The Ascent of the Mind through Hymns to God
Noah, Job, and Daniel: the sword shall not enter upon them, even though the memory of men was made many thousands of years before. For Noah existed before the flood, and Job was the fifth from Abraham, many years before the prophecy. Do we not have something to say about these, or how he named those having the same virtues homonymously with them? If it is not so, it is clear that all the faithful servants also become according to Moses, and similarly regarding the others.
In a pillar of cloud he spoke to them (Ps 98:7). And from this we learn according to the writing the so-called collective manner, which names many things by the thing approaching in part, as he announces concerning all. Only to Moses, having spoken in a pillar of cloud, does he now speak concerning all. And you will find also in the Epistle to the Hebrews a pattern of such a narrative. For having enumerated all those who were well-pleasing through faith, he tells the deeds or passions of each in a collective way concerning all: 'They were struck, they were stoned,' and the following.
But what does it mean to speak of God in a pillar of cloud? This is clearly to be understood. Not because, since the word of God is firm and unswerving, it is rightly called a pillar as the church that received him is a pillar and foundation of truth; but because it is also a drinkable and fruit-bearing thing, coming like a rain unto the minds of men, it is a pillar of cloud. Perhaps through this the descent of the Savior to this place was also foretold, by which, having mounted a hollow cloud, he came into Egypt, or into the place regarding the land of a perfect man having all the virtues and guarding all the testimonies and commands of God.
To go out from the presence of the Lord God is contrary to entering before Him (Ps 99:2b). So then, having gone out from the presence of the Lord God, Cain did not leave a place in which the face of God was, but having become a desert of right notions concerning God in another place, he departed from His face, having embraced carelessness and atheism, as if he no longer had a vision or a thought of the appearance of God; so then, to enter before the Lord is to consider Him present through thought.
For having observed the Creator through the greatness and beauty of creations, the whole world has ascended into the thought concerning God, as if to stand before the Lord at all times, according to the saying, 'The Lord of powers lives; I stood before him' (Ps 99:4).
The gates of the Lord are the virtues through which, and in other things it is said, 'Open to me the gates of righteousness' (Ps 100:4), so that having surpassed his gates, having entered into the courts of God through theological hymns, they will gratefully confess to God.
Now he softens and restrains the passions of the listeners through the hymn, praising God the judge of men through deeds; and since his judgment is precise, examining not only the manifest things but also the hidden things of the heart, he brings it along with a kind intention. For if he were to observe according to the worth of our works, words, and intentions, we would perish utterly; but if this does not happen, he shows mercy before the judgment; for if you, Lord, should observe iniquity, who could stand? But since atonement is with you (for you are a source of goodness and mercy), we take courage that we shall obtain salvation from you, who examine what concerns us with mercy and judgment.
But for the one living rightly and desiring to have an unblemished path, it is not only the practice that ought to be blameless, but also the understanding and the knowledge regarding the doctrines, having been made precise. For someone sings, striking the instrument thoroughly and harmoniously, just as the body is, as it has been said many times, in order to produce excellent activities. And he takes up understanding, thinking about those who are prudent. And since the end of acting unblemished and thinking is to receive the presence of God into the mind and the intellect, the 'When will you come to me?' (Ps 100:2) immediately led the soul there; for your 'coming to me and dwelling as in a holy temple' (Ps 100:2) makes the aforementioned things established for me. And it will be said also to those who previously proclaimed the presence of the Savior here, 'We have sung, we have understood the things established concerning your coming into life.'
Of those who wander according to the activities of the mind, which move with evil alongside you, they become outside themselves, being passionately affected by the sensible things.
Greek
Νῶε καὶ ̓Ιὼβ καὶ ∆ανιήλ, ἐπὶ τούτους οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται ἡ ῥομφαία–καίτοι πρὸ μυρίων ἐτῶν γεγενημένων τῶν ἀνδρῶν ω ν μνημονεύει. ὁ μὲν γὰρ Νῶε πρὸ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ γεγένηται, ̓Ιὼβ δὲ πέμπτος ω ν ἀπὸ ̓Αβραὰμ πρὸ πάνυ πολλῶν ἐτῶν τῆς προφητείας ὑπῆρξε. τί ου ν ε χομεν περὶ τούτων εἰπεῖν η ο τι τοὺς τὰς αὐτὰς ἀρετὰς ε χοντας ὁμωνύμως αὐτοῖς ὠνόμασεν; εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ου τως ε χει, δῆλον ο τι καὶ οἱ πιστοὶ θεράποντες γενόμενοι πάντες κατὰ Μωυσέα τυγχάνουσι καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν α λλων ὁμοίως. 958 Ps 98,7 ̓Εν στύλῳ νεφέλης ἐλάλει πρὸς αὐτούς. καὶ ἐντεῦθεν μανθάνομεν κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν ει ναι τὸν καλούμενον συλληπτικὸν τρόπον, ο ς α ν πλείονας ὠνόμασε τὰ τοῖς κατὰ μέρος προσόντα, ὡς περὶ πάντων ἀπαγγέλλει. μόνῳ γοῦν Μωυσῇ λαλήσαντος ἐν στύλῳ νεφέλης, περὶ πάντων αὐτὸ νῦν φθέγγεται. εὑρήσεις δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ Πρὸς ̔Εβραίους ἐπιστολῇ σχῆμα τοιαύτης διηγήσεως. ἀπαριθμηθέντων γὰρ πάντων τῶν διὰ πίστεως εὐαρεστησάντων, τὰς τῶν κατὰ μέρος πράξεις η πάθος συλλήβδην α μα λέγει περὶ πάντων ̓Επρίσθησαν ἐλιθάσθησαν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τί δὲ βούλεται τὸ ἐν στύλῳ νεφέλης τὸν θεὸν λαλεῖν, η δη κατανοητέον. μήποτ' ου ν ἐπεὶ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος βέβαιος καὶ ἀκλινής ἐστι, στῦλος εἰκότως καλεῖται ὡς τὴν καταδεξαμένην αὐτὸν ἐκκλησίαν στῦλον καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας ει ναι· ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ καὶ πότιμος καὶ καρπῶν αι τιός ἐστιν ὑετοῦ δίκην εἰς τὰς διανοίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐρχόμενος, στῦλος νεφέλης ἐστι. Τάχα δὲ καὶ προεθεσπίζετο διὰ τούτου ἡ τοῦ σωτῆρος δεῦρο κάθοδος καθ' η ν ἐπιβὰς κούφης νεφέλης εἰς Αι γυπτον η κε τὸν περὶ γῆν τόπον. Τελείου δὲ ἀνδρὸς καὶ ε χοντος πάσας τὰς ἀρετὰς τὸ πάντα τὰ μαρτύρια καὶ προστάγματα τοῦ θεοῦ φυλάσσειν. 959 Ps 99,2b ̓Αντίκειται τῷ ἐξελθεῖν ἀπὸ προσώπου κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ εἰσελθεῖν ἐνώπιον. ὡς τοίνυν ἐξελθὼν ὁ Κάϊν ἀπὸ προσώπου κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ τόπον καταλείψας ἐν ῳ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν α λλῳ τόπῳ γεγένηται ἀλλ' ε ρημος τῶν περὶ θεοῦ ὀρθῶν ἐννοιῶν γεγενημένος, ε ξω τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἐχώρησεν, ἀπρονοησίαν καὶ ἀθεΐαν ἀσπασάμενος ὡς μηκέτι φαντασίαν η ε ννοιαν ε χειν ἐπιφανείας θεοῦ· ου τω τὸ εἰσιέναι ἐνώπιον τοῦ κυρίου τὸ διὰ νοήσεως ἡγεῖσθαι αὐτὸν παρόντα τυγχάνειν. ὁ γὰρ ἐκ μεγέθους καὶ καλλονῆς κτισμάτων ἀναλόγως τὸν γενεσιουργὸν αὐτῶν θεασάμενος πάντα τὸν κόσμον ὑπερβὰς εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν περὶ θεοῦ νόησιν εἰσελήλυθεν, ὡς ἐνώπιον κυρίου διαπαντὸς ἑστάναι κατὰ τὸν λέγοντα Ζῇ κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων ῳ παρέστην ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ. 960 Ps 99,4 Πύλαι τοῦ κυρίου αἱ κατ' ει δος ἀρεταὶ περὶ ω ν καὶ ἐν α λλοις ει ρηται ̓Ανοίξατέ μοι πύλας δικαιοσύνης, ι να ὑπερβάντες τὰς πύλας αὐτοῦ ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τοῖς κατὰ θεολογίαν υ μνοις εἰσεληλυθότες εὐχαρίστως ἐξομολογήσωνται τῷ θεῷ. 961 Ps 100,1b ̔Ο νῦν ᾳ δων πραΰνει καὶ καταστέλλει τὰ η θη τῶν ἀκροατῶν, διὰ τῆς ᾠδῆς κριτὴν τὸν θεὸν τῶν πραττομένων ἀνθρώποις ὑμνῶν· ει τ' ἐπεὶ ἀκριβής ἐστιν αὐτοῦ ἡ κρίσις οὐ τὰ φανερὰ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς καρδίας ἐξετάζουσα, σὺν χρηστῇ προθέσει ἐπάγει αὐτήν. εἰ γάρ τοι πρὸς ἀξίαν τῶν ε ργων καὶ λόγων καὶ ἐνθυμημάτων ἡμῶν σκοπήσαι, α ρδην ἀπολώμεθα· ι ν' ου ν μὴ τοῦτο γένηται, πρὸ τῆς κρίσεως ἐλεεῖ· ̓Εὰν γὰρ ἀνομίας παρατηρήσῃ, κύριε, τίς ὑποστήσεται; ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ παρὰ σοὶ ὁ ἱλασμός ἐστιν (πηγὴ γὰρ τυγχάνεις ἀγαθότητος καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης), θαρροῦμεν ο τι ἐλέῳ καὶ κρίσει ἐξετάζοντός σου τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς 203 σωτηρίας τευξόμεθα. 962 Ps 100,2a Τοῦ δὲ ὀρθῶς βιοῦντος καὶ α μωμον ὁδὸν ε χειν βουλομένου οὐχ ἡ πρᾶξις μόνη α μεμπτος ει ναι ὀφείλει ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ σύνεσις καὶ ἡ περὶ τὰ δόγματα γνῶσις ἠκριβωμένη. ψάλλει γάρ τις κρούων τὸ ο ργανον ἐμμελῶς καὶ ἐναρμονίως, ο περ ἐστὶ τὸ σῶμα καθὰ πολλάκις ει ρηται, ἐπὶ τῷ ἀποτελεῖν ἀρίστους ἐνεργείας. καὶ σύνεσιν δὲ ἀναλαμβάνει, περὶ τῶν φρονητέων διανοούμενος. καὶ ἐπεὶ τέλος ἐστὶ τοῦ ἀμώμως πρᾶξαι καὶ νοῆσαι τὸ θεοῦ δέξασθαι παρουσίαν εἰς τὸν νοῦν καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν, ἐπήγαγεν εὐθὺς τὸ Πότε η ξεις πρός με; ἐπὶ γὰρ τῷ η κειν σε πρὸς ἐμὲ καὶ οἰκῆσαι ὡς ἐν ἁγίῳ ναῷ παρ' ἐμοὶ κατώρθωταί μοι τὰ προειρημένα. ̔Ρηθείη δ' α ν καὶ πρὸς τῶν προαναφωνησάντων τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐνταῦθα ἐπιδημίαν ̓Εψάλαμεν, συνήκαμεν τὰ θεσπισθέντα περὶ τῆς εἰς τὸν βίον φοιτήσεώς σου. 963 Ps 100,2b–4 Τῶν διαπορευομένων κατὰ τὰς τοῦ νοῦ ἐνεργείας, ο σοι σὺν κακίᾳ κινοῦνται, ἐκτὸς ἑαυτῶν γίνονται ἐμπαθῶς τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς
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.