On Psalm 29
It has not become a desert the inhabited world (Ps 28:8). The previously mentioned voice of the Lord prepares the allegorically called deer. And these are souls, to kill the acts of the body by the spirit and to strip the impious one by the spirit through the lips by imitation of God.
And the voice of the Lord will work for her and a revelation of woods (Ps 28:9), so that the beasts lurking in them might be made manifest, they are lifted up as deer. And a wood is a natural place of fruitless trees; and the wood is revealed when the fruitless trees in it are being cut down by the axe of the Word and are being thrown into fire.
When that which overshadows the progress of men is removed, then everyone, having ceased from the manifold error, will speak glory in the temple of God (Ps 28:10). The sitting of God signifies his strength to remain unshakeable and incorruptible forever (Ps 28:10). For indeed he distributes it to those perishing through turning: 'You sitting for the age, and we perishing for the age.' And here the permanence of his kingdom is presented. For this reason, 'And the Lord King is established for the age' (Ps 28:10), having no end to his kingdom.
But he who speaks according to the history says that David the king, having been eager to build something tangible for the Lord, was forbidden by God speaking to him (Ps 29:1): 'Not you shall build for me something, because you are a man of war from your youth, but he who comes out of your loins shall build for me something.' Having been persuaded by the oracle, David ceased from building, but he pre-arranged the materials for the building. As he says, he prepared the materials, and also having composed the psalm, he left it as one of the necessary things, and how, after the temple having been built and dedicated, it might be struck with singing and chanting by those appointed to this.
He says that he will be saved (Ps 29:4) if God does not let him descend to him, or after descending, having brought him up. These things are said economically and as from the face of Christ, who having descended his soul on our behalf and having given it and having risen from the dead by the good pleasure of God and Father, toward whom he says humanly: '...
"For You did not abandon my soul to the pit, a pit called by name; I say with confidence: You saved me from those descending into the pit" (Ps 29:6c).
The end of the day prepares the true light; they weep in the evening—that is, having come into being at the beginning of the night—while the beginning of the day rejoices, having occurred for them with the rising of the sun of righteousness (Ps 29:6d). This applies to both: the weeping of the circumcised when the sun of righteousness rises for them, and the joy of the Gentiles when the saving word shines upon them.
One must hear prosperity through spiritual fruitfulness, so that the seed of Jesus becomes a hundredfold and the other generations of virtue are multiplied (Ps 29:7). In this prosperity, having been evidenced through these things, I will say that I remain firm and immovable, never to be shaken for ever. And one must cry out thus: "In my prosperity, I shall not be shaken for ever" (Ps 29:7); for through his works he cries out, "If I were in the aforementioned prosperity, I would be unshakeable, not being turned aside by the adversary."
Bodily beauty appears through the symmetry and proportion of the limbs (Ps 29:8a), but the beauty of the soul is in the harmony and symphony of all perfected virtues, having symmetry and proportion in all activities according to reason, and the harmony of the soul's powers in proportion. "Grant this beauty to me, O Lord, according to your will." For having done your will and that of the Father in heaven, he took it up, since everyone having become conformed to the image of the Son of God has received beauty from God, having been united with the Lord's will.
He who, through doing material things and thinking of earthly things, being as dust and persisting in sin, will not confess to God, nor announce the truth to Him, being led astray through morals and knowledge (Ps 29:10c-d).
It is to be noted that "became" does not mean "always being," but also signifies a relationship toward someone. If such a voice were ever to occur regarding the Savior, it signifies a relationship toward Him and not merely being (Ps 29:11b-13). "You turned my weeping into joy for me." The voice of weeping signifies the emotion, just as the very act of the hands placing them on the chest demonstrates it.
Greek
28,8b.9a Γέγονεν ου ν ἐξ ἐρήμου οἰκουμένη. ̔Η προειρημένη τοῦ κυρίου φωνὴ καταρτίζει τὰς ἀλληγορικῶς καλουμένας ἐλάφους. ψυχαὶ δέ εἰσιν αυ ται, πνεύματι τὰς πράξεις τοῦ σώματος θανατοῦσαι καὶ πνεύματι διὰ χειλέων κατὰ μίμησιν θεοῦ ἀναιροῦσαι τὸν ἀσεβῆ ο φιν. 258 Ps 28,9b ̓Εργάσεται δὲ αυ τη ἡ τοῦ κυρίου φωνὴ καὶ δρυμῶν ἀποκάλυψιν, ο πως φανερὰ γένωνται τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς φωλεύοντα θηρία α ἀνειμῶνται ε λαφοι. δρυμὸς δέ ἐστιν σύμφυτος τόπος ξύλων ἀκάρπων· ἀποκαλύπτεται δὲ δρυμός, τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ ξύλων ἀκάρπων ἐκκοπτομένων ὑπὸ τῆς ἀξίνης τοῦ λόγου καὶ εἰς πῦρ βαλλομένων. 259 Ps 28,9c Οτ' α ν τὰ ἐπισκιάζοντα τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων προκοπῇ περιαιρεθῇ, τὸ τηνικάδε πᾶς τις τὴν πολύθεον πλάνην ἐάσας δόξαν ἐρεῖ ἐν τῷ ναῷ τοῦ θεοῦ. 260 Ps 28,10b Τὸ καθῆσθαι τὸν θεὸν σημαίνει τὴν ι δρυσιν αὐτοῦ α τρεπτον καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον μένειν ἀεί. διαστέλλει γοῦν αὐτὴν τοῖς διὰ τοῦ τρέπεσθαι ἀπολλυμένοις φάσκων· Σὺ καθήμενος τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀπολλύμενοι τὸν αἰῶνα. καὶ ἐνταῦθα ου ν τὸ μόνιμον τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ παρίσταται. διὰ τοῦτο Καὶ καθιεῖται κύριος βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, τέλος οὐκ ἐχούσης τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ. 261 Ps 29,1 ̔Ο μέντοι τῇ ἱστορίᾳ συναγορεύων ἐρεῖ ο τι ∆αυὶδ ὁ βασιλεὺς οι κον αἰσθητὸν κυρίῳ οἰκοδομῆσαι προθυμηθεὶς κεκώλυται τοῦ θεοῦ εἰπόντος πρὸς αὐτόν· Οὐ σὺ οἰκοδομήσεις μοι οι κον διὰ τὸ ἀνὴρ πολεμιστὴς ει ναι ἐκ νεότητός σου, ἀλλ' ὁ ἐξερχόμενος ἐκ τῆς ὀσφύος σου ου τος οἰκοδομήσει μοι οι κον. πεισθεὶς τῷ χρησμῷ ∆αυὶδ τοῦ μὲν οἰκοδομῆσαι ἐπαύσατο, τῶν δὲ πρὸς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν ὑλῶν προενοήσατο. ω σπερ ου ν, φησίν, τὰς υ λας προητοίμασεν, ου τω καὶ τὸν ψαλμὸν ποιήσας ὡς ε ν τι τῶν ἀναγκαίων καταλέλοιπεν, καὶ ο πως οἰκοδομηθέντος καὶ ἐγκαινισθέντος τοῦ οι κου ὑπὸ τῶν εἰς τοῦτο τεταγμένων ἀνακρουσθῇ μετ' εὐχαριστείας ψαλλόντων καὶ ᾀδόντων. 262 Ps 29,4 Σεσῶσθαι δέ φησιν η τοι μὴ ἐάσαντος αὐτὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καταβῆναι εἰς αὐτὸν η μετὰ τὸ κατελθεῖν ἀναγαγόντος. ῥηθείη δὲ ταῦτα οἰκονομικῶς καὶ ὡς ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ ἐληλυθότος τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ θεῖναι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καὶ δόντος γε αὐτὴν καὶ ἀναστάντος ἐκ νεκρῶν εὐδοκίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρός, πρὸς ο ν καὶ ἀνθρωπίνως φησίν· ἐπειδὴ Οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπες τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς τὸν ᾳ δην, λάκκον ὀνομαζόμενον, θαρρῶν λέγω· Εσωσάς με ἀπὸ τῶν καταβαινόντων εἰς τὸν λάκκον. 263 Ps 29,6cδ Οι ς ἡμέρα ε ληξεν η ν κατασκευάζει τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, κλαίουσιν ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ, τουτέστιν ἐν ἀρχῇ νυκτὸς γεγενημένοι, ἀγαλλιώντων οι ς ἡμέρας ἀρχὴ συνυπέστη ἀνατείλαντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης. ἁρμόσει τοῦτο ἀμφοτέροις τοῖς λόγοις, τοῦ μὲν ἐκ περιτομῆς κλαίοντος ο τε ε δυ αὐτοῖς ὁ η λιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης, τοῦ δὲ πρωὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀγαλλιωμένων ἐπιλάμψαντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ σωτηρίου λόγου. 264 Ps 29,7 Εὐθηνίαν ἀκούειν δεῖ ἐπὶ πολυκαρπίᾳ πνευματικῇ, ο τ' α ν ὁ σπόρος ̓Ιησοῦ ἑκατονταπλάσιος γένηται καὶ τα λλα γενήματα τῆς ἀρετῆς πληθυνθείη. ἐν ταύτῃ ου ν τῇ εὐθηνίᾳ γεγονὼς δι' αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων ἐρῶ, βέβαιος καὶ ἀμετακίνητος μένων, τὸ Οὐ μὴ σαλευθῶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. στικτέον δὲ καὶ ου τως· Ει πα ἐν τῇ εὐθηνίᾳ 63 μου Οὐ μὴ σαλευθῶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· τοῖς γὰρ ε ργοις βοῶ ο τι, εἰ γενοίμην ἐν τῇ προειρημένῃ εὐθηνίᾳ, ἀκλόνητος ε σομαι μὴ περιτρεπόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνταγωνιζομένου. 265 Ps 29,8a Τὸ σωματικὸν κάλλος ἐμφαίνεται ἐπὶ συμμετρίᾳ καὶ ἀναλογίᾳ μελῶν συγκείμενον, τὸ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐν ἁρμονίᾳ καὶ συμφωνίᾳ τῶν κατορθουμένων ἀρετῶν πασῶν τῶν κατὰ λόγον ἐνεργειῶν συμμετρίαν καὶ ἀναλογίαν ἐχουσῶν η καὶ τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεων ἁρμονίως ἀναλογουσῶν. τοῦτ' ου ν τὸ κάλλος σύ μου, ω κύριε, τῷ σῷ θελήματι παράσχου. ποιήσας γάρ σου τὸ θέλημα καὶ τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς πατρὸς ἀνέλαβον αὐτό, ἐπεὶ πᾶς ὁ σύμμορφος γεγονὼς τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ κάλλος θεόθεν ε σχεν ἑνωθεὶς τῷ κυριακῷ θελήματι. 266 Ps 29,10cδ ̔Ο διὰ τοῦ τὰ ὑλικὰ πράττειν καὶ φρονεῖν τὰ ἐπίγεια χοῦς γεγονὼς καὶ ἐπιμένων τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ οὐδ' ἐξομολογήσεται τῷ θεῷ, η ἀναγγελεῖ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀλήθειαν καὶ δι' ἠθῶν καὶ γνώσεως ἐσφαλμένος. 267 Ps 29,11b–13 Σημειωτέον ο τι τὸ ̓Εγενήθη οὐκ ἀεὶ οὐσίωσιν σημαίνει ἀλλ' ε σθ' ο τε καὶ τὴν πρός τινα σχέσιν. ει ποτε ου ν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος τοιαύτη γένοιτο φωνή, σχέσιν τὴν πρός τι καὶ οὐχὶ οὐσίωσιν σημαίνει. Εστρεψας τὸν κοπετόν μου εἰς χαρὰν ἐμοί. ἡ κοπετὸς φωνὴ τὴν συναίσθησιν σημαίνει, ὡς καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ πρᾶξις παρίστησιν τῶν χειρῶν τὸ στῆθος
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.