Cleaving to the Lord
The mind is the true vine and the true drinking of wisdom. For having been called to partake of the table prepared by wisdom, having slaughtered her own victims and having mixed her own wine, the mind, being filled with the desire of the divine banquet and expecting to be filled, says: 'Oh that my soul might be filled with satiety and drinkability' (Ps 63:5). And since, always partaking of this liturgy, it hungers because the desire of the mind is insatiable, it says 'Oh that it might be filled' and yet 'my soul has not been filled,' even though it has abundantly partaken of the food and the drink.
Let those who, after the resurrection, dream of sensible food and drink be put to shame. For it is not the flesh or the body, but the soul that is to be filled with satiety and drinkability, the desire of the soul being filled with God in good things, as it is said in another psalm. And having been filled with gladness, it rejoices gratefully toward the one who has desired the food, saying: 'And lips of gladness shall praise your name' (Ps 63:11), concerning which it is said: 'My lips shall praise you' (Ps 36:13). And virtue is the lips of gladness. For as it is said, 'those who act foolishlyolishly,' as in the psalm of folly, 'the feet of those who use it bring them down' (Ps 140:12), so let not the lips also be of gladness, unless indeed in this also someone having outward things shows them through the eyes, as it was said concerning the fool, that those using them have feet bringing them down to the mire; and concerning the one rejoicing, as lips of gladness praising the approach of God.
He who avoids idleness is able to say these things, so that caring for the things of the Lord may please Him, and he who keeps his bed undefiled may honorably lie with his bride according to the holy men. Just as for the one running toward virtue and piety to reach the goal, it is said: 'I have finished the race' (2 Tim 4:7), and 'I have run without law and have directed my course' (Gal 5:4) (for the one who finished is the one who ran the race), so does the one following God, according to Jeremiah: 'But I have not been weary in following behind you' (Jer 2:12), and according to Hosea: 'I will go after the Lord' (Hos 2:23), and as Moses says: 'You shall go after the Lord your God' (Deut 31:8); let him finish at last the journey after God, having reached the goal of blessedness.
The end is that he will hear towards God, 'And you stand with me.' For a voice is not something of a traveler. Regarding this state, having arrived after traveling behind, as if to be joined behind, he says, 'My soul has cleaved behind you,' (Ps 63:8) signifying the voice of 'It has cleaved' is 'It has been united.' For it is not to be heard that those shunning the evil are being joined to the good. He shows union towards God, and 'He who is joined to the Lord is in the spirit.' It is not to be sought whether it is the same thing, 'My soul has cleaved behind you,' so as not to corrupt the joining to the Lord and the joining of the soul behind another, desiring the end to be the same joining to the Lord. For the end of traveling behind the Lord is the joining of the soul of the one traveling behind him; however, even if reaching union behind is also an end of a journey, there is nothing more perfect than the joining to the Lord in the spirit to become with him.
As he receives the things of the vision, he confesses that his soul has been cleaved behind God, grasping the right hand of God. And this is the only-begotten power of God; grasping and holding securely, the nearby visible and invisible enemies sought in vain the soul of him saying these things, unable to snatch away the one being guarded by the mighty hand of God (Ps 62:10b,11). 'Let the sinners be turned away into Sheol, all the Gentiles who forget God' (Ps 58:5) is in agreement with the entering of the wicked into the lowest parts of the earth. And having entered, they shall be delivered to punishment, the sword being signified by the name. The hands of this sword, or rather, it works pains and bitterness to those serving it, being called vessels of wrath in others. And it calls the evil powers a 'fox-catcher,' because of the cunning, deceitful, and malicious nature of those called fox-catchers.
And the present things are to be interpreted otherwise: since it is commanded to become material and fleshly such a one, you will say he has sunk himself down to the earth as if to have entered into its lowest parts by choice. And those who are delivered to dishonorable sufferings undergo this, having desired it with the desires of their hearts toward impurity. By this...
Greek
οι νος ἐκ τῆς ἀμπέλου τῆς ἀληθινῆς καὶ ἡ ἀληθινὴ πόσις τῆς σοφίας τὸ αι μα. κληθεὶς γὰρ ὁ ταῦτα λέγων εἰς τὸ μετασχεῖν τῆς ἑτοιμασθείσης τραπέζης ὑπὸ τῆς σοφίας σφαξάσης τὰ ἑαυτῆς θύματα καὶ τὸν ἑαυτῆς κερασάσης οι νον. ̓Εμφορηθεὶς η δη τῆς θείας ἑστιάσεως καὶ ε τι ἐμφορηθήσεσθαι προσδοκῶν ου τως ει πεν· ̔Ωσεὶ στέατος καὶ πιότητος ἐμπλησθείη ἡ ψυχή μου. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἀεὶ ὁ ταύτης τῆς εὐωχίας μεταλαμβάνων πεινᾷ διὰ τὸ τῆς ὀρέξεως τοῦ νοῦ ἀκόρεστον ̓Εμπλησθείη ει πεν καὶ οὐκ ̓Ενεπλήσθη ἡ ψυχή μου, καίπερ η δη δαψιλῶς μετειληφὼς τῆς τροφῆς καὶ τοῦ πόματος. ̓Εντρεπέσθωσαν καὶ ἐκ ταύτης τῆς λέξεως οἱ μετὰ ἀνάστασιν αἰσθητὴν τροφὴν καὶ μέθην ὀνειροπολοῦντες. οὐ γὰρ ει πε τὴν σάρκα η τὸ σῶμα ἀλλὰ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐμπλησθήσεσθαι στέατος καὶ πιότητος, πληροῦντος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ἀγαθοῖς τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπιθυμίαν ὡς ει πεν ἐν ἑτέρῳ ψαλμῷ. Πληρωθεὶς δὲ τῆς εὐφροσύνης χαριστηρίως ἀγαλλιᾷ τῷ ὀρέξαντι τὴν τροφήν, λέγων Καὶ χείλη ἀγαλλιάσεως αἰνέσει τὸ ο νομά σου, περὶ ω ν ε λεγε Τὰ χείλη μου ἐπαινέσουσί σε. Χείλη δὲ ἀγαλλιάσεως τυγχάνει ἡ ἀρετή. ὡς γὰρ λέγεται ἀφροσύνης μέλη ὡς ἐν τῷ Τῆς γὰρ ἀφροσύνης οἱ πόδες κατάγουσι τοὺς χρωμένους αὐτῇ, ου τω μήποτε καὶ τῆς ἀγαλλιάσεως ει η χείλη, εἰ μὴ α ρα καὶ ἐν τούτοις ει πῃ τις τοὺς ε χοντας τὰς ε ξεις δηλοῦσθαι διὰ τῶν ε ξεων, ὡς περὶ τοῦ α φρονος εἰρῆσθαι, ὡς ε χει πόδας τοὺς κατάγοντας εἰς τὸν ᾳ δην τοὺς χρωμένους αὐτοῖς, καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἀγαλλιῶντος ὡς χείλεσιν ἀγαλλιάσεως αἰνοῦντος τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ προσηγορίαν. 640a Ps 62,7 ∆ύναται δὲ ταῦτα λέγειν ὁ ἀγαμίᾳ σχολάζων, ι να μεριμνῶν τὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἀρέσῃ αὐτῷ, καὶ ὁ κοίτην ἀμίαντον ε χων τῷ κατὰ τοὺς ἁγίους α νδρας τιμίως συνεῖναι τῇ γαμετῇ. 641a Ps 62,9.10a Ωσπερ δέ ἐστι τὸν τρέχοντα ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν τέλος ἐπιθεῖναι κατὰ τὸ λεχθὲν Τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, καὶ τὸ Ανευ ἀνομίας ε δραμον καὶ κατεύθυνα (τελέσαντος γάρ ἐστι τὸ Εδραμον), ου τως ὁ ἑπόμενος θεῷ κατὰ τὸν ̔Ιερεμίαν ̓Εγὼ δὲ οὐκ ἐκοπίασα κατακολουθῶν ὀπίσω σου, καὶ κατὰ τὸν ̔Ωσηὲ ̓Οπίσω κυρίου πορεύσομαι, καὶ καθά φησιν Μωυσῆς ̓Οπίσω κυρίουτοῦ θεοῦ σου πορεύσῃ, τελέσοι α ν ποτε τὴν ὀπίσω τοῦ θεοῦ πορείαν ἐπ' αὐτὸ φθάσας τὸ τῆς μακαριότητος τέλος ο τε ἀκούσεται πρὸς θεοῦ Σὺ δὲ αὐτοῦ στῆθι μετ' ἐμοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ ε τι πορευομένου φωνή. εἰς ταύτην τὴν κατάστασιν μετὰ τὸ πορευθῆναι ὀπίσω καταφθάσας ὡς κολληθῆναι ὀπίσω ου ει πετό φησιν ̓Εκολλήθη ἡ ψυχή μου ὀπίσω σου, δηλούσης τῆς φωνῆς τῆς ̓Εκολλήθη τὸ ̔Ηνώθη. ου τω γὰρ ἀκουστέον καὶ τοῦ ̓Αποστυγοῦντες τὸ πονηρόν, κολλώμενοι τῷ ἀγαθῷ. ε νωσιν τὴν πρὸς θεὸν δηλοῖ καὶ τὸ ̔Ο κολλώμενος τῷ κυρίῳ ε ν πνεῦμά ἐστιν· ο περ ζητητέον εἰ ταὐτόν ἐστι τῷ ̓Εκολλήθη ἡ ψυχή μου ὀπίσω σου, ὡς μὴ διαφθείρειν τὸ κολληθῆναι τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ τὸ κολληθῆναι τὴν ψυχήν τινος ὀπίσω ἑτέρου οὐ ταὐτὸν ει ναι βουλομένου τῷ τέλει τὸ αὐτῷ τῷ κυρίῳ κολληθῆναι. τέλος μὲν γὰρ τοῦ ὀπίσω κυρίου πορευθῆναι τὸ κολληθῆναι τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ πορευομένου ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ· πλὴν εἰ καὶ τέλος πορείας τὸ φθάσαντα ἑνωθῆναι ὀπίσω, ἀλλ' ου ν ε τι τούτου τελειότερον τὸ κολληθῆναι πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἐπὶ τῷ ε ν πνεῦμα πρὸς αὐτὸν γενέσθαι. Οπως δ' α ν δέχῃ τὰ τῆς θεωρίας, 120 ὁμολογεῖ κεκολλῆσθαι ὀπίσω τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀντιλαμβανομένης τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δεξιᾶς. αυ τη δέ ἐστιν ἡ μονογενὴς θεοῦ δύναμις· η ς ἀντιλαμβανομένης καὶ κρατούσης ἀσφαλῶς, εἰς μάτην ἐζήτησαν τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ ταῦτα λέγοντος οἱ ἐπικείμενοι ὁρατοὶ καὶ ἀόρατοι ἐχθροὶ, οὐ δυνάμενοι ἁρπάσαι τὸν ὑπὸ τὴν κραταιὰν χεῖρα τοῦ θεοῦ φρουρούμενον. 642a Ps 62,10b.11 Σύμφωνον τῷ εἰσελεύσεσθαι τοὺς φαύλους εἰς τὰ κατώτατα τῆς γῆς τὸ ̓Αποστραφήτωσαν οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ εἰς τὸν ᾳ δην πάντα τὰ ε θνη τὰ ἐπιλανθανόμενα τοῦ θεοῦ. εἰσελθόντα δὲ κολάσει παραδοθήσονται σημαινομένῃ ὀνόματι τῆς ῥομφαίας. χεῖρες τῆς ῥομφαίας ταύτης η τοι ου ς ἐνεργεῖ πόνους καὶ πικρία ἐστὶν η οἱ ὑπηρετοῦντες αὐτῇ, σκεύη ὀργῆς ἐν ἑτέροις ὀνομαζόμενοι. ἀλωπέκων δὲ μερίδας τὰς πονηρὰς δυνάμεις καλεῖ, διὰ τὸ πανοῦργον καὶ δολερὸν καὶ κακόηθες ἀλωπέκων ὀνομαζομένων. ̔Ερμηνευτέον δὲ τὰ προκείμενα καὶ α λλως· ἐπεὶ ε στιν ἐπιτεταμένως ὑλικὸν καὶ σάρκινον γενέσθαι τὸν τοιοῦτον, ἐρεῖς βεβαθυγκέναι ἑαυτῷ εἰς γῆν κάθεσιν ὡς εἰς αὐτὰ τὰ κατώτατα αὐτῆς προαιρετικῶς εἰσελθεῖν. πάσχουσι δὲ τοῦτο οἱ παραδιδόμενοι εἰς ἀτιμίας πάθη οι ς ε χειν ει λοντο καὶ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῶν καρδιῶν αὐτῶν εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν. τούτῳ τῷ
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Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
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