Psalm 83. Bible. Text, audio, when to read Psalm 83.

Psalm 83

In the end, about the sharpeners, the son of Kore, psalm

To fulfillment, about grinders. Sons of Korah, psalm.

1 How beloved is Your habitation, O Lord of hosts!
1 How desirable are Your mansions, O Lord of hosts!

2 My soul longs and ends for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

2 My soul thirsts and yearns, longing for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

3 For the bird will find itself a temple, and the turtledove a nest, wherein it will lay its young, Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

3 For the bird has found a home for itself, and the turtledove has found a nest for itself, where it will lay its young: Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will praise You forever and ever.

4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will praise You forever and ever.

5 Blessed is the man, whose intercession is with You; put ascension in your heart,

5 Blessed is the man for whom You have an intercession; he has made ascents in his heart,

6 In a vale of sorrow, in a place like a hedgehog, put it, for the one who gives the law will give a blessing.

6 in the valley of tears, to the place that God has appointed, for the Lawgiver will give the blessing.

7 They will go from strength to strength: the God of gods will appear in Zion.

7 They will go from strength to strength; the God of gods will appear in Zion.

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer, grant it, O God of Jacob.

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob.

9 Our Protector, see, O God, and look upon the face of Thy Christ.

9 Our protector, O God, look and behold the face of your anointed one.

10 For it is better to have one day in Your courts than a thousand: I would rather wander about in the house of my God than to live in the villages of sinners.

10 For one day in Your courts is better than thousands; I have chosen rather to be despised in the house of God than to dwell in the habitations of sinners,

11 For the Lord loves mercy and truth, God will give grace and glory; the Lord will not deprive the good of those who walk in kindness.

11 For the Lord loves mercy and truth, God will give grace and glory: the Lord will not deprive those who walk in goodness of blessings.

12 O Lord God of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in Thee.

12 O Lord God of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You.

How beloved is Your village, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs and ends for the courts of the Lord, my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God. For the bird will find itself a temple, and the turtledove a nest, where it will lay its young, Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who live in Your house; they will praise You forever and ever. Blessed is the man who has his intercession with You; put the ascension in your heart, in the vale of tears, in the place of the hedgehog, for the blessing will be given by the one who sets the law. They will go from strength to strength: the God of gods will appear in Zion. Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer, inspire, O God of Jacob. Our Defender, see, O God, and look upon the face of Thy Christ. For it is better to have one day in Your courts than a thousand: I deign to sneak into the house of my God rather than live in the villages of sinners. Because the Lord loves mercy and truth, God will give grace and glory, the Lord will not deprive the good who walk in kindness. Lord God of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in Thee.

We read the Psalter. Psalm 83

Conversation with Archpriest Alexy Ladygin about the Psalter.
Dear brothers and sisters, we continue to study the Psalter and today we will talk about the 83rd Psalm. Like other psalms, it has a pre-writing: at the end, O sharpeners, the son of Kore, Psalm 83. The psalm was written by the psalmist David, but, as we said, he gave them to the sons of Kore to perform, so there is such a pre-writing. We have also already said what “about grindstones” means: grindstones are the name given to the churches that the Lord built on earth and where the salvation of all the faithful to the Lord takes place. This psalm also speaks of those aspirations, those trials that believers in Christ encounter on their path. When we talk about the Christology of the Psalter, this is not surprising, because the psalmist was not just a king who composed wonderful psalms, but he is a prophet-king, and each of his psalms is a prophecy about times, both Old Testament and New Testament: about the time when people were waiting for the Coming of Christ, and about the time when the Lord came and established (or acquired) His Church with His Honest Blood.

“How beloved is Your village, O Lord of hosts!” The psalmist David calls the temples of God, where the human soul longs, beloved villages. We can talk about the great significance of the Church as a special place where God dwells, where a person has special communication with Him, where the sacraments are performed. The human soul always strives for this place. There are difficulties, there is a need, and in the first stages of our spiritual life we ​​go to church so that the Lord will fulfill some of our requests. But when a person has a special love for God, when he lives by this love, he, of course, strives to meet the Lord, to communicate, and this brings him inner satisfaction, a certain spiritual sweetness, inner fulfillment. A person is inspired by this and wants to constantly experience these feelings, just as a person who loves another person strives to find an opportunity to communicate with his loved one. This communication inspires him, lifts his spirits, gives him joy and motivation for life. And a person who loves the Lord also loves the place where the Lord especially dwells, and goes to the temple to communicate with God, to fill himself spiritually. He loves these villages, strives there and only here finds God in full.

This is also stated in the New Testament. The Lord has special favor towards such a person and appears to him. The Lord healed a crumpled woman in the synagogue, who came to the temple not to be healed or to receive some kind of help - she came to the Lord, to communicate with Him - to hear the word of God and fill her soul with the inner joy that the Holy Scriptures and reasoning about the Holy Scriptures give. This is an amazing feeling for many believers who come to church simply to communicate with the Lord, to be filled with special feelings and great joy that the Church of Christ gives. In life we ​​see many people who have the opportunity to find great joy in this life through some earthly objects, through entertainment, and there are a lot of them in the modern world and they suit different tastes and different ages. But still man strives for God. We see grandmothers, elderly people, their infirmity requires peace, a home environment, their infirmity requires consolation, but they, overcoming physical infirmities, overcoming distances, living in urban or rural areas, go to the temple, because what they get in the temple from the Lord, from communion with the Lord, they cannot receive anywhere. It is in the temple that they receive consolation. And the psalmist further expresses these feelings:

“My soul longs and ends for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.” The soul desires - it is exhausted without communication with God, it becomes unwell, it becomes unsuitable for life, because only in the temple does it receive life-giving juices. Only in the temple of God is that grace given that becomes scarce in everyday life and is replenished in the temple of God. And not only the soul in the courts of the Lord, that is, in the Church of Christ, is filled with great grace, but also my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God - the heart is inspired, filled with great joy, when a person visits the temple of the Lord and communicates with the Lord, the flesh is also renewed , becomes completely different, filled with strength. Although we know that church service requires the expenditure of physical strength, at the same time weakness recedes from you, and you feel full.

This happens very often in our lives. When a person is alone or in an everyday environment, he pays attention to his weakness, to his pain, his flesh constantly annoys him. And when a person comes to him, whom he loves very much, has been waiting for, he becomes inspired, his heart is filled, his infirmity recedes, and he begins to jump and jump, set the table, take care, and in his worries, his infirmity recedes from him. Likewise, the Lord gives inner inspiration and grace to a person who communicates with God, so that his heart, soul, and all his flesh are literally renewed.

“For the bird has found a temple for itself, and a turtledove a nest in which to lay its young, Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house: they will praise You forever and ever.” Indeed, blessed is he who lives with the Lord. The Lord speaks about it in the Beatitudes: a person receives something completely new and different, and the bliss will never end, a person will thank the Lord for what he receives, rejoice in what the Lord gives. Therefore, many people do not leave the temple of God. And only a person who has care for his family has to return to his home and continue to bear his life’s cross. And those who do not have earthly care, like monastics, do not leave the temple of God, do not leave the monastery: they have here constant communion with God, and they already have an internal need for this, since they have experienced high feelings of communion with God , joy, grace that the Lord gives. They no longer want to depart from the Lord, but are in such a state that they want to praise the Lord forever and ever, as the psalmist says about this. Both human experience and Holy Scripture tell us about this: that people who are released from everyday cares and worries begin to go to the temple of God every day, while others generally settle at the temple.

And in my life there have been cases when people who raised their children and no longer had care for their grandchildren went to church and worked at the temple. But in fact, they do not work, but serve - in the temple there is no opportunity to work and earn some huge money, they serve: for them it is a great joy to be in the temple, to carry out some kind of obedience, and when they are completely freed, some come to monasteries, take monasticism and no longer want to return to their comfortable apartments. Children begin to come to them, join the church, grandchildren come and see in what blissful state their grandfathers and grandmothers who have accepted monasticism are. Such a tradition has always existed, and this tradition is taken not from some customs of life, but from the spiritual experience that a person receives while staying in the temple of God.

The life that was at the Jerusalem Temple, at the Old Testament Temple, tells us about this: we know about Anna the Prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, who prophesied during the Presentation of the Lord, about Simeon the God-Receiver, who did not leave the temple, serving day and night, like Anna Prophetess. The feelings that a person gains at the temple - joy, inspiration, grace - surpass everything that he can receive in earthly life. This person doesn’t want to go anywhere. The Holy Scripture also speaks about this. Remember, when many were tempted about the Lord, the Lord asked His disciples: “Would you like to leave Me?” Then the Apostle Peter said: “Lord, where should we go from You? You have the words of eternal life." Indeed, what they heard and saw in the eyes of the Divine Savior could not be replaced by any earthly joys, so they, too, did not leave the Savior day and night, served Him, listened to His words and bore the obedience that the Lord imposed on them.

“Blessed is the man, for his intercession is with You: put his ascension in your hearts.” The Lord is our Intercessor, the Lord is our Helper in all our difficult situations, both in life and in inner experiences, for the Lord interceded for man. If it were not for this intercession, then the person could not have been saved, the enemy of the human race would have destroyed him. The Lord Himself came to this earth and suffered for the sake of our salvation: He interceded for us, He opened up to us the possibilities of an eternal perspective - without this it would not have been impossible for a person to complete his saving path. As the psalmist says here, put ascension in your hearts - ascent to God through a virtuous life, through the saving path that the Lord showed and revealed to each of us. Everything in life is very complicated, not easy, and a person really cannot be saved in any other way, on his own: the earth acquired a completely different desire after the Fall. The psalmist goes on to name the earth very well:

“In a vale of mourning, in a place like a hedgehog, put it: for the one who lays down the law will give a blessing.” Here both previous and subsequent words are connected with the Lord. If the Lord does not give us intercession in the deplorable vale, then our ascent is impossible. At the same time, ascent through the deplorable vale (through sorrows, falls, experiences, each of us endures them), is possible through repentance to the Lord. “Put it in its place.” What kind of place is it? The Holy Fathers say very well that this is the place of our stay and the place of our salvation through the Church of Christ. For the one who gives the law will give the blessing. The Lord gives blessing, He gives help, the opportunity to ascend through the Law, which He laid down and left here on earth, so that each of us has the opportunity to ascend in our hearts.

“They will go from strength to strength: the God of gods will appear in Zion.” The psalmist speaks very profound words: ascending from strength to strength, to the measure of the age of Christ, as the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament tell us. Everyone must make this ascent on earth, continuing in eternity. For what? After all, you don’t have to live like this, you can live differently, the way our Earth lives. But what will be the outcome? Bitterness, unwillingness to have love for this life, for God? A person will see nothing in the deplorable vale, only everything evil and negative. And when you have the ascent laid down in your heart, when you have to work on yourself and in the vale of tears to fulfill the commandments of God, through this you will improve, join the virtuous life, and your life will be different. After all, virtue opens Heaven to you, opens it to another person, and opens God to another person.

It is no coincidence that the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov tells each of us that we first of all save our soul: “Save yourself, and thousands will be saved around you” - through your ascent, through your perfection, through your ascent from strength to strength, to the measure of the age of Christ , as the psalmist very subtly and very beautifully says, the God of gods will appear in Zion: The Lord will reveal himself to you, will reveal himself to the whole world. A person can only discover God through good deeds, only through a perfect life, and through this he will reveal God to another person: he reveals the Light - God is Light, and there will be a desire for this Light by many, many. Then life opens up an eternal perspective for you, as we would say today, a clear path opens up for you along which you must walk and strive for God, overcoming all trials and difficulties.

“Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer, inspire, O God of Jacob.” It is on this path that we need help from the Lord. Lord God of hosts: The Lord who gives us strength has the power and ability to give us salvation. Without God it is impossible to follow the path of salvation. No matter how good we are, we will still fall apart, our thoughts will still not work correctly, we will still not have enough internal reserve to remain constantly in goodness. Therefore, we ask the Lord, Who is the Giver of good things, Who gives strength to a person to follow the saving path, we turn to Him: “Hear my prayer, because without You, Lord, we cannot do anything” - without God it is impossible to follow the saving path, and it is impossible to be saved without him. But what is impossible for men is possible for God, the Holy Scripture tells us. And with such a prophecy, through aspiration, through the perspective that is opened to man by the coming of Christ the Savior to earth, the psalmist, as it were, breaks it all off and turns to God: “Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer, inspire, O God of Jacob.” It was precisely at that dangerous time, when a person lived among polytheism, that he clarified which God we should turn to, without looking for or relying on our fictitious god or on any other forces surrounding us or offering their help in different “sauces.” " No way. David shows: turn to the God of strength, to the God who has power and has help. This is the God of Jacob, our forefather.

“Our Defender, see, O God, and look upon the face of Thy Christ.” By the face of Thy Christ is meant the face of every Christian believer: “See, Lord, our striving, our desire, our struggle to follow You, to work for the sake of finding You and for the sake of Your appearance, both in this world and in our hearts.” If we take the prophecy of the psalmist - for the sake of His appearance in this world.

“For it is better to have one day in Your courts than a thousand: I deign to wander about in the house of my God rather than to live in the villages of sinners.” It is better to dwell somewhere at the threshold of Your temple, O Lord, for one day, says the psalmist, than to live in the villages of sinners - luxurious villages that do not give anything eternal, internal, permanent, which can entertain and give only emptiness. It would be better for me to remain at Your threshold for one day, next to Your temple, and have nothing in this world, than to possess this world and be deprived of Your appearance both in this world and in my heart.

“For the Lord loves mercy and truth, God will give grace and glory; the Lord will not deprive the good of those who walk in kindness.” The Lord loves the truth, He gives truth and mercy only to those who walk in this life in kindness, because He Himself showed truth and mercy to the entire human race through His Coming and compassion, having accomplished salvation for us, in Himself healing man in all its fullness and essence, and gave the true word, the Gospel sermon, which is addressed to us, and through this - grace and glory. The Lord will not deprive the good of those who walk with kindness - the one who walks with kindness educates his heart in love for his neighbors, lives with mercy and true life in Christ, and he will not be deprived of great grace: the Lord gives it precisely to such people who live a virtuous life.

“Lord God of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in Thee.” All is well in the world. But any person's hope in another person is false. Man's trust in wealth is unsaving: blessed is only the one who trusts in the Lord. The Lord will never leave anyone, will never betray anyone, He always abides in love for man: no matter how bad and unworthy we are, but if we repent to God, then He again makes us His children - His love overcomes and surpasses every human sin . The Lord calls you and me to live in kindness. Why? He has already forgiven the person, but we cannot forgive the person, so we sin against the Lord. But everyone who trusts in God receives correction of the path in his life and receives forgiveness from the Lord: the Lord gives him grace, strength and returns to him His own adoption. Again here are these words: Lord God of hosts. The Lord has the power and ability to make a person blissful, that is, happy: a person must have trust in the Lord, and through this he receives bliss, happiness.

This is such a deep prophetic psalm about all of us, dear brothers and sisters, about our ups and downs. And most importantly, the Lord shows the path along which we should follow and where we should seek true happiness, the fullness of the manifestation of God - through the temple of God.

God bless you all, and God willing, see you again!

Recorded by Nina Kirsanova

Psalm 83

Each prayer is filled with love, gratitude and faith in the Lord. Psalm 83 is very similar to Psalm 62. It is filled with the perfect spirit of the suffering. The text of Psalm 83 is intended for Sunday, during celebrations and rituals.

Text of prayer Psalm 83

The prayer is read in Old Church Slavonic, but most often Psalm 83 is read in Russian.

In Church Slavonic with accents

1 Finally, O sharpeners, son of Korah, psalm

2 Since Your village is beloved, O Lord of hosts!

3 My soul desires and ends for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

4 For the bird will find itself a temple, and the turtledove a nest where it will lay its young, Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

5 The blessed ones who live in Your house will praise You forever and ever.

6 Blessed is the man who has intercession with You; put ascension in your heart,

7 In the vale of mourning, in the place of the hedgehog, put it, for the one who sets the law will give a blessing.

8 They will go from strength to strength: the God of gods will appear in Zion.

9 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer, grant it, O God of Jacob.

10 O God, our protector, see and look upon the face of your Christ.

11 For it is better to have one day in Your courts than a thousand: I wish to dwell in the house of my God rather than to live in the villages of sinners.

12 For the Lord loves mercy and truth; God will give grace and glory; the Lord will not deprive those who are good of those who walk in kindness.

13 Lord God of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in Thee.

In Russian

1 To fulfillment, about grinders. Sons of Korah, psalm.

2 How desirable are Your dwellings, O Lord of hosts!

3 My soul is weary, longing for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh delight in the living God.

4 And the bird finds a home for itself, and a swallow finds a nest for itself, where to lay its chicks, at Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God!

5 Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house: they shall praise Thee continually.

6 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You and whose heart is directed toward You.

7 Passing through the valley of mourning, they open springs in it, and rain covers it with blessing;

8 They come from strength to strength, appearing before God in Zion.

9 O Lord, God of hosts! Hear my prayer, give ear, O God of Jacob!

10 God, our protector! Come close and behold the face of Your anointed.

11 For one day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be at the threshold of the house of God than to live in the tents of wickedness.

12 For the Lord God is the sun and the shield, the Lord gives grace and glory; He does not deprive those who walk in integrity of blessings.

13 Lord of hosts! Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

History of writing

Historians say that the author of the work is King David. Allegedly, he composed it during the time of Absalom's rebellion. But the inscription at the front of the prayer says that one of the Levites, descendants of Korah, was involved in it. It is possible that the inscription “Sons of Korah” means that it is precisely such a Levite who should perform the psalm. They sing the song on a special musical instrument, which was made only in the city of Gath.

Why read Psalm 83?

It is recommended to read Psalm 83 when:

• the desire to enter God's house and settle in it (for all needs);
• so that the Lord preserves property, crops, animals;
• protection from attacks by thieves.

Interpretation of Psalm 83

• Verses 1-5: The author describes the dwellings of the Lord, how his soul was weary, so eager to get into God’s chambers. Those who live there are blessed. The author would like to be where the Lord dwells. Rejoice in closeness with the Creator.
• Verses 6-10: He who draws strength from the Lord will not be deprived of happiness. A spiritual and sincere attraction to the temple is blessed. All exiles will receive atonement and freedom.
• Verses 11-13: Those exiles felt so painfully the distance from their native places and the temple of God. They only wanted to be there, and this dream was possible. Everyone's wishes will be heard. The power of faith gives confidence in receiving help and protection from the Lord.

Reading rules

Psalm 83 is read in Russian daily or at services. You can read from a sheet or a collection, or you can learn by heart. There are no strict rules for reading the prayer.

Text of Psalm 83 in Russian

83.1. To the head of the choir. On the gun of Gath. Korean sons. Psalm.

83.2. How desirable are Your dwellings, O Lord of hosts!

83.3. My soul is weary, longing for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh delight in the living God.

83.4. And the bird finds a home for itself, and a swallow finds a nest for itself, where to lay its chicks, at Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God!

83.5. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house: they will praise You without ceasing.

83.6. Blessed is the man whose strength is in You and whose heart's paths are directed toward You.

83.7. Passing through the valley of mourning, they open springs in it, and the rain covers it with blessing;

83.8. they come from strength to strength, they appear before God in Zion.

83.9. Lord, God of strength! Hear my prayer, give ear, O God of Jacob!

83.10. God, our protector! Come close and behold the face of Your anointed.

83.11. For one day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be at the threshold of the house of God than to live in the tents of wickedness.

83.12. For the Lord God is the sun and the shield, the Lord gives grace and glory; He does not deprive those who walk in integrity of blessings.

83.13. Lord of strength! Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

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Explanatory Bible Commentary on the Psalter

The inscription attributes the psalm to the sons of Korah, the Levites, in agreement with which are Ps.83_3 and Ps.83_11 verses, where the writer expresses a desire to be not in the sanctuary itself, where only the priests had access, but in the courtyard of the temple, the care of which lay with the Levites. The psalm indicates the forced removal of God’s anointed one from the temple along with the Levites (Ps. 83_10). The latter can be understood as a king, since from the time of Saul’s anointing as king, the term “anointed one” began to be predominantly applied to kings (1 Sam. 12:3, 5, 26:9; 2 Sam. 1:14; Ps. 17:51, 19: 7). The king, as depicted in the psalm, is pious and belongs to the number of “walkers in integrity” (Ps. 83_12). David should be considered such a king, and the circumstances of writing the psalm were his flight from Jerusalem during persecution from Absalom, when David was accompanied by the Levites who loved him and sympathized with him. The latter well understood the state of David in his distance from the tabernacle, which they depicted in the psalm. - “On the instrument of Gath,” i.e., an instrument borrowed from the Philistine city of Gath. The content of the psalm represents the difficult mental state of a righteous man, forced to live outside his usual and beloved sphere of close unity with God in the place of His special presence, that is, in the tabernacle.

How dear are Your dwellings, O Lord, to which my soul longs and which for me are also like a nest for a bird’s chicks (2–4). Blessed are those who live in Your house or those who are heading towards it, strengthening in strength as they approach Zion (5-8). Hear us, O God, and look upon Your anointed one. In Your courts one day is better than a thousand outside them, since the Lord is the sun and shield pouring out good things on the blameless (9-13).

Ps.83:2. How desirable are Your dwellings, O Lord of hosts!

Ps.83:3. My soul is weary, longing for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh delight in the living God.

Ps.83:4. And the bird finds a home for itself, and a swallow finds a nest for itself, where to lay its chicks, at Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God!

Ps.83:5. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house: they will praise You without ceasing.

“How desirable are Your dwellings” - how dear and pleasant are Your villages to me, O Lord! By villages we mean not only the sanctuary, but also the temple courtyard with all the related buildings. I, says the writer, cry out with my soul and body, I suffer for them (“my soul is tired”). I would like to be where You, Lord, live, and rejoice in my proximity to You. For a bird, its nest serves as a place of peace and protection; the same place of peace for every suffering righteous person is the village of the Lord, where he can draw encouragement and strength through worship, sacrifice and prayer.

Ps.83:6. Blessed is the man whose strength is in You and whose heart's paths are directed towards You.

Ps.83:7. Passing through the valley of mourning, they open springs in it, and the rain covers it with blessing;

Ps.83:8. they come from strength to strength, they appear before God in Zion.

But the one who draws his strength from You will not be deprived of bliss, even if he is far from the temple: from the valley of tears that is assigned to him by God, that is, from the place of his exile, he strives to go out, to climb the mountain, on which stood the Irk of the Covenant, that is, Zion. The Lord will bless such a sincere, heartfelt attraction to the temple: all the exiles will be strengthened and the Lord will appear to them in Zion, that is, they will be returned and their exile will end.

Ps.83:11. For one day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be at the threshold of the house of God than to live in the tents of wickedness.

The consciousness of distance from the temple, the impossibility of taking part in worship was so deeply felt by the exiles that they preferred “one day” at the tabernacle to a thousand outside it, they wanted to be the very last, despised (“at the threshold in the house of God”), but only to be in the courtyard of the temple than to live an outwardly happy life among sinful people.

Ps.83:12. For the Lord God is the sun and the shield, the Lord gives grace and glory; He does not deprive those who walk in integrity of blessings.

Ps.83:13. Lord of strength! Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

The writer is confident that his desire to return “to the courts of the Lord” will be fulfilled, because the Lord is “the sun and shield,” that is, he rewards (“grace and glory gives”) “those who walk in integrity,” as these involuntary exiles were. The consciousness of one’s innocence and the power of faith in God creates confidence in receiving protection, and therefore the writer calls such people blessed and happy.

Psalm 83 – listen and read the text. Interpretation.

Old Testament

Psalter

• Book of Genesis
• Book of Exodus
• Book of Leviticus
• Book of Numbers
• Book of Deuteronomy
• Book of Joshua
• Judges
• Book of Ruth
• 1st Book of Samuel
• 2 Samuel

• 1st Book of Kings
• 2nd Book of Kings
• 1 Chronicles
• 2 Chronicles
• Book of Ezra
• Book of Nehemiah
• Book of Esther
• Book of Job
• Psalter
• Book of Proverbs of Solomon

• Book of Ecclesiastes
• Book of Song of Songs
• Book of the Prophet Isaiah
• Book of the Prophet Jeremiah
• Book of Lamentations
• Book of the Prophet Ezekiel
• Book of the Prophet Daniel
• Book of the Prophet Hosea
• Book of the Prophet Joel
• Book of the Prophet Amos

• Book of the Prophet Obadiah
• Book of the Prophet Jonah
• Book of the Prophet Micah
• Book of the Prophet Nahum
• Book of the Prophet Habakkuk
• Book of the Prophet Zephaniah
• Book of the Prophet Haggai
• Book of the Prophet Zechariah
• Book of the Prophet Malachi

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Here you can listen and read the text of Psalm 83

Interpretation of Psalm 83

The first verse corresponds to an introductory inscription, in which the phrase of the sons of Korah speaks either about the involvement of one of the Levites, the descendants of Korah, in the creation of this psalm, or that it was intended to be performed by them. “Gethian instrument” is the name given to a musical instrument that was made in the Philistine city of Gath.

Ps. 83 is very consonant with Psalms 41 and 42; it expresses the same theme of heartfelt longing for the place of worship of the Lord. In essence, it is one of the “songs of pilgrims”, or “songs of ascent” (about them in the Introduction to the interpretation of the Psalter), although formally it is not included among them (Psalms 119-133).

A. Yearning of the soul for the Lord (83:2-5)

Ps. 83:2-3

. In heartfelt words, the psalmist speaks of his longing for the place where the Lord of hosts (or “Lord of hosts”) “dwells.” Not only the sanctuary, but also the courts surrounding it, are desirable to him; With all his heart he strives for the living God.

Ps. 83:4-5

. And he envies even the birds that build their nests at the altars of the Lord, much less those who live in His house (obviously, the priests and temple servants).

B. About the ascent to the temple (83:6-8)

Ps. 83:6-8

. The author could be in a forced distance from the “dwelling” of God. Verses 6-8 are understood by some as his mental ascent to Zion (Blessed is the man... whose heart the paths are directed towards You). Nevertheless, this psalm could well have been sung by real pilgrims. “Valley of Weeping” in English. the Bible translation reads as “valley of the balsam tree”; It is believed that it meant a certain waterless place, which pilgrims passed on their way to Zion, and, behold, for them it was covered with springs (a symbolic picture of God's blessings).

B. The Pilgrim's Prayer (83:9-13)

Ps. 83:9-13

. Here is the pilgrim's prayer for the king, God's anointed. But perhaps it was pronounced by the king himself, who was located at a distance from the “courts of the Lord” (compare with verse 6 and its explanation). This understanding is more consistent with verse 11, where the psalmist again expresses longing for the tabernacle, it would be better for him to live one day at the threshold of the sanctuary than a thousand days among sinful people (in the tents of wickedness).

The Lord God is the sun and shield, declares the author of the psalm, for those who walk before Him blamelessly. He gives them grace and does not deprive them of benefits. The condition for human happiness is trust in the Lord - the psalm ends with this thought.

You can learn more about God and the Bible on the website The Bible about God

Kathisma 11 Psalm 83

Psalm 83

The inscription attributes the psalm to the sons of Korah, the Levites, in agreement with which are verses 3 and 11, where the writer expresses a desire to be not in the sanctuary itself, where only the priests had access, but in the courtyard of the temple, the care of which lay with the Levites. The psalm indicates the forced removal of God’s anointed one from the temple along with the Levites (v. 10). The latter can be understood as a king, since from the time of the anointing of Saup to the kingdom, the term “anointed” began to be predominantly applied to kings (1 Kings XII: 3, 5; XXVI: 9; 2 Kings I: 14; Ps XVII: 51; Ps XIX: 7). The king, according to the image of the psalm, is pious and belongs to the number of “those who walk in integrity” (v. 12). David should be considered such a king, and the circumstances of writing the psalm were his flight from Jerusalem during persecution from Absalom, when David was accompanied by the Levites who loved him and sympathized with him. The latter well understood the state of David in his distance from the tabernacle, which they depicted in the psalm. - “On the instrument of Gath,” i.e., an instrument borrowed from the Philistine city of Gath. The content of the psalm represents the difficult mental state of a righteous man, forced to live outside his usual and beloved sphere of close unity with God in the place of His special presence, that is, in the tabernacle.

How dear are Your dwellings, O Lord, to which my soul longs and which for me are also like a nest for a bird’s chicks (2-4). Blessed are those who live in Your house or those who are heading towards it, strengthening in strength as they approach Zion (5-8). Hear us, O God, and look upon Your anointed one. In Your courts one day is better than a thousand outside them, since the Lord is the sun and shield pouring out good things on the blameless (9-13).

1 To the director of the choir. On the gun of Gath. Korean sons. Psalm. 2 How desirable are Your dwellings, O Lord of hosts! 3 My soul is weary, longing for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh delight in the living God. 4 And the bird finds a home for itself, and a swallow finds a nest for itself, where to lay its chicks, at Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God! 5 Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house: they shall praise Thee continually.

2-5. “How desirable are Your dwellings” - how dear and pleasant are Your villages to me, O Lord! By villages we mean not only the sanctuary, but also the temple courtyard with all the related buildings. I, says the writer, cry out with my soul and body, I suffer for them (“my soul is weary”). I would like to be where You, Lord, live, and rejoice in my proximity to You. For a bird, its nest serves as a place of peace and protection; the same place of peace for every suffering righteous person is the village of the Lord, where he can draw encouragement and strength through worship, sacrifice and prayer.

6 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You and whose heart is directed toward You. 7 Passing through the valley of mourning, they open springs in it, and rain covers it with blessing; 8 They come from strength to strength, appearing before God in Zion.

6-8. But the one who draws his strength from You will not be deprived of bliss, even if he is far from the temple: from the valley of tears that is assigned to him by God, that is, from the place of his exile, he strives to go out, to climb the mountain, on which stood the Irk of the Covenant, that is, Zion. The Lord will bless such a sincere, heartfelt attraction to the temple: all the exiles will be strengthened and the Lord will appear to them in Zion, that is, they will be returned and their exile will end.

9 O Lord, God of hosts! Hear my prayer, give ear, O God of Jacob! 10 God, our protector! Come close and behold the face of Your anointed. 11 For one day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be at the threshold of the house of God than to live in the tents of wickedness.

11. The consciousness of distance from the temple, the impossibility of taking part in worship was felt so deeply by the exiles that they preferred “one day” at the tabernacle to a thousand outside it, they wanted to be the very last, despised (“at the threshold in the house of God”), but only to be in courtyard of the temple than to live an outwardly happy life among sinful people.

12 For the Lord God is the sun and the shield, the Lord gives grace and glory; He does not deprive those who walk in integrity of blessings. 13 Lord of hosts! Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

12-13. The writer is confident that his desire to return “to the courts of the Lord” will be fulfilled, because the Lord is “the sun and shield,” that is, he rewards (“grace and glory gives”) “those who walk in integrity,” as these involuntary exiles were. The consciousness of one’s innocence and the power of faith in God creates confidence in receiving protection, and therefore the writer calls such people blessed and happy.

Why do they read the Christian prayer Psalm 83

The Christian text of Psalm 83, as follows from the inscription preceding it, belongs to the sons of Korah - hereditary Levites who served at the Jerusalem temple. The psalm is a lamentation song addressed to God, in which the author expresses his longing for the house of the Lord, that is, the temple.

Based on this, the interpretation of Psalm 83 explains that it was written, although not by King David himself, but in memory of his suffering and persecution as a result of the rebellion of Absalom. It was during this period that the prophet David was forced to become a fugitive in his own kingdom, and found himself far from his favorite place of prayer and solitude - the Jerusalem temple.

In what cases is it recommended to read Orthodox Psalm 83?

In the text of Psalm 83, the author describes the state of the prophet David, who would rather spend one day in the Tabernacle than the rest of his days in the tents of wicked people, which obviously meant sinful people living unrighteously, but at the same time happily. Such a mood of the psalm can be understood by any believer who, due to circumstances, has been excommunicated for a long time from visiting church and participating in church sacraments. Venerable Arseny of Cappadocia advises reading and listening to Psalm 83 online to protect your property from thieves.

Listen to the video of the Orthodox prayer Psalm 83 in Russian

Read the text of the prayer Psalm 83 in Russian

To the head of the choir. On the gun of Gath. Korean sons. Psalm.

How desirable are Your dwellings, O Lord of hosts! My soul is weary, longing for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh delight in the living God. And the bird finds a home for itself, and a swallow finds a nest for itself, where to lay its chicks, at Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God! Blessed are those who dwell in Your house: they will praise You without ceasing. Blessed is the man whose strength is in You and whose heart's paths are directed toward You. Passing through the valley of mourning, they open springs in it, and the rain covers it with blessing; they come from strength to strength, they appear before God in Zion. Lord, God of strength! Hear my prayer, give ear, O God of Jacob! God, our protector! Come close and behold the face of Your anointed. For one day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be at the threshold of the house of God than to live in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is the sun and the shield, the Lord gives grace and glory; He does not deprive those who walk in integrity of blessings. Lord of strength! Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Orthodox Psalter, text of the prayer Psalm 83 in Church Slavonic language

Since your village is beloved, O Lord of hosts. My soul longs and ends for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoiced in the living God. For the bird will find itself a temple, and the turtledove a nest where it will lay its young, your altars, O Lord of hosts, my king and my God. Blessed are those who live in your house; They will praise you forever and ever. Blessed is the man, whose intercession is with you; put the ascent in your hearts, in the vale of deplorable places, in the place you put it; for the one who gives the law will give the blessing. They will go from strength to strength; The God of gods will appear in Zion. Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer, inspire, O God of Jacob. Our Defender, see, O God, and look upon the face of your Christ. For one day in your courtyards is better than a thousand; I deign to sneak into the house of my God rather than live in the villages of sinners. Because the Lord loves mercy and truth, God will give goodness and glory; The Lord will not deprive good walkers of innocence. Lord God of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

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Since Your village is beloved, O Lord of hosts.

My soul longs and ends for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

For the bird will find itself a temple, and the turtledove a nest, where it will lay its young: Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

Blessed are those who live in Your house: they will praise You forever and ever.

Blessed is the man for whom You have his intercession: put his ascension in your hearts, in the vale of sorrow, in the place where you put it, in the place where you put it: for he who lays down the law will give a blessing.

They will go from strength to strength: the God of gods will appear in Zion.

Lord God of hosts: hear my prayer, inspire, O God of Jacob: our protector, God, see, and look upon the face of Thy Christ.

For it is better to have one day in Your courts than a thousand: I deign to sneak into the house of my God rather than live in the villages of sinners.

For the Lord God loves mercy and truth, and will give grace and glory: the Lord will not deprive the good of those who walk in kindness.

Lord God of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

In Russian. An educational text for understanding unfamiliar words and expressions of the Church Slavonic language.

About the blessedness of the blameless and those who trust in the Lord

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

How desirable are Your dwellings, O Lord of hosts!

My soul is weary, longing for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh delight in the living God.

And the bird finds a home for itself, and the swallow finds a nest for itself, where to lay its chicks, at Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God!

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house: they will continually praise You.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You and whose heart's paths are directed toward You. Passing through the valley of tears, they open springs in it, and the rain covers it with blessing.

They come from strength to strength, they appear before God in Zion.

Lord, God of strength! Hear my prayer, give ear, O God of Jacob! God, our protector! Come and look upon the face of Your anointed.

For one day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be at the threshold of the house of God than to live in the tents of wickedness.

For the Lord God is the sun and the shield, the Lord gives grace and glory; He does not deprive those who walk in integrity of blessings.

Lord of strength! Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

PRAYER RULE FOR COMMUNION (sample of preparation during the week):

Monday

(according to secular style - on Sunday evening after Little Compline): Canon of Repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tuesday

: Canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos.

Wednesday

: Canon to the Guardian Angel.

Thursday

: Canon to Saint John the Baptist.

Friday

: Canon, Akathist or prayers to your patron saint, whose name you bear.

Saturday

: To the Sweetest Jesus.

Sunday

: the first (evening) part of the procession to Holy Communion. The second (morning) part of the sequence is read after the 1st hour.

Attendance at the Divine Liturgy on Sunday is a MANDATORY and IMMEDIATE rule for an Orthodox believer, as is the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. An exception to this RULE is possible only due to a serious or contagious illness, as well as in the event of a natural or social disaster, when it is impossible to get to church.

Note: in this prayer rule and the attached Orthodox calendar, the beginning of a new day is considered to be 18:00.