Understanding and the Nature of Gospel
the visible, the audible, the tasted, the smelled, the touched
to be among those being instructed. And since it seemed regarding him to be himself the teacher, it is necessary for the teacher to be helped by the students; having hidden it, he says: 'May God give you understanding in all things.' Therefore understanding is manifold; the word is homonymous, and it has many meanings.
And since he speaks about hidden things here, there lies that which is according to knowledge, that which is kindred to wisdom; for the psalm contains mysteries. And this must be said: it is impossible to understand grammatical words if one does not have understanding of letters, and it is not possible to understand the arguments of philosophers unless one has knowledge of their previously proposed thesis. So also the things of God are impossible to understand without divine understanding.
And why is it that grace is given to David alone, or the understanding is said to be from David? Observe that characteristics are known both from the giver and from the receiver, knowing them. For instance, even the Holy Spirit in the Scripture is called at times Elijah and at times John. Likewise also the Gospel is called at times of God, as of God giving and arranging it: 'set apart' for 'the gospel of God'; and at times from the one ministering it: for 'according to' 'my gospel'; and of those preaching, it is sometimes said they have received the gospel, and at times it is said as having been released: 'repent and believe in the gospel.' Such names, when they mean the same both with and without an addition—with a divine addition and without this, as I said, simply gospel and gospel of God—are the same. Therefore it is the same to say simply gospel and gospel of God. Thus, understanding is from the giving God, and from the prophet and his psalmist who received it, the understanding is said to be.
Blessed are they whose lawlessnesses have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered (Psalm 32:1). Sin differs from lawlessness. Lawlessness is the sinful practice of one not having law; for the transgressor of law is called lawless. 'Lawlessness reproaches a man' (1 John 3:4). And: 'The lawless man says that he sins in himself' (James 4:17). Even if in another way sin and lawlessness are the same: for this the divine John writes in the epistle concerning it: 'everyone who does sin and lawlessness does, and the...'
Greek
τυγχάνει, τὸ ὁρατόν, τὸ ἀκουστόν, τὸ γευςτόν, τὸ ὀσφρητόν, τὸ ἁπτόν. ὁ´̣μως καὶ ἐν τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς ἐστιν τελειότης καὶ βεβαιότης· δίδοται γὰρ τὸ ἐπαινετὸν καὶ αἰσθητῶς, τελειοῦται δὲ διὰ τῆς ἑξάδος, διὰ τῆς τελειότητος. καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἰστέον· ὁ πρὸ τούτου ψαλμός–φημὶ δὲ ὁ τριακοστός–τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην περιέχει γένεσιν· τριακοντού157 της τις γὰρ γεγενημένος δύναται πάππος εἶναι καὶ μάμμη ἡ τελειοῦσα τριάκον̣τα ἐτῶν γενομένη. ταῦτα καὶ οἱ παῖδες τῶν ἰατρῶν λέγουσιν· δεκατεσσάρων τις ἐτῶν γεγενημένος γόνιμον δύναται προϊέναι σπέρμα. ἐὰν οὖν τοῦτο καταβληθῇ εἰς τὸ ἐργαστήριον τῆς φύσεως, ἀποτελεῖται ζῷον καὶ γεννᾶται τῷ πεντεκαιδεκάτῳ ἔτει. εἶτα αὐτὸ τοῦτο πάλιν δεκατεσσάρων ἐτῶν γεγενημένον δύναται γόνιμον εἶναι, καὶ εἰς τριακοςτὸν ἔτος πάππος ἀποδείκνυται. ἡ τριγένεια δὲ μάλιστα ἐν τοῖς ὑπὸ γένεσιν προτέρ̣α̣ν ταύτην ἔχει τὴν τελείωσιν. αὕτη οὖν ἡ γένεσις ἀνθρωπικωτέρα οὖσα προϋπάρχει τῆς γενέσεως τῆς δευτέρας, ἥτις κατὰ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τὸν εἰρημένον κεῖται βεβαιότητα ἔχοντα διὰ τὸν εἰκοσιπέντε καὶ τελ̣ειότητ̣α δ̣ιὰ τὸν ἔξ. λοιπὸν ἴδωμεν τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ τί μυστήριον περιέχει. ὁ ψαλμὸς "συνέσεως" ε᾿̣π̣ιγέγραπται, "τῆς συνέσεως τοῦ ∆αυίδ", ἵν' ὁ νοῦς ὁ περιεχόμενος ἐν τοῖς στοιχείοις, ὡς ἐὰν λέγῃς περ̣ὶ ἰατρικῶν θεωρημάτων ὅτι· τῆς συνέσεως τοῦδέ ἐστιν τοῦ ἰατροῦ τὰ γεγραμμένα, κατὰ μὲν Πέτρο̣ν Γαληνοῦ, κατὰ δὲ ἄλλους Μενεμάχου. "συνέσεως" οὖν "τοῦ ∆αυίδ". ἡ σύνεσις δὲ τοῦ ∆αυὶδ οὐκ ἀνθρωπικωτέρα ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ θεία, ἥτις καὶ πρᾶξιν ἔχει συνεζευγμένην· λέγεται γάρ· "σύνεσις δὲ ἀγαθὴ πᾶσιν τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτήν". ἔστιν σύνεσις ἰσοδυναμοῦσα σοφίᾳ, ὡς ἐὰν λέγηται· "πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ συνέσεως". αὕτη ἡ σύνεσις θεωρητική ἐστιν, περὶ τὰ μυςτήρια τῆς εὐσεβείας καὶ τὰ δόγματα τῆς ἀληθείας ἔχει. ἡ δὲ ἄλλη ἡ πρακτικ̣η´̣ ε᾿̣σ̣τιν, ἡ ποιουμένη· "σύνεσις" γὰρ "ἀγαθὴ πᾶσιν τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτήν". 101 ἔχει δὲ καὶ ἡ πρακτικὴ ἀρετὴ συ´̣νεσιν καὶ γνῶσιν· πόθεν γὰρ ἴσμεν εἰ πρακτικὰ ἢ ἠθικά εἰσιν, ἐὰν μὴ συνῶμεν αὐτά; καὶ ὁ Παῦλος γοῦν ὑπ̣οθήκας πρακτικὰς γράφων λέγει· "δῴη σοι ὁ θεὸς σύνεσιν ἐν πᾶσιν". περὶ τῶν προσφορῶν ἔλεγεν, περὶ τοῦ δεῖν τὸν διδάσ̣καλον τρέφεσθαι παρὰ τῶν παιδευομένων. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐδόκει περὶ αὐτὸν εἶναι ἢ αὐτὸς ὁ διδάσκαλος τὸ δεῖν τὸν διδ̣άσκαλον ἐπικουρεῖσθαι παρὰ τῶν μαθητῶν ἐπικεκρυμμένως αὐτὸ εἰρηκὼς λέγει· "δῴη σοι ὁ θεὸς σύνεσιν ἐν πᾶσιν". πολύτροπος οὖν ἐστιν ἡ σύνεσις, ὁμώνυμός ἐστιν ἡ λέξις, πολλὰ σημαινόμενα ἔχει. ἐπεὶ δὲ περὶ κεκρυμμένων ἐνταῦθα λέγει, κεῖται τὸ κατὰ τὴν γνῶσιν, τὸ συγγενὲς τῇ σοφία· μυστήρια γὰρ περιέχει ὁ ψαλμός. καὶ τοῦτο δὲ λεκτέον· ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν γραμματικοὺς λόγους νοῆσαι, ἐὰν μή τις ἔχῃ γραμμάτων σύνεσιν, καὶ οὐχ οἷόν τέ ἐστιν φιλοσόφους νοῆσαι λόγους, ἐὰν μὴ τοῦ εἰσηγουμένου θεωρήματος αὐτῶν γνῶσιν τις ἔχῃ. οὕτω καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν νοῆσαι χωρὶς θεϊκῆς σ̣υνέσεως. διὰ τί δὲ τῷ ∆αυὶδ μόνῳ χαρίζεται ἢ λέγεται ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ ∆αυὶδ ἡ σύνεσις; –σκόπει ὅτι τὰ ἰδιώματα ὁτὲ μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ διδόντος ὁτὲ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ λαμβάνοντος γνωριζόντων. αὐτίκα γοῦν καὶ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ἐν τῇ γραφῇ λέγεται ὁτὲ μὲν Ἠλία ὁτὲ δὲ Ἰωάννου. ὡσαύτως καὶ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ὁτὲ μὲν θεοῦ λέγεται ὡς τοῦ θεοῦ διδόντος αὐτὸ καὶ συντάττοντος· "ἀφωρισμένος" γὰρ "εἰς εὐαγγέλιον θεοῦ", ὁτὲ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ διακονοῦντος αὐτό· "κατὰ" γὰρ "τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν μου", καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν εὐαγγελιζομένων ποτὲ λέγεται τῶν εἰληφότων τὸ εὐαγγέλιο̣ν, ὁτὲ δὲ καὶ ἀπολελυμένως· "μετανοεῖτε καὶ πιστεύετε ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ". τὰ τοιαῦτα ὀνόματα ὁ´̣ταν μετὰ καὶ ἄνευ προσθήκης τὸ αὐτὸ σημαίνουσιν, μετὰ θείας προσθήκης κ̣αὶ ἄνευ ταύτης ἐστίν, ὡς ἔλε158 γον, ἁπλῶς εὐαγγέλιον καὶ εὐαγγε´̣λιον θεοῦ. ταὐτὸν οὖν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν ἁπλῶς εὐαγγέλιον καὶ εὐαγγέλιον θεοῦ. οὕτως οὖν σύνεσις ἀπὸ μὲν τοῦ δ̣ιδόντος θεοῦ ἔστιν, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ εἰληφότος προφήτου καὶ ἱεροψάλτου αὐτοῦ λέγετ̣αι ἡ σύνεσις εἶναι. 1 μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. διαφέρει ἁμαρτία ἀνομίας. ἀνομία ἐστὶν ἡ ἁμαρτητικὴ πρᾶξις τοῦ νόμον μὴ ἔχοντος· παράνομος γὰρ λέγεται ὁ παραβάτης νόμου. "παρανομίαι ἄνδρα ἀγρεύουσιν". καί· "φησὶν ὁ παράνομος τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ". εἰ καὶ ἄλλῳ τρόπῳ η῾̣ ἁμαρτία καὶ η῾̣ ἀνομία ταὐτόν ἐστιν· τοῦτο γὰρ Ἰωάννης ὁ θεῖος ἐν τῇ κατ' αὐτὸν ἐπιστολῇ γράφει· "πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ τὴν ἀνομίαν ποιεῖ, καὶ ἡ
About this text
Didymus the Blind on the Psalms.
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- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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