Divine Providence and the Folly of Human Strength

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Because of the still and salty nature of the waters upon the earth, the sea, which is called the abyss, gathers them together—not as if they were scattered by a storm—as if in a skin, so that the Savior might take up the body to become calm and drinkable. He places them in the abysses of treasuries.

Nothing in creation is carried out disordered; for as a seed is held in its own treasuries by its own will, so it is released and held as it seems fit to it. It is said, moreover, that He brings the winds out of the treasuries, not by their own impulse, these being carried, but by the will of the Creator, sometimes closing them and sometimes bringing them out. But He also opens the treasury of the good heaven and gives rain to the seed of the earth, just as a seed is held, and He holds the rain by closing the heaven, as regarding the prophet Elijah. And the abysses, because they are not able to harm through the unlimited multitude of the waters, are placed in treasuries, enclosing them, so that if anyone wishes to use them, it is as is profitable according to the season (Ps 32:7).

It is also possible for the ungraspable of His thoughts and the unsearchable of His judgments, which happen to be abysses, to be placed in the hidden treasuries of knowledge and of wisdom, so that no one might attain to this from himself unless God should grant it (Ps 32:8-9). Since they came into being by His speaking and were created by His commanding, let them be shaken by Him; for it belongs to the Creator to change things toward the good (Ps 32:11a). 'They came into being' signifies the essence of those things regarded as being, and 'they were created' signifies the adornment having come into being after the essence. If all things came into being and were created by the speaking and commanding of God, then no one other than the creative Word spoke and commanded; and this is the Son of God.

And elsewhere it is said: 'For who has counseled that God the Holy should scatter?' (Ps 32:11b). Just as in other places it is said of God in a human way—as having hands and eyes and other things—so also He speaks of His heart, meaning His deliberative and intellectual energy. The thoughts of this energy, being unlifted and certain, extend from generation to generation, that is, through all the generations.

Divine thoughts remain as a conviction. Perhaps he did not cast thoughts upon the generation of the circumcised, but he casts these upon the generation from the believing Gentiles; for he has not called out against others, but against those in whom the shadows of the circumcised are hidden.

They inhabit the earth, not humans alone, but also invisible spirits and the other mortal animals (Ps 32:14b). The care of God, overseeing all, extends to everyone upon the earth, bringing them out from his aforementioned dwelling-place.

Since God understands not only the things accomplished but also the intention from which these things are activated (Ps 32:15b), it is said that he sees not, but understands all their works.

For that a king is not saved by much strength, you shall learn from history (Ps 32:16-17a); Pharaoh did not have a great array, but God cast his armor and his strength into the sea. And all history is full of such things. And he says that the one who is exceedingly strong will not be saved in the strength present to him; but having understood this, he speaks concerning Goliath. And if the allusion also indicates the god-fighter, no one shall be saved in a multitude of strengths of impious dogmas. The one called 'not strong' is to be found in Isaiah saying, 'Giant and strong,' but the god-fighter again by the same author: 'Giants come to fill my wrath, rejoicing.' And also in Genesis: 'And Nebroth was a mighty hunter before the Lord.' A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the help is by the Lord (Prov 21:31).

Since the departing light from the eyes of God is life (Ps 32:19), the pious, participating in this and having hope upon the lion, would be saved from the death that follows wickedness, as if their souls were being made alive; but participating in the heavenly bread (and the word of God is not bread), they are nourished in famine. For famine he speaks of not the scarcity of edible foods, but the deprivation of divine teachings. Accompanying this is the saying, 'I will send famine upon the earth' (Amos 8:11), not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord.

Since we are not sufficient to help ourselves or to fight for ourselves, knowing God as a helper and...

Greek

διὰ τὸ α στατον καὶ ἁλμυρὸν η θος τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς. τούτου ου ν δίκην τρικυμίας ἐσκεδασμένου συνήγαγεν αὐτὸ υ δατα θαλάσσης καλούμενον ὡσεὶ ἐν ἀσκῷ ῳ ἀνέλαβεν ὁ σωτὴρ σώματι, ο πως γαληνὸν καὶ εὐδιεινὸν γένηται. Τιθεὶς ἐν θησαυροῖς ἀβύσσους. οὐδὲν τῶν ἐν τῇ κτίσει ἀτάκτως φέρεται· ε καστα γὰρ ω σπερ ἐν θησαυροῖς τῷ ἑαυτοῦ βουλήματι συνέχων ἀφίησιν καὶ ἐπέχει ὡς α ν αὐτῷ δοκῇ. ἀμέλει γοῦν καὶ τοὺς ἀνέμους ἐκ θησαυρῶν ἐξάγειν λέγεται, οὐ κατ' ἰδίαν φορὰν 69 τούτων φερομένων ἀλλὰ βουλήσει τοῦ πεποιηκότος ὁτὲ μὲν ἀποκλειομένων, ὁτὲ δὲ ἐξαγομένων. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν θησαυρὸν τῶν ἀγαθῶν οὐρανὸν ἀνοίγων δίδωσιν ὑετὸν τῷ σπέρματι τῆς γῆς, ω σπερ αυ καὶ ἐπέχει τὸν ὑετὸν κλείων τὸν οὐρανὸν ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ προφήτου ̓Ηλιοῦ· καὶ τὰς ἀβύσσους ου ν ἱκανῶς ἐχούσας διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τὸ ἀπεριόριστον τῶν ὑδάτων βλάψαι ἐν θησαυροῖς τίθεται περικλείων αὐτάς, ι ν' ο τ' α ν βούληται χρήσηται αὐταῖς ὡς συμφέρει κατὰ καιρόν. 298 Ps 32,7 ∆ύναται δὲ καὶ τὰ ἀκατάληπτα τῶν νοημάτων καὶ ἀνεξερεύνητα τῶν κριμάτων αὐτοῦ, τυγχάνοντα ἀβύσσους, τεθεικέναι ἐν τοῖς ἀποκρύφοις θησαυροῖς τῆς γνώσεως καὶ τῆς σοφίας, ὡς μηδένα ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ τούτου τυγχάνειν εἰ μήπου ὁ θεὸς παράσχοι. 299 Ps 32,8.9 ̓Επεὶ αὐτοῦ εἰπόντος ἐγενήθησαν καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐντειλαμένου ἐκτίσθησαν, σαλευθήτωσαν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ· τοῦ γὰρ πεποιηκότος καὶ τὸ ἀλλοιοῦν ἐπὶ τὸ καλόν ἐστιν. σημαίνει δὲ τὸ ̓Εγενήθησαν τὴν οὐσίωσιν τῶν εἰς τὸ ει ναι ἠγμένων, τὸ ̓Εκτίσθησαν δὲ τὴν διακόσμησιν τὴν μετὰ τὴν οὐσίωσιν γεγενημένην. εἰ δὲ εἰπόντος καὶ ἐντειλαμένου θεοῦ ἐγενήθη καὶ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα, ἐστὶν ῳ ει πε καὶ ἐνετείλατο οὐκ α λλος παρὰ τὸν δημιουργικὸν λόγον· ἐστὶν δὲ ου τος ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ υἱός. 300 Ps 32,11a Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ δὲ ει ρηται· Α γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ὁ α γιος βεβούλευται τίς διασκεδάσει; 301 Ps 32,11b 301 Ωσπερ τὰ α λλα ἀφ' ω ν οι δαμεν ἀνθρωπίνως περὶ θεοῦ λέγει ὡς χεῖρας καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ τὰ α λλα ε χοντος, ου τω καὶ καρδίαν αὐτοῦ λέγει τήν, ι ν' ου τως ει πω, βουλευτικὴν καὶ νοητικὴν αὐτοῦ ἐνέργειαν. ταύτης ου ν οἱ λογισμοὶ ἀραρότες καὶ βέβαιοι τυγχάνοντες παρατείνουσιν ἀπὸ γενεᾶς εἰς γενεάν, τουτέστιν κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν ἐν γενεᾷ διαδοχὴν οἱ θεῖοι λογισμοὶ μένουσιν. η τάχα ου ς ἐνέβαλεν λογισμοὺς τῇ ἐκ περιτομῆς γενεᾷ, τούτους ἐμβάλλει τῇ ἀπὸ τῶν πιστευόντων ἐθνῶν γενεᾷ· οὐ γὰρ ἐπ' α λλοις κέκληται τὰ ε θνη ἀλλ' ἐπ' ἐκείνοις οι ς ει χον οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς σκιᾷ κρυπτομένοις. 302 Ps 32,14b Κατοικοῦσι δὲ τὴν γῆν οὐκ α νθρωποι μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ πνεύματα ἀόρατα καὶ τὰ α λλα θνητὰ ζῷα. εἰς πάντας ου ν τοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς παρατείνει ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ κηδεμονία ἐφορῶντος αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ προειρημένου κατοικητηρίου αὐτοῦ. 303 Ps 32,15b ̓Επεὶ μὴ μόνον τὰ πεπραγμένα ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν γνώμην ἀφ' η ς ἐνεργεῖται ταῦτα ἐπίσταται ὁ θεός, οὐχ ὁρᾶν ἀλλὰ συνιεῖν πάντα τὰ ε ργα αὐτῶν λέγεται. 304 Ps 32,16.17a Οτι δὲ οὐ σῴζεται βασιλεὺς διὰ πολλὴν δύναμιν, μαθήσῃ ἐκ τῆς ἱστορίας· Φαραὼ ου ν ει χεν πολλὴν παράταξιν, ἀλλὰ Τὰ α ρματα καὶ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ ε ρριψεν ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν. πλήρης δὲ τῶν τοιούτων πᾶσα ἡ ἱστορία. καὶ γίγαντα δὲ τὸν ὑπερβαλλόντως ἰσχυρὸν οὐ σωθήσεσθαι ε φη ἐν τῇ παρούσῃ αὐτῷ ἰσχύϊ· ο ψει δὲ τοῦτο ἐπιστήσας τῷ κατὰ τὸν Γολιάθ. εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸν θεομάχον ἡ προσηγορία δηλοῖ, οὐδὲ ου τος σωθήσεται ἐν πλήθει ἰσχύος ω ν ε χει δογμάτων ἀθεότητος. τὸν μὲν ου ν ἰσχυρὸν ου τω καλούμενον ε στιν εὑρεῖν ἐν ̔Ησαίᾳ λέγοντι Γίγαντα καὶ ἰσχύοντα, τὸν δὲ θεομάχον πάλιν παρὰ τῷ αὐτῷ· Γίγαντες ε ρχονται πληρῶσαι τὸν θυμόν μου χαίροντες. α μα καὶ ἐν Γενέσει· Καὶ η ν Νεβρὼθ γίγας κυνηγὸς ε ναντι κυρίου. Ιππος μέντοι ἑτοιμάζεται ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πολέμου, παρὰ δὲ κυρίου ἡ βοήθεια. 305 Ps 32,19 ̓Επεὶ ὁ ἀπολυόμενος φωτισμὸς ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τοῦ θεοῦ ζωή ἐστιν, τούτου μετάσχοντες οἱ εὐλαβεῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ε λεον τὴν ἐλπίδα ε χοντες ῥυσθεῖεν α ν ἐκ θανάτου τοῦ ἑπομένου τῇ κακίᾳ, ὡς τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν ζωοποιηθῆναι· ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ οὐρανίου α ρτου (θεοῦ δὲ λόγος ου τος) μεταλαμβάνοντες διατρέφονται ἐν λιμῷ. λιμὸν δὲ οὐ τὴν σπάνιν τῶν αἰθητῶν τροφῶν ἀλλὰ στέρησιν μαθημάτων λέγει θείων. τούτῳ συνῳδὸν τὸ ̓Επάξω λιμὸν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, οὐ λιμὸν α ρτου οὐδὲ δίψαν υ δατος ἀλλὰ λιμὸν τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι λόγον κυρίου. 306 Ps 32,20.21 ̓Επεὶ οὐκ αὐτάρκεις ἐσμὲν πρὸς τὸ ἑαυτοῖς βοηθεῖν η ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν μάχεσθαι, εἰδότες θεὸν βοηθὸν καὶ

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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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