Psalm 118 (117):25Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Observing the flourishing of creation, the transformation of conditions, and the improvement in situation, he celebrates alongside those who are elevated by it, saying, ‘O Lord, save! O Lord, make haste!’ Rescue those who enjoy these blessings, that they may be enriched by them and bear fruit that reflects Your grace. Prepare a path for them, so that, having received these gifts, they do not stray from such blessings.

In this Psalm, we learn that when we proclaim Hallelujah, which translates to "Praise the Lord," we should respond to the call to "Confess to the Lord" (Psalm 116:1) with our praise. Acknowledgment of God's goodness can be succinctly expressed in the words: "For He is good." This brevity carries profound significance because God's goodness is indeed a remarkable attribute, prompting the Son of God, when referred to as the Good Teacher—a term often misconstrued by those who perceive Him merely in His human form—to ask, "Why do you call Me good?" For only God is truly good (Mark 10:17-18). This implies that to recognize Him as good is to recognize His divine nature. This declaration is made in anticipation of the future to a people liberated from toil and false worship, a freedom granted through God’s grace, which not only refrains from responding to evil with evil, but instead counters malevolence with kindness. Hence, it is fitting to add, "Because His mercy endures forever."

Let Israel now declare His goodness and acknowledge that His mercy lasts forever (Psalm 116:2). Let the house of Aaron affirm His everlasting mercy (Psalm 116:3). Indeed, let all who revere the Lord now proclaim that His mercy is eternal (Psalm 116:4). Beloved, you are familiar with the significance of the house of Israel and the house of Aaron, both of whom fear the Lord. These represent both the great and the small, joyfully celebrated in a previous psalm, among whom we find unity in grace, praising Him, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever. They expressed their hope that the Lord would multiply them and their children, so that to the Israelites who believed in Christ, represented by the apostles, an army of Gentiles might be added for the glorification of the perfect and the obedience of the children. Thus, when we unite in Christ, we become one flock under one Shepherd, one body, declaring in unison, "I called upon the Lord in my distress, and He heard me" (Psalm 116:5). Our afflictions may be narrow, yet the path we walk is boundless. Who can bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? (Romans 8:33).

The Lord is my aide; I shall not fear what men can do to me (Psalm 116:6). Yet, are men the only adversaries of the Church? What is a man, after all, but mere flesh? However, Scripture reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12), namely, the devil and his angels—the one whom the apostle terms the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). Hence, we hear, "The Lord is my helper; I will disregard those who oppose me" (Psalm 116:7). Regardless of the source of my opposition, be they wicked men or malevolent spirits, through the Lord's assistance, whom we will praise and thank, I shall hold them in contempt.

Yet, when my adversaries are shunned, may my friend not present himself as a virtuous man, urging me to place my trust in him. For it is better to trust in the Lord than to rely on human support (Psalm 116:8). I also should not consider anyone—who might be regarded as a benevolent angel—as someone on whom to depend. No individual is good except God alone (Mark 10:18), and assistance from a man or an angel, stemming from genuine love, is facilitated through Him who has granted them goodness in measure. Therefore, it is more prudent to place trust in the Lord than in princes (Psalm 116:9). Even angels are referred to as princes, as seen in Daniel, where it states, "Michael your prince" (Daniel 12:1).

Surrounded by all nations, I invoked the name of the Lord to overcome them (Psalm 117:10). They surrounded me on all sides, yet I called upon the Lord to vindicate me (Psalm 117:11). This signifies the trials and triumphs of the Church, and as if responding to how such a substantial evil could be vanquished, the psalmist reflects on an initial reality, asserting that "they pressed me on all sides"—noting the absence of the phrase "all nations" as it was the Jews alone who acted in this manner. It was from this same community, the body of Christ, that the righteous, in the flesh, were persecuted when He Himself bore the crucifixion.

"They surged against me like bees around a hive, and raged like fire consuming thorns; but I avenged them in the name of the Lord" (Psalm 117:12). This order of words conveys the sequence of events. Indeed, our Lord, the Head of the Church, faced His persecutors as bees surround their hive. The Holy Spirit articulates with profound mystery what those ignorant of their actions enacted. Bees, while producing honey within the hive, represent how the antagonists, although unaware, made our Lord ever so sweet through His Passion, allowing us to taste and see the goodness of the Lord who died for our transgressions and rose for our justification (Romans 4:25). Further, the destructive fire among thorns is best understood concerning His Body—the scattered people drawn from among nations—who suffered under fiery persecution. They paid the penalty of their sins, and the suffering of this earthly existence was consumed in the flames of affliction. Justice was meted out on them, whether as those who, after passing away from their wickedness, joined the people of Christ, or as those who, neglecting the mercy of Him who called them, will ultimately face the truth of their judgment.

"I was pushed down like chaff but the Lord sustained me" (Psalm 117:13). Despite the multitude of believers, they may be likened to countless grains of sand, all gathered into a single heap; yet what is man, that You remember him? He did not assert, "The number of the Gentiles surpassed my host," but rather declared, "The Lord sustained me." The persecution they faced did not bring an end to the unity of faith among believers.

"The Lord is my strength, my song, and has become my salvation" (Psalm 116:14). Who among those pushed can truly fall, except those who rely on their own strength and praise? Failure only befalls those lacking fortitude, so whoever counts on the Lord for strength and praise will stand firm. Thus, He became their salvation—not as though He changed His nature, but because those who turned to Him became transformed through faith, acknowledging Him as salvation.

"The voice of joy and victory resides in the homes of the righteous" (Psalm 117:15), where those who troubled the faithful believed they were bringing sorrow and demise. They understood not the deep joy of the saints anchored in their hopeful future. Therefore, as the apostle said, "I grieve, yet I always rejoice" (2 Corinthians 6:10), and he also claimed, "We rejoice in tribulations" (Romans 5:3).

"The right hand of the Lord has performed mighty deeds" (Psalm 117:16). What incredible actions, you may ask? The right hand of the Lord exalted me, performing great works—lifting the humble, transforming the mortal into the divine, exchanging weakness for strength, subjecting affliction and suffering to victory—providing aid and elevating those in distress so that genuine salvation may be revealed to the suffering while signifying the futility of salvation for the persecutors. Such wonders should inspire awe; consider how he reiterates: "The right hand of the Lord has accomplished great things."

"I shall not perish, but live, and proclaim the deeds of the Lord" (Psalm 117:17). Yet those who spread desolation and death imagined they were extinguishing the Church of Christ. Behold, He now heralds the works of the Lord, for Christ shines as the glory of the blessed martyrs. Having been struck down, He triumphed over those who afflicted Him; enduring the pain, He loved those who turned against Him.

Still, let us contemplate why the Body of Christ, the Holy Church—the people called by His name—have faced such disgrace. "The Lord has chastened me but has not delivered me to death" (Psalm 116:18). Let not the arrogant wicked suppose they hold sway without divine allowance, for such authority is granted from above. Often, a father may command his sons to endure correction from the most unworthy servants; though the inheritance belongs to the former, he confines the latter. What, then, is this inheritance? Is it treasure, property, or vast estates? Observe how we are welcomed into it, and learn its significance.

"Open to me the gates of righteousness" (Psalm 117:19). Here, we encounter a gate. What lies beyond? "That I may enter and give thanks unto the Lord." This is the heartfelt acknowledgment of praise, filled with wonder, offered in the house of God, where joy resonates, encapsulating the eternal blessings of the righteous, who dwell there and forever praise Him.

Now, consider how they enter these gates of righteousness. "The righteous shall enter therein" (Psalm 116:20). No wicked soul may enter the heavenly Jerusalem, which bars the uncircumcised (where it is stated, "Outside are the dogs" (Revelation 22:15). Though I lived among the tents of Kedar, enduring the company of the wicked, this is certainly the gate of the Lord, through which the righteous are invited.

"I give thanks to You, O Lord, for You have heard me and have become my salvation" (Psalm 116:21). How often is the proclamation of one who refrains from revealing their wounds to the healer, yet expresses gratitude for the recovery received, a cause for praise? The Healer Himself is Salvation.

Who, then, is the subject of our discourse? "The stone which the builders rejected" (Psalm 116:22)—this stone has become the cornerstone, uniting Jew and Gentile to create a new humanity, achieving reconciliation in one body (Ephesians 2:15-16).

"The Lord has done this" (Psalms 117:23); it is He who made Him the chief cornerstone. Though He would not have attained this position without suffering, those who caused His suffering were not the means through which He achieved it. The builders rejected Him, yet in the unseen construction that the Lord raised, He became the stone they overlooked. This is indeed marvelous in our sight: perceived by the inner eye, the eyes of believers and lovers of God, not by the carnal eyes of those who disregarded Him as a mere mortal.

"This is the day which the Lord has made" (Psalm 117:24). The psalmist recalls what he previously said: "Because He has bent down His ear to me, I will call upon Him as long as I live," referencing earlier days. Thus, he now declares, "This is the day which the Lord has made," signifying the day of salvation He has granted me. It is the day referred to in Isaiah, where it is proclaimed, "In an acceptable time I have heard you, in the day of salvation I have helped you" (Isaiah 49:8)—the day on which He, the Mediator, became the cornerstone. Therefore, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

"Save me, O Lord; prosper my way, O Lord" (Psalm 116:25). As it is the day of salvation, save me! As we return from our long journey, we distance ourselves from those who abhor the world, with whom we once coexisted, and who instigated hostility toward us unjustly; thus, prosper our path as we come back, for You have become our Way.

"Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" (Psalm 117:26). Cursed, then, is he who approaches in his own name, just as the Gospel states: "If another comes in his own name, you will receive him" (John 5:43). We bless you from the house of God. I believe this is the message from the great to the small, from those who, in spirit, commune with the Word of God, and dwell in communion with Him as far as possible in this life. Yet they temper their speech for the sake of the smaller ones, that they may earnestly echo the apostolic words: "For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God's sake; and if we are sober, it is for your sakes" (2 Corinthians 5:13-14). The great bless the children from within the Lord’s house, where the eternal praise of the Lord forever resonates. Contemplate, then, what they proclaim from that sacred space.

O Lord, rescue us; O Lord, come quickly. Blessed is the one who arrives in the name of the Lord. This is evidenced by the acclaim given in Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9). It is also spoken, Blessed are you from the house of the Lord. This signifies what the prophets declare to those who have faith in Christ; indeed, blessed are you for having become a spiritual dwelling, for the Lord resides within you.

In Psalm 117, we find the verse, "O Lord, save, O Lord, make haste; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" (Psalms 117:25-26). The original Hebrew expresses this as "anna Adonai, osianna, anna Adonai oslianna; baruch abba basem Adonai." Translators such as Aquila, Simmachus, Theodotion, and the ‘Fifth Edition’ (Qninta Editio) render it as: "ὦ δὴ Κύριε σῶσον δὴ, ὦ δή Κύριε, εὐόδωσον δὴ, Εὐλογημένος ὁ Ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου," though we refrain from translating it to preserve the integrity of the original Latin. The sixth edition aligns with the seventy interpreters, substituting ὦ for ὦ δὴ.

In the days ahead, O Lord, bestow salvation and pave a path that directs us toward You that is smooth and accessible.

O Lord, deliver us at last; O Lord, hasten to grant prosperity along the path. O Lord, he implores, rescue Your faithful people. O Lord, bless Your followers with success on their journey and bolster their faith in the proclamation of Your Gospel. Chrysostom observes that David, foreseeing the future flourishing of the entire world and the transformation into a more glorious state, rejoices with those who have attained it, stating: Lord, deliver us at last. Lord, grant us success in our journey, meaning to save those who traverse it, so they may be filled with grace and produce worthy fruits. Smooth their path, ensuring that as they partake in this joy, they are not deprived of such blessings. Didyma adds: Deliver us from evils such as sin and falsehood, and grant us success in our journey, easing our path toward virtue.

The Holy Spirit, speaking through the Prophet, presents a model of prayer to the chosen people, encouraging them to desire a fruitful reign for David, upon whom the collective salvation of all relied. This proclamation affirms that David was appointed by God's grace, implying that those who do not wish for his successful reign are unworthy of a place in the congregation. Following this, the subsequent verse articulates a specific prayer that the faithful should offer for their king, asking the Lord to select him as a minister of His grace and to bless his kingdom. Those who approach in the name of the Lord, including prophets, teachers, and those in authority, are instruments of God's salvation, chosen to gather His church and guide His people.

This Psalm, conveyed to David by the Holy Spirit, bursts forth with joy and exultation, expressing the unfathomable and boundless mercy of God, the Creator of humanity, along with heartfelt thanksgiving on the day of His magnificent victory. On that momentous occasion, the people of Israel gathered under the singular leadership of King David, symbolizing the unity of all tribes and nations within the kingdom of Christ the Lord, the King of eternal glory, on the triumphant day of His solemn Resurrection. Let us also extend our gratitude to Christ, the Savior of mankind, whose mercy is eternal and granted unconditionally to those who repent.

Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, hosanna in the highest. This exclamation, drawn from Psalm 117, marked the joyful reception of Jesus Christ by the Jewish people as He approached Jerusalem shortly before His crucifixion. They hailed Him in hopes of His triumph over adversaries and success in His mission to restore the kingship of David (Matthew 21:9-15; Mark 11:9-10; John 12:13). Similarly, during the sacramental offering of the Holy Gifts, Christians in the temple proclaim this same greeting, honoring Christ as their King. He invisibly enters the temple, presenting Himself on the holy altar as an offering to God the Father. The faithful then pray that this sacrifice may be pleasing to Him and that the Most High might make it a source of salvation for our souls—hosanna in the highest.