Commentary on the Psalms · §11

True Magnificence vs. Vanity

Let there be a size that is appropriate. But it is most especially magnificence when it is for the sake of the appropriate itself, and not for the sake of anything else.

Let it be said: if one, being rich, spends great things on small matters and small celebrations, he is not magnificent. It is an excess of magnificence, just as we say that rashness is an excess of courage and impiety is an excess of piety. For example, if someone provides a feast for his drinking companions and spends as much as no one else spends at weddings, he is not magnificent. It happens for the sake of vainglory. But magnificence does not happen for the sake of vainglory.

Let us come from being led by the sensible things to the things about which the word is: the Savior worked the appropriate in great things. And the righteous man shows the appropriate in great things toward men. What is greater than saving the inhabited world, and making peace not only of the earthly things, but also of the heavenly things? What is greater than rectifying that by which the heavenly, the earthly, and the subterranean things bend the knee to the Savior for the glory of God the Father? This glory is magnificence, and it has a kinship with propriety. And concerning Him, the God, it is said: 'The Lord has reigned, He has put on propriety' (Ps 96:10). This propriety and magnificence are the same.

To whom did it befit to save the men, or he who did not have sin? He did not have sin, knowing that it is beautiful to abstain from sin, to have righteousness, that it is beautiful to not retaliate against one who insults, and not to defend those who behave wickedly. 'The one suffering,' He says, 'did not threaten' (Ps 21:1). Not only did He not do what was deserved, but He did not even threaten. A threat is a prior announcement of fearful things. But when it is no longer a prior announcement, but happens by the outcome, it is no longer a threat.

'Glory and magnificence You will lay upon him' (Ps 103:2). And it is good also to say 'You will lay upon.' In another text, this is also attributed to Him: for not only now when He arrived, did He begin to place this glory and this magnificence in the rational things, but always and everywhere, as He was able, He did this. And the glory and magnificence through His arrival have become an addition, such as through the cross. For 'You will give him a blessing unto the age of ages' (Ps 21:7). Thus, as we have said concerning life: not so that He himself...

unto the age of ages

Greek

τῷ πρεπόν̣τως γενομένῳ μέγεθος ᾖ. τότε δὲ μάλιστα μεγαλοπρέπειά ἐστιν, ὅτε μὴ ἄλλου τιν̣ὸς ἕνεκα, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ χάριν τὸ πρέπον ἐστίν. 17 φέρε δὲ εἰπεῖν, ἐάν τις πλούσιος ὢν̣ ἐν μικροῖς πράγμασιν καὶ μικραῖς πανηγύρεσιν μεγάλα ἀναλίσκῃ, οὔκ ἐστιν οὗτος μεγαλοπρεπής. ὑπερβολή ἐστιν μεγαλοπρεπείας, ὡς λέγομεν τὴν θρασύτητα ὑπερβολὴν εἶναι ἀνδρείας καὶ δεισιδαιμονίαν ὑπερβολὴν εὐσεβείας. οἷον συνκυβευταῖς τις ποιείτω ἄριστον καὶ ἀναλισκέτω ὅσα οὐκ ἀναλίσκει ἄλλος ἐν γάμοις. οὗτος οὐ μεγα̣λοπρεπής ἐστιν. κενοδοξίας χάριν γίνεται. ἡ δὲ μεγαλοπρέπεια οὐ κενοδοξίας χάριν γ̣ίνεται. ἐκ τῶν αἰσθητῶν χειραγωγούμενοι ἔλθωμεν εἰς τὰ περὶ ὧν ὁ λόγος· τὸ πρέπον ὁ σωτὴρ ἐν μεγάλοις εἰργάσατο. καὶ ὁ δίκαιος μὲν ἄνθρωποις ἐν μεγάλοις τὸ πρέπον δείκνυσιν. τί μεῖζόν ἐστιν τοῦ σῶσαι τὴν οἰκουμένην, τοῦ εἰρηνοποιῆσαι οὐ τὰ ἐπίγεια μόνα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἐπουράνια; τί μεῖζόν ἐστιν τοῦ κατορθῶσαι ἐκεῖνο ἐφ' ᾧ τὰ ἐπουράνια, τὰ ἐπίγεια, τὰ καταχθόνια κλίνουσιν γόνυ τῷ σωτῆρι εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ πατρός; αὕτη ἡ δόξα μεγαλοπρέπειά ἐστιν καὶ συνγένει αν ἔχει πρὸς εὐπρέπειαν. καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ οὖν τοῦ θεοῦ λέγεται ὅτι· "ὁ κύριος ἐβασίλευσεν, εὐπρέπειαν ἐνεδύσατο". ἡ εὐπρέπεια αὕτη καὶ ἡ μεγαλοπρέπεια ταὐτόν ἐστιν. τίνι ἔπρεπεν σῶσαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἢ τῷ ἁμαρτίαν μὴ ἐσχηκότι; οὐκ ἔσχεν 11 ἁμαρτίαν εἰδὼς ὅτι καλόν ἐσ̣τιν τὸ ἀπέχεσθαι ἁμαρτίας, τὸ δικαιοσύνην ἔχειν, καλόν ἐστιν τὸ λοιδορούμενον μ̣ὴ ἀντιλοιδορεῖν, τὸ μὴ ἀμύνεσθαι τοὺς κακωτικῶς διατιθέντας. "πάσχων", φησίν, "οὐκ ἠπείλει". οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐποίει τὰ ἀντάξια, ἀλλὰ οὐδὲ ἠπείλει. ἀπειλὴ δέ ἐστιν προαναφώνησις φοβερῶν. ὅταν μέντοι μηκέτι προαναφώνησις ᾖν, ἀλλ' ἐκβάσεως τύχῃ, οὐκέτι ἀπειλή ἐστιν. "δόξαν" οὖν "καὶ μεγαλοπρέπειαν ἐπιθήσεις ἐπ' αὐτόν". εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ φάναι "ἐπιθήσεις". πρὸς ἑτέρῳ κειμένῳ καὶ τοῦτο ἐπιτίθεται· οὐ γὰρ νῦν μόνον ὅτε ἐπεδήμησεν, ἤρξατο τὴν δόξαν ταύτην καὶ τὴν μεγαλοπρέπειαν ἐν τοῖς λογικοῖς θεῖναι, ἀλλ' ἑκάστοτε καὶ πανταχοῦ ὡς ἐνεδέχετο ἐποίει τοῦτο. προσθήκη δὲ γέγονεν ἡ διὰ τῆς ἐπιδημίας δόξα καὶ μεγαλοπρέπεια οἷον διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ. 7 ὅτι δώσεις αὐτῷ εὐλογίαν εἰς αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. οὕτως ὡς εἰρήκαμεν περὶ τῆς ζωῆς· οὐχ ἵνα αὐτὸς αὐτὴν ἔχῃ –ἔχει γὰρ αὐτήν–, ἀλλ' ἵνα οἱ πλησιάζοντες αὐτῷ, οἱ περὶ τὰ μαθήματα αὐτοῦ γινόμενοι ἔχωσιν ταύτην. διαστέλλεται δὲ αὕτη ἡ "εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος" εὐ λογία πρὸς τὴν δοκοῦσαν ἐν θνητοῖς εὐλογίαν εἶναι· λέγεται γάρ ποτε καὶ αὕτη εὐλογία· "ὅτι ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ εὐλογισθήσεται, ἕως αἰῶνος οὐκ ὄψεται φῶς". οὐκ ὄψεται τὸ φῶς, κἂν λαμπρὰ δοκῇ νῦν ὁρᾶν. οὐκ ἔχει παράμονον ταύτην τὴν εὔκλειαν. 18 αἱ εὐλογίαι οὖν αἱ πνευματικαὶ αἱ διδόμεναι ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις αἱ αὐταί εἰσιν ταύτῃ τῇ "εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος" μενούσῃ· εἰ γάρ τις εὐλογίαν νομίζοι τὸ πλοῦτον εἰληφέναι, οὐκ ἔχει αὐτὴν "εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος"· σ̣υ̣ν̣απέρχεται γὰρ τῇ ζωῇ τῇ ὑλικῇ. δυνατὸν δὲ χαριέντως καὶ ἠθικῶς εἰπεῖν ὅτι· ὁ ἔχων πλοῦτον ἐὰν οὕτως αὐτὸν ἀναλίσκῃ ὥστε εὑρεῖν καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα δόξαν, περὶ ἧς λέγει· "τοῖς πλουσίοις τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου παράγγελλε μὴ ὑψηλὰ φρονεῖν". εἶτα λέγει· "ἀποθησαυρίζοντες ἑαυτοῖς θεμέλιον καλῶν ἔργων", ἡ τούτου εὐλογία μένει "εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος". τὰ δὲ πραχθέντα ἐκ τοῦ πλούτου ἀκαθαίρετα μένει. ὡσαύτως καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀ´̣λ̣λων· ἐὰν ἐπὶ σωφροσύνῃ–τῇ ἀληθῶς σωφροσύνῃ– δοξάζηται καὶ εὐλογῆται, παραμένουσαν αὐτὴν ἔχει "εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος". εἰ δέ τις ἐπὶ ὑποκρίσει ἀρετῇ νομίζει εὐλογεῖσθαι, καταλυομένην αὐτὴν ἔχει· ἐκλαμψάσης γὰρ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων οὕτω φανέντων ὡς ἔχουσιν φύσεως λύεται ἡ κατ' ὑπόλημψιν εὐλογία. ἐνίοτε καὶ κίνδυνον προξενεῖ. 7 εὐφρανεῖς αὐτὸν ἐν χαρᾷ μετὰ τοῦ προσώπου σου. δοκεῖ ἀμφίβολος εἶναι ἡ λέξις· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὑπ' αὐτῆς σημαίνεται· "εὐφρανεῖς αὐτὸν ἐν χαρᾷ μετὰ τοῦ προσώπου σου"· εὐφραίνων τὸ πρόσωπόν σου εὐφρανεῖς κἀκεῖνον. ἢ ἀμφότερα εὐφραίνει ἐκεῖνον· εὐφρανεῖς αὐτὸν ἐν χαρᾷ καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου σύν σοι εὐφρανεῖ αὐτόν. τοιαύτη τις καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἰσαίᾳ φέρεται λέξις· "καὶ κύριος κύριος ἀπέστειλέν με καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ". οἱ μὲν οὕτω λαμβάνουσιν· "ἀπέστειλέν με κύριος, ἀπέστειλέν με δὲ καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ". καὶ λέγουσιν τὴν ἀποστολὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος τὴν κατὰ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος γεγονέναι· εἴρηται γάρ· "πνεῦμα κυρίου ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σέ", πρὸς τὴν κυοῦσαν αὐτὸν ἢ κυοφορήσουσαν, "καὶ δύναμις

About this text

Didymus the Blind on the Psalms.

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