THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
The heading of Psalm eighty-seven introduces a subject worthy of exploration: the terms used here, which hint at "Melech," are unique and not found elsewhere. We have previously expressed our understanding of the titles Psalmus Cantici and Canticum Psalmi; likewise, the phrase "sons of Corea" is frequently cited and examined; however, the remainder of this title bears unusual terminology. The word "Melech" can be translated into Latin as "choir," as it conveys the meaning aligned with the Hebrew term "Melech." Here, we see a foreshadowing of the Lord's Passion. The Apostle Peter explains this when he states, “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). This signifies what it means to respond in faith. The Apostle John also says, “As Christ laid down His life for us, so we must lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16), reflecting a similar response. However, the term "choir" implies unity in love; thus, someone who sacrifices his life without charity fails to truly respond and will not benefit from such actions (1 Corinthians 13:3). Additionally, just as "Precentor" and "Succentor" in music designate the lead singer and the one who follows, this passion song is akin to a choir of martyrs who faithfully pursue Christ until they reach the heavenly reward. Sung by the sons of Corea, these are the imitators of Christ's suffering: as the Lord was crucified on Calvary—interpreted from the Hebrew "Cor" (Matthew 27:33)—so too is “Aman” understood from the conclusion of this title; “Aman” signifies his brother. Christ delights in making those who appreciate the mystery of His Cross His brethren, and they are not ashamed of it but joyfully glorify His grace, so that they may be acknowledged as “a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile” (John 1:47), as Scripture relates to Israel being without deceit (Genesis 25:27).
“O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried before Thee day and night” (Psalm 86:1). Let us now listen to the voice of Christ prophesying in our midst, to which His choir must either respond with imitation or with gratitude. “O let my prayer enter into Thy presence; incline Thy ear to my call” (Psalm 87:2). For our Lord, in His role as a servant, did not pray in a state of divine glory; He entered into our suffering. He prayed in moments of affluence—symbolized by day—and in times of turmoil, which may refer to the night. The entering of prayer into God’s presence signifies its acceptance, and the inclination of His ear indicates He hears with compassion, although God does not have physical body parts like us. Yet, in usual fashion, this passage serves as an echo.
“My soul is filled with evil, and my life draweth nigh unto Gehenna” (Psalm 86:3). Should we dare to identify the Soul of Christ as filled with evil, when passion exerted its influence solely over the body? Thus, while the soul can experience anguish independently of the body, it is contingent on the soul for the body to feel. It is accurate to assert that the Soul of Christ bore the afflictions of humanity—albeit not personal sins. Another prophet notes, “He grieved for us” (Isaiah 53:4), and the Evangelist describes how, “He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to grieve, and very grievously” (Matthew 26:37-38), with Christ lamenting, “My soul is grieved even to death” (Matthew 26:38). The prophet composing this psalm foresaw these events and articulates, “My soul is full of wickedness, and my life draweth nigh unto hell.” It conveys similar sentiments to when He remarks, “My soul is sorrowful unto death.” Such feelings, indicative of human frailty, our Lord willingly took upon Himself, resembling the flesh of humanity and the death inherent to human mortality—not out of necessity but through the exercise of His mercy. His own body, identified as the Church, of which He is the head—His holy and faithful disciples—exists so that if any find themselves in agony amid life's trials, they should not assume they exist beyond His grace, but rather, like a choir following its leader, they might glean from their Head that such sorrows reflect not sin but the reality of human fragility. We read of the Apostle Paul, a foremost member of this body, who confesses that his soul was weighed down by such evils, stating that he felt “great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart for his brethren in the flesh” (Romans 9:2). Should we conclude that our Lord, at the imminent approach of His Passion, also grieved for them, who would incur the most severe guilt? It is reasonable to assume so. Ultimately, what our Saviour uttered from the Cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34), finds expression in this psalm as well: “I am counted among those who go down into the pit” (Psalm 87:4)—referring to those who were unaware of their actions, thinking Him dead like other men, susceptible to need and overwhelmed by it. The term ‘pit’ herein symbolizes depths of sorrow or hell, as conveyed in the phrase, “I was a man who had no help.”
“Free among the dead” (Psalm 86:5). This phrase distinctly illustrates our Lord's identity: who else is free among the deceased but He who, though bearing sin's likeness, stands sinless among sinners? (Romans 8:3). Thus He is free among the dead, having authority to lay down His life and to take it up again; none could seize it from Him; He gave it willingly, and He could restore His body, like the temple they sought to destroy, according to His will. While all deserted Him in the hours preceding the Passion, He was not truly alone, for, as He affirms, “My Father has not forsaken Me” (John 8:29). Yet, those who, ignorant of their actions, were caught in sin—were left like forsaken and wounded souls, lying in tombs. He further mentions, “Whom ye do not yet remember,” indicating a critical distinction between Christ and all others who have died. For even though He experienced wounds and lay in the grave (Matthew 27:50, 60), those unaware of His true nature and deeds regarded Him no differently than others—those who succumbed to their wounds and now slumber in the tomb, having not yet come to God’s remembrance, denoting that the hour of resurrection had not yet dawned for them. The Scriptures refer to the deceased as asleep, implying a promise of awakening, or resurrection. He who was wounded yet rested in the tomb arose on the third day, becoming like “a sparrow sitting alone on the roof,” positioned at the right hand of the Father in heaven; and He shall die no more; death will not reign over Him again (Romans 6:9). Therefore, He is immensely distinct from those of whom God has not yet caused to rise; for what occurred first in the Head awaits fulfilment in the Body. Additionally, the actions of God encompass remembrance upon performing an act, while forgetting transpires without action; for God, unchanging, cannot forget nor remember, as He is eternally constant. Those unaware of their deeds consider me akin to one with no help; while I remain free among the dead, they see me as wounded, and I lie in the grave. Yet it is asserted regarding them, “they are cast away from Thy hand,” illustrating that their beliefs about my helplessness ultimately render them distanced from God’s support; these who presumed me to be forsaken, remain without divine aid, as stated in another psalm, “They have dug a pit before me, and themselves have fallen into the midst of it.” This interpretation is preferential to others suggesting they were merely “torn away from Thy hand,” as this pertains to those resting in the grave—though the righteous belong to the latter group. Despite being beyond direct remembrance, it is declared that their souls abide in God’s hands (Prem 3:1), implying they are safeguarded by the Most High and dwell under His shadow. However, those severed from God's hand regarded Christ as abandoned, equating Him with wrongdoers who dared to bring Him to death.
“They put Me in the lowest pit” (Psalm 86:6), meaning the deepest pit; evidently, it refers to the utmost sorrow, a depth surpassing all. Thus it is noted in another psalm, “Thou hast brought me also out of the ditch of misery.” In darkness and the shadow of death, having no comprehension of their actions, they placed Him there, thereby honoring Him; they did not recognize Him whom none of this world’s rulers knew (1 Corinthians 2:8). The “shadow of death” may reference physical death or the state in which “they walked in darkness and in the land of the shadow of death, the light having risen upon them” (Isaiah 9:2), as through faith they emerged from darkness and death of sin into light and life. This reflects those who misjudged our Lord, who in their ignorance counted Him alongside those He sought to save. “Thy indignation lies upon Me” (Psalm 87:7) or alternatively, “Thy wrath” as articulated in various manuscripts—here, the Greek term θυμὸς has various renderings. While some Greek versions employ ὀργὴ, translating it consistently as Latin ira, the term θυμὸς is often avoided in that equivalence, despite many renowned Latin scholars applying it so in their philosophical translations. Yet, for our purposes, if I were to suggest an alternative, I would find “indignation” to be a more fitting term than “rage,” as the latter does not conventionally apply to mankind. What could it signify, “Thy wrath is upon me,” if not the faith of those who do not know the Lord of Glory (1 Corinthians 2:8), imagining that God’s wrath had risen and seized Him whom they dared to crucify—not merely in death, but in the most loathsome manner, the death of the cross? Hence, the Apostle articulates, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13). In commendation of His obedience, which reached to the deepest humility, He became “obedient even unto death”; and for further emphasis, “even the death of the Cross” (Philippians 2:8). It appears that in this psalm, He expresses, “And all Thy hangings” or as per some translations “waves” or “stirrings,” “Thou hast brought upon Me.” In another psalm, we find the phrase: “All Thy suspensions and waves have descended upon me”—the Greek reads διῆλθον, differing from εἰσῆλθον. Whenever both terms “waves” and “suspensions” are used, they cannot be deemed equal. In this context, suspensions imply threats, while waves suggest actual suffering, both inflicted in divine judgment; yet here it states all have come upon me, whereas elsewhere it denotes they have merely come and gone. Regarding afflictions that have occurred, He declares all the things mentioned have now come to pass, indicating the fulfillment of His foretold Passion remains underway.