Psalm 56 (55):8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He has instructed us to offer prayers even for those who may live in ways we find deplorable. Regardless of their actions or the deceit they embody, do you not call upon God for their transformation? Do not lose hope; focus on the One to whom you pray, rather than the one you pray for. Consider the severity of their condition and the might of the Healer. They may conceal themselves, as I have experienced in my own soul. Let us come together in prayer, and what will be the outcome? For by Your power, Lord, You can save them, not because of their worthiness but to demonstrate Your mercy. Though they may despair in humanity, You heal with but a word; You need not struggle to bring about healing, though it perplexes us to witness such grace.

All that those who pursue me have inflicted upon me has been in vain. Yet, Lord, my trust is in you; rescue me from their injustice and bring them low through your anger.

I will withhold nothing from you. The prophet declares that it is not a challenge for You to vanquish them, to subdue them, and to eliminate them. He expressed it as ‘But of nothing’ in place of ‘not difficult, easy.’ O God, You will bring nations to their knees in anger. For You will not only chastise them, but also all those who seek to live in disobedience.

You will not withhold anything from me, nor will you cause men to fall through your anger. As it is said, my adversaries sought my life, which conveys their intent to ensnare me in their traps; likewise, O Lord, you will vanquish them, ensuring they can inflict no harm upon me. Here, the preposition denotes being over rather than against: for nothing, as stated by Theodoret, you will effortlessly and effectively reduce them to nonexistence; ultimately, you will swiftly humble and completely annihilate the multitude of nations.

In this passage, he prophesies the ruin of his adversaries, entrusting the judgment to God, the just judge, who compensates everyone based on their actions and assesses how individuals treat their neighbors. It is as if he were expressing, “As they covertly sought my life, intent on my demise, so You, O God, will withhold nothing from me; that is, You will not extend mercy to them, but in Your anger will cast me into the pit of eternal destruction.” This was certainly realized in the fate of David’s foes, who perished alongside Saul on the mountains of Gilboa, as recounted in the first book of Kings, chapter 31. It was similarly enacted upon Christ’s detractors, who faced destruction by the Romans during the fall of Jerusalem.

In order to fulfill the law, which finds its completion in Christ, and to exalt His divine magnificence, this psalm is to be sung. It speaks to those who have experienced exile from Saul and David, or those who faced captivity in Babylon; it resonates with those who feel distant from the sacred sites of Jerusalem, and also with those who are separated from the heavenly Jerusalem in this earthly existence. The profound message of this psalm, inspired by the Holy Spirit through David, deserves to be inscribed upon a pillar or etched upon the heart for everlasting remembrance, reflecting the unfathomable compassion of God towards humanity.