Psalm 52 (51):9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In his heart, he questions, "Does he speak of me?" Do not depart momentarily from this reflection; do not isolate yourself unless you recognize the weight of your thoughts. What benefit is there in being destitute while consumed by greed? When our Lord Jesus Christ spoke to the sorrowful rich man who turned away from Him, saying, "Go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come follow Me" (Matt. 19:21), He forewarned of the despair awaiting the rich, stating, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 19:24). Were not the disciples struck with sorrow, pondering who could possibly be saved? Their questions of “Who then can be saved?” did they only consider a handful of wealthy individuals while neglecting the multitude of poor? How could they not reflect, recognizing that if it’s challenging for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven—impossible, as it is likened to a camel passing through a needle’s eye—then surely all the poor would gain entry? Will the wealthy be the only ones excluded? There are relatively few rich, yet countless are the poor. It is not upon outward appearances that we will be judged in the heavenly realm; instead, the garments of righteousness, which each person wears, shall shine. Hence, the poor shall be as equal to the angels of God, dressed in immortal robes, radiating like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Why then should we concern ourselves or lament over a small number of rich individuals? The apostles did not contemplate in that way. When the Lord mentioned this difficulty, He referred to the desires rather than the means, for they recognized that even the poor, though lacking in wealth, could harbor selfish ambition. It is crucial to understand that it is not wealth itself that is condemned but rather the greed accompanying it. Consider this: you may see a rich man near you, possibly possessing wealth but lacking greed; it is not the money that corrupts you, but the greed that resides within you. The poor man, covered in wounds, forsaken by all and even licked by dogs, lacking both aid and sustenance, found his way to Abraham’s bosom through the angels (Luke 16:22). O poor man, do you now rejoice in your state, or do your afflictions bring you sorrow? Is your hope not firm? There is no virtue in poverty in the case of Lazarus but rather in his godliness. For you see where he was born, but not where he was nurtured. Who was born of the angels? A poor man, besieged by sufferings. To what place was he born? To the embrace of Abraham. Consult the Scriptures, and you will learn that Abraham was a rich man (Gen. 13:2). Therefore, understand that it is not wealth that is vilified; Abraham possessed great riches—gold, silver, livestock—and in his care lay Lazarus, a poor man. In the embrace of the affluent man lies the impoverished one: is it not nobler for both to be rich in the eyes of God while poor in greed? This is why the man who placed his hope in an abundance of wealth is condemned, as he was ensnared by vanity. What could be more vain than one who esteems a coin above God? Hence, O condemned man, who remarks, "Blessed is the people for whom this is," you who proclaim, "Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord," what do you think of yourself? What do you aspire for, and to what end?

‘And they shall laugh and say’—in a spirit of spiritual joy for their safety and well-being under God’s protection, they will encourage one another with the realization: this is the destiny of the individual who does not place his trust in God. ‘Behold, a man that putteth not God as his helper.’ The fear of God and reliance on Him are defining traits of the righteous, while the neglect of God and estrangement from Him in thought and heart characterize the heedless and those caught up in worldly desires. They fail to recognize that the Lord governs all creation and that true security is only found in those He safeguards; His support is the only steadfast help available in life's trials. In contrast, since no one can exist without some form of support, many place their trust in what is readily available: they rely on wealth or the affluent, on physical strength, or on other temporal matters. Such supports are fragile and ephemeral, much like falling leaves. ‘But trusteth in the multitude of his riches.’ Doicus may have been wealthy, or, by not aligning himself with Saul, he could have perceived himself as prosperous due to his resources. ‘And he might by his vanity’—he may have erroneously envisioned himself as strong out of arrogance, leaning on his proximity to Saul and the influence of his flattering, deceitful words. The pursuit of wealth, power, and the favor of the mighty are illusions, fraught with trepidation. In contrast, those who dedicate themselves to God and place their trust in Him will find true blessing in their hope.

Particularly, this individual not only harms bodies with his accusations but also leads souls astray into false and wicked beliefs with his flattering speech. Thus, one scripture states: ‘Sons of men! Their teeth are weapons and arrows, and their tongue is a sharp sword’ (Psalm 56:5). Such deceivers should be guarded against more than those who inflict external calamities. Among them is Doicus, who deceived the priests of God with his fabrications and slander. The divine judgment that awaits such a person is articulated in this Psalm, directed to the one strong in malice: ‘For this cause God will destroy thee to the uttermost.’ Because you have embraced wickedness, the Almighty Judge, God Himself, will first strike you down in your arrogance and pride, humbling you so that you no longer boast of your evil. Then, ‘He will pluck thee up, and move thee out of thy village, and remove thy root from the land of the living.’ According to Symmachus, he says that God shall strike you, scrape you out of your dwelling, and eternally uproot you from the land of the living; so that when the righteous behold this, they may be horrified and laugh at him, saying, ‘Behold a man that hath not put his strength in God, but hath put his trust in his riches, and is strengthened in his wickedness.’ This speaks of Doicus, who, though of Syrian descent, resided among Israel and perhaps came to the holy city in the throngs, participating hypocritically in God’s service. Yet this truth extends to anyone who is strong in malice, inflicting destruction on souls with his tongue like a sword; he, like a bitter and harmful root, shall be uprooted by the Master of souls, even if it seems he briefly flourishes in God’s village and within His Church. Such a person, stripped of honor and banished far from the dwelling of the saints, will present a pitiful sight for the benefit and growth of onlookers, who, witnessing the decisive judgment of God upon him, will fear and take heed, lest they also fall into similar fates. Therefore, as they recall the former boastful rage of the strong one, his pride and arrogance, and then witness his subsequent humiliation and demise, they will laugh at him, reflecting on the great height from which he fell into such ruin, and they will accept God’s judgment as just. They will also contemplate the reasons for the wicked man's suffering, thereby vindicating God’s judgment. Indeed, one ought not to take pride in riches or be deceived by the vainglory of this life, relying solely on God as one’s hope and assistance, firmly established in that hope. Instead, he turned away from this noble hope of salvation, placing his trust in the emptiness of wealth, deserving nothing but scorn for its folly and absurd boasting.