I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast upheld me: and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me.
אֲרוֹמִמְךָ֣ יְ֭הוָה כִּ֣י דִלִּיתָ֑נִי וְלֹא־שִׂמַּ֖חְתָּ אֹיְבַ֣י לִֽי׃
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 9 commentaries
Persecution of Christ You have not brought joy to those who have sought to oppress me repeatedly through various forms of persecution across the world.
Then speaks the entire Christ. I will exalt Your Supreme Majesty, O Lord, for You have embraced Me. You have not allowed My adversaries to triumph over Me. Those who have persistently sought to afflict Me through diverse persecutions across the earth, You have not permitted them to rejoice in My suffering.
How can the One who resides in the heights be honored by those dwelling in the depths? If God reigns above in the heavens, and we are situated on the earth below, how can we bring glory to Him? What is the significance of the Prophet’s promise? It implies that those who cultivate profound and noble thoughts about God, living for His glory, indeed elevate Him. Thus, the one who eagerly pursues joy honors God, whereas the one who travels the opposite path (to an indescribable degree) diminishes Him. Correspondingly, our actions reflect upon God. When we are negligent and sluggish in our endeavors, it is expressed that God appears to be asleep, deeming us unworthy of His vigilant oversight.
When we recognize the detrimental effects of this spiritual slumber and plead, ‘Arise, thou sleepest, O Lord’ (Psalms 43:24) and ‘He that keepeth Israel shall not slumber, but shall fall asleep’ (Psalms 120:4), we are urging His attention. Some, by their shameful deeds, seem to divert God’s gaze from them, while the repentant cry out, ‘Why do Thou turn away Thy face?’ Others feel as if they have been forgotten by God and lament, ‘Thou forgettest our poverty and our affliction’ (Psalms 43:25). In essence, humanity's portrayal of God is shaped by individuals, who construct an image of Him according to their own preparations. Therefore, ‘I will exalt Thee, O Lord, because Thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes rejoice over me.’ I will accept nothing inferior in my existence. What then is the source of my ability to exalt God? It is because I possess it, having been ‘lifted up’ by Him beforehand. The Prophet articulately stated: ‘Thou hast lifted me up’ - implying that He has elevated me above my adversaries. Just as one rescues a child struggling to swim and lifts him above the surface, so too has God raised me. Thus, anyone who, with divine assistance, rises from hardship anticipates God’s exaltation through righteous deeds. Consider how a weakened wrestler, supported at the moment of his fall and empowered to overcome his opponent, denies the enemy the joy of victory. It is not the trials that test the faithful which bring joy to our unseen adversaries; rather, when we are crushed by trials and our minds are wearied by numerous afflictions, they revel in our despair. This was evident in the case of Job, who suffered the loss of his wealth, his children, and endured the agony of his afflicted body; yet, even in his misery, the enemy found no delight. Had he succumbed to his tribulations and spoken a word of despair as encouraged by his wife, his enemies would have rejoiced. Similarly, when Paul endured hunger, thirst, nakedness, beatings, hard labor, and wandering (see 1 Cor. 4:11-12), his adversaries did not celebrate; rather, they were discouraged as they witnessed his steadfastness, leading him to proclaim with disdain toward them, ‘Who will separate us from the love of God?’ (Rom. 8:35).
The more an individual turns their gaze toward the Lord, the more they uplift Him and, in turn, are elevated themselves. This is why David proclaims, "I will exalt Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast lifted me up." The faithful lift up the Lord, while the unrighteous diminish Him.
Taking upon Himself the Lord, our origin, the entirety of creation found joy in salvation through Him, not permitting the enemies who scorn us and the malevolent spirits to prevail.
I will glorify You, O Lord, as You have lifted me up. How can a lowly man exalt the Most High? It can only be done by recognizing Him as supreme, in line with the teachings of the Great Basil. A person magnifies God when they honor and regard Him as the greatest; conversely, they diminish and dishonor Him when they entertain and express base and unworthy notions about Him. The phrase “You have lifted me up” signifies that You have raised me from the depths of sin, providing Your supporting hand beneath me. According to St. Basil the Great, "You have lifted me up" implies that You have elevated me from my downward struggles, much like a hand lifts a child who cannot swim, keeping them afloat in the water.
If these words pertain to David, they indicate that God did not allow David's enemies to rejoice after He warned them through the prophet Nathan about their betrayal of David's kingdom. If we interpret this in the context of the Church, the adversaries referred to are the demons; and regarding Hezekiah, they represent the Assyrians. Thus, he states, "You have not allowed them to rejoice, Lord"—meaning You have not granted them victory over me. The Divine Basil notes that it is not the trials given to the saints for their testing that bring joy to our unseen foes; rather, it is when we are fatigued and overwhelmed by continuous suffering that they exult and celebrate.
Reflect on the twenty-ninth Psalm: I will exalt You, O Lord, for You have exalted me and have not allowed my foes to rejoice over me (Ps. 29:2). What is the significance of this? Have you been rescued from your adversaries, or have you escaped the torment? In response, He clearly states: Lord, You have redeemed my soul from the grave (4). He speaks prophetically, affirming that You will not abandon; and here, He declares, You have restored my soul, as if it is a completed act that must indeed take place. You have delivered me from those who descend into the pit (4). When was this to occur? In the evening there will be sorrow, but joy comes in the morning (6). The evening brought grief to the disciples, while the morning heralded the joy of the Resurrection.
It may be understood as if he expressed, Even though You, O God, are supreme and there is none above You, I will raise You up through my song for the benefit of those who refuse to recognize Your glory. With all the strength I possess, I will strive to ensure that all understand Your greatness. This I do because You have elevated me; from the depths of my lowly and despised condition, You have lifted me to the seat of honor. Therefore, I will also exalt You, not attributing my rise to my own abilities but to the vastness of Your grace. Though You have raised me, I will humble myself in order to glorify You.
For through my own elevation, my adversaries—who long sought my demise—found themselves not only without cause to celebrate my downfall, which they ardently wished for, but were instead filled with deep sorrow as they witnessed my elevation, which they tried earnestly to obstruct: I will praise You, O Lord, for You have not allowed my foes to rejoice in my misfortune.
The voice of Christ the Redeemer expresses gratitude to God the Father for His resurrection from the dead, while the voice of the Holy Church gives thanks to Christ the Lord, who, though at times brought low by idolatry, was restored to glory through His grace after becoming flesh and rising from the dead. Additionally, we hear Adam's voice of gratitude to Christ the Lord for raising him, the fallen man, from the depths of hell back to his original state. The adversaries, including the demons and the Jews who were responsible for the crucifixion of Christ the Lord, found their hearts filled not with joy but with eternal grief and sorrow, as noted by Basil, Cyril, Cyprian, Theodoret, and Dionysius.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS