Psalm 22 (21):23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I will declare Your name to the lowly and to my brethren who cherish one another as I cherish them (John 17:6, 21) In the heart of the congregation, I will joyfully proclaim You.

He has granted us an understanding of Him who is God by His very essence and in truth, as well as of the Father who shares His being. Moreover, as a human, He attains unity through the Church.

Lord and brother, I will proclaim Your name to my fellow believers: Lord by essence, brother by grace; the hands that He extended to a faithless generation are now upon the spine of adversaries.

It is clear that He spoke these words in His humanity, as He experienced the realities He described. He refers to those who have faith in Him as brothers; in His human nature, they are truly His siblings, while in His divine nature, He remains sovereign Lord and Master. He is both the only begotten and the firstborn; these titles denote His unique relationship as God and His role as man. God alone is begotten, earning the title of the only begotten. However, in His humanity, He is recognized as the firstborn. The Apostle affirms this when he states, ‘Howbeit He is the firstborn in many brethren’ (Rom. 8:29). Thus, after declaring this to my brethren, I will offer praises to You through them, guiding them in song to exalt Your name. This completes His promise.

Consider, dear reader, how the Holy Spirit, in His foresight, references certain events as already having occurred, while others are discussed as yet to come, aligning with the prophetic tradition. When the Lord speaks of the ‘name’ He intends to declare, He signifies the name of the Father. The Jews recognized Him as God but failed to perceive Him as the Father who possesses the Son; as articulated in the Gospel of John, “I have proclaimed Thy name to men” (John 17:6). He refers to the Apostles as ‘brethren,’ echoing His words to the Myrrh-bearers after the Resurrection: “Go, proclaim it to My brethren” (Matthew 28:10).

God took on a living body from humanity, uniting what was previously separate and reconciling it to Himself as He became man. Therefore, our Lord shared in our humanity and became our brother, as He stated: I will make Your name known to my brothers (Psalm 21:23). Moreover, to Mary Magdalene He instructed, ‘Go to my brothers and tell them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God (John 20:17).

The first individuals to whom He will disclose the Father’s name are His apostles, whom He refers to as brothers. Subsequently, in due order, He will guide them to offer worship to the Father within the Church, which is established in His name across the world. Just as a teacher of great wisdom within the group would elucidate a principle for the understanding of others, He declares, "In the midst of the church I will sing praises to You." This is so that the Church, which learns and hears Him, can rightly offer praise, no longer as it did in the presence of demons, but solely to the God of all humanity, through the One who has revealed Him.

David expresses his commitment to God, vowing not to show ingratitude following his rescue from distress. This reaffirms our earlier assessment of him; during trials, he remained steadfast, drawing on strength and resisting despair. His inclination to give thanks to God would not have been possible without his prior hope in the Lord. It is important to note that David’s vows to God are not ordinary; they are significant, reflecting the requirements for His extraordinary blessings, where the faithful are called to come to the sanctuary to formally express their gratitude. Given the remarkable ways in which God preserved David, it is awe-inspiring that he commits himself through solemn vows to acknowledge this gratitude.

Christ the Lord has revealed to the sacred apostles the profound truths of God the Father. Within the Church, among this community that spans the earth, the unity of faith found in those sanctified by the proclamation of the Gospel's truth serves to magnify the greatness of the Divine.