upon my lips?' For we must indeed contribute our own part;

wherefore he set it down in the manner of a command, saying:

But we must also call upon the alliance that comes from God, so that our own zeal may issue in deed.

Let us therefore guard the mouth continually, setting reason upon it as a key—not that it may be continually shut, but that it may be opened at the fitting season.

For there are times when silence has profited more than speech, just as speech has profited more than silence.

For this reason that most wise man also said:

There is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.

For if it had to be open at all times, there would have been no doors;

but if it had to be shut at all times, there would be no need of a guard.

For what could one guard that is shut? But for this reason there is a door and a guard, that we may do each thing at the suitable season.

And another says, 'Make a balance and a weight for your tongue,' demanding still greater exactness, so that we may not only bring forth the words we ought, but also, weighing them with the fitting precision—as one might say—and searching them out.

For if we do this with gold, and with material that perishes, how much more ought we to do it with words, so that nothing be lacking or superfluous.

Do not withhold a word in the season of salvation.

Do you see a time for speaking out? And another, speaking of a time for silence, says:

If you have a word, answer;

But if not, let your hand be upon your mouth.

And again: 'He who multiplies words shall be hated.'

And: 'Better is a man who hides his folly than a man who hides his wisdom.'

'Have you heard a word? Let it die within you.'

And again: 'At the presence of a word the fool is in travail, as a woman giving birth is at the presence of the babe.'

'Speak, young man, if there be need of you, but scarcely twice.'

'If you are asked a question, sum up many things in few.'

For there is need of great watchfulness over one's reasonings, so that we may use the power of the tongue with much security.

'There is a reproof that is not comely,'

'and there is one who keeps silence and is found wise.'

For not only must one keep silence and speak at the proper time, but also with much grace.

Wherefore Paul also said: 'Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.'

Consider that this is the member through which we hold converse with God, through which we offer up our praise.

This is the member through which we receive the awe-inspiring sacrifice.

The faithful know what is being spoken of.

Wherefore it must be kept pure from all accusation, from reviling, from filthy speech, and from slander;

and if any lewd thought presses upon you, it must be strangled within, and not suffered to be brought forth into words;

and if any faint-heartedness makes you ready to despair, you must dry up this root also, and keep the door secure, and the guard exact;

and evil counsels must neither be allowed to be born, and, if born, must be strangled within and their root withered up.

Such a guard did Job keep;

and for this reason he uttered no discordant word, but for the most part kept silence;

and when it was even needful to speak to his wife, he uttered words full of philosophy.

For one ought to speak only then, when the things spoken are more profitable than silence.

For this reason Christ also said:

'Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account for it.'

'Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth.'

And how this door might become secure, and the guard exact, hear another who says:

'Let all your discourse be in the law of the Most High.'

For if you are trained to speak nothing superfluous, but continually to wall up both your mind and your mouth with the discourse of the divine Scriptures, the guard will be more secure than adamant.

For there are many roads to destruction through the mouth, as when one speaks filthy things, when one jests unseemly, when one is vainglorious, when one boasts greatly, like the Pharisee, who, because he had no door upon his mouth, poured out all that was within through a few words;

and therefore, like a house without a door, being unable to keep hold of the treasure laid up within, he suddenly became poor.

Consider for me yet another likewise perishing through big talking.

For he said, it says: 'I will set my throne above the stars of heaven.'

But the Jews, because they rejoiced over their neighbour's misfortunes, now indeed hear:

'Because you said, Aha! Israel has become like the rest of the nations;'

but now they are reproached, because they despair and say:

'Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and in such men He takes pleasure.'

'And we count strangers blessed, and those who work lawlessness are built up.'

'Is it not, behold, these things written in the book?' Others perished through murmuring, even as Paul says:

'Neither let us murmur, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer.'

And when did they murmur? When they said:

'Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have brought us out to die in the wilderness?'

Others perished on account of frivolous play, even as Scripture says:

'They sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.'

'Everyone who says to his brother, "You fool," shall be liable to judgment.'

And others, more numerous than these, perished for other reasons, because they did not keep guard over their own mouths.

And if you wish to hear of certain ones who perished even through untimely silence, I will show you.

'For if you do not give warning,' He says, 'to the people, that man shall indeed die in his sin, but his blood I will require at your hand.'

Another perished from conversing indiscriminately with certain people and pouring out what had been entrusted to him.

'For do not give,' He says, 'what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine.'

'Woe to you who laugh, for you shall weep.'

Have you seen how the mouth destroys? See also how the mouth saves from adversities.

Have you seen the Pharisee destroyed through it? See the tax collector saved through it.

Have you seen the boastful barbarian pay the penalty? See the righteous man showing moderation and saying, 'I am but dust and ashes.'

Have you seen the one who gloated over another accused and punished? See the one who suffered together with another being saved.

'For set,' He says, 'the mark upon the foreheads of those who groan and are in anguish.'

Therefore Paul also said, 'Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.'

'Even if you can do nothing else,' he says, 'this is no small thing you will bring to the one in pain, namely, to suffer together with him.'

Have you seen the one who laughed handed over to lamentation? See the one who mourned enjoying consolation.

'For blessed,' He says, 'are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.'

Have you seen those who were impatient being punished? See those who gave thanks being saved.

'Blessed are you, O Lord, and praiseworthy is your name, for you are righteous in all that you have done to us.'

And a little later, 'All that you have brought upon us, you have done in true judgment.'

Those men said, 'Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord';

these, on the contrary, said, 'Your eyes are too pure to behold evil.'

Those men counted strangers blessed, because they are built up while committing iniquities;

this man counted blessed those who are helped by God.

'Blessed,' he says, 'is the people whose God is the Lord.'

And again, 'Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of those who work iniquity.'

Have you seen the saints both exhorting others and themselves remaining unshaken amid temptations? Hear then Jacob speaking:

'If the Lord will give me bread to eat, and a garment to put on,'

'I will not take from you anything, from a thread to the strap of a sandal.'

And when his wife was about to perish and the famine was pressing upon them, he uttered no unseemly word.

And when the boy said, 'Father, behold the wood and'

the fire, but where is the sheep?' — see how with gentleness and a philosophic mind he answers and says:

'God will provide for himself the sheep, my child.'

Being turned neither by nature nor by natural affection toward the boy's words, alone he pondered by himself the things he was doing, at the very moment when it was likely that the pangs of his love would be kindled all the more fiercely.

For lest anyone should say that he did not mourn out of respect for others, when separated from them and being alone he displayed the full strength of his fortitude.

Have you seen those punished through laughter? See those saved through lamentations and fastings, calling to mind the Ninevites.

Have you seen those punished through reviling? Consider those who receive a reward for good speech.

He that blesses you is blessed, and he that curses you is accursed.

Bless them that persecute you, pray for them that despitefully use you, that you may become like your Father who is in the heavens.

Do you see that the mouth ought neither to be kept shut altogether, nor open to all things, but that a man must know the fitting time for each? These things the prophet also knew, when he said: Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and a door of enclosure about my lips.

And what other watch could there be than a reasoning that stands terribly on guard, holding in its hands the fire that is to consume those who use their mouth carelessly? Set up this doorkeeper and guardian to threaten the conscience, and it will never open this door unseasonably, but at the fitting time, and unto gain and ten thousand good things.

In all things remember your last end, and you shall never sin.

Do you see how this man too set up this reasoning? But I have made it yet more fearful, by saying that a man holds it in his hands, not only at his death, but even after death.

If this be so, nothing wicked will even be brought to birth in the mind.

Together with this, set before it also another saying, that of every idle word you shall give account in the day of judgment.

Consider that death also entered in by this way.

For if the woman had not conversed with the serpent about those things which she conversed, if she had not received his words, she would not have received the injury, she would not have given to her husband, and that man would not have eaten.

And these things I say, not laying the blame on the tongue and the mouth,