Psalm 71 (70):21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

3:16) Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ reveals why such a prophetic voice was sent ahead: “Thou hast shown me many calamities and evils; and being turned, Thou hast revived me, and from the depths of the earth, Thou hast brought me back.” This brings us to the first item that was recorded. Let us examine what it is, and we shall understand why a second point is necessary. There Christ died, in which you must also die; and there Christ rose again, in which you too shall rise. By His example, He has instructed you on what to fear and what to hope for. You feared death; He died. You despaired of resurrection; He rose again. And you may ask me, “If He is risen, shall I rise?” He is risen in that which He received from you. Therefore, your humanity in Him anticipated you, and that which was taken from you rose ahead of you; hence, you also rose. Thus He ascended before us, and we in Him, because that flesh is of the human race.

Here’s another point. Upon fulfillment of this promise, hear from the Apostle: “If ye therefore are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God; set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Col. 3:1-2) He went before us, and we are already risen, yet we still wait in hope. Listen, for the apostle Paul states the same: we ourselves groan within, longing for the adoption, the redemption of our bodies. What then has Christ bestowed upon you? Understand this: for we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For why does one hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait patiently. Thus, we have been restored from the depth in hope. Why again? Because Christ has preceded us. But because we are raised in essence, we now live in hope; after faith, we walk; we were brought back from the earth's abyss by faith in Him who was raised before us from that very abyss.

You have heard one truth, and you have heard another once more; again, due to the reality that Christ has gone before us; yet, it is in hope, while what remains is substantial. You have multiplied Your truth within me, as I believe, already in the first resurrection of hope. You have multiplied Your truth and, having turned back, You have comforted me; for the sake of the body, to be raised at the end, even from the depths of the earth, You have brought me back again.

This is clearly illustrated by the emphasis and repetition employed by David, which is purposeful and conveys a specific message. Additionally, the inclusion of the term ‘again’ sets apart the earlier phrase, ‘and out of the depths of the earth he brought me forth,’ from the subsequent statement. Athanasius remarks: In its highest interpretation, the repetition signifies that repentance for sins, following baptism, is embraced by Him who has lavished His mercy and righteousness upon us. Thus, the first declaration, “Thou hast made me alive,” pertains to regeneration, while the second, “Thou hast comforted me,” relates to the sorrow experienced from sin. It is also possible that the repetition of the phrases about kindness is merited because of their significance. Moreover, Isychius notes: The grandeur of God is revealed in His humility towards us.

Our limited understanding at birth does not reveal the full significance of life; however, when God intervenes in our most desperate moments, we come to appreciate the depth of His assistance. Through this lens, David extols the goodness of God, illustrating that having been ensnared in the depths of evil, he emerged into the light through divine intervention. He proclaims that by God’s grace, he was not only saved from destruction but also elevated to a higher state of being. This joyful transformation is akin to a resurrection from the depths of hell to the heights of heaven. His repeated plea to 'turn back' serves to glorify God's Providence, indicating that his misfortunes were not the result of mere chance but were part of God’s plan. As soon as the illumination of His divine will dawned, the shadows of sorrow dissipated, and his circumstances improved.

The descendants of Jonadab, who listened to their father's directives, are honored in the title of this psalm, intended for the encouragement of those who willingly adhere to God's commandments as well as for the admonition of those who disregard the Divine instructions. In this psalm, the prophet offers prayers to God, imploring that He continues to be a Helper and Redeemer from both seen and unseen adversaries in his old age, just as He was in his youthful days. He prophetically guides all in aligning their thoughts in obedience to Christ the Lord, with the hope of liberation from sin, achieved through His death, which offers freedom from the chains of sin to the first captives and all faithful servants of God, granting them the gift of eternal life (2 Cor. 10:5; Rom. 6:10).