The Scorn of Enemies and Neighbors

He gives the Socrates example: do not say, 'Bring it, Dion.' The definition is, 'a mortal being is a rational animal.' And if I say, for instance, that the righteous man is outside of injustice, I am not speaking of this specific righteous man, but of the righteous man in general. For indeed the beginning of the psalm has become thus: 'In you, Lord, I have hoped, let me not be put to shame for ever' (Ps 25:2), regarding everyone who has hoped and is seeking an unashamed end of expectation; all the words take hold of this. For he who speaks in praise does not speak of this one or that one.

11 And my strength has grown weak in poverty, and my bones have been shaken. Here, poverty does not mean the deprivation of material goods. Strength here is spoken of in distinction of weakness. The strength which consists according to the soul is from wealth, but the sensory and bodily strength is not necessarily so; there are strong ones possessing nothing, and weak ones being masters of many goods. Just as if someone were to speak also concerning virtue or knowledge: 'Since I have fallen into poverty from virtue and knowledge, my strength, which I ought to have had from the presence of these qualities, has become weak.' 'My bones have been shaken.' Bones are parts of the body that hold the other parts together. While bones exist, nerves, veins, and the others can also be. Therefore, when the strong powers of the soul, called bones, become weak, the whole soul becomes in weakness.

And that he speaks of bones, not those of the body: 'All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like you?' (Ps 35:9); for the bones of the body do not have any concept of God, so that they might be able to say, whether there is anyone like Him or not. For it is necessary first to know God, and then thus to say. If therefore he says, 'All my bones shall say,' he means the powers of the soul which are well-proportioned and hold the other powers of it together, the sensory, the phantasic, the mnemonic. And again: 'My bones have been scattered by the netherworld,' those who confess and repent say. But regarding this netherworld, which is accustomed to be spoken of, the bones of the body cannot be scattered. And even if they were, as some say, under the moon, the bones of the dead do not undergo that. But when the powers of the soul, which through well-proportionedness are called bones, become weak by sin,

They were scattered like scorpions by the song, no longer preserving their own harmony. 'I have become a reproach to all my enemies and greatly to my neighbors' (Psalm 69:8). This psalm was said both before and in the presence of the Savior according to the man: 'I have become a reproach to all my enemies.' It alludes to the cross; for he says in another psalm, which Paul took to be from the presence of the Savior: 'The reproaches of those reproaching you have fallen upon me' (Psalm 41:9). I have received them. Some reproach you, O Father or O God, and these reproaches have fallen upon me. And it is nothing wonderful; often even a learned man, when he sees others mocking the learning, draws the reproaches upon himself. Those sinning are his enemies. This is said: 'For being enemies, we were estranged' (Psalm 51:11). The one sinning is an enemy of God, not God is an enemy of him; for God is an enemy to no one.

'And greatly to my neighbors' (Psalm 69:8). His neighbors are those promising to know his Scripture and calling themselves his partakers. Therefore, 'greatly': for example, let the Gentiles be enemies; for they sin and act impiously. I have become a reproach among all those, as having endured the cross, as having descended into death. 'And greatly to my neighbors.' But when those owing to me and promising to have their own buildings near me do the same things to enemies, the reproach among these has become great.

And a fear to those known to me. Those knowing me, having seen me suffering these things, had either a similar reverence, or had a fear of not suffering the same things. Those seeing me fled away from me. Those seeing me, having seen these things happening concerning me before, were seeing from outside me, not having departed from me, but they fled outside. Everyone fleeing Jesus becomes outside of him, outside of salvation. I was cast out as if dead from the heart. The enemies reproaching me, and the neighbors having done this greatly, cast me out from their hearts. And of the dead, a quick forgetting happens. For those undergoing afflictions say thus: 'From where the dead was placed, it is blotted out,' it says, 'the sorrow is blotted out from the soul.' They hasten...