The distinction between living and dying through the Word
Regarding the building of towers, they were assigned one voice and one lip, but through great impiety, having been joined together, they no longer had concord. For those who were making something from harmony, intending to be impious, they did not do this, their tongues having been divided. And here, indeed, the one praying desires the tongues of those who have voiced concord against him to be divided, the tongues being submerged, that is, becoming invisible. And before this, if it is said, 'to punish' means 'to submerge.' And Paul, knowing that sometimes it is advantageous to have disagreement against the wicked ones, defending himself on the steps, struck against Pharisees and Sadducees.
This can be referred to the Psalm 54:10b, 'Behold, I fled away and was distressed in the wilderness,' through the middle of the two verses from 'I waited for God who saves me,' as the 'He divided their tongues' is such a thing: since in the so-called city of God, Jerusalem, they were committing lawlessness and speaking against the truth, committing lawlessness and speaking against the truth, I fled away from it, so as having become in the wilderness called the Church from the Gentiles, to be distressed in it, resting and spending the night among the believers (Ps 54:11-12).
Since all night and with the day they commit lawlessness and speak against the truth in the city, as the city would be surrounded by lawlessness and speaking against the truth and by the camp coming upon it because of these, lawlessness and speaking against the truth reached and upon its walls, the holy apostles guarding it. For they did not leave it, seeing it committing lawlessness and speaking against the truth, because lawlessness and toil have come against the praiseworthy pleasure in its midst with injustice, as the birth and deceit of those dwelling in it do not cease from its streets, those acting craftily through whom they think wickedly, toiling by taking upon themselves the burden of evil, with lead being thrown against it.
And its streets were to be considered as souls widening themselves for the sake of pleasure, to walk a wide and spacious road, this being a glorious and passive life. And for always remaining in these, the toil concerning evils and the deceit concerning frauds, it makes it so that 'It did not fail from its streets'...
Birth and deceit. Ps 54,14b.15a 'You know my reproach instead of being known by me, who has made my bonds sweet to me, but to the rest of the disciples nourishing me with good works.'
Ps 54,16bc Someone of the ancients said that those descending into Hades alone are those having received the instruction of the divine teachings. For the taste of the words of life is dead; those living thus descend into Hades. For those living without the common life do not descend into Hades as becoming a body there, for no one has the common life there. Since neither Judas nor all the people of the Jews had received the instruction of the law and the prophets, they descend into Hades with death coming upon them, living according to sin. Consequently, the one approaching is also said in the verse: 'That wickedness is in their sojournings, in their midst.' For even if they had experience of the life-giving writings, they did not dwell but sojourned in them, having wickedness in their midst, that is, in the ruling principle; for it is said that the wickedness is in the midst of the animal.
Ps 54,17 'I cried to God and had my voice heard by the Lord.' For only he who has cried to God is heard by the Lord. For not everyone crying to God shouts; concerning the Sodomites it is written, 'The voice of Sodom and Gomorrah has been filled up,' not having cried to God.
Ps 54,18 Since the narration of a pious man is wisdom throughout, a pious man and narrating wisdom throughout, the psalmist says: 'The evening sets for me the things of wickedness and the extinguished light of the ungodly, but the sun of righteousness rises for me as to make it in the morning; having become one having reached its noon, I will narrate the things of the aforementioned evening and of the previously foretold morning and of the aforementioned noon; and my announcing, God hears the voice of me, accepting and—if so—rejoicing at my voice which has narrated everything.'
Ps 54,20b He says that God exists before the ages but not having existed. For if he had said 'having existed,' he himself, being the beginning, would have existed previously by some measured interval. Because of this, he is not 'The Existing One,' setting his existence as beginningless and eternal, but because of the 'Before the ages' beginning.
Greek
106 πυργοποιΐᾳ τῷ ε χειν φωνὴν μίαν καὶ χεῖλος ε ν πάντες ἐνεποδίσθησαν μεγίστῃ δυσσεβείᾳ συσχεθέντες ὡς μηκέτι ὁμοφωνίαν ε χειν. ο γὰρ ἐκ συμφωνίας ποιοῦντες ἀσεβεῖν ε μελλον, τοῦτο οὐκ ἐποίησαν, τῶν γλωσσῶν αὐτῶν καταδιαιρεθεισῶν. καὶ ἐνταῦθα γοῦν ὁ εὐχόμενος βούλεται καταδιαιρεθῆναι τὰς γλώσσας τῶν ὁμοφωνησάντων κατ' αὐτοῦ, καταποντιζομένων τῶν γλωσσῶν τουτέστιν ἀφανῶν γινομένων. καὶ πρὸ τούτου δὲ ει ρηται κόλασιν σημαίνειν τὸ καταποντίζεσθαι. καὶ Παῦλος γοῦν, εἰδὼς συμφέρειν ποτὲ τὴν πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς τῶν φαύλων διαφωνίαν, ἐπὶ τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν ἀπολογούμενος συνέκρουσε Φαρισαίους καὶ Σαδδουκαίους. Ps 54,10b Τοῦτο ἀναφέρεσθαι δύναται ἐπὶ τὸ ̓Ιδοὺ ἐμάκρυνα φυγαδεύων καὶ ηὐλίσθην ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, διὰ μέσου εἰρημένων τῶν δύο στίχων ἀπὸ τοῦ Προσεδεχόμην τὸν θεὸν τὸν σῴζοντά με ε ως τοῦ Καταδίελε τὰς γλώσσας αὐτῶν, ι ν' ῃ τὸ λεγόμενον τοιοῦτον· ἐπεὶ ἐν τῇ νομιζομένῃ θεοῦ πόλει τῇ ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ ει δον ἀνομίαν καὶ ἀντιλογίαν ἀνομούντων καὶ ἀντιλεγόντων τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, ἐμάκρυνα φυγαδεύων ἀπ' αὐτῆς, ω στε γενόμενον ἐν τῇ ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐρήμῳ καλουμένῃ αὐλισθῆναι ἐν αὐτῇ διαναπαυόμενον καὶ διανυκτερεύοντα ἐν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν. Ps 54,11.12 ̓Επεὶ διαπαντὸς νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν ἀνομοῦσι καὶ ἀντιλέγουσιν ἐν τῇ πόλει ὡς κυκλωθῆναι τὴν πόλιν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας καὶ τῆς ἀντιλογίας καὶ τοῦ διὰ ταύτας τὰς κακίας ἐπελθόντος αὐτῇ στρατοπέδου, ε φθασεν ἡ ἀνομία καὶ ἡ ἀντιλογία καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς τοὺς φρουρούντας αὐτὴν ἱεροὺς ἀποστόλους. καὶ γὰρ ου τοι ἐγκατέλιπον αὐτὴν ἀνομοῦσαν καὶ ἀντιλέγουσαν ἑωρακότες, διότι ἀνομία καὶ πόνος ἐναντίος τῇ ἐπαινετῇ ἡδονῇ ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς σὺν ἀδικίᾳ γεγένηται, ὡς μὴ ἐκλείπειν ἐκ τῶν πλατειῶν αὐτῆς τόκον καὶ δόλον δολιευομένων τῶν οἰκούντων αὐτὴν δι' ω ν φρονοῦσι πονηρῶς, κοπιώντων δὲ τῷ αι ρειν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς τὸ τῆς κακίας α χθος μολύβδῳ παραβαλλομένης. Η καὶ πλατείας αὐτῆς ἡγητέον ει ναι τὰς διὰ τὸ φιλήδονον πλατυνούσας ἑαυτὰς ψυχὰς τῷ τὴν πλατείαν καὶ εὐρύχωρον ὁδεύειν ὁδὸν τουτέστι τὸν α δοξον καὶ παθητικὸν βίον. καὶ ἐν ταύταις γὰρ ἀεὶ μένων ὁ περὶ τὰ κακὰ κόπος καὶ ὁ περὶ τὰς ἀπάτας δόλος πληροῦσθαι ποιεῖ τὸ Οὐκ ἐξέλιπεν ἐκ τῶν πλατειῶν αὐτῆς τόκος καὶ δόλος. 574 Ps 54,14b.15a Τὸ Γνωστέ μου ἀντὶ τοῦ γινωσκόμενε ὑπ' ἐμοῦ, Ος ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἐγλύκυνάς μοι ἐδέσματα, α μα τοῖς λοιποῖς μαθηταῖς τρέφων με τοῖς καλοῖς ε ργοις. 575 Ps 54,16bc Ελεγε γάρ τις τῶν παλαιῶν ζῶντας εἰς ᾳ δου κατέρχεσθαι μόνους τοὺς κατήχησιν τῶν θείων παιδευμάτων ε χοντας. ὁ γὰρ α γευστος τῶν τῆς ζωῆς λόγων νεκρός· οἱ ου τω ζῶντες εἰς ᾳ δην κατέρχονται. οὐ γὰρ οι όν τε ζῶντας τὸ κοινὸν ζῆν εἰς ᾳ δην κατέρχεσθαι τῷ μὴ πεφυκέναι γίνεσθαι σῶμα ἐκεῖ μεθ' ου τις τὴν κοινὴν ζωὴν ε χει. ἐπεὶ ου ν ὁ ̓Ιούδας καὶ πᾶς ὁ τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων λαὸς κατήχησιν ει χον τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, θανάτου ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἐρχομένου τοῦ ἑπομένου τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ζῶντες εἰς ᾳ δην κατέρχονται. ̓Ακολούθως δὲ καὶ ὁ ἐπιφερόμενος λέγεται στίχος Οτι πονηρία ἐν ταῖς παροικίαις αὐτῶν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν. εἰ γὰρ καὶ πεῖραν ε σχον τῶν ζωοποιῶν γραφῶν, οὐ κατῴκησαν ἀλλὰ παρῴκησαν ἐν αὐταῖς τῷ πονηρίας ε χειν ἐν μέσῳ ἑαυτῶν τουτέστι τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ· ἐν μέσῳ γὰρ ει ναι λέγεται τοῦ ο λου ζῴου. 576 Ps 54,17 ̓Εγὼ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἐκέκραξα καὶ ε σχον εἰσακουμένην ὑπὸ κυρίου τὴν φωνήν μου. μόνος γὰρ εἰσακούεται ὑπὸ κυρίου ὁ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν κεκραγώς. οὐ γὰρ πᾶς κράζων πρὸς θεὸν βοᾷ· περὶ Σοδομιτῶν γέγραπται Φωνὴ Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόρρας πεπλήθυνται, οὐ πρὸς θεὸν κεκραγότων. 577 Ps 54,18 ̓Επεὶ διήγησις εὐσεβοῦς διαπαντὸς σοφία, εὐσεβὴς ω ν καὶ διαπαντὸς διηγούμενος σοφίαν, ὁ ψάλλων φησίν· ̔Εσπέρας ο ταν δύνει μοι τὰ τῆς κακίας καὶ τὸ σβεννύμενον φῶς τῶν ἀσεβῶν, ἀνατελεῖ δέ μοι ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης η λιος ὡς ἐν πρωΐᾳ με ποιῆσαι, ου ἀκμάσαντος ἐν τῷ μεσημβρινῷ γενόμενος διηγήσομαι τὰ τῆς προειρημένης ἑσπέρας καὶ τοῦ προαπηγγελμένου πρωῒ 107 καὶ τῆς προειρημένης μεσημβρίας· ἀπαγγέλλοντος δέ μου, ταῦτα εἰσακούσεται ὁ θεὸς τῆς φωνῆς μου, ἀποδεχόμενος καὶ (ι ν' ου τως ει πω) τερπόμενος ἐπὶ τῇ φωνῇ μου τῇ πάντα διηγησαμένῃ. 578 Ps 54,20b ̔Υπάρχοντα δέ φησι τὸν θεὸν πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων ἀλλ' οὐχ ὑπάρξαντα. εἰ γὰρ ει ρηκεν ὑπάρξαντα, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀρχὴν ε χων μεμετρημένῳ τινὶ διαστήματι πρώην ω ν ὑπῆρχεν. διὰ τοῦτο ου ν ει πεν ̔Ο ὑπάρχων, α ναρχον καὶ ἀΐδιον αὐτοῦ τὴν υ παρξιν τιθέμενος, διὰ δὲ τοῦ Πρὸ αἰώνων ἀρχὴν
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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