Psalm 18 (17):34Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Through love and divine intention, He refines my strides to resemble those of a deer. Who will empower my love so that I can navigate the insurmountable trails of this era, fraught with thorns and darkness? He will elevate me. He raises my aspirations beyond the heights of heaven, that I may be encompassed by the fullness of the divine.

The One who guides my steps. The holy ones are conquerors of destructive desires, as they have been endowed with strength to overcome the cunning foes of the mind; hence, they are compared to deer that vanquish lustful adversaries. They have been granted authority "to tread upon serpents, and upon scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19). And above, He who rescues me instructs me in wisdom amid the celestial realms.

Just as He endowed the deer with the ability to tread upon venomous creatures, He bestowed upon me the strength to overcome and rise above my adversaries.

God instructs my hands for battle, imparting wisdom in the art of warfare, not merely against physical foes but also against spiritual adversaries such as demons. This equips me to effectively wield the shield of faith and deftly take up the sword of the Spirit. Through the active virtues expressed by my hands, I engage in combat against the mental struggles within. The act of raising my hands in prayer to God is indeed a powerful stance, representing a struggle against both spiritual and sensual challenges.

The deer, emblematic of purity, traverses the high places—akin to the saints of God who gaze upward, setting their sights on eternal truths rather than earthly pursuits, yearning for the heavenly kingdom. David, through divine inspiration, likens this to the saints when he declares, "And on high places me." Despite the many adversaries seeking to pull us into the depths of sin and despair, our God, like a skilled coach guiding us as we run, leads us toward the heights, promising that our reward lies with Him. Our elevation does not stem from our own strength; rather, heaven is the rightful abode of the human spirit, and these high places are our true homeland, not a distant realm.

As David triumphed over numerous strongholds, viewed as unconquerable due to challenging assaults, he also extols the compassion of the Lord in this regard. When he states that his feet were made swift like the feet of a deer, he indicates a remarkable speed that is not typically found in humans. The essence of his words reveals that he was assisted by God in an extraordinary manner, swiftly ascending to heights that seemed unreachable, much like hedgehogs. When he proclaims that God teaches his hands to battle, he admits that he did not acquire the skill of combat through his own effort, training, or experience, but rather through a divine endowment.

Christ our Lord, seeking to accomplish the Father's divine purpose for humanity's redemption, voluntarily ascended to Golgotha and embraced the crucifixion. On the day of His ascension, God the Father will exalt Him to His right hand above all realms.