The Spiritual Rock and the Nature of Sin
He is the initiator and high priest of the spiritual rite of God, having ascended through the heavens. He signifies Moses as the law, and Aaron as the high priest; therefore they are brothers, being sons of the divine providence which brought forth this law and the appropriate high-priestly word for it; for by its will these good things have been raised up to men (Ps 77:1a).
He is able to call all the old scripture 'the law' present here. If the commanding and forbidding word were to signify the voice of the law according to the preceding verse, it commands the law to take heed how those having received the command, choosing the good and fleeing the bad, might act rightly (Ps 77:3).
These things those having the mind of Christ understood and perceived spiritually; for it was not hidden from them, having been explained to them according to knowledge. And they themselves did not reveal to their own children born of them through instruction the matters from the beginning, so that they might be known and not hidden even to their next generation.
For he who becomes with God in spirit, coming from Him, is trusted to understand and is confirmed according to the spirit (Ps 77:8d). It is to be thought that 'spirit' here refers to the intellect, according to what was said concerning the Virgin, how she conceived by the Holy Spirit and body; for in these things 'spirit' calls her opinion and her disposition, and from which having been sanctified, the body also comes to be sanctified, being served by sanctifying energies. And if the soul itself is spirit and is called so here, it is to be noted.
Regarding the manna given before the rebellion, the psalm says after the rebellion that both the manna and the meat were given (Ps 77:17–22). But this is not the question. For the psalm joins together things in different times, bringing together one rebellion having occurred in different times under one cause. For if someone should interpret the first rebellion as that before the making of the Tabernacle in the second month of the Exodus, he does not place that history in its proper time in the psalm; for not then did the water from the rock happen to be given, nor did the punishment of fire follow, and indeed the firstlings were not slain and they did not unrighteously disbelieve regarding the paradoxical gift of food...
You act with small-spiritedness because you do not immediately find abundance. Therefore, even Moses did not yield to the small-spiritedness of the people. In the second dispute concerning meats, Moses also bears it with difficulty; and it is fitting that the punishment from God was somewhat sent to them, and they were being consumed by fire. It is necessary to believe from those who were previously warned, not believing in the divine power, and it is necessary to hope for salvation from Him, not hoping.
It must also be said by way of upward leading: in the wilderness of the Son, much ignorance of things prevails. Having passed through and having divided his most meager word, a rock called it, a great watering has become for those being benefited, as if the flowing water were cast alongside an indescribable abyss in depth and breadth. For the water sent forth from this rock flowed like rivers (Ps 77:17–25a). And regarding these rivers, the Savior says: 'He who believes in me, as the Scripture says, from his spiritual belly (that which is according to the inner man) will flow rivers of living water' (John 7:38). And he says, the writer says, that those who believe will not receive this concerning the Spirit. For the water of these rivers is drawn out from a rock, about which Paul says: 'From a spiritual rock that follows' (1 Cor 10:4); and the rock is Christ. Christ himself, since he is a rock, says concerning the water of the rivers: 'For from me he will take and will declare to you all things' (John 14:26).
And they added to this: sinning against him—not all who sin against God are sinning against him, but only those who have known his will and are not doing it. Certainly even David, not being ignorant of God's will, says: 'Against you only have I sinned' (Ps 51:4). Perhaps for those sinning in ethical matters, the sin becomes toward men; but for those blaspheming God and providence, the sin, being a certain impiety, rises up against God. For if someone sins against a man, and prays for him; but if he sins against the Lord God, who will pray for him? Certainly, what they overthrew the Most High with, they were lacking in a dry place, being deprived of the spiritual waters; for they turned away from the water from the aforementioned rock. And finding themselves in a dry place, they did not experience the goodness of God which is sweet. But that which is according to virtue and wisdom makes it sweet.
Greek
πνευματικῆς τελετῆς τοῦ θεοῦ μυσταγωγὸς καὶ ἀρχιερεὺς ὁ μέγας τοὺς οὐρανοὺς διεληλυθώς. σημαίνει δὲ Μωυσῇ τὸν νόμον, ̓Ααρὼν δὲ τὸν ἀρχιερέα· διὸ καὶ ἀδελφοὶ τυγχάνουσιν, υἱοὶ τυγχάνοντες τῆς θείας προνοίας γεννησάσης τοῦτον τὸν νόμον καὶ τὸν κατάλληλον αὐτῷ ἀρχιερατικὸν λόγον· βουλήσει γὰρ αὐτῆς ἀνθρώποις ὑπῆρκται τὰ ἀγαθὰ ταῦτα. 804 Ps 77,1a Νόμον ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος δύναται καλεῖν πᾶσαν τὴν παλαιὰν γραφήν. εἰ δὲ σημαίνοιτο ὁ προστακτικὸς καὶ ἀπαγορευτικὸς λόγος ἐκ τῆς νόμος φωνῆς κατὰ τὸν προκείμενον στίχον, προσέχειν ἐντέλλεται τῷ νόμῳ, ο πως κατωρθωμένα τὰ η θη ε χωσιν οἱ τὴν πρόσταξιν εἰληφότες αἱρούμενοι τἀγαθὰ καὶ φεύγοντες τὰ φαῦλα. 805 Ps 77,3 Ταῦτα οἱ Χριστοῦ νοῦν ε χοντες η κουσαν καὶ συνῆκαν πνευματικῶς· οὐ γὰρ ἐκρύβη ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν πατέρων κατ' ἐπιστήμην διηγησαμένων αὐτοῖς. καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ ου τοι τοῖς τέκνοις ἑαυτῶν γεννηθεῖσιν ὑπ' αὐτῶν διὰ παιδεύσεως ἐφανέρωσαν τὰ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς προβλήματα, ο πως καὶ εἰς τὴν ἑξῆς αὐτῶν γενεὰν γνωστὰ καὶ μὴ κεκρυμμένα τυγχάνῃ. 806 Ps 77,8δ ̔Ο γὰρ μετὰ τοῦ θεοῦ πνεύματι γινόμενος ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ συνεῖναι θεῷ πιστοῦται καὶ βεβαιοῦται κατὰ πνεῦμα. πνεῦμα δὲ τὴν διάνοιαν ἐνταῦθα εἰρῆσθαι νομιστέον κατὰ τὸ περὶ τῆς παρθένου λεχθέν, ο πως ῃ ἁγία πνεύματι καὶ σώματι· πνεῦμα γὰρ ἐν τούτοις τὴν γνώμην αὐτὴν καὶ τὴν διάθεσιν καλεῖ, ἀφ' η ς ἡγιασμένης συμβαίνει καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἁγιάζεσθαι ἐνεργείαις ἁγιαστικαῖς ὑπηρετούμενον. εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ ψυχὴ πνεῦμα καὶ ἐνταῦθα καλεῖται, συνεπίστησον. 807 Ps 77,17–22 Πρὸ τῆς ἀντιλογίας δεδόμενον η ν τὸ μάννα, ὁ ψαλμὸς μετὰ τὴν ἀντιλογίαν φησὶ καὶ τὸ μάννα καὶ τὸ κρέας δεδόσθαι. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο οὐκ α ν ει η ζήτημα. ἐπισυνάπτει γὰρ τὰ ἐν διαφόροις χρόνοις ὁ ψαλμός, μίαν ἀντιλογίαν ἐν διαφόροις χρόνοις γεγενημένην συνάγων ὑπὸ μίαν αἰτίαν. εἰ γὰρ δὴ τὴν πρώτην ἀντιλογίαν τις οι ητο τὴν πρὸ τῆς ποιήσεως τῆς σκηνῆς τὴν ἐν δευτέρῳ μηνὶ τῆς ἐξόδου, οὐκ ἐν καιρῷ τὴν ἱστορίαν ἐκείνην τῷ ψαλμῷ παρατίθησιν· ου πω γὰρ τότε τὸ ἐκ τῆς πέτρας υ δωρ ἐτύγχανε δεδόμενον, οὐδὲ μὴν τιμωρία ἡ τοῦ πυρὸς ἐπηκολούθησεν, α τε δὴ καὶ πρωτοπείροις ου σι καὶ οὐκ ἀπεικότως ἀπιστοῦσιν ε τι πρὸς τὴν παράδοξον δόσιν τῆς τροφῆς καὶ ὀλιγοψύχως ε χουσι διὰ τὸ μὴ παραχρῆμα τῆς ἀφθονίας τυγχάνειν. διὸ οὐδὲ Μωυσῆς ἀπέκαμεν ἐπὶ ταῖς τοῦ λαοῦ μικροψυχίαις. ἐν δὲ τῇ δευτέρᾳ περὶ τῶν κρεῶν ἀντιλογίᾳ χαλεπῶς η δη φέρει καὶ Μωυσῆς· εἰκότως δὲ καὶ ἡ παρὰ θεοῦ τιμωρία τηνικαῦτα αὐτοῖς ἐπῄει, καὶ πυρὶ κατεφλέγοντο. δέον πιστεύειν ἐκ τῶν προυπηργμένων μὴ πιστεύοντες τῇ θείᾳ δυνάμει, καὶ δέον ἐλπίζειν τὴν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ σωτηρίαν οὐκ ἐλπίζοντες. 808 Ps 77,17–25a ̔Ρητέον δὲ καὶ κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν ω δε· ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τοῦ υἱοῦ ε νθα πολλὴ ἐπικρατεῖ α γνοια τῶν πραγμάτων. διελὼν καὶ διαιρήσας τὸν στερρότατον αὐτοῦ λόγον πέτραν ὀνομαζόμενον, ποτισμὸς πολὺς τοῖς εὐεργετουμένοις γεγένηται ὡς παραβληθῆναι τὸ ῥέον υ δωρ διὰ τὸ ἀπερίγραφον κατὰ βάθος καὶ πλάτος ἀβύσσῳ. τὸ γὰρ ἐξαχθὲν ἐκ ταύτης τῆς πέτρας υ δωρ ὡς 155 ποταμοὶ κατηνέχθη. ποταμοὶ δὲ περὶ ω ν ὁ σωτὴρ ̔Ο πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ, καθὼς ει πεν ἡ γραφή, ἐκ τῆς πνευματικῆς αὐτοῦ κοιλίας (τῆς κατὰ τὸν ε σω α νθρωπον) ῥεύσουσιν υ δατος ζῶντος· ε λεγε δέ, φησὶν ὁ συγγραφεύς, τοῦτο περὶ τοῦ πνεύματος ου ε μελλον λαβεῖν οἱ πιστεύοντες. Τούτων γὰρ τῶν ποταμῶν τὸ υ δωρ ἐξάγεται ἐκ πέτρας περὶ η ς ὁ Παῦλός φησιν Επινον ἐκ πνευματικῆς ἀκολουθούσης πέτρας· ἡ δὲ πέτρα η ν ὁ Χριστός. αὐτὸς ου ν ὁ Χριστός, καθὸ πέτρα ἐστί, περὶ τοῦ υ δατος τῶν ποταμῶν ει πεν Οτι ἐκ τοῦ ἐμοῦ λήψεται καὶ ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν πάντα. Καὶ προσέθεντο ε τι τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν αὐτῷ, οὐ πάντων τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων θεῷ ἁμαρτανόντων ἀλλὰ μόνων τῶν γνόντων αὐτοῦ τὸ θέλημα καὶ μὴ ποιούντων αὐτό. ἀμέλει καὶ ∆αυὶδ οὐκ ἀγνοῶν τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ βούλημα ε φη Σοὶ μόνῳ η μαρτον. η τάχα τῶν ἐν ἠθικοῖς ἁμαρτανόντων ἡ ἁμαρτία εἰς ἀνθρώπους γίνεται, τῶν δὲ θεὸν καὶ τὴν πρόνοιαν κακολογούντων ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀσέβειά τις ου σα εἰς θεὸν ἀνατρέχει. ̓Εὰν γὰρ ἁμάρτῃ τις εἰς α νδρα, καὶ προσεύξεται περὶ αὐτοῦ· ἐὰν δὲ εἰς κύριον τὸν θεὸν ἁμάρτῃ, τίς προσεύξεται περὶ αὐτοῦ; ̓Αμέλει γοῦν ἐπιφέρεται ο τι τὸν υ ψιστον παρεπίκραναν ἐν ἀνύδρῳ στερόμενοι τῶν πνευματικῶν ὑδάτων· ἀπεστράφησαν γὰρ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς προειρημένης πέτρας υ δωρ. ἐν ἀνύδρῳ δὲ τυγχάνοντες οὐδὲν τῶν γλυκαινόντων τὴν χρηστότητα τοῦ θεοῦ ε δρασαν. γλυκαίνει δὲ αὐτὴν τὰ κατ' ἀρετὴν καὶ σοφίαν
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Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
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