Fragments on the Psalms · §14

The Nature of the Psalm and the Sinners

The awareness of one's own evils and the knowledge of God's goodness leads to the prayer, 'Have mercy on me and see the humiliation that has come upon me from my enemies' (Ps 9:15b). For they humiliated me by dragging me down; but You alone are able to lift me up from the gates of death through a goodness that is always present.

Regarding the daughters of Zion, those participating in this must hear in harmony with being called sons of light, peace, and wisdom. The gates of the daughter of Zion, being opposite the gates of death, are praiseworthy deeds and contemplations of God's virtue and wisdom to be fulfilled.

Concerning the incorruptible virtue, it is said: 'The grace is with those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption' (Ps 9:16), while the opposite, evil, will be called corruption and destruction. It is shown that corruption is called evil from the saying, 'If anyone destroys the temple of God' (1 Cor 3:17), and from what is said to the wicked in the prophet, 'Because of incorruption you have been corrupted by destruction.' This is consistent with, 'Who will help you against your corruption, O Israel?' (Hos 4:9). The corruption so spoken of, in the doing of what is, is promised to be accomplished by those who possess it. The word says that the mortals have fallen into that in which they practiced corruption (Ps 7:15). For no one else is seized by another's impiety and sin; for each one dies by his own sin.

And since the wicked, having first harmed themselves and others through deceit, attempt to bring the same harm by trial, they secretly prepare snares in their treacherous wisdoms and words to catch the unsuspecting. By that very snare they are punished. For they render justice and through those whom they deceived. And to suffer thus becomes a judgment of the provident God; for how is it not His judgment that, in His works, He seizes the sinner who has used the pretext of acting wickedly to be condemned from without? This is consistent with what was said a little earlier: 'He who digs a pit will fall into it' (Ps 7:15). Having spoken about the psalm of lament, the song of the lament must now be spoken. Having begun the present psalm from 'I will confess to You, Lord,' the proclamation extended as 'The sinner was caught'; after which the words of the song begin...

Since 'Let the sinners be turned away' follows the interlude, the name of the hymn is entwined with the interlude. For if the whole psalm is called a hymn, the preface of the hymn was always arranged in a way and with a power before it, as is demonstrated for many psalms. But since it is not so here, and since the beginning is taken after the interlude, it is fitting that 'Hymn of the interlude' be placed in between. It will be shown how the hymn possesses the thought of the following, with their words being set forth: 'Let the sinners be turned away' etc. Ps 9:18–19: 'Let the sinners be turned away, those imposing judgment against the righteous, into the abyss.'

Interpreting who the sinners are, he brought forward that the things being forgotten are mortal things of God. But sinners and mortals must be understood not as men only, but also as fleshless powers. For if the sinner does not signify essence, but rather what kind of voice the sinner is—a nickname not from the sin itself—then everyone participating in sin would not be called thus. Appropriately to these things, the mortals will also be called. Just as one who is not locally in heaven, but walking upon the earth, is able to possess citizenship and thought there, so also one not dwelling locally in the abyss is able to bear signs of death and of sinning himself, as if he dwells in the abyss, even though he is among those in the life after the body.

And he is called poor, the one impoverishing through sin, and the moderate and the foolish, and the one needing to receive from God; and such a one is born wretched. According to all these ways, the one called poor is remembered by God. For through something advantageous, some forgetfulness of him might occur, but it does not remain entirely so, and for this reason he will not be forgotten unto the end. As for who will be judged poor or needy, we will say as the opportunity calls us to speak about these things. Ps 9:20: 'You, Lord, make those who stagger and those who faint fall from the lofty height, opposing the proud; let them not then be strong, but let them be judged before you; for a surpassing benefit will spring forth for them.'

Let it be interpreted that 'Let man not be strong' as it was said concerning the devil, and it is said in the parable of the tares as being an enemy of man, but also in the prophecy: 'Not man is the one provoking the earth.' And since man was not being strong before the descent of the Savior, saying...

Greek

αι σθησιν τῶν οἰκείων κακῶν καὶ γνῶσιν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἀγαθότητος, εὐχῆς τρόπῳ ἐρεῖ ̓Ελέησόν με καὶ ἰδὲ τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου γεγενημένην· αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἐταπείνωσαν καθελκύσαντές με· σὺ δὲ μόνος δύνασαι δι' ἀγαθότητα οὐσιωδῶς προσοῦσαν ὑψῶσαί με ἐκ τῶν πυλῶν τοῦ θανάτου. Ps 9,15b Θυγατέρας τῆς Σιὼν ἀκούειν δεῖ τοὺς μετέχοντας ταύτης καταλλήλως τῷ λέγεσθαί τινας υἱοὺς φωτὸς καὶ εἰρήνης καὶ σοφίας· πύλαι δὲ τῆς θυγατρὸς τῆς Σιών, ἀπεναντίως ταῖς πύλαις τοῦ θανάτου ε χουσαι, πράξεις εἰσὶν ἐπαινεταὶ καὶ αἱ ἐπιτελεσθεῖσαι κατ' ἀρετὴν καὶ σοφίαν θεοῦ θεωρίαι. 61 Ps 9,16–17 Τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀφθαρσίας λεγομένης ἐν τῷ ̔Η χάρις μετὰ τῶν ἀγαπώντων τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν ̓Ιησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ, ἡ ἀπεναντίως ε χουσα κακία διαφθορὰ καὶ φθορὰ ἀκολούθως κληθήσεται. παρίσταται τὸ φθορὰν τὴν κακίαν λέγεσθαι ἐκ τοῦ Ει τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φθείρει, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ λεγομένου πρὸς τοὺς φαύλους Ενεκεν ἀφθαρσίας διεφθάρητε φθορᾷ· σύμφωνον τούτοις καὶ τὸ Τῇ διαφθορᾷ σου, ̓Ισραήλ, τίς βοηθήσει; ̔Η ου τω λεγομένη διαφθορὰ ἐν τῷ πράττεσθαι τὸ ει ναι ε χουσα πεποιῆσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχόντων αὐτὴν ἐπαγγέλλεται. φησὶν ὁ λόγος ἐμπεπῆχθαι τὰ ε θνη ἐν ῃ ἐποίησαν διαφθορᾷ. οὐ γὰρ α λλος τῇ α λλου ἀσεβείᾳ καὶ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἐνέχεται· ε καστος γὰρ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀποθανεῖται. ει τ' ἐπεὶ οἱ κακοὶ πρότερον ἑαυτοὺς βλάψαντες καὶ ἑτέρους εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν βλάβην δι' ἀπάτης α γειν πειρῶνται, σκευάζουσιν κεκρυμμένως παγίδας ἐν τοῖς δολεροῖς φρονήμασιν καὶ λόγοις αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ἀγρεῦσαι τὸν ἀπροοράτως ε χοντα. αὐτῇ δὲ τῇ παγίδι ῃ ε κρυψαν τιμωροῦνται. δίκας γὰρ διδόασιν καὶ δι' ου ς ἠπάτησαν. γίνεται δὲ τὸ παθεῖν ου τως διακρίσει τοῦ προνοουμένου θεοῦ· πῶς γὰρ οὐ κρίμα αὐτοῦ τὸ ἐν τοῖς ε ργοις αὐτοῦ συλλαμβάνεσθαι τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ε χοντα τὴν πρόφασιν τοῦ καταδικάζεσθαι ἐξ ω ν ε δρασεν πονηρῶς; τούτῳ συνᾴδει τὸ ὀλίγῳ πρότερον λεχθὲν ε χον ω δε· ̔Ο ὀρύσσων βόθρον τῷ πλησίον ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς αὐτόν. Περὶ τοῦ διαψάλματος εἰρηκότες η δη, περὶ τῆς τοῦ διαψάλματος ᾠδῆς νυνὶ λεκτέον. ἀρξαμένου τοῦ προκειμένου ψαλμοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ ̓Εξομολογήσομαί σοι, κύριε, παρέτεινεν ἡ ἀπαγγελία ε ως τοῦ Συνελήφθη ὁ ἁμαρτωλός· μεθ' η ν λέξιν ᾠδῆς ἀρχομένης ἀπὸ τοῦ ̓Αποστραφήτωσαν, ἀκόλουθον τῷ διαψάλματι συμπλέξαι τῆς ᾠδῆς τὸ ο νομα. εἰ γὰρ ο λος ὁ ψαλμὸς ᾠδὴ ει ρηται, τρόπῳ καὶ δυνάμει κα ν πρὸ αὐτοῦ πάντως ἐτάττετο ἡ ᾠδῆς προσηγορία, ὡς ἐπὶ πλειόνων ψαλμῶν ἀποδείκνυται. τῷ δὲ μὴ ου τως ε χειν, ἀρχὴν δὲ λαμβάνειν μετὰ τὸ διάψαλμα τὸ ᾳ σμα, εἰκότως ̓Ωιδὴ διαψάλματος μεταξὺ τέθειται. δειχθήσεται ὡς ᾠδῆς διάνοιαν ε χει τὰ ἑξῆς τῶν λέξεων αὐτῶν ἐκτεθεισῶν ̓Αποστραφήτωσαν κτλ. 62 Ps 9,18–19 ̓Αποστραφήτωσαν οἱ ἁμαρτωλοί, οἱ πολεμίων δίκην ἐπιτιθέμενοι, εἰς τὸν ᾳ δην. ἑρμηνεύων δὲ τίνες οἱ ἁμαρτωλοί, ἐπήγαγεν ὡς τὰ ἐπιλανθανόμενα ε θνη τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσιν. ἁμαρτωλοὺς δὲ καὶ ε θνη οὐκ ἀνθρώπους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀσάρκους δυνάμεις ἐκλαβεῖν δεῖ. εἰ γὰρ 15 μὴ σημαίνει οὐσίαν ἀλλὰ ποιὸν ἡ ἁμαρτωλὸς φωνή, παρωνυμία ου σα ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, πάντα τὸν μετέχοντα ἁμαρτίας ου τως ὀνομαστέον. καταλλήλως τούτοις καὶ τὰ ε θνη ἐκλήψει. ω σπερ δὲ οὐκ ω ν τις ἐν οὐρανῷ τοπικῶς, ε τι ἐπὶ γῆς περιπατῶν, δύναται ἐκεῖ πολιτείᾳ καὶ νοήσει τυγχάνειν, ου τω μὴ διατρίβων τις ἐν ᾳ δῃ τοπικῶς δύναται σημεῖα φέρειν νεκρότητος καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν, ὡς οἰκεῖν αὐτὸν τὸν ᾳ δην η δη καίτοι ο ντα ἐν τῇ μετὰ σώματος ζωῇ. Πτωχὸς δὲ λέγεται καὶ ὁ πτωχεύων δι' ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ ὁ μέτριος καὶ α τυφος, καὶ ὁ χρῄζων δέξασθαι παρὰ θεοῦ· ε καστος δὲ γενητός ἐστι τοιοῦτος. κατὰ πάντας τούτους τοὺς τρόπους ὁ λεγόμενος πτωχὸς μνημονεύεται θεῷ. κα ν διά τι σύμφερον δόξῃ λήθης τι αὐτοῦ γίνεσθαι, οὐκ εἰς τὸ παντελὲς δὲ παραμένει αυ τη, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Οὐκ εἰς τέλος ἐπιληθήσεται. Τίνος δὲ διοίσει πτωχὸς πένητος, προϊόντες ἐροῦμεν ο τ' α ν καιρὸς καλέσῃ εἰπεῖν περὶ τούτων. 63 Ps 9,20 Σύ, κύριε, ὁ τοὺς ὀγκυλλομένους καὶ ἀπαυθαδιζομένους πίπτειν ποιῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ ψεκτοῦ υ ψους, ἀντιταττόμενος τοῖς ὑπερηφάνοις· μὴ τοίνυν κραταιούσθωσαν, ἀλλὰ Κριτήθωσαν ἐνώπιόν σου· ε ψεται γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὑπερβάλλουσα ὠφέλεια. ̔Ερμηνευθείη δὲ τὸ Μὴ κραταιούσθω α νθρωπος ὡς λεχθὲν περὶ διαβόλου, περὶ ου ει ρηται ἐν τῇ παραβολῇ τῶν ζιζανίων ὡς ο ντος ἀνθρώπου ἐχθροῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ προφητείᾳ Ου τος ὁ α νθρωπος ὁ παροξύνων τὴν γῆν. καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ α νθρωπος ου τος ἐκραταιοῦτο πρὸ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος καθόδου λέγων

About this text

Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.

Original English Translation — new OET from PG Greek.

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