The Lord of armies is with us: the God of Jacob is our protector.
יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֣וֹת עִמָּ֑נוּ מִשְׂגָּֽב־לָ֝נוּ אֱלֹהֵ֖י יַעֲקֹ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 9 commentaries
This God, who is mighty and exalted in every place, is continually present with us. Therefore, do not fear or be disturbed, for we have a Lord who is unconquerable, to whom all honor and glory belong, alongside the Father who is everlasting, and His Spirit who grants life, now and forever, throughout all ages. Amen.
The redemption of the Jewish people After this clarification, has He abandoned the Jewish nation, of whom the apostle stated, I say unto you, lest you should become complacent,-that a partial hardening has occurred in Israel until the full number of the Gentiles enters (Rom. 11:25)? This means, until the mountains shake, until the rain falls from the clouds, until the Lord shatters kingdoms with His voice, until the fullness of the nations is brought in. And what follows? - And so all of Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26). Thus, the same sequence is maintained here: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted upon the earth, and then all will declare, The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our Defender.
Miracles occur among the nations, and the faith of the Gentiles is strengthened; the tools of human pride are extinguished. Yet, they acknowledge God as the source of all their blessings, finding peace within their hearts. After this exaltation, does He abandon the Jewish people? The apostle warns, I say unto you, lest you be wise in your own conceit: this partial blindness has come upon Israel, until the complete number of the Gentiles is gathered in. (Rom. 11:25) This means until the mountains are shifted here, the clouds release rain here, and the Lord shakes kingdoms with His might, until the fullness of the Gentiles enters. And what follows? So, all Israel shall be saved.
Thus, maintaining the same order, He declares, I will be exalted among the Gentiles, I will be exalted on the earth; that is, both in the sea and upon the land, so that now everyone may proclaim: The God of Jacob is our protector.
Filled with joy at the Lord's assistance, the prophet exclaimed twice the same declaration: The Lord of Hosts is with us, striking at our foes with unwavering trust in the Redeemer of our souls, assured that through His support, we shall not suffer loss. For if God is for us, who can stand against us (Rom. 8:31)? He who granted triumph to Jacob and named him Israel after the contest—this is our Defender; He fights on our behalf. Therefore, let us remain still, for He is our peace, who has united both... that we may be constructed... into one new creation (Eph. 2:14-15).
The psalm echoes once more: The Lord of power is with us, our defender is the God of Jacob (Psalm 45:12). This repetition serves as a confirmation. Not only did He become Emmanuel when He was born of the Virgin, but after His resurrection, He declared: Behold I am with you to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). To Him belongs honor and glory, now and forever, throughout all ages. Amen.
Recognizing this power of mine and witnessing the abrupt transformation of circumstances, the tranquility that followed the great tempest, the end of contention, and the gift of peace stemming from these events, know, O mankind, that I am the God of all and the Seer of all things, who has revealed the extent of His might, not just to the Jews, but to all peoples. Upon hearing these declarations, the apostles proclaimed triumphantly to their adversaries, “The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our Advocate.” Therefore, those who have interpreted the psalm concerning Gog, or have claimed it pertains to Ahaz, should consider whether the phrase “Taking away the strife to the end of the earth” applies to those occurrences.
In those times, God did not cease all conflicts; rather, under Gog and Magog, only Palestine experienced peace, and under Ahaz, only the tribe of Judah found respite, as Phakeus, son of Romelin, faced assaults from the Assyrians. However, under the Lordship of Christ, this prophecy was fulfilled. Initially, the minor realms and subordinate kingdoms were diminished, resulting in a lack of even brief tranquility while every city remained armed, fearing unexpected invasions. Yet, during our Savior Christ’s time, the dominion of Rome dismantled these feudal kingdoms, making way for all to hear the preachers. Undeterred, like in a unified kingdom, they spread the message of salvation widely. Thus, the words were literally realized: when the strife is removed to the ends of the earth, the bow shall be shattered, the weapons shall be broken, and the shields shall be consumed by fire. Should anyone prefer a figurative interpretation, let them observe the cessation of the conflicts against the Church and the divine peace bestowed upon humanity, and they will come to recognize the truth of the prophecy.
Once more, he echoes the uplifting proclamation previously voiced by the Church, which serves to bolster courage and nobility, as though she is already forging ahead and conquering both her tangible and intangible foes.
In this passage, it appears that the emphasis is particularly directed toward the adversaries of God’s people. To strengthen the message, God Himself is introduced as speaking, first instructing them to either present themselves or to cease their audacious attempts, and then to recognize His true nature. When individuals engage in pointless struggles against everything, humility is absent. Therefore, the Prophet rightly calls for humility from the enemies of the Church, so that when they subdue their rage and control their anger, they may realize that their conflict is not merely with humans but with the Almighty.
A similar warning is found in Psalm 4:5, which states, "Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent." Essentially, the message conveys that those opposing God's people should subdue their tumultuous emotions, submit to the God of Israel, and give Him the honor He deserves. Should they persist in their fury, they must understand that God's might is not limited to the region of Judea and that He can extend His power beyond boundaries to exalt Himself everywhere. The affirmation at the conclusion reiterates that God possesses ample weapons and resources to safeguard His Church.
Ultimately, it is through Christ that humanity is guided towards the perfection of the blessed existence. This psalm, authored by David, was entrusted to the sons of Korah, the musicians, to proclaim: the hidden acts of the Divine, specifically the Incarnation, Baptism, Passion, and Resurrection of Christ our Savior, which are prophetically expressed in this psalm, may be revealed in a magnificent way.
THEOSIS