Commentary on the Psalms 59

Praise the Lord, for a psalm is good.

Earlier, in the hundred and forty-fourth psalm, he said, 'Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised,' and he discourses much concerning His glory;

but here he shows that the very act of praising is itself good, and that the psalm is the cause of countless blessings.

For it withdraws the mind from the earth, and gives wings to the soul, and lightens it and lifts it on high.

Therefore Paul too says, 'Singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord.'

To our God let praise be made sweet.

Another rendering: 'Hallelujah, for a song to God is good.'

What does it mean, 'To our God let praise be made sweet'? He means, 'Let it become acceptable.'

For it is not enough merely to sing psalms in order for the praise to be sweet to God; there is need also of the life, and of the prayer, and of the exactness of the one who sings.

It seems to me that this psalm belongs to the time of the return.

And he shows this through what he adds.

For he goes on, saying, 'The Lord builds up Jerusalem;'

'He gathers together the dispersed of Israel.'

For even though it was Cyrus who let them go, yet the whole matter came to pass not by his own decision, but by the impulse of God.

Another interpreter, instead of 'building up,' has 'He will build up.'

And 'the dispersed' he rendered as 'those who had been driven out.'

Why so? Because they were not all brought back at once, but after the return they were gathered together little by little.

'He that heals those who are broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.'

Another rendering: 'their fractures.'

Since he could not speak of any boldness derived from his manner of life, he again puts forward his calamity, and that which is God's wont.

For it is His work to comfort those who have been brought low, and this is proper to Him;

just as when Paul too says, 'He who gives life to the dead;'

and again, 'He who calls the things that are not as though they were,' declaring this to be His proper work;

so here also this psalmist says, 'He that heals the broken,' showing that even though we may be unworthy, yet since we are His work, He will not abandon His own activity, nor will He forsake what is customary to Him.

So too Paul: 'But He who comforts the lowly.'

'He that gives long-suffering to the faint-hearted.'

And this same prophet says elsewhere, 'A broken and a contrite heart God will not despise.'

Whenever, therefore, you wish to enjoy comfort, humble yourself, break your own mind in contrition.

This, then, concerns His will, His kindness, and His love for mankind, that this is His work, to console those who are in calamities;

but what follows concerns His power.

For since the discourse was about a multitude that had been dispersed and was as yet nowhere to be seen, he fittingly brought forward this illustration, showing thereby that He would be able to gather together even those who had been scattered.

For it is His custom both to set right and to comfort the broken, and He knows with exactness the countless multitudes of the stars.

Therefore us also, to whom He promised that we should be as the multitude of those stars, He will gather with exactness.

'And He calls them all by names.'

Another rendering: 'For all of them He gives names.'

Another: 'He will call them all by name.'

I consider this to be spoken concerning the Israelites, and that the prophet says the same thing which Isaiah also says afterward;

'From the ends of the earth I called you, and said to you;'

What does it mean, 'He will call them all by name'? None of them, he says, shall perish; but just as those who summon by name, so He too will gather all of them with exactness.

Great is our Lord, and great is His strength.

Since he had spoken of a most mighty thing—that God will gather together the so many myriads scattered everywhere throughout the inhabited world—he now goes on to discourse concerning His power, thereby leading to faith those among the Jews who were greatly troubled.

And of His understanding there is no number.

Do not, then, inquire how and in what manner;

for indeed His greatness is infinite.

For this reason he said, 'Of His greatness there is no end.'

But just as His greatness is infinite, so also is His understanding.

For this reason, having also said, 'Great is our Lord,' he added:

And of His understanding there is no number.

And His knowledge, moreover, is wonderful;

Thy knowledge is become too wonderful for me;

it is grown mighty, I cannot attain unto it.

And His judgments, again, are unsearchable;

Thy judgments are a great deep.

Since, then, He is both great and mighty and wise, do not busy yourself with prying into how these things shall come to pass.

The Lord lifteth up the meek, but bringeth the sinners down to the ground.

For lest some of the foolish should say, 'What is it to us that He knows the stars with exactness?'—he tells also of the care thus taken over men;

and he did not say, 'The Lord helping the meek,' but that which is far greater, 'Lifting them up';

speaking as concerning a tenderly-loving father.

But what is the meaning of 'lifting up'? Restoring, carrying, bearing along.

Do you see once more His power made perfect in both directions—both in raising up the lowly and in bringing low those who are puffed up? And He does not bring them low simply, but with great excess;

for this is the meaning of 'to the ground.'

Begin unto the Lord with thanksgiving.

Having told of His mighty deeds, he again calls them to the hymn, saying:

Begin unto the Lord with thanksgiving;

that is, with thankfulness, with great earnestness.

Sing praises to our God upon the harp.

To Him who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth.

Lest any of the insensible should say, 'And what have the things of heaven to do with me?'—he at once brought in man's need, showing by this addition also for what reason He covers the heaven with clouds.

For your sake, he says, that He may prepare rain for you.

And the rain is for your sake, that He may bring forth grass.

He mentions the universal good things which He has given to all, silencing them out of the abundance of His bounty.

For if toward the unbelievers He has employed such lavishness—so as both to gather the clouds, to pour out rain, and to quicken the earth—how much more toward you, who are His people!

To Him who maketh grass to spring up upon the mountains.

Behold the abundance of His providence, in that He furnishes His plentiful table not only in tillable ground but also on the mountains—the sustenance of the beasts that have been made for the service of men.

To Him who giveth to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that call upon Him.

He speaks again of another instance of His munificence, when He provides food not only to the beasts that serve men, but also to other irrational creatures;

'For also to the young of the ravens,' he says, 'that call upon Him.'

And if toward the irrational creatures—even wild irrational creatures that render no service to men—His providence is so great,

how much more toward men, and men that praise Him—whom He has also called a peculiar people and His own portion!

Then, since they were weak, destitute of arms, and stripped of everything, so that they might not be troubled from this cause either, see how He sets right this weakness of theirs as well, saying:

'He takes no pleasure in the strength of the horse, neither is He well pleased with the legs of a man.'

'The Lord is well pleased with those who fear Him, and with those who hope in His mercy.'

Another version reads: 'With those who wait for His mercy.'

If you possess these things, he says, namely the fear and the hope directed toward Him with exactness, you will draw upon yourselves His goodwill;

and having drawn it to yourselves, you will be mightier than all those who possess horses and weapons.

One thing, therefore, is required: that we neither fret nor be thrown into confusion, but wait for His mercy;

for this above all is hope, that even when we do not receive at once, we do not despair nor give up.

And well did he say: 'His mercy.'

For they did not possess any confidence arising from their works.

But nevertheless, he says, even if you have been betrayed by your works, yet if you hope in His mercy, you will obtain His providence and His help;

which may it be granted that we all attain, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion, unto the ages of ages.