Psalm 36 (35):10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The psalm celebrates the Holy Spirit, proclaiming: "Thou hast the fountain of life; in thy light we see light" (Psalm 36:10), which signifies that through the Son, we behold the Holy Spirit; it is the illumination that enlightens us and continues to enlighten our hearts. The Father is light as the true God; the Son embodies light as the reflection of that divine light; the Holy Spirit is light, emanating from the Father: "no man knoweth the things of God, but the Spirit in Him" (1 Cor. 2:11). The Holy Spirit represents the genuine light, which is seen and understood in the true light. Therefore, beloved, let our faith remain steadfast and our understanding of the Trinity be unified! Blessed Solomon reminds us that "a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

The dual nature of Christ reveals that He is both fully divine and fully human. He prays as a man, yet as God, He provides the very things for which He prays. It is essential to recognize that all actions point back to the will of the Father, for the Father is not derived from Him; rather, He is derived from the Father. Christ bestows everything back to the source from which He originated. He is also the source of life, having been begotten by the Father. Thus, while the Father gives rise to the Son, both the Father and the Son are united, sharing the same divine essence. The begotten God and the begetting God are one in their divinity, manifesting the Son who is born of the Father.

Christ embodies the Radiance of the Father. Through Christ, the Father's Radiance, we will perceive the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

The Psalm foretells the arrival of the Lord Savior, who came to the world and declared, ‘I and the Father are one’ (Jn 10:30). This signifies that He and the Father share the same divine light and name, and through their unity of light and name, they are one in essence. Although the Trinity exists in unity of essence, it consists of three distinct Persons. The term Trinity reflects the distinction among the Persons, while unity denotes sovereign authority. The phrase "For Thou hast the fountain of life" can be ascribed to the Father, indicating that life flows from Him; this life was and eternally is the Word, which existed with God (Jn 1:1). Through Him and within Him, all things came into being; He is the source of life for all, and He has made You known to us so our hearts may be illuminated with the understanding of Your greatness.

The bishops, recognizing the deceit of the Arians, gathered from Scripture terms such as radiance, spring, river, and image of the hypostasis. They referred to phrases like in Thy light we shall see light and I and the Father are one (John 10:30). Ultimately, they articulated succinctly and clearly that the Son shares the same substance as the Father, as all of this conveys that very essence.

For You are the Fountain of life. In these statements, the prophet conveys this - You are the giver of life. The Lord Christ proclaimed, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’ (John 14:6). Being God, He embodies the Source of life within Himself, unlike the saints who revived the deceased, who received it from an external source. Alternatively, He reveals that You - the Father - possess a Life-giver - the Son, saying: I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me (John 14:10). He is indeed the Source of Life, as Jeremiah proclaims, They have forsaken Me, the fountain of the water of life (Jer. 2:13), as Theodoret elucidates. In Your light, we will recognize the light.

David proclaims, "In Thy light we shall see light" (Psalm 35:10). What does this light mean for humanity’s perception of light? It is the illumination that our Lord Jesus Christ refers to in the Scriptures, signifying that a person's entirety should be filled with light, leaving no shadow within (Luke 11:36). The Lord further states, "No one knows the Father but the Son, and to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him" (Matt. 11:27). The Son reveals the Father not to those in darkness but to those who dwell in light, who are considered children of light, and whose understanding has been enlightened by the knowledge of His commandments.

It is a common notion among humans that "light" is distinct from a "Source," often viewing them as oppositional, much like how a water source can extinguish a fiery flame. However, in God, they are unified; regardless of the term we choose, it will convey a truthful essence, yet even that falls short of completeness. We refer to God as "light" because He illuminates every individual that enters the world (Jn 1:9). We also identify Him as a "Source" because He provides for the needy and the poor. In all of this, it is the Lord Christ who is at the forefront. To truly comprehend this verse with accuracy and integrity, we must recognize that it reflects the collective essence of the light of the entire Trinity. The verse rightly conveys regarding the Savior: in Thy light we shall see light, referring to the Father and the Holy Spirit, for through His prophetic word, the fullness of the Trinity has revealed itself to us.

He explains why the blessed possess such a wealth of wisdom and understanding, illustrating that God is the singular Source of life, which is inseparable from the Source of wisdom. Notably, he does not refer to the Source as wisdom, despite it seeming appropriate, but rather as life. This distinction emphasizes that eternal life, which is promised to the righteous and sought by all as the ultimate good, is attained through this supreme wisdom, as stated in the Lord’s words, "This is eternal life, that they may know thee the only true God" (John 17:3). Thus, since God serves as the Source of wisdom, He is also the Source of life; wisdom constitutes life for the wise. Furthermore, as He is the Source of life, He is also the Source of existence; for existence denotes life for those who live.

I am united with You as the source of all life. Blessed Theodoret and others interpret this as reflecting the mystery of the Holy Trinity: The Father God Himself is the wellspring of life, which refers to the Son of God (Jer. 2:13). It is in Your radiance that we perceive true light; it is only through the illumination of the Holy Spirit that we are able to perceive the brilliance of Your only-begotten Son (1 Cor. 12:3, 1 Cor. 2:10). Moreover, within Your light, which is found in Your Son Christ, we come to acknowledge You as the Father of Lights and gain understanding of the light revealed through the teachings of the Gospel, all under the guiding influence of the Holy Spirit.

The source of all life is Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, who declared: ‘The water that I will give shall be in him a spring of water springing up into everlasting life. And again, ‘He that believeth in Me, out of his belly shall flow living waters’ (John 4). Illuminated by divine glory, the righteous will behold the light of the Triune Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the One true God.