And he brought them into the mountain of his sanctuary: the mountain which his right hand had purchased. And he cast out the Gentiles before them: and by lot divided to them their land by a line of distribution.
וַ֭יְבִיאֵם אֶל־גְּב֣וּל קָדְשׁ֑וֹ הַר־זֶ֝֗ה קָנְתָ֥ה יְמִינֽוֹ׃
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
How much more glorious is the Holy Church! The peak that His powerful hand has secured. How much greater is the Church that Christ has obtained, of which it is proclaimed, "And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" (Isaiah 53:1)
He guided me to the peak of His holy dwelling, referring to Jerusalem and the temple that was subsequently constructed there. This elevated place has been sanctified by His mighty hand. The right hand of the Father is Christ Himself, who went before the ancient people and bestowed upon them their promised inheritance.
In delivering them from Egypt, he bestowed upon them the land he had vowed. The prophet indicated that the mountain Zion represented the entirety of creation.
He brought me to the heights of His sacred dwelling. After clearing the wilderness as He previously stated, He speaks of the promised land. The mountain referred to here is Zion, which stands as the most distinguished in the region; it is termed the holy mountain because it is designated as the abode of the ark of the covenant. The ark itself is recognized as the holy presence. It is also known as the holy mountain, for it has been consecrated by the ark of the Lord. This mountain, sanctified by His mighty hand, is the very place we occupy now, not conquered by the strength and bravery of the people, but by Your might: for You have expelled the previous inhabitants of this land and silenced their voices.
The seven tribes that once resided here included the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Ebusites, Amorites, Hereshites, and Jebusites. He allocated the land to them through divination, distributing it according to the lot. He apportioned the territory as if it were measured by a surveyor’s instrument, a phrase often found in the Hebrew tongue. Just as a father divides land among his sons with a measuring rope used for fields, so God partitioned the land among the tribes.
Jerusalem is referred to as the city of the holy site, not merely because the holy site, namely the tabernacle, was present there, but due to the second tabernacle, which is the incarnate body of the Lord. This body was genuinely sacred, and its possession is ascribed to the powerful hand of Christ; He attained it not through force but through the miracles and sufferings He endured for our benefit.
Here, the emphasis is once again on God's grace towards His chosen people, likened to a flock of sheep, who lacked both the rationale and strength to defend themselves from their adversaries unless God took on the role of their shepherd. Their state during their time in Egypt reminds us that they were subjected to harsh and demeaning labor, primarily focused on making bricks and cutting stones. This toil is referred to in Scripture as the bread of Egypt, and it was from this labor that the Israelites emerged with hope. However, this hope did not stem from their trust in God, but rather from the fact that under His guidance, they had no cause for fear, and would not have feared anyone had it not been for their own unbelief that rendered them anxious.
This leads to their rebellious questions, “Why hast thou done these things unto us, when thou hast brought us out of Egypt, as if there were no tombs in Egypt?” (Ex. 14:11). Thus, this hope must not be ascribed to an unfeeling people, but to divine protection that allowed the Israelites to dwell securely and peacefully in the wilderness after their enemies were vanquished in the sea.
Subsequently, further expressions of God’s grace and the people's transgressions are recounted, highlighting the ingratitude of the Israelites. Even after receiving their promised inheritance, they continued in their disobedience and hard-heartedness, behaving as though they owed nothing to God. The promised land is referred to as the holy city of God because it was appointed by Him for His people and consecrated to Himself. Therefore, the sins of the Israelites, who introduced the same detestable practices that had led to the land’s prior defilement, are even more egregious. For it is a grave offense that the Israelites, fully aware of why the previous inhabitants were expelled, shamefully profaned the land with similar or even worse abominations, seemingly inviting God’s wrath, the very judgment they had witnessed upon others.
The subsequent phrase, “in this mountain, which His right hand hath obtained,” serves to remind the Israelites that they should not take pride in having gained the land through their own efforts or strength. As noted in another Psalm, "Not with their sword did they inherit the land, neither did their muscle save them, but Thy right hand, and Thy muscle, and the enlightenment of Thy countenance, because Thou didst favor them” (Psalms 43:4). Following this, clarification is provided with the statement, “Cast out the tongues from their face,” connected to the promise, “And I will divide them for an inheritance,” illustrating the method of acquisition. In essence, it is expressed that neither the Israelites exhibited enough valor to conquer their enemies, nor were those enemies so fearful that they would surrender, unless they were subdued by the power of God.
This Psalm, attributed to David and rich in prophetic insight, was entrusted to Asaph, the chief musician, to proclaim it for the enlightenment of all regarding the countless blessings bestowed by Almighty God upon the ungrateful Jewish nation. It aims to admonish them for their lack of gratitude and to encourage others to recognize the profound kindness of God, particularly as manifested through Christ the Lord, who believes in His name. In this psalm, David speaks as a voice for Christ to Christian believers, urging them to embrace the teachings of the Gospel. While this message once pertained to the Jews, it now resonates with the faithful in Christ, as the old covenant foreshadows the new.
The Savior calls His people to listen closely, warning them against the fate experienced by the ancient Israelites, who disregarded God's will. He commands a sincere examination of the Gospel and an attentive heart to prophecy.
Although the Israelites were robust, they faltered in the face of Christ’s Passion due to their unbelief. The tribe of Ephraim, notably unfaithful, succumbed to the idolatry of the golden calf and led the other tribes astray. Due to this betrayal, God stripped them of their bravery; despite their skills in archery, they succumbed to fear and retreated in the day of conflict. Consequently, they were taken captive and scattered among foreign nations. Yet, God showed compassion to the Jews, recognizing their total embrace of earthly wisdom and their refusal to repent. In His abundant mercy, He chose not to obliterate all the Jews in the wilderness but instead spared them, guided by His profound humanity. Humanity, being flesh, is subject to passions and decay. The Spirit, having departed from humanity, awaits its return until the second coming.
The purpose is to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land and grant them ownership of Mount Zion, the magnificent sanctuary, the sacred site designated for divine worship. Mention is made of the revered Mount of Zion, where the Lord of heaven and earth chose to reveal His unique presence within the established sanctuary. The Mount of Transfiguration shares this same radiance, as it is the place where the God-Man, Jesus Christ, unveiled the majesty of His divine nature, and where the voice of God the Father was proclaimed: ‘This is My beloved Son’ (Matthew 17:5).
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS