Psalm 55 (54):21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They have tarnished His covenant. Consider the covenant they have desecrated: In your Seed shall all nations be blessed. What can you say in response to these words of the Covenant Maker? Only the Africa of St. Donatus has earned this grace, for the Church of Christ was preserved within him. We might refer to it as the Church of Donatus. Why do you insist on adding Christ? It is written, ‘In thy Seed shall all nations be blessed.’ Will you abandon Christ after Donatus? Dispense with Christ, and then you may fracture unity. Now observe the consequence: they have tarnished His covenant. What covenant? The promises were made to Abraham and to his Seed.

The Lord extended His hand for reward. He, the provider of all good gifts, reached out so that they could share in His blessings. However, they not only rejected this offer but also 'profaned the covenant,' meaning they disrespected the gospel covenant.

"Extend his hand for retribution." The three interpreters express it this way: "extended his hand against those who were at peace with him." Saul did not pursue an adversary, but instead targeted a friend, a beloved man. In the same manner, Judas did not betray a foe, but turned against the Redeemer and Benefactor. Hence, it is stated, "extended his hand for recompense," signifying that in seeking vengeance, he brought forth nothing of value, but was instead filled with treachery. This is further illustrated by the phrase, "They desecrated his covenant." When the divine law instructs us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39), they treated their benefactor as though he were an enemy.

God extended His hand for retribution. According to Didymus, God wielded His authority to deliver justice upon those responsible for Christ’s crucifixion among the Jews. Three commentators articulated it in this manner: He reached out to those who were in harmony with Him; thus, Saul was not attacking an adversary but rather a benevolent ally, one who was close and familiar. Similarly, Judas did not betray an opponent, but rather the Redeemer and Benefactor. Therefore, His reaching out for recompense signifies that, instead of bringing forth blessings, He delivered only that which was devoid of good and saturated with evil.

The phrases that may appear unclear in our translation are rendered with greater clarity in the Hebrew text, which states: He extended His hand against His faithful ones and desecrated His covenant; his mouth was more anointed than oil, yet there was conflict in his heart; his words were smoother than oil, but they were like arrows. Through these statements, He rebukes Saul, the primary architect of all wrong, indicating that he incited discord in the world and disrupted the peace and silence shared among brethren. Consequently, Saul is charged with betrayal; having been neither provoked nor offering a just cause for combat, he resorted to violence and weapons without justification.

This psalm, prompted by the Holy Spirit for David's authorship, was entrusted to Asaph, the leader of his choir, so that it might be sung with understanding by all. The strength of this psalm culminates in Christ, particularly in His sacred Passion. The entire world remains enveloped in darkness, every person is deceitful, yet the Lord came to redeem the first Adam. Let us earnestly pray for God to bestow upon us the Holy Spirit, that we may swiftly turn to Him, reverence Him, and silence the malevolent gust - the very sin that dwells within our bodies and souls. He renders this salvation unfathomable to those who perpetually yearn and strive to find Him.