So will I sing a psalm to thy name for ever and ever: that I may pay my vows from day to day.
כֵּ֤ן אֲזַמְּרָ֣ה שִׁמְךָ֣ לָעַ֑ד לְֽשַׁלְּמִ֥י נְ֝דָרַ֗י י֣וֹם ׀ יֽוֹם׃
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
If you create melodies in the service of God, consider taking a pause. Will you perform endlessly? Are you prepared to offer your music eternally? Devote yourself to Him continuously, day by day. What does it signify to honor your commitments to Him daily? From now until that final day. Persist in offering your pledges from this moment to that ultimate day, for it is written: "he that continueth even unto the end shall be saved." (Matthew 24:13)
I will forever sing to Your name. When I say this, what do I mean? Is it not that I will sing in Your presence in the age to come? For in that time, having experienced this blessed communion, I will joyfully proclaim hymns without end. Thus, by offering praise, humanity will continually offer prayers to the Lord in the time to come. The faithful daily engage in the sacred mysteries without interruption.
I will continually sing praises to You, I will seek Your blessings every day, and I will remain steadfast in my commitments. For the Prophet refers to vows in his prayers.
As I now, he states, shake the psalter and exalt Your name, O Lord, so will I forever offer praise to You, that I may fulfill my commitments from day to day, or in the passage of time; for David repeatedly vowed in the earlier psalms to sing to God perpetually. In the words of Athanasius: Thus will I sing. How will this be accomplished? By being transformed into eternity before You in the age to come. Only then, when I am adorned with the blessedness of this position, will I ceaselessly lift my voice in song.
In this passage, he conveys with straightforward terms what he previously articulated with more complex expressions: I will reside in the community forever. In a similar way, he asserts that living under God's protection guarantees his safety and security. Clearly, these words also reflect the providential care of God, highlighting His paternal concern for His servants. Indeed, in the face of numerous threats that surround us at every turn, we could not endure even a moment without God's vigilant guardianship. Thus, it is apparent that true stability in the blessed life comes from the assurance that it is guided from above.
This leads to another request: ‘Thou prepare mercy and truth, that they may preserve him.’ These phrases can be understood in two ways: since mercy and truth are foundational to realms, some believe it is fitting for David to seek the gifts of compassion, humility, and righteousness that would establish him in his reign. Others contend that David implores God to uphold him as ruler through His mercy and truth, implying that the sustainability of his kingdom relies solely on divine grace and fidelity. The term prepare clearly indicates that God has readied the resources necessary to protect His servants. According to the Septuagint's translation, the essence of these words reveals that God's mercy toward humanity and the truthfulness with which He honors His promises are unfathomable, vast beyond comprehension, surpassing all understanding and reason. Ultimately, he resolves to continually engage in songs of praise to honor the most sacred name of God, crafted to fulfill his commitments. It is noteworthy that there exists a beautiful symmetry between the two aspects of his praise. For David resorted to God’s assistance in the face of danger just as he expressed gratitude upon his deliverance. Thus, he proclaims, I will sing unto Thy name forever, to fulfill my vows day by day.
Ultimately, in Christ, through song, uplifted and honored from the depths of our hearts and voices for all eternity, this psalm, inspired by the Holy Spirit and composed by David, can be sung until the end of time. In it, the prophet beseeches God amid his suffering and expresses gratitude for His salvation. This prayer resonates with the Jewish people during their Babylonian exile and, more notably, with the faithful, or the Church of Christ, facing various trials, yearning for the heavenly homeland and the eternal peace of those who mourn (Theodoret). The conclusion of such a prayer must stem from a sincere intention and a pure desire for a virtuous life, as it is written: whether you eat, drink, or do anything else, do it all for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31) (Basil the Great). The stone—Mount Golgotha—bears witness to where Christ was raised upon the cross, redeeming fallen Adam.
THEOSIS