Let them be ashamed and troubled for ever and ever: and let them be confounded and perish.
יֵבֹ֖שׁוּ וְיִבָּהֲל֥וּ עֲדֵי־עַ֗ד וְֽיַחְפְּר֥וּ וְיֹאבֵֽדוּ׃
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Let those who do evil face their just consequences, while the righteous endure. Thus, it becomes evident that destruction is not equivalent to total eradication, but rather signifies redemption. This offers an alternate understanding: "Let them be put to shame and confounded forever" (Psalm 82:18). “They shall be ashamed and perish.”
May they be filled with shame and dismay throughout eternity; let them be humiliated and brought to ruin: let them recognize that Your name is Lord, the only Most High over all the earth. They seek blessings from their adversaries, even when faced with their hostility, as they pray to be covered with a spirit of humility rather than arrogance. Through this humility, they may gain understanding of God and, liberated from the ensnarements of false worship, come to realize through their own experiences that He alone is God and Sovereign, “who dwells on high, and regards the lowly” (Psalm 112:5-6), reigning over and guiding all of creation.
After David has condemned the mentioned Gentiles to destruction in this present age, he further declares their fate in the age to come, labeling it as the age of ages, as we have explained repeatedly. This impending destruction in the next age is not simply a matter of ceasing to exist, but rather involves eternal punishment. In this life, those who sin first experience shame and embarrassment upon confronting the revelation of their wicked actions. Next, they are struck with fear and anxiety as they witness the seriousness of the Divine Judge, and ultimately, they face execution.
Theodoret notes that those who oppose them seek their wellbeing despite suffering from them; they pray that instead of displaying pride, their enemies may experience humiliation, through which they might come to know God and be liberated from the falsehood of idolatry, recognizing through their experiences that He alone is the Almighty, the Sovereign God who resides above yet observes the lowly, and who governs and protects all His creation, providing salvation. He is the Divine Son, begotten of the Father, following His unfathomable incarnation. The reader should take note that through their shame, they come to understand God’s omnipotence. Thus, shame and humility are the sources of goodness, while a lack of shame leads to all forms of wickedness. Hence, Gregory of Nazianzus, in his Orphic exhortation to Olympias, remarked that the absence of shame begets the gravest evils.
In this life, not all sinners face immediate consequences, as some manage to reform and remain steadfast, while others abandon their faith and do not return to God. Concerning the latter group, the prophet stated, ‘let them be ashamed and crushed in the age of ages, and let them be put to shame and perish.’ This clearly refers to the age to come, where sinners will experience not only dishonor but also humiliation, leading to their downfall accompanied by disgrace, for there will be no opportunity for repentance.
They will be unable to mask their shame through remorse; they will feel shame not only before the Divine Judge but also in front of those they have offended, realizing the futility of their past wrongs as they witness the blessings of the righteous while they endure their own suffering. Inevitably, they will acknowledge God's existence, compelled by fear and judgment. However, they will lack the ability to seek Him or draw near to Him, as indicated by the following words: ‘And let them know that Thy name is the Lord: Thou art the only High over all the earth.’
The arrogance of the wicked, who furiously seek to bring destruction upon the church, is profoundly offensive. For this reason, the prophet implores God to bring shame and to subdue their adversaries, indicating that their pride may not be otherwise rectified; he expresses that they will then call upon Your name. However, this should not be interpreted as indicative of genuine conversion from their enmity, as some might suggest. While the initial stage of repentance is indeed humility—where individuals, humbled by afflictions, willingly submit to God—the prophet clearly observes a coerced and servile submission akin to that of Pharaoh. Often, the wicked yield to God under duress through punishments, momentarily glorifying Him, only to revert to their violent ways shortly thereafter.
This hypocrisy unveils the savage brutality that simmers within them. Consequently, God desires that the wicked be compelled to acknowledge Him, thereby curbing their unchecked wrath. This sentiment becomes clearer in the subsequent verse, where the prophet explicitly prays for their eternal demise, an appeal that would seem inappropriate if he genuinely desired their repentance. He employs various verbs of similar connotation, in part because the wicked, in their rejection, seldom humble themselves, and despite facing frequent discipline, they draw newfound strength and arrogance. It is especially challenging to convince ourselves of the ruin that awaits such individuals, who may appear to be thriving and indulge in worldly pleasures. This reluctance is due to our insufficient understanding of the severe judgment of God that is reserved for those who persecute His church.
The Psalm, inspired by the Holy Spirit through David, was entrusted to Asaph, the leader of the singers, to declare the prophecy within regarding the imminent trials facing the Jewish people, particularly the faithful followers of Christ during different eras, especially in the days of the Antichrist. In this context, the God-ordained messenger earnestly petitions, echoing the prayers of the Holy Church to the Lord amidst persecution (Theodoret). Wickedness serves as a deceitful allure, drawing individuals into idolatry and all forms of sin. Due to God’s forbearance, the adversaries grew so arrogant that they became boisterous, revealing their insolence. Anyone who opposes God’s people and His holy ones essentially wages war against Him, as they are His servants and brethren.
The lands of Idumea were occupied by the Idumeans, the descendants of Esau, who bore the name Edom due to his fiery, reddish complexion. The Ishmaelites, who descended from Ishmael, were born to Abraham and his handmaid Hagar. Moab refers to the lineage descending from Moab, Lot’s son, while the Hagarites are those born of Hagar, who, after her banishment by Abraham, remarried. The Gevalites were tribes residing near Idumea. The Ammonites traced their ancestry to Ammon, another son of Lot, and the Amalekites descended from Amalek, a descendant of Esau who lived in Arabia, apart from Judah. By detailing these interconnected wicked tribes, the prophet illustrates that the initial foes often come from within, namely those who are kin, as Christ also indicated (Matthew 10:36). This is why the prophet positioned the outsiders last in his list (Chrysostom, Theodoret).
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS