Preface

Psalm 118 differs from other psalms by certain prominent features that cannot fail to strike the reader at first glance. The number of verses speaks for itself; with us this single psalm constitutes an entire kathisma. A reader who has gone through it attentively cannot but notice another peculiarity as well—namely, that each of the 176 verses says something about the law of God, designating it only by different names. Both of these features may be of lesser significance, but one cannot help but marvel at something else: as those who have labored greatly in the study of Scripture have found, in such a multitude of verses everything is about one and the same subject, yet there are no weak sayings and no completely identical repetitions. There are verses that resemble one another, but in each pair one always points to some particular trait of the law, or to some nuance of that same trait, in comparison with the other. Similarly, sayings that appear very simple, when one begins to examine them more carefully, reveal to the mind’s eye an entrance into the depths of the Divine legislation.

There is yet another characteristic feature of this psalm; in the Greek and Slavonic translations, as in any other, it is invisible, but in the Hebrew original it stands out at once. It is this: the psalm is arranged as an alphabetical acrostic, and not in such a way that each verse begins with a new letter following the initial letter of the preceding verse—for example, that the first verse begins with “a,” the second with “b,” the third with “g”—but rather eight consecutive verses begin with each letter, and then the next eight verses begin with the following letter. Thus the first eight verses begin with “a,” the next eight with “b,” and so on. There are 22 letters in all in the Hebrew alphabet. Allotting eight verses to each letter yields 176 verses—and that is precisely how many the psalm contains.

This last feature more than anything else leads toward settling the question of the origin and purpose of this psalm. One commentator cites the opinion of Hebrew scholars that the holy Prophet David composed this psalm to teach his son Solomon—whom he was preparing as his successor—the law of God and prayer. Zigabenus quotes from Origen, in which the latter attests that the Jews had a custom of making their children learn this psalm along with the alphabet. Combining the two, we conclude that the holy Prophet David, near the end of his days, after so many experiences in life—not one of which had passed without his placing himself in direct relation to God and His law—having wisely traversed all moral and religious states and come to understand them all in the light of God’s countenance, conceived the good thought of conveying to Solomon all of his spiritual experience, while at the same time having in view the children of all fathers, not of his own time only but of all subsequent generations. Blessed Theodoret writes the following about this psalm: “The divine David had many different changes in his life: he escaped enemies by flight, and put enemies to flight; he fell into grief and then led a joyful life; he walked the divine path and stumbled along the way, and then again followed the Divine laws. All of this he gathered into one in the present psalm, and bringing into one harmonious whole all the prayers that were offered by him to God at each circumstance, he set before men a single profitable teaching, and in what he has said shows how one may make progress in the life of active virtue.”

We hasten here to remove a thought that might arise: this psalm is for children’s reading and study, so why should we adults—and especially the highly learned—occupy ourselves with it? But this psalm was learned in childhood, yet it provided guidance for a whole life; and it constituted not only a guide once and for all exhausted by study, but also a subject for continual meditation and a means for ever-deepening penetration into the mysteries of God’s legislation. The sayings of the psalm are simple in form, but not simple in content. Begin to examine them more carefully, and you will always find something new, edifying, drawing the will along the paths of God. Blessed Augustine testifies that for a long time he could not bring himself to comment on this psalm, being struck by its depth. “How many times,” he says, “I was asked to give an exposition of it; and I took it up, but always drew back, seeing that it exceeded my powers; for the simpler this psalm appears, the deeper it proves in fact to be; so that I cannot say how deep it is. In other psalms there are obscurities; this one is so clear that one need only read or listen—there is nothing to explain. And yet I cannot say whether I shall be able to accomplish anything even now, as I approach the homilies on it.”

After this there can be no doubt that even learned men, if they take a verse of this psalm for themselves and meditate on it throughout the day, it will be very much like digging the earth in a place where treasure is hidden. Just keep digging—and you will find. Whatever stage of spiritual development one may be in, everyone will discern what is proper and profitable for himself. Blessed Theodoret concludes his opinion about this psalm as follows: “This psalm is sufficient to perfect in perfect virtue those who desire it, to rouse to diligence those who live in distraction, to encourage the faint-hearted, to correct the negligent—in a word, to provide every kind of remedy against the various infirmities of men.” Saint Athanasius the Great, passing over all the external features of this psalm, looks upon it with the eye of a profound desert-dweller and says: “In this psalm the holy prophet describes the life of the saints, their struggles, sorrows, labors, also the assaults of demons, the thousands of suggested thoughts, the snares and other means of capture—and together with these, the things by which the saints gain victory: the law, the words of God, patience, help from above, and finally what follows upon their labors—rewards, crowns, and recompenses.” Saint Ambrose writes that “other psalms too contain moral lessons, but those are like stars scattered across the sky, while this one is like the sun pouring forth abundant light at noon.”

Such richness of this psalm is what moved us to devote to meditation on it due time and, whatever God may grant, to offer that to the attention of God-fearing Christians who are zealous for their salvation, in the assurance that it will bring them at least some benefit. The Holy Church evidently desires us to know this psalm more firmly and understand it more deeply, having appointed its reading at every daily Midnight Office, when the mind refreshed by sleep is more capable and lively in its reception and more penetrating in its comprehension.

In offering our reflections, however, we consider it our duty to state that there will be little here that is our own. Everything will be borrowed from the holy fathers and teachers of the Church who have labored in the exposition of this psalm. Saint Ambrose devoted an entire book to it; Blessed Augustine offered homilies on it publicly in church; Saint Athanasius the Great, Blessed Theodoret, and Saint Hilary carried on its exposition alongside their exposition of all the psalms. Besides these, our counselors will be: Zigabenus Euthymius and Anthimus, the most blessed Patriarch of Jerusalem.

In our presentation we shall retain the division into octets, following the example of Saint Ambrose and the most blessed Anthimus, even though this division appears in neither the Slavonic nor the Greek text—the more so since this is not merely an external demarcation that eases reading and sustains attention and interest without influence on the internal content. It might have seemed that the verses of each octet present no unity; but more careful examination has shown that each octet is governed by a single thought, upon which the verses are strung like beads on a single thread. The exposition and meditation itself will show how true this is.

What then is the general form of the sayings in this psalm? They are not proverbs, but prayerful addresses to God. Each verse is a prayer, but all concern one thing—the fulfillment of the Lord’s law. A soul that has recognized that salvation is only in God through the fulfillment of His holy will speaks with God, entreating Him to enlighten, instruct, strengthen, deliver from inner temptations and outward troubles, raise up from falls, deliver from enemies—in a word, to grant it, by His mercy, to be pleasing to Him. Throughout, the speech is warm, addressed to God directly from the heart. One more observation. The will of God, which is binding on us, throughout the psalm is expressed not by a single word. Besides the usual expressions—law, commandments—there are the designations: testimonies, ordinances, words, judgments, judgments of righteousness, the way, the way of truth, the way of commandments, the way of ordinances, the paths of commandments, counsels, and others. Each of these names denotes the same will of God regarding how we are to live, or the same law, but viewed from different angles. If any of these designations gives a particular shade of meaning to the thought contained in a given saying, this will be noted in its proper place.