Psalm 18 (17):47Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Lord is alive, and may my God be praised. For the mindset focused on the flesh leads to death (Rom. 8:6). The Lord is alive, and may my God be praised. Let the God of my deliverance be lifted high (Ps. 17:46). I shall not entertain worldly thoughts regarding the God who saves me, nor should I seek a temporal salvation from Him, but rather aim for a lofty salvation.

The Lord is alive, and blessed be my God. It is appropriate that He proclaimed, "the Lord liveth," as He took note of the people’s strife, when they shouted, “Take Him, take Him, crucify Him” (John 19:15). Let the God of my salvation be glorified. Although He ‘emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant’ (Philippians 2:7), He remains exalted. This can be understood as ‘God has highly exalted Him and bestowed upon Him a name that is above every name’ (Philippians 2:9).

In referencing the dispute among the Jewish people, he refers to the passion followed by the resurrection. Given that it is customary for the Jews to regard the crucified one as dead, He proclaims: ‘The Lord liveth, and blessed be my God: and let the God of my salvation ascend.’ Not only is He resurrected, but He has also ascended to Heaven, bestowing salvation upon those who seek it.

David foretells the resurrection of the Lord, as Fodorit explains, addressing those Jews who believed that He was forever in the grave. He proclaims to them that Christ is alive, having risen on the third day. And blessed be the God of gods, he proclaims, who is deserving of our praise and glory. He prays for the God of my salvation to ascend. Through these words, David implores the Lord to rise into heaven, so that upon His ascension, He might send the Comforter to the apostles tasked with spreading the gospel. In times of old, the Son was known as the Creator, but now He is the God of re-creation, or deliverance. David uses the term 'my' because he views salvation through Christ as both personal and collective—his and ours.

It is as though it is expressed, “May God, my trust, exist (in Hebrew, my fortress), and may the one who ensures my deliverance be praised and exalted: God (I declare), who has granted me triumphs, who has brought the nations under my control. O God, You have rescued me from my foes. You have lifted me up from those who rise against me. You have saved me from wicked individuals. For this reason, I will honor You among the nations, and I will sing to Your name. Have You greatly esteemed the salvation of Your servant, the king? How much grace have You shown to Your anointed David and to his descendants forever?

The unrighteous Jews, after having crucified the Lord Christ, viewed Him as simply a deceased individual and spoke ill of His resurrection. However, the Holy Church proclaims to all: the Lord lives; truly, Christ has risen and ascended to heaven in glory as the one true God.