Psalm 30 (29):6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

A physician, aware of the inflammation and swelling affecting a man's member, determines that it is necessary to remove it. Scripture refers to this as rage. The physician's decision to assist the patient leads to an action in which the prescribed intervention takes place; a sharp instrument is utilized, resulting in the removal and consequent pain inflicted upon the patient. This is referred to as the wrath of God. Now, reflecting on the statement will reveal the progression of thought: "I am the wrath in the fury of His anger." - Punishment according to the just judgement of God. And what of "life in His purpose”? The psalm proclaims that God desires all to share in His life. Afflictions do not stem from His will but rather arise from the consequences of sin among humanity. Thus, God grants life to each in alignment with His will, while each person accumulates their own wrath “in the day of wrath and revelation and righteous judgement of God” (Rom. 2:5). Scripture often favors the sorrowful over the joyous, recognizing that joy is more profound when it follows sorrow. As it is written, "I kill, and I make alive"—indicating favor after discipline. "I wound, and I heal" (Deuteronomy 32:39). He Himself inflicts suffering, yet He is also the one who restores; He struck, and His own hands brought healing. Suffering precedes, ensuring that favors are more enduring, as we become more eager to cherish the gifts received. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Consider the moment of the Lord’s suffering, and the significance of these words becomes clear. In the evening, there was grief among the Lord's disciples when they beheld Him on the cross. However, joy arose in the morning, as they hurried to share the good news of His Resurrection. Perhaps this evening symbolizes the present age, where those who weep shall find solace with the dawn’s arrival. “Blessed are those who mourn: for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). “Blessed are you who weep now: for you shall laugh” (Luke 6:21). Therefore, whoever spends their days in this transient age, grieving for their sins, will rejoice with the coming of the true morning, for "those who sow in tears" now "shall reap in joy" (Psalm 125:5), evidently in the age to come.

The Lord Himself speaks through the Prophet Ezekiel, saying, 'How can I desire the death of a sinner, but not to turn him and live?' (Ezekiel 18:23). 'Weeping shall prevail in the evening, and joy in the morning' (Ezekiel 30:23). Such was the case during Ezekiel's time and in the fulfillment of the common salvation. The Assyrians, who by their threats caused the city to mourn, faced punishment during the night, yet by morning, those whom they had caused to weep were filled with joy. The prophet Isaiah, who delivered the sentence of death to Hezekiah during the night, brought him the message of life in the morning. Similarly, in the fulfillment of the common salvation, when the holy Apostles and all believers were sorrowful over the Lord's suffering, the women came early in the morning, bringing the joy of the resurrection.

Scripture often presents hardship before joy, suggesting that gladness is more profound when it follows distress, as indicated in the passage, “I will kill and revive, I will smite and heal” (Deuteronomy 32:39).

Basil the Great elaborates that rage represents a judgment that brings misfortune upon those deserving it. Anger, he notes, is akin to an ailment or execution. An illustrative example comes from a physician who, observing an underlying injury, chooses to perform surgery. This action, painful yet necessary, symbolizes what is referred to in Scripture as the wrath of God. Theodoret equates wrath with anger, linking punishment to this concept and distinguishing it from the will that brings forth life. For God, it is declared, has neither created death nor delights in the downfall of the living; rather, He fashioned all things, and the essence of creation is redemptive (Prem. 1:13).

Gregory the Theologian expresses, “I delivered you, and I will also help you; with brief fury I struck you down, but with eternal mercy I will glorify you,” indicating that the measure of mercy surpasses that of punishment. The contrast of weeping at night and rejoicing in the morning illustrates how repentance leads to swift forgiveness of sin; those who mourn in the evening will find joy by dawn, comforted by the Holy Spirit's grace. This notion is a reflection of the Apostles' experience, as noted by Basil the Great and Theodoret: they mourned on Saturday evening after Christ’s burial but rejoiced on Easter morning upon learning of His resurrection from the Myrrh-Bearers. Similarly, the companions of Hezekiah grieved as they faced the threat from Sennacherib, only to be filled with joy in the morning when they beheld the slain army of one hundred eighty-five thousand, destroyed by God’s angel. The phrase "said - will be enthroned" indicates God's ability to instill both sorrow and joy in hearts.

Basil further states that this era is likened to evening, during which those who mourn are blessed, as they will be comforted at the arrival of the morning. Therefore, blessed are those who weep now, for they shall rejoice. Consequently, those who spend the twilight of this age, which is drawing to a close, in lamentation over their sins will rejoice when the true morning arrives. Those who sow with tears will one day reap joyously, looking toward the future.

The prophet Isaiah expresses a similar sentiment in Isaiah 54:7, 8, proclaiming, “For a little while I have forsaken you, but with great mercy I will have mercy on you. I will turn My face away from you in a little fury, but with everlasting mercy I will have mercy on you.” The Apostle Paul echoes this theme in his letter to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18, stating that the momentary afflictions we endure, when compounded, manifest as an eternal weight of glory. We do not focus on the temporary, visible troubles, but rather on the eternal, unseen realities, as the temporary is fleeting while the eternal is everlasting. Additionally, he emphasizes a similar idea, suggesting that following sorrow and tears—resulting from punishment and the awareness of God’s wrath—joy derived from reconciliation with God will surely follow. The transition from evening to morning reflects this truth; the night is characterized by sorrow, while the day brings joy. This parallels our spiritual journey, as our sins cause the light of God's grace to fade, only to be restored upon reconciliation. Life on earth feels like a night of wandering and yearning for our celestial home, as we are unable to perceive God, the Sun of righteousness. Conversely, the life to come represents the day; therefore, we should exult with indescribable and glorious joy, as affirmed by the Apostle Peter in his first epistle, 1 Peter 1:8.