Psalm 69 (68):4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

On the contrary, we find that He did not respond to them, fulfilling the words of another psalm: “I have become as one who cannot hear, and I have no reproach on my lips.” Furthermore, it was prophesied in Isaiah that He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, silent before His shearers (Isaiah 53:7). If He assumed the form of a man who did not hear or bear reproof, how then did He labor in sorrow, and what caused His voice to become strained? Was His silence a result of weeping in vain until His voice cracked? Indeed, from the Cross, He cried out as recorded in a certain psalm, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” But how profound was that cry, and how enduring, that it caused His voice to become hoarse? He mourned, calling out “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,” and lamented greatly for the world’s transgressions (Matt. 18:7). He truly cried out with a hoarse voice, causing confusion among the Jews who asked, “What is this He says? It is a heavy word; who can bear it? We do not comprehend what He is saying.” He uttered many words, yet His voice trembled for those who could not grasp their meaning. “My eyes have lost hope in My God.” Yet it should not be suggested that this reflects upon the Head; it must not be stated that His eyes lost hope in His God. Rather, it is in Him that God reconciled the world to Himself (2 Cor. 5:19), and He is the Word made flesh who dwelt among us, embodying both God and man. Thus, it cannot be said: the eyes of our Head did not lose hope in God; instead, His eyes have become dry in His Body, meaning within His members. This voice belongs to the members, it belongs to the Body, not to the Head. How then do we find it within His Body and members...?

Didymus observes that those who plead for transgressors before a ruler tend to adopt their words, just as the saints, interceding on behalf of others, admit, "We have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have acted wrongfully." Thus, in His profound compassion, the Savior acts as an advocate for the entire world while, as God, He is also the source of all that is requested. I have descended into the depths of the sea, and the storm has overwhelmed me. This verse, along with the preceding ones, conveys the same essence: I am engulfed by trials and tribulations, which I refer to by various terms—waters that wash over a person, the muddy marsh that lacks a foundation, the abyss of the sea representing its sharpness and bitterness, and finally the storm or tempest due to their overwhelming force. Gregory the Theologian and Basil elucidate that, in a general sense, the sea symbolizes the world and human existence within Holy Scripture. It contains much that is bitter and unstable, a notion that David clearly understood, using it to teach the importance of confession by labeling this restless and passion-laden life as waters impacting the soul, the depths of the sea, and storms. Theodoret notes that he enriches his expressions with diverse metaphors, as he struggles to find one that accurately captures the weight of profound sorrows. Athanasius asserts that this is the plight into which human nature has fallen due to sin, dragging it down to death and the very domain of hell, which he metaphorically refers to as deep mud and the depths of the sea in these words.

Thus, although he felt fatigue in his physical senses, he maintained the unwavering resolve of his faith. As David expressed these sentiments through Christ and by the voices of all the faithful, who are part of His body, we too should learn to engage in similar reflection. This way, even in the most profound depths of trial, we can be fortified by our faith, enabling us to rise toward God, echoing the words of Paul: "For neither height, nor depth, nor any other creature can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:39).

The Jews mocked Christ, challenging Him with the question, "By what authority do you do these things?" The Savior's disciples recalled the psalm's words when Christ forcefully expelled the merchants from the temple in Jerusalem (John 2:17). The Apostle Paul connects the following remarks concerning reproach to Christ, noting that He did not seek to please Himself but honored the Father, bearing the reproaches of those who reproached God the Father (Rom. 15:1-3) (Theodoret). This prophecy came to pass in Judea, as evidenced by the words of the Savior, who spoke to the Jews: "Your house is left to you empty" (Matt. 23:38). Jerusalem, the residence of the Savior's murderers, is referred to as the courts and their homes. Following the devastation wrought by Titus and Vespasian, both Jerusalem and all of Judea were left desolate. Their city faced ruin because of their base nature. For the court is a domain for livestock. Moreover, at the site where Judas once dwelled, there now stands a latrine (Athanasius, Didymus).