Psalm 66 (65):17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He declares that this very act is performed upon his spirit; calling upon Him with his mouth is executed, he states, in relation to his soul. Observe, dear brothers, that we were among the Gentiles, not by nature but through our lineage. What does the apostle convey? Remember that when you were Gentiles, you were led to mute idols, following their ways. (1 Cor. 12:2) Let the Church proclaim now how much He has accomplished for my spirit. With my mouth, I have cried out to Him. As a man, I have called upon the stone, I have appealed to the lifeless idol, having said to the deaf and mute images, now the likeness of God has returned to its Creator. I proclaimed to the tree, "You are my father," and to the rock, "You have given me life." (Jer.

Symmachus rendered it in this way: I cried out to Him with my voice, and at once my tongue was raised. For the moment I made my supplication, I obtained my request, and in my joy, I turned my tongue to a hymn of gratitude.

The speaker expresses, "I called out to God with my voice, seeking His intervention and support." It is important to note that the term "under" replaces "upon"; this implies that I raised my voice from within. The subsequent phrase can be interpreted as follows: "under his tongue is toil and affliction" (Psalms 9:28), rather than "on his tongue"; similarly, "the venom of the serpent is under their lips" (Psalms 139:3) signifies "on their lips," along with other passages of a similar nature. Chrysostom explains that when I mention crying out to Him, I refer to a deep, passionate cry that arises from a fervent heart. Just as one who shouts expends all their strength, similarly, a heartfelt cry encompasses the whole mind and spirit. It is essential to direct this cry toward Him.

He declared, "I will share the works of the God of my soul;" thus, he communicates the spiritual harvest from his commitments and acknowledges the divine blessings he has received. Initially, he states, "I will call upon Him with my mouth," implying that the Lord of his soul has accomplished this, instilled in him faith, and filled him with a yearning for prayer. Through this divine gift, he has recognized his own spiritual need and identified the benefactor to whom he must turn. He further mentions another grace: "and I was elevated under my tongue," meaning he not only learned to pray but also to glorify God, offering thanks and praise openly and secretly for the blessings bestowed upon him.

Ultimately, in eternal praise to God, anticipating the forthcoming resurrection of the faithful, David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, penned this psalm. Through it, he offers prophetic gratitude to God for those who have returned from captivity, symbolizing not just physical bondage but spiritual oppression, and particularly thanking Him for the realization of the blessedness bestowed upon all believers after experiencing the final trials and tribulations of this world. This anticipation of the resurrection of the faithful is assuredly realized in various ways and ultimately at the culmination of time in the great resurrection. Praise is given to Christ's humanity while His divinity is honored, as both are exalted together. The earth signifies all nations; just as the Jews were liberated from Babylonian oppression, so too has every individual been freed from the torment of the evil one through the Incarnation of God and the Savior.