Reading Psalms in various life situations. Interpretation of the books of the Old Testament. Psalm Psalm 38 interpretation

27.09.2020

Rekh: I will keep my ways, if I do not sin with my tongue: put it with my mouth, when a sinner stands before me. I humbled myself and humbled myself, and kept silent from the blessings, and my illness was renewed. My heart will be warmed within me, and fire will flare up in my teaching. I speak with my tongue: tell me, O Lord, my end, and the number of my days, what is it? Yes, I understand that I am losing az? Behold, Thou hast laid down my days, and my composition is as if nothing before Thee, either way, all vanity, every living person. Ubo walks like a man, both in vain he worries: he treasures, and it is not known to whom I will collect. And now who is my patience, is it not the Lord? And my composition is from You. Deliver me from all my iniquities; Thou hast given me reproach to the insane. I am dumb and did not open my mouth, as you have created. Put away Thy wounds from me: I have disappeared from the strength of Thy hand. In denunciation of iniquity, thou punished man and melted thou, like a spider, his soul: both in vain is every man. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and hearken to my prayer, do not silence my tears: as I am a pastor to You and a stranger, like all my fathers. Weaken me, let me rest, I won’t even leave before, and I won’t be anyone.

In detail: psalm 38 text in Russian - from all open sources and different corners world on the site site for our dear readers.

1 I said, "I will keep my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue." I set a guard for my mouth when the wicked stood before me.

4 "Show me, O Lord, my end, and what number of my days it is, that I may know what I lack."

The text of the Christian Psalm 38 is surprisingly similar to Psalm 37, and this gives historiographers reason to believe that it was written by King David approximately at the same time as the previous one - in the declining years of the second ruler of the united kingdom of Israel. The psalm is full of wisdom: it calls to God to a much lesser degree to destroy the enemies of the king and more reflections on the transience of life.

Perhaps the reason for this was the progressing illness of the king, which, according to the interpretation of Psalm 38 of King David, became especially aggravated in last years his life and made him think of imminent death. At the end of his life, the psalmist especially thought a lot about the concepts of "sin" and "repentance", regretting that he devoted too much time to the first and too little to the second. Realizing from the height of past years the futility of worldly human aspirations, King David, with his song of psalm thirty-eight, tries to warn those who have many more years of life ahead that they should be spent with benefit for the soul. AT Orthodox tradition online listening and reading Psalm 38 is especially recommended for people who want to find a new job.

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I said: I will watch my ways, that I not sin with my tongue; I will bridle my mouth as long as the wicked is before me. I was mute and mute, and was silent even about the good; and my sorrow moved. My heart is kindled within me; a fire was kindled in my thoughts; I began to speak with my tongue: tell me, O Lord, my end, and the number of my days, what is it, that I may know what my age is. Behold, You have given me days as spans, and my age as nothing before You. Truly, every living person is utter vanity. Verily, man walks like a ghost; in vain he fusses, collects and does not know who will get what. And now what can I expect, Lord? my hope is in you. Deliver me from all my iniquities, do not hand me over to the reproach of the insane. I have become mute, I do not open my mouth; because You did it. Turn your blows away from me; I disappear from Your smiting hand. If You punish a person for crimes with reproofs, then his beauty will crumble like a moth. So, every man is vain! Hear, O Lord, my prayer and heed my cry; do not be silent to my tears, for I am a stranger with you and a stranger, like all my fathers. Depart from me so that I can refresh myself before I depart and I am gone.

To the end, Idifuma, song to David

To fulfillment, Idifumu. Song of David.

1 Rech: I will keep my ways, if you do not sin with my tongue: put it with my mouth, always stand before me a sinner.

1 I said, "I will keep my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue." I set a guard for my mouth when the wicked stood before me.

2 I was dumb and humbled myself, and kept silent from good things, and my sickness was renewed.

2 I became mute, and humbled myself, and remained silent, as one without good things, and my pain renewed.

3 My heart is warmed within me, and a fire is kindled in my teaching. Verbs with my tongue:

3 My heart warmed within me, and in my meditation a fire was kindled. I spoke with my tongue:

4 Tell me, O Lord, what is my end, and the number of my days? Yes, I understand that I am losing az?

4 "Show me, O Lord, my end, and what number of my days it is, that I may know what I lack."

5 Thou hast set aside my days, and my composition is as nothing before Thee, and all vanity, every living person.

5 Behold, thou hast measured my days in spans, and my being is like nothing before thee; however, everything is vain, every living person.

6 For a man walks in a fashion, but he stumbles in vain: he treasures, and it is not known to whom I will gather.

6 Truly, like a ghost, a transient person, only in vain is worried; saves and does not know for whom he will collect it.

7 And now who is my patience, is it not the Lord? And my composition is from You.

7 And now who is my patience? Isn't it the Lord? And my nature is from You.

8 Deliver me from all my iniquities; Thou hast given me reproach to a fool.

8 Deliver me from all my iniquities: You have given me to the reproach of a fool!

9 I was dumb and did not open my mouth, for thou hast made it.

9 I became mute and did not open my mouth, for You have done so.

10 Put thy wounds away from me; for I have perished from the strength of thy hand.

10 Turn away Thy blows from me, for from the strength of Thy hand I have disappeared.

11 In the accusations of iniquity, thou punished the man, and melted thou, like a spider, his soul: both in vain is every man.

11 In reproaches for iniquity, you instructed the man and weary his soul like a cobweb; but vanity is every man!

12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my supplication; do not silence my tears;

12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and hearken to my supplication; do not be silent when you see my tears, for I am a sojourner with you and a stranger, like all my fathers.

13 Weaken me, that I may rest; first I will not even depart, and I will not be with anyone.

13 Give me relief so that I may rest before I go away and I am no more.

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Psalm 38 Psalm 38 1 To the end, Idifum, a song to David 1 To fulfillment, Idifum. Song of David. 2 Rech: I will keep my ways, if you do not sin with my tongue: put with my mouth guarded, always stand up a sinner before me. 2 I said, I will watch my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will bridle my mouth as long as the wicked is before me. 3 I was dumb and humbled myself, and kept silent from good things, and my sickness was renewed. 3 I was mute and mute and silent even about good; and my sorrow moved. 4 My heart is warmed within me, and fire is kindled in my teaching. I speak with my tongue: 4 My heart is on fire within me; a fire was kindled in my thoughts; I began to speak with my tongue: 5 Tell me, Lord, my end, and the number of my days, what is? Yes, I understand that I am losing az? 5 Tell me, O Lord, what is my end, and what is the number of my days, that I may know what my age is. 6 Behold, Thou hast laid out my days, and my body is as if nothing before Thee, both all vanity, every living man. 6 Behold, you have given me days, how span, and my age is like nothing before you. Truly, every living person is utter vanity. 7 Well, a man walks in a fashion, but both he rages in vain: he treasures, and it is not known to whom I will collect.

7 Verily, a man walks like a ghost; in vain he fusses, collects and does not know who will get what.

8 And now who is my patience, is it not the Lord? And my composition is from You.

8 And now what can I expect, Lord? my hope is in you.

9 Deliver me from all my iniquities; Thou hast given me reproach to a fool.

9 Deliver me from all my iniquities; do not hand me over to the reproach of a fool.

10 I am dumb and did not open my mouth, for thou hast made it.

10 I have become mute, I do not open my mouth; because You did it.

11 Put your wounds away from me; for I have perished from the strength of your hand.

11 Turn your blows away from me; I disappear from Your smiting hand.

12 In the denunciation of iniquity thou punished the man, and melted thou, like a spider, his soul: both in vain every man.

12 If you punish a person for crimes with reproofs, then his beauty will crumble like a moth. So, every man is vain!

13 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my supplication; do not silence my tears;

13 Hear, O Lord, my prayer, and give heed to my cry; do not be silent to my tears, for I am a stranger with you and a stranger, like all my fathers.

14 Weaken me, that I may rest; first I will not even go away, and I will not be with anyone.

14 Depart from me, that I may refresh myself, before I depart and be gone.

Ps. 38 This psalm is closely related to Ps. 37. Its author vows to avoid sin and speaks of his desire to draw near to God. The psalm under consideration is personal and autobiographical in nature. Behind the reflections of the psalmist about the life span allotted to a person is the image of an old man prone to meditation. Some lines of the psalm are reminiscent of the speeches of the preacher of the book of Ecclesiastes. There are also moods in it that are similar to the experiences of Job. In addition, the connection of the considered psalm as a whole with the canonical books of wisdom is obvious.

38:2 do not sin with my tongue. The psalmist is determined to suppress words of indignation and despair that might be sin before God. And indeed, he hardly refrains from them when he asks the same question that tormented Job - why do the wicked prosper?

I will bridle my mouth. By an effort of will, the psalmist holds back the words that are already ready to break from his lips.

38:3 was silent even about the good. The desire of the psalmist to avoid sinful speech was so strong that he preferred to refrain from speaking at all.

my grief has risen. The psalmist curbed his desire to speak, and as a result, the contradiction between this desire and the fear of sinning with a word brings his soul into confusion, about which he can no longer remain silent (v. 4).

38:5 tell me, O Lord, my end. The psalmist is so deeply aware of his sin and experiences such suffering that his imminent death seems obvious to him.

38:6 like spans. The span is one of the smallest units of measure among the ancient Jews.

bustle. This word occurs many times in the book of Ecclesiastes (see, for example, 1:2.14).

38:7 In vain does he fuss. These words, combined with the theme of earthly wealth, express an idea that also occupies an important place in the Book of Ecclesiastes (Eccl. 5:8-20).

38:11 Turn your blows away from me. These words of the psalmist can refer both to his illness and to other hardships that befell him.

38:13 The psalmist's anger turns to weeping. His closing prayer is prepared by the pathos of the previous verses of the psalm.

PSALM 38

It seems that at the time when David was composing this psalm, he was in difficulty and worried, for, having overcome his passion with some difficulty and calmed his spirit, he gives others the good advice that he already expounded in Psalm 36, to calm down in Lord and patiently, without discontent, wait for Him, since it is easier to give good advice than to demonstrate calmness while in suffering. It is not clear what exactly caused the concern and led to the conflict in which David found himself at that time. Perhaps it was the death of one of his friends or relatives, which tested his patience and prompted him to think about morality. At the same time, it seems that he was weak, ill and experienced some mental anxiety. His enemies continued to look for evidence against him, and watched his mistakes so that they might have occasion to accuse him. Therefore, saddened by everything that happens,

(I) David describes the struggle going on in him between grace and wickedness, between emotion and patience (v. 2-4).

(II) He meditates on the doctrine of human frailty and death, and prays that the Lord will guide him in this matter (v. 5-7).

(III) He asks God to forgive his sons, remove his sufferings, and prolong his life until he is ready to die (v. 8-14). This is a funeral psalm, which is very suitable for this event. In singing it, we must see to it that our hearts are properly aware of the brevity, fragility, and misery of human life; and those for whom God, by means of death, breaks through to give consolation, will find this psalm very useful to themselves. He tells us what we should strive for in order to receive comforts while in suffering, which is sent to sanctify them for our spiritual benefit and reconcile our hearts to the holy will of God.

To the head of the choir, Idifum23. Psalm of David.

Verses 2-7

In these verses, David remembers and records the feelings and responses of his heart when he is in trouble. We should do the same in similar situations so that next time we correct the wrong thoughts and improve the right ones.

I. He remembers his covenant with God when he promised to live deliberately, to be careful in words and deeds. As we are tempted to sin and in danger of sinning, we must refresh our memory of solemn promises not to sin, and especially not to commit the sin that we have come so close to. God can and will certainly remind us of them: "...you said, 'I will not serve idols'" (Jer. 2:20), and therefore we must remind ourselves of them. That's what David did.

1. He remembers that he promised to be very careful and considerate (v. 2): "I said, I will watch my ways"; it was rightly said: in order not to take back his words, he must not contradict. Note:

(1.) Each one of us must watch himself with extreme anxiety, that is, live prudently while others live risky.

(2) We must be determined to be careful in our ways and to update this decision frequently. Hold on tight to this.

(3) Having resolved to be careful in our ways, we must in all situations remind ourselves of it, for this covenant must not be forgotten, but must constantly be thought of.

2. He remembers that in a special way he promised to watch his tongue, so that he would not sin and speak incorrectly, so that he would not offend God and be not guilty before the generation of the righteous (Ps. 73:15). This is not so easy to achieve as to wish in your thoughts not to sin; but if an unholy thought creeps into the mind, then David decides to put his hand on his mouth and suppress it so that it does not go further. It's such a great achievement that the Bible says, "Whoever does not stumble in word is a perfect man." This is necessary, because the one who thinks he is pious and does not bridle his tongue ... he has empty piety. David makes a decision

(1.) Always be careful not to sin with the tongue: “I will bridle my mouth.” He will put the bridle on his mouth, as they put it on the whole head (vigilance in action is a hand on a bridle); he will put a muzzle on his mouth, as they put it on a violent, ferocious dog that can do evil. With such a firm decision, he limits depravity and does not allow it to break free through the mouth, which is put on a muzzle.

(2.) To redouble my vigilance and watch my lips especially, being in danger of sinning, while the wicked is before me. This means that when in the company of the wicked, he must be careful not to say anything that would harden them and give rise to blasphemy. If a good man falls into bad company, he must be careful in his words and, as long as the wicked is before him, in his thoughts. David, contemplating pride and power, the welfare and prosperity of the wicked, was tempted to speak incorrectly, and so he has been careful what he says ever since. Note, The stronger the temptation to sin, the stronger must be the resolve not to commit it.

II. According to these covenants, with great difficulty he took necessary measures to bridle his tongue (v. 3): "I was mute and mute, and kept silent even about good things." His silence was commendable; the greater the provocation, the more laudable is the silence. Vigilance and determination in the power of God's grace, more than we can imagine, will help us to curb our tongue, even if it is unruly and angry. But what can be said when a person is silent even about the good? Is it wise to refrain from speaking good things in the company of the wicked, because one does not want to cast pearls before swine? I think this showed his weakness, because instead of not speaking thoughtlessly, he did not say anything, that is, he fell into extremes, which was contrary to the law that prescribed between two extremes to choose the middle. The same law that forbade all inappropriate talk required that good things be spoken for edification (Eph. 4:29).

III. The less he spoke, the more he thought, and thought with more warmth. The disposition of the spirit responded to the restraint of the tongue (v. 4): “My affliction has moved. My heart is kindled within me.” David was able to control his tongue, but he could not control his passions. Although he suppressed the smoke like fire in his bones, as he contemplated his sufferings and the prosperity of the wicked, the fire flared up. Note, Those who are in the grip of a irritable dissatisfied spirit should think less, for as long as they allow their thoughts to dwell in the causes of distress, the fire of discontent is fueled and flares up furiously. Intolerance is a sin that has laid its evil foundation within us, and this reflection on its calamities also has its effect on us, which is like a flame. Therefore, in order to avoid the harm caused by uncontrolled passions, we must get rid of the sorrow caused by uncontrolled thoughts.

IV. When David finally spoke, he had a definite purpose: "I began to speak with my tongue." Some perceive his subsequent words as a breach in his good intentions, and conclude that in doing so he sinned with his tongue and expressed a passionate desire to die like Elijah (1 Kings 19:4) and Job (6:8,9). But I see them not as a breach in his good intentions, but as a correction of a mistake that could have gone too far. He was silent about the good, but he could no longer be silent. He had nothing to say to the wicked who were before him, for he did not know how to arrange his words for them, but after a long meditation, his first words were prayer and pious meditations on a subject that would be useful for our frequent reflections.

1. He prays to God to give him a sense of the shortness and uncertainty of life, as well as the nearness of death (v. 5): "Tell me, Lord, my end and the number of my days." This does not mean that he wanted to ask: "Lord, tell me how long I will live and when I will die." We cannot pray with faith in such words, for God nowhere promised to tell us the date of death, but in His wisdom hid this knowledge among other secrets that do not belong to us and which it is not useful for us to know. But David says: "Tell me, O Lord, my end," which means: "Lord, give me wisdom and grace to think about it (Deut. 32:29) and improve my knowledge about it." The living know that they will die (Eccl. 9:5), but not many think about death. Therefore, we must pray that God, by His grace, will overcome the unwillingness to think about death that dwells in our wicked hearts. “Lord, make me think

(1) about what death is. This is my end, this is the end of my life - all my earthly labors and entertainments. This is the end of every man” (Eccl. 7:2). This is the final stage of our period of testing and preparation and the solemn entry into the period of reward and retribution. For the wicked, this is the end of all his joy, and for the pious, the end of all his sorrows. “Lord, tell me my death, so that I can become better acquainted with death, so that it becomes closer to me (Job 17:14) and I will be influenced by the greatness of this change. Lord, make me think about how serious it is to die.”

(2) “No matter how close it is, Lord, tell me the number of my days and that they are numbered in the counsel of God” (that is, the end is already determined and my days are numbered (Job. 14:5). “Say that there are few of them left. My days will soon be numbered and ended. "If we look at death as a thing at a distance, we are tempted to put off the preparations necessary for it, but if we think about the brevity of life, then we will care not only about to do your best, but also to do it promptly.

(3) That she is constantly working in us: "Lord, let me realize how fragile I am, how limited the meaning of life is, and how weak the spirit is, which is like oil that keeps the lamp burning." From our own experience, we are convinced that every day our earthly temple is more and more decaying and fading away. "Lord, make us think about this so that we can keep a mansion in those houses that are not created by hands."

2. David reflects on the brevity and frailty of life and tells God about it, imploring Him to lighten the burdens of life, as Job often did, and talks about it to himself in order to encourage himself to the main business of life.

(1) Human life on earth is short and has no continuation. This explains why we should not cling to it, but prepare for its end (v. 6): "Behold, you have given me days like spans." The width of the palm is a certain size, small, which is always with us and before our eyes. Therefore, we do not need a rod, a pole, or a meter to measure the length of our days; we do not need the art of arithmetic to count them. No, we have a standard by which we can determine them, and which ends where the fingers end; this distance cannot be increased, it will always be equal to the width of the palm. Our time is short - God created it as such, the number of its months is with God. Time is short, and David knows it: "My age is as nothing before Thee." He remembers what his age is (Ps. 89:48): my age is like nothing compared to You (as we read in some translations). All time is nothing compared to the eternity of God, and only a small part of it belongs to us.

(2) Man's life on earth is vain and of no value, so it is foolish to love it too much and wisely worry about it. a better life. Every person is vain in his current state - both Adam and Abel. He is not what he seems even to himself. He and all his consolations are based on constant uncertainty, and if after this life there was no other, then, thinking about everything, you can come to the conclusion that he was created in vain. Man is vain, he is mortal, he is subject to change. Note,

How insistently this idea is emphasized here.

Firstly, every person without exception is vanity: noble and common people, rich and poor - everyone is equal in this.

Secondly, he is such in his best time- when he is young, strong, healthy, rich, in honor and at the peak of prosperity, when he is carefree, cheerful, confident and thinks that his mountain stands firmly.

Thirdly, He is vain in everything and to the extent possible. Every man is utter vanity (as this verse is given in some translations); everything that concerns a person is indefinite; only that which concerns the new man is firm and lasting.

Fourth, it is true, authentic. These words are an undoubted truth, which we really do not want to believe, and therefore it is necessary to confirm it for us with frequent examples, which is what happens in life.

Fifthly, the word selah is added as a footnote, commanding reflection. “Stop at this point and pause a little so that you have time to reflect and realize the truth of this statement: “every man is vanity.” We are like that too.

To prove the vanity of man as a mortal creature, three things are mentioned here, and the vanity of each of them is shown (v. 7).

First, the vanity of our joys and honors: “Indeed, a person walks (even when he is in prosperity and enjoys life) ... he walks like a ghost. When he makes an impression, his image disappears, and his great pomp is a fantasy (Acts 25:23). It is only a representation, a useless representation, similar to a rainbow, whose bright colors quickly disappear, since their base is clouds and steam. Such is life (James 4:14), and so are all its feasts.

Secondly, the vanity of sorrows and fears. "In vain he fusses." Our worries are very often unfounded (we worry ourselves for no good reason, and our troubles are often the product of our own fantasies and imaginations). They are always barren. We trouble ourselves in vain, for we cannot, in spite of all our anxiety, change the nature of things or the decision of God. Everything will remain the same as before, no matter how much we worry about it.

Thirdly, the vanity of our worries and anxieties. A man makes a lot of effort to accumulate wealth, he collects, but his wealth is like mountains of dung in a plowed field, good for nothing until they are scattered. But when he fills his treasuries with this garbage, he does not know who will get it and who will inherit it when he leaves, for he himself will not be able to take it with him. Man does not ask the question, "For whom am I working?" (Eccl. 4:8), and therein lies his folly. If he asks, he cannot say whether it will be a wise man or foolish, friend or foe (Eccl. 2:19). And this is vanity!

Verses 8-14

The psalmist, reflecting on the brevity and uncertainty of life, on the vanity and discontent of the spirit, which is inherent in all the comforts of this life, in these verses turns his eyes to heaven. When true satisfaction cannot be found in creation, then it must be sought in God and in communion with Him. All the afflictions in this world should lead us to Him. In these verses, David expresses:

I. His trust in God (v. 8). Seeing the vanity of man and everything that surrounds him,

(1.) He despairs of finding happiness in worldly goods, and renounces his hopes in them: “Now what shall I expect, Lord? I have nothing to hope for feelings and for time. I want nothing and do not hope to get anything from this land.” Note, Reflections on the vanity and fragility of human life should mortify our desire for worldly goods and belittle our expectation of them. “If the world really is as it is, then deliver me, God, from possessing it, striving for it, and from my part in it.” We cannot be sure of our health and prosperity, have constant consolation in something, for everything here is uncertain and short-lived. “Although sometimes I recklessly strived for this or that earthly good, but now I have a different opinion.”

(2) He holds fast to his resolve to seek happiness and satisfaction in God: "...my hope is in Thee." Note, When the hope of creation perishes, our great consolation lies in the fact that we have a God to whom we can come, in whom we can trust, and, thanks to this thought, cling to Him even more firmly by faith.

II. His submission to God, his joyful submission to the holy will of the Lord (v. 10). If we hope that God will grant us happiness in another world, then we must give ourselves completely and submit to all the actions of His providence regarding us in this world: “I have become mute, I do not open my mouth to complain or grumble.” David again demonstrates the calmness and clarity of a previously troubled mind (v. 3). No matter what consolations he may be deprived of, no matter what cross is placed on him, he will be calm. “Because You did it; this did not happen by accident, but by Your command.” Here we can see

(1.) That the good Lord does all things, and disposes of all things that concern us. We can say about every incident, “This is the finger of God, the Lord did it,” no matter what tools are involved.

(2.) That, therefore, a good man will say nothing against these actions. He is mute, he does not object, he does not ask or argue about it. Everything God does is good.

III. His aspiration and his prayers to God. Is anyone hurting? Let him pray like David in these verses.

1. He asks God to forgive his sin and not put him to shame (v. 9). Before praying (v. 11), “Turn your blows away from me,” he prays (v. 9), “Deliver me from all my iniquities; deliver me from the guilt that I have brought upon myself, from the punishment that I have deserved, and from the power of wickedness to which I have been a slave.” When God forgives our sins, He delivers us from all sins. David asks: "Do not hand me over to the reproach of a fool." Wicked people are insane, and they show their stupidity most of all when they try to show their intelligence by ridiculing the people of God. When David prays that God will forgive his sins and not betray him to reproach, then these words should be understood as a prayer for peace of conscience (“Lord, do not leave me in the power of sadness, so that fools do not laugh at me”) and for grace. He prays that God will never leave him alone, and that in this way he will not do anything that would give occasion to the wicked to dishonor him. Note, This explains why we must be vigilant and pray against sin: in order to have a good reputation for our own confession, we must keep ourselves in integrity.

2. David asks to be delivered from his sufferings and quickly lighten his burdens (v. 11): "Turn your blows away from me." Note, When we are chastened by the hand of God, our eye must be on the Lord, and not on anyone else, to be relieved. Only the one who strikes can deflect them; and when our sins are forgiven, when, as in this case, suffering has sanctified and done its work, and we have humbled ourselves under the hand of God, then we can pray with faith and satisfaction that our sufferings will cease (Isaiah 38:17).

(1.) David relates that this suffering was the cause of his dire need, and made him an object of God's compassion: "... I am vanishing at thy smiting hand." The disease struck him so hard that the spirit of the psalmist trembled, his strength faded, and his body was exhausted. "The blow or defeat inflicted on me by Your hand has brought me to the gates of death." Note, The strongest, the bravest, the best, cannot bear the power of the wrath of God. Therefore, you do not need to turn your head. This applies not only this case; any person is an unequal rival for the Almighty (v. 12). When God speaks against us and reproaches us, when He punishes us, then

We cannot condemn the justice of His opposition, but we must admit that He is righteous in this, for whenever God punishes a person, He does it for iniquity. Our ways and deeds cause us disaster, and we beat ourselves with a rod own production. It is the yoke of our iniquities, though it is bound in His hand (Lamentations 1:14).

We cannot resist God, as this will only harden Him. There is nothing we can do to stop His judgment, and therefore there is no way for us to escape punishment. If You punish a person for crimes with reproofs, then his beauty will crumble like a moth. We often see and feel how, in a short time, due to illness, the human body is greatly weakened, destroyed - appearance person is changing. Where does the blush of the cheeks, the brightness of the lips, the liveliness of the eyes and the smile from the face go? This is the reserve that can be presented for review. How fragile beauty is, and how reckless one who is proud of it or loves it, since it can disappear so quickly and completely! Some imagine a person in the form of a moth, which is very easy to crush by touching with your fingers (Job. 4:19). Others mean by moth the divine rebuke, which silently and imperceptibly damages and ruins us, like a moth that eats clothes. All this confirms the words said earlier by the psalmist that, of course, every person is vain, weak and helpless. This is how he will be when God comes to speak against him.

(2) David tells of the good effect produced by this suffering. He hopes that the purpose for which it was sent has been accomplished, and therefore, out of mercy, it will cease. But if suffering stops before reaching the goal, then it is not out of mercy.

All this disposed him to weeping, and David hopes that God will pay attention to it. When the Lord called him to sorrow, he answered this call and submitted to providence. Therefore, he could pray in faith: "... be not silent to my tears" (v. 13). God is reluctant to punish and grieve the sons of men, much less His own children; He will not be silent, seeing their tears, but will either deliver them from suffering (and if this is done, then suffering has reached its goal), or in a difficult hour will send consolation so that they rejoice and rejoice.

This disposed him to pray. Suffering is sent to make us pray. If they have achieved this result, and when we suffer, we pray more and better than before, then we can hope that God will hear our prayer and incline His ear to our cries, for prayer, which was caused by God's providence and which He expounds by His Spirit grace, will not return without an answer.

This helped to excommunicate the child from this world and deprive him of attachment to it. And now, more than ever, David begins to look at himself as a stranger and a stranger, as all his fathers were. They did not consider this world their home and considered themselves as wanderers passing through it, traveling to another, better world; they did not consider themselves at home until they were in heaven. David prays to God: “Lord, hear my prayer; hear of my needs and burdens, for I am a wanderer here and face strange treatment. I am neglected and chased away like a stranger. Where can I expect help if not from You - from the country to which I belong?

3. He prays for a reprieve, but one of longer duration (v. 14): “Get away from me, ease my suffering, get me out of bed, that my spirit may rest and I may be better prepared for the other world before I depart from for sickness and there will be no more me in this world.” Some perceive these words as a passionate desire that God send His help quickly, or it will be too late, as Job said (Job. 10:20,21). But I understand them as a reverent prayer that God will continue to keep him here until by His grace He makes him fit for heaven so that he can finish his life's work before his earthly journey is over. May my soul live and praise You.

Psalm 38 is part of the Old Testament book called Psalter. In total, it contains 150 psalms. This hymn has a repentant character. One of the reasons for the emergence of this work was an actively developing serious illness that bothered the author in the last years of his life. As a result, he had thoughts of imminent death.

History of Psalm 38

The history of the psalm begins its countdown from the time of the uprising of the son of King David - Absalom. Realizing his sinful nature, the author in his dying years creates a chant with a very deep philosophical and religious meaning. He reflects on the transience of time on earth and rethinks his life path.

about the author

This psalm was created by David, the second king of Israel after Saul. The psalmist was from the family of Jesse, who lived in Bethlehem. The Bible tells that David reigned for forty years. For seven years and six months he was sovereign in Judea. Later, he ruled for thirty-three years in the united kingdom of Israel, with its capital in the city of Jerusalem.

Before his reign, he was an ordinary shepherd. The New Testament indicates that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, later appeared from the line of David.

History of writing

Presumably, the reason for writing Psalm 38 is the beginning of the uprising led by Absalom. During this period, along with the consciousness of his own sin before God, David could also expect death at the hands of his enemies. This chant was intended for the choir led by Idifum during the reign of King David.

The psalm was originally written in Hebrew. FROM The Psalter was created in the period from the 10th to the 5th centuries BC. In the 3rd century BC. was translated from Hebrew into Greek language. According to legend, it was the order of the Alexandrian king Ptolemy Philadelphus. The texts of the Bible were translated by 70 Jewish sage translators, therefore this version is called the translation of the Seventy, or in Greek - the Septuagint. Then it was this text that was already translated into ecclesiastical Slavic. Psalms were translated into Russian from Hebrew.

The first translation of the Psalter was made by the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius in 863. It was the first Old Testament book to be translated into Slavonic. The first official Russian translation was released in 1876. It was carried out with the blessing and under the control of the Holy Synod. It was called Synodal. In this translation Russians read Psalm 38 today.

The similarity of this text with Psalm 37 indicates that the hymns were written in approximately the same time period - in the last years of the life of King David.

The psalm teaches wisdom: it deals with the problems of the transience of time and life.

In his declining years, David thought a lot about the concepts of "sin" and "repentance", regretted that during his life he spent a lot of time on sin and little on repentance.

Having lived to old age and realizing the insignificance of worldly human values and aspirations, the Israeli king seeks to warn those who still have many years to live on earth. In the psalm, he calls on young people to spend their earthly journey for the benefit of the soul.

Why read

Today, many people find it difficult to find a new high-paying and permanent job, so Orthodox Christians are encouraged to read Psalm 38.

The hymn is read to the Lord God:

granted repentance;
strengthened the strength of a person, helped to resist enemies;
granted an easy death.

Reading Rules

Basic Rules:

Reading time. It is best to read the hymn in the morning.
Situation. It is recommended to pronounce the psalm alone in good light. Reading should be prepared in advance. Nothing should distract, no extraneous sounds.
Reading. It is best to learn the chant by heart. But if this is not possible, then the text of the psalm must be written out legibly on a piece of paper. The chant should be spoken in a whisper or in a singsong voice. While reading, sincerity should come from the depths of the soul. Only in this way will the words of prayer be heard by God and will benefit a person.
Concentration of attention on the text of the psalm. At the time of reading, you need to concentrate and try to get rid of unnecessary thoughts, personal grievances and set yourself up in a positive way. The effectiveness of a prayer appeal to God depends on how sincerely a person prayed.

Text and interpretation

In a hymn, David tells the believers about his severe illness. According to him, the disease is the result of his sinfulness. Therefore, he decides not to react to the injustice on the part of ill-wishers. David chose to accept God's will.

The phrases: “the heart was on fire”, “a fire was kindled in my thoughts” indicate that David was worried about the outcome of his illness. David's awareness of his sinful nature was so deep that he was sure of his imminent death. He believed that he had only a few days left to exist in the world.

In this psalm, David seeks to tell people that a person's life before God is nothing. She is like a ghost and a shadow that quickly disappears. Therefore, all active human activity related to enrichment on the earthly path is pathetic. With his thoughts on the meaninglessness of life, David condemned his past activities: he does not find anything necessary in it, therefore he watches with fear how his life ends.

The Israeli king notes that God's mercy keeps a person on earth. It is for this mercy that David prays to the Lord.

The phrase: “For I am a stranger with you and a stranger” says that the earthly human life is a journey because it is temporary. Life begins after the death of a person, when he finds himself in another world forever. During the earthly journey, sinful passions and attachments to earthly affairs await everyone, so a person can get lost on his difficult earthly path. Thus, a Christian needs help on this difficult path and mercy.

David recognized this omen of the Lord in his illness, which revealed to him his guilt and sinfulness. David prays to the Lord God for condescension, so that He would grant him this mercy.