Rejoice, and praise, O thou habitation of Sion: for great is he that is in the midst of thee, the Holy One of Israel.
צַהֲלִ֥י וָרֹ֖נִּי יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת צִיּ֑וֹן כִּֽי־גָד֥וֹל בְּקִרְבֵּ֖ךְ קְד֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
7 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Rejoice and exult, O dwellers of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is greatly present among you. He invites all to bear witness and directs everyone to understand that there is no reason to be embarrassed on account of Me, but rather to call upon Me with confidence.
What a wondrous event! The one who has recently entered into the sacred mysteries of faith, uniting himself with the sources of salvation and receiving the life-giving currents, is clearly adorned with a faithful and true character. This transformation is evident as he engages in the apostolic mission, calling on others not only to celebrate but also issuing a command for universal praise. He declares, "Praise the Lord, sing to His name,” and he specifies who should sing, promptly adding, “Proclaim among the nations His glorious name.” He emphasizes that the glory of the Savior should not remain concealed but rather that His magnificent power and authority should be revealed to all.
He has rescued the forgotten, vanquished the seemingly invincible powers of evil, liberated those who were held captive, restored sight to the blind, justified through faith, sanctified by the Spirit, and revealed as sons of God those who were once fugitives, living lives of shame and condemnation. Through His deeds, He has demonstrated that He is truly and naturally God: He has raised the dead, cleansed lepers, healed the infirm with His touch, commanded the winds, and calmed the tempestuous sea. Therefore, let His glorious deeds be declared among the nations, and let it be frequently remembered that His name is exalted; He who acts is indeed high and lifted up. For what He has accomplished far surpasses any human capacity and exceeds every miracle. So rejoice and be glad, all you who dwell in Zion, those who hold steadfast faith in the church, for the Holy One of Israel is exalted among you. Although the Holy One of Israel took on human form and came to earth in the appearance of a servant for our sake, He ascended in glory because of the brilliance of His perfect works. We have come to understand His true nature.
The Holy One of Israel has come among you. Magnificent is He who has lived among you; He is Immanuel, signifying God with us. Thus, celebrate and rejoice, you who reside in Zion, for the High One has acted, and His greatness is profound.
Rejoice and exult, O people of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel dwells among you in greatness. It is essential to first acknowledge this in a literal sense. O people of Zion! Celebrate and honor your God, for He, who once appeared to be solely your God, limited to the small realm of Judah, has now filled the entire earth with the knowledge of His presence. Having triumphed over death, He now reigns over the nations and is venerated and worshipped by them. In His second coming, He will extend His hand to reclaim the remnant of His people, gathering those who have been dispersed from Israel and reuniting those scattered from Judah across the four corners of the earth. The gospel began to flourish through the apostles who hailed from Judah, rooted in the springs of Israel.
Yet, in reference to Zion—symbolized as a tower upon a hill—it is more fitting to interpret it as the church, which is celebrated in the fiftieth Psalm: "Bless, O Lord, by Thy favor Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built" (Psalm 50:20). In this sacred space, may the offerings of righteousness, the gifts, and the sacrifices, including the calf that the merciful father prepared for his repentant son (Luke 15), be deemed acceptable unto God.
Therefore, a form of madness that recognizes its own plagues is preferable to a wisdom that remains blind. Influenced by this divine insight in his madness, the king admits to being burdened by afflictions, allowing him to discover the path of repentance—something Judas, who betrayed for earthly gain, was unable to achieve. He claims, “I am bent and utterly afflicted; all the day long I walk in sorrow.” To what extent is he bent? Is it the limit of repentance, or perhaps beyond, reflecting on the mystery of Christ, who is both the culmination and fulfillment of the law? Christ, who allowed Himself to be buried among stones and bore a wounded body. Yet those wounds did not emit the stench of guilt but instead the sweet aroma of grace.
Unlike others, His wound did not produce death’s corruption, but rather the wellspring of eternal life, as Scripture states, “And water shall flow with joy out of the springs of salvation.” Thus, from His wound, salvation flows for all to partake in. Every sinner on earth has the chance to drink deeply and be liberated from sin, although each individual's situation must be considered carefully. Christ embraced suffering to bring joy to those ensnared in despair. No one should label the righteous as sorrowful, for He said, “Let no one make you miserable.” He was bent down so that we might stand upright; He was saddened to impart joy to us, as the Scripture indicates, “For if I grieve you, who shall make me glad but he that grieves me?” Consequently, those who mourn for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ experience His joy, and He rejoices in them. This brings us to the understanding that no formal justifications are necessary. Let us humble ourselves, with not just faith in Christ but steadfastness in our trials, so that we might find joy in them, just as Christ rejoiced in His Passion. The sufferings He endured for His servants, we now willingly accept for our Lord.
Even when I lack the strength, there is never an end to the divine assistance offered through the reading of sacred Scriptures, as the apostle noted, “The Lord Jesus, being rich, became poor for your sakes, that ye might be enriched by His poverty.” What is this poverty that enriches? Let us ponder it and reflect on the sacred institution itself. What could be purer or simpler? Unlike the Gentile sacrifices, which may involve the blood of animals, it is not the blood of goats or rams that truly cleanses sin; such acts might wash the flesh but do not absolve guilt. Instead, with gladness, water will flow from the sources of salvation, and the heavenly feast will be laid before us; how splendid is a full cup! This represents the riches of hospitality that encapsulate Christ's precious poverty. Moreover, poverty bears moral value; hence the Lord declared, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” and in the Psalms, we learn that the Lord saves the humble in spirit. Abundant faith transforms humble endowment into prosperity. Thus, the apostle states, “And their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their gladness.”
Between the rich man and the poor man lies an immense chasm, for after death, rewards are immutable; this is why, in the afterlife, the rich man is seen desiring relief from the poor man. Water, after all, sustains the soul in distress. Of this water, Isaiah proclaimed, “And in joy you shall draw water from the springs of salvation.” But why does the rich man endure suffering before judgment? For those accustomed to luxury, the greatest punishment is the deprivation of comfort. As the Lord explains, “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God.” The rich man became a teacher too late, at a time meant for learning, not instructing.
We refer to God as a source of life, for He refreshes the parched and fulfills the needs of the hungry.
These are the prophetic words addressed to the children of Israel who have faith in Christ, residing in Zion, which symbolizes the Church of Christ. In the New Testament era, this Church will serve as the focal point of true divine worship, just as Zion or Jerusalem with its temple did in the Old Testament time. Thus, the Church of Christ represents the new Jerusalem or Zion. According to the prophet's message, those who inhabit this new Jerusalem should rejoice, for the Holy One of Israel abides among them. He, honored in holiness by His chosen people, takes delight in dwelling within their midst in the tabernacle and temple, revealing His unique presence among them.
In the person of His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, God will continuously reside with the new Israel, the New Testament Church. The assurance of Christ’s promise remains steadfast: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. It is no coincidence that Christ is referred to as Emmanuel, signifying God with us. The welfare of the holy Church, in deep communion with Him, remains unyielding against her adversaries until the end of time. The prophecy we reflect upon is designated for recitation during the feast of the Lord's Baptism, as the call to ‘Draw water with gladness from the fountains of salvation’ aligns perfectly with the celebration. After Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan and emerged, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove, bestowing upon Him the gifts necessary to carry out His great prophetic, high priestly, and royal mission. From that moment on, during His earthly ministry, grace was continually poured out upon those who believed in Him, receiving out of His fullness grace upon grace (John 1:16). Upon His ascension into heaven, He sent forth the Holy Spirit, the source of grace, who works both through various mediators and directly within Christ’s Church for our sanctification and salvation. Among these means is the water sanctified in remembrance of Christ’s baptism during the Feast of the Epiphany, which allows the faithful to partake, to a degree, of those gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon the God-Man at His baptism in the Jordan. Consequently, during the blessing of water on the Epiphany, the following verse is proclaimed: ‘The voice of the Lord on the waters cries out, saying, Come, all of you, receive the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of the fear of God, which Christ has revealed.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS