Psalm 53 (52):7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Oh, how foolish you are to mock, insult, strike, spit upon, and adorn with thorns; who do you do this to? Who will bring salvation to Israel from Zion? Is it not the very one you have declared is ‘not God’? For it is in that God who has rejected the bondage of His people. Truly, no one can liberate His people from their chains except He who chose to be bound in your grasp. But who among you will comprehend this? Jacob will find joy, and Israel will exult. Israel; the genuine Jacob and authentic Israel, the younger sibling whom the elder served, as stated in Genesis 25:23, shall rejoice because they will come to understand.

Who will bring salvation to Israel from Zion? The prophet assures us that He who has granted us this joy will also provide deliverance for those who have been held captive; the ten tribes are already in bondage and many Jewish cities have been seized. When God restores His people from captivity, Jacob will be filled with joy, and Israel will rejoice. Our complete happiness will be realized when we witness the return of other captives to their homeland. This teaches us, in line with the apostolic directive, to weep alongside the sorrowful, celebrate with those who rejoice, and to live wisely in community (Romans 12:15), recognizing that the well-being of our neighbor is intertwined with our own joy.

The meaning of these phrases is located in Psalm 13 (Psalm 13:7). The verses from this Psalm, stating When God shall return, are understood as When the Lord shall return.

Refer to Psalm 13, which bears a notable resemblance. In St.6 with Hebrews: "For God hath scattered the bones of them that taxed thee; thou shalt put them to shame, because God hath rejected them."

Maeleph, a mourning instrument, is named during the time when this psalm was sung by the prophet, expressing sorrow over the reckless arrogance and stubbornness of the wicked who do not recognize God, their Creator (Gal. Ch. 4). However, God granted David the understanding to comprehend the mystery of the Incarnation of Christ the Lord, ultimately revealed at the conclusion of summer for the redemption of humanity (Theodoret).