We present the text of our edition solely based on the Hebrew original, to establish the coherence of this section before we analyze the Seventy’s text, part by part, aligning it with the punctuation. The mountains were witness to Your presence, O God, and they trembled—the lofty kingdoms and the rulers of this world, alongside the four chariots from Zechariah emerging from the bronze mountains (Zech. 6:1). They beheld You and were filled with awe. The depths of the waters passed, symbolizing every effort and persecution they inflicted upon Your people, which subsided once they encountered You. In that moment, hell, representing the abyss, glorified You; the heavenly beings, the angels, began to rejoice, declaring the conqueror with gestures and raised hands. Your sun and moon, along with all lights that You previously illuminated before Your people, which later were shrouded by darkness due to human iniquities, have regained their radiance and shine in their original glory. Your arrows and Your swift darts, symbolizing Your afflictions and corrections, have illuminated Your people. Consequently, in the brilliance of Your arrows and the brightness of Your weapons, which corrected them, Your people began to walk in reverence before You. Therefore, when You avenge the injustices done to Your people, You shall trample the kingdoms of the earth, and all nations will be amazed by You, for You acted for the redemption of Your people and came to them through Your Anointed One. Indeed, as stated in Hebrews, "Thou hast gone forth for the salvation of Thy people with Jesus Christ Thy Anointed," for "Jesus" translates to "Savior." At the arrival of Jesus Christ Your Son, You struck Antichrist within the wicked realm of this age, or rather, You defeated the very enemy of righteousness, exposing the depths of his darkness forever, for "sela" signifies eternity. The nations shall see You and mourn, or, in pain reminiscent of childbirth, they shall suffer, as the term ὠδινήσουσι suggests both meanings. As the earth is divided and rivers emerge, those nations that partake in the streams of the Almighty shall behold God, experiencing the labor of childbirth. Upon seeing You, they shall recognize the conception, stating, "Out of fear of You, O Lord, we conceived within the womb, endured labor, and delivered: the spirit of Your salvation shall be manifest on the earth" (Is. 26:17, 18). "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8). Thus, these nations, purified by the waters, have yet to see God, but must have the vision to conceive and produce the fruits of doctrine. Since they are termed nations, it is inconceivable for them to witness the face of God. The future tense in "shall see" and "shall conceive" indicates this aspiration; thus, we may interpret the Hebrew text figuratively, where it states, "The mountains have seen You and have given birth," as it is inherently fitting for mountains to witness God and give life to those born through the Word of God.
LXX: "Dissolve the waters of the way."
There exist various waters—some eternal, others transient. Of the eternal waters, it is said, “By rivers shall the earth be parted.” Regarding the fleeting ones, it is noted, "All streams flow into the sea," and their final destination is dissolution. Hence, God will disperse waters tainted by wicked teachings when He dismantles the machinations of rulers and the wisdom of this world. If you witness a heresy flourishing briefly, then vanishing by divine grace, recognize the fulfillment of the words, "Thou shalt scatter the waters of the way." Here, "of the way" may refer to the "of the devil," indicating that the waters traversed by him, which provided an avenue for many errors, the Lord will divide and scatter. Other interpreters have remarked on the frenzy of heretics, translating, "The blow," or "the rush of the waters shall pass." They are swept away by eloquence’s current, carried off when they encounter frivolity.
LXX: "Gave the abyss its voice, the heights of imagination."
The term "abyss" is frequently employed with varying implications—positively ("Thy judgments are a multitude of abysses," Psalms 35:7) and negatively ("The waters have seen Thee, O God," Ps. 76:17). Yet, demons implore not to be cast into the abysses (Luke 8:31), and in Genesis, it mentions, “The abyss over which darkness lay” (Gen. 1:2), although its meaning may not lean positively in those instances. Indifferently, it is seen in, “The springs of the abyss were opened…” (Gen. 7:11) and in the 148th psalm, “Dragons and all abysses; fire and hail and stormy wind” (Ps. 148:7-8), unless those creatures symbolize negativity. Regardless, if we perceive the abyss positively, we conclude that after the foul waters of iniquity were scattered, the wise among us beheld You and were enlightened by Your truth, proclaiming in voices of praise what they once knew of You. The unforeseen heights of imagination are aptly described, reminiscent of the verse, “Who examines the abyss and wisdom?” (Sir. 1:2; Eccl. 1:2). Moreover, from the mountain of the faith of our humanity, introduced in the flesh, as Daniel refers to a stone severed from the mountain without hands (Dan. 2:37, 45). The Abyss—referred to by Christ as the Father—has thundered open its shutters, enabling powerful preaching of the Gospel. The New Testament can likewise be symbolized by the abyss, which, as a testament to the small mountain that witnessed the fall of the prince of Tyre, calls upon the abyss of the Old Testament, by which Christ through His Apostles augments the strength of the message. Should one interpret the phrase "The abyss has given its voice, the height of its imagination" negatively, it may imply that after the waters of wickedness disperse, this following declaration must then be seen in an opposing light. It is noteworthy that it states "the height of his imagination," referring not to truth but rather to mere semblance.
LXX: "The sun rose, and the moon became in her rank."
If viewed plainly, these words illustrate the sun and moon's increase; as Isaiah notes, in the coming age the sun will shine sevenfold, and the moon's light will mirror that of the sun (Isaiah 30:26). For creation will be liberated from the curse of corruption into the freedom of the glory bestowed upon the children of God (Rom. 8:21)—the created entities now bound to decay through the one who subjected them, hopeful for liberation—every creation shall be restored at the end of days; thus, both sun and moon will arise and find their rightful place. Should we understand the Sun of truth to be Christ and the moon, reflecting this light, to symbolize the Church, we find it illuminated not only by truth but by the light of men and the glory of God. In this age, it waxes and wanes, depending on whether it faces trials or receives favor. When the Sun arises, as the Apostle notes, God shall exalt Him and grant Him a name above all names (Phil. 2:9), consequently, the Church, unable to sustain its position now, shall restore its order, remaining steadfast. It shall hear as Moses did, “But thou shalt stand here with Me” (Exodus 34:2).
LXX: "In brightness, Thy arrows shall go forth, in lightning-like splendor of Thy weapons."
God's arrows or spears are dispatched not with destruction in mind but to illuminate. In contrast to these weapons, the chosen arrow is Christ, who declares through Isaiah, “He hath made me a chosen arrow; in His quiver He hid me" (Isaiah 29:2-3). This chosen arrow sends forth many arrows into the world. This is reflected in the bride, who, pierced by love’s arrow, professes, "I am wounded with love" (Song 2:5). This leads us to declare, "I am struck with integrity; I equate with wisdom." By wisdom's arrow, the Queen of Sheba was astonished to discover more in the true Solomon than the stories told of his fame (1 Kings 10:7). These arrows of light are propelled in the brilliance of God’s armory. If one is prepared to contend against the schemes of the devil, cloaked in the full armor the Apostle speaks of (Eph. 6:11), such an individual becomes a beacon of light (Matt. 5:14). Conversely, one drowning in sin, entrenched among the people of Kedar, is met by the sharp arrows of judgment, ignited with consuming fire (Ps. 119:4-5), to first be afflicted by the Word of God, admitting, “I was in distress when the thorn pierced me” (Ps. 31:4); then, a Seraphim purifies him with a coal from the divine altar, cleansing his whole being, not only his lips but all members, removing all sin.
LXX: "In threatening Thou wilt diminish the earth, and in fury Thou wilt carry away the nations."
These words may reference the world’s end when, due to rampant conflicts and slaughters, only a remnant remains; those who refuse to align with God but remain as sinful nations shall be consigned to eternal depths by divine wrath. Alternatively, they may pertain to the earthly actions of sinners within the Church. Aware of the impending punishments from Holy Scripture, they repent gradually, diminishing their earthly desire as they aspire for heaven. For those struck by the realization of the Lord's threats, their earthly desires lessen; however, those choosing to remain among the unfaithful, unwilling to join the obedient, will unavoidably share in their demise.
LXX: "Thou hast gone forth to save Thy people, to save Thy anointed ones."
First, let us explore the various anointed individuals, then discern how the Lord went forth to redeem them. In the Old Testament, the anointed consist primarily of the patriarchs. The Psalms state, “He rebuked kings for them, saying, ‘Touch not Mine anointed ones, nor do My prophets any harm’” (Psalm 105:15). Additionally, those who departed from Egypt were considered anointed (1 Chron. 16:22). The institution of priestly anointing is noted in Exodus (Exod. 30:23-30), with the subsequent anointing of priests detailed in Leviticus (Lev. 8:12 ff.). There exists another anointing for kings, which divides into two types. For instance, David and Solomon were anointed with oil from a horn (1 Sam. 16:13; 2 Sam. 1:3-9), while others like Jude and Azael received oil from a small vessel shaped like a lentil (4 Sam. 9:3), known by that name. Isaiah’s prophecy addresses Cyrus, who liberated the people from bondage, stating, “Thus says the Lord to His anointed, Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped” (Isaiah 45:1), though some mistakenly associate this with the Lord Savior. There is also a prophetic anointing wherein Elijah was directed to anoint Elisha (1 Kings 19:16). However, the highest of all is the spiritual anointing, known as the oil of gladness, upon which the Savior is anointed, as noted, “Therefore God, Your God, anointed You with the oil of gladness above your fellows” (Ps. 44:8). The “fellows” refers to the individuals whom John mentions: “And you have an anointing from the Holy One” (1 John 2:20) and shortly states, “This I have written to you concerning those who deceive you, but the anointing you received from Him abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you concerning all things and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him” (1 Jn. 2:26-27). Should any have lost their baptismal anointing, despair not; Leviticus instructs that when a leper reconsecrated enters the priest’s presence, the priest pours oil upon his left hand and sprinkles it seven times before the Lord’s face, touching the leper’s ear, right hand, foot, continuing with whatever oil remains on his head (Lev. 14:16-18). After following these rites, he is offered a burnt sacrifice and is then deemed the Lord's anointed.
THEOSIS