Fragments on the Psalms · §35

Symbolic Interpretation of Psalm 17

Because he alone is as the Father God. For all the others are made gods by the presence of the Word of God. For those are gods by participation, toward whom the Word of God came. But the Savior, not possessing divinity, is God, a maker of gods.

In Psalm 17:32b (Εἰπὼν μηδένα θεὸν κυρίως ειναι πλὴν τοῦ κυρίου), having said that no god exists in the strict sense except the Lord, he says that no god exists in any way like our God. For none of those who are gods by participation can be like the Lord Jesus Christ, or like our God as the one of the only-begotten Father; for to us is God the Father and is Lord Jesus the Christ. And if even the two verses can be said to be parallel, he himself will understand.

In Psalm 17:33–34 (Ἐνταῦθα Περιζωννύων με δύναμιν λέγεται), 'He girded me with strength' is said. But according to Paul, the truth is that those having put on the armor of God are girded, from which it is gathered that the Christ is the power of God; for the Savior says, 'I am the truth' (Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια), but Paul says, 'Christ the power of God' (Χριστὸς θεοῦ δύναμις). And he set my way blameless, that is, he demonstrated. For to demonstrate now means to have demonstrated, just as it is said 'He has appointed him heir of all things' (Ον εθεκεν κληρονόμον πάντων). It is also good from this verse to proclaim the whole psalm from the person of Christ.

He who says these things, having refuted the serpent-like evils and the evil powers that worked them, has the feet of his own man prepared by God (that is, the walking powers), so that he may be able to say, 'I have run without lawlessness and have directed my course' (Ἀνευ ἀνομίας ἐδραμον καὶ κατηύθυνα); and having fulfilled the course, he will be heard in the high places by God: 'You yourself also stand with me' (Σὺ δὲ αὐτὸς στῆθι μετ' ἐμοῦ). And to stand in the high places is not something one has from himself, but from God.

In Psalm 17:35a (Ωσπερ τὰ ἄλλα καλά), just as other good things, so also we are taught by God to fight against the opposing powers. For he strikes the hands of the soul (I mean the active powers of it), and teaches how to skillfully hold the mental shield and the sword of the spirit and other spiritual defenses, and how one must use such things. For even the Savior, having become man, having fought on our behalf, taught us to overcome and to fight against the opposing power; and he says that stretching out his hands in prayer: 'I am surrounded by the difficulties...'

Remaining. 139 Symbolically, he set a bow called bronze upon the arms (Ps 17:35b); for because of the bronze, it represents the unpierceable or the strong, and because of the bow, the ability to release arrows from our own arms to wound those set against us.

140 Besides these, you have given to me a shield of salvation, having sent your Son to fight for me with his own shield (Ps 17:36). But also your discipline, he says, has perfected me to the end—that is, the disciplinary teaching and the strenuous training. He has brought me to the end, that is, unto a perfect resurrection and standing. For discipline signifies the disciplinary aspect, as in 'Take my discipline, do not let go' (Prov 3:11), but also the strenuous aspect through 'Do not despise the discipline of the Lord' (Prov 3:11). And thus, in both ways, your discipline has become a teacher of good things to me.

141 Having been aided by ten thousand through God, confidence arose to pursue the enemies; and the end of the pursuit is their falling to the end (Ps 17:38). For neither toil nor fear caused me to stumble.

142 Sparing those who were envenoming, he crushes them, so that they might become unshakeable and immovable in the enmity (Ps 17:39a). For, not intending to destroy them, he surrounds them with tribulation, so that, having perceived they are evil, they might cease from the intention of hatred.

143 The falling of the enemies under the feet of the holy one signifies nothing other than the submission of the various kinds (Ps 17:39b). For as it is trivial to stand in the hand of the law, the beginning of salvation is to fall from it. For one falling from it does not oppose it, but lies down and submits.

144 You caused all those rising up against me to stumble, not permitting them to advance in the face of evil (Ps 17:40b.41). For, being hindered from the impulse toward evil, they will fall down beneath me, regarding me as nothing other than their ruler and head, so that, instead of hating, they might become friends; for such are they whom you have destroyed; for you do not destroy their essence, but only that which has happened to them. For it is very fitting for the goodness of God to make the evil vanish, but not the essence of that which has happened to them.

145 For he says to some: 'And if you multiply the prayer, I will not listen to you' (Ps 17:42), because of your hands—that is, your deeds—which are murderous.

Greek

διὰ τὸ μόνος ει ναι ὡς ὁ πατὴρ θεός. πάντες γὰρ οἱ α λλοι παρουσίᾳ θεοῦ λόγου θεοὶ κατασκευάζονται. ἐκείνους γὰρ θεοὺς ει πεν, πρὸς ου ς ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐγένετο. ὁ δέ γε σωτὴρ οὐ μετέχων θεότητος θεός ἐστιν, ποιητικὸς ω ν θεῶν. 136 Ps 17,32b Εἰπὼν μηδένα θεὸν κυρίως ει ναι πλὴν τοῦ κυρίου λέγει μηδὲ θεὸν ει ναί τινα ὡς τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν. οὐδεὶς γὰρ τῶν κατὰ μετοχὴν θεῶν ὡς ὁ κύριος ̓Ιησοῦς Χριστὸς ει ναι δύναται η ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ὡς ὁ τοῦ μονογενοῦς πατήρ· ̔Ημῖν γὰρ ει ς θεὸς ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ει ς κύριος ̓Ιησοῦς ὁ Χριστός. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐκ παραλλήλου οἱ δύο στίχοι εἰρῆσθαι δύνανται, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιστήσεις. 137 Ps 17,33–34 ̓Ενταῦθα Περιζωννύων με δύναμιν λέγεται. παρὰ δὲ Παύλῳ τὴν ἀλήθειαν περιζώννυνται οἱ τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνδυσάμενοι, ἐξ ου συνάγεται τὴν ἀλήθειαν ει ναι τὸν Χριστὸν τὴν θεοῦ δύναμιν· φησὶν γὰρ ὁ σωτήρ· ̓Εγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια· ὁ δὲ Παῦλος· Χριστὸς θεοῦ δύναμις. Καὶ ε θετο α μωμον τὴν ὁδόν μου, τουτέστιν ἀπέδειξεν. τὸ γὰρ θεῖναι νῦν τὸ ἀποδεῖξαι σημαίνει, ω σπερ καὶ τὸ Ον ε θηκεν κληρονόμον πάντων. Καλῶς δ' ε χει καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου τοῦ στίχου ἐκ προσώπου Χριστοῦ τὸν ο λον ψαλμὸν ἀπηγγέλθαι. ὁ ταῦτα δὲ λέγων, ἀναιρήσας τὰς ὀφιώδεις κακίας καὶ τὰς ἐνεργησάσας αὐτὰς πονηρὰς δυνάμεις, ὑπὸ θεοῦ τοὺς τοῦ ε σω ἀνθρώπου πόδας (τουτέστιν τὰς πορευτικὰς δυνάμεις) κατηρτισμένους ε χει, ι να δυνηθῇ εἰπεῖν Ανευ ἀνομίας ε δραμον καὶ κατηύθυνα· καὶ πληρώσας τὴν πορείαν ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς ἀκούσεται πρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ Σὺ δὲ αὐτὸς στῆθι μετ' ἐμοῦ. καὶ τὸ ἑστάναι δ' ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς οὐκ ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ τις ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ε χει. 138 Ps 17,35a Ωσπερ τὰ α λλα καλά, ου τω καὶ τὸ πολεμεῖν πρὸς τὰς ἀντικειμένας δυνάμεις πρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ διδασκόμεθα. τὰς γὰρ χεῖρας τῆς ψυχῆς (λέγω δὴ τὰς δραστηρίους αὐτῆς δυνάμεις) τυποῖ, ω στ' ἐπιστημονικῶς κατέχειν τὴν νοητὴν ἀσπίδα καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος καὶ α λλα ο σα πνευματικὰ ἀμυντήρια καὶ τὸ πῶς χρῆσθαι δεῖ τοῖς τοιούτοις παιδεύων. ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ὁ σωτήρ, α νθρωπος γενόμενος, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πολεμήσας ἐδίδαξεν ἡμᾶς καταπαλαίειν καὶ καταπολεμεῖν τὴν ἀντικειμένην δύναμιν· καὶ εἰς εὐχὴν δέ φησιν τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτείνων· Περιγίνομαι τῶν δυσμενῶν. 139 Ps 17,35b Συμβολικῶς βραχίονας ὀνομαζομένας χαλκοῦν ε θετο τόξον, διὰ μὲν τοῦ χαλκοῦ τὸ α τρωτον η ευ τονον παριστάς, διὰ δὲ τοῦ τόξου τὸ ἀπολύεσθαι βέλη ἀπὸ τῶν βραχιόνων τῶν ἡμετέρων τρῶσαι δυνάμενα τοὺς ἀντιτεταγμένους. 140 Ps 17,36 Πρὸς τούτοις α πασιν καὶ ὑπερασπισμὸν σωτηρίας μοι δέδωκας, τὸν σὸν υἱὸν καταπέμψας τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἀσπίδι ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ μαχησόμενον. ̓Αλλὰ καὶ ἡ παιδεία σου, φησίν, ἀνώρθωσέν με εἰς τέλος, η τοι ἡ παιδευτικὴ διδασκαλία καὶ ἡ ἐπίπονος ἀγωγή. Εἰς τέλος δέ, τουτέστιν εἰς τελείαν ἀνάστασιν καὶ στάσιν με η γαγεν. ἡ γὰρ παιδεία σημαίνει τὴν παιδευτικὴν ὡς ἐν τῷ ̓Επιλαβοῦ ἐμῆς παιδείας, μὴ ἀφῇς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἐπίπονον διὰ τοῦ Μὴ ὀλιγώρει παιδείας κυρίου. αυ τη δὲ ἡ ἑκατέρως παιδεία σου διδάσκαλος τῶν καλῶν μοι γεγένηται. 141 Ps 17,38 ∆ιὰ μυρίων συνεργηθεὶς ὑπὸ θεοῦ θάρσος ἀνέλαβεν καταδιῶξαι τοὺς ἐχθρούς· τῆς δὲ καταδιώξεως τέλος ἡ ἐκείνων εἰς τέλος ε κλειψις. οὐ γὰρ κόπος ου τε φόβος μοι ἐνεπόδισεν. 142 Ps 17,39a Φειδόμενος τῶν 38 ἐχθραινόντων ἐκθλίβει αὐτούς, ο πως μὴ βέβαιοι καὶ ἀμετακίνητοι ἐν τῇ ε χθρᾳ γένωνται. οὐ γὰρ ἀπολέσαι αὐτοὺς προελόμενος θλίψει περιβαλεῖ, ἀλλ' ι ν' αἰσθηθέντες οι κακῶν εἰσιν παύσωνται τῆς φιλέχθρου προαιρέσεως. 143 Ps 17,39b Τὸ πεσεῖν τοῦς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ ἁγίου οὐκ α λλο τι σημαίνει η ὑποταγὴν τῶν διαφόρων. ὡς γὰρ φαῦλον τὸ ἑστάναι ἐν τῇ χειρίστῃ ε ξει, ἀρχὴ σωτηρίας τὸ πεσεῖν ἀπ' αὐτῆς. πεσὼν γάρ τις ἀπ' αὐτῆς οὐκ ε τι ἀντιτείνει, ἀλλ' ει κει καὶ ὑποτάσσεται. 144 Ps 17,40b.41 Πάντας τοὺς ἐπανισταμένους ἐπ' ἐμὲ συνεπόδισας, οὐκ ἐπιτρέπων αὐτοῖς ε μπροσθεν τῆς κακίας ἐλαύνειν. κωλυθέντες γὰρ τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ κακὸν ὁρμῆς ὑποκάτω μου γενήσονται, οὐκ ε τι διάφορόν με λογιζόμενοι ἀλλ' α ρχοντα καὶ κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν, ι ν' ἀντὶ μισούντων φιλοῦντες γένωνται· ῃ γὰρ τοιοῦτοί εἰσιν, ἐξωλότρευσας· οὐ γὰρ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτῶν ἀλλὰ τὸ συμβὰν αὐτοῖς ἐξολοτρεύει. πάνυ γὰρ ἁρμόζει τῇ ἀγαθότητι τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ κακὸν ἀφανίζειν ἀλλ' οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν ῃ συμβέβηκεν τοῦτο. 145 Ps 17,42 Φησὶν γὰρ πρός τινας· Καὶ ἐὰν πληθύνητε τὴν δέησιν, οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι ὑμῶν, τῷ τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν, τουτέστι τὰς πράξεις, φονικὰς

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