Psalm 70 (69):4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

There are two categories of persecutors: those who engage in slander and those who offer false praise. The words of a flatterer can inflict greater harm than the actions of a murderer, as Scripture likens this to a furnace. Indeed, when Scripture refers to persecution, it states, "As gold in a furnace it tested them" (noting the martyrs who suffered) and "as a holocaust victim it accepted them" (Prem. 3:6). It is important to recognize that even the flatterer's words serve a similar purpose; the Scriptures indicate that "the test of silver and gold is fire, but a man is tested by the praise of others" (Proverbs 27:21). Both forms of testing are like fire, yet through them, one emerges safely. When you are shattered, you are like clay in the furnace.

Let those who feel embarrassed come back, meaning those who celebrated my earlier downfall due to the death sentence placed upon me.

Furthermore, let those who delight in my distress be filled with shame, for my circumstances have been transformed.

Psalm 39 states: "Let those who speak well, well, well, bear their shame immediately." Theodoret comments that not only will they be cast down to the earth, but also those who orchestrate troubles for the righteous, and who delight in my afflictions, should be overwhelmed with shame upon witnessing a transformation in me. Isychias questions to whom he desires a swift sense of shame.

To the conclusion of David, for remembrance, that the Lord might deliver me. This psalm includes the concluding verses of Psalm 39 (Psalm 39:14-18) and is presented here with minimal alteration in some phrasing, without further explanation. The term "for remembrance" may suggest that David frequently recited these lines to reflect on either God's grace, his own troubled situations, or with a particular purpose in mind.

This psalm serves as an earnest plea for divine assistance against perilous foes, and it closely parallels Psalm thirty-nine. Authored by David, Psalm 39 includes a segment of thanksgiving (vv. 2-12) alongside a ritual invocation. The latter portion appears to have been separated by David himself, as suggested by the superscription, thereby resulting in the creation of a distinct hymn. The Hebrew superscription states: ‘To the leader of the choir. A Psalm of David. In remembrance’—intended to evoke a reminder for God to aid the supplicant. This sentiment is echoed in all Greek manuscripts with the phrase: εις τζ τελλς - τω Δαβίδ - εις ανάμνησιν; while the existing LXX text (Vatic.) features a different rendering: εις το σωσαά με κύριον.

In the conclusion of this transient existence, fraught with trials and tribulations, let us recite this psalm, divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit for David, as a means of remembering and invoking God, the Creator of mankind, for assistance and deliverance. The prophet, too, would keep this psalm in his heart, singing it in moments of distress and need to gain salvation from the Lord. It serves as a reminder of our prayers to God the Father and Christ the Savior during times of anguish and grief, seeking the salvation of His faithful followers.