Clouds, Grains, and the Flowering of Souls

The sunrises are delights, and the sunsets are delights; the remaining faithful of the nations, having observed what he does—causing the sun, the moon, and the other stars to rise and to set—is the one who became man and freed them from deception and death (Ps 64:10ab).

You visited the earth and watered it, you filled it to make it rich, giving spiritual rain; first through the old law and then through the new covenant, through which the allegorized earth (which is the soul of man) was made rich in every way and in all knowledge and good works, as God increases it (Ps 64:10c-11).

The Word of God is a river of God, being life and a fountain itself. And perhaps, if it is toward God, a fountain exists; for it is said, 'From you is the fountain of life' (Ps 36:9). A river is then found which waters the rational creation. The impulses of this, that is, the partial teachings, gladden the city of God, that is, the church. And since the fullness of deity dwells in him, he is filled with waters, as it is said concerning him, 'We have seen his glory, glory as of the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth' (John 1:14).

Therefore, not only is the river full of these waters, watering all the rational creation, but it also has food being prepared from God, sowing the seed of Jesus, bearing fruit a hundredfold. From this river, the cultivators of the earth, upon which the spiritual plow has been cast, get drunk, drinking with joy, as the offspring of righteousness growing in it are being multiplied, concerning which it is said, 'Sow for yourselves for righteousness, reap for the fruit of life' (Hos 10:12); and 'Seek the Lord as he comes, let the offspring of righteousness come to you' (Amos 9:12). And since the cultivators of the earth do not only drink from the river but also pour from the spiritual rain...

The clouds, according to what was said, 'And the clouds rained down righteousness,' cause the earth to rejoice, rising in the drops coming upon it (Ps 64:13b,14ab). These are the words and the meanings of the God-breathed writings.

It is possible to say that the rams are clothed in joy, as it is commonly said, 'The mountains shall be girded,' where the rams are the sheep and the joy is the clothing, while the girdle is the belt. All those bearing fruit of the aforementioned things, and the hollow souls—which we call hollows because they lack thought—are filled with that grain which someone makes into bread to be eaten, according to the command, 'Open your eyes and be filled with bread' (Ps 64:15); but it is not the eyes of the heart, but to open them so that they may receive the light of knowledge. For when this happens, the breads, which are the practical virtues, multiply, feeding the inner man.

The Bridegroom in the assembly of the sins (though he is not the Savior) says, 'I am the flower of the field, the judge of the hollows' (Ps 64:14bc). He means such a thing: I have become a flower of the field in the place of the earth called low, so that men may receive the beginning of fruit; and I have become a judge for the hollows (the souls in Hades), having taken up death. He who has become thus the judge of the hollows shall be a grain of wheat, as he himself says, 'Amen, amen I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls and dies, it remains alone; but if it falls and dies, it bears much fruit' (John 12:24). Because the grain, having fallen through the cross into the earth until it reached its heart, made more fruit, and in those places he has become a reason for the hollows to have a multitude of grain.

Because the wonderful works of God are shown throughout the whole psalm, it is fitting that he rested in a hymn. For it has reached those who have completed their tasks with diligence; they shall cry out, and indeed they shall sing, all those who have experienced good things loudly.