The Supremacy of the Fear of the Lord
The phrase 'from the horns of the single-horned ones' is a mystery, for the upper ends of the cross had the shape of horns. 'I will declare your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will sing your praise' (Ps 22:22). He who sings to God in the midst of the assembly is one who offers hymns with boldness and decorum. It is necessary for the one singing to God to be righteous; for 'praise is fitting for the upright' (Ps 33:1), and 'there is no beautiful praise in the mouth of a sinner' (Ps 68:3).
Just as we say that the divine Word is spoken 'in authority'—when someone teaches about temperance while being temperate, he has the Word in authority; but if he is uncontrolled and filthy, he does not bring it forth fully. His conscience trips him up. Just as the one who carries out appropriate works and has the practical life conforming to the contemplative life has the Word in authority, so the one who sings to God in the midst of the assembly is one who lacks no hesitation. For example, if one teaches about temperance so that he may be temperate, then he sings to God in the midst of the assembly; likewise, one teaching about almsgiving should be such, and one speaking about courage should be such. Therefore, when you see someone speaking about courage while being a coward, he is not doing this in the midst of the assembly. For the 'midst' signifies boldness, and this is to be learned from another psalm: 'He did not dwell in the midst of my house, practicing arrogance' (Ps 129:6). No one wished to appear arrogant to me. He did this in a corner, withdrawing, of the red ones. Thus, the Savior sings to the Father in the midst of the assembly. And when I say the Father, listen to the Son as well. He sings to God, and the divinity is one of Father and Son.
'You who fear the Lord, praise Him' (Ps 115:11). It is not the one who happens to praise God, but the one having fear toward Him. But not every fear is of God; for there is a fear of punishment. This is not of God. Furthermore, regarding 'perfection' toward God, 'love casts out fear' (1 John 4:18). The one having love toward God from all heart and all mind does not have a passive fear. In this way, the disciples of Jesus were called by the Savior to be outside of passive fear, saying, 'Do not fear those who kill the body' (Matt 10:28). And those saying, 'The Lord is my helper, I will not fear; what can man do to me?' (Ps 118:6). They cast out the passive fear; for the fear of God is not passive, it is not of punishment, but...
Regarding reverence. 'The fear of the Lord surpassed all things' (Ps 33:8); nothing is second to it, not even love itself. And: 'There is no deficiency to those fearing him' (Ps 34:9). 'All the seed of Jacob, glorify him' (Ps 115:12). It can also be said explicitly that: since that people from the patriarchs was called to hymn and to serve God, it appropriately stands over all to do this.
For since many have become sinners from them, we take 'all the seed of Jacob' not to mean the evil one—for it was said concerning him: 'evil seed'—but when it is outside of all wickedness, as he himself is whose seed it is. And we take here Jacob the patriarch and say that: since this one has become a wrestler and from this deed he received the appellation, all those wrestling, being surrounded by evil, of the opposing powers, of the evil adversaries, these are Jacob; for in his exploits Hosea arranged this, saying: 'In the womb he wrestled with his brother and prevailed with God and was able' (Hos 12:4). To prevail with God and to be able is a great exploit. Thus indeed he counted the one who wrestled with his brother in the womb.
And the Savior was also said in Isaiah: 'Jacob my servant, I will take hold of him' (Isa 41:9). And Matthew said that this word is fulfilled by Christ. 'Let all the seed of Israel fear him' (Ps 115:12). Not passive fear is glory, but the fear of God, which after much effort comes to those who have strived to have it. 'Son, if receiving the word of my commandment you hide it with yourself, your ear will obey wisdom, but if you direct your heart toward understanding' (Prov 2:1). And shortly after: 'And if you seek it as silver and as treasures you search for it, then you will understand the fear of the Lord' (Prov 2:4-5). Behold, after many rectitudes and perfect virtues. But how we say simply: if you know the exploits and the excellences and the achievements of Elisha, you will see what kind of person the one fearing the Lord is, not a random one.
All the seed of Jacob, glorify him (Ps 115:12), because he did not make nothing of nor disregarded the prayer of the poor. Here he calls the Savior who came among us 'poor' because he became poor for our sake. And just as it did not become a curse simply, but...
Greek
ἀπο̣κ̣ρύφῳ τὸ "ἀπὸ κεράτων μονοκερώτων" ἐπαινετῶς, ὅτι τὰ ἄκρα τὰ ἄνω τοῦ σταυροῦ σχῆμα εἶχον κεράτων. 23 διηγήσομαι τὸ ὄνομά σου τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας ὑμνήσω σε. ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας ὑμνεῖ τὸν θεὸν ὁ μετὰ παρρησίας καὶ κοσμίως ἀναφέρων τοὺς ὕμνους. δεῖ τὸν ὑμνοῦντα θεὸν δίκαιον εἶνα̣ι· "τοῖς" γὰρ "εὐθέσιν πρέπει αἴνεσις". καί· "οὔκ ἐστιν ὡραῖος αἶνος ἐν στόματι ἁμαρτωλοῦ". κ̣α̣ι`̣ ὥσπερ τὸν λόγον λέγομεν τὸν θεῖον ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ λέγεσθαι –ὅταν τις διδάσκῃ περὶ σωφ̣ροσύνης σώφρων ὤν, ἐν ἐξ ουσίᾳ ἔχει τὸν λόγον. ἐὰν δὲ ἀκόλαστος ᾖ καὶ ῥυπαρός, οὐ πεπληρωμένως αὐτὸν προφέρει. ἡ συνείδησις αὐτοῦ ἐνποδίζει αὐτόν– ὥσπερ οὖν ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ τ̣ὸν λόγον ἔχει ὁ κατάλληλα οἷς λέγει ἔργα φέρων καὶ συνφυῆ τῷ θεωρητικῷ βίῳ τὸν πρακτικὸν ἔχων, οὕτως ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας ὑμνεῖ τὸν θεὸν ὁ μὴ ἔχων ὑποστολήν τινα. οἷον διδάσκει περὶ σωφροσύνης, ἵνα σώφρων ᾖ· τότε γὰρ ἐν μέσῳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὑμνεῖ τὸν θεόν, ἵνα διδάσκων περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης τοιοῦτος ᾖ, ἱ´̣ν̣α λέγων περὶ ἀνδρείας τοιοῦτος ᾖ. ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς τινὰ περὶ ἀνδρείας διεξερχόμενον λόγους δειλὸν ὄντα, οὐκ ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας τοῦτο ποιεῖ. ὅτι δὲ τὴν παρρησίαν τὸ "μέσον" σημαίνει, καὶ ἐξ ἄλλου ψαλμοῦ ἔστιν μαθεῖν· "οὐ κατῴκει ἐν μέσῳ τῆς οἰκίας μου ποιῶν ὑπερηφανίαν". οὐδεὶς ὑπερήφανος ἤθελεν φαίνεσθαί 47 μοι. ἐν γωνίᾳ τοῦτο ἔπραττεν ὑποστελλόμενος, ἐρυθριῶν. ἐν μέσῳ οὖν ἐκκλησίας ὑμνεῖ τὸν πατέρα ὁ σωτήρ. ὅταν δὲ λέγω τὸν πατέρα, καὶ τὸν υἱὸν ἄκουε. θεὸν δὲ ὑμνεῖ, θεότης δὲ μία πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ. 24 οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν κύριον, αἰνέσατε αὐτόν. οὐχ ὁ τυχὼν αἰνεῖ τὸν θεόν, ἀλλ' ὁ φόβον ἔχων τὸν εἰς αὐτόν. οὐ πᾶς δὲ φόβος θεοῦ ἐστιν· ἔστιν γὰρ φόβος κολάσεως. οὗτος οὔκ ἐστιν θεοῦ. ἀμέλει γοῦν "ἡ τελεία" πρὸς θεὸν "ἀγάπη ἔξω βάλλει τὸν φόβον". ὁ πρὸς θεὸν ἔχων ἀγάπην ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας, ἐξ ὅλης διανοίας, οὐκ ἔχει τὸν παθητικὸν φόβον. οὕτω γοῦν οἱ Ἰησοῦ μαθ̣η̣ταὶ ἐκτὸς τοῦ παθητικοῦ φόβου ἐκαλοῦντο ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος λέγοντος· "μὴ φοβεῖσθε τοὺς ἀποκτεννόντας τὸ σῶμα". καὶ οἱ λέγοντες· "κύριος ἐμοὶ βοηθός, οὐ φοβηθήσομαι· τί ποιήσει μοι ἄνθρωπος"; τὸν παθητικὸν φόβον ἐξέβαλον· ὁ γὰρ τοῦ θεοῦ φόβος οὔκ ἐστιν παθητικός, οὐ κολάσεώς ε᾿̣στιν, ἀλλὰ σεβασμοῦ. "φόβος κυρίου πάντα ὑπερέβαλεν", οὐδενὸς δεύτερός ἐστιν, οὐδὲ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀγάπ̣η̣ς. καί· "οὐκ ἔστιν 32 ὑστέρημα τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτόν". 24 ἅπαν τὸ σπέρμα Ἰακώβ, δοξάσατε αὐτόν. δύναται δὲ καὶ πρὸς ῥητὸν λέγεσθαι ὅτι· ἐπειδὴ ἐκλήθη ὁ λαὸς ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἐκ τῶν πατριαρχῶν εἰς τὸ ὑμνεῖν καὶ δουλεύειν θεῷ, εἰκότως πᾶσιν προστάττεται τοῦτο ποιεῖν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλοὶ γέγοναν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἁμαρτωλοί, οὕτω λαμβάνομεν "ἅπαν τὸ σπέρμα τοῦ Ἰακὼβ" οὐ τὸ πονηρόν–ἐλέχθη γὰρ περὶ αὐτοῦ· "σπέρμα πονηρόν"–, ἀλλ' ὅταν ἔξω πάσης πονηρίας ᾖ, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ οὗ σπέρμα ἐστίν. καὶ λαμβάνομεν ἐνταῦθα τὸν Ἰακὼβ τὸν πατριάρχην καὶ λέγομεν ὅτι· ἐπειδὴ οὗτος πτερνιστὴς γέγονεν καὶ ἐκ τούτου τοῦ κατορθώματος τὴν προσηγορίαν ἔσχεν, πάντες οἱ πτερνίζοντες τὴν κακίαν περιγινόμενοι τῶν ἀντικειμένων δυνάμεων, πονηρῶν ἀντιπάλων οὐσῶν, οὗτοι Ἰακώβ εἰσιν· ἐν τοῖς ἀνδραγαθήμασιν γὰρ αὐτοῦ ὁ Ὡσηὲ ἔταξεν τοῦτο λέγων ὅτι· "ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ ἐπτέρνισεν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνίσχυσεν μετὰ θεοῦ καὶ ἠδυνάσθη". τὸ ἐνισχῦσαι μετὰ θεοῦ καὶ δυνηθῆναι μέγα ἀνδραγάθημά ἐστιν. οὕτω γοῦν συνηρίθμησεν τὸν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ ἐπτερνικέναι τὸν ἀδελφόν. ἐλέχθη δὲ καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ἐν Ἰσαίᾳ Ἰακώβ· "Ἰακὼβ ὁ παῖςμου, ἀντιλήμψομαι αὐτοῦ". καὶ ταύτην τὴν λέξιν πεπληρῶσθαι ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ ὁ Μαθαῖος εἶπεν. 24 φοβηθήτωσαν αὐτὸν ἅπαν τὸ σπέρμα Ἰσραήλ. οὐχ ὁ παθητικὸς φόβος δόξα ἐστίν, ἀλλ' ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ φόβος ὁ μετὰ πολλὰ παραγινόμενος τοῖς σπουδάσασιν αὐτὸν ἔχειν. "υἱέ, ἐὰν δεξάμενος ῥῆσιν ἐμῆς ἐντολῆς κρύψῃς παρὰ σεαυτῷ, ἐπακούσεται σοφίας τὸ οὖς σου, παραβαλεῖς δὲ τὴν καρδίαν σου εἰς σύνεσιν". καὶ μεθ' ὁλίγα· "καὶ ἐὰν ζητήσῃς αὐτὴν ὡς ἀργύριον καὶ ὡς θησαυροὺς ἐξερευνήσῃς αὐτήν, τότε συνήσεις φόβον κυρίου". ὅρα, μετὰ πολ̣λ̣ὰ κατ48 ορθ̣ώματα καὶ τελείας ἀρετάς. πώς ποτε δὲ ἡμεῖς ἁπλῶς λέγομεν. ἐὰν δε`̣ εἰδῇς τὰ ἀνδραγαθήματα καὶ τὰς ἀριστείας καὶ τὰ κατορθώματα τοῦ Ἐλισαίου, ὄψει τίνα τρόπον ὁ φοβ̣ούμενος τὸν κύριον οὐχ ὁ τυχών ἐστιν. 25 ἅπαν τὸ σπέρμα Ἰακώβ, δοξάσατε αὐτόν ὅτι οὐκ ἐξουδένωσεν οὐδὲ προσώχθισεν τῇ δεήσει τοῦ πτωχοῦ. πτωχὸν ἐνταῦθα λέγει τὸν ἐπιδημήσαντα σωτῆρα τὸν ἡμῶν ἕνεκα πτωχεύσαντα. καὶ ὥσπερ κατάρα γέγονεν οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ'
About this text
Didymus the Blind on the Psalms.
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Khazarzar scan
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- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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