The Height of Righteousness and Divine Mercy
They are earth. Yet it is not earth that sinks them according to the history, but water. For it has been said: 'Immediately they sank down like lead in fierce water' (Ps 69:2). And if God stretches out his right hand against the wicked, they are swallowed up from the earth, they become entirely earthly, they are handed over to 'sufferings of dishonor', they are handed over to 'the desires of their hearts unto impurity', they worship 'the creature rather than the Creator' (Rom 1:25). His 'mercy' is therefore 'in heaven'; for he 'makes mercy unto thousands for those loving him' (Ps 103:17). Just as one ascends a ladder of mercy into heaven; for the nature of the mercy of God is not of the things below, but is above. And if ever it happens in the earth, that is to say, in men—for it has been said: 'the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord' (Ps 33:5)—those being pitied by this mercy are lifted up into heaven.
'And even unto the clouds', he says, 'is your truth' (Ps 36:5). One must not pay attention to those who remove providence from the earth and say it is limited even to the mountains of the moon because of the saying: 'your truth is even unto the clouds'. The prophets are clouds ministering to us a spiritual rain, from which the paradise of God is watered, the seed that fell into good earth, which Jesus cast so that it might become a hundredfold, and a hundred and sixty and thirty (Matt 13:8). Therefore, until these clouds which minister the spiritual rain, concerning which it has been said: 'let the clouds rain down righteousness' (Job 36:28), the truth of God is. If anyone is a cloud able to pour out spiritual rain and righteousness, he has God's truth.
'Your righteousness is like the mountains of God' (Ps 36:6). The mountains of God are interpreted in many ways according to the Scripture. When it says: 'you shine wondrously from eternal mountains' (Ps 104:1-2), 'eternal mountains' refers to the saints who no longer look at the things seen as being temporary, but at the things unseen which are eternal. 'Draw near to eternal mountains'. These mountains, the sensible ones, are not eternal. If the earth and the heaven produce, fragments and parts of the earth, the mountains, they depart with it, they produce with it, so that those are not eternal. But you look toward the eternal, the unseen, the superior, the higher; those are mountains of the citizens...
Having a height of pious mindset. Therefore, 'approach eternal mountains' means approach through disposition; take up that same high mindset for them. 'The righteousness' which is 'as the mountains' is 'of God'. The righteousness in humans, when it grows those who possess it, makes them like the mountains of God.
It is possible to call the mountains of God, according to another sense, all the superior things toward which the ninety-nine sheep remained when Jesus came to save the one that went astray from the mountains, having fallen there into error, pursuit, and death. Therefore, 'approach eternal mountains' means approach through disposition; take up that same high mindset for them. 'The righteousness' which is 'as the mountains' is 'of God'. The righteousness in humans, when it grows those who possess it, makes them like the mountains of God.
It is possible to call the righteousness of the descended Savior, according to another sense, those whom he saved. For 'he who did not know sin made sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him' (2 Cor 5:21). Those having become the righteousness of God in him who became sin for us are like the mountains of God, like the angels, like the archangels; for they were perfected in the upper creation. 'Lord, your mercy is in heaven, and your truth to the clouds' (Ps 36:5).
God is merciful in one way and humans in another. The mercy that happens among men and the benefit toward the neighbor is human; for they know how to help and nourish and do other things in a human way, and this mercy is that which draws near to the earth, that is, to human things. But the God who shows mercy lifts up those who are being lifted up so as to carry them into heaven. 'In heaven' indeed 'is your mercy'.
And this too is possible because: when showing mercy, you do not show mercy humanly; for even if you 'give food to all flesh' (Ps 145:16), and even if you provide health to the sick, this righteousness is not touching the heaven. And so that I may express it more clearly: the things touched by the gifts of God are not only of the righteous, but also of the wicked, and of the rational and the irrational; they are not heavenly. But those alone are of heaven and lead into heaven, which are truly good and heavenly. And in another psalm you have: 'the earth is full of your mercy' (Ps 33:5). He sends down that one to show mercy to the earth.
Greek
αὐτοὺς γῆ". καίτοι οὐ γῆ αὐτοὺς καταπεπώκει κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν ἀλλὰ ὕδωρ. εἴρηται γοῦν· "εὐθὺς ἔδυσαν ὡσεὶ μόλιβος ἐν ὕδατι σφοδρῷ". κἂν γοῦν ἐκτείνῃ ὁ θεὸς κατὰ τῶν φαύλων τὴν δεξιάν, καταπίνονται ἐκ τῆς γῆς, ὅλοι γήινοι γίνονται, παραδίδονται "εἰς πάθη ἀτιμίας", "ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῶν καρδιῶν αὐτῶν εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν" παραδίδονται, λατρεύειν "τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα". "ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ" οὖν ἐστιν "τὸ ἔλεος" αὐτοῦ· "ποιεῖς" γὰρ "ἔλεος εἰς χιλιάδας τοῖς ἀγαπῶσίν σε". ὥσπερ διά τινος κλίμακος τοῦ ἐλέου εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβαίνει· ἡ φύσις γὰρ τοῦ ἐλέους τοῦ θεοῦ οὔκ ἐστιν τῶν κάτω ἀλλὰ ἄνω ἐστίν. κἄν ποτε οὖν γίνηται ἐν τῇ γῇ, τουτέστιν ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἡ ἀγαθότης τοῦ θεοῦ–εἴρηται γάρ· "τοῦ ἐλέους κυρίου πλήρης ἡ γῆ"–, ἀναβιβάζονται οἱ ἐλεώμενοι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἐλέου εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. 152 "καὶ ἕως τῶν νεφελῶν", φησίν, "ἡ ἀλήθειά σου". οὐ προσεκτέον τοῖς αἴρουσιν τὴν πρόνοιαν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτὴν περιορίζεσθαι μέχρι τῶν σελήνης ὅρων διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν· "ἡ ἀλήθειά σου ἕως τῶν νεφελῶν". νεφέλαι εἰσὶν οἱ προφῆται διακονοῦντες ἡμῖν πνευματικὸν ὑετόν, ἀφ' οὗ πνευματικοῦ ὑετοῦ ἀρδεύεται ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ παράδεισος, ὁ σπόρος ὁ πεσὼν εἰς καλὴν γῆν, ὃν ἔβαλεν Ἰησοῦς ὥστε ἑκατονταπλασίονα γενέσθαι καὶ ἑκατὸν καὶ ἑξήκοντα καὶ τριάκοντα. ἕως οὖν τού των τῶν νεφελῶν τῶν διακονουσῶν τὸν πνευματικὸν ὑετόν, περὶ ὧν εἴρηται· "αἱ νεφέλαι ῥανάτωσαν δικαιοσύνην", ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν. εἴ τίς ἐστιν νεφέλη δυνάμενος πνευματικὸν ὑετὸν καὶ δικαιοσύνην ῥεῖν, ἐκεῖνος ἔχει τη`̣ν θεοῦ ἀλήθειαν. 7 ἡ δικαιοσύνη σου ὡς ὄρη θεοῦ. πολυτρόπως τὰ ὄρη τοῦ θεοῦ ἑρμηνεύεται κατὰ τὴν γραφήν. ὅταν λέγῃ· "φωτίζεις σὺ θαυμαστῶς ἀπὸ ὀρέων αἰωνίων", "ὄρη αἰώνια" λέγει τοὺς ἁγίους τοὺς σκοποῦντας οὐκέτι τὰ βλεπόμενα πρόςκαιρα ὄντα, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα τυγχάνοντα αἰώνια. "ἐγγίσατε ὄρεσιν αἰωνίοις". τὰ ὄρη ταῦτα τὰ αἰςθητὰ οὔκ εἰσιν αἰώνια. εἰ δὲ παράγει ἡ γῆ καὶ ὁ οὐρανός, ἐκβράσματα καὶ μέρη τῆς γῆς, τὰ ὄρη, σὺν αὐτῇ ἀπέρχονται, παράγουσιν σὺν αὐτῇ, ὥστε οὔκ εἰσιν ἐκεῖνα αἰώνια. ὅ234 σοι δὲ σκοποῦσιν τὰ αἰώνι̣α̣, τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα, τὰ ὑπέρτερα, τὰ ἀνωτάτω, ἐκεῖνοι ὄρη εἰσὶν δίαρμα πολιτείας ἔχοντες, ὕψος ἔχοντες φρονήματος εὐσεβοῦς. "ἐνγίσατε" οὖν "ὄρεσιν αἰωνίοις", τῇ διαθέσει ἐνγίσατε, τὸ αὐτὸ ὑψηλὸν φρόνημα ἐκείνοις ἀναλάβετε. "ἡ δικαιοσύνη" οὖν "ἡ σὴ ὡς τὰ ὄρη" εἰσὶν "τοῦ θεοῦ". ἡ δικαιοσύνη ἡ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὅταν αὐξήσῃ τοὺς ἔχοντας αὐτήν, ὁμοιοῖ αὐτοὺς τοῖς ὄρεσιν τοῦ θεοῦ. δύναται δὲ ὄρη θεοῦ εἰπεῖν κατὰ ἄλλην διάνοιαν τὰ ὑπέρτερα πάντα, εἰς ἃ ἀπέμεινεν τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα πρόβα τα, ὅτε ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς σῶσαι τὸ α᾿̣π̣οσφαλὲν ἀπὸ τῶν ὀρῶν, τὸ καταπεσὸν ἐκεῖθεν καὶ ἐν πλάνῃ καὶ διώξει καὶ θανάτῳ γεγενημένον. "ἐνγίσατε" οὖν "ὄρεσιν αἰωνίοις", τῇ διαθέσει ἐνγίσατε, τὸ αὐτὸ ὑψηλὸν φρόνημα ἐκείνοις ἀναλάβετε. "ἡ δικαιοσύνη" οὖν "ἡ σὴ ὡς τὰ ὄρη" ἐστὶν "τοῦ θεοῦ". ἡ δικαιοσύνη ἡ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὅταν αὐξήσῃ τοὺς ἔχοντας αὐτήν, ὁμοιοῖ αὐτοὺς τοῖς ὄρεσιν τοῦ θεοῦ. δυνατὸν δικαιοσύνην τοῦ ἐπιδημήσαντος σωτῆρος κατ' ἄλλον λόγον εἰπεῖν οὓς ἔσωσεν. "τὸν μὴ γνόντα" γὰρ "ἁμαρτίαν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, ἵν' ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ". οἱ γενάμενοι δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ε᾿̣ν τῷ γεναμένῳ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτία ὡς τὰ ὄρη εἰσὶν τοῦ θεοῦ, ὡς οἱ ἄγγελοι, ὡς οἱ ἀρχάγγελοι· ἡνώθησαν γὰρ τῇ ἄνω κτίσει. "κύριε, ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ τὸ ἔλεός σου, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθειά σου ἕως τῶν νεφελῶν". ἑτέρως ὁ θεὸς ἐλεᾷ καὶ ἑτέρως ἄνθρωποι. τὸ ἔλεος γ̣ο̣ῦν τὸ ὑπ' ἀνθρώπων γινόμενον καὶ ἡ εἰς τὸν πλησίον εὐεργεσία ἀνθρωπίνη ἐστίν· ἴσασιν γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνως βοηθεῖν καὶ τρέφειν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ποιεῖν, καί ἐστίν γε ὁ ἔλεος οὗτος πλησιάζων τῇ γῇ, τουτέστιν τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις. ἐλεῶν δὲ θεὸς μετεωρίζει τοὺς μετεωριζομένους ὥστε εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀναφέρειν. "ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ" γοῦν "τὸ ἔλεός σου". δύναται δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ὅτι· ἐλεῶν οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνως ἐλεᾷς· εἰ γὰρ καὶ "δίδως τροφὴν πάσῃ σαρκί", εἰ καὶ ὑγίειαν τοῖς νοσοῦσιν παρέχεις, ἄλλ' ἐστιν αὕτη ἡ δικαιοσύνη οὐ τοῦ οὐρα νοῦ ἁπτομένη. καὶ ἵνα σαφέστερον φράσω· τὰ ἁπτόμενα δωρεᾷ θεοῦ οὐ μόνον δικαίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ φαύλων, καὶ λογικῶν καὶ ἀλόγων, οὔκ ἐστιν οὐράνια. ἐκεῖνα δὲ μόνα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ εἰσιν καὶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ξεναγοῦσιν, ἅ ἐστιν ἀγαθὰ ἀληθῶς ουρ ανιοσπουδη. καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ ψαλμῷ ἔχεις· "τοῦ ἐλέους κυρίου πλήρης ἡ γῆ". ἐλεᾷ τὴν γῆν ἐκεῖνον καταπέμπων
About this text
Didymus the Blind on the Psalms.
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Khazarzar scan
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- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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