Psalm 14 (13):4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

God once proclaimed something similar regarding the unholy Egyptians, saying, ‘And all the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I display My glory upon Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen’ (Ex. 14:18). They will come to understand when their knowledge no longer benefits them, when, chased by chariots, they are engulfed by the sea. This can also be interpreted negatively: ‘Will not all those who practice iniquity be brought to understanding?’ What is it that ‘they will not come to understand’? That the Lord has descended from heaven to earth. What is it that they fail to grasp? That He is displeased with wrongdoers. What does it mean that ‘they will not understand’? They will not have the desire to comprehend God's ways. Job illustrates this, saying, ‘Meanwhile they say to God, “Depart from us; we do not wish to know Thy ways!”’ (Job 21:14). Their iniquity leads them to reject the knowledge of God's laws. Even today, amidst wars, plagues, and earthquakes, many remain oblivious to their sins and fail to recognize the trials that beset them. What is it that they ‘are not brought to the understanding of’? The will of God, His promises, the blessings of heaven, the treasures of the divine, the joy of paradise, and life everlasting. ‘All those who practice iniquity shall not be brought to understanding’; the Jews—that the Lawgiver and Lord of glory was crucified by them. ‘If they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory’ (1 Cor. 2:8). And are they not? ‘They that consume My people as they consume bread,’ motivated by jealousy, seeking the demise of the faithful. It does not say merely eating, but rather: devouring—a more wicked act than the actions of predatory beasts. Creatures that have consumed human flesh often abandon it, ashamed of their vile feast; yet the wicked and envious, ever ravenous, are not satisfied with the offenses against the faithful. Let us be vigilant, brethren, lest in our insults and slanders against the faithful, we find ourselves among the unrighteous. All who practice iniquity, be they heretics or fellow believers, that consume my people shall not be awakened to their senses. The apostle cautions that even fellow believers may harm one another: ‘But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another’ (Galatians 5:15). Comparing those who consume the people of God to foreign nations, Isaiah declares: ‘I will bring ‘Syrians from the east and Philistines from the west, and they shall consume Israel with a full mouth’ (Isaiah 9:12). Nonetheless, though our sins may lead to us being devoured by our enemies like lions, by the measure of our faithfulness to God, we shall find relief. Jeremiah asserts, ‘Israel was the holy possession of the Lord, the beginning of His harvest; all those who consumed it were condemned, for calamity befell them,’ says the Lord (Jeremiah 2:3). Moreover, those who devoured the sinners committed a greater sin than those who were consumed, leading the people astray from God’s intended purpose, as He remarked about them, ‘I was displeased with My people, and I humbled My heritage, and gave them into your hands; you showed them no mercy’ (Isaiah 47:6). In another instance, He states, ‘When I was little angry, they increased the offense’ (Zech. 1:15). Jeremiah notes that it is due to sins that God’s people are devoured by their enemies, declaring, ‘Israel is a scattered flock; the lions have scattered it’ (Jer. 50:17). The king of Assyria first devoured it, and subsequently, the king of Babylon crushed its bones. Yet had they not strayed like sheep, they would not have fallen prey to lions. Ponder this: ‘They that consume My people—how do they consume bread? The Lord they have not called upon,’ even had they wished to. Just as one who offers to God what was gained through plunder truly offers nothing, for such an offering is unacceptable, so too those who devour their brother do not truly call upon the Lord. Or it may be articulated that ‘The Lord they did not call upon,’ indicating that they were not recognized as Christians by Christ, as they opposed Him. They did not heed His call to ‘Give thanks to the Lord, and call upon His name’ (Psalms 104:1).

Just as we wouldn't pour precious perfume into dirty containers, but rather into the cleanest ones, so too does God, the Creator of all, bestow the sweetness of divine blessings only in souls that are holy and pure. Cyril specifically refers to the unfaithful Jews, who sought to devour the faithful followers of Christ, employing various schemes to persecute them and seize their belongings. Consequently, Paul also addressed the believing Jewish community, stating, "For you had compassion on me in my chains and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods" (Hebrews 10:34).

* According to some translations [See Psalms 13:3?] the fourth verse of this Psalm is rendered as follows: 'The grave has opened within them, their tongues are unbound, the venom of serpents lies under their lips: their mouths are filled with oaths and lamentations: their feet are quick to shed blood, their paths are broken and full of wrath: and they do not know the way of peace. There is no fear of God before their eyes: nor will they understand,' etc.

These matters reflect what the Prophet declared in human form: "The Lord from heaven has come down upon the children of men to see if there are any who understand or seek God," illustrating that divine punishment was executed upon the Assyrians. It is clear that the God of all exists everywhere and, as stated by the prophet, "to uphold the circle of the earth and those who live upon it, as the rods." God is present among the righteous generation. "The counsel of the poor is shameful, but the Lord is their hope." The Lord of all humanity acts out of the virtue of King Hezekiah and for the sake of his devout congregation, whom you wicked ones have scorned as insignificant and ridiculed for their faith in Me. The Prophet referred to this trust as counsel, not merely intent. Trusting in Me served as a sacred anchor for that generation, and they received the salvation they anticipated. This is what the Prophet added:

Alternatively, these words may be interpreted to mean that not only the Assyrians will discern that their destroyer is God, but also all other unrighteous nations will come to understand Him upon witnessing the downfall of the Assyrians. My people who partake of bread (as they partake of bread) will not invoke the name of the Lord. These words are spoken by God Himself. He declares, Those who consume my people as though they were bread, and devastate them through siege, famine, and intimidation, have not acknowledged me as Lord and Sovereign over all—indeed, they have not recognized me as God. It may also be suggested that those Jews who were under siege by Sennacherib in Jerusalem are referred to as the people of David, as they originate from his lineage. Thus, the statement is also made in the spirit of David, who did not refer to the Lord, but rather to God.

In reflecting upon the previous assertions, it is noted that while he previously claimed all have strayed and committed wickedness, now he questions, Will they not recognize the Lord and have faith in Him? And he responds affirmatively; indeed, many will come to believe, yet some will persist in their disbelief, continuing to persecute the faithful. Alternatively, it may be understood that all who stubbornly engage in wickedness will not come to know Him. As St. Cyril posits, they will not comprehend, rather than stating that they will not grasp the benefits, for what reason? Wisdom cannot enter a troubled soul nor dwell in a body ensnared by sin. Just as we do not pour precious oil into unclean vessels but rather into the purest, so too does God, the source of all existence, withhold the sweetness of divine blessings from defiled souls and bestow it only upon the holy and untainted.

This applies particularly to the unbelieving Jews, who in a certain manner devoured those who believed in Christ, subjecting them to various persecutions while robbing them of their possessions. For this reason, Paul wrote to the Jewish believers, Acknowledging that you endured the plundering of your possessions with joy. Additionally, Micah states, All who oppress the poor and seize their neighbor’s goods are rightly labeled as those who consume the people of God like a meal of bread; their insatiable greed harms those they afflict. It is crucial to particularly understand this in relation to the Jewish teachers. The phrase, nor shall all who do wickedness understand, is intended to be interpreted positively—indicating that the Jews, envious and malevolent like the Gentiles, refused to recognize Christ as God. The expression, They who consume my people, is articulated by Christ in reference to the corrupt Jews, who have thoroughly tormented the disciples of the Lord through violence and various forms of suffering, treating them as mere sustenance; yet their Lord, the Son of God, was neither called upon nor recognized as God.

What will they be ignorant of? That the Lord has gazed down from heaven upon the earth. What will elude their awareness? That He disapproves of those who turn toward evil. Why is this so? The unrepentant will not desire to understand the ways of the Lord. Job exemplifies this truth when he declares, "And the wicked saith unto the Lord, Depart from me; I desire not to know thy ways" (Job 21:14). All who engage in wickedness shall remain ignorant. For in their wrongdoing, they will not endure the understanding of God's commandments. Even now, amidst wars, plagues, and earthquakes, many fail to acknowledge their sins, nor do they find wisdom in the tribulations that befall them. All who commit iniquity will not be aware. Aware of what? God's will, promises, the treasures of heaven, the bliss of paradise, eternal life.

My people who are hungry do not seek the nourishment of bread.” This situation further highlights the degradation of the children of Israel, as their leaders mercilessly consume the flock entrusted to them, showing no compassion for the people of God, particularly those who are faithful to Him. A similar lament is found in the words of the Prophet Micah: “Hear this, you heads of Jacob, is it not for you to know justice? Yet you strip the skin from my people and flay their bones.” Now, when leaders indulge in the lifeblood and sustenance of the faithful as if it were mere food, such heinous acts deserve condemnation from both angels and men. If there existed even a flicker of rationality within them, it would have prevented such a frenzy of violence. Consequently, they must be blinded by the adversary, demonstrating immense cruelty and inhumanity towards the people of God. At the conclusion of the verse, where it states, “The Lord was not invoked,” the source of such brazen injustice is revealed. What could it be? A complete amnesia regarding God along with a lack of reverence for Him. For invoking the Lord is a true manifestation of godliness, and not only here, but in various passages of Holy Scripture, it encompasses all forms of honor due to God.