The Cry from the Depths

the grass of the roofs are those who have leaped over

Not as one ascending, but finding no one able to help, he cries to God. Along with confessing where he has fallen, he says, 'Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice; for having heard, you will raise me up from the depth of wickedness and the deepest pit' (Ps 130:1-4). This expression agrees with what is said by him later: 'If iniquity be observed, Lord, Lord, who shall stand?' (Ps 130:4).

It is possible even for one dwelling in the earthly place, through human life, to send up this prayer, feeling himself far below both heaven and God; for heaven is high and earth is deep. It is also possible for the one praying to be holy according to what was previously stated. For he does not send up the prayer concerning small and earthly things, but large and heavenly things. He does not send up the prayer from a psychic discourse concerning them, asking for them, but being enlightened by the Spirit, searching all things, and knowing and contemplating the depths of God. Following the one searching these things by the Spirit, it is necessary from these depths to cry to God, deeming himself worthy of having his voice heard. And from these depths he cries, seeking not the non-sensible but all intelligible things and the Holy Spirit itself.

It is equal to 'Let your words be done' (Luke 1:38) for those attending to 'Incline your ear to my voice' (Ps 40:5). Since our voice does not reach the heights, and because there is a great difference in the nature of your words. And from here we learn, having understood, that they are not always the same, but 'Let it be done' also signifies a certain relation. For the words of God do not simply become, but become worthy of attending to Him. Following this, one must also understand what was said concerning Christ: that He became to us wisdom from God (1 Cor 1:30), and that God made Him both Lord and Christ, and such things. Since from you is the propitiation (Rom 3:25), the one being propitiated and, having forgiven sins, is Savior, not—

Greek

αἰῶνι ἐν καιρῷ θερισμοῦ. ζιζάνια γὰρ οἱ αἱρετικοί, χόρτος δὲ δωμάτων οἱ ὑπερπηδήσαντες δῆθεν τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην πολιτείαν τοῦ κόσμου σοφοί, πρὸς ου ς ὁ λόγος Ινα τί ἀνέβητε πάντες εἰς δώματα μάταια; οἱ μέντοι τῆς Σιὼν πολῖται ο ντες ἐπὶ δώματος μὴ καταβαινέτωσαν α ραι τὰ ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ο η κουσαν εἰς τὸ ου ς κηρυξάτωσαν ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων, ι να καὶ σπέρμα καλὸν διαμείναντες καρποφορήσωσιν ἐπὶ τῷ συγκομισθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ τὰ τοιαῦτα δράγματα συνάγοντος εἰς τὴν α λω τῆς σωτηρίας. Καὶ οὐκ ει παν οἱ παράγοντες Εὐλογία κυρίου ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, εὐλογήκαμεν ὑμᾶς ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου. οἱ ἀποδοθέντες ἑτερόδοξοι μισοῦντες τὴν Σιὼν καὶ οἱ ἑρμηνευόμενοι τοῦ κόσμου σοφοὶ δωμάτων χόρτος, ἐπεὶ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ βίου καὶ τοῦ φρονήματος μέχρι τῶν προσκαίρων καὶ παρερχομένων ε σχον, παράγοντες ει ρηνται. ου τοι δὲ ἀπηνεῖς καὶ ὑπερήφανοι φιλαδελφίαν καὶ ἀγαπητικὴν διάθεσιν οὐδ' ο λως ε χοντες, μόνους ἑαυτοὺς δοκοῦντες ει ναι μεγάλους καὶ θεοῦ φίλους, οὐδενὶ προσφωνοῦσιν εὐλογίαν· ο θεν περὶ αὐτῶν ει ρηται Καὶ οὐκ ει παν οἱ παράγοντες Εὐλογία κυρίου ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, οὐδένα τῶν α λλων παρὰ σφᾶς τευξόμενον εὐλογίας παρὰ κυρίου λέγοντες. ο μως δὲ εἰ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι οὐδενὶ προσφωνοῦσιν εὐλογίαν, ἀλλ' ου ν ἡμεῖς οἱ τὸ ο νομα κυρίου εὐλογοῦντες φιλεταιρίᾳ προστιθέμενοι προσφωνοῦμεν εὐλογίαν πᾶσι τοῖς πρὸς ου ς ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν. ∆υνατὸν ἐκλαβεῖν ἀμφότερα τὰ ἡμιστίχια ὡς λεγόμενα πρὸς τῶν παραγόντων, ι ν' ἀμφοτέρων ῃ προτεταγμένον τὸ Οὐκ ει παν· οὐκ ει παν γὰρ οἱ παράγοντες Εὐλογία κυρίου ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ει παν Εὐλογήκαμεν ὑμᾶς ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου. 1178 Ps 129,1.2 ̔Ο εἰς βάθη κακίας καὶ δυσσεβείας πεσὼν κατὰ τὸ ̓Εὰν ε λθῃ ἀσεβὴς εἰς βάθος κακῶν, καταφρονεῖ, ἐν συναισθήσει γενόμενος οι κακῶν ἐστι, φθάσας εἰς τὰ βάθη τῆς κυμαινομένης τοῦ βίου θαλάσσης ἐξ ἰδίας ῥαθυμίας δέεται τοῦ ἐκεῖθεν ἀνάγοντος· ἀλλὰ μηδένα εὑρὼν δυνάμενον βοηθῆσαι κράζει πρὸς θεόν. μετὰ τοῦ ὁμολογεῖν ποῦ πεσὼν ε φθασε, καί φησιν ̓Εκ βαθέων ἐκέκραξά σε, κύριε· κύριε, εἰσάκουσον τῆς φωνῆς μου· εἰσακούσας γὰρ ἀνάξεις με ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ βυθοῦ τῆς κακίας καὶ τοῦ βαθυτάτου ᾳ δου. συνᾴδει ταύτῃ τῇ ἐκδοχῇ τὰ μεθ' ε τερα λεγόμενα ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ ̓Εὰν ἀνομίας παρατηρήσῃ, κύριε, κύριε, τίς ὑποστήσεται; ∆υνατὸν καὶ πάντα τὸν ἐν τῷ περιγείῳ τόπῳ μετὰ ἀνθρωπίνης πολιτείας διατρίβοντα ταύτην ἀναπέμπειν τὴν εὐχὴν αἰσθανόμενον ἑαυτῷ πάνυ κάτω που ο ντα οὐρανοῦ τε καὶ θεοῦ· Οὐρανὸς γὰρ ὑψηλὸς γῆ τε βαθεῖα. ∆υνατὸν καὶ α γιον ει ναι τὸν εὐχόμενον κατὰ τὰ προαποδοθέντα. ου τος δὲ οὐ περὶ μικρῶν καὶ ἐπιγείων ἀλλὰ μεγάλων καὶ ἐπουρανίων τὴν εὐχὴν ἀναπέμπει. οὐκ ἐκ ψυχικῆς περὶ αὐτῶν διαλήψεως τὴν εὐχὴν ἀναπέμπει πρὸς θεὸν αἰτούμενος αὐτά. ἀλλὰ φωτιζόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ πάντα ἐρευνῶντος καὶ τὰ βάθη τοῦ θεοῦ γνώσει καὶ θεωρίᾳ· ἑπόμενος τῷ ἐξερευνῶντι αὐτὰ πνεύματι ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν βαθέων τούτων α δεῖ θεὸν αἰτεῖν κράζει πρὸς αὐτὸν, εἰσακουσθῆναι τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἀξιῶν. ἐκ τούτων δὲ τῶν βαθέων κράζει ὁ μηδὲν αἰσθητὸν ἀλλὰ πάντα νοητὰ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ α γιον πνεῦμα αἰτούμενος λαβεῖν. Ισον δὲ δύναται τὸ Γενηθήτω τὰ ω τά σου προσέχοντα τῷ Κλῖνον πρός με τὸ ου ς σου. ἐπεὶ οὐ φθάνει ἡ ἡμετέρα φωνὴ εἰς τὰ ὑψηλά, καὶ μακρὰν τυγχάνοντα διαφορᾷ φύσεως Ωτά σου. καὶ ἐντεῦθεν δὲ μανθάνομεν ἐπιστήσαντες μὴ ἀεὶ οὐσίωσιν ἀλλὰ καὶ σχέσιν τινὰ σημαίνειν τὸ Γενηθήτω. οὐ γὰρ 248 ἁπλῶς γενέσθαι τὰ ω τα τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλ' αὐτῷ προσέχοντα γενέσθαι ἀξιοῖ. τούτοις ἑπομένως νοεῖν δεῖ καὶ τὸ περὶ Χριστοῦ εἰρημένον Ος ἐγενήθη ἡμῖν σοφία ἀπὸ θεοῦ, καὶ Οτι κύριον καὶ χριστὸν αὐτὸν ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, καὶ ο σα τοιαῦτα. 1179 Ps 129,3.4 ̓Επεὶ παρὰ σοὶ ὁ ἱλασμός ἐστιν, ὁ ἱλασκόμενος καὶ ἀφεὶς τὰς ἁμαρτίας σωτήρ, μὴ

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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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.