The Arrows of Christ and the Rule of Virtue
If the person is the Father, he says: 'Since I alone am good' (Ps 44:2a), 'it is necessary that the one becoming the word of my own essence also be good.' But if the prophet is the one saying: 'Since a good man brings forth good from the good treasure of the heart' (Ps 44:2a), it is necessary that one having much good, having been fed with fornication foods, also brings forth a good word seeking it. For just as one having eaten an apple sends forth a scent of apple breathing, so one having eaten good things, having accustomed his soul to good things, brings forth a good word seeking it. Just as the quality of these foods is what becomes, so also regarding spiritual teaching, such things were sought and eaten.
Writing also certain instructions (Ps 44:2c). For just as the word of the gospel, being compared to a grain of cinnamon, if it should happen to be agriculture, becomes greater than human words of vegetables because of the temporary names given, so the word of God writes with his own pen and timely demonstrates these things, touching the thoughts and piercing the souls, apart from human writings.
Those hearing the words of Jesus, being full of grace (Ps 44:3bc), will say the upcoming text: 'He has poured out abundance' shows the grace; this agrees with 'I will pour out from my spirit upon all flesh' (Acts 2:17) and 'The love of God is poured out in our hearts' (Rom 5:5); for in these the abundance of the spirit and the wealth of the love from God is shown. Because of this poured-out grace, 'God has blessed you with your lips' (Ps 44:4), testifying of blessedness to you for all eternity.
Since regarding the testicle the things of generation are at work, and shameful desires grow around these, there is a need for the divisive word called a sword, in order that, having been made alive regarding the testicle, the unrestrained pleasures be cut away. The Savior, descending according to the human pattern, girds a sword around his testicle for the sake of self-sufficient purity, possessing beauty and loveliness because of the virtue coming forth in sinlessness; and what the symbol of the testicle of the aforementioned things is, let it be clear. For even Abraham, when sending the child for a bride, says his hand...
[...] upon my thigh, and I adjure you, the God of heaven. Perhaps, because of Him who is to become Savior through it, the Word who became flesh is able according to the flesh. The Word is understood and believed as a sword, while the flesh is a thigh from which the beginning of the flesh comes from there. But the Word, having escaped all weakness, is powerful, possessing the brightness, beauty, and splendor of divinity.
As for Psalm 44:5, the archer directs his best bow, wounding those who are thrown into divine arrows. It must also be read that he directs them to provide joy; and along with these, 'reign, O King, among the wounded' (Ps 44:6). The reason for your reigning is the perfection of virtue, not in practice alone but also in knowledge, because of truth, gentleness, and justice; for he says, 'reign, because it is necessary for the truth, gentleness, and justice to be known and established by those under your rule.' And 'your right hand shall guide you marvelously' (Ps 44:7). He who does all things according to God is marvelously guided by the right hand of good practice, using that path toward the Savior. And the Savior, performing paradoxical powers by his right hand, is marvelously guided.
As for Psalm 44:6ab, the words of the mighty Christ are like arrows that strike those who hear, so that they may judge the following of those toward Him. The apostles, being wounded by these arrows, having sent all things into the world, fell well to judge Him. And the peoples, who previously held a bad position, were struck by these arrows to be established in good, falling under Him; that is, they were made subject to Him and have become His.
As for Psalm 44:6c, the enemies of King Christ are all those who sin. If these spoken arrows do not exist in the hearts of these sinners, they fall from the throne, prostrating themselves before the King. Perhaps the peoples who stand in the hearts of the King's enemies, being confirmed according to the will of their enmity, fell by the arrows under Christ, falling into the heart of His enemies.
As for Psalm 44:8, if these things are toward the only-begotten Son of God, the Son of God, having hated the life lived before His coming...
Greek
453 Ps 44,2a Εἰ τοῦ πατρὸς ει η τὸ πρόσωπον, λέγοι α ν ̓Επεὶ μόνος ἀγαθὸς ὑπάρχω, ἀνάγκη καὶ τὸν ἐκ τῆς ἐμῆς οὐσίας λόγον γενόμενον ἀγαθὸν ει ναι· εἰ δ' ὁ προφήτης ει η ὁ λέγων, φαμὲν ̓Επεὶ ὁ ἀγαθὸς α νθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ τῆς καρδίας προφέρει τὸ ἀγαθόν, ἀνάγκη καὶ τὸν τραφέντα τροφαῖς πορνικαῖς πολὺ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐχούσαις ἐρεύγεσθαι ἀγαθὸν λόγον. ὡς γὰρ ὁ μῆλον φαγὼν ἐρυγὴν ἐκπέμπει μήλου πνέουσαν, ου τως ὁ φαγὼν ἀγαθὰ ὡς ἐντρυφῆσαι ἐν ἀγαθοῖς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀγαθὸν ἐκπέμπει λόγον ἐρευγόμενος αὐτόν. Ps 44,2a Ωσπερ ου ν ἐπὶ ταύτης τῶν σιτίων ποιότητός ἐστι τὸ γινόμενον, ου τω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς διδασκαλίας τοιαῦτα ἠρεύγετο οι α καὶ ἐσιτεῖτο. 454 Ps 44,2c Γραφόντων καὶ αὐτῶν παιδεύσεις τινάς. ὡς γὰρ ὁ λόγος τοῦ εὐαγγελίου κόκκῳ σινάπεως παραβαλλόμενος, εἰ γεωργίας τύχοι, μείζων γίνεται τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων λόγων λαχάνων διὰ τὸ πρόσκαιρον ὀνομαζομένων, ου τως α γράφει ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος καλάμῳ ἰδίῳ καιρίως ἐπιδείκνυται αὐτὰ παρὰ τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων συγγραφὰς τῶν λογισμῶν ἐφαπτόμενα καὶ ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἐνιζάνοντα. 455 Ps 44,3bc Οἱ ἀκούοντες τῶν ̓Ιησοῦ λόγων, τυγχανόντων Πλήρης χάριτος, ἐροῦσιν τὸ προκείμενον· πολλάκις δὲ ἀντὶ λόγων τὰ χείλη λέγεσθαι ἀποδέδεικται. τὸ δὲ ̓Εξεχύθη τὴν δαψιλείαν δηλοῖ τῆς χάριτος· συνᾴδει τούτῳ τὸ ̓Εκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα, καὶ ̔Η ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν· καὶ ἐν τούτοις γὰρ ἡ δαψιλεία τοῦ πνεύματος καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος τῆς ἐκ θεοῦ ἀγάπης δηλοῦται. διὰ ταύτην ου ν τὴν ἐκχυθεῖσαν χάριν ἐν χείλεσί σου Εὐλόγησέν σε ὁ θεός σου, εὐλογιστίαν σοι μαρτυρήσας ἐπὶ πάντα τὸν αἰῶνα. 456 Ps 44,4 ̓Επεὶ περὶ τὸν μηρὸν ἐνεργεῖται τὰ γενέσεως πράγματα, φύονται δὲ περὶ ταῦτα αἰσχραὶ ἐπιθυμίαι, χρεία τοῦ τμητικοῦ λόγου ῥομφαίας ὀνομαζομένου, ι να περὶ τὸν μηρὸν ζωσθεὶς ἐκτέμνοι τὰς ἀκολάστους ἡδονάς. ὁ σωτὴρ ου ν κατὰ τὸν α νθρωπον τύπον ἀρίστης πολιτείας καταβαλλόμενος ὑπὲρ αὐτοτελοῦς ἁγνείας περιζώννυται ῥομφαίαν ἐπὶ τὸν μηρὸν αὐτοῦ, ὡραιότητα ε χων καὶ κάλλος διὰ τὴν 89 προσοῦσαν ἐν ἀναμαρτησίᾳ ἀρετήν· ο τι δὲ σύμβολον ὁ μηρὸς τῶν προειρημένων δῆλον. καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ ̓Αβραάμ, ἐπὶ μνηστείαν πέμπων τὸν παῖδα, Θές φησι τὴν χεῖρά σου ἐπὶ τὸν μηρόν μου, καὶ ἐξορκιῶ σε τὸν θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. τάχα διὰ τὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ μέλλοντα ε σεσθαι σωτῆρα τὸ κατὰ σάρκα δύναται ὁ γενόμενος σὰρξ λόγος ει ναι. νοεῖται ου ν καὶ πιστεύεται ὁ μὲν λόγος ῥομφαία ει ναι, ἡ δὲ σὰρξ μηρὸς τῷ ἐκεῖθεν τὴν ἀρχὴν ε χειν τὴν σάρκα. ου τος δὲ πρὸς ο ν ὁ λόγος πᾶσαν ἀσθένειαν διαφυγὼν δυνατός ἐστι, τὴν φαιδρότητα τῆς θεότητος κάλλος καὶ ὡραιότητα ε χων. 457 Ps 44,5 ̓Εντείνας δὲ οι α τοξότης α ριστος τόξον κατευοδοῦ τιτρώσκων εἰς ε ρωτα θεῖον τοὺς βαλλομένους. ἀναγνωστέον δὲ καὶ Κατευοδοῦ ι σον τῷ Εὐοδίαν πάρεχε· καὶ πρὸς τούτοις βασίλευε τῶν βεβλημένων πόθῳ. ἡ δὲ αἰτία τοῦ βασιλεῦσαί σε τελειότης ἀρετῆς ἐστιν οὐκ ἐν πράξει μόνῃ ἀλλὰ καὶ γνώσει. τὸ γὰρ Ενεκεν ἀληθείας καὶ πραύτητος καὶ δικαιοσύνης τοῦτο σημαίνει· βασίλευε γάρ φησιν ε νεκα τοῦ γνωσθῆναι τὴν ἀλήθειαν καὶ πραότητα καὶ δικαιοσύνην κατορθωθῆναι τοῖς ὑπὸ τὴν σὴν ἀρχήν. Καὶ ὁδηγήσει σε θαυμαστῶς ἡ δεξιά σου. ὁ κατὰ θεὸν πάντα πράττων ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν καλῶν πρακτικῆς δεξιᾶς ου σης θαυμαστῶς ὁδηγεῖται ἡγεμόνι αὐτῇ χρώμενος τῆς ἐπὶ τὸν σωτῆρα ὁδοῦ. καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ου ν ἐπιτελῶν δεξιῶς παραδόξους δυνάμεις ὑπὸ δεξιᾶς ἑαυτοῦ θαυμαστῶς ὁδηγεῖται. 458 Ps 44,6ab Οἱ τοῦ δυνατοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγοι βελῶν ἠκονισμένων δίκην βάλλουσιν τοὺς ἀκούοντας, ω στε πάντων προκρῖναι τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀκολούθησιν. τούτοις τοῖς βέλεσι τρωθέντες οἱ ἀπόστολοι, τὰ ἐν ποσὶ πάντα ἀποπεμψάμενοι, ε πεσθαι αὐτῷ καλῶς ε χειν ε κριναν· ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ λαοὶ οἱ πρότερον φαύλην στάσιν ε χοντες τῷ ἐν κακοῖς ἱδρύσθαι πληγέντες τούτοις τοῖς βέλεσιν ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ ε πεσον, τουτέστιν ὑπετάγησαν αὐτῷ καὶ ὑπ' αὐτὸν γεγόνασιν. 459 Ps 44,6c 459 Οἱ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ βασιλέως Χριστοῦ πάντες οἱ ἁμαρτάνοντες. ο ταν ου ν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τούτων τὰ προειρημένα βέλη γένηται, πίπτουσιν ἀπὸ τῆς ε χθρας τὸν βασιλέα γονυπετοῦντες. η τάχα οἱ λαοὶ οἱ ἑστηκότες ̓Εν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῦ βασιλέως, κατὰ τὸ βούλημα τῆς ε χθρας αὐτῶν βεβαιούμενοι, βληθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν βελῶν ε πεσαν ὑπὸ Χριστόν, τῇ καρδίᾳ τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ καταπεσόντες. 460 Ps 44,8 Εἰ δὲ ει η πρὸς τὸν μονογενῆ υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ταῦτα, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ μισήσας τὴν πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας αὐτοῦ πολιτευομένην
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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