Psalm 14 (13):5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Despite their ferocious attacks, they were filled with dread where there was no cause for fear. They displayed courage akin to lions yet were as terrified as timid hares. The words of the prophet resonate with those who experienced fear during times of persecution. When they heard the exhortation, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28), and “Do not be afraid of reproach from men” (Isaiah 51:7), their fears were unfounded. Lacking a reverential fear of God, they instead were intimidated by human threats. The wicked quivered in trepidation when witnessing God’s protection over the righteous.

They were filled with fear when there was no reason to be afraid. After they had crucified Jesus and believed they were free from His influence upon seeing Him lifeless on the cross, their anxiety intensified with the occurrence of an earthquake and the miraculous signs that followed. Their fear grew from the concern that His disciples might come by night to take Him from the tomb, prompting them to assign guards there. Yet, this fear was unfounded, for the Lord's disciples had no intention to steal Him; Jesus had already foretold that He would rise on the third day of His own accord. ‘The Lord in the generation of the righteous’ symbolizes the assembly of the Gentiles who embraced faith in Christ, acknowledging Him as God and walking in accordance with God's commandments. When the Jews rejected Christ, He turned to the Gentiles, inviting them to believe and gain knowledge of Him.

They did not invoke the Lord, for one who desires those things that do not please Him does not genuinely seek Him. In their fear, they trembled despite having no cause for alarm, as noted in Psalm 13:5, fearing the loss of worldly possessions. They expressed their concerns, saying, If we allow Him to continue, everyone will start believing in Him, and the Romans will come and take away our place and our people (John 11:48). They feared losing their earthly dominion, where true fear was unwarranted, and as a result, they forfeited the heavenly kingdom, which they rightfully ought to have dreaded. This illustrates a broader principle regarding all material goods: when individuals become anxious about losing such possessions, they often overlook the significance of eternal matters.

Fear that originates in the mind greatly aids in attaining perfection. This is not a fear of all things, nor is it akin to those who tremble at every sound, as the Psalmist admonishes them.

The Mosaic law brought correction, while the reverence for Christ is without fault. The law imposed penalties, yet the honor given to Christ remains unblemished; it instructs us to hold a respectful fear, akin to the way sons regard their father. From the moment of Christ's arrival, that is, following His coming, there shall be a profound reverence where none existed before—not due to the law's threats, but out of respect that is fitting for those who are liberated. For the Lord dwells among the generation of the just, who find their justification through His presence.

You, who crave for my people, failed to comprehend this; thus, you have learned through experience that this group is beyond search, and you cannot, like a famished sustenance, squander it by disregarding my provision. This is echoed by the Prophet with the declaration, ‘The Lord is not called.’ Therefore, you who harbor no fear and are undeterred by mankind shall ultimately fall into trembling and dread, surrendering to panic when no one has the power to intimidate or persecute you. This is what is indicated by the phrase, ‘Fear fear where there is no fear.’ Moreover, the statement ‘nor shall all them that do iniquity understand’ warrants particular emphasis.

When Rapsak besieged Jerusalem, Hezekiah and his companions were filled with dread from the terror imposed by him and Sennacherib. David, therefore, remarks that they were afraid where there was no fear, meaning they feared Sennacherib and Rapsak—individuals they should not have feared. The Jewish people had the Almighty to contend for them and thus should have had no fear of their enemies. This sentiment is reinforced in the subsequent words.

The realm of the just operates similarly to a commander overseeing his troops or a sovereign guiding the council; so is the Lord present among the company of the righteous. This aligns with the scripture: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). If the Divine can dwell among even a small assembly of saints, how much more is His presence found in the company of the just. In this realm, there is no conflict, no illness, eternal peace, an undivided inheritance, and the everlasting kingdom to which Christ invites us, saying, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matt. 25:34).

He refers to the Jewish people; for indeed they had not sought the Lord Christ, and thus they experienced an unwarranted fear when they expressed to one another, If we abandon this man, the Romans will invade and seize our land and our people, although this would not have occurred if they had remained steadfast in their faith in Him.

Frequently, I hear the holy Davit sing: "There they trembled with fear, where there was no fear." Unable to grasp the meaning of this refrain at first, I reflected on it deeply. Eventually, I discerned that it speaks to humanity's tendency to fear others rather than God; they dread "those who can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul," yet do not revere "Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna" (Matt. 10:28). They experience fear over the potential loss of their earthly existence, but remain indifferent to the implications of losing eternal life. They are anxious about losing worldly wealth, reputation, and comfort, while the eternal treasures, honor, and joy of paradise do not instill the same concern.

When individuals neglect to seek God during times of trouble and fail to offer Him gratitude for His blessings, their connection to God—the ultimate Source of all goodness and wisdom—is severed. As a result, only despair and turmoil are left as part of humanity's legacy. Why do people, not just in hardships but also in moments devoid of peril, find themselves gripped by fear? This serves as evidence from a soul tried by adversity that they do not reach out to the Lord. “They have not called upon the Lord; they fear fear where there is no fear” (Psalm 13:4-5).

It can be likened to the anguish caused by an anxiety surrounding water. Those who endure this malady would find relief in water, yet they harbor a profound fear of what would restore them. In their estrangement from the source of salvation, they unwittingly contribute to their own ruin. Likewise, the Jewish people, despite the invitation from the living Water, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink’ (John 7:37), allowed their spiritual senses to be ensnared by the turmoil of disbelief. They feared a danger that did not truly exist, rejecting the Cup of salvation that was offered to them.

The Prophet offers both himself and the faithful a profound source of comfort and hope, assuring them that God will ultimately not abandon His servants, but will avenge them in due time. The term "tamo" suggests a coming judgment, where divine retribution will be manifested against the persecutors in the presence of the saints, or it may allude to the infamous fates that such violators will face in this life, which the Prophet highlights as if pointing directly to them. Similarly, the phrase, "They shall be afraid of fear, where there is no fear," speaks to the inner turmoil that disturbs the minds of the wicked. Indeed, God warns that those who transgress the law will experience such distress that they may flee in terror at the slightest sound, as noted in Leviticus 26:17.

Those who profess belief in God are not called to leadership, yet their forefathers will abandon Him (Titus 1:16). Not everyone who addresses me as ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who fulfill the will of my Father (Matt. 7:21). He who is anxious about losing temporary blessings, rather than eternal ones, harbors an unfounded fear where there is no real cause for fear. There exists one faith, one God, Jesus Christ, for the glory of God the Father, and one baptism – a rebirth through the Spirit. In contemporary times, more than a thousand different faiths have emerged in Russia, while the Heavenly Jerusalem remains a singular refuge for Christians in heaven.