Psalm 7:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

9:14), so too did the revered David, who, despite the allowance for retribution within the law, transcended its boundaries. We are called not merely to abstain from avenging our adversaries, but also to show them kindness: "Pray for those who wrong you" and "do good to those who hate you," as the Lord instructed (Matthew 5:44). It is indeed a significant act for David to refrain from revenge, demonstrating a commitment far beyond the demands of the law; thus he inquires, "If I have done wrong, if there is injustice in my hands, if I have avenged myself against those who repay me with malice." Regarding his son, nature itself intervened; but he questions whether he has offended anyone or retaliated against others. What claim for forgiveness or justification can we present, when, after the arrival of Christ, we fail to reach the standard of those who lived in the earlier covenant, all while we are called to an even higher expectation? "For I say unto you," the Lord proclaimed, "except your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:20). Just as a person who lived under the law and did good cannot be equated with one who lived before the law yet did the same, so too is the individual living under grace not equivalent to one under the law; there exists a profound distinction between the two eras.

St. Paul, elaborating on this concerning vice and virtue, expressed amazement at some individuals, deeming others deserving of sterner judgment: "When the Gentiles," he says, "who do not have the law, by nature perform the things contained in the law, these, having no law, are a law unto themselves" (Rom. 2:14). Observe how he commends those who do good without the law. He regards those who sin under grace as more deserving of penalty compared to those who sin while under the law: "He who disregards the law of Moses," he asserts, "in the presence of two or three witnesses, is without mercy put to death; how much worse punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:28, 29). Those who transgressed prior to the law, he considers less liable than those who break the law: "For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law,” meaning they will face a lighter penalty, lacking the law as their accuser, only nature serving that role; “but those who have sinned under the law shall be judged by the law," indicating a stricter punishment due to the law as their accuser in addition to nature (Rom. 2:12).

gh my actions, let me fall exhausted before my foes." It is noteworthy that he did not say, "to those who do me harm," but rather "to those who repay me," for to repay indicates that one has already received something prior; this reflects a greater meekness—failing to retaliate against someone who, despite having received blessings, has returned kindness with malice is more honorable than if they set out to do harm without having received any prior grace. Still, the question remains: if I have avenged those who repay me evil? In other words, if I have failed to emulate You in this silence, in which Your humility acted on my behalf, then let me fall before my adversaries, weary and spent.

In instances where Scripture articulates a desire for recompense instead of a simple request, it conveys a sense of accountability akin to parental obligation towards their offspring. The natural bond of a parent entails a duty of care for their children’s well-being. Indeed, it is proclaimed that parents must ‘seek the possessions of their children’ (cf. 2 Cor. 12:14), ensuring they have the means for sustenance beyond just life itself. Similarly, ‘giving’ or ‘recompense’ frequently appears in Scripture in the context of initial actions.

The Prophet confidently asserts, ‘I will not repay them that repay me evil,’ indicating a refusal to reciprocate wrongdoing. If one resorts to recompensing those who do them harm, they risk falling away from their adversaries. To fall away signifies losing the grace afforded through the abundance of Christ. ‘For thou shalt let my soul be consumed by the enemy, and let him overtake and consume my belly into the ground.’ The soul of the righteous, having detached itself from the physical body, possesses a life ‘hidden with Christ in God’ (cf. Col. 3:3), enabling them to proclaim, ‘I live not because of this, but Christ lives in me.’ Furthermore, ‘But now I live in the flesh, I live by faith’ (Gal. 2:20).

Conversely, the soul of the sinner, entrenched in the flesh and indulging in corporeal pleasures, becomes ensnared by fleshly desires, akin to being mired in mud. The adversary, seeking to further corrupt such a soul, attempts to submerge it, figuratively pressing down on the fallen individual and trampling him into the earth, representing a life consumed by the body. ‘And my glory shall dwell in the feathers.’ The saints, residing in heavenly realms and accumulating their treasures in eternal repositories, possess a glory that transcends earthly existence. In contrast, those who are driven by fleshly desires are described as having glory that ‘shall be put into a feather.’ One who takes pride in earthly wealth, seeks fleeting acclaim from others, and places trust in physical gains retains a glory that remains in the material realm rather than ascending to heaven.

If I have ever acted otherwise, I ask that You withdraw Your protection from me, as conveyed in the phrase ‘I will fall away from my enemies thither,’ and place me in the hands of those who wish me harm. They may not only strip me of the honor and kingdom You have bestowed upon me but also subject me to a disgraceful demise. This aligns with Your declaration: ‘He will put my glory in the dung.’

His hopes likely rested on the belief that he could avoid exacting punishment on his foes; he believed that merely presenting himself before them would lead to their downfall and deter them from further persecution and deceit against him. In fact, as noted in 2 Samuel 17, he shows remarkable wisdom and care by instructing his soldiers to spare his son, mourning deeply upon hearing the news of his death. Alternatively, the term "enemies" could refer to unseen adversaries, suggesting that to fall before them empty-handed means to be unsuccessful against them, lacking the opportunity to expose their shortcomings through his virtues. It is crucial to understand that these words arise not from a vain individual but from a man acutely aware of danger, expressing them as a plea for assistance. We might also consider interpreting this in relation to others close to the prophet, whereby his declaration implies: despite being violently ousted from my kingdom, I have wronged no one; I did not provoke Saul, for example, who sought my life, yet he ultimately found himself in my grasp, as history recounts. Regardless of whether these words apply to Absalom and his followers, to others, or even to Saul himself, the essence of the truth remains intact. The term "recompense" is employed here in a different sense; it represents an initial act of kindness or harm we extend to someone, in contrast to "repayment," which involves reciprocating according to the good or evil received. "Recompense" denotes a subsequent response to an act, essentially a return for a return. This word appears frequently throughout Scripture, particularly in the Psalms.

To fall signifies a loss of strength to resist, leaving one prostrate; to be forsaken means lacking anything virtuous, thereby losing the possibility of rising again. For anyone who can rise has the ability to defend themselves and re-engage in the fight.

If, he states, I have committed the actions that my accusers ascribe to me, Sirech, if I have uttered any insult towards the king, or if I have seized the kingdom through deceit or force: if there is injustice in my actions, Sirech, should I have performed such a wrong by reciprocating evil for the good received: Or in return for the immense respect Saul showed me, by elevating me to the status of his son-in-law and appointing me as a leader over a thousand men; or for all these blessings shall I repay you with deception and betrayal, as they claim. Additionally, if I repay those who repay me with evil, or if I retaliate against my king Saul, or against my adversary Semei, who have inflicted much harm upon me after I have done them good, I will treat them in kind; For may I be cast away by my enemies, O Lord, if their accusations hold any truth and are not mere falsehoods, and may I be forsaken by your protection. Let them pursue me, ensnaring me as a beast in a trap. Let them plow my flesh into the earth, strip away my life, and trample my body underfoot, until my glory is reduced to nothingness, so that even the remembrance of my name may vanish.