How to read the psalter. Church of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of the World of Lycia, Wonderworker, Sovetsky Khmao-Yugra, Tyumen region

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Interpretation of the Psalms by Bishop.

archbishop

priest A. Mashkov

Psalter(from the Greek ψαλτήριον (psaltirion) - a stringed musical instrument) - a book consisting of 150 psalms, included in the composition (the connection between the name of the book, as a collection of psalms (songs), and the name of the musical instrument is explained by the fact that in the times of the Old Testament singing psalms were accompanied by playing musical instruments).

The name of the Psalter is taken from the musical string instrument, with the playing of which the singing of psalms was combined during Old Testament worship. The writers of the psalms, judging by the inscriptions, were Moses, David, Solomon, and many others; but since 73 psalms are inscribed with the name of David and many of the uninscribed psalms were probably written by him, the whole book is called the Psalter of King David.

The content of the psalms is very diverse, with the same prayerful (in the sense of a person turning to God) form of most of them: there are psalms of repentance (for example:), thanksgiving (), praise (), petitionary; There are also psalms that are instructive in the proper sense, for example. Along with this teaching and prayerful content of the psalms, many of them also contain prophecies about future events, especially about Jesus Christ and His Church - there are more than twenty such psalms ().

In the Orthodox Church, following the example of the Old Testament, the Psalter is used more than all other sacred books, and for each service special psalms are used, which are sung or read either in their entirety (for example, on and), or in parts in the so-called prokeemnas. In addition, during the service Orthodox Church Ordinary reading of the Psalter is constantly performed.

According to the Church Rules, the entire Psalter must be read in order during the week, and during Great Lent - twice per week.

In church use, the Psalter is divided into 20 parts -, or sedals, i.e. such sections after which one was allowed to sit in the ancient church (during the explanations that followed the reading of the psalms).

Why is the Psalter, being a work of the Old Testament era, so often used in Orthodox worship?

The Psalter, like all the Books included in the Holy Canon (as part of the Holy Scriptures), was written by inspiration.

The main subject of the Book of Psalms is God Himself and in His relationship to the world.

Despite the fact that the psalms were composed in the pre-Christian era, they say a lot about Christ (prophetically or through types) ().

A significant part of the content of the Psalter represents exemplary forms of heartfelt, sublime, reverent.

Some psalm verses are prayers of praise. In these verses, God is praised and glorified as the All-Perfect Creator, the One Heavenly Lord of Lords ().

Others reflect the believer’s grateful attitude towards God for His blessings poured into the world, for His mercies ().

Quite a few verses, if we summarize them, express the cry of a suffering person, perishing in his sins, asking for help ().

Despite the fact that the psalms were composed in the pre-Christian era, they cannot be called outdated. The depth of content of these majestic works has not yet been exhausted.

All of them together and each individually serve for the edification of believers and can be used as teaching aids ().

For these reasons, the reading and singing of psalms was adopted into liturgical practice.

As a particular reason for the assimilation of the Old Testament psalms into New Testament worship, one can also name the fact that in the first time of Christ the church was multiplied at the expense of the Jews, who were brought up on the psalms and to whom they were especially close.

The form of developed Orthodox worship known today did not appear in the Church suddenly. Purely Christian chants, hymns, prayers, even Scriptures were formed slowly, gradually. In this regard, a sober borrowing of the best that was part of the Old Testament liturgical tradition was also appropriate.

About psalmody

During the period of active asceticism, the hesychast, as one Greek manuscript of the 14th century says, kept on Mount Athos in the Iveron Monastery, has three main tasks: first task (for beginners)- weaken passions; second (for successful people)- practice psalmody; third (for those who succeeded)- endure in prayer.

To weaken passions means, first of all, not to feed them with sinful deeds and thoughts, to resist them, following church institutions and partaking of the holy sacraments, displacing passions by acquiring Christian virtues.

In the matter of cleansing from passions and educating the soul for the Kingdom of God special meaning has psalmody. I want to dwell on this in more detail.

The Book of Psalms contains a collection of spiritual songs and is included in the canon of Holy Scripture of the Old Testament. This book received its name from the musical instrument that the prophet David played when singing psalms.

No one has ever doubted the inspiration and canonicity of this book. The psalms are nothing more than the verbs of the Holy Spirit, addressed to all times and peoples, so says the saint. Therefore, all psalms are imbued with holiness. The Psalter reveals to people the Divine economy of our salvation and teaches the rules of faith. It, as the saint wrote, “is a book, firstly, showing the teaching of Revelation in life, and secondly, helping to implement this... The Book of Psalms embraces everything that all other sacred books represent. She prophesies about the future, and brings to memory the past, and gives a law for life and rules for action.”

The spirit of the Psalter itself, which, like the spirit of all Holy Scripture, has a great cleansing power, has an undoubted influence on the human soul. The Book of Psalms, which contains in abbreviation all the books of Holy Scripture, is a complete set of truths of knowledge of God and worship of God. It is no coincidence that it is sometimes called the “little Bible.”

“The grace of God breathes throughout the Holy Scriptures, but in the sweet book of psalms it breathes predominantly,” says the saint. The action and power of this Divine grace extends to all who read, sing and listen to the psalms and cleanses their souls. “You need to know,” points out the ancient Christian thinker, “that the word of God has all the power and such strength that it can cleanse vices and return the polluted to its former color. For the word of God is living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword ().” The Lord Jesus Christ also pointed to the cleansing power of His word when he told his disciples: “ You are already cleansed through the word that I preached to you" (). “Even if you do not understand the power of Divine words, at least train your mouth to pronounce them,” the saint teaches, “the tongue is sanctified by these words if they are pronounced with zeal.”

How and when does this sanctification take place? Following the patristic teaching, this question can be answered as follows.

Words or thoughts perceived by a person or arising within him contain a certain image. This image carries mental strength and has a certain effect on a person. Whether a person is influenced positively or negatively depends on where the images come from. God, out of His condescension and good pleasure, gives knowledge of Himself in images accessible to man. And if a person perceives these Divine images, then they ignite passions in him and sanctify him. Then they confront the images created by man himself and inspired by demons. The latter, if accepted by the soul, will distort the spiritual image of man, created in the image and likeness of God.

Consequently, if by reading the Divine Scripture a person’s soul is cleansed of perversions and vices, then it is very important, over a certain period of spiritual life, to feed the mind with words and thoughts drawn from the Holy Scripture. That is why the ancient monastic rules prescribe, especially for beginners, to learn the Psalter by heart and always have the psalms on their lips. “Every Scripture is inspired and useful (), for this purpose it was written by the Holy Spirit,” the saint explained the meaning of the Psalter, “so that in it, as in the common physician of the spirit, all of us, humans, would find healing - each from his own ailment.”

“As some kind of saving medicine and a means for cleansing sins, the fathers commanded,” says the saint, “to read psalms every evening (in particular, “Lord, I cried”), so that whatever we were defiled by during the day... we would cleanse at the onset of evening through these spiritual songs. They are medicine,” which destroys everything inappropriate. Singing psalms curbs the power of voluptuousness, inspires the mind and elevates the soul. The saint also calls during times of prosperity, enjoying the gifts of God, “to offer songs of thanksgiving to God, so that if something unclean enters our soul from intoxication and satiety, through psalmody we can drive away all unclean and vicious desires.”

The Psalter became the main educational book in Ancient Rus'. From the preface to the “Slavic Grammar” by Meletiy Smotritsky, published in Moscow in 1721, we see that “since ancient times, it was the custom of Russian kindergarteners to teach small children the alphabet first, then the Book of Hours and the Psalter.” The Psalter, as a sacred book and constantly used in worship, was perceived not only as a reading textbook. It was considered necessary to know it as the most necessary, most vital book.

Having learned to read from the Psalter and, moreover, having learned it by heart, the Russian people never parted with it. It was a reference book for our ancestors, a companion on all travels, sometimes it was called a “travel book.”

Russian people, based on their deeply religious feelings, turned to the Psalter to resolve all their perplexities, finding in it answers to difficult life questions and even using it to heal the sick and those possessed by an unclean spirit.

The Psalter remains in frequent use today both during divine services and in everyday life. This is due to the fact that the words of the Psalter not only “purify the soul,” as the saint testifies, “but even one verse can inspire great wisdom, motivate decisions and bring great benefits in life.”

Compared to other books of Holy Scripture, “the book of psalms represents for everyone a model of the life of the soul,” says the saint. - Whoever reads other books pronounces what is written in them not as his own words, but as the words of holy men or those about whom they speak. But, amazingly, whoever reads the psalms pronounces everything written in them, with the exception of the prophecy about the Savior and the pagans, as if in his own name, sings them as if they were written about him or even by himself. According to his spiritual disposition, everyone who wishes finds healing and correction for his every movement in the psalms.” “I think,” the saint further reflects, “that in the words of this book all human life, the entire state of the soul, all the movements of thought are measured and embraced, so that nothing more can be found in a person.”

Reviewing the patristic teaching, we see what great significance the Psalter has in our lives. Therefore, when studying Orthodox culture and in educational process, based on Orthodox culture, it is necessary to use the experience of Orthodox Rus' and, first of all, to use the Psalter, as well as all Holy Scripture, as the basis for arranging a correct life, since “ Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God» ().
abbot

“What a pleasant companion for people at all points of their lives is the prophet David. How well he adapts to any spiritual age and shares all kinds of activities! He rejoices with the children of God, labors with men, instructs young men, strengthens elders - everything happens to everyone: for warriors with weapons, for ascetics with instruction, for those learning to fight with a palaestro, for victors with a crown, at feasts with joy, at funerals with consolation. There is not a moment in our life that is devoid of all kinds of his pleasant benefits. Is there any prayer that David does not affirm? Is there any festival that this prophet would not make bright?
St.

“The Book of Psalms explains everything that is beneficial from all the books. She prophesies about the future, brings events to memory, gives laws for life, offers rules for activity. In short, she is the general treasury of good teachings and carefully seeks out what is beneficial to everyone. What can't you learn from the psalms? Don’t you learn from here the greatness of courage, the severity of justice, the honesty of chastity, the perfection of prudence, the form of repentance, the measure of patience and every good thing you name. Here there is perfect Theology, the prediction of the Coming of Christ in the flesh, the hope of the Resurrection, the promises of glory, the revelation of the Sacraments. Everything, as if in a great and common treasury, is collected in the book of psalms.”
St.

“In my opinion, in the book of psalms, the whole human life and mental dispositions and movements of thoughts are measured and described in words, and beyond what is depicted in it nothing more can be found in a person. Is repentance and confession necessary, has anyone experienced sorrow and temptation, is someone persecuted or has gotten rid of evil intentions, has he become saddened and confused and is enduring something similar to what was said above, or does he see himself prospering while the enemy is brought into inaction, or does he intend to praise, to give thanks and bless the Lord - for all this there is instruction in the Divine Psalms... Therefore, even now, everyone, pronouncing the psalms, let him be sure that God will hear those who ask with the psalm word.”
St.

The Psalter is a collection of 150 (+1) prayer songs - psalms, the nineteenth book of the Bible, included in the Old Testament.

Name "Psalter" comes from Greek words "psalo"(“play the strings”) and "psaltirion"- this was the name of a stringed musical instrument, the playing of which accompanied the performance of psalms (the name “psalm” of the same root).

From the history of the creation and distribution of the Psalter

The Psalter was composed over 800 years. The main part of the Psalter - over 80 psalms - was written by King David. Other authors of psalms were Moses (Psalm 89), Solomon (Psalm 71, 126, 131), Heman (Psalm 87), Etham (Psalm 88), Asaph and the Asaphites, the sons of Korah and unknown writers, whose work includes Psalm 41.

The Psalter itself consists of 150 psalms, and the 151st is dedicated to the composer himself, the one who laid the foundation - David. It can be found in Greek and Slavic editions (lists) of the Bible.

The original language of the book is Hebrew. In the 3rd century BC, the Old Testament was translated into Greek, the translation is known as 70 interpreters. The Slavic peoples were able to read the Psalter in the translation of Cyril and Methodius in the 9th century, and the first printed edition The Psalter took place in 1491, in Krakow.

In Rus', the book received especially wide distribution and use: it was read in services, and as a family book - edifying and educational, and as a textbook, learning not only literacy, but morality.


Initially, the Psalter was divided into 5 parts, in accordance with the ancient liturgical order. Now the Church Charter divides the book into 20 parts - kathisma. Each kathisma contains 3 “Glories”.

King David

King David is one of the most famous and revered biblical heroes. David is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

The king belongs to the tribe of Judah. He became famous for his victory over Goliath, a warrior of the Philistines, and for other military exploits. Having become the king of Israel, he moved the capital to Jerusalem, and the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, making the city a symbol of the unity of the Jews.

One of David's sons was Solomon, who built Jerusalem and became famous for his wisdom. However, the birth of Solomon is connected with the fall of David: the king was seduced by the wife of his warrior Uriah - Bathsheba. In order not to share Bathsheba with her legal husband, David sends Uriah into mortal combat, where the warrior is killed.

David paid for his sin until the end of his life, losing his daughter and two sons, constantly being in wars and military labor. The king deeply repented of his sin, to which he dedicated Psalm 50 of the Psalter. In the Psalm, he asks to be cleansed from sin, appealing to a “broken and humble heart,” which “You will not despise... God.”

Psalter for the Christian

For a Christian, the Psalter is the most precious book of the Old Testament. Its use in services began during the time of the apostles, or the apostolic age - the 1st century AD, after the crucifixion of Christ, during the period of preaching activity of the apostles - his disciples.


Around 100 AD, the last apostle dies, and with his death the apostolic times end.

The Psalter became a Christian source for the morning and evening prayers of believers, and its psalms were included in almost all rites of Orthodox worship. It contains reflections on human life, appeals to the soul and words of consolation, strengthening a person in faith and in himself.

When is the Psalter read?

The Psalter is read daily, during morning and evening church services. Every week (week) the entire Psalter is read, and during Lent the book is read in its entirety twice a week.

Home reading of prayers (rule) includes reading psalms in deep connection with the internal state of the believer, his problems - mental and external. You can read them not only during prayer, but for any spiritual need, in despair, contrition, pain and joy, temptation and in all other cases. The psalms teach and console not only with words - there is an amazing power contained in them, calming, encouraging, instructing.

The Psalter is read not only by believers - the book is loved by people far from religion - for the amazing beauty of the style, the height and courage of thought, and the comprehensiveness of life. The Psalter has inspired many poets, artists, and musicians to create truly great and significant works, serving as a source of creativity.


In monasteries there is a special prayer - the Inexhaustible Psalter. It consists of the nuns continuously reading the Psalter, around the clock, with the mention of the names of the living and the deceased. The reading of the Indestructible Psalter is ordered when a person is dying, he is feeling especially bad, or he simply wants to help the person, support him in his search for himself, in solving problems, in the difficulties of choice.

Nikifor (Bazhanov). Bible Encyclopedia

The Psalter (praise, praise, song of praise, in Hebrew - book of praise) is one of the books of the Old Testament, classified as teaching. It is called so because most of the psalms contained in it contain praise and thanksgiving to God. It got its name from the Greek word - pasllo, I sing, since psalms in the Jewish Church were sung and played on musical instruments. The book of Psalms consists of 150 psalms and one more CLI, which is not found in Hebrew. language and which is translated from Greek. In addition to the Davidic psalms contained in the Psalter, of which there are no less than 78, there is another LXXXIX) belonging to Moses, eleven psalms (41-48, 83, 84, 86) of the Levites, the sons of Korah, twelve (49, 7282) of Asaph the prophet, also of the tribe of Levi, one (LXXXVII) of Heman and one (LXXXVIII) of Etham, contemporaries of David. All of the above psalms, according to the interpreters of St. The Scriptures were collected into one book by the high priest Ezra. The following should be especially noted about the Psalter: it, along with the teaching of piety, also contains many prophecies about Christ the Savior, as, for example, in Ps. XXI David depicted the Savior's suffering on the cross with such precision, as if this psalm had been written at the cross itself. This holy book is an excellent guide to prayer and to the glorification of God, and therefore is constantly used in church services. Ap. Paul exhorted the believers to practice psalmody (Eph. V, 19, Col. III, 16). And indeed, believers in the first times were constantly engaged in singing psalms and thereby inspired themselves in deeds of piety; with psalms they sweetened the difficult days of persecution and aroused themselves to courageously endure suffering; the psalms served them as pleasant relaxation during various labors and activities and as edifying entertainment during rest. “The farmer,” writes Blessed Jerome to Marcella (letter 44), “walking behind the plow, sings hallelujah; the sweat-covered reaper amuses himself with psalms, and the vinedresser, cutting off grape branches with a crooked knife, sings something from David.” Thus, in ancient times, for everyone and at every time of life and in all circumstances, the Psalter served as a most pleasant and useful activity. By its very content, it never loses its meaning for any right-thinking person. “I think,” writes St. Athanasius Vel., “that in the words of this book all human life, all states of the soul, all movements of thought are measured and embraced, so that nothing more can be found in a person. Is it necessary to perform repentance and confession? Depressing Do you have sorrow and temptation? Are they persecuting you or plotting against you? Has despondency taken hold of you? Or, seeing yourself happy and your enemy humiliated, do you want to bring gratitude and praise to the Lord? Everyone can find guidance in the Divine Psalms. Let them read their words about each of these states, and everyone will lift them up to the Lord, as if they were written about him" (letter to Mark about Psalms). "What a pleasant companion for people at all points of their lives is the prophet David, - writes St. Gregory of Nyssa. - How well he adapts to any spiritual age and shares all kinds of activities! He rejoices with the infants of God, labors with men, instructs young men, strengthens elders - everything happens to everyone: for warriors with weapons, for ascetics with instruction, for those learning to fight with a palaestra, for victors with a crown, at feasts with joy, at funerals with consolation. There is not a moment in our life that is devoid of all kinds of his pleasant benefits. Is there any prayer that David does not affirm? Is there any festival that this prophet would not make bright?” (Word on the village of Ascension.) Due to its great significance, the Psalter has enjoyed special respect in our Orthodox fatherland since ancient times, and not only during divine services, but also in everyday life.

Alexander Men. Bibliological dictionary

PSALMS

canonical book of the Bible, part of the *Teaching Books of the OT. Her heb. the name Thilum, Doxology, in the *Septuagint was replaced by “Psalterion” (from the name of the stringed instrument, psalter). In some Greek in manuscripts it is called Psalm

(Psalms). P. contains 150 prayers-psalms written in verse (the 151st psalm was added to the Greek translation).

The meaning of P. Of all the books of the Old Testament, P. is the most read in Christ. world. It was usually the first book of the Old Testament, which was translated into foreign languages. language. IN ancient Rus' P. was not only a temple book, but also a reference book for reading. Many generations learned to read and write using it and the basics of faith. St. *Athanasius the Great said about P.: “I think that in the words of this book the whole life of a person, all his spiritual disposition, all the movements of his thoughts are measured and described in words” (To Marcellinus). Indeed, P. has concentrated in itself a centuries-old religion. experience of dilapidation Churches; it contains the richest range of feelings and thoughts. Themes of sacred history run through the entire collection; the voices of *prophets, *sages, and servants of the Temple are heard in it, who glorify the Lord and His saving deeds, cry out for help, and reflect on the fate of man and the Law. There is not a single tradition of the Old Testament that would not be reflected in the Psalter, but the main thing in it is praise to God the Savior. It expresses the love for Being that overwhelms the souls of the psalmists. The Psalms are the Word of God and the answer to it of faith, which overcomes all trials. Christ himself prayed with the words of P. (see Matthew 27:46); Psalms became the first liturgical book of Christ. Churches since apostolic times. Over the course of many For centuries, the psalms have found and continue to find countless readers, serving as a source of consolation and hope, joy and prayerful reflection. According to St. Basil the Great, “the book of Psalms embraces everything that all other sacred books represent” (Conversations on the Psalms. Preface). P. is very often attached to publications of the New Testament as a kind of compendium of the Old Testament.

Contents P. The psalms are full of high theology. content. They talk about the Being who reveals Himself in the universe and in the history of mankind. He is not only the only One who possesses existence and bestows it on creatures; He constantly creates, constantly carries out His universal plans. The feeling of the omnipresence of God is poured out in jubilant lines of praise and hymns of thanksgiving (Ps 8, 64, 103, 144, 148, etc.). The psalmists confess God to be their only King, their only Ruler of the universe. The forces of nature and the hosts of angels obey him; He conquers darkness and leads the world into the fullness of His Kingdom (Ps. 28, 66, 95, 98, 112, 114).

The history of salvation occupies a significant place in P. The one and true God begins His plan through Israel. He creates it and thereby imposes a high responsibility on the chosen ones. But Israel repeatedly proves to be an unworthy and weak instrument of God's purposes. This weakness of man is opposed by the immutability of the ways of the Lord. Remembering the mercy of God shown to the people of God, one of the psalmists, like the prophets, speaks on behalf of the Lord: “Oh, if My people listened to Me, and Israel walked in My ways!” (80:14). Many psalms are imbued with the spirit of deep repentance (Ps. 50) and faith that the cowardice of people will be covered by the love and forgiveness of the Lord (for example, 76, 84, 117, 125, 136, 147, etc.).

P. is closely connected with temple worship (this is, in particular, indicated by the inscriptions of the psalms; see below). Many psalms are dedicated to heavenly intercession, which extends over Jerusalem as the center of *Revelation (Ps 45, 47, 75). The Temple and Zion become *the prototype of the Universal Church, which will unite all nations (Ps. 86). At the same time, the psalmists, like the prophets, claim that rituals without pure heart and goodwill is nothing. God doesn't need sacrifices. Cult is only an expression of faith, which must manifest itself in humanity (49, 74, 81, 102).

Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit;

a contrite and humble heart

You will not despise, God

Although P. proclaims the universal power of the Creator, it unambiguously teaches about the free choice of man's path. The theme of the choice of two paths, the confrontation between the faithful and the wicked (Heb. reshaim) is one of the most important in P. (The book opens with a psalm dedicated to this confrontation). Ultimately, the wicked reap the bitter fruits of sin in their offspring, but due to the long-suffering of God and as a guarantee of freedom of choice, they are often given earthly prosperity. This fact forces the psalmists to reflect on the secret of human destiny, which brings a number of psalms closer to the Book of Job.

A number of psalms speak in unusually strong terms about the suffering of the righteous. His torment is depicted with all nakedness and poignancy, without the slightest softening “poeticization”.

For my days have vanished like smoke,

and my bones are burned like brand.

My heart is stricken and withered like grass,

so I forget to eat my bread.

my bones cleave to my flesh

But the mournful psalms end on a note of hope. A despairing person finds in his Lord a Savior and Comforter (Ps 3, 7, 10, 12, 15, etc.). A man of faith seeks not only the gifts of God, intercession and help; he longs for communion with God as the true source of life; The Lord for him is the Beloved, to whom his heart is directed.

Like a deer longs for streams of water,

This is how my soul longs for You, O God!

My soul thirsts for the mighty, living God...

Therefore, the Law of God is perceived by the psalmists not as a system of external prohibitions and commands, but as an inexhaustible source from which one can drink endlessly and about which one can meditate day and night. Living in the Law means being with the Lord (1, 18, 118). Love for His Law illuminates a person’s earthly path with heavenly light.

The pinnacle of spiritual aspirations reflected in P. are messianic prophecies and types (see below).

The structure of P. and the question of its authors. As the fathers and teachers of the Church indicate (*Origen, St. *Hilary, St. *Epiphanius, etc.), in ancient times Ps. was divided into 5 parts according to the model of the *Pentateuch: a) Ps 1-40; b) 41-71; c) 72-88; d) 89-105; d) 106-150. The first two parts are called in the Bible itself “the prayers of David the son of Jesse” (71:20), although they include 11 psalms of Asaph, 3 psalms of the sons of Korah, 1 Jaman and 1 Etham. In the Bible in science, the second part of the Psalm is usually called the “Elohistic Psalter” due to the frequent use of the name of God “Elohim” (see Art. Names of God).

The volume and count of psalms in the Hebrew Bible do not coincide with those accepted in the Septuagint and Vulgate (as well as in the Russian Bible). This difference is due to the fact that in these translations 9 and 10 psalms are merged into one (9), 114 and 115 are merged into one (113), 116 is divided into 114 and 115, and psalm 147 is divided into 146 and 147 (In the Brussels ed. * syn. translation adopted double numbering of psalms).

There was rabbinical Tradition states that all the psalms were written by David. Blessed *Jerome and St. *Hilary of Pictavia considered this legend to be erroneous. In the *Peshitta, the authors of the psalms are not identified at all. In euros In the text, 73 psalms are inscribed “le David” (Russian translation: “Davidov”), 25 psalms are inscribed with the names of the temple singers (the sons of Korah, Asaph, Etham), 2 psalms are named after Solomon, and one is named after Moses. For the 50 psalms the author is not indicated at all.

The question of the *attribution of the psalms is connected not so much with their inscriptions as with the nature of their content, since in ancient times *authorship was understood quite broadly. Many psalms called "David" refer to the *"life context" of the post-David era. Thus Psalm 10 speaks of the Temple; we find the same thing in Ps 26:4; 27:2; 28:9; 67:30. Psalm 50 contains hope for the revival of Jerusalem, which indicates that the psalm was composed or ended during the *Captivity period. Consequently, the inscription “David” is not always a direct indication of the author of the psalm. The question of the authorship and dating of the psalms is still considered in the Bible. *isagogy is debatable. But this question itself has nothing to do with the spiritual value and *divine inspiration of P. as an integral part of the Holy Scriptures.

The study of P. began in the Holy Fathers. period. In their comments, the Church Fathers stopped in ch. arr. on the theological and especially messianic meaning of the psalms. Although the opinion that David was the author of the entire Psalm was rejected by many holy fathers, they did not question the attribution of the 73 psalms to the psalmist king. The exception was the views of *Theodore of Mopsuestia, who believed that it was generally impossible to establish the authors of P. and that part of it could have appeared in Maccabean times. In the 17th century *Spinoza and *Newton suggested that the psalms were collected and divided into 5 books under Ezra. From Russian This opinion was defended by exegetes by Archpriest *Vishnyakov N. (1875). The views of Theodore of Mopsuestia were revived by him. biblical scholar Vogel (1767). In the 19th century there was a discussion between interpreters who placed emphasis on the messianic, pro-educational sense of P. (*Hengstenberg, *Jungerov, etc.) and the liberal school, which considered P. only in historical terms. context. Supporters of the liberal school sought to prove that P. has nothing to do with David or the pre-exilic period in general, but reflects the life of the community of the Second Temple period. This direction reached its culmination in the work of *Duma (1899), who dated most of the psalms to the Maccabean period. In *rus. In biblical studies, a similar view was developed by *Nikolsky N.M. (1908). But then there was a turning point in P.’s research, associated with the work of *Gunkel (1904, 1926). Gunkel continued *De Wette's work on the classification of psalms, proposing to abandon the search for indications in the psalms exact date and focus on their content. He created a classification of psalms according to their literary *genres (hymns, prayers, thanksgivings) and established a new approach to the study of the psalms. This approach put in the first place not the personality of the psalmist, but the tradition to which he belongs. Gunkel argued that P. is the voice not of an individual poet, but of the entire Old Testament. Churches; the prayers of the psalmists are primarily communal prayers, even when written on behalf of one person. Gunkel came to the conclusion that the so-called. “royal”, messianic, psalms arose before the Captivity. An important proof of the pre-captivity origin of P. is almost complete absence it contains teachings about the resurrection of the dead and posthumous retribution, which began to spread from the 4th to 2nd centuries. BC However, Gunkel retained the old assumption that the prophets were antagonists of the cult, and saw in P. the development of the prophets. ideas. An important correction to this approach was given by *Mowinkel (1921-24, 1951), who proved the temple character of P. and attributed most of the psalms to the royal era. Mowinkel connected the psalms about the Kingdom of God with the autumn holiday, when the Lord was glorified as the King of the world (“enthronement of Yahweh”). The scientist determined the specifics of this holiday by comparing it with the celebration in honor of the “accession of the deity” among ancient peoples. The question of genres of poetry was studied by *Westermann (1953, 1965). Currently time in zap. In exegesis, the prevailing opinion is that the basis of P. goes back to David.

Formation of P. Poetic praises and hymns arose even before David, at the dawn of the Old Testament. history. God's people have long been in the habit of expressing their feelings and faith in songs and verses (see Exodus 15; Judges 5; 1 Samuel 2:1-10). King David combined military and political. talents with poetic genius. This is evidenced by his elegy on the death of Saul (2 Sam. 1:19 ff.) and the psalm of salvation (2 Sam. 22:2 ff.), included in Ps. (Ps. 17). The majestic, archaic imagery of many of the psalms may well indicate Davidic authorship, which indirectly confirms their similarity to ancient Canaanite poetry (for example, Ps. 28). It is hardly possible to establish exactly which psalms belong to David himself (according to Archpriest *Knyazev, these are Ps 109, 23, 131, 50). The inscription "David", by analogy with the hymns of *Ugarit, may mean that they were sung for the king or in the presence of a king from the house of David. The sons of Korah and Asaph mentioned in the psalms were the leaders of the temple choirs and orchestras. Their names indicated the environment in which the Psalm was formed. The structure of the Psalm shows that the book was formed over a long time, replenished with new psalms, expanding during the era of Captivity (see Ps 136).

Apparently, 5 books of P. arose approximately in the sequence that they appear in the current Bible. The earliest section was "David's prayers." Then the “Elochistic Pedagogical” was formed, which was replenished until the 2nd century. BC A comparison of P. with the *Qumran psalms showed that in Maccabean times P. included not new texts, but ancient psalms. The Psalms of Solomon (see Art. Apocrypha), written around 63 BC, were no longer included in the Psalms, and therefore the complete corpus of canonical books. the psalms had already been codified. This happened no later than 100 BC.

Inscriptions of Psalms. In addition to the names of the authors and instructions on the reason for composing psalms (for example, Psalm 3), in P. there are instructions for singers and musicians. They cannot always be decrypted. Thus, it is believed that the words “when the dawn appears” (Ps. 21) apparently mean that the psalm should be sung to the tune of the traditional morning song. The inscription of Ps 56 is explained in a similar way. The words “on the instrument of Gath” (Ps 38) may indicate a Philistine instrument or melody. The word "alamoth" (Ps. 45) is associated with the singing of the psalm by a female choir (from Hebrew alma, young woman or girl). Musical pauses in P. are marked with the word village (omitted in the syn. translation).

Types of psalms. P.'s classification can be made according to the content of the psalms (see above) or by genre. The first type of classification is based on the main theme of a particular psalm (creation, sacred history, Law, Wisdom, Kingdom of God, * messianism); the second method of classification, introduced by Gunkel, is based on formal genre characteristics (hymns of praise, communal laments, individual laments, royal psalms, pilgrimage songs, etc.). Exists special kind psalms, in which there are calls to God to bring down punishment on enemies. These “psalms of curses” in genre terms go back to the invectives of the ancient East. poetry. They reflect that stage moral consciousness, edges are subsequently overcome by the spirit of the Gospel. The theological meaning of these psalms (for example, Ps 138) is associated with the psalmists’ deep faith in the moral world order. They hoped that the Judgment of God would shame the rapists, tyrants and oppressors. He who tramples justice was for them the enemy of God.

Royal, or messianic, psalms. The message of salvation is the most important content of P. Soteriological. Psalm 17, one of the oldest Davidic psalms, has meaning. The king is, as it were, the representative and personification of the people, who seek God’s salvation. At the same time, the ideal Son of David, the true Anointed One, is in P. the Son of God Himself (Ps. 2). He will be the Ruler of the nations who will come to worship Him (Ps. 71:11). His Kingdom will be everlasting (Ps. 131). Through Him, as a descendant not only of David, but also of Abraham, all the families of the earth will be blessed (Ps. 71:17. Wed. Gen.). His reign will be a complete victory over all hostile forces (Ps. 109). As the Leader and Intercessor, he will unite in himself the royal and the high priestly. service (Ps. 109:4). This image of the Messiah, which appears behind the earthly image of the monarch, draws closer to the image of the suffering *Servant of the Lord (cf. Is 53). Before the Messiah reigns to establish the Kingdom of God, He will be humiliated and suffer (Ps. 89:45). He will cry to the Lord, and He will raise Him up (Ps. 21, the words of which Christ prayed on the cross). The Savior Himself refers to the royal psalms as a prophecy of His ministry to the world. Explaining Ps 109, He points out that the Messiah is immeasurably greater than an earthly king, even one like David (Matthew 22:41ff.). P.'s messianism is the culmination of his soteriology, as well as the soteriology of the entire OT.

P. in worship and in Christian literature. Having been born as a liturgical book, P. occupied a central place in the worship of the Old Testament, especially in the *intertestamental period, when it was already canonized. Some psalms were dedicated to festive rituals (in particular, Easter). The psalms in Christ occupy an equally important place. worship. A significant part of the All-Night Vigil consists of psalms (“Designal Psalm”, “Blessed is the man...”, antiphons on “I have cried to the Lord”, six psalms, *kathisma, Polyeleos, Hours); psalms are also included in the Liturgy (Ps 102, 145).

Back in the old days. At the time, the psalmists borrowed certain texts from their predecessors (see Art. Parallel passages in the Bible). In the spirit of the psalms, intertestamental texts were compiled (Psalms of Solomon, Qumran hymns). In the *Song of the Mother of God and *Song of Zechariah there are reminiscences from P. There were many poetic. *paraphrases from Psalm (for example, *Simeon of Polotsk, *Lomonosov, etc.; see Literary and artistic interpretation of the Bible).

Grigory Razumovsky. Explanation of the Holy Book of Psalms

1. The concept of the Psalter as a holy book and of Holy Scripture in general.    The book of psalms, called the Psalter, belongs to the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament. And therefore, whether we speak about the Psalter in general, or separately about this or that psalm, about this or that saying of the psalmists, we must speak as about a saying and scripture that is sacred and inspired by God. What is Holy Scripture? — The Holy Scriptures were given to people from God Himself; and the holy men by whom it was written were guided by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we all need to be sure that it was written for very important purposes, namely: 1) in order to enlighten and instruct us in what relationship we are and should be in relation to God and His creatures, 2) in order to inform we have everything we need to know and do to glorify God, for the happiness possible in Him on earth and eternal bliss in heaven. For this purpose, Holy Scripture tells us about the creation of the world by the omnipotent Word of God, imparts knowledge of the holy, blessed life of the first ancestors in paradise and their fall from the heights of happiness through the transgression of God’s commandment. Then,   3) showing what we owe to the Almighty Creator, the Merciful Benefactor and the Righteous Judge, Holy Scripture teaches how we can preserve and strengthen His eternal love for us and prepare ourselves to achieve the glory of the children of God. In particular, the purpose of Holy Scripture is 4) to make us wise in the matter of salvation through living faith in Jesus Christ; to present to our eyes the grace of God given to us in Jesus Christ; to form our spirit “in the image and likeness of God” (Eph. 4.23.24); to establish in our souls the knowledge of truth and faith, love and holiness; and lead to “continuous fellowship with the saints” (Eph. 2:19), “to the attainment of perfection, according to the measure of the age of the fulfillment of Christ” (Eph. 4:13), and to glorification with Christ in heaven.    2. The importance of the Psalter in general and in particular for the home use of Christians.     What can be said about Holy Scripture in general, the same should be said about the Psalter in particular; because the Psalter can be called an abbreviation of the entire Holy Scripture, and there is no book in the world as edifying as the Psalter. Everything that concerns the spiritual needs of man is all found in the Psalter. This is a treasury from which everyone can draw comfort and strength in all situations of life; this is the fullness of divine wisdom. Some of the psalms express feelings of gratitude and reverence; others extol the greatness of God and praise His omnipotence, wisdom and goodness; others appeal to the mercy and forbearance of the Creator and beg for the forgiveness of sins; others, finally, contain prophecies about Christ and His Kingdom. That is why, among all the Old Testament books of the Holy Scriptures, divinely inspired and useful for teaching (2 Tim. 3.16), the book of psalms is the most commonly used among Christians, loved by them more than other books and, one can positively say, necessary for everyone. According to St. Athanasius of Alexandria, this book is “a garden that contains the plantings of all other books - it is a mirror where the sinful human soul sees itself in its present form, with all its passions, sins, iniquities, in all its various movements, directions and states; sees all his ailments and finds real cures for his spiritual illnesses in this wonderful book. Yes, the book of psalms is not far from every person, it is not a work of art, alien and extraneous to us, it is our book about ourselves. The Psalms of David are the songs of our soul; his prayerful voices and cries are the voices and cries of our spirit, suppressed by sin, oppressed by sorrows and misfortunes. Besides this, where can we find for ourselves best samples prayers, supplications, thanksgivings, praises of God and glorifications, if not in the psalms of David? In my opinion,” says Athanasius, “the book of psalms measures and describes in words the whole of human life, mental dispositions and movements of thoughts, and beyond what is depicted in it nothing more can be found in a person. Is repentance and confession necessary, has anyone been overcome by sorrow and temptation, is someone being persecuted, or has gotten rid of malicious intent, has someone become sad and confused and is enduring something similar to what was said above, or does he see himself prospering while the enemy is brought into inaction, or does he intend to praise , to give thanks and bless the Lord - for all this there is instruction in the divine psalms... Therefore, even now, everyone, pronouncing psalms, may be trustworthy that God will hear those who ask with the psalm word. That is why, with the words of the psalms, she has always ascended to the Throne God's prayer believers. In the ancient centuries of Christianity, believers were required to memorize the Psalter. Morning and evening, at meals and classes, believers strengthened and delighted themselves with the chants of this holy book. And here, in Holy Rus', for many centuries and until recently, especially among the common people, learning to read and write began with the Psalter, and almost always all book learning ended with it. Therefore, this sacred book in many houses of common people was and is, one might say, the only reference book. In particular, it is the same, and not only a reference book, but also a prayer book, in all Russian monasteries, for all monastics.    3. The attitude of the Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles to the Psalter.     The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in His conversations with the disciples and with the Jewish people, as well as His apostles in their inspired writings, often refer to the book of psalms. Yes, St. The Apostle Paul, teaching the believers the rules and instructions of a holy life in Christ, says: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing yourself, in psalms and songs and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). That is why the book of psalms should be the road for us.    4. About the reasons for the ambiguity and difficulty in understanding the true meaning in the psalms and about their interpretations.     Meanwhile, for many who read the book of psalms, it is not clear in many of its places - it is not clear due to the originality of the language, images and expressions, the depth of thoughts, as well as the darkness of its Slavic translation. The meaning of many psalm sayings is especially dark and incomprehensible for those who have not received sufficient scientific education or have none at all. All 150 psalms, as we know, were originally composed and written in Hebrew. From this language, over time, they were translated into Greek, and much time later they were translated from Greek into the Slavic language. Since each language has its own nature, its own characteristics peculiar to it alone (idiom), then when translating psalms from one language to another, the true meaning of psalm sayings in many places, naturally, had to suffer significant changes due to the inevitable inaccuracy in expressions. Most Slavic language , in which we now read the sacred books, as well as the Psalter, is now not clear to everyone and not in everything. All this serves as the reason for obscuring the meaning of the psalms.     That is why, from the very first centuries of Christianity, attempts and works began to appear to explain the Psalter. It is known that St. Hippolytus the Martyr (II century), the learned Christian writer Origen (III century), and in the IV century we already see several famous interpretations of the psalms, such as: Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom, St. Hilary, blessed Theodoret, Jerome, Augustine and others. These explanations and interpretations, recently collected by Palladius, Bishop of Sarapul, in his book “Interpretation of the Psalms”, as well as in the book of the learned Greek monk Euthymius Zigaben, we will accept in guidance in this brief explanation of the psalms.    5. About the properties and nature of our proposed explanation of the psalms.     Thus, the explanation of the psalms we propose will not be any new, but ancient, not our own, but fatherly. This is the voice of sacred and venerable antiquity, the voice of the Holy Church, obligatory for all believing Orthodox Christians for all times. Since the interpretation of the psalms that we have undertaken cannot constitute any kind of scientific work, but is nothing more than the fulfillment of our sincere desire to understand for ourselves and help our neighbors, by diligently reading or listening to the Psalter, in the best understanding of the true meaning of what we read, then we, if possible Let us avoid what concerns the mysterious meaning in the psalms, and let us have more in mind their literal and historical meaning; and for this purpose we will more often turn to biblical sacred history. Nevertheless, it must be said that one cannot completely abandon the spiritual, non-literal meaning of the psalms when explaining them.    6. About the representative and prophetic meaning of the psalms.     If we understand the sayings of the psalms in the literal sense, then they reveal the different circumstances of the writers or compilers of the psalms and the fate of the Jewish people. But in a spiritual sense, the Psalter prophetically depicts the Savior and shows various states and examples in the lives of believers. David the psalmist himself represents a clear and multifaceted prototype of Jesus Christ, combining in his person the titles of king and Jewish prophet. The Jewish people prefigured the New Testament people of God - the Church of Christ; the enemies of the Jews, depicted in many psalms, prefigured the enemies of Christ's Church; and the victories of the Jews served as a prototype of the spiritual victories won by believers in Christ the Savior.     7. Conditions for the most successful and useful understanding and assimilation of the true meaning of the psalms.    In order to read or listen to the reading of the psalms with the best understanding of their meaning, with all the benefit for the soul and in accordance with the intention of their primary author - the Holy Spirit, we must, if possible, a) know and understand other scriptures, especially the story of David, who is narrated in the first two and partly in the Third Book of Kings and in the First Book of Chronicles, b) notice which passages from the psalms and how they are applied to Jesus Christ and His Church by the New Testament writers, i.e., the apostles and evangelists, and c) preserve in oneself a heart regenerated by the grace of the Holy Spirit , renouncing carnal feelings and thoughts. The more we succeed in the holy Christian life, the more capable we will be of understanding the divine teaching of the Psalter and of perceiving the heavenly consolation that reading it brings to believers.    8. About the names: psalm and Psalter.     Psalm (Greek - psalmus, from - I sing) means: a song of praise. From the collection of many psalms into one book, this book is called the “Book of Psalms”, and in the Hebrew Bible - the “Book of Praises” (sefer tegilaim). Psalms, as hymns of praise to God, were intended for singing and were sung either simply by one choir of singers, or by a choir in combination with music, with playing musical instruments, or instruments - stringed and vocal or trumpet - such as were the case in the time of David and after him not a little (Ps. 914; 97:5; 107:3; Ps. 150; Dan. 3:10; 1 Chron. 16 and many others). One of these musical instruments was called a psalter; which is why the book of psalms itself was later called the Psalter.     9. About the writers of psalms.     At the beginning of the psalms, in the specially published Slavic Psalter, the so-called “Teaching Psalter,” as if a common inscription for all psalms, the words are placed: “David the prophet and the king’s song.” Perhaps, on the basis of this inscription, many unlearned people consider David to be the compiler of the entire Psalter. But this opinion is not fair. Both from the various private inscriptions found on almost all psalms, at the beginning of them, and from their very content, it is clear that the writers of the psalms were different. According to the inscriptions in the Hebrew Bible, 73 Psalms are attributed to David. In addition, in the Greek and Slavic Bibles, those psalms are attributed to him that do not have an inscription in the Hebrew Bible, of which there are fifteen. Some of these psalms are also attributed to David by the sacred writers of the New Testament, for example, Psalm 2 - St. writer of the Acts of the Apostles (4:25); Psalms 31 and 94 - St. ap. Paul (Rom. 4.6-8; Heb. 4..7). From the very content of the psalms it is clear that some of them were written before David, others - during the time of David, and others relate to the Babylonian captivity, which was more than 400 years after the death of David, and even to the times following him. Of all 150 psalms, 12 were Asaph, 12 sons of Korah, 1 Heman, 1 Solomon, 2 prophets Haggai and Zechariah, 1 Moses and other psalmists. The reason that in ancient times all the psalms were attributed by many to David, St. Athanasius considers David himself. He himself chose the singers, he himself appointed which musical instrument to teach them to sing this or that psalm, and therefore, as the founder of choral and musical singing, he was awarded the honor that not only the psalms he composed, but also everything uttered by other singers was attributed to David . 10. About the signing at the beginning of the psalms.     As for the various private inscriptions preceding the psalms and consisting mostly of one or two words, for example, at the end, in songs, about winepresses, etc., it must be admitted that the explanation of these inscriptions presents much more difficulties than the most difficult passages psalm sayings. According to the Reverend Palladium, the inscriptions were made at different times and by different persons, because some of them are found only in the Hebrew Bible, others in the Greek Bible alone or only in the Slavic Bible, which naturally indicates different persons who made inscriptions at different times. And there is no doubt that most of these inscriptions are very ancient, because they are found in the most ancient editions of the Hebrew and Greek Bible. In any case, in order not to leave the zealous and reverent reader of the Psalter in bewilderment regarding the various incomprehensible inscriptions above the psalms, we must provide at least a brief explanation for each of them, borrowing it from the same saints. fathers and teachers of the Church. But we will do this in its own place, when explaining this or that psalm.    11. The order of explanation of the psalms and their division according to content.     The very explanation of the psalms is supposed to be conducted in the form of conversations and in the order in which they follow one after another in the Psalter. Deviation from this order can only be allowed in cases where one psalm has great similarity with another both in content and in the literal expression of thoughts and feelings, such as Psalm 69 with 39 (in vv. 14-18).    Among all 150 psalms, according to their content, there are - 1) prayer or petitionary psalms: a) about the forgiveness of sins, which are: 6, 24, 37, 50, 129 (these psalms are called repentant psalms), b) in case when we go to the temple of God: these are 41, 42, 62 and 83, c) when we are in sorrow and misfortune - psalms 3, 12, 21, 68, 76, 87 and 142; 2) there are psalms of thanksgiving: a) for God’s mercies to every person and b) for mercies to the whole Church, such as 45, 47, 64, 65, 80, etc.; 3) there are historical psalms and there are 4) prophetic psalms, relating especially to Jesus Christ, such as: 2, 8, 15, 21, 44, 67, etc. The last psalms are also called messianic because they contain prophecies about the coming Messiah , i.e. about our Savior Lord Jesus Christ.    12. About the arrangement of the psalms in the Psalter itself.     In the order of the psalms, as can be seen from the previous one, there is no systematic sequence that should be and happens in scientific works or in historical collections, that is, there is no arrangement so that first, for example, the content of the psalms of prayer or petition follows in content, then - historical or thanksgiving, then prophetic, etc. There is no such order in the arrangement of the psalms, but they are arranged, as the holy interpreters of the psalms (St. Athanasius of Alexandria, Blessed Theodoret, etc.) think, according to the time of their collection, since they were collected in different times, in parts - and at the beginning of the book are placed those that were found before others.

Dear Dionysius!

General information and history of the Psalter

Without exaggeration, we can say that for a Christian the Psalter is the most precious book of the Old Testament. The Psalter is a book of prayers for all occasions: in sorrow, in feelings of hopelessness, in fear, in disasters, in tears of repentance and in joy after receiving consolation, in the need of thanksgiving and for offering pure praise to the Creator. St. Ambrose of Milan writes: “In all Scripture the grace of God breathes, but in the sweet song of the psalms it breathes primarily.”

The Psalter received its name from the Greek word “psalo,” which means to rattle on the strings, to play. King David was the first to accompany the singing of the divinely inspired prayers he composed by playing a musical instrument called the “psaltyrion,” similar to a harp. The Jews call the book of Psalms “Tehillim,” which means “praise.”

The Psalter was composed over 8 centuries - from Moses (1500 years BC). to Ezra-Nehemiah (400 BC), contains 150 psalms. King David laid the foundation for this book by composing the largest number of psalms (more than 80). In addition to David's, the Psalter includes psalms: Moses - one (89th Psalm), Solomon - three (71st, 126th and 131st), Asaph the seer and his Asaphite descendants - twelve; Hemana is one (87th), Etham is one (88th), the sons of Korah are eleven. The remaining psalms belong to unknown writers. The psalms are composed according to the rules of Jewish poetry and often achieve amazing beauty and power.

Often at the beginning of psalms there are inscriptions that indicate their content: for example, “prayer” (petitionary psalm), “praise” (praiseful psalm), “teaching” (edifying psalm), or the method of writing: “pillar writing,” i.e. e. epigrammatic. Other inscriptions indicate the method of performance, for example: “psalm” - i.e. with accompaniment on a musical instrument-psalter; “song” - i.e. voice performance, vocal; “on string instruments;” “on the eight-string;” “about the grinders” or in the Russian Bible “on the Gathian weapon” - i.e. on a zither; “about changeable” - i.e. with a change of instruments. Above some psalms are inscribed the words of a song, according to the model of which the given psalm should be sung, something like “similar” ones at evening and morning services.

The Psalter was for the most part the final book in ancient Russian education, necessary not only for church ministers, but also for secular people. The works of Theodosius of Pechersk, Metropolitan Hilarion, Cyril of Turov, Serapion of Vladimir, Vladimir Monomakh are full of references to psalms and sayings from them. Its influence is very noticeable in folk proverbs. The Psalms were transcribed by almost all of our 18th century poets; from the poets of the 19th century - Khomyakov, Yazykov and others.

In almost every verse of the Psalter, the Church finds a reflection of the New Testament, one or another event or thought.

The content of the psalms is closely related to the life of the righteous King David. David, born a thousand years before the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem, was the youngest son of the poor and large shepherd Jesse. Even in his early youth, as a shepherd, David began to compose inspired prayers to the Creator. When the prophet Samuel, sent by God, entered the house of Jesse to anoint a king for Israel, the prophet thought about anointing one of the eldest sons. But the Lord revealed to the prophet that the youngest son, still a very young man, David, was chosen by Him for this high service. Then, obeying God, Samuel pours sacred oil on the head of his youngest son, thereby anointing him for the kingdom. From that time on, David became God’s anointed one - the messiah (the Hebrew word “messiah,” in Greek “Christ,” means anointed one). But David does not immediately begin his actual reign. He still faces a long path of trials and unjust persecution from the then reigning king Saul, who hated David. The reason for this hatred was envy, since the youth David defeated the previously invincible Philistine giant Goliath with a small stone and thereby gave victory to the Jewish army. After this incident, the people said: “Saul defeated thousands, and David defeated tens of thousands.” Only strong faith in God the intercessor helped David endure all the numerous persecutions and dangers to which he was exposed from Saul and his servants for almost fifteen years. Wandering for months in the wild and impenetrable desert, King David poured out his grief to God in inspired psalms (see Psalms 7, 12, 13, 16, 17, 21, 39, 51, 53, 56, 58). The victory over Goliath is depicted by David in Psalm 43.

Having reigned in Jerusalem after the death of Saul, King David became the most prominent king to ever rule Israel. He combined many valuable qualities of a good king: love for the people, justice, wisdom, courage and, most importantly, strong faith in God. Before deciding any state issue, King David cried out to God with all his heart, asking for admonition. The Lord helped David in everything and blessed his 40-year reign with many successes. While ruling the kingdom, David made sure that the divine service in the tabernacle was held splendidly, and for him he composed psalms, which were often sung by the choir accompanied by musical instruments. Often David himself led religious holidays, offering sacrifices to God for the Jewish people and singing psalms (See his psalms about the transfer of the Ark: 14 and 23).

But David did not escape difficult trials. One day he was seduced by the beauty of a married woman, Bathsheba. King David mourned his sin in the famous 50th psalm of repentance. The most difficult sorrow for David was the military uprising led against him by his own son Absalom, who dreamed of becoming king prematurely. In this case, David experienced all the bitterness of the black ingratitude and betrayal of many of his subjects. But, as before under Saul, faith and trust in God helped David. Absalom died ingloriously, although David tried his best to save him. He pardoned the other rebels. David captured his emotional experiences in connection with the uprising of Absalom in the psalms: 4, 5, 6, 10, 24, 40-42, 54, 57, 60-63, 83, 140, 142.

With their poetic beauty and depth of religious feeling, David's psalms inspired the imitation of many subsequent psalmists. Therefore, although not all psalms were written by David, the name that is often given to the book of psalms is still correct: “The Psalter of King David.”

The Prophetic Side of the Psalms

Being a king and a prophet, and also to a certain extent a priest, King David prefigured the greatest King, Prophet and High Priest - Christ the Savior, a descendant of David in the flesh. Personal experience King David, as well as the poetic gift that he possessed, gave him the opportunity, in a whole series of psalms, with hitherto unprecedented brightness and vividness to prophetically outline the personality and feat of the coming Messiah.

Here is a list of the most important prophetic psalms: about the coming of the Messiah: 17, 49, 67, 95-97. About the Kingdom of the Messiah: 2, 17, 19, 20, 44, 65, 71, 109, 131. About the priesthood of the Messiah: 109. About the suffering, death and resurrection of the Messiah: 15, 21, 30, 39, 40, 65, 68, 98:5 (40, 54 and 108 - about Judas the traitor). About the ascension of Christ into heaven: 23, 67. Christ is the foundation of the Church: 117. About the glory of the Messiah: 8. About the Last Judgment: 96. About the inheritance of eternal rest by the righteous: 94.

To understand the prophetic psalms, we must remember that David, like other great righteous men of the Old Testament, prefigured Christ. Therefore, what he says, for example, about his suffering or about his glory, is not an exaggeration, but relates to him only partially. In full measure it refers to Christ. We see such an understanding of the psalms among the Apostles of Christ and the holy fathers.

The significance of the Psalter for Divine services

The Psalter contains many reflections, appeals to your soul, many instructions and words of consolation. It is not surprising therefore exclusively wide application Psalms during prayer. Not a single divine service, since Old Testament times, is complete without psalms. Psalms began to be used when making daily sacrifices, on Saturdays and holidays. David introduced the use of musical instruments during psalmody: strings, winds and percussion - harp, tympans, psalms, cymbals, trumpets and others. The Lord Jesus Christ prayed with the words of the psalms, for example: after the Last Supper, He, “having sung, went to the Mount of Olives” (Matt. 26:30). Following the example of Jesus Christ and the apostles in the Church of the first centuries of Christianity, the Psalter was often used for prayer (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; Cor. 14:26). In the 4th century, for ease of reading during services, the Psalter was divided into 20 parts - “kathisma” (the word “kaphiso” in Greek means “to sit”).

Some of the psalms are read several times during one liturgical day. All Orthodox worship permeated with individual verses of psalms, in the form of prokeimenons, alleluaries, verses on “God is the Lord,” choruses to stichera and other short appeals, petitionary, repentant, laudatory. Christian prayers composed in the New Testament very often borrow expressions from the psalms. The Psalter, in the full sense of the word, is Christianized. This means that the Church puts a Christian meaning into all expressions, and the Old Testament element present in it recedes into the background. The words in the psalms: “Arise,” “Rise, O Lord” lead our thoughts to the resurrection of Christ; words about captivity are understood in the sense of sinful captivity; the name of the peoples hostile to Israel - in the sense of spiritual enemies, and the name of Israel - in the sense of the church people; a call to beat enemies - as a call to fight passions; salvation from Egypt and from Babylon is like salvation in Christ.

About translations of the Psalter

The original language of the Psalter, like other books of the Old Testament, is Hebrew. In the 3rd century BC, the Old Testament books were translated from Hebrew into Greek. This translation was called the translation of 70 interpreters and served as the main source for the dissemination of the Old Testament Scriptures in apostolic times. Over the centuries, due to transcription errors, some variations have crept into both the Hebrew and Greek biblical texts. This difference in reading, although small and insignificant, is still in some places quite noticeable to the ear. The difference in expressions is especially felt in the psalms because they are known to the praying person more than other Old Testament books. Comparing the differences in the psalms of the Hebrew text with the Greek of 70 commentators, many biblical scholars give preference to the latter. The apostles, who preached primarily among pagans who understood Greek, widely used the translation of 70 interpreters in their epistles. Thus, thanks to the holy Apostles and Church Fathers of the first centuries of Christianity, the Bible Greek translation 70 interpreters became the book of the Church.

According to Nestor the Chronicler, the Psalter was translated from the Greek translation of 70 interpreters into the Slavic language by St. brothers Cyril and Methodius (in the 9th century). The translation of the psalms into Russian was made in the 19th century by the “Orthodox Bible Society.” The translation was based on the Hebrew text, which, with the blessing of the Holy Governing Synod, was included in the Russian Bible.

However, it should be said that for a Russian church person, accustomed to praying in Church Slavonic, the Synodal translation of the psalms of the Russian Bible sounds discordant due to frequent discrepancies in expressions with the psalms read in church. Therefore, here are selected psalms in Russian, translated from Greek by 70 interpreters. This excellent, scientifically based translation was made by prof. Kazan Theological Academy by P. A. Yungerov in 1915. This Russian translation is closer in spirit to the psalms read at our services than the psalms in the Russian Bible.

Archimandrite Alexander (Mileant)

The answer to this question was read by 8611 visitors

The Psalter is a special collection church prayers who read without interruption. Its peculiarity is that, unlike all the others, it can be read not standing, but sitting. The collection of prayers for the psalter includes several sections - texts for health, for peace and for every day.

Reading the psalter is also good because you don’t have to go to church to do it. If you are unable to come to special service, you can pray at home only by following certain rules, which I will discuss below.

The features of the psalter are as follows:

1. The priests who are given the right in the church to read these texts are given a special privilege. They are given the opportunity to ask God for forgiveness for the sins of other people. This is not an ordinary prayer, but a real sermon that brings you closer to divine power.
2. An important feature is that during prayer the priest is awarded enormous power, which protects all people from evil spirits and temptations. In churches, the psalter is usually read without interruption, and the monks change each other at certain intervals.
3. In monasteries, obtaining consent to the psalter is considered a generous reward. Prayer helps both the health of those living today and calms the souls of the departed who have gone to heaven. Not all monasteries are awarded the right to perform such services; this is a special favor.
4. The Psalter benefits not only the person to whom it is ordered, but also the person who reads the prayers, the temple itself, and the priests.

By reading the psalter at home, you help both yourself and the people around you. And after you feel the results of regular prayers, you will strengthen your faith in God, become stronger, healthier and more energetic, and will be able to inspire and lead other people by your example.

How to correctly read the psalter at home about health and peace

Such prayers are also a tribute to religious traditions. And like all traditions, the psalter has its own rules. They must be observed thoroughly, showing respect for God and oneself.

There is an Orthodox custom according to which people can agree and read prayers by common agreement:

1. You can team up with like-minded people and agree to read the psalter within one day. Each of you will read just one prayer, mentioning everyone else from the group in it. It is better to write down names on a separate piece of paper in advance so as not to miss or forget anyone.
2. On the second day, the second prayer in turn is read. If someone from the group missed their section, they must “catch up” the next day. You should be fully aware of all the responsibility not only for yourself, but also for the group.
3. As a result, the psalter, its entire book, is read at least forty times, no less. The ideal time for such prayers is before Lent.

Is it worth going it alone? It is undesirable, because you may be completely unable to do it, and you will not finish the job. But, of course, you can try.

Reading the Psalter alone

If you haven’t found like-minded people and haven’t been able to gather a group to read prayers together, you can try to do it yourself, alone. But use all the patience you have. This is not an easy path, but a very valuable one.

The rules are as follows:

• Prepare a supply of wax candles. They should burn all the time during prayer. The exception is when the psalter is read while traveling or on the road.
• You cannot read prayers mentally - all words are pronounced clearly and articulately out loud. At least in a whisper, if you don’t want to disturb your home and family.
• Focus on each word, place the emphasis correctly - the slightest mistake can radically change the meaning of the prayer, which is a sin from the point of view of the church.
• You can read texts while sitting, it is not forbidden.

Don't put it in the text large quantity emotions. Your speech should flow smoothly, monotonously, it is advisable to exclude any expression of feelings from it. You can recite it a little in order to move to the level of favorable energy vibrations, but without theatricality.

If you do not fully understand the meaning of a particular prayer, there is no need to interrupt or try to understand. Your soul feels, hears and understands everything, even if your brain cannot do it. So stay calm and don't worry.

With every day and new prayer you read, you will feel more deeply your connection with God, learn to understand the meaning of all words and sentences. You just need time to raise your spiritual level, learn to turn off your mind and feel prayer in your heart.

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