Psalm 106 (105):35Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In this, the prophet illustrates that the Lord's intention was not to instill animosity in their hearts but to ensure their protection. He noted that their connection and companionship with the Gentiles posed a trial for them; this trial was not incidental, for in their folly, they distorted the natural order, as the psalmist elaborates on further (see vv. 37-39).

This psalm carries the title 'Hallelujah' mentioned twice. Some interpretations suggest that one 'Hallelujah' pertains to the end of the previous psalm, while the other refers to the commencement of this current one. It is argued that all psalms with this title conclude with 'Hallelujah,' although not all start with it; thus, they argue that if a psalm lacks 'Hallelujah' at the end, it cannot have one at the beginning, implying that what seems to be the beginning may actually belong to the preceding psalm. However, until they provide us with convincing evidence to support this claim, we will adhere to the traditional practice of attributing any 'Alleluia' found at the top of a psalm to that specific psalm itself. Few manuscripts (none of which I have encountered among the Greek texts I examined) contain 'Alleluia' at the conclusion of the CL psalm, with no others belonging to the same collection following it. Nevertheless, even if this occurred in every manuscript, it does not negate the custom. Whenever a mention of God's praise appears, it may signify that the entire book of Psalms, traditionally divided into five sections (ending with 'Amen, Amen'), could conclude with this final 'Hallelujah' after all praises are rendered. The fact that not all psalms labeled 'Hallelujah' conclude with 'Hallelujah' is, in my view, not necessary. When a psalm commences with a double 'Hallelujah,' it can be likened to our Lord's use of 'Amen,' sometimes once and sometimes twice. Thus, the 'Hallelujah' may also appear once or twice; this is especially true as both 'Hallelujahs' follow the indication of the psalm's number, whereas one belonging to the previous psalm would logically precede it. There may have existed a misunderstanding or custom, whose reasoning might still elude us. Therefore, our guiding principle must be the discernment of truth rather than mere tradition. In the meantime, until we attain a clearer understanding, whenever we encounter 'Hallelujah' written once or twice after a psalm's number, we will attribute it to the psalm identified by the accompanying number, affirming that we recognize the significance of all psalm titles and orders even if we have yet to fully grasp their meanings.

The psalms CV and CVI have a close connection; in the first, the people of God are acknowledged through the elect's voice, who are blameless and presumably depicted among those who are in favor with God. Meanwhile, in the succeeding psalm, reference is made to those who provoked God, who similarly experienced God’s grace. Thus, this psalm begins with the call to 'Confess to the Lord.' While in the prior psalm the follow-up line is 'And call upon His Name,' here it states, 'For He is gracious, and His mercy endures forever' (Psalm 105:1). From this, we can discern an admission of sin; shortly after, we encounter the acknowledgment, 'We have sinned with our fathers and have done wrong and acted wickedly.' In saying, 'For He is good, and His mercy endures forever,' the focus shifts to praising God and recognizing His goodness. When one confesses sins, it must also be accompanied by praise of God, and a confession devoid of despair must invoke His mercy. Therefore, His praise is granted, whether through declaration, calling Him gracious and merciful in words, or through the belief of the heart. If we grasp mercy as that which no one can do without for true happiness, we can strive for improvement forever; however, if we see mercy as assistance offered to those suffering, either for comfort within tribulation or eventual release from it, then it leans towards the eventuality of the world where the needy are always present, to whom mercy is extended. Unless one argues that God’s mercy will not be withheld even from those condemned alongside the devil and his angels; their situation is not alleviated by mercy intended for liberation from that condemnation but perhaps softened in some manner. Accordingly, the mercy of God can be regarded as everlasting, manifest in eternal suffering.

Who can recount the mighty deeds of the Lord? (Psalm 104:2). Engaging in contemplation of God’s works, and seeking His favor, the psalmist asks, 'Who can articulate the mighty acts of the Lord and proclaim all His praises?' To complete the sense here, one must consider the added phrase, 'Who shall make all His praises heard?' that is, who is capable of ensuring His praises resonate? 'I will make them heard,' he asserts; signifying that the revelations of God’s might and His praises must be shared for others to hear and understand. But who is truly able to accomplish this? Might it be as stated next: 'Blessed are they that keep judgment always, and do righteousness at all times,' found in Psalms 104:3—suggesting those praises refer to His commandments as His works? For God indeed acts within you (Philippians 2:13). Who will accomplish all actions necessary for His praises to be acknowledged? That is, who, after hearing them, will return praises to Him? What are the works of His commandments? Even if all that is heard is not acted upon, He who awakens both the will and the action according to His good pleasure deserves praise (Philippians 2:13). Consequently, it is noteworthy that while one might have opted for 'All His commandments,' or 'all works of His commandments,' he preferred to say, ‘Praise Him.’

If no distinction existed between judgment and righteousness, we would not find, in another psalm, the phrase: ‘Till righteousness return to judgment.’ Scripture often pairs these two terms, as in 'Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne,' suggesting a certain thematic overlap. Therefore, due to their closeness in meaning, one may interchangeably substitute one for the other, whether judgment for righteousness, or vice versa; yet, when properly understood, I maintain that a difference indeed exists. He who keeps judgment judges justly, while he who does righteousness performs righteousness. Consequently, the expression, 'Till righteousness returns to judgment,' may aptly signify that those who keep judgment faithfully and act righteously are indeed considered blessed.

Moreover, as God justifies, making men righteous by healing their iniquities, the prayer follows: 'Remember me, O Lord, according to the favor You show towards Your people' (Psalm 104:4). In other words, may I be counted among those whom You favor, given that not all are viewed with His pleasure. Oh, visit me with Your salvation. This refers to the Saviour Himself, through whom sins are forgiven and souls restored so that they might maintain righteousness and perform good deeds; thus those who voice this prayer know they are indeed blessed. Therefore, let us beseech You to visit us with Your salvation, meaning Your Christ. Grant us the privilege to see the blessedness of Your elect and rejoice in the joy of Your people (Psalm 104:5). In some copies, the term 'happiness' reads as 'sweetness'; similar to the preceding phrase: 'For He is gracious,' while others have 'For He is sweet.' This is the same Greek word as found in another text: 'The Lord will show sweetness,' which some translate as 'blessedness,' while others see it as 'bounty.' But what is meant by 'Visit us to see the bliss of Your elect,' if not the happiness bestowed upon Your elect? We ought not to be blind, as spoken of in John 9:41, where it is noted, 'But now you say we see,' implying that sin remains. For the Lord grants sight to the blind, not based on their merit, but through the blessedness He bestows upon those chosen by Him.

Let us glorify You with Your inheritance. I find it surprising that so many translations interpret this verse differently, as the Greek wording is the same across these three contexts. However, given that this phrasing appears uncertain, if the translators' reading 'You may be commended' is indeed accurate, then the two preceding verses must be similarly understood, given the singular Greek expression present. Hence, the entire sense can be construed as: 'Visit us with Your salvation, so that You may witness the blessedness of Your elect; visit us that You might lead us there, enabling us to see and rejoice in Your people’s joy; that You may be glorified with Your inheritance, for it is glorified solely for Your sake.'

Listening now to their confession, 'We have sinned with our fathers, we have done wrong and acted wickedly' (Psalm 104:6), what is inferred by 'with our fathers'...? They admit that their forebears failed to recognize your wonders in Egypt (Psalm 105:7) and recount their various sins. Alternatively, if we regard it this way, 'we have sinned with our fathers' may suggest that we have replicated their sins. If that is the case, one must reference an expression indicating such imitation. I could not find an example where one claims to have sinned 'with' another when mimicking similar misconduct after a significant interval. What does it signify that our fathers did not grasp Your miracles? Furthermore, did they not comprehend what the miracles sought to persuade them of? Was it not life everlasting and unchanging goodness expected only through patience? For this reason, they complained restlessly and demanded blessings of temporary goods, neglecting the magnitude of Your grace. Their lack of understanding and memory is rebuked: by failing to reflect upon what eternal blessings God was urging them towards through temporal gifts, and neglecting to recall the miraculous occurrences that had already led them out of Egypt and subdued their enemies.

They vexed themselves as they drew near the sea, particularly the Red Sea. It is crucial to note how Scripture chastises the misinterpretation of what should have been understood and the failure to remember what ought to have been recalled; a fault that people often evade acknowledging merely to excuse reduced prayers and humility before God, in whose sight one must acknowledge their true nature and, through prayer, strive to become what they are not. It is more prudent to confess even those sins born of ignorance and neglect so they may be eradicated rather than to excuse them and allow them to persist. Likewise, it is better to seek purification by appealing to God than to provoke Him through inaction. The text emphasizes that God acted despite their lack of faith. Yet, He redeemed them for the sake of His Name, to make His strength manifest (Psalm 105:8), not due to any merit of theirs.

He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up (Psalm 104:9). We do not read that a voice came from heaven to command the sea, but His Divine Power is referred to as a rebuke unless one suggests that the sea perceived the command silently, unbeknownst to men. The mystery of God's power is complex and profound, capable of compelling even the inanimate to fulfill His desires. He led them through the deep as if it were dry land. He describes the accumulating waters as abyss. Some translators aim to clarify this whole verse as: 'And He led them out among the many waters.' What does it mean to traverse the abyss as through a wilderness, except that its dryness transformed it into a wilderness where once there were abundant pools of water?

He delivered them from those who hated them (Psalm 104:10). To eschew awkward phrasing, some interpreters rephrased it allegorically as, 'And He saved them from the hand of those who hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.' What was the cost of this redemption? Is it prophetic since this act foreshadows Baptism, through which we are liberated from the devil at a substantial price, which is the blood of Christ? Thus, it becomes clearer that it was not any sea indiscriminately, but particularly the Red Sea, resonating with Christ's blood depicted in its red hue.

The Lord prohibited the mingling due to their alliance in unrighteousness. His intention was to eliminate the source to avert calamity and to eradicate the outcome by addressing the primary evil before it multiplied. However, they disregarded His commandments, failing to silence the malevolent speech and neglecting to avoid companionship with those in sin, instead envying their wrongdoing.

The Hebrews, as noted, failed to eliminate all the nations present in the promised land, despite God's directives, fearing that they might adopt the nations' sinful practices and engage in idol worship, as depicted in the book of Judges. Instead, by associating with these nations, they embraced their corrupt and immoral behaviors. As reflected in Psalm 77, it states that they turned away repeatedly, just as their ancestors had. Chrysostom emphasizes that not only did they neglect to eradicate these nations, but they also integrated with them, willingly succumbing to corruption; rather than improving the others, they themselves deteriorated as a consequence.

A different prophet admonished the ancient Israelites: ‘They were mixed together in the Gentiles, and learnt their works; and worked their statues, and were a temptation to them’ (Psalm 105:35-36). Should we, devout Russians, not heed this lesson for our own protection? Or does it become another matter when we adopt foreign ideas and customs that appear benign, not stemming from pagan sources? This dilemma prompts another inquiry: What was so perilous in the practices of ancient pagan nations for the people of God as to require caution? Is there indeed nothing comparable among contemporary nations that consider themselves Christian? We observe that in one such nation, anti-Christian skepticism and godlessness have boldly emerged in certain intellects and writings, spreading to another. In this latter nation, it was, not long ago, sanctioned by civil law. Now, we witness these very nations engaging in fierce conflict against Christians in defense of those who oppose Christianity.

In this passage, the author illustrates the consequences of the Israelites' misguided compassion, revealing how they became tainted by the transgressions of the very nations they chose to spare without reason. Had they lived in isolation, they would have more easily maintained the integrity of their worship. However, their association with pagan peoples inevitably led them away from genuine reverence. Humans have a natural tendency to emulate flawed behavior; thus, the author emphasizes that they learned to engage in corrupt practices, underscoring the dangers of associating with the unrighteous. Given our inherent susceptibility to sin, interacting with the wicked can lead to being influenced by their sinful dispositions.

Alleluia is a joyful hymn that praises the Almighty, expressed in this psalm by the Holy Spirit through the prophet, intended for the edification of all humanity. It encourages continual worship of God for His boundless mercy, which embraces those who have sinned greatly and welcomes all who turn towards Him in repentance, especially those who have strayed and those who trust in the true Messiah, Christ the Lord, the embodiment of goodness and compassion. The mercy of God, manifested to the righteous, remains eternally secure. Who can fully articulate how the Word of God became incarnate, dwelling among us while remaining in the embrace of the Father, and redeemed the first Adam?