Psalm 138 (137):8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Another translator notes that He will accomplish (συντελέσει). The third one remarks that He will fulfill (επιτελέσει), meaning He will exact justice on His adversaries. He did not use the term "avenge," but rather "will repay," to indicate that, while the debt is upon us, He will fulfill and settle it, demonstrating His human nature. This reflects the work Christ performed on our behalf; He has compensated for us. "O Lord, Thy mercy is everlasting; the works of Thy hands Thou shalt not despise." This gives us two bases for receiving mercy: one is that God is merciful and good, continuously merciful, ensuring His humanity remains unbroken, uninterrupted, and undiminished; the other is that He is the Creator and Architect of all things.

The title of this psalm is succinct and straightforward, requiring little attention, as we are aware of the image David represents. In this, we see our own reflection since we too belong to this Body. The complete title reads, 'To David himself.' Yet, let us consider what happens to David. Typically, the title of a psalm indicates its message, but in this instance, it only specifies to whom the psalm is addressed, prompting us to look at the first verse for its content. The entirety of the psalm is a confession to You. Let us focus on that confession. However, it’s essential to remember that the term “confession” in Scripture embodies two concepts: acknowledgment of wrongdoing and praise. While acknowledgment of sin is widely recognized, the acknowledgment of praise is less commonly grasped. The acknowledgment of sin is so familiar that upon hearing phrases like, "I confess unto Thee, O Lord," or "We confess unto Thee," our instinct might lead us to a physical display of remorse—many fail to realize that confession can signify something beyond sin. Was our Lord Jesus Christ not Himself without sin, declaring in the Gospel, "I confess to You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth"? He articulates His confession for us to perceive it as praise rather than as sin. "I confess to You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have concealed these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children." He glorified the Father, showing that He does not overlook the humble, but instead opposes the proud. This is the confession we are about to witness—one of praise and gratitude. With my entire being, I present my heart as an offering of praise... "I confess to You, O Lord, with all my heart, for You have heard the words of my mouth." What mouth is there but my heart? For there exists a voice that God hears which is unknown to the human ear. Hence, we possess an inner voice where we ask and plead; if we have prepared a dwelling for God, it is there that we speak and are heard. For in Him we live and move and exist. Nothing separates us from God except sin. Remove the barrier of sin, and you shall commune with Him whom you desire.

Before the angels, I shall sing to You. I will not sing before men, but before angels. My song is my joy; yet my joy for earthly matters is shared with men, while my joy for higher things is for angels. The wicked do not understand the delight of the righteous: “There is no joy,” God says, “for the wicked.” The wicked finds pleasure in revelry, while the martyr finds joy in chains. Consider St. Crispina, whose feast we celebrate today; what did she rejoice in? She rejoiced at her capture, during her trial, in her imprisonment, bound, at her judgment, when condemned—through all these trials she rejoiced; and the wretches considered her misery when in truth she rejoiced in the presence of angels.

I will worship Your holy temple. What, then, is this holy temple? It is where we shall dwell and worship. We seek to worship; our hearts are laden, longing to give birth to praise. Where is the appropriate place for God to be worshipped? The temple of God is sacred, says the Apostle—what temple you are. Yet it is clear that God dwells among the angels. Thus, when our joy, rooted in spiritual matters rather than earthly, ascends in song, it is the very assembly of angels that constitutes the Temple of God, and we worship therein. There exists a Church below comprised of the faithful and a Church above consisting of angels. The God of angels came down to the Church below, and the angels ministered to Him on earth, while He served us; for He declared, "I came not to be served but to serve." The Lord of angels laid down His life for humanity. Therefore, I will worship Your holy Temple; I do not refer to a temple created by human hands, but to that which You have fashioned for Yourself.

And I will proclaim Your Name inYour mercy and truth... What You have given me, I will repay according to my abilities: mercy in assisting others; truth in just assessment. By these, God aids us, granting us His favor. Indeed, all the ways of the Lord embody mercy and truth. There is no other avenue through which He approaches us, nor through which we can approach Him. For You have exalted Your holy Name above all else. What does this thanksgiving mean, dear friends? He elevated His holy Name through Abraham, from whom Isaac was born; thus, God was honored in that family, then in Jacob, with God declaring, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then came his twelve sons, with the name of the Lord magnified over Israel. Then appeared the Virgin Mary, and our Lord Christ died for our sins, rising again for our justification, filling the faithful with His Holy Spirit, and sending men to announce to the Gentiles, "Repent." Behold, He has magnified His holy Name above all.

"In the day I call upon You, You will answer me swiftly." Why swiftly? Because You have said, "While you are still speaking, I will say, Behold, I am here." Why so quickly? Because I do not seek worldly happiness; I have learned holy desires from the New Testament. I neither seek land, nor wealth, nor temporal health, nor the downfall of my enemies, nor status—none of these do I desire. Therefore, hear me swiftly. You have instructed me on what to pursue; grant me what I seek.

Now, let us examine what he seeks, and the basis for his plea to be heard. What do you seek that you might be listened to more intently? You will enrich me. Enrichment can be comprehended in varied ways. Men are burdened by cares; a man appears to be multiplied in his soul when he is overrun by vices. That is needful multiplication, not that of fulfillment. What do you long for, claiming, “Hear me more,” when you have withdrawn entirely from the body, from earthly matters, from worldly desires to say to God: “You will enrich my soul”? Clarify what you desire. "You will enrich me," he says, "in my soul through virtue."

Let all the kings of the earth confess to You, O Lord. Indeed, it shall be so, and it is so, and it occurs daily; it is evident that this was not stated in vain, even if it applies to the future. But let them, when confessing to You and praising You, not ask for earthly gifts. What might the kings of the earth seek? Do they not already possess dominion? Whatever further desires a mortal may harbor, sovereignty stands at the pinnacle of those desires. Could they desire anything beyond? Perhaps what lies above it entails greater peril. Hence, the more elevated the earthly kings are, the more humility they must exhibit before God. What motivates them? Because they have heard all the words from Your mouth. Only in one nation were hidden the Law and the Prophets—the Jewish nation alone was entrusted with the words of God. These were indeed the words of God. What did Gideon's fleece signify? It represented the Jewish people amidst the world, graced with ordinances, albeit not overtly manifest, but veiled like dew upon a fleece. The time had come for the dew to be revealed—manifested, not concealed. Christ is the sole essence of this dew: one might not recognize the Scriptures, for they were written for Him. Regardless, they have heard all the words of Your mouth.

"Let them sing in the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord." Let every king of the earth sing in the ways of the Lord. What ways? Those mentioned above, aligned with Your mercy and truth. Therefore let not the kings of the earth harbor pride; let them embrace humility. Let the ways of the Lord echo in song if they choose humility; let them love, and they will sing. We know travelers who sing; they lift their voices in anticipation of completing their journey. There exists music of wickedness, fitting the old self; for the new self belongs to a new song. May the kings of the earth walk in Your ways, and as they walk, may they sing. What shall they sing? "Great is the glory of the Lord, not of kings."

Observe how he encourages kings to sing in their path, submitting to the Lord, and not rebelling against Him. For if they rise in pride, what will follow? The Lord is exalted and attentively watches over the humble. Do kings wish to be honored by Him? They should remain humble. Yet if they allow pride to prevail, can they evade His gaze? Take heed: if He regards the humble, do not endeavor to be proud and think in your heart, "God regards the humble," and "He overlooks me; I will act as I please." How foolish! Would you utter such words if you truly understood what to love? Even if God chooses not to perceive you, are you untroubled by the notion that He does not want to behold you? He appears to disregard the proud, for He regards the humble. What does it mean to be high? It suggests being seen from a distance. What does that afford the proud? Visibility from afar—not truly to be seen. Do not be misled into believing that distant observation equates to safety; for one who views you from afar may not behold you with clarity. God, though He sees afar, perceives perfectly, yet He is not with you. You do not benefit from being less clearly seen; rather from the lack of communion with the One who perceives you. Yet what does the humble receive? The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Let the proud exalt themselves as they wish, for God resides on high, in heaven: if you desire Him to draw near, humble yourself. For as majestic as He is above you, so shall you be exalted.

"If I walk amidst tribulation, You will revive me." Indeed, whatever tribulation you encounter, acknowledge it and call upon Him; He shall deliver and revive you. Yearn for a life beyond this, and you will recognize that this life is fraught with tribulation, despite its outward appearances of prosperity and pleasure; since we do not yet experience that joy which is free from all temptation, which God preserves for us at the end, this life, without question, is tribulation. Let us grasp what type of tribulation he speaks of here. He does not say, "If tribulation befalls me, You will rescue me." Rather, how does he say it? "If I walk..."—implying that unless I traverse this path of tribulation, You will not revive me.

"You have stretched out Your hand against the fury of my enemies, and Your right hand has saved me." Let my adversaries rage; what can they truly inflict? They may take my wealth, strip me of my honor, banish me, torment me—ultimately, if permitted, they may even take my life. But can they do more? Yet upon what they can achieve against me, You have reached forth Your hand. For my enemies cannot sever my connection with You; the more they delay, the more You shall avenge me... but not to lead me to despair; for hence follows, "Your right hand has also saved me."

The Lord will bring justice in my favor, for He has condemned the wrongdoing inflicted upon us and has expelled the ruler of tranquility.

The Lord will settle my account. As a sinful human, I am unable to repay kindnesses. However, the Lord Himself, who generously provides these blessings to me, has taken on human form and assumed my nature, and He will resolve my debts. In alignment with this, the Apostle divinely affirms that the Lord Christ has obliterated the record held against us (Col. 2:14). O Lord, Your mercy endures forever; Your hands act with reverence. Because Your compassion is vast and timeless, please grant swift salvation to Your creations. This appeal was proclaimed by the Prophet, who, enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit, recognized that the Creator of all would indeed settle the debt of our nature. The Lord will settle my account. As a sinful being, I am unable to repay kindnesses.

The Lord will bring justice on my behalf. God will recompense my foes, for He will repay (Rom. 12:19). Theodoret remarks that, as a sinner, I am unable to reciprocate kindness; but the Lord, the source of all blessings, by becoming man and assuming my nature, will settle my debts. This aligns with the assertion of the Apostle that the Lord Christ has nullified the record of offenses against us. Chrysostom expresses a similar sentiment. O Lord, Your mercy endures forever. This is echoed in the verse: for His mercy is everlasting (Psalm 135). Your hand shall not be disregarded. O Lord, He continues, You are compassionate and the Creator of all.

In these passages, the author clarifies how the mighty hand of the Lord brings salvation to us. The Lord, he states, will repay for me, indicating that He will bring to completion the work He has initiated on my behalf and will consistently demonstrate His attentiveness to my redemption; He will also exact vengeance on my adversaries, which is beyond my power to do. He offers two justifications for celebrating God’s mercy, concluding the psalm as he began. First, he asserts that God is eternally kind and compassionate, emphasizing that His mercy is unending. O Lord, Thy mercy is forever. Second, he reminds us that He is our Creator and Sustainer, as the Lord proclaims: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy (Rom. 9:15).

This Psalm was imparted to David through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wherein he prophesies about the events foretold by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, particularly regarding the restoration of the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, as noted in the accounts of Haggai and Zechariah, who initiated the building of the house of the Lord (1 Ezra 5:2; Haggai 1:14). David expresses gratitude to God for not disregarding his humble state, delivering him from his adversaries. He particularly urges rulers to seek God, reflecting his own experiences, while proclaiming the grace of Jesus Christ and the conversion of nations to Him.