The Nourishment of Tears and the Allegory of Egypt
But also in the coming life, thanks be to God. The phrase 'unto generation and generation' can be said more simply instead of 'and unto the generations and the many successors of men.' Or you may say more mystically, 'in the present and in the coming life,' or 'in both generations, the one of circumcision and the one of the calling of the Gentiles,' so that they may learn to praise God.
The Shepherd of Israel is none other than the one who said, 'I am the good shepherd' (John 10:11), who grazes those who have understanding and see God. He also guides those being added from the Gentiles like sheep, that is, as his own sheep, the Israelites; for Joseph, being interpreted as 'addition of the Lord,' signifies those from the Gentiles being added to those of the circumcision. It is the custom for the shepherd's voice to be placed instead of the approach of kings only in the ancient days. For indeed, even shepherds, as far as possible, set themselves out to rule and to lead among the flocks of the simpler animals, so that having progressed, they might consider themselves to rule over even peoples.
The Lord is seated upon the cherubim, as he is presented in Ezekiel (Ezek. 10). But he breathes upon the animals who have not attained this leadership from the wisdom present to them (for a multitude of knowledge is interpreted by the cherubim), which is established by virtue itself and is found by chance; but there exists in all those who have lit themselves with the light of knowledge which God has shone in the hearts for the illumination of the knowledge of the glory of Christ. This one, being royally established upon the cherubim, the choir of the saints entreats to appear and to shine before those bearing fruit in virtue and the sons of the right hand of God through the right-hand works, thoughts, and words having been performed, and those who have departed from the form of evils by their actions. For they have not truly taken forgetfulness of evils in the remembrance of good things. For Ephraim is fruitfulness, Benjamin is the son of the right hand, and Manasseh is interpreted from forgetfulness. They say therefore: 'Since you are a king, having awakened a greatest power and having roused it, O Lord, so as to save us; for there is no other way to attain salvation than for you, having come to us, to turn us back from sins.'
And of the captivity, the Lord of powers, as follows, bringing it upon us. Ps 79:5-6: 'O Master, All-King, ruling over the heavenly hosts, when will you shine for me, so that I may desire to see your face? For you are angry with me, your servant.' Therefore I beseech you: having been reconciled to your servant, who ruled, that I might not be in need. For I thirst for him exceedingly and without restraint.
And because you are angry at the prayer which we sent up, having turned it into weeping and lamentation, we bear such a multitude of tears at the time of food, as if to eat bread of tears and to drink with tears a little and measured drink. Ps 79:6-8: Since the toil and weeping for the sake of virtue is nourishment, we eat the tears of this very weeping as bread, and also drink them in measure. And the 'in measure' prevents one from always weeping and weeping through trial. For he will receive as rest and a propitiatory state those who undergo labors for the sake of good things. To this end, 'Blessed are those who weep now, they shall laugh' Matt 5:4, and 'Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy' Ps 126:5. For those who sow virtue with sweat and tears, they are able to measure the weeping, reaping in joy; for with it they shall laugh.
Let us be set for contention against our neighbors. It is said, 'Every evil man raises contention'; and the Savior has cast down his hands toward the sinning people who disobey and contradict him. For the neighbors are enemies; they mock them, sneering and dragging away their wise words. The wise man, however, has taken a command for his mind not to say anything, lest the fool should mock the wise man's wise words. But they will also mock those crying out to God. But they themselves, rather, say they are entreating: 'Lord God of powers, turn back now, redeeming our captivity from those who tyrannize.' And we shall desire this good thing: if you show your eternal face to us, you will grant us salvation. Ps 79:6-14
For allegory: the soul is then said to dwell in Egypt, as it spends time with the sensible things and the works of the flesh. But God moves it from Egypt, tearing it away from material things.
Greek
παρόντι ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ μελλούσῃ ζωῇ εὐχαριστέον τῷ θεῷ. Τὸ δὲ Εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεὰν δύναται ἁπλούστερον λέγεσθαι ἀντὶ τοῦ Καὶ εἰς ε τη καὶ διαδοχὰς ἀνθρώπων πλείονας. μυστικώτερον δὲ ἐρεῖς ἐν τῷ παρόντι καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι βίῳ, η ἐν ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς γενεαῖς τῇ τε ἐκ περιτομῆς καὶ τῇ κλήσει τῶν ἐθνῶν, ο πως καὶ αυ ται μάθωσι θεὸν ὑμνεῖν. 825 Ps 79,2–4 ̔Ο τοῦ ̓Ισραὴλ ποιμὴν οὐκ α λλος ἐστὶ τοῦ εἰπόντος ̓Εγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, νέμων τοὺς ε χοντας νοῦν ὁρῶντα θεόν. ὁδηγεῖ δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν προστιθεμένους ὡσεὶ πρόβατα, τουτέστιν ὡς τὰ ἑαυτοῦ πρόβατα, τοὺς ̓Ισραηλίτας· ̓Ιωσὴφ γὰρ ἑρμηνευόμενος κυρίου πρόσθεσις σημαίνει τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν τοῖς ἐκ περιτομῆς προστιθεμένους. ε θος δὲ τοῖς παλαιοῖς μόνοις τοῖς ἡμέροις τάττειν ἀντὶ τῆς βασιλέων προσηγορίας τὴν ποιμὴν φωνήν. ἀμέλει γοῦν καὶ ἐκ ποιμένων ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖστον ἐπὶ τὸ βασιλεύειν ι ενται ἀρχὴν προεθιζόμενοι καὶ ἡγεμονεύειν ἐν ταῖς ἀγέλαις τῶν εὐτελεστέρων ζώων, ι να προκόψαντες διαβῶσιν ἐπὶ τὸ καὶ λαῶν ἡγήσασθαι. Καθήμενος δ' ἐπὶ τῶν χερουβὶμ ὁ κύριός ἐστιν, ὡς ἐν τῷ 160 ̔Ιεζεκιὴλ παρίσταται. ἐφέζεται δὲ τοῖς η τοι ζῴοις ου σι τετευχόσι ταύτης τῆς προσηγορίας ἀπὸ τῆς προσούσης αὐτοῖς σοφίας (πλῆθος γὰρ γνώσεως ἑρμηνεύεται τὰ χερουβίμ), η αὐτῇ τῇ ἀρετῇ ἐφίδρυται ἐν οι ς α ν εὑρίσκηται τυγχάνουσα· ἐνυπάρχει δὲ πᾶσι τοῖς φωτίσασιν ἑαυτοῖς φῶς γνώσεως οι ς ε λαμψεν ὁ θεὸς ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις πρὸς φωτισμὸν τῆς γνώσεως τῆς δόξης τοῦ Χριστοῦ. τοῦτον ου ν τὸν βασιλικῶς ἱδρυμένον ἐπὶ τῶν χερουβὶμ παρακαλεῖ ὁ τῶν ἁγίων χορὸς ἐμφανῆναι καὶ ἐπιλάμψαι ἐναντίον τῶν καρποφορούντων τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τῶν υἱῶν τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ δεξιῶν ε ργων καὶ νοημάτων καὶ λόγων γεγενημένων καὶ τῶν ἀπομαθόντων τὴν τῶν κακῶν ει δησιν α μα ταῖς ἐνεργείαις αὐτῶν. ου τοι γὰρ ἀληθῶς λήθην τῶν κακῶν λαβόντες ἐν ὑπομνήσει τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐληλύθασιν. ̓Εφραῒμ γὰρ καρποφορία, Βενιαμὶν δὲ δεξιᾶς υἱός, Μανασσὴς δὲ ἀπὸ λήθης ἑρμηνεύεται. φασὶ τοίνυν· ̓Επεὶ βασιλεὺς ὑπάρχεις δυναστείαν ε χων μεγίστην διεγείρας καὶ ἐξεγείρας αὐτήν, η κε, ω δέσποτα, εἰς τὸ σῶσαι ἡμᾶς· οὐκ α λλως γάρ ἐστι σωτηρίας τυχεῖν η σοῦ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐληλυθότος ἐπιστρέψαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ ἁμαρτημάτων καὶ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων τυγχάνων κατὰ τὸ ἑξῆς ἐπιφερόμενον. 826 Ps 79,5.6 Ω δέσποτα παμβασιλεῦ, κυριεύων τῶν οὐρανίων στρατευμάτων, ε ως πότε οὐκ ἐπιλάμπεις μοι ο ποθῶ σου πρόσωπον ἰδεῖν; ὀργιζομένῳ γὰρ ε οικας ἐμοὶ τῷ δούλῳ σου· διὸ δέομαί σου· καταλλαγείς μοι τῷ σῷ θεραπόντι, ο ρεξον τὸ περὶ ου ἐδεήθην. πάνυ γὰρ αὐτοῦ διψῶ ε ρωτι ἀκατασχέτω. ̓Οργιζομένου δὲ σοῦ ἐπὶ τῇ προσευχῇ, ῃ ἀνεπέμψαμεν εἰς κλαυθμὸν καὶ θρῆνον τραπέντες, τοσοῦτον πλῆθος δακρύων φέρομεν παρὰ τὸν τῆς τροφῆς καιρόν, ὡς α ρτον δακρύων ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν μετὰ δακρύων ὀλίγον καὶ μεμετρημένον πότον. 827 Ps 79,6–8 ̓Επεὶ ὁ ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς πόνος καὶ κλαυθμὸς τρόφιμός ἐστιν, αὐτοῦ τούτου τοῦ κλαυθμοῦ τὰ δάκρυα α ρτου δίκην ἐσθίομεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ πίνομεν αὐτὰ ἐν μέτρῳ. τὸ δὲ ̓Εν μέτρῳ παρίστησι τὸ μὴ ἀεὶ καὶ ἐπ' α πειρον δακρύειν. τοὺς γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῶν καλῶν πόνους διά τι γινομένους ἀνάπαυσις καὶ ἱλαρὰ κατάστασις διαδέξεται. εἰς τοῦτο λήψῃ τὸ Μακάριοι οἱ κλαίοντες νῦν, ο τι γελάσονται· καὶ τὸ Οἱ σπείροντες ἐν δάκρυσιν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει θεριοῦσιν. οἱ γὰρ σπείροντες μεθ' ἱδρώτων καὶ δακρύων τὴν ἀρετὴν μεμετρημένον ε ξουσι τὸν κλαυθμόν, ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει θερίζοντες· μετ' αὐτὸν γὰρ γελάσονται. Εθου ἡμᾶς εἰς ἀντιλογίαν τοῖς γείτοσιν ἡμῶν. ει ρηται ̓Αντιλογίας ἐγείρει πᾶς κακός· καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα λαὸν ἐκπεπετακέναι τὰς χεῖρας ἀπειθοῦντας καὶ ἀντιλέγοντας ει πεν. ου τοι δὲ οἱ γείτονες ἐχθροὶ τυγχάνουσιν οι ς ἀντιλέγουσιν. ἐκμυκτηρίζουσιν αὐτοὺς χλευάζοντες καὶ διασύροντες τοὺς συνετοὺς αὐτῶν λόγους. ἐντολὴν γοῦν ὁ σοφὸς ει ληφεν εἰς ω τα α φρονος μηδὲν λέγειν, ο πως μὴ μυκτηρίσῃ ὁ α φρων τοὺς συνετοὺς τοῦ σοφοῦ λόγους. ἀλλὰ καὶ μυκτηρίσουσι τοὺς θεὸν ἐπιβοωμένους. ̓Αλλά γε αὐτοὶ ε τι μᾶλλον παρακαλοῦντές φασι Κύριε ὁ θεὸς τῶν δυνάμεων ἐπίστρεψον δή, λυτρούμενος τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν ἡμῶν ἀπὸ τῶν καταδυναστευόντων· τευξόμεθα δὲ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ τούτου, εἰ ἐπιφάνας σου τὸ πρόσωπον αἰώνιον ἡμῖν σωτηρίαν ὀρέξεις. 828 Ps 79,6–14 Πρὸς ἀλληγορίαν· ἡ ψυχὴ τότε τὴν Αι γυπτον οἰκεῖν λέγεται, ο ταν τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς καὶ τοῖς τῆς σαρκὸς ε ργοις ἐπιδιατρίβῃ. μεταίρει δὲ αὐτὴν ἀπὸ τῆς Αἰγύπτου θεὸς ἀποσπῶν αὐτὴν τῶν ὑλικῶν
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Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
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