To thee, O Lord, will I cry: and I will make supplication to my God.
אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהוָ֣ה אֶקְרָ֑א וְאֶל־אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃
7 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 8 commentaries
In reflecting on that moment of my suffering and turmoil, I recall how it was established within me. I hear the voice of Your chosen One, my Head, prepared to lay down His life for me, uttering, "To You, O Lord, I will cry; and to my God, I will pray."
I hear the voice of Christ, the only-begotten Son and my Head, who was sentenced to die for my sake, proclaiming: To You, O Lord, I will cry out, and to my God I will offer my prayers.
It is often stated that calling upon the Lord is a practice of those who yearn for lofty and divine matters. In contrast, those who petition God for trivial and earthly desires tend to use a feeble and subdued tone, which fails to ascend to the ears of the Lord.
I call upon You, O Lord. What value is there in my blood as I face decay? I implore You to lift me from this pit, for I have not confessed my transgressions before You. My descent into decay brings no benefit, neither to myself nor to others. You withhold life from me, and others cannot find salvation through me. However, if You hear my supplication, transforming my tears into rejoicing and clothing me with joy, it will be greatly beneficial for me. For, having regained my former splendor, I will call out to You in glory, unburdened by guilt. This is the essence of the verse: I will not relent.
The blessed Hezekiah voiced these sentiments, as noted in the fourth book of Kings and the divine prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 38:18). Even if not everyone in human existence expressed this, the saints surely reached out to God with similar praises, acknowledging that it is fitting to honor You, the Creator, and offer thanks with sincere words. However, while such praises are characteristic of the living, those who have been reduced to dust and ashes and can no longer engage in physical toil—how can they proclaim Your blessings?
I will call out to You, O Lord. In this way, David expresses his desire to receive Your assistance more swiftly. The Scriptures frequently employ the phrases ‘cry out’ or ‘shout’ to describe those who earnestly seek the Lord's aid. And to my God I will pray; here David echoes what he stated earlier, referring to You as the Father and to God, in relation to the Son. It appears that David, through these words, foreshadows the moment when his estranged son Absalom pursued him, leading him to call upon God in his distress. Alternatively, it can also relate to King Hezekiah, who, upon receiving information from the prophet Isaiah that he would die the following day, beseeched the Lord for an extension of his life. Thus, he declared, I will cry out and pray for these matters.
In the previous verse, the passage addresses the themes of wrath and life, sorrow and joy on a general level, and here it elaborates on it specifically. By his own experience, it is demonstrated that his personal grief, which arose from misplaced trust in fleeting happiness, was of brief duration and quickly faded. This seemingly refers to the period after he defeated Goliath the Philistine, as recounted in the first book of Kings, chapter 18, during which he was favored by both the king and the king's son, as well as the entire populace, eventually becoming the king's commander and son-in-law.
He expressed, "But I said in my abundance, I will not be moved for ever." This can be interpreted as a reflection on the time when, following the calming of foreign invaders who had troubled the kingdom of Israel for a short while, he basked in joy, surrounded by wealth and distinction, leading him to falsely believe that his current prosperity would remain unshaken. This misguided perspective stemmed from his self-love, where he attributed his happiness solely to his own abilities, neglecting to recognize that it was God’s grace, through His goodness, that strengthened him. However, this joy proved fleeting; when God withdrew His presence, he swiftly found himself bereft of divine favor and faced the monarch's animosity, leading to distress. Consequently, he was plunged into exile, danger, and various afflictions. Yet, during these periods of trials and turmoil, when he called out to the Lord, contemplating that if his enemies should take his life, his death would be of no benefit to God since the dead cannot praise Him, the Lord heard his plea and showed him mercy. He transformed his tears into joy, tore off his sorrowful vestments, and clothed him with gladness. These statements emphasize the profound impact and power of prayer. Through it, David transitioned from a destitute exile to a renowned and mighty king; Christ triumphed over death; prophets, apostles, martyrs, and confessors overcame their persecutors, and the rest of God's chosen ones ascended from the depths of despair to a heavenly home.
The devout individual, even amidst hardships, remains steadfast and does not succumb to despair, seeing his transient troubles as inconsequential. Instead, he lifts his plea to God with a contrite heart, seeking blessings and the promise of everlasting peace.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS