Thou wast the guide of its journey in its sight: thou plantedst the roots thereof, and it filled the land.
פִּנִּ֥יתָ לְפָנֶ֑יהָ וַתַּשְׁרֵ֥שׁ שָׁ֝רָשֶׁ֗יהָ וַתְּמַלֵּא־אָֽרֶץ׃
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Would she have populated the earth if the path had not been revealed before her? What path was revealed to her? He declares, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). There was indeed a purpose for her to inhabit the earth. This vineyard has already been spoken of, and it is ultimately fulfilled.
You, O Lord, have shattered the unjust authority of the Egyptians, condemned the nations of Canaan to ultimate ruin, and have established Your people in the land of the Canaanites like flourishing grapes, leading them from Egypt and providing them with every comfort along their journey.
The Lord declares that He has prepared a path for this vine, Israel, by removing other nations that acted as thorns and obstacles in its journey, or by providing a law that indicates the right direction for its steps. The phrase "planted his roots" signifies the strength of its foundation. In this context, the roots refer to the original twelve tribes or to the Jewish kingdom as a whole. The fruit of Israel filled the land, not encompassing the entire universe, but rather the specific Promised Land and another region that the Jews had occupied.
How is this achieved? Through the giving of the law and the defeat of the nations. ‘And he planted its roots, and it filled the earth.’ The foundation of the Jewish vine is represented by Moses, Jesus, Phinehas, and Eleazar, whose righteousness spread throughout the world, as their exemplary virtues reached every corner.
Through the analogy of grapes, the Prophet conveys God's unique grace towards the Israelites, highlighting His deliverance from Egypt so that He might delight in them and fulfill the expectations set before them. This divine favor is rooted in the covenant established with Abraham four centuries prior to their Exodus. Consequently, the Prophet argues that it is unbefitting for God to abandon the grapes, which He Himself had nurtured and cultivated, allowing them to fall prey to wild beasts. This neglect is particularly unworthy, as the covenant was not formed recently or briefly; rather, God chose the descendants of Abraham to sustain and protect them eternally.
Thus, referring to them as grapes signifies their immense value to God, who cherishes them not just as an inheritance but as distinct treasures deserving of special honor.
When the text states "Thou hast made a way before him," or as the Hebrew phrasing indicates, "Thou hast cleared the way before him," it underscores the concept of preparation, akin to the earlier reference to the expulsion of nations to create space for His chosen people. The subsequent phrase, "Thou hast planted its roots," should not simply be interpreted as the initial planting of the grapes; rather, it signifies their growth and expansion, which is the primary aim of vineyard cultivation. Given that the land where the Israelites settled was hilly, the Prophet aptly remarks, "The mountains are covered with his shadow." He then likens the vine's branches to the cedars of God, the most majestic and graceful of trees, thereby magnifying and celebrating God's benevolence. The terms "the sea" and "the rivers" refer to the borders of the promised land, which spanned from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea, in alignment with God's design, as noted in Deuteronomy 11:24.
Ultimately, this represents the realization of prophetic words, particularly concerning Christ the Lord, articulated in this psalm inspired by the Holy Spirit through David. It speaks of the transformation of the Jews who have turned from righteousness to the fall of repentance against God, as well as those shifting from wickedness to faith, and from sinfulness to holiness. This includes the designated sheep who have transitioned from error toward their Good Shepherd, Christ, the true God.
The testimony of Asaph is relevant here, for this psalm was entrusted to him to perform, aiming to convey a prophetic insight about the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the establishment of the Holy Church, secured by the grace of Christ, the Saviour, which shall stand firm so that even the gates of hell will not overcome it (Matthew 16:18). Shepherding the people of Israel is Christ Jesus, who proclaimed: ‘I am the good shepherd’ (John 10:11). Israel represents all of Christ’s faithful, while Joseph symbolizes the purity of the virtuous, and Cherub signifies the multitude of reason or the embodiment of wisdom, wherein God dwells incomprehensibly.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS