Psalm 116 (114/115):7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

2:17), He did not restrict Himself to this sentence, which included the statement, "dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" (Gen. 3:19), but also announced additional hardships: "in the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread; with sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns and thistles shall it bring forth for thee"; and to the woman, He declared, "I will multiply thy sorrow in thy pregnancy; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children" (Gen. 3:16-18). The initial warning was insufficient to enlighten them. Consequently, it is evident that many are reformed through these afflictions. When death strikes, it often renders people unfeeling; yet, these hardships can lead the living to become better. If death seems daunting, it is due to human frailty. Paul recognized this, as he expressed a desire for death and found joy in it: "I have a desire," he said, "to be departed and to be with Christ, for that is far better"; and again, "I also rejoice in this, and will continue to rejoice" (Phil. 1:17-23). He felt burdened by the opposing reality: "we groan within ourselves," he remarked, "waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body" (Rom. 8:23); and again, "being in this tent, we sigh under the weight" (2 Cor. 5:4). Do you perceive the beauty of charity? What appears sorrowful to others is something he longs for, while what others regard as joyful brings him sighs. Is it not lamentable to be an exile, distant from one's homeland? And is it not joyous to soon return to a peaceful harbor, to reach the mountain abode where there is no illness, no sorrow, and no sighing? But you may ask, can a sinner like me attain this? Reflect: it is not death that brings anguish but a troubled conscience. Therefore, abandon sin, and death will become a desire for you.

Could it be implied that since hope fuels love, he loved in expectation that God would hear his prayer?

But where did this hope originate? For, he states, "He inclined His ear unto me, and in my days I cried unto Him." Psalm 114:2. I loved, therefore, because He is willing to hear; He is willing to listen because He inclined His ear towards me. How can you, O human soul, know that God has inclined His ear to you unless you proclaim, "I have believed"? Hence, these three remain: faith, hope, and charity. 1 Corinthians 13:13 For you believed, and thus you hoped; and because of your hope, you loved.

And what are your days, if you claim, "In my days I called upon Him"? Perhaps those are the days in which the fullness of time has arrived, and God has sent His Son. Galatians 4:4. He has already declared, "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you." Isaiah 49:8. I might rather designate my days as days of affliction, days of mortality, days reminiscent of Adam—full of labor and anguish, days of ancient decline. For I found myself entangled in mire, and in another psalm I lamented, "Behold, you have made my days old; in these days I called upon you." For my days diverge from the days of my Lord. I consider my days those that I have constructed through my own audacity, having forsaken Him; and since He reigns supreme and is all-powerful, I have deserved confinement; that is, I have been enveloped in the darkness of ignorance and the chains of mortality.

In these days, the nets of death have ensnared me, and the pains of Gehenna have seized me. Psalm 113:3. These sufferings would not have come upon me had I not strayed from You. But now they have overtaken me, though I did not perceive them while I reveled in worldly prosperity, where the snares of hell are even more insidious. After I encountered adversity and sorrow, I called upon the Name of the Lord. Psalm 113:4. I did not realize the type of tribulation in which He offers assistance, as it is said, "Be our helper in trouble"; for human help is futile. I thought I could rejoice in the empty support of mankind; yet 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 lost those temporal blessings that I had cherished, only to find my weeping then. Instead, I reflected on the very affliction that made me delight in such things that I feared to lose yet could not retain; I took a firm and courageous stance and recognized that I was not only vexed by the world's burdens but also entrapped by its joys. Thus, I unveiled the trouble and sorrow that had eluded me, and I called upon the Name of the Lord; "Lord, I beseech You, deliver my soul." Let the holy people of God proclaim, "I have called upon the Name of the Lord," and let the Gentiles who have yet to invoke His Name hear; let them strive to recognize their own tribulations and sorrows, call upon the Name of the Lord, and be saved.

The Lord is gracious and just; our God is compassionate. Psalm 114:5. He is gracious, righteous, and merciful. Gracious above all, for He inclined His ear to me; and I was unaware that the ear of God was at my lips until those beautiful feet urged me to call upon the Name of the Lord. Who can call upon Him except for the one whom He has first called? Thus, He is primarily merciful—not only because He chastises, but also because He receives—because every son whom He accepts is chastened. I should not be sorrowful that He corrects, nor overly comforted that He receives. For how could the Lord, who watches over the vulnerable, not discipline those whom He seeks as heirs? What son is there whom his father does not chastise? Hebrews 12:6-7. I found myself in adversity, and He assisted me. He aided me because I was distressed; for the pain inflicted by the physician with his scalpel is not punitive, but healing.

"Return to your rest, O my soul; for the Lord has been good to you." Psalm 114:7. Not based on your worthiness or strength, but because the Lord has shown kindness to you. For He has redeemed my soul from death. Psalm 114:8. How wonderful, beloved brethren, that after he proclaimed his soul's return to rest, due to the Lord's generosity, he added, "For He has redeemed my soul from death." Did it rest because it was saved from death? Is not rest often associated with death? What actions reflect a life of rest, rather than a death filled with toil? Such actions must indeed be aimed at serene security, rather than a pursuit of restless labor; for he was delivered from death by Him who compassionately said, "Come unto Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28-30. Thus, meek and humble, following Christ as her way, the soul should strive for rest, yet not be lazy or complacent; she must fulfill her journey, as it is stated, "In quietude do your works." Sirach 3:19. "You have redeemed my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling." He who feels the chains of this flesh sings these words as they are realized in hope. Truly, I have faced trouble, and He rescued me; yet the Apostle faithfully states that we are saved through hope. Romans 8:24. Moreover, to say we are delivered from death is rightly spoken as already accomplished, so that we may comprehend the death of the unbelievers, of whom it is said, "Let the dead bury their dead." Matthew 8:22. Then He will dry our tears when He has saved our feet from stumbling. For then there will be no slipping when we walk, as there will be no weakness in the flesh. Yet, despite how solid our path may be, which we tread in Christ, as long as we carry our flesh, which we are meant to subdue, the crucial matter is to avoid falling; as for not stumbling in the flesh—who can achieve that? "I will please the Lord in the land of the living." Psalm 114:9. We now endure labor, for we await the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:23. But when death is consumed in victory, and this corrupt being puts on incorruption, and this mortal becomes immortal, 1 Corinthians 15:53-54, then there shall be no more weeping, because there shall be no more stumbling, and no stumbling, because there is no corruption. Thus, we shall no longer toil to please, but shall stand wholly accepted in the Lord's sight, in the land of the living.

Eternal peace is promised to those who have diligently toiled in this world, a peace that is not earned through their deeds, but gifted through the grace of our generous God, extended to those who place their trust in Him.’ In expressing gratitude to the Liberator of souls, who has rescued him from various trials and the heavy chains of his passions, he begins to reflect not on earthly blessings, but on the liberation from worldly afflictions. How has this been accomplished? I have rescued my soul from death, my eyes from weeping, and my feet from stumbling.

Trouble abounds everywhere: in the wilderness lurk dangers, in urban areas, temptation and death abound, and the seas are filled with threats from robbers and pirates. Yet, I discuss these matters in a mysterious way. A holy person faces no peril from thieves, as martyrs have triumphed through their sacrifices. ‘Turn, my soul, to thy rest: for the Lord hath favoured thee.’ The psalmist notes that your return to paradise is not based on your own merit, but wholly on God’s mercy. Your transgressions have resulted in your banishment from that blissful place, and it is through divine grace that you shall find your way back. Thus, let us urge our souls to ‘Turn to thy rest.’ Our true rest is found in Christ our Savior. When we encounter difficulties and our thoughts tempt us towards sin, we should proclaim, ‘Turn, our soul, to thy rest.’

This separation is a blessing from God for the just, releasing them from bodily burdens and ailments, in line with Paul’s assertion: "for we who are in this tent groan, being burdened" (2 Cor. 5:4), and, "I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better" (Phil. 1:23). Consequently, these words are suited for the righteous who have been liberated from the many toils of this life, finding rest in the heavenly realms. Thus, when David declares that the Lord has favored him, he understands it as God delivering his soul from both physical death and spiritual death caused by sin, which stifles the soul's virtuous actions. God has also spared my eyes from weeping, ensuring they no longer overflow with sorrow, and has freed my feet from stumbling blocks set by my malicious adversaries, both seen and unseen. Chrysostom further remarks that although sin has brought death into the world, God has transformed it into a means of benefit for us, often guiding us towards a life of higher purpose. It raises the question of whether it can truly be labeled as death when its designation is more frightening than the actual experience. The horror often attributed to death arises from the frailty of those who behold it in such a light. Ultimately, it is not death that distresses, but rather the awareness of one’s own moral failings. Thus, cease to sin, and death will become desirable to you. Basil notes that the righteous refer to their comfort as the mountain dwellings awaiting them as a reward for their faithful endeavors. The devoted ascetic then relates to these words of encouragement, akin to Paul’s declaration: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7). For eternal repose awaits those who have persevered faithfully in this life; this reward is granted not as a payment for duty but through the grace of our great God bestowed upon those who place their trust in Him. It is aptly said: to your rest, for it belongs to you, not another: the saints receive the blessings prepared for them by God as their rightful inheritance. Chrysostom emphasizes that my feet have been spared from slipping. This signifies an even greater deliverance than before, as we are liberated not only from sorrow but also from falling and malice. Therefore, the one who departs after having done good has already anchored at the divine shore; all barriers have been removed, and there is no longer any turmoil or disorder; the one who has departed from this life rests in everlasting glory. Isychias explains that the rest of the soul signifies the cessation of sin, which disturbs and cripples all its faculties. David, recognizing baptism as a liberation from sin, referred to it as the water of rest. He thus urges the soul straying in sin to return to the rest that baptism offers, or to the tears of genuine repentance. Basil also compares future rest to earthly goods, stating: Here I am beset by the ailments of death, and there He has delivered my soul from death. Here, my eyes weep tears of sorrow, yet there will be no tears; for God promises to wipe away every tear from every face (Isaiah 25:8). Here, I face great peril of stumbling, as Paul noted: "If anyone thinks he stands, let him take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12); yet there the foundations are firm, life is everlasting, and there is no threat of being led astray by sin.

If we accept that the psalmist expresses the sentiments of the entire community, we can interpret the psalm as a hymn of gratitude from those liberated from bondage; in this context, captivity represents the grave threat referenced in the psalm, endangering the nation's survival and risking scattering among the nations, leading to annihilation. However, this can also be understood on a personal level, as seen in Psalms 17 and 55. The Psalmist conveys a deep love for God, expressing, "I love," indicating his affection for the Divine, for God has consistently responded to his cries for help. He supports this by referring to the recent answer to his supplication, vowing to praise the Lord for the rest of his days. When speaking of love, it is crucial to include God, not merely interpreting the sentiment as joy in God’s attentive hearing of his voice. To invoke God's name with gratitude is a solemn act, as evident in Psalm 17:4. The Psalmist, facing life-threatening peril, called upon the Lord for deliverance; having received mercy and righteousness from God, he found refuge for the innocent and protection for the humble-hearted. Because the Lord has graciously aided him, the previously troubled soul can find rest. The soul, which faced the danger of losing love in despair, is urged to return and reclaim its former tranquility. Through His assistance, God has removed all that causes disturbance. The Psalmist rightly perceives his deliverance from death's peril as a promise that God will preserve his life for many years hence (in the land of the living, contrary to sheol, the realm of the dead). Living to please God in the land of the living entails a godly existence on Earth, and he nurtures the hope that the Lord will empower him to live righteously.

Consider Christ’s voice during His suffering. The Father listened to the Son as He hung on the cross, calling out, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Illness brings death; sinful thoughts and the torments of hell emerge from sin. Suffering and afflictions drive one to seek repentance and remorse for transgressions alongside fervent prayer to God. Righteous is Christ the Lord, who justly expelled Adam from paradise; yet, He is also merciful, having sacrificed Himself so Adam might again enter paradise.

The Lord safeguards those who arrive in this world with innate malice, extending His grace to the humble. Those reborn through water and the Spirit are like infants, and through faith, they grow toward spiritual maturity. Adam and others will return to paradise, for Christ the Lord willingly endured suffering for their sakes. The virtuous refer to their rest as the heavenly abodes, a reward for their deeds. On this earth, tears of repentance bring solace to the sinful heart.

Christ rescues Adam’s soul from hell and death, wiping away every tear from his spirit and fortifying it with grace, so it may no longer dwell in sin eternally. The land of the living is heaven, where the righteous and the angels offer thanks to God. The prophet designates this land of the living as the eternal, immortal life, devoid of external barriers: no night, no slumber, no need for sustenance, no suffering, and no death, but rather the fullness of true life in Christ. Life here is foreign to the soul, which feels half-alive, confined within a fragile, corruptible body. The soul does not originate from the earth and will not return to it; instead, it belongs to the land of the living.