THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
This psalm is designated with the title ‘Hallelujah,’ and notably, this title appears two times. Some interpret that one ‘Hallelujah’ refers to the conclusion of the previous psalm while the other pertains to the start of this one. They assert that all psalms with this label have a Hallelujah at the end but do not necessarily have one at the beginning; therefore, they argue that a psalm lacking a Hallelujah at the end must also lack one at the beginning, believing that the initial Hallelujah belongs to the preceding psalm. However, we will adhere to the customary practice, which associates any Alleluia with the psalm it is marked with, unless compelling evidence suggests otherwise. It is rare to find copies, and I have not encountered it in any of the Greek manuscripts I have reviewed, where an Alleluia appears at the conclusion of the CL psalm; following it, there is no other psalm from the same canon. Even this finding does not override the traditional usage. At any mention of praise to God, the entire collection of psalms—claimed to consist of five books—might conclude with this final Hallelujah after all the previously sung praises. I do not see the necessity for every psalm labeled ‘Hallelujah’ to end with it. When there are two Hallelujahs at the beginning of a psalm, much like our Lord sometimes says ‘Amen’ once and other times twice, the Hallelujah can also appear either once or twice as is appropriate; especially since, in this CV, both Hallelujahs follow the numeral indicating the psalm’s order, while one affiliated with the previous psalm should precede that number, and the Hallelujah corresponding to this psalm should be placed afterward. Nevertheless, this may also be a matter of tradition, and we may not yet grasp the reasons behind it, hence we must prioritize the discernment of truth over customary practice. Until we receive clearer guidance on this subject, we will attribute any Hallelujah, be it singular or double, written after the numeral of a psalm to that same psalm, in accordance with the prevalent custom within the Church, acknowledging the significance of both the titles and the sequencing of the psalms, even as we remain unable to delve deeply into these matters.
Looking into these two psalms, the CV and CVI, I observe they are intricately linked. In the first, the elect people of God are celebrated without any reproach, assumed to be among those who were pleasing to God, as indicated in 1 Corinthians 10:5. In the subsequent psalm, however, those who provoked God are referenced, yet they too experienced His favor. Thus, this psalm commences similarly to the preceding one, urging: 'Give thanks to the Lord.' In the former, the next line prompts, 'And call upon His name,' while here, the following declaration states: ‘For He is gracious; His mercy endures forever’ (Psalm 105:1). This wording suggests an acknowledgment of sins, as we see shortly afterward, where it conveys, ‘We have sinned with our fathers and done wickedly’; yet, in the phrase, ‘For He is good, and His mercy endures forever,’ we primarily encounter veneration of God, with this praise serving as a route to confession. When one confesses sins, it must be accompanied by the glorification of God, and such a confession is not pleasing unless it is free from despair and invokes God's mercy. Therefore, it inherently contains His praise, either verbally, as when He is called gracious and merciful, or in spirit, as one believes. If we comprehend mercy as an essential element for human happiness, we may improve forever; but if taken as mercy granted to ease the afflicted, perhaps even to rescue them from their plight, it may imply the everlasting continuum of the world where the unfortunate shall never cease to exist. Unless anyone presumes that mercy will be entirely absent for those condemned alongside the adversary and his angels, the mercy alluded to cannot redeem them from such condemnation; rather, it may serve to alleviate some of their suffering. Thus, God’s mercy can be termed everlasting, in that it manifests amidst their eternal afflictions.
Who is able to articulate the mighty deeds of the Lord? Psalm 104:2. Full of contemplation on God's works, and imploring His grace, one may wonder who can effectively display the mighty deeds of the Lord or express all His praises? To clarify what has been stated, we could ask: ‘Who is adequate to vocalize all His praises?’ and the speaker may answer: ‘I will proclaim them,’ meaning to convey them so that His mighty acts and praises may be communicated to those who will listen. Yet, who has the ability to achieve this? Perhaps in the following words, ‘Blessed are those who maintain justice and perform righteousness at all times’ (Psalms 104:3), there lies an implication that those praises understood through His commandments depict His works. For the apostle indicates, as God operates within you (Philippians 2:13), that He undertakes these matters inexpressibly. Who is capable of ensuring that His praises are heard? Specifically, after internalizing these praises, who will ascribe all glory and honor to Him? What can be deemed His commandments? Although the reality is that not everything heard is acted upon, He is indeed worthy of praise, being the one who inspires both willingness and action in us in alignment with His intention, as seen in Philippians 2:13. For this reason, rather than stating, ‘All His commandments or all the deeds of His commandments,’ it is more fitting to declare ‘Praise Him.’
If there existed no distinction between judgment and righteousness, we would not read in another psalm, ‘Until righteousness returns to judgment.’ Scripture usually delights in pairing these terms; as righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne, He promises to manifest your righteousness as evident as daylight, and your judgment as clear as noon—where a semblance of meaning appears repetitive. While it holds that one may interchangeably use judgment for righteousness, or vice versa, I firmly believe a distinction exists if articulated correctly. Namely: the one who exercises judgment acts justly, while the one who performs righteousness practices what is right. Therefore, the phrase ‘Until righteousness returns to judgment’ could be understood aptly, suggesting those who keep judgment through faith and enact righteousness through deeds are indeed blessed.
Moreover, since God justifies, which means He renders individuals righteous through the removal of sin, the prayer continues: ‘Remember me, O Lord, according to the favor You show to Your people’ (Psalm 104:4). In essence, this is a plea to be among those favored by You, since not all are esteemed by God. 'Oh, visit me with Your salvation.' This refers to the Savior Himself, in whom sins are forgiven and souls restored, enabling them to uphold justice and practice righteousness. Recognizing that such individuals are blessed, they entreat for it. Hence, ‘Visit us with Your salvation’ equates to visiting us with Christ. Witness the blessedness of Your elect and experience joy within Your people (Psalm 104:5): this confirms our request for Your salvation to view the happiness You grant the elect and to rejoice within Your joy, O Your people. Notably, in some texts, the term ‘happiness’ is rendered as 'sweetness'—such as in the earlier lines where some versions read, ‘For He is gracious,’ while others say, ‘For He is sweet.’ The Greek term holds the same meaning in another context: ‘The Lord will reveal sweetness,’ leading some to interpret it as ‘blessedness,’ while others prefer ‘goodness.’ However, comprehending ‘Visit us to witness the blessedness of Your elect’ means seeing the joy You bestow upon them: lest we remain oblivious, as those admonished, ‘But now you claim to see; thus, your sin remains’ (John 9:41). The Lord grants sight to the blind, not based on their merits but in the blessedness bestowed upon His elect; this aligns with saying, ‘He does not approach merely on His own but is my God.’ We refer to our daily sustenance as ‘ours’ yet add, ‘give it to us’ (Matthew 6:11)... 'Let us glorify You with Your inheritance.’ I am surprised this line has been construed so diversely across various manuscripts, as the Greek phrasing remains consistent in each instance. If this interpretation—that it signifies ‘You may be praised’—is valid, then the preceding verses must also be understood accordingly, due to the singular Greek usage across these three verses. Consequently, the totality can be interpreted thus: ‘Visit us with Your salvation, so that You may observe the blessedness of Your elect, which denotes visiting us for the purpose of leading us there and witnessing us there; that You may rejoice in the joy of Your people, meaning that You are perceived to rejoice as they rejoice in You; that You may be glorified with Your inheritance, which is glorified solely for Your sake...
Yet let us listen to what they subsequently confess: ‘We have sinned with our fathers, we have done wrong and acted wickedly’ (Psalm 104:6). What do they imply by ‘with our fathers’? ‘Our fathers, he states, did not consider Your wonders in Egypt’ (Psalm 105:7), recounting their numerous transgressions. Alternatively, if we interpret it this way, we have sinned alongside our fathers, meaning we have replicated their sins. If this were the case, it must be justified through specific instances, yet I could not identify any prior examples where someone asserted they had sinned or undertaken an action similarly to another across a prolonged time. So what does it signify that their forebears failed to recognize Your miracles, nor grasped what you sought to reveal through those miracles? Could it not have been eternal life and goodness, which is neither transitory nor alterable, yet is acquired solely through perseverance? For this reason, they murmured impatiently, were provoked, and sought blessings in earthly, temporal goods, neglecting to acknowledge the greatness of Your grace. This admonishes their comprehension and memory. Comprehension relates to their need for reflection upon the eternal blessings God beckoned them to through lesser, temporal gifts. Memory indicates at the very least, that they should not forget the ephemeral miracles performed, and should have sincerely believed that the same power which had liberated them before would safeguard them from their enemies, despite having overlooked the assistance provided in Egypt through those miracles to subdue their foes. Upon nearing the sea, even the Red Sea, they grew despondent. It is crucial to note how Scripture rebukes errors of understanding and forgetfulness that ought to be remembered; this occurs largely because individuals are loath to attribute these failures to themselves—to avoid prayerfulness and humility before God, before whom they ought to acknowledge their true nature, and by seeking His aid transform into what they ought to be. Thus, it is more beneficial to confess even sins arising from ignorance and negligence for their absolution than excuse them, allowing them to persist. It is preferable to purify them through petitions to God than to ignore them through provoking Him. It is stated that God acted contrary to their disbelief. Yet the text affirms that He saved them for the sake of His name to manifest His might (Psalms 105:8), not because of any virtue on their part.