The Springs of Water and the Foundations of the World
Flowing as a rain of spiritual words, they belong to the air, not the earth; for having detached themselves from earthly things and no longer thinking of them, they are lifted up and exalted by their own virtue and by the active spirit of the air.
The water within them, before having attained clarity and manifestation through Jesus, is said to be a dark thing, being difficult for the many to see. But when God has spoken in the Son at the end of days, the law and the prophets shall be fulfilled: they shall come together before him in a bright shining (that is to say, his illumination), visible clouds and distinct, because of the presence of what was pre-proclaimed by them (Ps 17:13b–15).
Since no apology remains for those sinning, coming out of dark clouds into light through clarity, there immediately follows the bright shining of the clouds with hail and coals of fire. This is signified by the punishments through the pre-proclamations and having attained the manifestation of what was prophesied concerning Christ.
God immediately thunders from heaven, either through the loud voice of the words being fulfilled by Jesus, or by casting the highest words of theology concerning the only-begotten Son into each mind, not only having cried out this: 'This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,' but also the Most High gives a voice to those who discourse highly concerning Christ, who did not reveal his own Son to them in flesh, but the Father in heaven revealed his own Son.
Just as for those prepared in mind for the vision of God and the hearing of the Word, the Lord thunders from heaven and the Most High gives his voice, so that, being lifted up by the thunder coming from heaven, they may fall away from earthly things and fly toward heaven, bearing the image of the heavenly, and may receive the high things of the thoughts being given by the Most High; but to those who are of contrary disposition, the Lord sends arrows sufficient to throw into confusion those who previously were of one mind concerning evil.
But now the arrows say the words pre-proclaiming the punishments; for the threats are sufficient to disturb and agitate the soul, and he shall clarify even the threats spoken in enigmas...
He will light up like lightning, and will throw into confusion those scattered by the aforementioned arrows. For those being scattered cast off their agreement toward evil, having become in turmoil and confusion.
Ps 17:16a When all the aforementioned things have happened, the springs of the waters will be seen. And if someone says that the springs of the waters are those sown among us concerning God and good thoughts, he will say that these will be seen when the ignorance and malice lying upon the soul are withdrawn. For these, having been removed, will not hide the springs of good things in us. But if someone says that every God-breathed scripture, though spiritual, is veiled by ambiguity, he says that the springs will be seen; stand firm! For if we turn now to the Lord, the veil of ignorance and ambiguity will be removed, and the springs of the waters lying within will be seen, so that it is easy to draw from each one, according to Ps 36:9 'Draw water with joy from the springs of salvation.' For this water of gladness is a part of the being of the springs of salvation, which were granted to the discerning one, and now he sees God, according to Ps 34:8 'Bless the Lord in the churches, O Israel, from the springs.'
Ps 17:16bc He acts through the building up of the inhabited world and says, and thinks of certain foundations; he is not speaking of the sins and dispositions of yours when he speaks of the foundations of the inhabited world. For if he scatters the wicked with his arrows and throws them into confusion, by the flashing of his lightning, making the hidden things of men become manifest, by the lighting of God of the secrets of darkness and by making manifest the foundations of the inhabited world, he will uncover the deep things from darkness from the rebuke of the inhabited world by him over all. And if someone says that the foundations of the inhabited world are the divine men, because of the goodness of life and the narrowness of virtue upon which those living according to Christ are built, the uncovering of these foundations too will happen, through the occurrence of a rebuke. For the uncovering and revealing of these foundations will not happen without the punishment of these sinners.
Ps 17:16d God does not delay the punishments for those sinning. For if this were to happen, all would be utterly lost. But by goodness...
Greek
ῥέουσαι πνευματικῶν λόγων ὑετὸν οὐ γῆς ἀλλ' ἀέρος εἰσίν· τοῖς γὰρ ἐπιγείοις ἀποταξάμεναι καὶ μηκέτ' αὐτὰ φρονοῦσαι, μετεωριζόμεναι καὶ ἐπαιρόμεναι ὑπὸ τῆς σφῶν ἀρετῆς καὶ τοῦ ἐνεργοῦντος πνεύματος ἀέρος εἰσίν. τὸ ἐν αὐταῖς ου ν υ δωρ, πρὶν ὑπὸ ̓Ιησοῦ ἐκβάσεως καὶ σαφηνείας τυχεῖν, διὰ τὸ τοῖς πολλοῖς δυσθεώρητον σκοτεινὸν ει ναι λέγεται. ο τ' α ν δὲ λαλήσαντος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ υἱῷ ἐπ' ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν πληρωθῶσιν ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται, ̓Απὸ τῆς τηλαυγήσεως (τουτέστιν ἐπιλάμψεως αὐτοῦ) ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ συνελεύσονται, νεφέλαι φανεραὶ καὶ ἀρίδηλοι 33 γινόμεναι διὰ τὸ παρεῖναι τὸν προαναφωνηθέντα ὑπ' αὐτῶν. 117 Ps 17,13b–15 Σκοτεινῶν νεφελῶν εἰς φῶς διὰ σαφηνείας προελθουσῶν οὐδεμίας ἀπολογίας ὑπολείπεται πρόφασις τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν· διὸ εὐθέως τηλαυγήσει τῶν νεφελῶν ἀκολουθεῖ χάλαζαν καὶ α νθρακας πυρὸς ει ναι. ει δη δὲ κολάσεων διὰ τῶν προσηγοριῶν σημαίνεται καὶ τῶν περὶ Χριστοῦ προφητευομένων ἐκβάσεως τετυχηκότων. ὁ θεὸς εὐθὺς οὐρανόθεν βροντᾷ, η τοι διὰ τῆς μεγαλοφωνίας τῶν πληρουμένων λόγων ὑπὸ ̓Ιησοῦ, η τῷ ἑκάστῃ διανοίᾳ ἐμβάλλειν θεολογίας ὑψολητάτους λόγους τὸν θεὸν περὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ, μόνον οὐχὶ τοῦτο κεκραγώς· Ου τός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητὸς ἐν ῳ ηὐδόκησα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποκαλύπτων τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ φωνὴν δίδωσιν ὁ υ ψιστος τοῖς ὑψηλῶς περὶ Χριστοῦ διαλαβοῦσιν, ο τε οὐχ αι μα καὶ σὰρξ αὐτοῖς ἀπεκάλυψεν ἀλλ' ὁ πατὴρ ὁ οὐράνιος τὸν ι διον υἱόν. ω σπερ δὲ τοῖς παρεσκευασμένοις τὸν νοῦν πρὸς θεοπτίαν καὶ τὴν ἀκοὴν τοῦ ε σω ἀνθρώπου διοίξασιν βροντᾷ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ὁ κύριος καὶ ὁ υ ψιστος τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ δίδωσιν, ι ν' ὑπὸ τῆς οὐρανόθεν ἐρχομένης βροντῆς μετεωρισθέντες ἐκστῶσι μὲν τῶν γηΐνων, προσπελάσωσι δὲ τῷ οὐρανῷ, τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου φέροντες, καὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ τῶν νοημάτων πρὸς τοῦ ὑψίστου διδόμενα λάβωσιν· ου τω τοῖς ἐναντίως διακειμένοις ἐξαποστέλλει βέλη ὁ κύριος ἱκανῶς ε χοντα συνταράξαι τοὺς πρότερον περὶ τὸ κακὸν ὁμονοοῦντας. βέλη δὲ νῦν λέγει τοὺς προαναφωνοῦντας τὰς κολάσεις λόγους· ἱκαναὶ γὰρ αἱ ἀπειλαὶ ἐκταράξαι καὶ θορυβῆσαι τὴν ψυχήν, ο τ' α ν δὲ καὶ τὰς μετ' αἰνιγμάτων λεγομένας ἀπειλὰς σαφηνίσῃ καὶ φωτίσῃ ἀστραπῶν δίκην, τοὺς ὑπὸ τῶν βελῶν τῶν προειρημένων σκορπισθέντας συνταράξει. οἱ γὰρ σκορπιζόμενοι τὴν πρὸς τὸ κακὸν συμφωνίαν ἀποβάλλουσιν ὡς ἐν ταράχῳ καὶ συγχύσει γενόμενοι. 118 Ps 17,16a Τῶν προειρημένων ἁπάντων συμβεβηκότων, ὀφθήσονται αἱ πηγαὶ τῶν ὑδάτων. καὶ εἰ μὲν πηγάς τις λέγοι ὑδάτων τὰς ἐνεσπαρμένας ἡμῖν περὶ θεοῦ καὶ τῶν καλῶν ἐννοίας, ὀφθήσεσθαι ταύτας ἐρεῖ ἀναστελλομένης τῆς ἐπικειμένης τῇ ψυχῇ ἀγνοίας καὶ κακίας. αυ ται γὰρ περιαιρεθεῖσαι οὐκ ε τι κρύψουσιν τὰς ἐν ἡμῖν πηγὰς τῶν ἀγαθῶν. εἰ δὲ καὶ πᾶσαν θεόπνευστον γραφὴν πνευματικὴν ὑπὸ ἀσαφείας κεκαλυμμένην πηγὰς ἐρεῖ ὀφθησομένας, ἐπίστησον· ο τ' α ν ου ν ἐπιστρεψάντων ἡμῶν πρὸς κύριον περιαιρεθῇ τὸ τῆς ἀγνοίας καὶ ἀσαφείας κάλυμμα, ὀφθήσονται αἱ ἐγκείμεναι τῶν ὑδάτων πηγαὶ ὡς εὐκόλως ἀφ' ἑκάστης ἀρύεσθαι κατὰ τὸ ̓Αντλήσατε υ δωρ μετ' εὐφροσύνης ἐκ τῶν πηγῶν τοῦ σωτηρίου. τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ υ δωρ εὐφρασίας ἐστὶν παρεκτικὸν οὐσῶν σωτηρίου πηγῶν, αι ἀπενεμήθησαν τῷ διορατικῷ καὶ νῦν ὁρᾶν τὸν θεὸν ε χοντι γένει κατὰ τὸ ̓Εν ἐκκλησίαις εὐλογεῖτε τὸν θεόν, κύριον ἐκ πηγῶν, ̓Ισραήλ. 119 Ps 17,16bc Τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐποικοδομήσης δι' ω ν πράττει καὶ λέγει καὶ νοεῖ θεμελίοις τισὶν προκαταβεβλημένοις, οὐκ α ν ἁμάρτοις τὰς ε ξεις καὶ διαθέσεις θεμέλια λέγων τῆς οἰκουμένης· ο τ' α ν διασκορπίσῃ τοὺς φαύλους τοῖς βέλεσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ συνταράξῃ ἐκλάμψει τῶν ἀστραπῶν αὐτοῦ, τῶν κρυπτῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων φανερῶν γινομένων, φωτίζοντος τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότους καὶ φανεροῦντος τὰ θεμέλια τῆς οἰκουμένης, ἀνακαλύψει βαθέα ἐκ σκότους ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιτιμήσεως τῆς οἰκουμένης ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κατὰ πάντων. εἰ δὲ καὶ θεμέλια οἰκουμένης λέγει τις τοὺς θείους α νδρας διὰ τὸ ευ τονον τοῦ βίου καὶ τὴν στερρότητα τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐφ' οι ς ἐποικοδομοῦνται οἱ κατὰ Χριστὸν πολιτευόμενοι, ἀνακαλύπτεσθαι καὶ τούτους τοὺς θεμελίους συμβήσεται, ἐπιτιμήσεως γινομένης κατὰ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων. τῆς γὰρ κολάσεως τούτων μὴ ἁπτομένης τῶν θεμελίων φανέρωσις καὶ ἀνακάλυψις αὐτῶν ε σται. 120 Ps 17,16δ Οὐ παραυτὰ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν θεὸς ἐπαφεῖ τὰς τιμωρίας. εἰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐγίνετο, τὸ πᾶν α ρδην ἀπώλλυτο. ἀλλ' ἀγαθότητι
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.