Divine Mercy and the Two Ways
Enduring you. Perhaps these things suit the saints before the arrival. They await him and endure his coming descent. For when he has come, the laughter of the enemies will reach its end, those who mocked against those hoping in God.
the way through emptiness, the vain and empty, signifies this (Ps 24:3b). Such is that in Proverbs 14:12: 'The way of all those who work iniquity, bringing shame to those who sin in vain'; for they do not perform the things of iniquity toward any perfection like the guardians of the law. The paths of the Lord, his commandments one must speak (Ps 24:4-5). But he also says that one must teach them as paths worn by foot-traffic, so that having trodden the tracks, I may make my course unerring. And since the practical life alone is not sufficient for perfect salvation, so that with this I might also perfect the contemplative life, 'Guide me pedagogically upon your truth.' And furthermore, according to the place, it will be said: of the law and the prophets, encountering the paths of the Lord, no one else will make them known to the one desiring to be tested by them, who is the Lord himself. For having made known to his paths and having taught the foot-traffic, through having spoken to the fathers in the prophets, 'Guide me upon the one who said: I am the truth' (John 14:6), having spoken in the Son at the end of days. And indeed you, O God, are my savior; for through whom you taught me, you will provide salvation to me.
As the proper energy of light is to illuminate and of knowledge is to know (Ps 24:6), so it is the proper energy of God to have mercy and to show mercy, and 'God and Father of mercies' is said. The saint does not wish to say it is such a thing; being a Father who is a source and beginning of them, he says 'Remember these, your offspring.' For even if you were angry for a little while with those who sinned, but the anger is not according to your nature, but having endured usefully in order to stop iniquity, let him cease, taking memory of your mercies which are according to your nature. And we also have become accustomed, being indignant at our own, and to speak to weak men, 'Remember your goodness and imitate yourself, reconciling with those under indignation.' Just as the mercies will stand in reconciliation with God, so also the mercies...
His mercy according to nature, being present to him, are from the age, therefore they remain unto the age according to 'His mercy is unto the age' (Ps 24:7ab). And to whom does God say, 'With eternal mercy I have had mercy on you'? No one confesses upon those present and actively committing sins, but upon those having ceased and those no longer being sinners. This indeed he says even now, asserting, 'Do not remember the sins of my youth and my ignorance.' For those having sinned and acted ignorantly in youth are no longer actively committing them to the one having passed through youth. Perhaps the term 'youth' does not signify age here, but the unstable and uncertain state of that period. For anyone who is in such a condition, he is ignorant and sins, as the Scripture says, 'That I might give cunning to the guileless,' whereas a young child is given perception and understanding. Having deemed it worthy that he should not remember the sins and ignorances of his youth, he immediately brought forward: 'According to your mercy, remember me' (Ps 24:7c). For according to mercy, God remembers; he does not recall the faults. By nature, being merciful and God being good, he possesses kindness by nature; he remembers the one repenting with mercy (Ps 24:8). And he is straight because he is not disposed toward sin, and because he requires the sinners to be straight; therefore, he will legislate for those sinning in the way (Ps 24:8). For he subjects those actively committing evil to law, so that, having been prevented from sinning, they might walk the way of salvation (Ps 24:9).
The God who legislates will guide those having gentleness and stability in judgment—that is, having been examined and scrutinized (Ps 24:9). For having learned the two ways before the face of man, the way of life and the way of death, and having turned away from the way of death and walking the way of life, he walks in judgment, being led by the Lord, because of the calmness and stability of the mind; for the gentle possess tranquility of thoughts. The Lord himself, after having led the gentle in judgment, will teach them and his own ways, which are the ways leading toward him; for he himself travels them; for one traveling behind the Lord learns his ways (Ps 24:10). All the ways leading toward the Lord, he himself walks in the manner having been said (Ps 24:10).
Greek
ὑπομένοντάς σε. Τάχα δὲ ἁρμόζει ταῦτα τοῖς πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας ἁγίοις. προσδοκῶσιν αὐτὸν καὶ ὑπομένουσιν τὴν δεῦρο κάθοδον αὐτοῦ. ἐληλυθότος γὰρ αὐτοῦ, τέλος ι σχει ὁ γέλως τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ο ν ἐκάγχαζον κατὰ τῶν ἐπὶ θεὸν ἐλπιζόντων. 217 Ps 24,3b Τὸ ∆ιὰ κενῆς τὸ μάταιον καὶ κενὸν σημαίνει. τοιοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ἐν Παροιμίαις Αυ τη ἡ ὁδὸς πάντων τῶν συντελούντων τὰ α νομα, αἰσχύνην φέρουσα τοῖς διὰ κενῆς ἀνομοῦσιν· οὐ γὰρ ἐπί τινι τέλει χρηστῷ ὡς οἱ φύλακες τοῦ νόμου τὰ τῆς ἀνομίας ἐπιτελοῦσιν. 218 Ps 24,4.5 ̔Οδοὺς κυρίου ῥητέον τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ. ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὰς Τὰς ἐπὶ ταῖς ὁδοῖς τρίβους δίδαξόν μέ φησιν, ι να τὰ ι χνη α ε τριψαν οἱ προοδεύσαντες ε χων ἀπλανῆ τι ποιήσωμαι τὴν πορείαν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ μὴ ἀπαρκεῖ πρὸς τελείαν σωτηρίαν μόνος ὁ πρακτικὸς βίος, ι να σὺν τούτῳ καὶ τὸν θεωρητικὸν κατορθώσω, ̔Οδήγησόν με παιδευτικῶς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου. Καὶ α λλως δὲ κατὰ τὸν τόπον λεχθήσεται· τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν ὁδῶν κυρίου τυγχανουσῶν, οὐκ α λλος αὐτὰς γνωρίσαι τῷ ποθοῦντι πειραθῆναι αὐτῶν οι ός τε η ὁ κύριος. αὐτὸς γὰρ γνωρίσας ἡμῖν τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς τρίβους διδάξας, διὰ τοῦ λελαληκέναι τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις, ̔Οδήγησόν με ἐπὶ τὸν εἰπόντα· ̓Εγώ 56 εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια, ἐπ' ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν λαλήσας ἐν υἱῷ. καὶ γὰρ σύ, ω θεέ, σωτήρ μου τυγχάνεις· δι' ω ν γὰρ ἐδίδαξάς με, σωτηρίαν μοι παρέσχου. 219 Ps 24,6 ̔Ως ἰδία ἐνέργεια τοῦ φωτὸς τὸ φωτίζειν καὶ τῆς ἐπιστήμης εἰς τὸ γινώσκειν α γειν, ου τω τοῦ θεοῦ οἰκεία ἐνέργεια τὸ οἰκτείρειν καὶ ἐλεεῖν ο θεν καὶ Πατὴρ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν ει ρηται. ο ου ν βούλεται λέγειν ὁ α γιος τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· οἰκτίρμων τυγχάνων πατὴρ τῷ πηγὴ καὶ ἀρχὴ αὐτῶν ει ναι Μνήσθητι τούτων τῶν σῶν γενημάτων. εἰ γὰρ καὶ πρὸς ὀλίγον ὠργίσθῃς τοῖς ἡμαρτηκόσιν, ἀλλ' ἡ ὀργὴ οὐ κατὰ φύσιν σου ου σα ἀλλὰ χρησίμως ὑποστᾶσα ἐπὶ τῷ ἀναιρῆσαι κακίαν παυσάσθω, μνήμην σου λαμβάνοντος τῶν κατὰ φύσιν σου οἰκτιρμῶν. εἰώθαμεν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀγανακτοῦντες τοῖς ἡμετέροις, καὶ ι λεω ἀνθρώποις λέγειν Μνήσθητι τῆς ἀγαθότητός σου καὶ μίμησαι σεαυτὸν καταλλασσόμενος τοῖς ὑπὸ τὴν ἀγανάκτησιν. Ωσπερ ου ν οἱ οἰκτιρμοὶ καταλλήλως τῷ θεῷ πρόσεισιν, ου τω καὶ τὰ ἐλέη αὐτοῦ κατὰ φύσιν αὐτῷ παρόντα ̓Απὸ τοῦ αἰῶνός εἰσιν, ο θεν καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μένουσιν κατὰ τὸ Οτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ε λεος αὐτοῦ· καὶ πρός τινα δέ φησιν ὁ θεὸς ̓Ελέῳ αἰωνίῳ ἠλέησά σε. 220 Ps 24,7ab Οὐδεὶς μετανοῶν ἐπὶ παροῦσιν καὶ ε τι ἐνεργουμένοις ἁμαρτήμασιν ἐξομολογεῖται ἀλλ' ἐπὶ παυσαμένοις καὶ οὐκ ε τ' ου σιν. τοῦτο γοῦν λέγει καὶ νῦν, φάσκων ̔Αμαρτίας νεότητός μου καὶ ἀγνοίας μου μὴ μνησθῇς. τὰ γὰρ ἐν νεότητι ἡμαρτημένα καὶ ἠγνοημένα οὐκ ε τ' ἐνεργεῖται τῷ τὴν νεότητα διαβεβηκότι. τάχα δὲ τὸ τῆς νεότητος ο νομα οὐχ ἡλικίαν ἐνταῦθα δηλοῖ ἀλλὰ τὸ α στατον καὶ ἀβέβαιον τοῦ η θους. ο σον γάρ τις ἐν τοιαύτῃ καταστάσει ἐστίν, ἀγνοεῖ καὶ ἁμαρτάνει, ε ως ὁ θεὸς αι σθησιν καὶ ε ννοιαν δῷ ῃ φησὶν ἡ γραφὴ Ινα δῷ ἀκάκοις πανουργίαν, παιδὶ δὲ νέῳ αι σθησίν τε καὶ ε ννοιαν. ̓Αξιώσας ου ν ο πως μὴ μνησθῇ τῶν τῆς νεότητος αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ ἀγνοιῶν, ἐπήγαγεν εὐθὺς τὸ Κατὰ τὸ ε λεός σου μνήσθητί μου. κατὰ ἐλεημοσύνην γὰρ μιμνήσκεται ὁ θεὸς ου τῶν πταισμάτων οὐ μνημονεύει. 221 Ps 24,7c Κατὰ φύσιν ι λεως ω ν καὶ ἀγαθὸς ὁ θεὸς σύμφυτον ε χει χρηστότητα, η ς ε νεκα σὺν ἐλέῳ μνημονεύει τοῦ μετανοοῦντος. 222 Ps 24,8 Καὶ εὐθής ἐστιν η τοι διὰ τὸ πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν μὴ πεφυκέναι η διὰ τὸ εὐθύνας ἀπαιτεῖν τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, ο θεν καὶ Νομοθετήσει ἁμαρτάνοντας ἐν ὁδῷ. τοὺς γὰρ ε τι ἐνεργοῦντας τὸ κακὸν ὑποβάλλει νόμῳ, ο πως κωλυθέντες τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν τὴν σωτήριον ὁδεύσωσιν ὁδόν. 223 Ps 24,9 ̔Ο νομοθετῶν θεὸς ὁδηγήσει τοὺς πραότητα καὶ εὐστάθειαν ε χοντας ἐν κρίσει τουτέστιν ἐξητασμένως καὶ ἠκριβωμένως. ὁ γὰρ μαθὼν δύο ὁδοὺς πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ει ναι, τὴν τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τοῦ θανάτου, καὶ τὴν μὲν τοῦ θανάτου ἀποστραφείς, ὁδεύων δὲ τὴν τῆς ζωῆς ὁδόν, ̓Εν κρίσει βαδίζει, ποδηγούμενος ὑπὸ κυρίου, διὰ τὸ γαληνὸν καὶ εὐσταθὲς τῆς διανοίας· οἱ γὰρ πραεῖς ἀταραξίαν ε χουσι λογισμῶν. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ κύριος μετὰ τὸ ὁδηγῆσαι ἐν κρίσει τοὺς πραεῖς διδάξει αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰς ἑαυτοῦ ὁδούς, η τοι τὰς πρὸς αὐτὸν φερούσας η α ς αὐτὸς πορεύεται· ὁ γὰρ ὀπίσω κυρίου πορευόμενος τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ μανθάνει. 224 Ps 24,10 Πᾶσαι αἱ πρὸς κύριον φέρουσαι ὁδοὶ η α ς αὐτὸς βαδίζει τὸν εἰρημένον τρόπον
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.