Psalm 74 (73):13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore, O Asaph, align your thoughts with your understanding and reveal to us the salvation that God has achieved upon the earth. When the earthly salvation you knew was disrupted, what actions did He take, and what promises did He make? You have established the sea through Your might (Psalms 73:13). It is as if the Jewish people were like dry land, distinct from the turbulent waves, while the Gentiles, in their hostility, filled the sea that surrounded them: behold, by Your power the sea is established, yet the earth continues to long for Your rain. You have established in Your might the sea, and You have defeated the heads of the serpents in the waters. You have crushed those serpents' heads, representative of the pride of demons that the Gentiles once harbored, in the waters; for those whom they controlled, You have liberated through Baptism.

He articulates how, in ancient times, He orchestrated their deliverance, initially by solidifying the waters of the sea like a barrier as they departed from Egypt, which is captured in the phrase, "Thou hast established ... the sea." Furthermore, He subdued the waters, bringing destruction upon the Egyptians, whom He refers to as serpents due to the cunning of their speech. Additionally, He "crushed with them the head" of their leader, whom He likewise designates as "a serpent" (Ps. 73:14).

You have established the ocean with your might. When we escaped from the Egyptians and the path was blocked by the sea, you provided a miraculous route, solidifying the flowing waters and forming walls from the waves on either side. You have vanquished the heads of the serpent in the depths: you have crushed the serpent’s head. The Prophet likens the Egyptians to serpents, with their leaders—the heads of divisions and battalions—being referred to as the heads of serpents; the singular serpent symbolizes Pharaoh, who commanded many princes. Thus, he indicates that this serpent has many heads. Yet you have submerged them all, the prophet declares; for us, you established the sea, while for them, you rendered it a trap, sweeping them away with the ocean’s waves.

You have established the sea through Your might. The Lord declared that He divided the two sides of the Red Sea, which, when parted, stood like a formidable wall; for He said the wall was on the right side and the wall on the left (Exodus 4:22). Thus, by Your power, the waters ceased to flow and appeared to congeal. You have destroyed the heads of the serpents within the waters. David refers to the Egyptians as serpents (dragons) because of their wickedness and brutality; he identifies the heads of the Egyptians as those who pursued the Israelites, namely, the commanders, officials, and charioteers; similar to how the head governs the other parts of the body, as mentioned by Theodoret. All of these were overwhelmed and perished when the Red Sea engulfed them.

It is likely that St. Isychius provided an interpretation for the entire Book of Psalms, although we currently do not have access to his commentary on Psalm 73.

The Prophet recounts some of the most remarkable acts of salvation and grace that God has bestowed, particularly focusing on the liberation of His people from the anguish of Egypt. He then offers a general portrayal of God’s grace, which is abundantly given to the entire world, especially to the Church, which receives His divine protection. Initially, he notes that God, through His might, parted the sea. The subsequent verse refers specifically to Pharaoh; in the Hebrew text, the term used is ‘leviathan,’ meaning the great serpent, which aptly symbolizes Pharaoh due to the immense empire he ruled, likened to a formidable whale.

Ultimately, in Christ, the Fulfillment of all goodness, we offer our praises in songs of thanksgiving and exalt Him forever. This Psalm was inspired by the Holy Spirit and given to David, then conveyed to Asaph, the leader of the singing, so that he could announce a joyful prophecy to the Jewish people regarding the impending victory over Sennacherib, king of Assyria, which symbolizes the triumph of the Holy Church over all its adversaries, a gift from God through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is worth noting that the Holy Spirit has intertwined the truths of Christian teaching with Jewish history, providing consolation to the Jew who interprets these words in their most basic sense, while simultaneously bringing joy to the Christian who grasps their deeper meaning.

This passage highlights the supreme power of God in creation. You have established the sea through Your might... You have unleashed the fountains. The day belongs to You, and so does the night. The message here is clear: “O Lord, You are sovereign; it requires no effort on Your part to vanquish the foes of Your people: all elements are subject to Your command; with just a touch from You, all of creation will rally for Your people.” You have crushed the head of the serpent; You have delivered that stronghold to the men of Ethiopia. Theodoret interprets the serpent as symbolizing Egypt, with the head representing its leaders. Following the drowning of Pharaoh and his army in the sea, the Ethiopians were positioned to conquer Egypt and take its treasures. The Ethiopians, as noted by Theodoret, refer to the ancients.