The Readiness of the Heart and the Twofold Creation of Man
But the phrase 'my bones have grown old' has been placed erroneously thus: 'because I was silent,' these things, the 'my bones have grown old from crying out all day long.' Not 'my bones have grown worn out from crying out all day long,' but 'because I was silent from crying out all day long'; for before this they had the day which 'the sun of righteousness' (Mal 4:2) makes. And he was crying out, this indeed praying, and that indeed glorifying God who grants me the day. Since therefore I was silent from crying out all day long, my bones have grown worn out.
It has been said to us also before that 'bones' refers to the vigorous powers of the soul and the doctrines of piety. Just as these bones hold together the whole body—for from them even the veins and everything is suspended. It is therefore said: 'All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like you?' (Ps 145:17); not that these bones have sensation or intellect. For they do not feel themselves when being ground. Therefore 'my bones have grown old' was received. When it was united to God, then it cried out all day long. But since silence received the cry, my bones have grown worn out.
And I have already said that the unceasing one saw all the sons of men (Ps 32:13), having been cast as 'to the foolish beasts' (Ps 104:25). These, therefore, he saw, the sons of men, from his ready dwelling-place (Ps 104:26). His dwelling-place is like his temple, the state of his being... his throne. This throne is ready and a dwelling-place... 'Your throne is ready from of old, and you are from the age' (Ps 102:25). The ready... about him as a king. And of his throne we take up the thought... It comes, and thus when we hear of his temple, we receive him as ready along with itth it... as if manifesting the state of God, the majesty of God. A soul which does not... his dwelling-place is ready. And this is also possible; one becomes ready from the same participation to make room for God's presence; holiness is briefly produced in the one having it; for that one begins to progress through participation..
A dwelling-place of God is not ready; rather, through progress, something small becomes great as it is measured by its being, and it becomes ready. It is said that the good thing itself is ready, as if one says, 'My heart is ready, O God'; for he who has a prepared heart is a temple of God, a ready dwelling-place for Him. And again: 'Has it not been announced to you, O man, what is good' (Micah 6:8) and what is pleasant, 'but to do justice and to love mercy and to be ready to walk with your Lord God'? And again: 'Pay attention with your ear to the preparation of their heart' (Psalm 103:5).
He looked upon all who dwell in the earth (Psalm 36:6). Others are those dwelling in the earth, apart from the sons of men; for those who have not kept the image, nor have become earthly, dwell. But the sons of this kind of men do not dwell, but they reside. For He 'causes the sun to rise' (Matthew 5:45) as it is 'upon the good,' and so also 'upon the evil,' He surveys all the sons of men, and those dwelling in the earth, even irrational animals; for He gives 'food to all flesh' (Psalm 145:16). He flies into a snare; for we do not say the sons of men and those dwelling in the earth are parallel terms.
He who formed man alone formed their hearts. In the Scripture, the doing is distinguished from the fashioning; for God made man 'according to His image and likeness' (Genesis 1:26), but He formed the man from the 'dust from the ground' (Genesis 2:7). And Job indeed says both these things: 'Your hands have formed me and made me' (Job 10:8). If he says this word strictly, the inner man becomes the result, but the outer is fashioned. And as it has been said: 'Remember that you formed me of clay' (Job 10:9). The verb of forming implies a difference; for the one doing is able and will desire to bring into being as parents bring into existence. In the previously read passages, we say that 'to become' differs from 'to be created'; just as to form is not entirely the same as itself. Listen then to what he says...
Greek
ἐσφαλμένως δὲ τέθειται τὸ "ἐπαλαιώθη τὰ ὀστᾶ μου" οὕτως· "ὅτι ἐσίγησα" ταῦτα, τὸ "ἐπαλαιώθη τὰ ὀστᾶ μου ἀπὸ τοῦ κράζειν με ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν". οὐκ "ἀπὸ τοῦ κράζειν με ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν" "πεπαλαίωνται τὰ ὀστᾶ μου", ἀλλ' "ὅτι ἐσίγησα ἀπὸ τοῦ κράζειν με ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν"· πρὸ τούτου γὰρ εἶχον τὴν ἡμέραν ἣν "ὁ ἥλιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης" ποιεῖ. καὶ ἐβόων δὲ τοῦτο μὲν εὐχόμενος, τοῦτο δὲ δοξολογῶν τὸν θεὸν τὸν χαριζόμενόν μοι τὴν ἡμέραν. ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐσίγησα ἀπὸ τοῦ κράζειν με ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν, πεπαλαίωνται τὰ ὀστᾶ μου. εἴρηται δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ πρὸ τούτου ὅτι ὀστᾶ λέγει τὰς εὐτόνους δυνάμεις τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τὰ δόγματα τῆς εὐσεβείας. ὡς δὲ τὰ ὀστᾶ ταῦτα διακρατεῖ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα–ἐξ αὐτῶν γὰρ καὶ τὰ φλέβια καὶ πάντα ἤρτηται. λέγεται οὖν· "πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου ἐροῦσιν Κύριε, τίς ὅμοιός σοι"; οὐ ταῦτα τὰ ὀστᾶ αἴσθ̣ησιν ἢ νόησιν ἔχει. πριζόμενα γοῦν αὐτὰ οὐκ αἰσθάνονται. "ἐπαλαιώθη" οὖν "τὰ ὀστᾶ μου". διεδέχθη. ὅτε ἦν θεῷ ἡνωμένα, τότε ἔκραζον ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ σιωπὴ τὴν κραυγὴν διεδέχθη, πεπαλαίωνται τὰ ὀστᾶ μου. ἤδη δὲ εἶπον ὅτι τὰ ἀδιάδοχα 177 32,13 εἶδεν πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. βληθέντος "τοῖς 104 κτήνεσιν τοῖς ἀνοήτοις". τούτους οὖν εἶδεν τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. 14 ἐξ ἑτοίμου κατοικητηρίου αὐτοῦ. κατοικητήριον αὐτοῦ ὡσανεὶ ναὸς αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἡ κατάστασις ····· ····· ····· ···· τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ. ὁ θρόνος οὗτος ἕτοιμός ἐστιν καὶ κατοικητήριο̣ν̣ ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· "ἕτοιμος ὁ θρόνος σου ἀπὸ τότε, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος σὺ εἶ". τὸ ετοιμ̣ο̣····· ····· ····· ····· ····· περὶ αὐτοῦ ὡς βασιλέως. καὶ τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ ἔννοιαν λαμβάν̣ομ̣εν ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ἔρχεται, καὶ οὕτω ναὸν αὐτοῦ ἀκούοντες σὺν αὐτῷ ἕτοιμον αὐτὸν λ̣αμβάνομεν ····· ····· ····· ·· ὡσανεὶ κατάστασιν θεοῦ δηλοι῀̣, μεγαλειότητα θεοῦ. ψυχὴν ἧς οὐκ ε····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ἕτοιμόν ἐστιν αὐτοῦ τὸ κατοικητήριον. δύναται δὲ καὶ τοῦτο· ετ̣οι̣····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς μετουσίας ἕτοιμος γίνεται πρὸς τὸ χωρῆσαι θεοῦ παρουσίαν ······ ····· ····· ····· ··· ἁγιότης κατὰ βραχὺ ἐνγίνεται τῷ ἔχοντι· ἄρχεται γὰρ ἐκεῖνος προκοπ····· ····· ····· ····· ··· λάμβανε τὴν μετουσίαν. τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ κατοικητήριον ἕτοιμόν ἐστιν ο̣ὐκ ····· ····· ····· ····· ···· κατὰ προκοπὴν ἐκ μικροῦ μέγας γίνεται συνμετρούμενον τῇ υ῾̣π̣άρξει ····· ····· ····· ····· ···· ἕτοιμόν ἐστιν. λέγεται δέ ποτε αὐτὸ τὸ καλὸν ἕτοιμον, ὡς ἐὰν λέγῃ· "ἑτοίμη ἡ καρδία μου, ὁ θεός"· ὁ γὰρ ἡτοιμασμένην ἔχων τὴν καρδίαν, ναός ἐστιν θεοῦ, ἕτοιμον αὐτοῦ κατοικητήριόν ἐστιν. καὶ ἔτι· "εἰ ἀνηγγέλη σοι, ἄνθρωπε, τί καλὸν" καὶ τί τερπνὸν "ἀλλ' ἢ τοῦ ποιεῖν κρίμα καὶ ἀγαπᾶν ἔλεον καὶ ἕτοιμον εἶναι τοῦ πορεύεσθαι μετὰ κυρίου θεοῦ σου"; καὶ ἔτι· "τὴν ἑτοιμασίαν τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν προσέσχεν τὸ οὖς σου". 14 ἐπέβλεψεν ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν γῆν. ἄλλοι εἰσὶν οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν γῆν παρα`̣ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων· κατοικοῦσιν γὰρ ἄνθρωποι οἱ μὴ τηρήσαντες τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα μηδὲ τυγχάνοντ̣ες̣ γ̣ε̣····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ·· γῆν. οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τούτων οὐ κατοικοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ παροικοῦσιν ····· ····· ····· ····· ·· προνοεῖται· "ἀνατέλλει" γὰρ "τὸν ἥλιον" ὥσπερ "ἐπὶ ἀγαθούς", οὑ´̣τ̣ω καὶ "ἐπὶ πονηρούς" ····· ····· ·· πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐφορᾷ, καὶ τοὺς κατοικο̣υ῀̣ν̣τ̣α̣ς̣ ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ἄλογα ζῷα· δίδει γὰρ "τροφὴν πάσῃ σαρκί". πάντας τοὺς ἐπὶ τ̣η῀̣ς γ̣ῆς ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ···· πτει εἰς παγίδα· οὐ γὰρ ἐκ παραλλήλου λέγομεν τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν γῆν. 15 ὁ πλάσας κατὰ μόνας τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν. διαστέλλετ̣αι ἐν τῇ γραφῇ τὸ ποιεῖν πρὸς τὸ πλάττειν· τὸν "κατ' εἰκόνα" γὰρ "καὶ ὁμοίωσιν" ἑαυτοῦ ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν ἄνθρωπον, ἔπλασεν δὲ τὸν ἐκ τοῦ "χοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς" ἄνθρωπον". καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ γοῦν ἀμφότερα ταῦτα λέγει· "αἱ χεῖρές σου ἔπλασάν με καὶ ἐποίησάν με". εἰ κυρίως ταύτην τὴν λέξιν λέγει, γίνεται ἂν ὁ ἔσω ἄνθρωπος̣, πλάττεται δὲ ὁ ἔξω. καὶ ὡς εἰρηκ····· ··· "μνήσθητι ὅτι πηλόν με ἔπλασας". τὸ τῆς πλάσεως ῥῆμα αντ··φηρησιν σημαίνει· οἷον ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· · ὁ δὲ ποιῶν δύναται δυνατε καὶ θελήςει ᾗ γονεῖς εἰς ὕπαρξιν ἀγαγεῖν ····· ····· ····· ·· ἐν τοῖς ἔνπροσθεν ἀναγνωσθεῖσιν ἐλέγομεν διαφε´̣ρειν τὸ γενέσθαι τοῦ κ̣τισθῆναι ····· ····· ····· ·· ως τὸ πλάσαι οὐ πάντη αὐτό ἐστιν. ἄκουε γοῦν τί λέγει· οὐ
About this text
Didymus the Blind on the Psalms.
Original English Translation — new OET from PG Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.