The living, the living, he shall give praise to thee, as I do this day: the father shall make the truth known to the children.
חַ֥י חַ֛י ה֥וּא יוֹדֶ֖ךָ כָּמ֣וֹנִי הַיּ֑וֹם אָ֣ב לְבָנִ֔ים יוֹדִ֖יעַ אֶל־אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 6 commentaries
Indeed, He proclaims, 'Only those who are truly alive shall bring glory to You, just as I do now.' He considers those who are committed to holiness to be alive, as reflected in the subsequent phrase: 'just as I do now.' In that moment, it was not just He who was alive, but the entire world; however, in the context of holiness, He was the only one truly alive.
The sentiment expressed in the preceding passage echoes the words of the Psalmist, who asks, "What use is my blood, when I go down to decay, if the feather shall confess to thee, or declare thy wonders?" (Psalm 29:10). Those who have passed away and entered the realm of the dead may cease their praises of God; they are unable to contribute further to their previous deeds and remain bound to their past, awaiting the final judgment. Thus, the Psalmist asserts that only the living, who possess the capability to perform good works while they are favored, will extol God in the manner he does. He vows to raise up progeny who will proclaim God's truth. Some interpret these words as a promise of a joyous gathering accompanied by songs, establishing sweet-voiced psalmists within the divine temple.
Others, contemplating deeper mysteries, suggest that Hezekiah may have believed his reign would never end and that his life was eternal. They posit that he misconstrued references about Christ, the son of David, as applying to himself. This perspective implies that, despite his fourteen-year reign, Hezekiah showed little concern for producing heirs. However, once he became aware of his life's conclusion, he began to think of those who would follow him, referring to children and asserting that they would proclaim the Lord's truth. Yet his words did not align with reality, as Manasseh turned out to be an unrighteous king. Nevertheless, it was his father’s hope that Manasseh would be devout and serve as a proclaimer of God’s glory to others.
Only those who conduct their lives in this manner and achieve such spiritual completeness can truly honor God, marking this as a genuine feast, a sincere celebration. It is not about the adornment of the body, nor the elegance of attire (1 Tim. 2:9), nor the ordinary observance of time, but rather the focus on God and the offering of gratitude through glorifying Him that defines this feast. This privilege belongs solely to the saints who abide in Christ, for it is declared, Neither shall the dead praise the Lord, nor all that go down to the grave; but we will bless the Lord from henceforth and forever (Psalm 113:25).
Similarly, Hezekiah, upon being rescued from death, praised God, stating: For it is not the underworld that glorifies You, nor death that praises You, nor those who are in the grave who trust in Your truth. The living, only the living will praise You, as I do now.
The living will give You praise, just as I do today, for You have brought me back from death, and this is evident in my life now. When Isaiah declared God's judgment of death upon Hezekiah, the king was already lifeless. Yet, through his heartfelt prayer to the Lord, he sought divine mercy, and God granted him life. As a result, he testified and proclaimed that he had been awakened and restored. A father will share Your faithfulness with his children, signifying that this truth will be handed down from one generation to the next. In light of God's steadfastness and the certainty of His promises, Hezekiah believed he would have offspring. And indeed, after three years, Manasseh was born to him.
Hell and death will not confess or offer praise to You as it is written: For in death there is no remembrance of You: in the grave who shall praise You? (Psalm 6:6). Here, confession does not indicate repentance but rather signifies admiration and glorification, as seen in the Gospel where it states: I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth (Matthew 11:25). However, the text continues, Those who are not in the grave trust in Your truth. This interpretation surpasses that of the LXX: On mercy. This suggests that one in hell does not place hope in the truth of judgment but rather in the mercy of God, especially considering that the Savior descended into hell to free the captives.
I will meditate on the entirety of my existence in the anguish of my spirit. Lord, if this embodies the essence of life, and this is the condition of my soul, then correct me and rejuvenate me. My grief is profoundly heavy in this world. Yet you have rescued my soul from destruction: you have borne all my transgressions upon yourself. For it is not Sheol that will glorify You, nor is it death that will extol You; those who descend into the abyss cannot rely on Your truth. It is the living, yes, the living who will declare Your praises, just as I do now. A father to his children will proclaim Your faithfulness. O Lord, deliver me, and we shall sing our songs in the house of the Lord for all our days.
The condition of humanity is transient, and every fleeting joy, when experienced, is ultimately lost. When adversity strikes, past comforts cannot aid the anguish of the afflicted. Thus, the perspective of Epicurus is misguided, for he claims that recollecting past blessings alleviates present suffering. Hezekiah, reflecting in his distress, considered all the years of his reign and the good he had received. Now secure and free from the trials he spoke of, he contemplated the human experience, exclaiming, Lord, if this is our way of living, and this is our state from birth, you have corrected me, yet you have revitalized me. After the Assyrian's departure, you granted me peace, but that peace felt more burdensome than any sorrow, for with the people restored to harmony and the city in calm, I alone entered the realms of death. Nevertheless, you have saved my soul from perishing, both in this life and beyond. You have placed all my iniquities upon yourself so that I may not despair over them, but rather turn towards Your compassion. For Sheol and death will not proclaim or extol You, as affirmed in Scripture: In the grave who shall give You thanks? (Psalm 6:6). Here, 'confession' refers not to repentance but to praise and glorification, as indicated in the Gospel: 'I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth' (Matthew 11:25). They cannot trust, as he states, who descend into the grave in Your mercy. For those in hell do not rely on the truth of judgment, but rather on the mercy of God, especially since the Savior descended into hell to liberate those held captive there. The LXX more explicitly translates 'hell' instead of 'grave.' The living, indeed, shall praise You, as I do now, recognizing that this confession stands in for their praise. The acknowledgment of one’s misdeeds is absent; instead, it is a time for thanksgiving towards God; praise cannot rise from the lips of a sinner (Sir 15:9). While hell and death offer no glory to You, the living instead lift up their voices in exaltation to the Lord. The verse that follows, 'A father shall reveal Your truth to his children,' resonates with the teachings in Deuteronomy: 'Ask your father, and he will tell you; your elders will share it with you' (Deuteronomy 32:7) so that God's grace is proclaimed through every generation. Instead, the LXX states, 'From this point onwards, I will raise up children who shall declare Your righteousness.' The conjunction connects this outcome to the preceding statement: the living, and he himself while alive, will bless God; from this moment forward, he will beget children to spread His truth. This was certainly beyond his control since he was not promised offspring by the Prophet; rather, his present life was granted to him, even though he fathered the wicked Manasseh, who filled Jerusalem with violence and did not bless but blasphemed God, persecuting His followers. Thus, according to the LXX, we might read that he stated he would not beget sons, but παιδία, indicating either children, youths, or descendants, that in receiving mercy, all of his future lineage might recognize and praise His boundless compassion. Therefore, save me, O Lord – and all who believe in You and have experienced Your deliverance shall offer You praise in the temple throughout our lives.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS