Stability of Faith and the Heavenly Zion
Jerusalem, because she reigns with power, has become peaceful, having previously been at war with enemies whom she overcomes by her might, finding tranquility in her high towers. For the great towers in the walls are being constructed for the purpose of watching for the coming enemies. For among the Syrians, large houses are called heavy dwellings, and some, having taken height upon the walled cities, having their position, are called high towers. Therefore, Jerusalem, having used her own power which is from God, has subjected those who oppose her; she will make peace, and tranquility will follow in her high towers.
If, however, in allegory, the high towers are those who, through the height of the commonwealth and the vision of the truth, not only watch for the enemies coming for war but also cast them down from on high in reproofs. According to the vision, he who is born from God, doing righteousness and believing that Jesus is the Christ, has brothers who perform the same things and believe, and neighbors who approach through the doing of righteousness and the faith of Jesus Christ.
But since of both these ranks, of his brothers and of his neighbors, I say that Jerusalem, who is to be given, says she speaks peace and is peaceful (Ps 122:8,9), I wish for them, both the brothers and the neighbors of the fatherland, but since they seek the goods of the Lord their God, seeking the truly good things for Jerusalem. For he says concerning the one who began to ascend (Ps 122:2), since seeking the good things for Jerusalem, the keeping of the divine commandments and the right understanding of the true faith.
It is possible for slaves having eyes to take into the hands of masters the nations which are being managed under the angels, according to how the nations stood according to the number of the angels of God; but the circumcision assembly having eyes, a little girl into the hands of the mistress, a little girl because she is called a spirit of slavery; but her mistress, calling the unblemished and spotless church of God, no one stumbles. But we do not have our eyes in the hands of those masters, but we approach to the Lord our God for mercy.
And it shows mercy to us (Ps 123:4a). The Ara does not speak in a way that is merely formal, but in a way that is collective. An unsubstantial gift is one that is possible to receive without Christ sustaining it. If someone signifies evil as an unsubstantial gift, it must be said that evil is called unsubstantial because it lacks essence and its own subsistence; for it does not exist as a substance in those who are acting, not having its own nature.
Just as the mountain of Zion is unshakable and immovable (for the Word of God is it), so also those trusting in God have an immovable standing, imitating Him as they hasten to be. For the upcoming text is not said regarding the sensible mountain, similarly to all those mountains that are steadfast, but regarding that mountain about which the Spirit commands the prophet, saying, 'Ascend upon a high mountain, O you who preach Zion.' For Zion, being interpreted as the watchtower of the holy Church's contemplation of good things, is the high mountain; and regarding the mountain of the heavenly Zion, it is said, 'But you have come to the mountain of Zion and to the city of the living God, Jerusalem the heavenly' (Ps 125:2). Let us therefore establish the trust toward God, so as to chance upon both blessedness and the other promises, as the prophecy exhorts us: 'And having trusted in the Lord, He will lift you up upon the good things of the earth' (Ps 124:1). For the beginning of being lifted up upon the good things of the earth of the living and gentle ones is to have trusted in Him.
As for the Church, it is seen being enriched in the 'Shine, shine, Jerusalem, Jerusalem built as a city.' Therefore, he who thinks perfectly and genuinely that the things of the Church will dwell in it forever will not be shaken, nor will he be removed from this habitation, having received the things to be practiced and thought about with certainty and immovability. And it will be said specifically that he dwells in it forever, the living one and the believing one in the Lord, who shall not die forever, having here received the pledge of eternal life. But if he should ever become negligent, as if it were possible through attention and desire for the good, the habitation will be moved; for this reason it says in Proverbs, 'A righteous man will not be moved forever' (Prov 10:25). Regarding the mountains, it is said of the intelligible Jerusalem...
Greek
̔Ιερουσαλὴμ διὰ τὸ βασιλεύειν δυναστεύουσαν εἰρηκέναι πάντα ἐχθρὸν πρότερον πολεμοῦντα δυναστείᾳ καθελοῦσαν ὡς εὐθηνίαν ει ναι λοιπὸν ἐν ταῖς πυργοβάρεσιν. ου τοι δὲ μεγάλοι πύργοι εἰσὶν ἐν τοῖς τείχεσι κατασκευαζόμενοι τοῦ ἀποσκοπεῖν χάριν τοὺς ἐρχομένους πολεμίους. βαρεῖς γὰρ ἐπιχωρίῳ ε θει παρὰ Σύροις αἱ μεγάλαι οἰκίαι καλοῦνται, αι τινες καὶ υ ψος προσλαβοῦσαι ἐπὶ τῶν τετειχισμένων πόλεων τὴν θέσιν ε χουσαι πυργοβάρεις καλοῦνται. ο ταν τοίνυν τῇ δυναστείᾳ ἑαυτῆς ῃ ἀπὸ θεοῦ ε σχε χρησαμένη ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ καθυποτάξῃ τοὺς ἀντιταγμένους, εἰρήνη ποιήσει ἀκολουθῆσαι καὶ ἐν ταῖς πυργοβάρεσιν αὐτῆς εὐθηνίαν ει ναι. Ει εν δ' α ν κατ' ἀλληγορίαν πυργοβάρεις οἱ δι' υ ψος τῆς πολιτείας καὶ θεωρίας τῆς ἀληθείας μὴ μόνον σκοποῦντες τοὺς ἐρχομένους ἐπὶ πόλεμον ἐχθροὺς ἀλλὰ καὶ υ ψωθεν ἐν τοῖς ἐλεγχοῖς βάλλοντες αὐτούς. 1158 Ps 121,8.9 Κατὰ θεωρίαν δὲ ὁ ἐκ θεοῦ γεννηθεὶς τῷ ποιεῖν δικαιοσύνην καὶ πιστεύειν ο τι ̓Ιησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς ἀδελφοὺς ε χει τοὺς τὰ αὐτὰ ἐνεργοῦντας καὶ πιστεύοντας, πλησίον δὲ τοὺς ὑποδεεστέρους τῇ ποιήσει τῆς δικαιοσύνης καὶ τῇ πίστει ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ προσερχομένους. Πλὴν ε νεκα ἀμφοτέρων τούτων τῶν ταγμάτων τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν πλησίον, λέγω περὶ τῆς ἀποδοθείσης ̔Ιερουσαλήμ, εἰρήνην λαλεῖν φησιν, εἰρηνικὴν ει ναι εὐχόμενος αὐτῶν τε καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν καὶ τῶν πλησίον πατρίδα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ε νεκα τοῦ οι κου κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ἑαυτοῦ ἐκζητεῖν τὰ κυρίως ἀγαθὰ τῇ ̔Ιερουσαλήμ. οι κον δὲ κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ λέγει ἐφ' ο ν α ν ἀναβαίνειν η ρξατο, ε νεκα τούτου ζητῶν ἀγαθὰ τῇ ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ τὴν τῶν θείων ἐντολῶν τήρησιν καὶ τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως σὺν ἀληθείᾳ κατανόησιν. 1159 Ps 122,2 ∆υνατὸν δούλους εἰς χεῖρας κυρίων τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ε χοντας ἐκλαβεῖν τὰ ε θνη τὰ ὑπὸ τοὺς ἀγγέλους οἰκονομούμενα κατὰ τὸ Εστησαν ο ρια 242 ἐθνῶν κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ἀγγέλων θεοῦ, παιδίσκην δὲ εἰς χεῖρας τῆς κυρίας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ε χουσαν τὴν ἐκ περιτομῆς συναγωγήν, παιδίσκην διὰ τὸ τῆς δουλείας πνεῦμα εἰρημένην· κυρίαν δὲ αὐτῆς τὴν α μωμον καὶ α σπιλον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησίαν λέγων τις οὐ σφάλλεται. ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς οὐκ εἰς χεῖρας ἐκείνων τῶν κυρίων ε χομεν ἀλλὰ πρὸς κύριον τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν οἰκτείροντα καὶ ἐλεοῦντα ἡμῶν. 1160 Ps 123,4a Οὐ πευστικῶς δὲ τὸ Αρα ἀλλὰ συλλογιστικῶς λέγει. ἀνυπόστατον δὲ υ δωρ τῷ μὴ α ν τινα ὑποστῆναι αὐτὸ χωρὶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ δύνασθαι. εἰ δὲ τὴν κακίαν σημαίνοι τις ἀνυπόστατον υ δωρ, ῥητέον ἀνυπόστατον εἰρῆσθαι τὴν κακίαν τῷ μὴ ει ναι οὐσίαν καὶ ἰδίαν ὑπόστασιν· συμβεβηκὸς γὰρ ου σα ἐν τοῖς ἐνεργοῦσιν ὑφίσταται, καθ' ἑαυτὴν υ παρξιν οὐκ ε χουσα. 1161 Ps 124,1 Ωσπερ τὸ τῆς Σιὼν ο ρος α σειστον καὶ ἀμετακίνητον (ε στι δ' ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος), ου τω καὶ οἱ ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν πεποιθότες ἀμετακίνητον στάσιν ε χουσι, μιμηταὶ αὐτοῦ σπεύδοντες ει ναι. οὐ γὰρ περὶ τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ ο ρους τὸ προκείμενον λέγεται ὁμοίως πάντων τῶν ὀρῶν ο ντων ἀκλονήτων, ἀλλὰ περὶ ἐκείνου περὶ ου προστάττον τὸ πνεῦμα τῷ προφήτῃ φησὶν ̓Επ' ο ρος ὑψηλὸν ἀναβάθητι, ὁ εὐαγγελιζόμενος Σιών. τῆς γὰρ σκοπευτικῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῆς ἁγίας ἐκκλησίας Σιὼν ου σης ἑρμηνευομένης σκοπευτήριον, ὑψηλὸν ο ρος ὁ θεὸς λόγος αὐτὸς ω ν καὶ τὸ τῆς ἐπουρανίου Σιὼν ο ρος περὶ ου ει ρηται ̓Αλλὰ προσεληλύθατε Σιὼν ο ρει καὶ πόλει θεοῦ ζῶντος, ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ. κατορθώσωμεν τοίνυν τὴν πρὸς θεὸν πεποίθησιν ἐπὶ τῷ καὶ μακαρισμοῦ τυχεῖν καὶ τῶν α λλων ἐπαγγελιῶν, προτρεπομένης τῆς προφητείας τῆς ω δε ἐχούσης· Καὶ πεποιθὼς ε σῃ ἐπὶ κύριον, καὶ ἀναβιβάσει σε ἐπὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς γῆς. ἀρχὴ γὰρ τοῦ ἀναβιβασθῆναι ἐπὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς τῶν ζώντων καὶ πραέων γῆς ὑπὸ θεοῦ ἐστὶ τὸ πεποιθέναι ἐπ' αὐτόν. Τὴν ἐκκλησίαν δὲ χρηματίζουσαν ε στιν ἰδεῖν ἐν τῷ Φωτίζου φωτίζου, ̔Ιερουσαλήμ, ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ ᾠκοδομημένη ὡς πόλις. διὸ ὁ τελείως καὶ γνησίως φρονῶν τὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας κατοικεῖν αὐτὴν λεχθήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, οὐ σαλευθησόμενος οὐδὲ τῆς οἰκειώσεως ταύτης μεθιστάμενος τῷ βεβαίως καὶ ἀμετακινήτως παρειληφέναι τὰ πρακτέα καὶ φρονητέα. καὶ κυρίως αὐτὴν κατοικεῖν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ῥηθείη ὁ ζῶν καὶ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν κύριον, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα οὐ τεθνηξόμενος τῷ τὴν αἰώνιον ζωὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἠρραβωνίσασθαι. εἰ δὲ ῥαθυμήσαιέν ποτε ὡς ἐνδοῦναι τῇ προσοχῇ καὶ τῷ πόθῳ πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθόν, μετακινήσεται τῆς οἰκήσεως· διὰ τοῦτό φησιν ἐν Παροιμίαις ∆ίκαιος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα οὐκ ἐνδώσει. 1162 Ps 124,2 Ορη δὲ ῥηθεῖεν τῆς νοητῆς ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ τὰ
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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Khazarzar scan
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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.