Psalm 46 (45):1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Just as we refer to a meal as finished when it has been consumed, and a garment as complete when it is fully made, so too is Christ the culmination of our spiritual path. When we reach Him, we find that there is nowhere else to advance; He is indeed the destination of our journey. It should not be assumed that after coming to Him, we must further seek the Father. Philip expressed this desire when he asked, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." In his words, he sought fulfillment and wholeness. Jesus responded, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know Me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father," as recorded in John 14:8-9. Thus, in Christ, we encounter the Father; for He is in the Father, the Father is in Him, and together they are One.

Regarding the sons of Korah, this hymn is directed to the children of Korah, whom the Holy Spirit does not separate, for they spoke their prophetic revelations in unity and harmony, with none prophesying in isolation. Each received an equal measure of prophetic insight due to their mutual commitment to goodness. However, the hymn addresses mysteries that are ineffable, concealed matters that require contemplation. Upon careful examination of the hymn's phrases, we discern their profound significance, recognizing that not all can perceive the Divine secrets, but only those who can attune their hearts as a finely tuned instrument of promise, allowing their souls to resonate through the movement of the Holy Spirit working within them.

Deep within our hearts, we cherish the secrets of wisdom, yet we do not readily disclose them to everyone, sharing them only with those who partake in the sacraments, those whom the Lord has called to His grace. He desires to be known in secret, for He alone comprehends the hidden and concealed matters. The Lord Jesus specifically chose Moses, without Joshua, to ascend the mountain to receive the law; similarly, in the Gospel, only Peter, John, and James witnessed the glory of His resurrection among all the disciples. He intended what He concealed to remain a mystery, frequently instructing His disciples to guard what they had seen, lest the weaker be led astray, as due to uncertainty, they may not grasp the strength of the mysteries. When Peter suggested making three tabernacles for the Lord and His servants, he did not understand the weight of his words. He could not withstand the brilliance of the glorified Lord and fell to the ground; the sons of Thunder, James and John, also collapsed. They found themselves enveloped in clouds and could only rise when Jesus came to them, touched them, and commanded them to stand and not be afraid. They ventured into the cloud to understand the hidden and concealed truths, there hearing God's voice: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him (Matthew 17:5). What does the phrase, This is My beloved Son, imply? It means: ‘Do not err, Simon, by equating the Son of God with servants. He is My Son; neither Moses nor Elijah can be called sons, despite one having parted the sea and the other having shut the heavens. Both triumphed over the elements through the Word of the Lord; yet they fulfilled a service, while Christ alone commanded the waters, restrained the heavens, and chose to release the rains. In matters requiring the testimony of resurrection, the service of ministers joins in; where the glory of the risen Lord shines, the brilliance of the servants is overshadowed. The rising sun conceals the light of the stars above, and all their brightness diminishes under the rays of the earthly sun. With the eternal Sun of righteousness shining and His divine luminescence, how could the earthly stars be visible? Where are those lights that once shone wondrously before your eyes? Compared to the eternal Light, they are merely darkness. Some rush to please God through their deeds, but He is the only true and eternal Light, in whom the Father is well pleased and in whom I have found favor, allowing each of His deeds to be counted as mine and all my works to be rightly viewed as those of the Son. He speaks: I and the Father are one (John 10:30). He did not assert: ‘I and Moses are one,’ nor did He attribute Elijah’s role as an addition to His divine glory. Why do you desire to prepare three tabernacles? His dwelling is not here on earth but above in heaven.’ The apostles, hearing Him, fell prostrate in fear. The Lord approached, lifted them up, and instructed them not to disclose what they had witnessed. He is to whom you can confide your secrets, as David entrusted to Him! David said, Cleanse me from my secrets, O Lord (Psalm 18:13). The sanctuaries where the mysteries of godliness are preserved must be pure. Thus, the Scripture instructs: Drink water from your vessels and from the springs of your wells. Let your waters flow freely in the streets (Proverbs 5:15-16), that you may be refreshed in a pure spring. Therefore it is said: Your barns shall overflow with wine (Proverbs 3:10). And it is also stated: In distress you called upon Me, and I delivered you. I responded to you in the secret of the storm, in the waters of contention I tested you (Psalm 80:8). In times of tribulation, an inner tempest assails the heart, with external trials and internal anxieties (2 Cor. 7:5). The waters of contention arise when our thoughts surge like the sea’s waves, unceasing in the depths of our souls, leading to a storm in the secret recesses of the heart, where contention lies, and can only be calmed by the Word of Christ, through which He delivers us from sin, as He graciously declared: You have already been cleansed through the word which I preached to you (John 15:3). Proclaim, Lord Jesus, Your word! Your word is the balm; Your word is the illumination; Your word is the purification of our filth; Your word is the Source. You speak, and sin is cleansed. Through His Word, He brings forth from the mystery of the storm and the waters of contention, and the Word of God became everything for us: He took on flesh to save the flesh, He became water to cool the waters of contention through His grace and to dispel the bitterness of disbelief. Thus it is written: The word in the heart of man is like deep water (Proverbs 20:5); in some texts it reads ‘word,’ in others ‘counsel,’ for where good counsel exists, so does the good Word of God. Therefore, the law warns: ‘Take heed to yourselves, lest an evil word enter your heart’ (Deut. 15:9), and Jesus will ask, ‘Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?’ (Matthew 9:4). God sent His Word to heal humanity, not to condemn; this Word is a remedy, not a penalty. Let this Word be in your heart and mouth (Rom. 10:8), let this Word reside in the secret place where the devil lies in wait; let the Word enter and the devil depart. If the devil has crept in, Christ departs, just as He abandoned Judas when the devil infiltrated the heart of the betrayer. Thus, you will say, Cleanse me of my hidden sins, O Lord (Psalm 18:13), so that the devil may not lurk in the secret corners of my heart like a lion in his den (Psalm 9:30). If you faithfully uphold the mysteries of Christ, you will withstand the snares of the evil one. Therefore, in Psalm 9, David speaks of the concealed mysteries of Christ: the repentance of sinners, the calling of the Gentiles, the kingdom of God, the preparation of the heart, the judgment of the destitute, the solace offered to the suffering. David emphasizes that you must first drive the adversary from your heart's sacred treasury, lest he hide in the shadows, seeking to harm the innocent. For this reason it is said: Go into your room, and having shut the door, pray to your Father in secret (Matthew 6:6). Let your prayers ascend to Him, for He who knows the secrets will hear. There He will perceive your endurance: how you conceal transgressions or refrain from boasting, for the wise conceals his offense. Wisdom provides a cover: He has made darkness His hiding place (Psalm 17:12). The wicked will seek me and will not find me (Proverbs 1:28). Abraham excavated wells to uncover the water that sustained him; Isaac dug wells, too. Therefore, the Lord Jesus sat by the well - Jacob's spring; He paused there that you might seek Him. There lies a fountain for you – that is Christ. He is the source from which water flows generously to those who pursue it; in this fountain, all sinful or disgraceful things are cleansed; this fountain soothes the desires of the flesh. Such is the depth of God’s wisdom and knowledge (Rom. 11:33), which remains hidden from the wicked, yet the righteous diligently seek it, striving to attain it and immersing themselves in contemplation. Do you wish to grasp the truth of this? Listen to the counsel of Wisdom herself: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (Luke 11:9). Knock on the door, for Christ is the door! Knock at the threshold of the Word, that the mystery of Christ may be unveiled to you and that you may discover the hidden treasures of wisdom in Him! In Him, our wisdom is concealed; in Him, our life is hidden, as Paul assured, having been taken to the third heaven and hearing things beyond what can be uttered to man (2 Corinthians 12:4). How profound is the understanding of the mystical! Man is permitted to know yet forbidden to speak. To know is life; to speak is death! We understand that the aim of hidden truths - what the Greeks refer to as σκοπός - is the peak, so that those unworthy may not grasp the doctrine of wisdom. However, one who genuinely seeks to comprehend divine mysteries, through feats of life and faith, despite facing challenges, yet through persistent effort, will reap the rewards and attain the desired fruition. Let us, therefore, meticulously delve into the ninth and forty-fifth Psalms so that we may grasp with a believing heart the wisdom of God, the secret and hidden wisdom (1 Cor. 2:7), as only these two Psalms are prefaced by the inscription of mysteries (Ps. 45:1; Ps. 9:1). But let us now advance to the psalm.

Nevertheless, the inscription can be understood as it stands if we interpret the preposition υπερ as δια, meaning by the descendants of Korah; since this psalm was crafted by David and performed by the descendants of Korah. The phrase ‘of mysteries’ corresponds to the concealed matters of many, indicating that the thoughts within this psalm are profound and enigmatic. This psalm speaks on behalf of the apostles and martyrs.

At that time, all Jewish cities had already fallen to the enemy, who derisively called for the surrender of Jerusalem. In that moment, God proclaimed: "I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David; the enemy shall not enter this city, nor shoot an arrow here, nor come against it with a shield, nor lay siege to it" (Is. 37:33, 35); and indeed, the enemy could not penetrate the city, nor shoot an arrow at it, nor approach it with a shield, nor construct a siege ramp (Is. 37:33, 35). The angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrians in a single night, rescuing the city and decisively ending the vast Assyrian empire’s threat.