Divine Goodness and the Turning of Wrath
The days are divided, one day being an eternal and unceasing one, because of having been created in the divine courts of the Lord. For the Lord has become to him an eternal light, like the sun of righteousness, which is not able to be overcome by it. The unceasing day is greater than the life of many days occurring here.
Ps 83:12b–13: God gives grace to those being saved by grace, according to 'By grace you have been saved' (Eph 2:8), a gift of the grace able to be given here. For 'grace' and 'gift' signify the same thing, as one is found to be 'having been graced.' For this reason, it is said that someone has found grace in the sight of God. He gives this grace instead of a former grace, which we hastened to take from ourselves as much as possible. And He also gives glory to those worthy of receiving this, because He has promised the one saying, 'Those who glorify me I will glorify' (John 12:26), clearly through good works and true dogmas. And those moving through all things, unhindered by any hand, go about in innocence. If innocence also signifies simplicity, let Him also establish it.
And since hope is the expectation of good things, and only the rational appetite for truly good things is the proper virtue of man, to hope is especially the substitute for piety; for it is written, 'Hope is to the pious one.' For the faithful are reborn into a living and abiding hope because the expectation of good things is pure.
Ps 84:2–4: For contemplation: the Lord is pleased with a good and eager heart becoming His land, because it receives the seed from Him and bears fruit a hundredfold. But He turns away from it also the multitude of captives brought by evil powers, the thoughts of Jacob, because of standing against the passions. These things, having worked them, He grants as a remission of transgressions, removing and loosening their lawlessness. And if even after a remission there is error, He covers these sins, entering into virtue; for virtue covers sins, not hiding them, but utterly destroying and making them vanish. For in this way love covers a multitude of sins. Just as knowledge covers ignorance, utterly destroying it in the soul that it was generated in, so also the love of God, being the same as virtue, covers the sins of those it benefits.
God was pleased with his earth, having sent his Son to appear on the earth and to associate with men; thus it is said, 'Glory in the highest to God, and on earth peace among men of good pleasure' (Luke 2:14). From these things said, we learn that what is called God's wrath is not a passion. For because of sins, wrath is sustained, but it is managed such that they are destroyed and vanished, and it approaches them as a consequence.
If those serving wrath appear to be called vessels of wrath, being homonymous with it—fury and wrath being addressed—it is better that he visits. Since you are God, who gives us the salvations, turn us back, providing us opportunities for repentance and receiving us as we turn toward you (Ps 84:5–7). For it will be possible for your fury to turn away from us. Since we have removed that wrath through which we sinned, once we have recognized and turned back, it will no longer act against us, vanishing. Just as fire, when the combustible fuel through which it acts is failing, is no longer, so too, once our sins are vanished, your fury will no longer be sustained against us.
God lives, providing life to those who turn to him, having departed from him and turned away from him; he himself, having turned his face, turned away from them through which they practiced evil. It is possible to understand 'having turned' in both ways, most certainly said. For it is not made clear whether he himself turned toward them or they themselves turned toward him. When life was granted to the living ones, the people of God rejoiced over him, the God who granted life.
Since they require salvation not from works but by the grace and mercy of God, they say, 'O Lord, show us through whom you show mercy and compassion to your people' (Ps 84:8); for so also your salvation, that is, the salvation from you, might be given to us. It is possible to call Jesus the cause of mercy and salvation. For he is the mercy and the salvation of God, according to how he shows mercy and saves.
God does not speak striking the hearing of those listening from the outside, but placing his will within that mind, he desires to reveal to the intellect without utterance, which is why it is said, 'I will listen to what he speaks in me' (Hab 2:20). Agree with this also the words of Habakkuk, which say: 'And...'
Greek
ἡμερῶν μερίζεται, μίαν ἡμέραν ε χοντος αἰώνιον καὶ ἀδιάκοπον τοῦ ἐν ταῖς θείαις αὐλαῖς τοῦ κυρίου γεγενημένου. γέγονε γὰρ αὐτῷ κύριος φῶς αἰώνιον τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης οὐ δύνοντος ἐπ' αὐτῷ. αυ τη ου ν ἡ ἀδιάστατος καὶ ἀδιάκοπος ἡμέρα κρείσσων ει η τῆς πολυημέρου ἐνταῦθα γινομένης ζωῆς. 849 Ps 83,12b–13 ∆ίδωσιν ὁ θεὸς χάριν τοῖς σῳζομένοις χάριτι κατὰ τὸ Χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι, ι σον δωρεᾶς δυναμένης ἐνταῦθα τῆς χάριτος. ε στι γὰρ καὶ ε τερον τῆς χάριτος σημαινόμενον καθὸ κεχαριτωμένος τις εὑρίσκεται. κατὰ τοῦτο γὰρ λέγεταί τις εὑρηκέναι χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ. ταύτην τὴν χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος προτέρας δίδωσιν, η ς ἐκ τοῦ ἐφ' ἡμῖν κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἀναλαβεῖν ἐσπεύσαμεν. ∆ίδωσι δὲ καὶ δόξαν τοῖς ἀξίοις τοῦ τυχεῖν ταύτης διὰ τὸ προδεδοξακέναι τὸν λέγοντα Τοὺς δοξάζοντάς με δοξάσω, δηλονότι δι' ἀγαθῶν ε ργων καὶ ἀληθινῶν δογμάτων. Πορεύονται δ' ἐν ἀκακίᾳ οἱ α νευ χειρίστης ε ξεως διὰ πάντων κινούμενοι. εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἁπλότητα σημαίνει ἡ ἀκακία, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπίστησον. Καὶ ἐπεὶ προσδοκία ἐστὶν ἀγαθῶν ἡ ἐλπίς, μόνον δὲ τὸ λογικὸν ὀρεκτικὸν τῶν κυρίως ἀγαθῶν, μόνου ἀνθρώπου οἰκεία ἀρετὴ τὸ ἐλπίζειν, μάλιστα ο ταν εὐσεβείας ἀντιποιῆται· γέγραπται γὰρ ̓Ελπὶς τῷ εὐσεβεῖ. ἀναγεννῶνται γὰρ οἱ πιστοὶ εἰς ἐλπίδα ζῶσαν καὶ μένουσαν διὰ τὸ ἀκήρατον ει ναι τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν προσδοκίαν. 850 Ps 84,2–4 Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· εὐδοκεῖ κύριος τὴν ἀγαθὴν καὶ σπουδαίαν καρδίαν γῆν αὐτοῦ τυγχάνουσαν διὰ τὸ δέχεσθαι τὸν σπόρον τὸν παρ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἑκατονταπλασίονα καρποφορεῖν. ἀποστρέφει δ' εἰς αὐτὴν καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἀχθέντων ὑπὸ πονηρῶν δυνάμεων, λογισμῶν ̓Ιακὼβ ο ντας διὰ τὸ ι στασθαι κατὰ τῶν παθῶν. Ταῦτα δ' ἐνέργησας α φεσιν ἀνομημάτων χαρίζεται πᾶσιν, ἐξαίρων καὶ λύων τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῶν. ει ποτε δὲ καὶ μετὰ α φεσιν η μαρτον, καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἐπικαλύπτει ἐνδοὺς τὴν ἀρετήν· καλύπτει γὰρ ἡ ἀρετὴ τὰς ἁμαρτίας, οὐκ ἐγκρύπτουσα αὐτὰς ἀλλ' ἐξ ο λων ἀναιροῦσα καὶ ἀφανίζουσα. ου τω γὰρ ἀγάπη καλύπτει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν. ὡς γὰρ ἡ ἐπιστήμη καλύπτει τὴν α γνοιαν ἐξ ο λων ἀναιροῦσα αὐτὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ῃ α ν παραγένηται, ου τω καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ αὐτὴ ου σα τῇ ἀρετῇ καλύπτει τὰς ἁμαρτίας ω ν α ν εὐεργετεῖν κρίνῃ. Εὐδόκησεν δὲ τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ ὁ θεός, ἀποστείλας τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ὀφθῆναι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συναναστραφῆναι· ο θεν ἐπὶ τῷ τοκετῷ τῆς Μαρίας ∆όξα ἐν ὑψίστοις θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία ει ρηται. Μανθάνομεν δὲ ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων ἐντεῦθεν μὴ πάθος ει ναι θεοῦ τὴν λεγομένην αὐτοῦ ὀργήν. διὰ γὰρ τὰ 168 ἁμαρτήματα ὑποστῆναι οἰκονομεῖται ω ν καταλυθέντων καὶ ἠφανισμένων καὶ αὐτὴ αὐτοῖς συναπέρχεται. εἰ δὲ φαίνονται οἱ τῇ ὀργῇ ὑπηρετούμενοι σκεύη ὀργῆς καλούμενοι ὁμωνύμως αὐτῇ θυμὸς καὶ ὀργὴ προσαγορευόμενα, βέλτιον ἐπισκέψῃ. 851 Ps 84,5–7 ̓Επεὶ τῶν σωτηρίων ω ν δίδως ἡμῖν θεὸς ὑπάρχεις, ἐπίστρεψον ἡμᾶς, ἀφορμὰς μετανοίας ἡμῖν παρασχὼν καὶ δεχόμενος ἡμᾶς ἀνακάμπτοντας πρὸς σέ. ε ψεται γὰρ τὸ καὶ τὸν θυμόν σου ἀποστραφῆναι ἀφ' ἡμῶν. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἐξήψαμεν αὐτὸν δι' ω ν ἡμαρτήκαμεν, μεταγνόντων καὶ ἐπιστρεψάντων ἡμῶν, οὐκέτ' ἐνεργήσει καθ' ἡμῶν ἀφανιζόμενος. ὡς γὰρ πῦρ, ἐπιλειπούσης τῆς καυστῆς υ λης καθ' η ν ἐνεργεῖ, οὐκέτ' ἐστιν, ου τως ἠφανισμένων τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἡμῶν οὐκέτι ὑποστήσεται θυμός σου καθ' ἡμῶν. Ζωοῖ ὁ θεὸς ζωὴν παρέχων τούτοις, οι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπέστρεφον ἀποστάντες αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀποστραφέντες αὐτόν· η αὐτὸς ἐπιστρέψας τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ο ἀπέστρεψεν ἀπ' αὐτῶν δι' η ν ε πραττον κακίαν. ἑκατέρως γὰρ τὸ ̓Επιστρέψας νοεῖν δυνατὸν ἀπαρεμφάτως εἰρημένον. οὐ γὰρ ἐμφαίνει τὸ πότερον αὐτὸς ἐπ' αὐτοὺς η αὐτοὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπέστρεψαν. ζωῆς ἐνδοθείσης τοῖς ζωωθεῖσιν, εὐφράνθη ὁ λαὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπ' αὐτῷ τῷ τὴν ζωὴν δεδωκότι θεῷ. 852 Ps 84,8 ̓Επεὶ οὐκ ἐξ ε ργων ἀλλὰ χάριτι καὶ ἐλέῳ θεοῦ ἀπαιτοῦσι τὴν σωτηρίαν, φασὶν Ω κύριε, δεῖξον ἡμῖν δι' ω ν ἐλεεῖς καὶ οἰκτείρεις τὸν λαόν σου· ου τω γὰρ καὶ τὸ σωτήριόν σου, τουτέστιν ἡ παρὰ σοῦ σωτηρία, δοθείη ἡμῖν. ∆υνατὸν ε λεος καὶ σωτήριον εἰπεῖν τὸν αι τιον τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης καὶ σωτηρίας ̓Ιησοῦν. αὐτὸς γὰρ τὸ ε λεος καὶ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστι καθὸ ἐλεεῖ καὶ σῴζει. 853 Ps 84,9 Οὐκ ε ξωθεν κρούων τὴν ἀκοὴν τῶν ἀκουόντων λαλεῖ θεὸς ἀλλ' ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ διανοίᾳ ἐναποτιθέμενος α περ βούλεται δηλῶσαι τῷ νῷ α νευ προφορᾶς, ο θεν ει ρηται τὸ ̓Ακούσομαι τί λαλήσει ἐν ἐμοί. συνᾴδει τούτῳ καὶ τὸ τοῦ ̓Αμβακοὺμ ε χον ου τως· Καὶ
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.
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- 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.