Fragments on the Psalms · §66

The Preservation of the Righteous and the Nature of Divine Justice

He is not an angel sent to rescue from evils, but the indicated Savior (Ps 33:9a). Regarding God, the good means the same as the good. Since he is also the bread of life, the Spirit commands those who do not have desire for it not to be overwhelmed by it, but only to taste it. For the tasting is sufficient to make them desirous and to make them desire to experience it. And to taste signifies, as if by a little, to know and to examine concerning God. For he says that a pure tasting imparts to the souls an incomparable enjoyment of those things which are above human and wonderful (Ps 33:9b).

Blessed is the man who hopes in him (Ps 33:9b). The man who exists by hoping in God completely and without fail is blessed (Ps 33:10). We say that fear is twofold. For immediately, someone coming to God, having taken up fear toward him, makes straight all his commandments. For it is said: Fear God and keep his commandments (Ps 33:10). But in the present verse, concerning a fear that has ascended above, he speaks of that on which he calls the saints to have become; for having taken on the introductory fear, they hurried toward holiness. But now, he commands those saints not to fear God, but to have the fear that fulfills all good, so that the one having it may be unceasing (Ps 33:12b).

It is to be noted that, just as other good things are taught, so also the divine fear is taught, from which we learn not to signify a passion-driven fear; for an undidactic fear exists by nature not only in humans but also in irrational animals (Ps 33:12b). Since those looking upon the whole of God—powers called eyes in a figurative sense—look upon the righteous, but also his ears are ready to receive their petition, for this reason he says: if you wish to enjoy these, turning away from evil, do the good (Ps 33:15-16).

Those placing all this thoughtlessly and doing evils as if God were not watching, will encounter punishment, receiving a reminder that God is present to exact judgment upon them (Ps 33:17). And according to this, it is said that the face of God shines upon them, or that how their remembrance shall be destroyed not ever, but from the earth. But blessed is the one whose remembrance is destroyed from the earth; for thus the law shall be written.

His protection in the heavens. But the workers of iniquity do evil. The Lord will preserve the bones of the righteous (Ps 33:21), not allowing even by chance for them to be broken, nor for the doctrines of the righteous nor for his own powers to be overturned.

He who sins is deprived of life (Ps 33:22a) as he approaches the keeping of the commandments, falling into evil death. And evil death is that which is contrary to the good life, which inflicts pain upon the subject; for Job was also struck with evil, as it is evident that it was inflicting pain. Those who hate what is loved harm not others but themselves (Ps 33:22b). And indeed, the one who hates the diligent righteous man errs and falls into punishment.

It is to be noted what the redemption truly is: it frees souls from captivity; for if bodies are ever redeemed, it is not beforehand but this happens by consequence (Ps 33:23a); and souls are saved, not of others, but of his slaves. Those who hope in the Lord will not be disappointed of the things hoped for and expected (Ps 33:23b).

He also teaches in other places those who fight against him, saying, 'Many are those fighting against me from below' (Ps 34:1bc). Those who were not fighting against him were acting unjustly toward him who had done no injustice; but he does not wish for the enemies to be unpunished, but rather that they be judged by the injustice of the enemies, opposing the justice of God, being destructive against the injustice, just as the light is destructive to the darkness. For injustice, being contrary to and set against the justice of God, will be fought against from it. Therefore also the unrighteous man would be called an enemy to the righteous. But justice makes the righteous a friend to God, just as the just are friends to the just. Therefore it has been said, 'The Lord is righteous and loves righteousness' (Ps 34:1c). The righteous, trusting in his own righteousness, says, 'Judge me, Lord, and judge my case' (Ps 34:1d). The Lord is therefore judging those who do injustice, destroying the injustice within them. And he also fights against those who fight against the righteous, doing this for the good of those being fought against, as if they might at some time cease by practicing righteousness (Ps 34:1b).

The act of doing injustice signifies harm in the words: 'Behold, I have given you to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon...' (Ps 91:13).

Greek

τῶν κακῶν οὐκ οι ός τε ῥύεσθαι α γγελος ἀλλ' ὁ σημαινόμενος σωτήρ. 313 Ps 33,9a 71 ̓Επὶ θεοῦ τὸ χρηστὸν ταὐτὸν τῷ ἀγαθῷ σημαίνει. ἐπεὶ ου ν καὶ τρόφιμός ἐστιν α ρτος ω ν ζωῆς, προστάττει τὸ πνεῦμα τοῖς μὴ ὀρεκτικῶς ε χουσιν ω στε αὐτοῦ ἐμφορηθῆναι, κα ν μόνον γεύσωνται αὐτοῦ. ἡ γὰρ γεῦσις ἱκανή ἐστιν ὀρεκτικοὺς αὐτοὺς ποιῆσαι ὡς καὶ κατατρυφῆσαι αὐτοὺς θελῆσαι. τὸ δὲ γεύσασθαι δηλοῖ τό, κα ν ἀμωσγέπως, ἐπιστῆσαι καὶ ἐξετάσαι περὶ θεοῦ. ψιλὴ γὰρ γεῦσίς φησι τῶν ὑπὲρ α νθρωπόν τε καὶ θαυμασίων ἀσύγκριτον ἐνίησι ταῖς ψυχαῖς τῆς ἀπολαύσεως ε ρωτα. 314 Ps 33,9b Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ο ς ἐλπίζει ἐπ' αὐτόν. ὁ διὰ τὸ τελείως καὶ ἐνελλιπῶς ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ θεὸν ἀνὴρ ὑπάρχων μακάριός ἐστιν. 315 Ps 33,10 315 ∆ιττὸν ε φαμεν ει ναι τὸν φόβον. εὐθὺς γάρ τις θεῷ προσερχόμενος φόβον πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀναλαβὼν πάσας τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ κατορθοῖ. ει ρηται γοῦν· Τὸν θεὸν φοβοῦ καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ φύλασσε. ἐν τῷ προκειμένῳ δὲ στίχῳ περὶ ὑπεραναβεβηκότος φόβου λέγει ἐφ' ο ν καλεῖ τοὺς η δη ἁγίους γεγενημένους· τὸν γὰρ εἰσαγωγικὸν φόβον προσηκάμενοι ε σπευσαν ἐπὶ τὴν ἁγιότητα. νῦν δὲ ἁγίοις αὐτοῖς ου σι φοβηθῆναι τὸν θεὸν προστάττει φόβον τὸν πληροῦντα παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ, ω στε ἀνελλιπῆ ει ναι τὸν ε χοντα αὐτόν. 316 Ps 33,12b Σημειωτέον ο τι ὡς τὰ α λλα ἀγαθὰ ου τω καὶ ὁ θεῖος φόβος διδακτός ἐστιν, ἐξ ου μανθάνομεν μὴ τὸν παθητὸν δηλοῦσθαι φόβον· ου τος γὰρ ἀδίδακτος τῇ φύσει οὐ μόνον ἀνθρώποις ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἀλόγοις ζῴοις ἐνυπάρχει. 317 Ps 33,15.16 ̓Επεὶ αἱ ἐπιβλέπουσαι τὸ πᾶν τοῦ θεοῦ δυνάμεις τροπικῶς ὀφθαλμοὶ λεγόμεναι ἐπιβλέπουσιν ἐπὶ τοὺς δικαίους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ω τα αὐτοῦ ε τοιμα εἰς τὸ δέξασθαι τὴν δέησιν αὐτῶν, τούτου χάριν φησίν· εἰ θέλετε τούτων ἀπολαῦσαι, ἐκκλίναντες ἀπὸ κακοῦ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποιήσατε. 318 Ps 33,17 Οἱ ἀπρονόητον τόδε τὸ πᾶν τιθέμενοι καὶ ταύτῃ πράττοντες τὰ κακὰ ὡς οὐκ ἐφορῶντος θεοῦ κολάσει περιτυχόντες ἐνθύμησιν λήψονται, παρόντος θεοῦ δίκην αὐτοὺς εἰσπραττομένου. καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο ἐπιφαίνεσθαι αὐτοῖς τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον λέγεται, ο πως ἐξολοθρευθῇ τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν οὐ καθ' α παξ ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς γῆς. μακάριον δὲ τὸ ἐξολοθρευθῆναι τὸ μνημόσυνόν τινων ἐκ γῆς· ου τως γὰρ ἐγγραφήσεται τὸ ο νομα αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. ποιοῦσι δὲ κακὰ οἱ κακίας ἐργάται. 319 Ps 33,21 Τὰ ὀστᾶ τῶν δικαίων ο ντα η τοι δόγματα ἀληθείας η ψυχῆς δυνάμεις φυλάξει ὁ κύριος, οὐκ ἐῶν οὐδὲ τὸ τυχὸν αὐτῶν συντριβῆναι τῷ μηδὲ τὰ δόγματα τοῦ δικαίου μηδ' αυ τὰς δυνάμεις αὐτοῦ ἀνατρέπεσθαι. 320 Ps 33,22a ̔Ο ἁμαρτάνων στερεῖται τῆς ζωῆς τῆς ἐπὶ τηρήσει τῶν ἐντολῶν παραγινομένης, θανάτῳ πονηρῷ περιπίπτων. πονηρὸς δὲ θάνατος η τοι ὁ ἐναντίος τῇ ἀγαθῇ ζωῇ η ὁ πόνον ἐμποιῶν τῷ ὑποκειμένῳ· ου τω γὰρ καὶ ε λκει πονηρῷ ἐπαίσθη ὁ ̓Ιώβ, τῷ δηλονότι πόνον ἐμποιοῦντι. 321 Ps 33,22b Οἱ τὰ φιλητὰ μισοῦντες βλάπτουσιν οὐχ ἑτέρους ἀλλ' ἑαυτούς. καὶ τὸν δίκαιον γοῦν σπουδαῖον ο ντα ὁ μισῶν πλημμελεῖ καὶ τιμωρίᾳ περιπίπτει. 322 Ps 33,23a Σημειωτέον ο τι ἡ κυρίως λύτρωσις ψυχὰς ἀπὸ αἰχμαλωσίας ἐλευθεροῖ· εἰ γάρ ποτε καὶ σώματα λυτροῦται, οὐ προηγουμένως ἀλλὰ κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς τοῦτο ποιεῖ· καὶ ψυχαὶ δὲ ῥύονται οὐκ α λλων η τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ. 323 Ps 33,23b Οἱ ἐπὶ κύριον ἐλπίζοντες οὐκ α ν διαμάρτοιεν τῶν ἐλπιζομένων καὶ προσδοκωμένων. 324 Ps 34,1bc ∆ιδάσκει δὲ καὶ ἐν ἑτέροις τίνες η σαν οἱ πολεμοῦντες αὐτὸν λέγων Οτι πολλοὶ οἱ πολεμοῦντές με ἀπὸ υ ψους. οἱ μὲν ου ν πολεμοῦντες αὐτὸν ἠδίκουν τὸν μηδὲν ἀδικήσαντα· αὐτὸς δὲ οὐκ ἀδικηθῆναι τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ευ χεται ἀλλὰ δικασθῆναι τῇ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἀδικίᾳ, τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην ἀντιτάττων ἀναιρετικὴν ου σαν τῆς ἀδικίας, ὡς τὸ φῶς ἀναιρετικὸν τυγχάνει τοῦ σκότους. ἡ μὲν ου ν ἀδικία ἐναντία ου σα καὶ ἀντικειμένη τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνῃ πολεμηθείη α ν ἐξ αὐτῆς. διὸ καὶ ὁ α δικος α νθρωπος ἐχθρὸς α ν λέγοιτο τῷ δικαίῳ. ἡ δὲ δικαιοσύνη 72 τὸν δίκαιον φίλον ποιεῖ τῷ θεῷ, ο τι δὴ τὰ ι σα τοῖς ι σοις φίλα. διὸ λέλεκται ∆ίκαιος κύριος καὶ δικαιοσύνας ἠγάπησεν. θαρρῶν τε τῇ αὐτοῦ δικαιοσύνῃ ὁ δίκαιος ει ποι α ν Κρῖνόν με, κύριε, καὶ δίκασον τὴν δίκην μου. δικάζων τοίνυν ὁ κύριος τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας τὴν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀδικίαν ἀπόλλυσιν. ου τω δὲ καὶ πολεμεῖ τοὺς πολεμοῦντας τὸν δίκαιον, ἐπ' ἀγαθῷ τῶν πολεμουμένων τοῦτο ποιῶν ὡς α ν παύσαιντό ποτε τὰ ἐχθρὰ τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ πράττοντες. 325 Ps 34,1b Σημαίνει δὲ τὸ ἀδικεῖν βλάβην ἐν τῷ ̓Ιδοὺ δέδωκα ὑμῖν πατεῖν ἐπάνω ο φεων καὶ σκορπίων καὶ ἐπὶ

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