All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and have adored: all they that go down to the earth shall fall before him.
אָכְל֬וּ וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּ֨וּ ׀ כָּֽל־דִּשְׁנֵי־אֶ֗רֶץ לְפָנָ֣יו יִ֭כְרְעוּ כָּל־יוֹרְדֵ֣י עָפָ֑ר וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ לֹ֣א חִיָּֽה׃
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
The wealthy individuals of this world partook of the Body representing their Lord's humbling. Even though they, like those in need, remained unfulfilled to the extent of mere pretense, they offered Him their veneration. Before Him, all who descend to the earth will stumble. He alone perceives the downfalls of those who abandon the heavenly discourse, choosing instead to present a facade of happiness to mortals who fail to recognize their decline.
The Lord proclaimed, 'I will partake and honor all the prosperous ones of the earth,' referring to their experience of spiritual sustenance. He describes them as prosperous due to their reception of the divine teachings. Before Him, all those who descend to the earth shall bow down. This indicates that the faithful bend the knee in reverence before Him. Yet, these were the faithful from ancient times. Those who descend into the earth, symbolizing their fall into destruction and decay, do so because they have not encountered the Lord.
"All the fat of the earth shall eat and worship; before Him shall all those who go down to the earth bow." Those who partake and are nourished, expressing their gratitude for the eternal sustenance, will revere its divine giver as God. In the previous verse, the reference was made specifically to the prosperous, who have been enriched by this heavenly nourishment. Thus, it continues, "before Him shall all those who descend into the earth bow," illustrating that after resurrection, some will willingly and others will reluctantly, some out of love and others out of reverence, offer their worship to God.
This aligns with the apostolic declaration: "To Him every knee of heaven and earth and underworld shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11). "And my soul shall live unto Him" (Psalm 21:30), and my offspring shall serve Him. The offspring of the Lord Christ are those who have been regenerated through the waters of baptism and have received the gift of sonship. Therefore, He mentioned that His "soul lives unto Him" and does not labor, but rather His offspring do the work, because the human essence is united with the divine nature and shares in the same glory and honor.
He addresses those who possess riches, which are filled with piety and virtue, people who have previously dwelled in darkness, as mentioned earlier. They have partaken, and through spiritual abundance, have grown prosperous. Those who have died will bow down and worship Christ upon the earth, as it is written that after the final resurrection, every knee will bow to the Father (Rom. 14:11). Some will willingly and lovingly submit, while others will do so out of fear, including unbelievers and demons, as noted by Theodoret. My soul lives for this reason. God, he states, has restored my soul and has not allowed it to perish in sin. This can refer to both the Father and the Son.
Alternatively, he implies that my soul lives for God by doing what pleases Him, whereas it has died to the demon by resisting its temptations. Some interpret this to mean that the life of Christ, which He lived in the flesh on earth, was holy and pure, making it sacred to God the Father, for He alone was without sin. This is mentioned so that we, by following His example and living a faultless life, may boldly declare in our prayers, ‘My soul lives unto Him,’ reflecting what was said: It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.
As noted earlier, “The hungry shall eat, and they shall be satisfied.” To prevent the misconception that only the lowly and downtrodden would seek the Lord, it is emphasized that even the bountiful of the earth — that is, the wealthy and influential, including kings, rulers, and nobles — will partake in the Lord's feast and give glory to Him who reigns over all, as in His kingdom every voice will celebrate. In essence, this meal is open to all, both the affluent and the destitute.
This invites the former to set aside their arrogance and humble themselves before God, while the latter, often subjected to humiliation, may raise their spirits in gratitude to God, who bestows every good gift, in line with the teachings of the Apostle James: “Let the humble brother boast in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation.” David extends this call to not just the rich and poor, but to all those who dwell on the earth, encompassing all humans, even those deemed lowly or scorned for their worldly wisdom, encouraging them to step boldly into the sacred feast of God. The subsequent phrase, “And my soul shall live unto Him,” translates from the Hebrew as referring to those who cannot sustain their own lives, signifying that even those who seem to be mere dust, devoid of hope for life, will share in the same divine banquet with Him.
The wealthy and powerful rulers of the world, along with all in positions of authority who place their faith in Christ the Lord, partake of the Holy Mysteries, expressing gratitude to Him as the one true God. As they descend into the earth, they become part of the mortal realm.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS