Poetry lovers are familiar with the lines from Fyodor Tyutchev’s poem “Silentium!” ("Silence!"):
How can the heart express itself?
How can someone else understand you?
Will he understand what you live for?
A spoken thought is a lie.
Wonderful poems by the poet-philosopher about the birth of thought in the depths of the heart and the difficulties of translating it into words, the difficulties of other people understanding it.
By understanding, such a phrase can mean this:
“Whoever strives to explain the unspeakable with words is truly a liar, not out of hatred of the truth, but out of impotence of speech.”
Most likely, the poet means these pangs of creativity. But the question arises: if in the depths of the heart a thought is pure and true, but after saying it becomes false due to the powerlessness of speech, is the author not too categorical? After all, so many true books have been written about the Truth and Truth of God.
We are not talking about deliberately distorting what is in a person's heart. was in the service of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs and knew very well the proverb, widely known in diplomatic circles: “The tongue is given to man in order to hide his thoughts.”
But this is very similar to other words - from the psalms of King David. According to the psalmist, not only thoughts and words, but the whole person is a lie. And not just any specific sinner, but everyone living on earth (see: Ps. 115: 2).
This 115th Psalm is included in the Canon for Communion, and therefore many Orthodox Christians are familiar with it.
“I believed, I said the same things, and I greatly humbled myself. I died in my frenzy: every man is a liar. What shall I repay to the Lord for all that I have repaid? I will accept the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will offer my prayers to the Lord before all His people. The death of His saints is honorable before the Lord. O Lord, I am Thy servant, I am Thy servant, and the son of Thy handmaid; You have torn apart my bonds. I will devour a sacrifice of praise for you, and in the name of the Lord I will call. I will offer my prayers to the Lord before all His people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of you, Jerusalem.”
Unfortunately, we do not always carefully read the words of prayers (we do not heed) and do not understand what “every man is a lie” means. Moreover, a little lower in the same psalm we read: “The death of His saints is honorable before the Lord.” It turns out to be a contradiction. While a person lived on earth, he was a lie, but he died - he could become a reverend, a saint. How can we explain this apparent contradiction?
These words are often uttered in church circles: “Every man is a lie.” But they start like this: “ I said in my frenzy“Every man is a lie.”
Enchantment (in Greek - ecstasy, from the ancient Greek ἔκστᾰσις) - being outside oneself, being outside, admiration, highest form prayer standing. Ecstasy is a special spiritual state, which holy ascetics call “smart contemplation”, “spiritual vision”, “in e vision", "amazement", "higher vision". Enrage is found in the Bible when it speaks of the visitation of a person by the Holy Spirit.
“In such “spiritual admiration” the ascetic ascends angelically to the contemplation of the Holy Trinity and the mysteries of the economy of our salvation. He acquires the ability to contemplate the true essence of things, inaccessible to natural reason; the primitive (forefather Adam) enlightenment and the ability to see the blessed light are returned to him” (Reverend Gregory of Sinaite).
This is how it happened with Saint Moses, with Saint David, with the Holy Apostle Peter and the Holy Apostle Paul, when he found himself in the third heaven and heard unspeakable words.
According to the interpretation of Saints Athanasius and Basil the Great, David here refers to frenzy as defeat and surprise, when, having reached the Heavenly abodes in his spirit and seeing the wonderful land of the living with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, he clearly said that every person in this world is lying about human bliss, which Gregory the Theologian called false prosperity.
“Having become higher than man, I despised everything human. For frenzy means change. Having said: “I will please... the Lord” (Ps. 115:8), then seeing that “every man is a lie” (because human thoughts are deceptive), I humbled myself and subjected myself to suffering, so as not to fall from the height of my standing” (St. Athanasius Great).
David, through the Holy Spirit, contemplated fallen human nature - and saw its falsity
If we summarize the thoughts of the holy fathers, then David, through the Holy Spirit, contemplated the fallen human nature of the descendants of Adam - the old man. And I saw that human thoughts, words spoken, actions, heart, mind, reason, reason are all lies.
Well, what about King David himself? We read about this from Basil the Great:
“The Prophet here does not contradict himself, as some sophists try to expose him for, claiming that if every man is a liar, and David is also a man, then, obviously, he himself was a liar. And if he is deceitful, then he does not need to believe what he claims. And the truth is as we say. For people are called (here) those who still possess human passions, but the one who has already become above carnal passions and, through the perfection of his mind, has passed into the angelic state, when he speaks about human affairs, he obviously excludes himself from the ranks of other people.”
It is clear that if there is an exception for the prophet David, then we will try to take advantage of this and find out the conditions for such an exception.
According to the frenzy in in a broad sense“there is a removal from worldly and carnal wisdom...” In other words, frenzy is
“unceasing mental prayer, in which the human mind has a constant memory of God, freed from all attachments to passions and the so-called world of sin” (Metropolitan Hierotheus Vlahos).
But in order to come out of yourself, you must first know yourself, to know what you need to come out of. And according to the holy fathers, “man is the one who knows himself” (Reverend Pimen the Great).
Neil of Sinai: “When you know yourself, then you will be able to know God”
“He who knows himself is given the knowledge of everything; and everything obeys the one who obeys God, when humility reigns in his members” (Holy Martyr Peter of Damascus).
“Whoever is able to know the dignity of his soul can know the power and secrets of the Divine” (Reverend Macarius of Egypt).
“Just as he who knows himself knows everything, so he who does not know himself cannot know anything else” (St. John Chrysostom).
“When you know yourself, then you will be able to know God, and, as you should, view the creatures with your thoughts” (Reverend Neil of Sinai).
“It is necessary for those who wish to become a partaker of the Heavenly Light to know themselves” (Reverend Nicodemus the Holy Mountain).
“Whoever has known the weakness of human nature has received an experienced knowledge of God’s helping power” (Reverend Maximus the Confessor).
He who knew himself saw that there was in him “the hidden man of the heart” (1 Pet. 3:4), in Scripture called “a child of God” (John 1:12), “son of light” (Luke 16:8), “ born again" (John 3:3), "lived from the dead", "heavenly" (1 Cor. 15:47, 49), "inner man" (2 Cor. 4:16), "spiritual" (Eph. 4:21), “a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17).
But where does self-knowledge begin? According to Bishop Innokenty of Kherson, “he is good who sincerely considers himself bad, he is just beginning to be good.” This is the beginning, this is the first step. At its peak may be the thoughts of St. Silouan of Athos:
“We can reason only to the extent that we have known the grace of the Holy Spirit”; “The perfect ones say nothing of themselves. They say only what the Spirit gives them.”
Or, according to the Apostle Paul, Divine power operates in a regenerated person, “which produces both will and action” (Phil. 2:13). That is, a true thought, a word, and an action.
In this regard, we can give an example from the life of St. Silouan of Athos from the book “Elder Silouan” by Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov):
“In 1932, the monastery was visited by a Catholic doctor, Father Chr. B. He talked a lot with O.V. on various issues of the life of the Holy Mountain and among other things asked:
– What books do your monks read?
– John Climacus, Abba Dorotheus, Theodore the Studite, Cassian the Roman, Ephraim the Syrian, Barsanuphius and John, Macarius the Great, Isaac the Syrian, Simeon the New Theologian, Nikita Stiphatus, Gregory Sinaite, Gregory Palamas, Maximus the Confessor, Hesychius, Diadochus, Nile and other fathers , available in the “Philokalia,” answered O.V.
“Your monks read these books!.. Only professors read them here,” said the doctor, not hiding his surprise.
“These are the reference books of each of our monks,” answered O.V. “They also read other works of the holy fathers of the Church and the works of later ascetic writers, such as Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov), Bishop Theophan the Recluse, St. Nile of Sorsky, Paisius (Velichkovsky), John of Kronstadt and others.
O. V. told Elder Silouan about this conversation, whom he deeply revered. The elder remarked:
– You could tell the doctor that our monks not only read these books, but they themselves could write similar ones... Monks don’t write because there are already many wonderful books, and they are satisfied with them, but if for some reason these books disappeared, then the monks would write new ones.”
It is said: “A lie is the “old” man, and the truth is a “new” man.”
This means that in our time there are such ascetics who have both a true thought and an embodied word, like the great ancient saints. For it is said: “A lie is an “old” man, and truth is a “new” man” (Ancient Patericon).
And in that case " spiritual person“He will say: “A good word has poured out from my heart” (Ps. 45:2), and “my tongue is a scribbler’s reed” (Ps. 45:2). Because he is faithful to his Lord, who said: “Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). The womb is a heart with inexpressible thoughts, and living water– grace with embodied words and deeds (St. John Chrysostom).
Frenzy, as we have already noted, is a change (change of mind, ancient Greek: μετάνοια). Changing our lives, enlightening our minds, purifying our hearts, fulfilling the commandments, partaking of the Chalice of the Body and Blood of Christ, from one precious vessel to another, no less precious vessel, let us force ourselves and try to imitate the holy ascetics who were honored to hear from the Lord Jesus Christ at life: “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no flattery” (John 1:47), and after death: “The death of His saints is honorable before the Lord” (Ps. 116:6). Amen.
115:1
I believed, and therefore I said: I am greatly broken.
If the singer did not believe, he would not consider himself broken. And a believer always understands the danger of crushing from sinning.
115:2
I I said in my rashness: Every man is a liar.
Not every person, it turns out, is a lie, as the singer previously thought in his rashness. And he realized his recklessness not immediately, but as a result of experiencing his troubles and receiving help from God.
115:3
What will I repay to the Lord for all His good deeds to me?
He understands that God does not need anything human, and even with all the desire to do this, man has nothing to thank Him with.
115:4
I will accept the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.
Unless he accepts the salvation offered by the Lord, and calls on the name of the Lord, that is how he will thank the Creator, for this is only what He expects from people. This is the only thing that truly pleases God, for He does not want anyone to perish, but for everyone to take from His hands the cup of salvation through Christ
115:5
I will pay my vows to the Lord before all His people.
The singer is ready to make vows to God not in private, so that no one knows about them in case of non-fulfillment. And publicly, in front of everyone, he was ready to promise God a good conscience with good deeds, so that everyone watching him could not reproach him for not keeping his vows before God, and turning out to be an empty talker (a windbag) before Him.
115:6
The death of His saints is precious in the sight of the Lord!
God grieves over the death of His saints, these people are dear to Him and their death is not in vain: God knows that the death of His saints is only a stage in their eternity.
Who are the saints, however?
Blessed and HOLY is he who has part in the first resurrection
- Open 20:6. This means that all future co-rulers of Christ fall under this designation “saints”.
And also all those saints of the OT whom God himself considered holy (moved by the holy spirit - 2 Peter 1:21.
The death of these servants of God is especially valuable in His gases.
115:7
Oh my God! I am Your servant, I am Your servant and the son of Your handmaid; You have loosed my bonds.
It is good to be a servant of God and come from a family of servants of God, who have the opportunity to raise a son in the admonition of the Lord. The servant exactly fulfills the will of God, so God helps His servants to cope with all the bonds of the difficulties of this age - first of all.
115:8 I will offer you a sacrifice of praise, and I will call on the name of the Lord. Calling on the name of the Lord and praising Him is no worse than sacrificing rams and goats, just to know who exactly to praise by name and for what
115:9
I will pay my vows to the Lord before all His people,
And again verse 5.
115:10 in the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem! Hallelujah. Only with clarification: in the courts of the House of God it makes sense to make vows, and there are two of them, external (for the people) and internal (for the priesthood, Ezekiel 44:15,19), so that believers can evaluate whether the one who promised God fulfills his vows . But in the world, if you make vows to God, then they will not be able to control the promiser: they do not even understand the meaning of the words of the vows to God.
Ps. 115:1-3. Deep faith in the Lord is accompanied by brokenness of heart. The psalmist recalls his extremely difficult condition. In rashness (verse 2) should rather be read as “in a frenzy.” At the limit of his spiritual strength, the psalmist burst out that every person is a lie, that is, that none of the people can be trusted, for they are all unreliable and deceitful. “Between the lines” it is read here that the author of the psalm realized: in difficult circumstances, only heartfelt prayer to God can bring help and tangible relief. For in verse 3 he exclaims: What will I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?
Ps. 115:4-5. It is suggested that the “cup” (verse 4) may symbolize here part of the ritual of sacrifice, performed in gratitude for the fear (deliverance, healing from illness). One way or another, the “cup of salvation” (in this context) is a thanksgiving cup, similar to the “cup of blessing” that the Jews raised at the Passover supper after drinking first the “cup of bitterness” and then the “cup of joy.” In direct connection with this “cup” is the psalmist’s willingness to take upon himself, before all the people of God, vows... to the Lord. May they serve to spiritually strengthen those who hear them!
Ps. 115:6-10. By declaring himself the servant of the Lord and the son of His servant, whose bonds He loosed (verse 7), having saved him from death, the psalmist thereby classifies himself among His saints; the death of such is precious in the sight of the Lord (verse 6), he proclaims, obviously implying that without a significant reason the Lord does not allow His chosen ones to die, as evidenced by the recent deliverance from death of the psalmist himself. Again there is a promise to glorify the Lord, turn to Him and publicly fulfill your promises to Him (verses 8-9) in the middle of Jerusalem, before the sanctuary of the Lord. The psalm ends with a declaration of praise (Hallelujah).
PSALM 115
The English translation of the Bible combines the previous psalm and this one, while the Russian synodal translation, the Septuagint and some other ancient versions separate one from the other and this one is called the “Martyr's Psalm,” I think because of verse 6. In this psalm David confesses:
I. My faith (v. 1): “I believed, and therefore spake.” These same words are quoted by the apostle (2 Cor. 4:13), when he speaks of himself and his fellow ministers, who, although they suffered for Christ, were not ashamed to belong to Him. David believed in the existence, providence and promise of God, believed His words spoken through Samuel that he would soon exchange the shepherd's staff for the scepter. Believing these words, he went through many difficulties, and so here he speaks to the Lord in prayer and praise (v. 3). He who believes in God will turn to Him. He also talks to himself; Since he believed, he said to his soul: “Return, my soul, to your rest.” He talked to others, told his friends about his hope, on what it was based, although this angered Saul and turned him against him, and he himself suffered greatly because of it. He who believes with his heart must confess with his mouth for the glory of God, the encouragement of others, and proof of his own sincerity (Rom. 10:10; Acts 9:19,20). He who lives in hope of the kingdom of glory need not fear or be ashamed of his duties to Him who purchased it for him (Matt. 10:22).
II. My fear (v. 2): “I was greatly distressed, and then I spoke in my rashness, that is, recklessly and thoughtlessly - amazed (in some translations), when I was overwhelmed with terror, in flight (in other translations) - when Saul pursued me: “...every man is a lie.” So were everyone he had to deal with: Saul and his courtiers, friends who he expected to be loyal to him but who actually abandoned and abandoned him when he fell out of favor at court. Some believe that this especially refers to Samuel, who promised him the kingdom, but deceived him, for David once said: “...one day I will fall into the hands of Saul...” (1 Sam. 27:1). Note:
(1) Even the faith of the best saints is imperfect, and not always strong and effective. David believed and therefore spoke correctly (v. 1), but now, because of unbelief, he began to speak incorrectly.
(2) When we experience great and severe suffering, especially when it lasts for a long time, we are apt to become tired, despondent, almost despairing, and lose hope. Therefore, let us not be so quick to judge others, but take good care of ourselves when we get into trouble (Ps. 39:2-4).
(3) If good man speaks incorrectly, then this was done rashly, out of surprise of temptation, and not consciously and deliberately, as does the wicked man who sits in the congregation of the wicked (Ps. 1:1) - sits and speaks against his brother (Ps. 49:20, 21).
(4) What we have said wrongly and rashly, we must renounce by repentance, like David in Psalm 30:23, and then it will not be brought against us as an accusation. Some believe that these words of the psalmist were not rash. He suffered greatly and was forced to flee, but he did not trust in man and did not make flesh his muscle. No, he said: “Every man is a lie; the sons of men are but vanity; the sons of men are a lie, therefore I will trust only in God, and in Him I will not be disappointed.” It seems that this is how the apostle perceives this verse (Rom. 3:4), when he says that God is faithful, but every man is a liar in comparison with God. All people are fickle and unreliable, subject to change; therefore let us leave man and cleave to God.
1. Asks what he can do in response (v. 3): “What will I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?” Here he says
(1.) As a man conscious of the many mercies he has received from God, all his benefits. It seems that this psalm was written on the occasion of some special benefit, but in this one psalmist saw many others and remembered them, so now he thinks about all God's benefits to him. Note, When we speak of God's mercies, we must magnify them and speak highly of them.
(2) As one who cares and studies how to express his gratitude: “What shall I render to the Lord?” He feels that he cannot offer God anything of equal value or his valuable reflections on what he has received. Likewise, we should not pretend that we can repay God or earn His favor. The psalmist wants to offer God something acceptable that He would be pleased to accept as the recognition of a grateful mind. “What will I repay?” he asks the priest, his friends, or, rather, himself, and communicates on this topic with his heart. Note, Having received many favors from God, we must ask ourselves, “What shall I repay?”
2. Decides what to do in response.
(1.) He will offer his praises and prayers to God in the most reverent and solemn manner (v. 4, 8).
“I will accept the cup of salvation, that is, as proof of my gratitude to God, the libation sacrifice prescribed by law, and I will rejoice with my friends in God’s mercy towards me.” This cup is called the cup of deliverance because it is drunk in honor of his deliverance. During their family dinners, pious Jews sometimes accepted a cup of blessing, which the head of the family, thanking God, drank first, and then everyone else at the table. But some believed that it was not a cup presented to God, but a cup that God placed in his hands. I will accept, first, the cup of suffering. Many wise interpreters believe that this speaks of a bitter cup, which is consecrated for the saints, and therefore the cup of salvation (Phil. 1:19): “... this will serve for my salvation...” - spiritual health is implied here. David's sufferings were typical of Christ, and in our sufferings we share in them, and his cup was certainly the cup of salvation. “Whatever cup God, who has done so many good deeds for me, puts into my hands, I will readily accept it and will not doubt. May His holy will be fulfilled.” Here David speaks in the language of the Son of David (John 18:11): “Shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?” Secondly, the cup of consolation: “I will accept the benefits that God has given me at His hand, and taste His love in them, not only what is part of my inheritance in the other world, but also my cup.”
I will offer You the sacrifice of gratitude that God required (Lev. 7:11,12, etc.). Note, He whose heart is truly grateful will express his gratitude in offerings of gratitude. We must first present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1; 2 Cor. 8:5), and then present that which can glorify Him in works of piety and charity. Charity and fellowship are the sacrifices that are acceptable to God (Heb. 13:15,16), and they should largely accompany the sacrifices of praise that glorify His name. If God has been generous to us, then the least we can do in return is to be generous to the poor (Ps. 15:2,3). Why should we offer God something that costs us nothing?
“I will call on the name of the Lord.” He already promised this in the previous psalm (v. 2) and repeats it here again (v. 4, 8). If we have received mercy from a person like us, we tell him that we hope not to bother him again. But God is pleased to accept the prayers of His people as an honor to Himself; He rejoices in them and they do not bother Him. Therefore, in gratitude for past mercies, we should seek Him in order to receive future mercies, and continue to call on His name.
(2.) He will always think well of God, who gives life and comfort to his people (v. 6): The death of his saints is precious in the sight of the Lord; it is so dear that He will not indulge Saul, Absalom, or the enemies of David with the death of the psalmist, no matter how zealously they desire it. Therefore, being in deep despair and danger, David consoles himself with this truth, and, having consoled himself, he consoles others who may find themselves in a similar situation. Even in this world, God has His people, His saints, who are merciful, who receive mercy from Him in order to show it to others for His sake. The saints of God are mortal and dying; Moreover, there are those who want their death and are doing everything possible to hasten it. Sometimes they succeed in achieving their goal, but the death of His saints is precious in the eyes of the Lord, as is their life (2 Kings 1:13) and their blood (Ps. 71:15). God often preserves the lives of His saints in miraculous ways when there is but one step between them and death. He takes special care to ensure that their death occurs under unencumbered circumstances; and whoever kills them, however little he may have had in their death, will have to pay dearly for it when the time of retribution for the blood of the saints comes (Matt. 23:35). Although no one takes it to heart when a righteous person dies, God will show that He takes it to heart. This should make us desire death, death for Christ's sake, if we are called to have our death registered in heaven; and may it be as precious to us as it is to God.
(3) He will commit himself to be God's servant throughout his life. By asking the question: “What shall I render to the Lord?”, he submits himself to God, which is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices (v. 7): “O Lord! I am Your servant.” Here we are presented with the relationship that David has with God: “I am Thy servant; I chose my fate; I decided so; I want to live and die having this ministry.” He calls the people of God, who are dear to him, His saints, but as for himself, he does not say: “Truly I am holy” (this title would be too exalted for him), but - “I am your servant.” David was a king, but at the same time he was proud to be a servant of God. To be a servant of the God of heaven is not a humiliation, but an honor even for the greatest kings of the earth. David does not compliment God, as people often do: “I am your servant, sir.” No, he says: “Lord, I am Your servant; You know everything; You know I am like that.” He repeats these words because it pleases him to think about it, and he has decided to fulfill his promise: “I am Your servant, I am Your servant. Let others serve whomever they please, but I am Your servant.”
The basis for such relationships: firstly, by birth. “Lord, I was born in Your house, I am the son of Your handmaid and, therefore, a slave.” It is a great mercy to be the children of godly parents, for it obliges us to duty and gives us the opportunity to ask God for mercy. Secondly, through the atonement. The one who secured his release from captivity took him as his slave. “Lord, You have loosed my bonds, delivered me from the mortal sufferings that beset me, and therefore I am Your servant. I have the right to Your protection and I am obliged to work for You.” The bonds that You have loosed must bind me even more tightly to You (Patrick).
(4.) He will conscientiously perform his vows and promises, not only to offer the sacrifice of praise which he has sworn, but to perform all the other duties to God which he laid upon himself in the day of trouble (v. 5): "My vows I will pay. to the Lord,” and again: “I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people” (v. 9). Note, Vows and debts must be paid, for it is better not to swear than to swear and not keep it. He will pay his vows
At the present time, and will not, as apologetic debtors, postpone their execution or ask for a deferment for a day. I will pay them now (Eccl. 5:4).
Publicly. He will not praise the Lord in a corner, but the service that he is obliged to do for God, he will do in front of all His people - not for demonstration, but to show that he is not ashamed to serve God, and to invite others to join him. He will pay his vows in the courts of the tabernacle, where the congregation of the Israelites will be present, in the midst of Jerusalem, so that the worship of God will gain a good reputation.
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Interpretation of Psalm 115
Ps. 115:1-3. Deep faith in the Lord is accompanied by brokenness of heart. The psalmist recalls his extremely difficult condition. In rashness (verse 2) should rather be read as "in a frenzy." At the limit of his spiritual strength, the psalmist burst out that every person is a lie, that is, that none of the people can be trusted, for they are all unreliable and deceitful. “Between the lines” it is read here that the author of the psalm realized: in difficult circumstances, only heartfelt prayer to God can bring help and tangible relief. For in verse 3 he exclaims: What will I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?
Ps. 115:4-5. It is suggested that the “cup” (verse 4) may symbolize here part of the ritual of sacrifice, performed in gratitude for the fear (deliverance, healing from illness). One way or another, the “cup of salvation” (in this context) is a thanksgiving cup, similar to the “cup of blessing” that the Jews raised at the Passover supper after drinking first the “cup of bitterness” and then the “cup of joy.” In direct connection with this “cup” is the psalmist’s readiness to take upon himself, before all the people of God, vows... to the Lord. May they serve to spiritually strengthen those who hear them!
Ps. 115:6-10. By declaring himself the servant of the Lord and the son of His servant, whose bonds He loosed (verse 7), having saved him from death, the psalmist thereby classifies himself among His saints; the death of such is dear in the eyes of the Lord (verse 6), he proclaims, obviously implying that without a significant reason the Lord does not allow His chosen ones to die, as evidenced by the recent deliverance from death of the psalmist himself. Again there is a promise to glorify the Lord, turn to Him and publicly fulfill your promises to Him (verses 8-9) in the middle of Jerusalem, before the sanctuary of the Lord. The psalm ends with a declaration of praise (Hallelujah).