Christological Interpretation of the Psalms
Virtues are not merely found in the garments of the bride, nor is the discourse concerning the intelligible realities, especially that concerning the Trinity, adorned with golden embroideries; rather, it is made diverse through the varied and multifaceted teaching of Christ.egarding Psalm 44:15a, since the word has an obscurity, we shall take its meaning from another. The discourse says that in the Vision of the Souls, it interprets the differences of the souls approaching Christ: 'There are queens and concubines and maidens without number; my dove is one, my perfect one' (Ps 44:15a). As it has been said concerning this: 'Her daughters have given her, and they shall bless her; queens and concubines shall praise her' (Ps 45:9), from which it is shown to one another that through the daughters they have been called maidens, concubines, and queens. It is made manifest from these words that the souls approaching Christ are such that some, having not yet the time for marriage, are maidens; but those coming to him after having been restored, some are noble and have ascended far above the world that became existent in six days. 'Sixty are queens,' referring to those having received the eight-day circumcision and possessing the spirit of the maturity of slavery. 'Eighty are concubines;' but the one surpassing them all according to the Spirit, having been perfected, to be a perfect dove of the Word, is the glorious Church, which has no nest, no wrinkle, or anything of that kind. The psalmist, in the verses preceding this, says that he hymns this Church, that she shall be brought to her bride with those others being embraced by him, the queens being the maidens who formerly did not have the time for cohabitation, but now, because they have been perfected, are being led into the bridal chamber, so that, having slept with the king, they might be taken up to become members of the one perfect bride, no longer being such as they happened to be when they were imperfect.
Regarding Psalm 44:15b, even if many are incorruptible, it is a custom to call souls virgins, but not all are brought to the king, but only those having become near and close by the disposition of the perfect bride. And also 'they shall be brought'; for those not having experience of the Word of the bride are not such as they are to go to him by themselves; but those handing the preliminary educations to them bring them to him; for they are not law and prophets.
Since almost everything of the psalm is said toward Christ, this verse says that although you have children according to the flesh from fathers, that is, those from circumcision, there have been born to you from the same race sons resembling the evangelical word. And these you also have established as rulers over all the earth, saying to them, 'Having gone, make disciples of all the nations' (Matt 28:19), they are his witnesses, having become the beginning of the king, even to the end of the earth.
Because of this, peoples will confess with thanksgiving (Ps 44:18), not for the sake of the second age, but even unto the age of ages. For we do not permit the confession concerning sins to be named now. For it never happens even unto the age of ages; only in this age is it possible to repent and to confess. But if they shall be remembered, according to another writing, instead of 'Those having been bequeathed to rule with you,' they shall be remembered by your name in all generations and generations, by extending your kingdom unto all the ages.
It is customary to call the things said unclearly 'hidden' because of a certain economy; for according to this also the wisdom of God is hidden in a mystery. Just so, 'The treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden' (Prov 2:6) have been said. And the end or purpose of these hidden things is not to let the unworthy find the knowledge of divine things, so that those having a desire for the attainment of divine knowledge, having given themselves to labors and exercises, might attain the purpose.
God is not the God of all, nor of those who have renounced all human refuge and power (Ps 45:2). For those fleeing toward God have all safety and power to partake of him, as the apostle says: 'I am able through him who strengthens me to do all things' (Phil 4:13). A help in the tribulations that find us intensely. The 'intensely' lies uncertainly; for the help is intensely in the tribulations that find us, or it is a help in the intensely finding tribulations.
Mountains being moved in the hearts of seas (Ps 45:3b), one should not consider the sensible parts of the earth being moved, but evil powers being moved into the souls disturbed by storms, a salty drink of wickedness and bitterness of character. Even the Savior toward the disciples...
Greek
ου ν ἐν τοῖς ἐνδύμασιν αὐτῆς τυγχανούσαις ἀρεταῖς συγκαθύφανται καὶ ὁ περὶ τῶν νοητῶν λόγος, μάλιστα ὁ περὶ τῆς τριάδος, κροσσωτὰ χρυσᾶ περιβέβληται ο ντα πεποικιλμένα διὰ τὸ πολύτροπον καὶ πολυειδὲς τῆς Χριστοῦ διδασκαλίας. 466 Ps 44,15a Τῆς λέξεως ἀσάφειαν ἐχούσης, ἐξ α λλης τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῆς ληψόμεθα. ἐν τῷ Αισματι τῶν ᾀσμάτων τὰς διαφορὰς τῶν Χριστῷ προσερχομένων ψυχῶν ἑρμηνεύων ὁ λόγος φησίν· Εἰσὶ βασίλισσαι καὶ παλλακαὶ καὶ νεάνιδες ω ν οὐκ ε στιν ἀριθμός· μία ἐστὶ περιστερά μου, τελεία μου· ὡς περὶ ταύτης εἰρῆσθαι Ει δοσαν αὐτὴν θυγατέρες καὶ μακαριοῦσιν αὐτήν, βασίλισσαι καὶ παλλακαὶ αἰνέσουσιν αὐτήν· ἐξ ω ν δείκνυται α λλη ου σα παρὰ τὰς θυγατέρας αι ει ρηνται νεάνιδες καὶ παλλακαὶ καὶ βασιλίδες. δηλοῦται δὲ ἐκ τῶν λέξεων τούτων ὡς α ρα αἱ Χριστῷ προσερχόμεναι ψυχαὶ αἱ μὲν ου πω καιρὸν ε χουσαι γάμου νεάνιδές εἰσιν, αἱ δὲ συνελθοῦσαι αὐτῷ η δη ἀνακραθέντι αὐταῖς αἱ μὲν εὐγένιδες καὶ ὑπεραναβεβηκυῖαι τὸν ἐν ε ξ ἡμέραις γενόμενον κόσμον ̔Εξηκοντά εἰσι βασίλισσαι, αἱ δὲ τὴν ὀκταήμερον περιτομὴν λαβοῦσαι ἀκμὴν τὸ τῆς δουλείας ε χουσαι πνεῦμα ̓Ογδοήκοντα παλλακίδες εἰσίν· ἡ 91 δὲ πάσας ὑπερέχουσα κατὰ τὸ πνεῦμα πεποιωμένη ω στ' ει ναι περιστερὰ τελεία τοῦ λόγου ἡ ε νδοξος ἐκκλησία ἐστὶν ἡ μὴ ε χουσα σπίλον η ῥυτίδα η τι τῶν τοιούτων. ταύτην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ὑμνῶν ὁ ψαλμῳδὸς ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτου στίχοις τὰ νῦν φησι μετ' ἐκείνην ἐνεχθήσεσθαι τῷ νυμφίῳ αὐτῆς βασιλεῖ τὰς νεανίδας τὰς πάλαι μὲν ω ραν συμβιώσεως οὐκ ἐχούσας, νῦν δὲ διὰ τὸ τελειωθῆναι προσαγομένας εἰς τὸν θάλαμον, ο πως συγκαθευδήσασαι τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀναληφθῶσιν εἰς τὸ μέλη γενέσθαι τῆς μιᾶς τελείας νύμφης οὐκέτι α λλαι παρὰ ταύτην τυγχάνουσαι ὡς ο τε ἀτελεῖς η σαν. 467 Ps 44,15b Εἰ καὶ πολλαὶ ἀδιάφθοροι ει εν ψυχαὶ α ς παρθένους ε θος καλεῖν, ἀλλ' οὐ πᾶσαι η δη ἀποφέρονται τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀλλ' αἱ πλησίον καὶ ἐγγὺς γενόμεναι τῇ διαθέσει τῆς τελείας νύμφης. ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ ̓Απενεχθήσονται· αἱ γὰρ πεῖραν μὴ ε χουσαι τοῦ νυμφίου λόγου οὐχ οι αί τέ εἰσι δι' ἑαυτῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἰέναι· α γουσι δ' αὐτὰς πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ τὰ προπαιδεύματα αὐταῖς παραδιδόντες· εἰσὶ δ' ου τοι νόμος καὶ προφῆται. 468 Ps 44,17 468 ̓Επεὶ πρὸς τὸν Χριστὸν λέγεται σχεδὸν τὰ πάντα τοῦ ψαλμοῦ, καὶ ου τος ὁ στίχος λέγοι α ν ο τι ἀνθ' ω ν ει χες κατὰ σάρκα πατέρων, τουτέστι τῶν ἐκ περιτομῆς, ἐγεννήθησάν σοι ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ γένους υἱοὶ προσηκάμενοι τὸν εὐαγγελικὸν λόγον. τούτους δὲ καὶ κατέστησας α ρχοντες ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν, φάσκων αὐτοῖς Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ε θνη, μάρτυρες αὐτοῦ οι α υ παρχοι βασιλέως γενόμενοι ε ως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. 469 Ps 44,18 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο λαοὶ εὐχαριστητικῶς ἐξομολογήσονται οὐκ ἐφ' ε να η δεύτερον αἰῶνα ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. τὴν γὰρ ἐφ' ἁμαρτίαις ἐξομολόγησιν οὐκ ἐπιτρεπόμεθα νῦν ὀνομάζειν. α παξ γὰρ καὶ οὐκ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος αυ τη γίνεται· μόνον γὰρ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ αἰῶνι μετανοεῖν καὶ ἐξομολογεῖσθαι οι όν τε. εἰ δὲ Μνησθήσονται ε χει καθ' ἑτέραν γραφὴν ἀντὶ τοῦ Οἱ πρὸς σοῦ α ρχειν κεχειροτονημένοι, τοῦ ὀνόματός σου μνησθήσονται ἐν πάσῃ γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ τῷ εἰς πάντας τοὺς αἰῶνας παρατείνειν σου τὴν βασιλείαν. 470 Ps 45,1 Εθος τὰ ἀσαφῶς λεγόμενα δι' οἰκονομίαν τινὰ κρύφια καλεῖν· κατὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ σοφία ἐν μυστηρίῳ ἀποκεκρυμμένη ἐστίν· ου τω καὶ Οἱ θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι ει ρηνται. ε στιν ου ν καὶ τούτων τῶν κρυφίων τέλος οἱονεὶ σκοπὸς η τοι τὸ λαθεῖν τοὺς ἀναξίους τὴν τῶν θείων γνῶσιν, η οι α ν πόθον ε χοντες καταλήψεως τῆς θείας γνώσεως, πόνοις καὶ ἀσκήσεσιν ἐπιδόντες ἑαυτούς, τύχωσι τοῦ σκοποῦ. 471 Ps 45,2 Οὐ πάντων ὁ θεός ἐστιν η τῶν ἀποταξαμένων πάσῃ ἀνθρωπίνῃ καταφυγῇ τε καὶ δυνάμει. καταφεύγοντες γὰρ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν πᾶσαν ἀσφάλειαν ε χουσιν καὶ δύναμιν τῷ μετέχειν αὐτοῦ, ὡς λέγειν κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον· Πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με Χριστῷ. Βοηθὸς ἐν θλίψεσιν ταῖς εὑρούσαις ἡμᾶς σφόδρα. τὸ Σφόδρα ἀμφιβόλως κεῖται· η γὰρ βοηθὸς σφόδρα ἐστὶν ἐν ταῖς εὑρισκούσαις ἡμᾶς θλίψεσιν, η ἐν ταῖς σφόδρα εὑρισκούσαις ἡμᾶς θλίψεσιν βοηθός ἐστιν. 472 Ps 45,3b Ορη μετατιθέμενα ἐν καρδίαις θαλασσῶν οὐ τὰ αἰσθητὰ τυγχάνοντα μέρη γῆς ἡγητέον, ἀλλὰ πονηρὰς δυνάμεις μετατιθεμένας εἰς τὰς τεταραγμένας ὑπὸ τρικυμιῶν παθῶν ψυχάς, ε νθα ἁλμυρόν τι πόμα κακίας καὶ πικρότης ἠθῶν. ἀμέλει καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς
About this text
Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
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- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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