Psalm 41 (40):8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He would have understood the lament: "You, O man of one accord, my companion and my friend, with whom I shared sweet fellowship, as we went to the house of God together" (Psalm 54:14-15). Judas failed to comprehend this psalm, nor did he understand Psalm 108 or any other passages of the Scripture. The evangelist John accurately describes his actions and those of other unbelievers: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us" (1 John 2:19). The traitor separated himself from the apostles, whispering to those who sought to betray his Master. This departure illustrates that treachery is powerless; it fears exposure. The faithful are urged to "Lift up your voice with strength!" (Isaiah 58:1). How tragic that Judas, chosen to proclaim the faith to the Gentiles and vested with the authority of a herald, would shy away from being heard when he conspired against the One who gave him life, sanctification, and the glory of apostleship. Did he not bring about his own condemnation? He felt shame in being overheard yet was unafraid to act treacherously. His shame stemmed from plotting against the Creator and failing to reciprocate grace with gratitude, instead returning evil for good—a betrayal that even men of this world would denounce. Judas felt guilty about being ungrateful, about allowing greed to dictate his actions, and about selling out the One who was his salvation for monetary gain. He was ashamed of his treachery and his unfaithfulness.

Similarly, the treacherous Jews sought false witnesses against the Teacher of the faith, employing bribery to malign His message, especially when He proclaimed that the temple built by Solomon would be destroyed, though He spoke of the temple of His body: "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days" (John 2:19). These Jews were lacking in the understanding of divine revelation, turning a lawful word into a wrongful accusation against Him (Psalm 40:9). They acted unlawfully, trading the blood of the innocent for silver. Judas, in his greed, sold this precious blood to the Jews, who willingly chose to be complicit in this grave sin. What foolish individuals! Will He who neither slumbers nor sleeps rise again? In considering this further, we see that according to the natural order, all earthly creatures—animals, birds, and fish—are born and die. Yet for humanity, whom God fashioned as the pinnacle of creation, He bestowed the extraordinary grace of resurrection. This resurrection signifies renewal for a higher existence.

When the Lord informed King Hezekiah through Isaiah that his time on earth was ending and instructed him to set his house in order, Hezekiah earnestly prayed and wept. In mercy, the Lord granted him: "Behold, I add fifteen years to your days" (Isaiah 38:5). Additionally, St. David declares: "Add days to the days of the king" (Psalm 60:7). An addition is available to man, but nothing can be added to God, for "It is impossible to diminish or increase in Him in whom all things are complete and perfect" (Sir. 18:5). Even though Christ was resurrected, He rose with what He received; in His divine fullness, nothing could be added or taken away, for God is both incorporeal and immortal. The supreme nature of God, overflowing with virtue, cannot be enhanced by fleshly addition. In Christ, there exists the flesh of redemption, which He embraced out of compassion and in accordance with the law of love, to liberate it from captivity, cleanse the impure, and raise the dead. The poignant question remains: "Will He who sleeps not add that He may rise again?" (Psalm 40:9). He will not increase to rise; rather, He is not added to, since the Son of God Himself resurrected as reported, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days" (John 2:19). The flesh He took from humanity and the Virgin did experience addition. However, as God, He executed this addition by His own authority, embodying the Creator of His own resurrection. When one reads that the Father raised the Son and the Son raised Himself, it must be recognized that this action reflects divine power, for the Father and the Son share one essence and act in unity, as the nature of the Trinity is fundamentally one.

This echoes the Gospel declaration: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 12:19); and, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of sinners; they will put Him to death, and on the third day He will rise again” (Matthew 20:18-19). Thus, He rightly referred to death as a sleep.

They believed that God had completely turned away from David, denying him mercy due to the severity of his trials. Their words reflected a bleak assessment of his situation, proclaiming, “He will not be able to rise up.” It is a profound trial when an individual with a clear conscience, who acknowledges no wrongdoing, faces condemnation from others to the extent of being equated with the worst sinners. However, it was within God's plan to test His servant, enabling him to remain steadfast with a good conscience in the face of unjust judgments. Through David's experience, we are reminded that true justice and reward should be sought in the heavenly realm, rather than on earth, where both virtues and vices are often evaluated by flawed standards.