The Breath of Life and the True Voice
Likewise, the minds of God are carried forth by the same instrument. Praise him with psaltery and lyre. What is the psaltery and the lyre, and what difference is said to be held between them in what was said before? God is to be praised, singing in spirit and mind; for this is the psaltery; for the spirit and the mind are held together from above by God through the loftiness of dogmas. And he is to be praised also with lyre; through every power of the soul and sensation, with strings stretched, they are struck in order. For the soul was given as a lyre in those things previously read. If, however, through every activity of each member, it is struck as an alien lyre, no one would err in praising God through every action of the body.
Those carrying about the death of Jesus in the body, through which the flesh was killed, praise him with a timbrel (Ps 150:4). It has been interpreted before that the timbrel is that which was destined to be the one among the young women, the timbrel-players. For this is the body, which the soul will take up at the resurrection; it is a young woman playing the timbrel in announcing the minds of God in the standing of the heavenly ones with the myriads of the celebrating angels, as this is made manifest through the approaching word sounding, 'Praise him with timbrel, and also with dance'; for the soul dances with the powers and with all the higher creation after the resurrection, instead of a corrupt and weak and dishonorable and psychic body, having taken up an incorruptible, powerful, glorious, spiritual body. And the praising with strings and instrument is able to be the same as the praising with psaltery and lyre; for perhaps the lyre is strings, and the psaltery is the instrument.
I think it is made manifest through the praising him with loud cymbals (Ps 150:5) that it is necessary also to commemorate the Lord with voice according to utterance through theology. And there appears to me to understand this from the word of the apostle writing thus: 'I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal' (1 Cor 13:1); for if he says, 'If I speak not with mind but with tongue,' not interpreting the things said by the tongue for the understanding of the listener...
Having only a voice without possessing thought, so that the one speaking seems to be a barbarian, having sense of voice and sound only, he becomes to himself a bronze clanging or a resounding cymbal, striking and only making a noise in his hearing. Let us therefore glorify God, and imitating the perfect and righteous men in speech. For it is said concerning each of these: the discourse of a pious man is wisdom throughout; likewise, the mouth of the righteous shall meditate on wisdom, and his tongue shall speak judgment, the law of God being in his heart; that is to say, he praises God also with mind and tongue and mouth.
But the cymbal sounds well if it has a careful and well-modulated voice clearly signifying things. But he says the same cymbal is driven forth with a loud noise according to the falling and becoming under the feet of the enemies. When God becomes all in all, the foretold word shall be fulfilled. For assisting our weakness, He imparts to us the notion of divine breath, just as it has been written concerning the first man: He breathed into his face the breath of life, and he became a living soul (Gen 2:7). For life and the fountain of life is the one who said, 'I am the life' (John 14:6), and concerning life it has been said to the Father, 'From you is the fountain of life' (Luke 10:42).
This breath of life, which makes blessed and sanctifies, coming into the man, shall prepare his soul to live, or to say thankfully, 'My soul lives in him.' This gift alone all shall enjoy who has received the word of Jesus and has believed in the one who sent him to the Father. For the Savior says, 'The one hearing my words and believing in the one who sent me has eternal life' (John 6:47). God offers this breath to those who have ascended far above the sensible things and tread upon them, called His people, just as the prophet says concerning him: 'Thus says the Lord God who made the heavens and established the earth, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who tread upon it' (Ps 150:6); it is evident what is the earth. And it is said also toward something ancient: 'And the breath of the Almighty is the one teaching me' (Job 32:8).
Greek
ἀκόλουθον καὶ τοὺς θεοῦ αι νους ταὐτῷ τῷ ὀργάνῳ προφέρεσθαι. Αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ καὶ κιθάρᾳ. τί τὸ ψαλτήριον καὶ ἡ κιθάρα καὶ ποίαν ε χουσι πρὸς α λληλα διαφορὰν ἐν τοῖς προάγουσιν ει ρηται. αἰνετέον ου ν θεόν, ψάλλοντες ἐν πνεύματι καὶ νῷ· τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ ψαλτήριον· τὸ γὰρ πνεῦμα καὶ ὁ νοῦς α νωθεν ἐκ θεοῦ δι' ὑψηλότητα δογμάτων συνηχεῖ. αἰνετέον δὲ καὶ κιθάρᾳ· διὰ πάσης δυνάμεως τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ αἰσθήσεως χορδῶν τεταμένων δίκην κρούονται. κιθάρα γὰρ ἡ ψυχὴ ἐν τοῖς προαναγνωσθεῖσιν ἀπεδόθη. εἰ δὲ * διὰ πάσης ἐνεργείας ἑκάστου μέλους συντείνουσ * ἀλλοτρόπῳ κιθάρας κρούεται, οὐκ α ν σφαλείη τις * διὰ πάσης πράξεως τῆς διὰ σώματος αἰνεῖσθαι θεόν. 1290 Ps 150,4 Οἱ τὴν νέκρωσιν ̓Ιησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι περιφέροντες δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ νενεκρωκέναι τὴν σάρκα τὴν σφῶν αἰνοῦσιν ἐν τυμπάνῳ. ἡρμήνευται καὶ πρότερον τοῦτο ει ναι τὸ τύμπανον, ο τε προέκειτο τὸ ̓Εν μέσῳ νεανίδων τυμπανιστριῶν. τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ σῶμα, ο ταν ἐξ ἀναστάσεως ἀναλάβῃ ἡ ψυχή, νεᾶνίς ἐστι τυμπανίζουσα ἐν τῷ ἀπαγγέλλειν τοὺς θεοῦ αι νους ἐν τῇ στάσει τῶν ἐπουρανίων σὺν ταῖς μυριάσι τῶν πανηγυριζόντων ἀγγέλων, ὡς ει ναι δηλούμενον τοῦτο διὰ τῆς ἐπιφερομένης λέξεως ἐχούσης Αἰνεῖτε ω σπερ ἐν τυμπάνῳ, ου τως καὶ ἐν χορῷ· χορεύει γὰρ σὺν ταῖς δυνάμεσι καὶ πάσῃ τῇ ὑπερτέρῳ κτίσει ἡ ψυχὴ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν, ἀντὶ φθαρτοῦ καὶ ἀσθενοῦς καὶ ἀτίμου καὶ ψυχικοῦ σώματος α φθαρτον δυνατὸν ε νδοξον πνευματικὸν ἀναλαβοῦσα τὸ σῶμα. Τὸ δὲ ἐν χορδαῖς καὶ ὀργάνῳ αἰνεῖν ταὐτὸν δύναται τῷ αἰνεῖν ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ καὶ κιθάρᾳ· τάχα γὰρ τὴν κιθάραν χορδάς, τὸ δὲ ψαλτήριον ο ργανον ει πεν. 1291 Ps 150,5 ∆ηλοῦσθαι νομίζω διὰ τοῦ αἰνεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ἐν κυμβάλοις εὐήχοις τὸ δεῖν καὶ φωνῇ τῇ κατὰ προφορὰν ἀνυμνεῖν διὰ θεολογίας τὸν κύριον. παρίσταται δέ μοι 277 τοῦτο νοεῖν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ἀποστόλου λέξεως γράφοντος ου τως· Γέγονα χαλκὸς ἠχῶν η κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον· εἰ γάρ φησι μὴ νῷ ἀλλὰ γλώσσῃ λαλήσω μὴ διερμηνεύων ε καστα τῶν ὑπὸ τῆς γλώττης εἰρημένων * ἀντιλήψει τοῦ ἀκροατοῦ μόνης φωνῆς α νευ διανοίας ε χοντος, ὡς δοκεῖν αὐτῷ βάρβαρον ει ναι τὸν λαλοῦντα, φωνῆς καὶ ἠχουμένου αι σθησιν ε χοντος, γίνεται αὐτῷ χαλκὸς ἠχῶν η κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον, κρούων καὶ περιβομβοῦν μόνον τὴν ἀκοὴν αὐτοῦ. δοξολογῶμεν τοίνυν θεόν, καὶ τῇ προφορᾷ μιμούμενοι τοὺς τελείους καὶ δικαίους α νδρας. ει ρηται γὰρ περὶ ἑκάστου τούτων τὸ ∆ιήγησις εὐσεβοῦς διαπαντὸς σοφία· ὁμοίως καὶ Στόμα δικαίου μελετήσει σοφίαν, καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτοῦ λαλήσει κρίσιν, ὁ νόμος τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· τουτέστι καὶ νῷ καὶ γλώσσῃ καὶ στόματι ὑμνεῖ θεόν. Ευ ηχον δὲ κύμβαλον ει πε τὴν ἐμμελῆ καὶ μεμουσωμένην φωνήν * ἀριδήλως σημαίνουσαν τὰ πράγματα. τὴν δὲ αὐτὴν κύμβαλον ἀλαλαγμοῦ φησι προφερόμενον ἐπινι * κατὰ ἁλόντων καὶ ὑπὸ πόδα γενομένων τῶν ἐχθρῶν. 1292 Ps 150,6 Οτε πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν ὁ θεὸς γένηται, πληρωθήσεται ἡ προκειμένη λέξις. βοηθῶν γὰρ τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ ἡμῶν νόησιν πνοῆς θείας ἡμῖν ἐνδίδωσιν, ὡς καὶ περὶ τοῦ πρώτου ἀνθρώπου ἀναγέγραπται τὸ ̓Ενεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς, καὶ ἐγένετο α νθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν. ζωὴ γὰρ καὶ πηγὴ ζωῆς ὁ εἰπὼν ̓Εγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή, περὶ η ς ζωῆς ει ρηται τῷ πατρὶ Παρὰ σοὶ πηγὴ ζωῆς. ταύτης τῆς μακαριοποιοῦ καὶ ἁγιαστικῆς ζωῆς πνοὴ εἰς τὸν α νθρωπον ἐρχομένη ζῶσαν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ παρασκευάσει, ω στ' α ν εἰπεῖν εὐχαριστικῶς τὸν τούτου τυχόντα ̔Η ψυχή μου αὐτῷ ζῇ. ταύτης τῆς δωρεᾶς μόνος καὶ πᾶς ἀπολαύσει ὁ τὸν ̓Ιησοῦ λόγον δεξάμενος καὶ πιστεύσας τῷ ἀποστείλαντι αὐτὸν πατρί. φησὶ γὰρ ὁ σωτὴρ ̔Ο τῶν λόγων μου ἀκούων καὶ πιστεύων τῷ ἀποστείλαντί με ε χει ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Ταύτην τὴν πνοὴν α μα τῷ πνεύματι ὀρέγει θεὸς τοῖς ὑπεραναβεβηκόσι τὰ αἰσθητὰ καὶ πατοῦσιν αὐτὰ καλουμένοις λαῷ αὐτοῦ, ὡς ει πεν ὁ προφήτης περὶ αὐτοῦ Ου τω λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ στερέωσας τὴν γῆν, ὁ διδοὺς πνοὴν τῷ λαῷ τῷ ἐπ' αὐτῆς καὶ πνεῦμα τοῖς πατοῦσιν αὐτήν· φανερὸν δὲ ο τι τὴν γῆν. ει ρηται δὲ καὶ πρός τινος ἀρχαίου Πνοὴ δὲ παντοκράτορός ἐστιν ἡ διδάσκουσά με. 278
About this text
Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
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.