Learning the Divine Will
Do not drive me away from you. For no one who is in God and possesses the Spirit is immediately cast out for sinning, but he who persists in sinning is like a craftsman preparing a tool; for then such a person will be cast out from the divine face and be deprived of the Holy Spirit. However, he who does not possess the Spirit is not stripped of it, but he does not grieve it while it is present through sinning.
In the beginning of the day being illuminated by you, and having begun to shine like the rising of the sun, let me hear of your righteousness Ps 142:8a; I am not speaking about it as my own state or hearing. For then, having been benefited by the hearing about it, I will be able to progress as to seeing it with longing. I shall also obtain the vision of it, as he who calls to all the zealous ones, saying, 'Show us, Lord, your mercy'; for then it becomes visible, so that if someone receives what is heard, it is not in ignorance but in the beginning of knowledge, which he revealed through the First.
Perhaps also the former ways, Moses and the prophets, having been walked by someone according to 'Stand in the ways and ask for the paths of the Lord eternal' Ps 119:58, after the journey in them, seeking the good way, he will say to the father of this way alone to the one knowing the way, 'Like a son, make known to me the way in which I shall walk.' Therefore also, having been acknowledged by the father, making itself manifest, he says to the worthy, 'I am the way; for no one comes to the Father except through me' John 14:6.
Being pursued by a single enemy, as if being finished, he prays now to be rescued from a multitude of enemies Ps 142:9. But they do not fight with different words; for he called the leader of evil, the enemy, singular, but his army he called enemies in the plural. And it is most just to be rescued from the enemies, since he fled to no one but to him alone.
'Teach me,' he says, 'not only to know but also to do your will' Ps 142:10; for it is not the knowing of it that is sanctifying and making blessed, but it being worked and being done. Therefore also the Savior says, 'Not everyone saying to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father' Matt 7:21.
Regarding the one in the heavens. It is evident what one does the will of God and understands it, not necessarily being one who knows it and does not do it; for this reason, the 'Learn to do good' agrees. And what is this learning of the divine will, the following word signifies: what is the guidance of the Holy Spirit into the straight land. For the one having learned the will of God in moral virtues will be guided by the gift of God by the Holy Spirit who works upon all truth. And the straight land is the good and pure heart in which Jesus will bear fruit, the seed of the gentle ones. And it can also be thus: 'Teach me to do your will,' not merely formally but spiritually, fulfilling your law, which happens to be not other than your will; and having progressed to this and having been guided by the Holy Spirit into the straight land, one articulates the remaining truth face to face.
In some texts it is carried instead of 'Your Holy Spirit' as 'Your Good Spirit'; from which it is presented that the holy is good and the good is holy, and 'good' is not by participation in goodness but is good by essence, such as also the holy is. And such is the Father; for indeed it is said concerning him, 'Holy Father,' and 'No one is good except God.' And the Son, being from the good and the holy, is said to be good and holy. Ps 142:11: 'For the sake of your called name, I will do your justice. You will make me live in your righteousness, for you justify me; for it will not happen that I live in it.' It is fitting, therefore, that 'You will make me live' inclines toward future time, since here, just as we possess other good things only partially, we shall live perfectly when Christ, our life, is revealed; for he is the righteousness of God, in whom the one who approaches him will live. Ps 143:1: Since everything that is good and useful comes from God to men, what do the saints possess concerning such things? They give thanks to God, knowing him to be the cause of the good things. Behold, even David, having experienced fighting his enemies in military matters, those invisible diverse ones who are overturned and cast down, bless God, becoming a teacher to himself of that knowledge.
Greek
σου μὴ ἀντανέλῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. οὐδεὶς γὰρ τῶν ἐν ο ψει θεοῦ καὶ ἐχόντων πνεῦμα εὐθὺς ἀποβάλλεται ἁμαρτάνων ἀλλ' ὁ ἐπιτείνων τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν ὡς ε ξιν χειρίστην συγκροτῆσαι· τότε γὰρ ἐκβληθήσεται ὁ τοιοῦτος τοῦ θεϊκοῦ προσώπου καὶ ἀφαιρεθείη τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος. ο μως δὲ εἰ καὶ μὴ γυμνοῦται ὁ ου τως ε χων τοῦ πνεύματος, ἀλλ' ου ν λυπεῖ αὐτὸ παρὸν διὰ τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν. 1240 Ps 142,8a ̓Εν ἀρχῇ τῆς ὑπὸ σοῦ φωτιζομένης ἡμέρας τυγχάνοντι καὶ ἀρξαμένῳ καταλάμπεσθαι ἀνατολῆς ἡλίου τοῦ τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου ἀκουστόν μοι ποίησον τὸ ε λεος· ου τω περὶ αὐτοῦ λαλῶν ὡς ἡ ἐμὴ ε ξις καὶ ἀκοή. τότε γὰρ καὶ ὠφεληθεὶς ἐκ τῆς περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀκροάσεως προκόψαι δυνήσομαι ὡς καὶ ἰδεῖν αὐτὸ ποθῆσαι. τεύξομαι δὲ καὶ τῆς θέας αὐτοῦ, ο ταν μετὰ πάντων τῶν ὁμοζήλων παρακαλῶν ει πω ∆εῖξον ἡμῖν, κύριε, τὸ ε λεός σου· ὁρατὸν γὰρ τότε γίνεται, ο ταν ἀκουστόν τις αὐτὸ λάβοι οὐκ ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ ἀλλ' ἐν ἀρχῇ γνώσεως ω ν, ο διὰ τοῦ Πρωῒ ἐδήλωσεν. 1241 Ps 142,8c Τάχα δὲ καὶ τὰς προτέρας ὁδούς, Μωυσέα καὶ τοὺς προφήτας, βαδίσας τις κατὰ τὸ Στῆτε ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς καὶ ἐρωτήσατε τρίβους κυρίου αἰωνίας, μετὰ τὴν ἐν αὐταῖς πορείαν ζητῶν τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἀγαθὴν τῷ ταύτης πατρὶ ἐρεῖ μόνῳ γινώσκοντι τὴν ὁδὸν ου σαν υἱὸν Γνώρισόν μοι ὁδὸν ἐν ῃ πορεύσομαι. διὸ καὶ ἐπινεύσαντος τοῦ πατρὸς ἐμφανίζουσα ἑαυτὴν ἐρεῖ τοῖς ἀξίοις ̓Εγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδός· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ε ρχεται πρὸς τὸν πατέρα εἰ μὴ δι' ἐμοῦ. 1242 Ps 142,9 ̔Υπὸ ἑνὸς ἐχθροῦ καταδιωχθείσης τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ ὡς ἀρτίως ει πεν, ἀπὸ πλήθους ἐχθρῶν ἐξαιρεθῆναι νῦν παρακαλεῖ. ἀλλ' οὐ μάχονται αἱ ου τω διάφοροι λέξεις· τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἀρχηγέτην τῆς κακίας ἐχθρὸν ε να ει πε, τὴν δὲ 264 στρατιὰν αὐτοῦ πληθυντικῶς ἐκάλεσεν ἐχθρούς. ̓Απαιτεῖ δὲ τὸ ἐξαιρεθῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν δικαιότατα, ἐπείπερ πρὸς οὐδένα η πρὸς αὐτὸν μόνον κατέφυγεν. 1243 Ps 142,10 ∆ίδαξόν με, φησίν, μὴ εἰδέναι μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημά σου· οὐ γὰρ τὸ ἐπίστασθαι αὐτὸ α νευ τοῦ ἐνεργεῖν ἁγιαστικὸν καὶ μακαριοποιόν ἐστιν ἀλλ' ἐνεργούμενον καὶ πραττόμενον. διὸ καὶ ὁ σωτήρ φησιν Οὐ πᾶς ὁ λέγων μοι Κύριε κύριε εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ' ὁ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς. φανερὸν δὲ ο τι ὁ ποιῶν τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ θέλημα καὶ ἐπίσταται αὐτό, οὐ πάντως τοῦ εἰδότος καὶ μὴ ποιοῦντος· τούτῳ συνᾴδει τὸ Μάθετε καλὸν ποιεῖν. τίς δὲ αυ τη ἡ μάθησις τοῦ θείου θελήματος ἡ ἑξῆς σημαίνει λέξις, ο τι ὁδήγησις τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματός ἐστιν εἰς τὴν εὐθείαν γῆν. ὁ γὰρ μαθὼν τὸ ἐν ἠθικαῖς ἀρεταῖς τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ θέλημα ὁδηγηθήσεται δωρεᾷ θεοῦ ὑπὸ πνεύματος ἁγίου τοῦ ἐνεργοῦντος ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν πᾶσαν. γῆ δὲ εὐθεία ἡ ἀγαθὴ καὶ καθαρὰ καρδία ἐστὶν ἐν ῃ ὁ ̓Ιησοῦ καρποφορήσει σπόρος η ὁ τῶν πραέων. ∆ύναται δὲ καὶ ου τως· ∆ίδαξόν με τοῦ ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημά σου, ο πως α ν μὴ τυπικῶς ε τι ἀλλὰ πνευματικῶς ἐπιτελῶ σου τὸν νόμον τυγχάνοντα οὐχ ε τερον τοῦ θελήματός σου· προκόψας δὲ μέχρι τούτου καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ποδηγηθείην ἐν τῇ εὐθείᾳ γῇ, πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον περιαρθρῶν λοιπὸν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Εν τισι φέρεται ἀντὶ τοῦ Τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ α γιόν σου Τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἀγαθόν σου· ἐξ ου παρίσταται τὸ α γιον ἀγαθὸν καὶ τὸ ἀγαθὸν α γιον ει ναι, ἀγαθὸν δὲ οὐ κατὰ μετουσίαν ἀγαθότητος ἀλλὰ τῷ κατ' οὐσίαν ει ναι τοιοῦτον ω σπερ καὶ α γιον. τοιοῦτος δὲ καὶ ὁ πατήρ· καὶ ει ρηται γοῦν περὶ αὐτοῦ Πάτερ α γιε, καὶ τὸ Οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ ει ς ὁ θεός. καὶ ὁ υἱὸς δὲ ἐξ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ ἁγίου ἀγαθὸς καὶ α γιος ει ρηται ει ναι. 1244 Ps 142,11 Ενεκα τοῦ ἐπικεκλημένου ὀνόματός σου σὸς χρηματίζω. Ζήσεις με ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ σου, κατὰ ταύτην δικαιῶν με· ου τω γὰρ συμβήσεται τὸ ζήσεσθαί με ἐν αὐτῇ. εἰκότως δὲ εἰς μέλλοντα χρόνον ἐνέκλινε τὸ Ζήσεις με, ἐπείπερ ἐνταῦθα ω σπερ τὰ α λλα ἀγαθὰ μερικῶς ου τω καὶ τὸ ζῆν ε χομεν, ζησόμενοι τελείως τὸ τηνικαῦτα ο ταν φανερωθῇ Χριστὸς ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ δικαιοσύνη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ῃ ζήσεται ὁ προσβαλὼν αὐτῇ. 1245 Ps 143,1 ̓Επεὶ πᾶν ει τι καλὸν καὶ ὠφέλιμον ἐκ θεοῦ εἰς ἀνθρώπους παραγίνεται, ο τι ποτ' α ν ε χουσι περὶ τῶν τοιούτων οἱ α γιοι, εὐχαριστοῦσι τῷ θεῷ, εἰδότες αὐτὸν αι τιον τῶν ἀγαθῶν ο ντα. ἰδοὺ γοῦν καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ καταπολεμῶν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ ἐμπείρως ε χειν περὶ τὰ πολεμικά, οι ς ἀνατρέπονται καὶ βάλλονται οἱ ἀόρατοι διάφοροι, εὐλογεῖ τὸν θεὸν διδάσκαλον αὐτῷ γινόμενον τῆς ἐπιστήμης
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.