Let my mouth be filled with praise, that I may sing thy glory; thy greatness all the day long.
יִמָּ֣לֵא פִ֭י תְּהִלָּתֶ֑ךָ כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם תִּפְאַרְתֶּֽךָ׃
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
What is an entire day? It is continuous. In times of abundance, for You provide comfort; in times of trial, for You offer correction; before I came into existence, for You were my Creator; while I lived, for You granted me health; when I fell into sin, for You extended forgiveness; when I turned back to You, for You supported me; when I faced suffering, for You bestowed a crown upon me.
May my lips overflow with adoration, and may I exalt your magnificence. If, after receiving such blessings, I find myself unable to offer an adequate response, I request that your wisdom empowers my speech with praise. For even in that state, I would struggle to proclaim Your greatness. While it is true that one may consistently worship God, continually bless Him, and persist in purity, can one truly maintain hope at all times? For the one who perpetually hopes does not invariably receive what is desired. Furthermore, when one speaks of ‘always’, it can refer not to the ages in eternity but to earthly existence, while another interprets ‘always’ as related to eternal time, implying that the ultimate foundation of hope is rooted in the knowledge of the Holy Trinity.
Your radiance shines throughout the day. When my mouth is filled with praise and I begin to declare Your magnificence, I will glorify Your splendor all day long. By ‘glory’, He signifies the work of creation that He accomplished on earth, through which He adorned the world with His presence; and by ‘splendor’, He denotes the Divine Nature, who achieved these wondrous acts in various ways.
Thus, transform the iniquity within me into something righteous, and inspire my voice to praise, so that I may continually sing unto You. Instead of declaring, All the day long, Symmachus expressed it as, Every day.
Let their fulfillment come to pass - a command rather than a wish. I will find fulfillment when I am released from the chains of my suffering. Once freed, I will vocalize divine praises, celebrating Your immense power and all that the faithful exalt in You. Glory here signifies sheer greatness. He affirms not merely once but continually I will proclaim Your majesty. Therefore, Simmachus interprets it as 'for all time': continually.
There appears to be a contradiction within these statements, as it seems difficult to reconcile the enduring blessings of God with being perceived as a wretched creature due to one’s trials. However, we can extract a valuable teaching from this, envisioning that David, who had once savored the sweetness of God's grace, was never so overwhelmed by the weight of adversity that he could not bear it. Despite being reviled by everyone around him, he maintained an everlasting remembrance of God's kindness in his heart. No shadow of sorrow could extinguish the illumination of his faith, which shone brightly within his spirit, guiding his every endeavor.
The term "beast" illustrates an extraordinary affliction. Had his suffering been commonplace, those aware of humanity's plight would not have shunned him as they would a monster. His steadfastness in adversity is commendable; rather than succumbing to disgrace, he placed even greater trust in God as the scorn of the world increased against him. Some interpret the term "many" to signify that David's sufferings became gossip among the masses, drawing attention to his shame. Others, however, more profoundly connect "many" with esteemed individuals or nobles. Such a disgraceful act can deeply unsettle even the most valiant souls when those distinguished by wisdom and stature not only disregard but also loathe a humble person. Yet David, as if he had already attained his desires, expresses a future pledge of gratitude. Encouraged by hope, he promises to sing God’s praises with jubilant enthusiasm, asserting he will let his mouth overflow with praise to exalt His glory throughout the day, celebrating His magnificent splendor.
The descendants of Jonadab are intended to exemplify obedience, as they faithfully adhered to their father Jonadab's commandments until the very end. For their steadfastness, they earned eternal commendation from God (Jeremiah 35:18-19), serving as a model of unwavering obedience in contrast to the original captives of sin, Adam and Eve, who fell into Babylonian captivity due to their disobedience to the commands of their Heavenly Father. Moreover, the Jewish people, the first taken captive by Babylon, faced this fate for their rebelliousness against God's law, marking their captivity as distinct from that of Jonadab’s sons.
The faithful children of Jonadab are honored in this psalm as a reminder for all who willingly follow God's commandments and a corrective lesson for those who stray from the Divine will. Within this psalm, the prophet calls upon God, praying for His assistance in both youth and old age as a Helper and Deliverer from both visible and hidden adversaries. He prophetically urges everyone to bring their thoughts into obedience to Christ the Lord, with the hope of liberation from sin through His death, which offers freedom not only to the first captives but also to all believers enslaved to God, leading them to eternal life (2 Cor. 10:5; Rom. 6:10).
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS