Psalm 34 (33):17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

God listens; if He had truly heard me, He would have rescued me from my misfortunes. Yet, I call out, and the troubles persist. Still, remain steadfast in His ways, for He will respond when you find yourself in distress. He is the Great Physician, yet you remain an undisclosed affliction. You cry out, but He does not remove His hand until He addresses precisely what He deems essential. He operates like a harsh healer who may listen attentively without treating the injury or the affliction. Consider mothers who bathe their children for their well-being – do not the infants wail in their arms? Are these mothers unkind for disregarding their cries? Or do they love them too profoundly? Even as the little ones weep, the mothers do not withhold care. In a similar fashion, our Lord is overflowing with love – yet this may appear as if He is unresponsive because He longs to heal us and preserve us for eternity.

The expression "by the face" refers to the clear and evident arrival of the Lord in judgment. The depiction of the Lord's eyes suggests that He observes us from a distance, yet they will focus intently on the just, while His face will manifest to eradicate all recollection of wrongdoing from the earth. However, one should not picture the face of God in a physical sense. This would imply a contradiction, as it seems to suggest that the eyes are particularly directed toward the righteous while the face is oriented toward the wicked, which is an impossibility; eyes cannot exist without a face, nor can a face exist without eyes. "Man shall not see the face" of the Lord and "live" (cf. Ex. 33:20).

The Lord observes, as the Prophet declares, those who choose to act in opposition to these matters and proclaims over them the decree of ultimate ruin.

God, as it is expressed, observes the wrongdoing of sinners, yet His gaze differs from that which He directs toward the righteous. He regards the righteous with joy, safeguarding them from all danger, while He views sinners with trepidation and administers discipline upon them. Consequently, every sinner, when the moment calls for it, shall be eradicated from both this world and the realm of the gentle and redeemed, as stated by the Divine Cyril. Thus, all sinners should tremble, for they cannot conceal themselves from the presence and gaze of God while engaging in sinful actions. In the words of Basil, the face of the Lord represents His unveiled glory in the eternal life to come, when He will look upon the unfortunate sinners with a terrifying and severe scrutiny.

The consequences for the unrighteous After discussing the mercies extended to the just, attention turns to the penalties faced by those who commit wrongdoing. It is important to recognize that while God observes both groups, the outcome of that observation differs: the just He hears, while the wicked He vanquishes. When David refers to ‘the earth,’ he clearly alludes to a future homeland that will be obtained solely by those who are pleasing to God. The legacy of the wicked will be eradicated, as they will not be remembered among the righteous. Those who are forgotten by the Lord will undoubtedly endure everlasting torment.

A demonstration of God's profound displeasure towards transgressors! In this context, the term "face" represents disfavor. However, in other instances, the prophet David seeks the presence of the Lord and urges others to do the same. He implores, "Seek Thou my face," saying, "I will seek Thy face, O Lord" (Psalms 26:8). He also expresses, "Seek also all His face I shall compel" (Psalm 104:4). Both Moses and Elijah longed to behold the face of God, and the angels are drawn to continually gaze upon the Father’s face in heaven (Matt. 18:10). All are promised joy in witnessing the Lord face to face. Here, the holy Prophet sought to illustrate the striking contrast in the Lord's disposition toward the wicked compared to the righteous.

The Prophet highlights the blessed state of the righteous in contrast to the plight of the wicked. Just as the Lord's gaze safeguards the righteous, so too does His countenance observe the wicked—not to protect them, but to erase their remembrance from the earth. This implies a total obliteration not only of their lives but also of their offspring, grandchildren, and all future generations, until they are entirely forgotten. Although this reality may not always be evident—as the wicked might repent before divine judgment arrives, or their descendants might not follow in their sinful ways, or perhaps for other reasons the righteous Judge delays His sentence—the Psalmist reflects what often occurs.

The expression of God's anger towards sinners is vividly illustrated at the Final Judgment when He declares: Depart from me, you cursed (Matthew 25:41). In that moment, the memory of the wicked will be erased from the land of the living. David captures a profound truth about God's nature, declaring: I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me (Exodus 20:5). The ungodly who lived during Noah's righteous days were all submerged in the flood, while the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed by divine fire. What remnants remain of the descendants of Dathan and Abiram, who were swallowed whole along with their households? Completely eliminated, in accordance with God's righteous decree, stands the entire lineage of Saul, Ahab, Jezebel, and the Herods, along with many other instances recorded in sacred history.

The countenance of the mighty Lord stands opposed to those who commit wickedness, ensuring that their remembrance is eradicated from the earth.