Psalm 16 (15):4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Though initially weak due to sin, they responded promptly upon hearing the message. This interpretation of "after these things they were quickened" means they rushed to obey the preaching. I will not derive their councils from bloodshed. Those whom Christ will gather must be free from violence and blood. When I assemble the councils of the Gentiles, I will not do so through blood; that is, they will come to Me not through mere adherence to rituals, but through offering praise and spiritual sacrifices. I will not utter their former names. They shall no longer be referred to as idolaters and unrighteous; instead, they will be known as called and chosen. In the past, they earned names that reflected their actions, labeled as idolaters and polytheists; but now, I will no longer invoke those titles, calling them righteous, holy, called, and chosen.

Matthew abandoned his tax booth and promptly became an apostle. Zacchaeus descended from the tree and was transformed into a saint. Paul, who once persecuted the church, suddenly believed, was cleansed, instructed, hunted, and ultimately martyred. What could be swifter than such conversion? Before turning to God, the Gentiles, as foretold by Isaiah, experienced all manner of afflictions—“This first drink, quickly do” (Isaiah 9:1)—or calamities, as Simmachus translates. More fittingly, Theodotion and the fifth translation refer to “idols.” Yet, you increase infirmities through idolatrous practices. Trusting the initial call of the apostles, you swiftly turn back to the Lord. Although Aquila interprets this as "labors," in his typical manner, the Hebrew expresses the idea behind “asabbt,” which also appears in Psalms 113:12: “The idols of the Gentiles are gold and silver.” Moreover, the term translated in Greek as "bestowed," equivalent to "quickened" in the Septuagint, appears to contain a deeper significance. The apostles or Gentiles, after embracing the faith of Christ, had all their sins forgiven, as "bestowed" derives from the concept of a gift, meaning their sins were released to them without charge. They began to endure turmoil, recognizing the depths from which they were drawn, in line with what is stated in Ecclesiastes, “He that multiplieth knowledge, multiplieth tribulation” (Ecclesiastes 1:18). Paul reflects, “Unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Cor. 15:9). We can consider it from another angle as well, since “power is made perfect in weakness,” and when an apostle is weak, he is strong (see 2 Cor. 12:9-10). We also, if we are to approach the Lord quickly, need to amplify our weaknesses so that being frail in body we can grow strong in spirit. “I will not gather their councils from their blood.” It is evident that this is the Savior speaking, for who else could declare, “I will not gather their assemblies from their blood”? “Their” pertains to either the nations or the apostles. If it refers to the nations, it indicates that although they bear guilt and have committed atrocious acts, since they hastened to me through their afflictions, their assemblies will be pure and devoid of filth. If it refers to the apostles, the implication is that their offerings are not like those given under the Old Testament law but rather reflect the spiritual worship of the New Covenant. However, with a deeper understanding, it implies that just as the Lord detests a man of blood and a flatterer (see Psalms 5:7), and will call for the blood of the wicked from the watchman (see Ezek. 33:6), who fails to provide forewarning of the impending wrath of God; and whoever misleads the innocent will face destruction; and those whose hands are stained with blood cannot gather in the assemblies of the Lord without prior purification through the Holy Spirit (cf. Ezek. 4:4). By the assemblies of the Lord, let us understand either the current Churches, or preferably, the various dwelling places in the Father's house in heaven, where none can enter who remain burdened by sin. “And I will not remember their names with my mouth.” The saints, burdened by infirmities, whose councils I will not claim from their blood, upon their swift return to Me, I will not recall them by their former names, but by new names: after I have cleansed them in My spring, they will no longer be called sons of men, as before, but sons of God. Alternatively, I will change their names. I appoint Simon Peter, for my Church is founded upon his rock. I designate the sons of Zebedee as sons of thunder, for I will entrust them with the mysteries of My Gospel. This is not exclusive to them; once, names were also changed to Abraham and Sarah. It is not appropriate for those who have received new life post-conversion to bear the same name as they did before. Others might interpret what was said, “And I will not remember their names in my old days,” as meaning I will not mention them lightly or in passing, but they will be deeply cherished within me; they will be held close in my heart and soul. Thus, in contrast to the words spoken to the unbelievers, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (see Isaiah 29:13), the Lord not only names His saints with His lips but also retains them within the depths of His thoughts.

Furthermore, in the subsequent passages, speaking through David, the Son of God is not merely identified as man but also as divine. He states, "I will not gather their councils, saith He, of blood." This refers to the Jews who betrayed Jesus Christ unto death. He asserts that He will thwart most of these plots from resulting in bloodshed through the scattering that would ensue at the hands of the Romans. Yet, He declares, "I will not call their names by my mouth." In ancient times, the Jewish people were known as the people of God, the chosen ones, the vineyard, and the heritage of God, among other titles. Now, He professes, I will no longer refer to the Jews by those previous names; instead, I will term them rebellious children, a treacherous generation, the offspring of the serpent, the seed of wickedness, and similar designations. The aforementioned passages may also apply to Gentile Christians. I will not take over their temples, which are corrupted by bloody sacrifices; I will establish a temple for Myself where pure faith and spiritual offerings will be presented to Me. I will refrain from using the titles bestowed upon them by My prophets in earlier times. Instead of labeling them as adversaries, I will call them friends, and instead of denoting them as unbelievers, I will recognize them as faithful, along with similar titles. The expression of God may denote the actions of God, as the former are the means through which the latter are articulated. Ultimately, the preceding passage can also be interpreted in this manner: Our Savior embraced human nature and began to identify both the Jews and the believing Gentiles with names that contrast the previous ones, as explained previously.

The prophet points out that idolaters incur divine wrath and an increase in their afflictions; it prompts the question of what fate awaits such wicked individuals who willingly bind themselves to the devil, if not eternal torment. Therefore, he declares, "I will not gather their councils from their blood," or, as rendered in Hebrew, "I will not partake in their sacrifices that involve blood, but I will invoke their names with my own mouth." Some interpret “bloody sacrifices” as referring to human sacrifice or acts of robbery. However, the Prophet is not addressing inhumane and violent individuals here; rather, he condemns all forms of false and corrupt worship and signifies the act of partaking in the offerings associated with these sacrifices. It is clear that consuming blood, whether in everyday meals or in sacrifices, was strictly prohibited for the people of Israel to instill a hatred of murder and cruelty. Sacred history attests that only Gentiles engaged in the practice of consuming blood in their sacrifices. David himself affirmed that he would abstain from those offerings common among idolaters, many of whom were present within Israel. The subsequent words also underscore this point: "I will later invoke their names with my mouth." He states that he would have such an aversion and disdain for idols that he would avoid even mentioning their names, as if they carried a contagion. This is not because it is unlawful to speak their names—indeed, they often appear in the Prophets—but because he is illustrating the profound revulsion that the faithful ought to feel towards false gods. This sentiment is further emphasized by his choice of words; by using pronouns that refer to the idols, he intentionally leaves the idols themselves unmentioned.