Restoration from Malice

It also signifies the anger of those who did not endure what he intended to do; we take this from 'they gnashed their teeth', so that the gnashing of the teeth signifies their destruction, or a pain coming upon them because of what they encountered. But if you wish to take the teeth otherwise, it is not derived from this specific word; for often a theological insight is true, though not necessarily derived from this word. And because it is true, those who are unable to harmonize the meanings with the words accept it.

The teeth are often called the masticatory powers of the soul. And with these masticatory powers which mince the foods, if one were to use them properly, he eats the 'bread of life', the fruit of the 'tree of life', the flesh of Jesus. But if he were to use them badly, he eats the flesh of the dragon. And the flesh of the dragon are impious doctrines, they are great sins; for just as the body of Jesus is filled up from the doctrines, as it says: 'vainly puffing oneself up' in haste 'with a mind of flesh and not holding the head, from which the whole body being joined together increases the growth of God'.

This says: he who has a fleshly mind, that is, he who approaches carnally and sensually, has a mind that puffs itself up in vain, being flesh, and does not hold the head of the doctrines, he does not hold the Savior, who is the head of the doctrines. And the great things of those being theologized are the head of such a body, 'from which the body being joined together through every ligament and sinew increases the growth of God'. In this same way also we, when more words and many headings have their reference to one thing, we say the word has been embodied.

If we take that the masticatory powers of the soul are the teeth, we say something true, but not regarding the immediate context. But if you also take this, that some use these masticatory powers treacherously against that: 'if you bite and devour one another' (Gal 5:15), and: 'those devouring Israel with the whole mouth' (Rev 9:5), and these refer to punishments, it is also possible to think thus: 'they gnashed their teeth against me'; they gnashed these teeth, and because of this they will undergo destruction; for 'you crushed the teeth of the sinners' (Ps 58:7). Lord, how long will you look on?

When you visit so as to forbid them, and to make me outside of the harms? For regarding 'to turn away' and 'to look away', we have often said that to pass by signifies long-suffering. 'Lord, when will you have pity?' For if you have pity, you will also do good to me, looking upon me and having mercy on me, and you will set even them outside of their haste toward evil, so that they do not harm me, nor do they remain any longer in that beastly malice which they are still practicing.

Restore my soul from their malice. He says this because lying enemies are present, many and having much planned maliciously against him. And from the beginning of the psalm this is presented: 'Judge, Lord, those doing wrong to me, fight against those fighting against me' (Psalm 35:23), and the following: 'And until I saw, Lord' (Psalm 34:19); 'they gnashed their teeth against me' (Psalm 35:16); 'whips were gathered against me, and I did not know' (Psalm 38:11).

He says therefore: make my soul outside of them; for indeed it was outside of them; for this is what the name of 'restoration' remembers. No one enters into a place where it never was, it is said to be restored, but one having come from one fatherland to another fatherland, or from one place to another place. He says therefore: they wished to ensnare my soul, being holy, to subject it to corruption. Then it is restored from the malice of the wicked, when it suffers nothing from them, when it does not act against them.

Susanna was overturned regarding her self-control, and she was very much self-controlled having been educated according to the Law of Moses, despite how far she had fallen into adultery by the elders attacking her. She pleaded, saying: 'Restore my soul' (Psalm 31:6), to lead her back into that same self-control from the malice of these men. All who are plotting against one say these things. And the soul of the martyrs is restored, having been tested in nothing.

For as to what this 'to restore' signifies, in one of the psalms he says: 'You are the one restoring my inheritance to me' (Psalm 71:19). According to this meaning we say the man is restored into Paradise, because entrance there has become possible for him, when the penitent heard: 'Today you will be with me in Paradise' (Luke 23:43). 'Restore' therefore 'my soul'. They have acted with such malice toward me as to have become wild beasts. 17 Restore me from lions, my only one.