Psalm 12 (11):2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

We appreciate figures like Abraham, Lot, and Moses for their steadfastness, standing out like stars in pitch darkness, roses among thorns, or sheep surrounded by wolves, steadfastly following a path contrary to those around them.

When navigating through a crowd, it becomes even harder when many are turning away from righteousness. Just as a ship struggles against turbulent waves that push in the opposite direction, so does one face greater challenges in the pursuit of virtue alone. This is why such a righteous individual, committed to the way of goodness while others diverge, appeals to God’s providence, exclaiming, “Save me, O Lord.” This plea conveys his need for divine strength, heavenly support, and assistance, as he navigates a course contrary to the majority, requiring significant divine intervention. He did not merely cry for salvation in a reverent environment but noted that the reverence had vanished, indicating that even those who were once virtuous had succumbed to a pervading evil and escalating corruption.

Paul similarly cautions us, saying, “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole dough?” (1 Cor. 5:6) and “bad fellowships corrupt good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33). The phrase “the truth is diminished” indicates a reality marred by human rejection. Truth can be likened to colors where some represent authenticity while others are mere imitations—genuine purple versus counterfeit, authentic saffron and gemstones against their false counterparts. This applies to virtues as well. True essence is found in that which is genuine. Therefore, while truths may be perverted and diminished—not in their inherent nature but through human rejection—the statement “the truth is diminished among the sons of men” encapsulates the situation.

Consider the distinction between true and false adornment—spiritual versus physical. True wealth is defined by virtuous acts rather than material possessions, as is the case with joy, beauty, power, and fame, where many have forsaken the genuine in pursuit of the superficial. Just as humanity embodies both truth and falsehood—the true representing life and action, while the false reflects only imagery—so too do virtues reflect this dichotomy.

This plea arises from those who have embraced the redemptive message of the gospel. At that time, when the Lord came and took on human form, the truly humble were the ones revered. The assertion that the reverent are no longer present highlights the persistence of some truths among people. The genitive case in the original language, signifying sons, should be understood as dative, and the preposition ‘from’ should rather be interpreted as ‘in,’ indicating a connection to humanity. During that period, humanity spoke one great falsehood regarding significant matters, while upholding truth in trivial and minor issues.

The task of cultivating virtue is inherently challenging, and it becomes even more arduous for one who strives for it among a scant number of virtuous individuals. Just as a journey proves difficult, especially for a traveler who is alone, so too is the pursuit of virtue in isolation. This lament is echoed by Gregory the Theologian and the prophet Micah, who mourn the decline of the virtuous to such a degree that they are as scarce as ears of grain after harvest or the hidden clusters of grapes beneath the vine leaves.

What judgment do we cast upon ourselves and our contemporaries when we often claim that our era lacks the essence of the saints, that the devotion and values of previous generations seem to have nearly vanished; that the tragedies prompting the rise of so many innocent souls from amidst iniquity have not only failed to curb the spread of evil but rather accelerated it? We seem to speak of these grievous occurrences with a sense of familiarity, as if they were mere phantoms flitting through the daylight. What future awaits us, obscured behind the allure of material possessions and fleeting pleasures that dominate our present? However, such reflections would divert us from our intended focus, to which we now return. Before us stands the image of the Divine Righteous One, in whose presence all righteous individuals and their fates are concealed like stars overshadowed by the sun.

The presence of the holy ones has become rare; there are few who are pious, just, and devoted to the truth. Indeed, truth has faded among humankind; it is not merely that there are few who articulate it, but that the essence of truth itself has largely vanished from the hearts of men.