Psalm 31 (30):5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

A twofold trap The enemy's net has been cast and made ready. In this snare, he has ensnared sin and dread: sin to allure, dread to shatter and take hold. Yet you close the door of desire before sin, close the door of cowardice before dread, and guide me out of the snare.

Deliver me from this snare that they have concealed for me. For those who conspired against his spirit have ensnared him. How? Through sin.

The prophet here highlights the advice of Ahithophel that was directed against him, as previously mentioned.

I will free myself from this trap that has ensnared me. The trap David refers to is the advice given to Absalom by Ahithophel, urging him to pursue and besiege David during perilous times, as explained by Theodoret. This counsel acted as a snare, threatening to ensnare David should he fall into it. The trap was concealed due to its subtlety and unawareness; for every trap must remain hidden so that creatures do not detect it and consequently get caught by it unintentionally. In a metaphorical sense, a trap also represents a new scheme and deceit of malevolent spirits that ensnare souls unexpectedly. You are my protector, O Lord. Here, David attributes all assistance solely to God, acknowledging Him as the only true source of support. This acknowledgment serves two purposes: to express gratitude, as is fitting for one who receives benefits, and to invoke God's mercy and compassion through these affirmations, emphasizing that he has no other substantial ally.

A snare for the Divine-human One was laid by His adversaries—not one that would escape Christ's notice, nor one that would lead Him into ruin through deception, but rather one He willingly embraced for our liberation. The Jewish leaders sought to ensnare Christ, viewing Him merely as a human being, intending to eliminate Him through cunning schemes. Yet He proclaims that He will emerge from this ordeal; through the grace of the Resurrection, He will soon be exalted to the highest places.

He not only requests guidance to a refuge where he will be nourished, but also seeks liberation from the slanders that his adversaries have woven like a concealed trap around him. This net symbolizes the covert scheme Absalom devised against him in Hebron, which he remained unafraid of and did not even consider.

The trap set by the unrighteous Jews against Christ the Lord was a fleeting ambition, yet they found themselves ensnared by the very net of death. In contrast, Christ the Lord, through divine might, triumphed over it by rising from the grave. This net also signifies the covert and concealed machinations of adversaries.