Psalm 71 (70):5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

If He embodies patience by virtue, He is also the essence of what comes next, O Lord, my hope since my early days. My patience springs from my hope, or rather my hope arises from my patience. Tribulation, the apostle teaches, brings forth patience, and patience leads to perseverance, but perseverance is rooted in hope, and hope does not disappoint. Rom. 5:3-5 With my thoughts anchored in You, I was confident, Lord, that I would not face disgrace eternally. My Lord, You have been my hope throughout my youth. Has God been your hope since your early years? Has He not been present since your childhood? Indeed, He has.

You are my perseverance, O Lord, my confidence since my early days. Rescue me from this unruly people, for I bear with it for Your sake and due to my faith in You, a faith I have held since my very beginning in You, as it is written: ‘But if any receive Him, He will give them the right to become children of God’ (John 1:12).

The prophet refers to the era of the great Moses as a time of youth, a period during which the Israelites experienced liberation following their prolonged bondage in Egypt. In this context, the people declare that from that moment onward, they have placed their faith in You and eagerly anticipate Your assistance.

Psalm 38 expresses: "And now, who is my hope, is it not the Lord?" In Psalm 24, it proclaims: "And with You, I have persevered throughout the day."

He restates his earlier sentiments regarding faith, reinforcing them through personal experiences, as if to convey, “Your blessings, O God, inspire my trust in You.” Thus, he does not merely express his faith verbally but complements it with actions, recognizing that since his youth, he has experienced evidence of God’s grace, leading him to rely solely on the Lord and to anticipate His aid at all times. While his faith is grounded in his deeds and lived experiences, it can also be inferred how significantly the remembrance of God’s kindness has helped him maintain hope in the Divine. The ensuing verse is intrinsically linked to this topic, as David further extols the favors bestowed upon him, reflecting not only on his youth but also on his infancy.

The descendants of Jonadab are designated as sons of obedience, having faithfully adhered to the directives of their father Jonadab in all aspects until the very end; as a result, they are granted eternal commendation from God (Jeremiah 35:18-19). They stand as an exemplar of unwavering obedience, contrasting with the first captives to sin, Adam and Eve, who succumbed to disobedience against the command of the heavenly Father and were then taken into Babylonian captivity. Similarly, the Jewish people, who were the initial captives in Babylon, suffered a similar fate due to their disregard for God’s laws; thus, their bondage was distinct from that of the sons of Jonadab.