The progression of impiety and the rejection of Providence
Regarding what concerns the calling of the Gentiles. The 'Only One' should not be troubled, for the Son cannot do anything contrary to the Father, unless he sees the Father doing it; for whatever the Father does, the Son likewise does. For the 'Only One' and such things taken regarding divinity declare a Father and a Son, as it is presented from the prophet; for, as is said to the Father: 'Tall Sabaean men shall cross over to you, and worship you, and pray in you, for God is in you and there is no god besides you; for you are God, and we knew it not, O God of Israel, Savior' (Isa 45:14). Who is the glory whose name is blessed, who has made the worthless and gloryless glorious and honorable—those who are repentant? It is possible to call his glory and he did not receive an unsung death for the sake of the salvation of the world; for Jesus was not yet glorified, and the Jesus whom we see being humbled through the suffering of death is being crowned with glory and honor.
If indeed his glory is that which his name is blessed for unto the age, concerning which Paul writes: 'Not worthy are the sufferings of the present time compared to the glory that is about to be revealed to us, stand fast' (Rom 8:18). For especially this and the proclamation concerning it we find to be eternally hymned, as Peter said; this is what the witness of his sufferings and the glory to come declares: 'And a companion of that glory' (2 Pet 1:11). And Israel seeing God is interpreted. Therefore, those who do not see him still perceive what is good (Ps 72:6b-9). For indeed, although it provides something dark and unpleasant to men, they perceive how it also works advantageously toward salvation, and their steps are not shaken having crossed over and having advanced. Since those about whom the word is are held not only by wickedness but also by impiety, they are clothed in injustice.
And there is the moral wickedness according to the soul, and with this impiety, they think impiously concerning all dogmas. And also to say that their injustice will come forth as from a cloud; then, when it comes forth, the sin is practically fulfilled, no longer remaining only in the thoughts. It has passed into a disposition of the heart.
Having previously disposed themselves according to wickedness, they not only established the evil to themselves but also desired to be harmful to others. Then, after passing into a disposition of wickedness, having thought in malice, they spoke deceitfully as if of good things. They were lifted up, he says, as if to speak even against God, slandering His justice, His creation, and His providence; such as are those who, at the time of the stars, having set their preconceptions, and those who, making the heavens and the creation themselves instead of the Creator, lift up their mouth to heaven. They were torn apart, rather they were consumed, as if their tongue had passed through the earth against the Most High, so that all who hear might know what vain and impious things are being philosophized against God and His providence (Ps 72:10).
Of the impious boasting loudly (Ps 72:10), the people of God calls as a starting point for a good return, desiring to enjoy the contemplations of the light of day. And the 'Here' referring to the one saying this is God, such as what was said to Moses: 'And you shall stand with me' (Ex 33:33).
Those wanting to cast out providence and injustice, having spoken toward the height (Ps 72:11-13), bring forth such words; how can one know God through human things? For does the intellect not have a sensory, organic power? For his understanding does not receive the forms of the seen and the heard, so that, having known, he might also know providential and royal things as he wishes? And having said before, 'How will God be known?', they confess to knowing God, but they are ignorant of the manner of knowing. And after these things they also say they are ignorant of Him, saying, 'If there is knowledge in the...
Greek
ε καστον τῶν ὑπὲρ τῆς κλήσεως τῶν ἐθνῶν γεγονός. Προσκείμενον δὲ τὸ Μόνος μὴ ταραττέτω σε· οὐ γὰρ ἐναντιοῦται τῷ Οὐ δύναται ποιεῖν ὁ υἱὸς οὐδέν, ἐὰν μὴ βλέπῃ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα· α γὰρ α ν ὁ πατὴρ ποιῇ, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ. τὸ γὰρ Μόνος καὶ ο σα τοιαῦτα ἐπὶ θεότητος λαμβανόμενα δηλοῖ πατέρα καὶ υἱόν, ὡς ἐκ τοῦ προφήτου παρίσταται· ε νθα ει ρηται πρὸς τὸν πατέρα Καὶ οἱ Σαβαεῖν α νδρες ὑψηλοὶ ἐπὶ σὲ διαβήσονται καὶ προσκυνήσουσίν σοι καὶ ἐν σοὶ προσεύξονται, ο τι ἐν σοὶ ὁ θεός ἐστιν καὶ οὐκ ε στι θεὸς πλὴν σοῦ· σὺ γὰρ ει ὁ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ῃ δειμεν, θεὸς τοῦ ̓Ισραὴλ σωτήρ. Τίς δὲ ἡ δόξα η ς τὸ ο νομα εὐλογεῖται η η ν κατώρθωσεν ἐπιδημήσας ἐπιδόξους καὶ ἐπιτιμίους ποιήσας ἐξ ἀτίμων καὶ ἀδόξων τοὺς μετανοήσαντας ἀνθρώπους; δυνατὸν δόξαν αὐτοῦ φάναι καὶ ο ν ἀνεδέξατο ἀοίδιμον θάνατον ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ο λων σωτηρίας· τὸ γὰρ ̓Ιησοῦς οὐδέπω ἐδοξάσθη, καὶ τὸ Τὸν ἠλαττωμένον βλέπομεν ̓Ιησοῦν διὰ τὸ πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφανωμένον *** Εἰ δὲ κἀκείνη δόξα αὐτοῦ ἐστιν η ς εὐλογεῖται τὸ ο νομα αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα περὶ η ς γράφει Παῦλος Οὐκ α ξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι εἰς ἡμᾶς, ἐπίστησον. μάλιστα γὰρ ταύτην καὶ τὴν περὶ αὐτῆς ἀπαγγελίαν εἰς ἀεὶ ὑμνούμενον εὑρίσκομεν, Πέτρου φήσαντος· τάδε λέγει ὁ μάρτυς τῶν αὐτοῦ παθημάτων Καὶ ὁ τῆς μελλούσης ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι δόξης κοινωνός. 763a Ps 72,1.2 Καὶ ὁ ̓Ισραὴλ δὲ ὁρῶν τὸν θεὸν ἑρμηνεύεται. διὸ καὶ νοοῦντες ο ν ὁρῶσιν ι σασιν ο τι ἀγαθός ἐστιν. κα ν τι γοῦν σκυθρωπόν τε καὶ ἀηδὲς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις παρέχει, ι σασιν ὡς συμφερόντως καὶ πρὸς σωτηρίαν ποιεῖ τοῦτο, καὶ οὐ σαλεύονται τὰ διαβήματα α η σαν διαβεβηκότες καὶ προκόψαντες. 764 Ps 72,6b–9 ̓Επεὶ μὴ μόνῃ πρακτικῇ κακίᾳ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀσεβείᾳ ἐνέχονται οἱ περὶ ω ν ὁ λόγος, ἀκολούθως περιβέβληνται ἀδικίαν καὶ τὴν καθ' ο λου ἠθικὴν κακίαν καὶ σὺν ταύτῃ ἀσέβειαν ἀσεβῶς περὶ πάντων τῶν δογμάτων φρονοῦντες. ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ εἰπεῖν 145 ἐξελεύσεσθαι τὴν ἀδικίαν αὐτῶν ὡς ἐκ στέατος, τότε ἐξερχομένης ο ταν πρακτικῶς ἐπιτελῆται μηκέτι ἐν μόνοις τοῖς λογισμοῖς μένουσα. ∆ιήλθοσαν εἰς διάθεσιν καρδίας. κατὰ κακίαν πρότερον διαθέντες, οὐ μόνοις ἑαυτοῖς ε στησαν τὸ κακὸν καὶ α λλοις βλαπτικοὶ ποθοῦντες ει ναι· ο θεν μετὰ τὸ διελθεῖν εἰς διάθεσιν κακίας διανοηθέντες ἐν πονηρίᾳ ἐλάλησαν ἀπατηλῶς ὡς ἀγαθά. ̓Επήρθησαν, φησίν, ὡς καὶ κατὰ θεοῦ λαλεῖν α δικα καὶ τὴν δημιουργίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν πρόνοιαν διαβάλλειν, ὁποῖοί τινές εἰσιν οι τῇ φορᾷ τῶν ἀστέρων ἀνατιθέντες τὰ προαιρέσει γινόμενα, οι καὶ θεοποιοῦντες τὰ α στρα καὶ τὴν κτίσιν παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα εἰς οὐρανὸν ε θεντο τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν. κατεσπάσθησαν, μᾶλλον κατερίφθησαν ὡς τὴν γλώτταν αὐτῶν η ν κατὰ τοῦ ὑψίστου ἠκόνησαν διελθεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὡς πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντας εἰδέναι ο τι ματαίως καὶ ἀσεβῶς κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῆς προνοίας αὐτοῦ φιλοσοφοῦσιν. 765a Ps 72,10 Τῶν ἀσεβῶν ὑπερήφανα λελαληκότων, ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λαὸς ἀφορμὴν ευ ρεν ἐπιστροφῆς, φωτεινῶν ἐθέλων ἀπολαύσασθαι θεωριῶν α ς ἡμέρας ὁ λόγος καλεῖ. τὸ δὲ ̓Ενταῦθα ε νθα ὁ λέγων τοῦτο θεὸς ὁποῖον τὸ λεχθὲν Μωυσῇ Σὺ δὲ αὐτοῦ στῆθι μετ' ἐμοῦ. 766 Ps 72,11–13 Οἱ ἐκβάλλειν θέλοντες τὴν πρόνοιαν καὶ ἀδικίαν εἰς τὸ υ ψος λαλήσαντες τοιούτους προφέρουσι λόγους· πῶς γνῶναι θεὸν δυνατὸν τὰ ἀνθρώπινα; μὴ γὰρ αἰσθητικὴν ε χει ὀργανικὴν δύναμιν; μὴ γὰρ τύπους τῶν ὁρωμένων καὶ ἀκουομένων δέχεται ἡ νόησις αὐτοῦ, ι να καὶ γνοὺς * διάθηται προνοητικῶς α μα καὶ βασιλικῶς α γων αὐτὰ ῃ βούλεται; εἰπόντες δὲ πρότερον Πῶς γνώσεται ὁ θεός; ὁμολογοῦσι γινώσκειν * τὸν θεόν, ἀγνοοῦσι δὲ τὸν τρόπον τῆς γνώσεως. μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ἀγνοεῖν αὐτὸν λέγουσιν εἰπόντες Εἰ ε στι γνῶσις ἐν τῷ
About this text
Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
Original English Translation — new OET from PG Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.