Psalm 116 (114/115):3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Can you grasp the depth of His goodness in comparison to our flawed benevolence? If this is our God, let us continually seek Him and call upon Him alone as our refuge, and we will find Him poised to rescue us. When those lost at sea call out for help from those far away, even strangers respond with compassion, despite their lack of connection—having only met through adversity. How much more will God, who is deeply compassionate and inherently good, come to the aid of those in trouble, provided they are earnest in their pleas and abandon reliance on human assistance? Thus, when faced with unforeseen hardship, do not lose heart; instead, rise up and turn to the tranquil refuge, the unyielding safeguard, the aid of God. He permits suffering to draw you nearer to Him. Yet many falter at such times and abandon their former devotion, when they ought to be doing the opposite. His love for us is immense, which is why He allows us to be tested, prompting us to cling more fervently to Him. Just as mothers instill fear in their wayward children to draw them closer to their care—not to cause distress, but to cultivate attachment—so God, who loves us more than any other, permits us to endure challenges, enabling us to engage in constant prayer, seek Him persistently, and prioritize Him above all else.

Does it imply that hope ignites love, and that he loved in the expectation that God would listen to his pleas?

But from where does this hope arise? For he states, He inclined His ear to me; in my days I cried unto Him (Psalm 114:2). I loved, therefore, because He would listen; He would listen because He turned His ear toward me. How can you, O soul of man, know that God has inclined His ear toward you, unless you declare, “I have believed?” Thus, faith, hope, and love remain: (1 Corinthians 13:13). By believing, you hoped; because you hoped, you loved.

And what are your days if you declare, In my days I called upon Him? Perhaps they are those in which the fullness of time arrived, and God sent His Son (Galatians 4:4), who has already proclaimed: In an acceptable time I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you (Isaiah 49:8). I might call my days those of suffering, marked by mortality, in accordance with Adam—a life filled with labor and turmoil, a period of ancient decay. For I am mired in deep mire, and in another psalm, I lament, Behold, You have caused my days to wither away; in these days I have cried out to You. My days differ from those of my Lord. I refer to my days as those times I have made for myself through my own recklessness, having turned away from Him. And since He reigns and governs all things, I have earned confinement—darkness of ignorance and the chains of mortality.

In these days, the nets of death have ensnared me, and the agonies of the abyss have overwhelmed me (Psalm 113:3)—pains that would not have come upon me had I not strayed from You. Now they have beset me, yet I had not perceived them while I reveled in worldly fortune, where the snares of hell are even more deceptive.

However, after finding distress and sorrow, I called on the name of the Lord (Psalm 113:4). I had not recognized true trouble nor beneficial sorrow—the kind in which He assists, where it is said, Be our helper in trouble; help from man is vain. I had thought I could rejoice in the empty aid of humanity, but when I heard from my Lord, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4), I did not wait until I had lost those temporary blessings I had celebrated, after which I would naturally weep. Instead, I paid attention to the very affliction that had made me take delight in things I feared losing yet could not secure. I faced this scenario boldly and resolutely, realizing that I was tormented not only by the trials of this life but also bound by its fleeting happiness, thus uncovering the distress and heaviness that had eluded me, and I called on the name of the Lord: Lord, I implore You, save my soul.

Let the holy people of God declare, I have called on the name of the Lord, and let those among the Gentiles who do not yet invoke His name hear and seek to uncover trouble and heaviness, and call on the name of the Lord, that they may be saved.

The Lord is gracious and just; indeed, our God is compassionate (Psalm 114:5). He is gracious and just, full of mercy. His grace outweighs all else because He inclined His ear to me; I was unaware that the ear of God was so close to my lips until those beautiful feet prompted me to call on the name of the Lord, for who but those first called by Him would call on Him? Thus, He is primarily merciful; yet He disciplines, still merciful for He accepts; for He chastens every child whom He embraces. I should not be bitter for His chastening, nor overly sweet for His acceptance. How could the Lord, who cares for the little ones (Psalm 113:6), not discipline those He seeks as heirs in maturity? For what son is there whom his father does not correct? (Hebrews 12:6-7). I was in distress, and He assisted me. He aided me because I was in need; for the pain inflicted by the physician’s blade is not retribution but healing.

Return to your place of rest, O my soul; for the Lord has dealt graciously with you (Psalm 114:7)—not based on your worth or strength, but because the Lord has done good for you. For He has delivered my soul from death (Psalm 114:8). It is wondrous, dear brethren, that after proclaiming His soul turned to rest because the Lord rewarded him, he added, For He has delivered my soul from death. Did it find rest because it was freed from death? Is not rest most commonly associated with death? What actions characterize one whose existence is restful, and whose demise is turmoil? Such actions must be inclined toward lasting peace, not toward the amplifying of restless toil; for he was saved from death by Him who, in His compassion, said, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30). Therefore, be meek and humble, endeavoring to follow Christ as your path. The activity of the soul should strive for rest; nevertheless, do not be idle or complacent, so that it may fulfill its course, as it is written, In quietness do your labor (Sirach 3:19).

You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling. He who feels the burden of this flesh sings these words, hoping for their fulfillment in himself. Truly it is said, I was in distress, and He delivered me; yet the apostle also truthfully declares that we are saved by hope (Romans 8:24). And that we are rescued from death is rightly said as if it has already come to pass, so we might understand the death of the faithless, of whom it is said, Leave the dead to bury their dead (Matthew 8:22). When He has saved our feet from stumbling, then He will wipe away our tears. For then there will be no slipping of our feet when we walk, no falling, since there is no corruption. Thus we will no longer labor to please, but will stand perfectly acceptable in the Lord's sight in the land of the living.

He articulates that when "the pains of death confronted me, and the sorrows of hell found me," he not only withstood these trials but even intentionally subjected himself to further temptations, as if he actively sought out grief and suffering instead of merely being beset by them. Earlier, he noted, "The troubles of hell have found me," and now he proclaims, "I have encountered sorrow and sickness." Despite the overwhelming distress he faced from all the adversary's challenges, his steadfastness aimed to demonstrate the depth of his love for God, leading him to add tribulation upon tribulation and affliction upon affliction—not out of a belief in his own strength but by calling upon the Lord’s name. Similarly, the Apostle expressed, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). One prevails by enduring the inevitable trials, yet true triumph comes when, as a testament to patience, one willingly takes on suffering. Anyone who has succumbed to mortal sin must acknowledge: "Mortal diseases overwhelmed me," since it is stated, "Whoever commits sin is of the devil" (1 John 3:8). David remarked, "When I was a worker of iniquity, and when death enveloped me, I was confronted with the pains of hell." How did I find healing? By recognizing sorrow and the sickness of repentance, creating for myself the labor of penitence, proportionate to the burden of sin.

'Suffering and sorrow I have found.' This statement introduces a new thought: he says not 'rest I have found' or 'prosperity I have found.' If he had declared 'affliction has found me' or 'grief has found me,' it would be clear. Instead, he speaks of suffering and sorrow as if the seeker has discovered them; indeed, only what is earnestly sought can be uncovered. The saint does not pursue comfort, but rather embraces sorrow. He understands that 'tribulation produces patience, and patience produces experience, and experience produces hope, and hope does not disappoint' (Romans 5:3-5). This is echoed in Jeremiah: 'tribulation and affliction have I called' (see Jer. 15:15). 'For at thy bitter word I will laugh' (see Jeremiah 15:16). In this present age, I desire nothing other than tribulation, that I may obtain rest and prosperity in the age to come. 'Wherefore,' the psalmist expresses, 'I suffer bitterness now, that afterwards I may experience great sweetness.' And the people of the Lord, upon leaving Egypt, arrived at Merah, which means 'bitter,' and then journeyed to Sinai, which signifies 'temptation.' Again, Jeremiah states, 'Alone I sat, for I was filled with grief' (Jeremiah 15:17).

David attributes his love for God to the assurance of being heard, and as mentioned in Psalm 17, he resolves to call upon Him during his lifetime. He recounts similar trials, which drove him to seek the Lord again during his tribulations, assuring that he was saved from them, hence his proclamation of love. After addressing the afflictions of death and the anguish of the grave, David clarifies their nature: they are indeed sorrow and suffering. He notes, "I have found sorrow and sickness." Further elaboration occurs in Psalm 17:5, where he contemplates the phrases, "The pains of the womb of death have overtaken me," as illustrated there.

Have you perceived the mighty armament, have you recognized the solace that conquers all calamities, have you witnessed how the soul burns with love for the Lord? He indicates that it was sufficient for him just to call upon God for rescue from the evils surrounding him. Why do we often cry out yet find no relief from our troubles? It is because we do not call on Him as we should. For He is always poised to grant aid, and His goodness stands in stark contrast to what we might deem good. Thus, He permits us to face unexpected hardships so that we may invoke Him and seek Him more earnestly. In a similar manner, mothers sometimes employ various deceptions to coax their rebellious children into seeking comfort in their embrace, intending to bring them close through cunning rather than distress them.

The Great Basil observes that when faced with mortal ailments and the pains of the grave, he has so tightly controlled his response to these trials that he has willingly added even greater burdens—namely, sorrow and suffering—of his own making, not subjected to the original trials involuntarily. Among these added burdens, he identifies the terrors of the grave, alongside the sorrow and sickness he encountered. Confronted with the challenges the tempter presented to him, he sought to demonstrate the utmost love for God, thus compounding his distress with personal afflictions. He did not combat these hardships through his own might but solemnly called upon the name of the Lord. The Apostle teaches that we triumph over all difficulties by the strength of Him who loves us. One who remains unyielding against serious illness due to extreme misfortune may be overwhelmed, but one who chooses to impose hardship upon themselves in a display of endurance is truly tested.

Those entrenched in mortal sin should acknowledge, "Mortal ailments have overpowered me." For it is written that "everyone who commits sin is born of the devil." Consequently, when one declares, "I have committed iniquity and have been borne in the womb of death," they indeed experience the torments of the grave. How then does one find healing? By acknowledging sorrow and affliction, and creating for oneself a path of torment joined with repentance, thus courageously calling upon the name of the Lord.

Isikhia asserts that he equates repentance with grief and suffering, grief for its resemblance to sin, and suffering for the hardships often associated with it, such as wearing uncomfortable garments, donning ashes, and keeping vigil. Having embraced it, that is, having committed to this path, he called upon the name of the Lord appropriately, for prayer forms the bedrock of true repentance.

To illustrate his hopeful supplication, he affirms, The Lord is merciful and just, and our God is merciful. The Lord's mercy is evident as He offers comfort and forewarning to those in distress. He demonstrates justice because He disciplines every child He embraces (Hebrews 12:6). Ultimately, our God is merciful: He embraces those He has disciplined, forgiving their sins and welcoming them as His heirs.

If we accept that the psalmist represents the entire community, we can view the psalm as a hymn of gratitude from those liberated from bondage; this bondage refers to the peril of death that is highlighted in the psalm. Their national identity was under threat during this captivity, with the risk of being dispersed among the nations and facing destruction. An individual interpretation is also valid, as seen in Psalms 17 and 55. The psalmist expresses a profound love for God because He has consistently attended to his prayers; he validates this love by referencing God's recent response to his supplication, which leads him to praise the Lord for all his days. The sentiment of love in Psalm 17 must include acknowledgment of God, rather than simply a declaration of joy that the Lord listens to his voice. Calling upon God's name with thanksgiving emphasizes a solemn appeal, as noted in Psalm 17:4. Despite being in mortal jeopardy, the psalmist cried out to the Lord for rescue; having been aided by the Lord, he has experienced His mercy and righteousness, delivering the innocent and safeguarding those of humble spirit. Because of this divine assistance, the psalmist’s previously troubled soul can now find peace. The soul was on the verge of losing its love due to anguish, prompting the psalmist to encourage it to return to its former tranquility. Through God's support, all disturbances and anxieties have been alleviated. The psalmist rightly perceives this salvation from death as a sign that God will sustain him for a long time thereafter, in the land of the living, contrasting it with Sheol, the realm of the dead. To honor God in the land of the living entails living a righteous life on earth, and the psalmist entrusts himself to the hope that the Lord will assist him in walking on this path.

Such sorrows and afflictions are meant to lead to repentance and heartfelt prayer to God. Christ the Lord is righteous and justly ordered the banishment of Adam from paradise; He is also merciful, having died for Adam so that he might gain access to paradise once more. The Lord safeguards those infants who are born with inherent malice and without understanding, granting His grace to the humble. Those reborn through water and the Spirit resemble infants, and through faith, they grow into maturity. Adam and others will be restored to paradise, for Christ the Lord chose to suffer for him. The righteous person views his resting place as the mountain abodes, which he will receive as reward for his deeds, while on earth, the tears of repentance bring solace to the sinful soul. Christ frees Adam's soul from death and hell, wipes away all tears from within, and empowers it with grace, ensuring it no longer succumbs to sin eternally. The land of the living is Heaven, where the just and angels glorify God. The prophet designates the land of the living as everlasting heavenly life, devoid of external barriers: there is no night or sleep, no hunger or nourishment, no suffering or death, only the fulfillment of true life in Christ. The life experienced here is alien to the soul, which feels as though it is half-alive, confined within a mortal, corruptible body; for the soul is not derived from the earth and does not belong to it but is destined for the land of the living.