Psalm 74 (73):18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What is the essence of Your existence? The adversary has struck at the Lord. O Asaph, mourn for your former lack of insight: the adversary has struck at the Lord. In His own community, it was proclaimed to Christ, This man is a sinner; we do not know where He comes from: we are familiar with Moses, to him God spoke; this man is a Samaritan. Foolish individuals have brought disgrace upon Your name. Those foolish ones were Asaph of that time, yet not the awareness of Asaph's spirit during that period. What does the previous Psalm convey? I have become like a beast before You, yet I am always with You, because he did not turn to the gods and idols of the nations. Although in his beast-like state he lacked understanding, he still regained clarity as a man.

Recall this: the adversary shows pity towards You, O Lord. After beseeching God for mercy on behalf of the people out of love for creation, there is now another plea for mercy: the enemy holds himself in high regard. Moreover, those who are deceived have troubled Your name. Observe this fresh appeal for compassion—stemming from the fact that Your foes have caused distress to Your name.

Keep in mind these truths. The Almighty who has formed numerous and magnificent beings proclaims through the Prophet to recall these matters, specifically the assembly that You initially brought into existence. The Prophet further states: The adversary has burdened the Lord, and the wicked have troubled Your name; in other words, direct Your gaze not upon us, but rather on the slanders of those who oppose You.

At the outset of the psalm, where it is stated, ‘Remember Thy host, which Thou hast obtained,’ this thought is reiterated here as well, referring to Titus, or the Roman legion, as adversaries. Furthermore, they are described as a misguided people for their erroneous perceptions of God. Instead of saying they have slandered Your name, as mentioned previously, there is a sense of agitation.

After reflecting on the might and sovereignty of God, offering encouragement to the faithful, the psalmist again engages in supplication, asking the Lord to recall the blasphemies spoken against Him by the adversary, who portrayed Him as feeble and ineffective. The message of this verse, along with those that follow until the conclusion of the psalm, seems particularly relevant to the arrogance of Antiochus. The writer of the Maccabees recounts how, driven by his hubris, Antiochus envisioned transforming the earth into a land that could be traversed by water and the sea into a thoroughfare for pedestrians (1 Mac. 1). Thus, the Psalmist rightly proclaims: Remember, Lord, how the adversary (Antiochus) has persecuted You and how his foolish followers have disgraced Your name.

Ultimately, in Christ, the Fulfillment of all good, who is honored in songs of gratitude and exalted forever, we find our hope. This Psalm, inspired by the Holy Spirit and given to David, was entrusted to Asaph, the leader of the singers, to proclaim a message of joy to the Jewish people regarding the anticipated triumph over Sennacherib, king of Assyria, as noted in 4 Sam. 19:35. This victory symbolizes the triumph of the Holy Church over all its adversaries, a victory bestowed by God through our Lord Jesus Christ as referenced in 1 Cor. 15:57.