Circumcision and Divine Discipline
It is not short-lived nor temporary; rather, they will rejoice forever, because God dwells in them. For how could they not always rejoice when God is present, tabernacling as if in his own temple? For how could those who have God in themselves, dwelling and walking about, be near to joy, when the distance from God, caused by sin capturing them, is near to wails and lamentations?
The preceding words shall be said concerning the arrival of the Savior, the joy of all those waiting for his human appearance (Ps 5:12ab); for the prophets and those who understand the prophecies hoped for this. For the Word of God arrived having become flesh to dwell in those believing in him; for he says, 'The Word became flesh and dwelt among us' (John 1:14). Thus, having dwelt, those who received him in themselves will rejoice forever; for they see the glory of the Word having tabernacled among them through the flesh, as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth; those of this time, rejoicing forever, having seen by work the glory of the one as the only-begotten from the Father, say: 'Even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, but now we no longer know him, having the vision of his glory as the only-begotten from the Father' (2 Cor 5:16).
The cross is both a weapon and a crown; a weapon for those warring, a crown for those conquering. And again: a weapon for the soldiers, a crown for those reigning.
But he is contained in hymns having a more divine thought, and he himself is such; and he also sees toward the end the most perfect things regarding the eighth. It must be considered what the spiritual circumcision is, which one having God is circumcised, not necessarily one being circumcised according to the flesh. For the prophet says to those striving only according to the flesh: 'Be circumcised to your God, and do not circumcise the flesh of your uncircumcision' (Rom 2:29); and the same prophet says: 'All Gentiles are uncircumcised in the flesh, but the house of Israel are uncircumcised in their hearts' (Rom 2:25). Therefore, he who is sensibly circumcised removes something of that which serves the generation of the member, just as he who casting out every thought friendly to the generation of the intellect circumcises the heart. This circumcision they have, the truly believing...
Those devoted to the things of the Lord, so as to please Him. For circumcision is established on the eighth day; for the circumcised must overcome the world that was created in six days, and this is to become on the seventh day a true, holy, and sweet Sabbath. And since the ceasing from worldly things is not sufficient for perfect blessedness, it is necessary to receive, after the Sabbath, a super-cosmic state as the eighth. He who has been tempted by this desire will not love the world nor the things in it. Toward this spiritual understanding he leads us, and the mixture with the command of the sensible circumcision does not save the Logos if it remains merely in bare histories: 'Every male shall be circumcised on the eighth day' (Exodus 12:48), he says. Regarding the transgression of what was commanded, a threat of destruction is set against the child not circumcised on the eighth day, but not against the parents or the one raising the child otherwise; for the threat seemed to be reasonable, if it were brought upon one of these, not saving the follower of the eight-day child from doing it, and especially the intention to keep the commandment of God.
He is reproved in anger, and his sins are not made manifest (Ps 6:2); being led by Him according to a bitter and painful guidance, just as one who has fallen under the wraths of God, receiving the sensation of the cause of the evil having happened, is being disciplined in anger for suffering these things. By this thought is said, regarding the wrath led toward the senses: 'I will endure the wrath of the Lord until I do wrong to Him,' so as not to justify my judgment and to turn away my judgment and to drive me into the light. For if one, having been led into such a state, knows that the wrath has been brought upon him from God by a way of healing, he will not at all be unwilling to be subject to it, so that the judgment might be justified on account of Him who judges not thus. For not he who, having endured the wrath according to the purpose of the one who led him, will be driven into the light by God, having turned away the judgment from Him. If, therefore, of those being reproved and being disciplined, some are so through anger and wrath, and others through logical teaching, these things are to be completed, and through toil they come to reproof and discipline. For the recognition of these things is not altogether voluntary, much the...
Greek
οὐκ ὀλιγοχρόνιος οὐδὲ πρόσκαιρος· ο θεν Εἰς αἰῶνα ἀγαλλιάσονται, σοῦ κατασκηνοῦντος ἐν αὐτοῖς. πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἀεὶ ἀγαλλίασιν ε ξει ῳ θεὸς πάρεστιν κατασκηνῶν ὡς ἐν ἰδίῳ ναῷ; ὡς γὰρ τὸ μακρύνεσθαι θεοῦ, αἰχμαλωτιζούσης τῆς ἁμαρτίας, θρήνων καὶ ὀλοφυρμῶν ἐπάξιον, ου τως οἰκεῖον ἀγαλλιᾶν τοῖς θεὸν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ε χουσιν ἐνοικοῦντα καὶ ἐμπεριπατοῦντα. 30 Ps 5,12ab 30 ̔Ρηθείη τὰ προκείμενα καὶ περὶ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐπιδημίας, εὐφρανθέντων πάντων τῶν καραδοκούντων αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν· ἠλπίζετο γὰρ αυ τη τοῖς προφήταις καὶ τοῖς νοοῦσι τὰς προφητείας. ἐπεδήμησεν γὰρ ὁ θεὸς λόγος σὰρξ γεγονὼς προσλήψει σαρκός, ι να σκηνώσῃ ἐν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν αὐτῷ· ̔Ο λόγος γάρ φησιν σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν. ου τω σκηνώσαντος αὐτοῦ Εἰς αἰῶνα ἀγαλλιάσονται οἱ ὑποδεξάμενοι αὐτὸν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς· ο ψονται γὰρ τοῦ σκηνώσαντος ἐν αὐτοῖς διὰ σαρκὸς λόγου τὴν ∆όξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας, οἱ τοῦ χρόνου τούτου εἰς αἰῶνα ἀγαλλιώμενοι ε ργῳ θεασάμενοι τὴν ὡς μονογενοῦς πατρὸς δόξαν, οι φασιν· Εἰ καὶ ἐγνώκαμεν κατὰ σάρκα Χριστόν, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι γινώσκομεν, ε χοντες θεωρίαν τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ καθ' η ν μονογενὴς παρὰ πατρός ἐστιν. Ps 5,13b Οπλον καὶ στέφανος ὁ σταυρός· ο πλον διὰ τοὺς πολεμοῦντας, στέφανος διὰ τοὺς νικῶντας. καὶ πάλιν· ο πλον διὰ τοὺς στρατιῶτας, στέφανος διὰ τοὺς βασιλεύοντας. 31 Ps 6,1 Θειοτέραν δὲ νόησιν ε χων ἐν υ μνοις ἐμπεριέχεται καὶ αὐτὸς τοιοῦτος· ᾳ δεται δὲ καὶ ου τος Εἰς τὸ τέλος τῷ τελεώτατα ει ναι τὰ περὶ τῆς ὀγδοῆς θεωρήματα. θεωρητέον δὲ τίς ἡ πνευματικὴ περιτομὴ η ν ὁ ε χων θεῷ περιτέμνεται, τοῦ κατὰ σάρκα περιτεμνομένου οὐ πάντως τοῦτο ε χοντος. φησὶ γοῦν ὁ προφήτης πρὸς τοὺς σπουδάζοντας περὶ τὴν κατὰ σάρκα μόνον Περιτμήθητε τῷ θεῷ ὑμῶν καὶ μὴ περιτέμνεσθε τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας ὑμῶν· καὶ ε τι ὁ αὐτὸς προφήτης· Πάντα τὰ ε θνη ἀπερίτμητα σαρκί, ὁ δὲ οικος ̓Ισραὴλ ἀπερίτμητοι καρδίας αὐτῶν. 6 ω σπερ τοίνυν ὁ αἰσθητῶς περιτεμνόμενος περιαιρεῖ τι τοῦ ὑπηρετοῦντος γενέσει μέλους, ου τως ὁ πάντα λογισμὸν φίλον γενέσει τῆς νοήσεως ἐκβαλὼν τὴν καρδίαν περιτέτμηται. ταύτην τὴν περιτομὴν ε χουσιν οἱ γνησίως ἀγαμίαν προτεθειμένοι μεριμνῶντες τὰ τοῦ κυρίου, ι να αὐτῷ ἀρέσωσιν. Αυ τη ἡ περιτομὴ ὀγδόῃ ἡμέρᾳ κατορθοῦται· ὑπερβῆναι γὰρ δεῖ τῷ περιτεμνομένῳ τὸν ἐν ε ξ ἡμέραις κόσμον γεγενημένον, καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ἐν ἑβδόμῃ ἡμέρᾳ γενέσθαι ου σῃ ἀληθινῷ σαββάτῳ ἁγίῳ καὶ τρυφερῷ. καὶ ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐπαρκεῖ πρὸς τελείαν μακαριότητα τὸ ἀργῆσαι τῶν κοσμικῶς γινομένων, δεῖ προσλαβεῖν τὴν μετὰ τὴν ἐν τῷ σαββάτῳ διαγωγὴν ὑπερκόσμιον κατάστασιν ου σαν ὀγδόην. ὁ πειραθῆναι ταύτης ε χων πόθον οὐκ ἀγαπήσει τὸν κόσμον οὐδὲ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ. Εἰς ταύτην τὴν πνευματικὴν νόησιν χειραγωγεῖ ἡμᾶς καὶ τὸ καταμιχθὲν τῇ προστάξει τῆς αἰσθητῆς περιτομῆς οὐ σῷζον τὸ ευ λογον ἐπὶ ἱστορίας ψιλῆς μενόντων· Πᾶν, φησίν, α ρσεν τῇ ὀγδόῃ ἡμέρᾳ περιτμηθήσεται. ἐπὶ παραβάσει τῶν ου τω προσταχθέντων ὁρίζεται ἀπειλὴ ἐξολοθρεύσεως κατὰ τοῦ μὴ περιτμηθέντος τῇ ὀγδόῃ ἡμέρᾳ παιδίου ἀλλ' οὐ κατὰ τῶν γονέων η τοῦ ἑτέρως ἀνατρέφοντος τὸ παιδίον· ἐδόκει γὰρ ευ λογος ει ναι ἡ ἀπειλή, εἰ κατά τινος τούτων ἐφέρετο, οὐκ ε τι σῴζουσα τὸ ἀκόλουθον ἐπὶ ὀκταημέρου παιδίου ου πω τέως ε χοντος τὸ πράττειν καὶ μάλιστα προθέσει τοῦ τηρεῖν ἐντολὴν θεοῦ. 32 Ps 6,2 ̓Ελέγχεται θυμῷ, ου τὰ ἁμαρτήματα φανεροῦται, ἐπαχθείσης αὐτῷ κατὰ ἀνταπόδοσιν πικρᾶς καὶ ἐπιπόνου ἀγωγῆς, ὡς αυ ὁ ὑποπεσὼν τοῖς ὀργῇ θεοῦ ἐπαγομένοις συναίσθησιν λαμβάνων τῆς αἰτίας γενομένης κακίας τοῦ ταῦτα παθεῖν ἐν ὀργῇ παιδεύεται. ταύτῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ ει ρηται πρὸς τοῦ εἰς αι σθησιν ἀχθέντος ̓Οργὴν κυρίου ὑποίσω ο τι η μαρτον αὐτῷ, ε ως ου δικαιῶσαι τὴν κρίσιν μου καὶ ἀποίσει τὸ κρίμα μου καὶ ἐξάξει με εἰς τὸ φῶς. ο τ' α ν γὰρ εἰς κατάστασιν ἀχθεὶς τοιαύτην γνῷ θεραπείας τρόπῳ ἐπῆχθαι αὐτῷ θεόθεν τὴν ὀργὴν, οὐκ ἀπαρέσκεται τέως ὑποκεῖσθαι αὐτῇ, ε ως δικαιωθῇ ἡ κρίσις τοῦ βοηθείας χάριν κρίναντος ου τως. οι δεν γὰρ ο τι ἀνυσάσης τῆς ὀργῆς κατὰ τὴν πρόθεσιν τοῦ ἐπαγαγόντος ἐξαχθήσεται εἰς τὸ φῶς ὑπὸ θεοῦ, ἀποισθέντος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ κρίματος. Εἰ τοίνυν τῶν ἐλεγχομένων καὶ παιδευομένων οἱ μὲν διὰ θυμοῦ καὶ ὀργῆς, οἱ δὲ λογικῇ διδασκαλίᾳ ὑφίστανται, ταῦτα περαιτητέα τὰ μετὰ πόνου εἰς ε λεγχον καὶ παίδευσιν α γονται. οὐ γὰρ ε τι πάντῃ ἑκούσιον ἡ ἐπὶ τούτοις μετάγνωσις, πολὺ τὸ
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.