The Straightness of the Word and the Nature of the Heavens
Having become subject to the aforementioned necessity of the afflictions, they will be drawn toward you (Ps 32:1). Those who have accomplished an ethical life are righteous, rejoicing in the Lord, and it is necessary that those who flee from all the crookedness of false doctrine be upright. For it is fitting to praise God with these, since praise is not beautiful in the mouth of a sinner (Ps 32:2).
Confession and here thanksgiving are expressed. This ought not to be made on a lyre. And if the body is a lyre, the stretched strings are none other than the senses; for being struck by divine hearing, they perceive the hearing and the heavens and those in them, seeing them as to marvel at the Creator, and using the other senses praiseworthy, we confess to the Lord rhythmically and harmoniously with this lyre. But if one should conceive the soul as a lyre, its powers—which are the mnemonic, the assentive, the productive, and others according to reason—being struck like strings by the mind musically, will confess to the Lord. Musicians say there is a difference between the psalmtery and the lyre, such as this: they say the lyre is composed of the lower parts, while the psalmtery is from the upper parts with the strings, and it is more straight through strings. Since the soul is given as lyres, the spirit of man, which is in it, is perhaps something other than the mind, is a psalmtery, singing not to anyone else but to God. For we use right thoughts and with our own spirit we receive the Holy Spirit, and we sing victoriously in a ten-stringed psalmtery. And perhaps from the ten strings its perfection is shown. For such a number is found continually being hymned in the Scriptures. And God used only ten general terms for the high priest Moses, and the people are commanded to offer ten.
He who hastens to praise God through all things and through voice will sing to God a new song (Ps 32:3), saying an anthem kindred to the new covenant and the newness of the Spirit, so that he might praise God not only with lyre and psalmtery but also with voice. And he wishes to sing praiseworthy with a shout of triumph; for the shout is a voice. He who makes a shout without distraction and without insignificance against the conquered enemies, then he says, 'You have sung well,' while those having conquered say, 'Shout!'
Because of the enemies. The word of the Lord, which he gives to those pursuing knowledge, is straight and not a crooked deception (Ps 32:4). Moreover, the workers perform the appropriate things for this word, being fulfilled in faith; and the works which the word of God performs are in faith, that is, they are firm and unshakeable, and the word by which he governs and provides is straight.
If someone were to call the word of God a straight word, the works he performed in this word, being fulfilled in faith, would be easy; for the paradoxical works of Jesus are his works according to the faith of those, becoming things for them: 'Let it be done to you according to your faith' (Ps 32:5). He himself is God, or his straight word, accepting judgment in that he must avenge the virtues being insulted by the wicked, but loving mercy, helping those being led to judgment by his own goodness. For if he were to observe all their works, no one would be able to endure. Therefore, even before judgment, he loves mercy. For if it were not so, all would suddenly be lost.
The heavens were made thin, having the most corruptible nature (Ps 32:6); for such is the nature of the heavens. But when taken allegorically, of all those who think upon the image of the so-called heavenly, their firm grip and stability becomes theirs through the word of the Lord, and their power, by which they are able, is not produced by anything else but by the Holy Spirit. And by this spoken word, pious men discourse that the Holy Spirit is the creative force.
Just as water held in a skin or in another vessel is not permitted to pour out outside of the container holding it, so the vastness of the sea's water is limited by a certain boundary, not being allowed to exceed the appointed rivers. For if it did not hold back by the command of God, it would have overflowed the whole earth. But stop, unless even this is made clear: since, calling the water of the sea, he pours it out upon all the earth through the rains, his command, practicing justice, makes the water ethereal, as if composing a cloud of mists to be carried over the earth. Allegorically, the life of men is often called a sea.
Greek
γεγονότες τῇ προειρημένῃ ἀνάγκῃ τῶν πωλοδαμνῶν ἀχθήσονται πρὸς σέ. 290 Ps 32,1bc Οἱ τὸν ἠθικὸν κατορθώσαντες βίον δίκαιοί εἰσιν ἀγαλλιώμενοι ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ, εὐθεῖς δὲ οι ς πρέπει αι νεσις οἱ πᾶσαν σκολιότητα ψευδοδοξίας διαφυγόντες. τούτοις γὰρ ἁρμόζει θεὸν αἰνεῖν, ἐπεὶ Οὐχ ὡραῖος αι νος ἐν στόματι ἁμαρτωλοῦ. 291 Ps 32,2 ̔Η ἐξομολόγησις καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὴν εὐχαριστίαν δηλοῖ. ταύτην ου ν ἐν κιθάρᾳ ποιητέον. καὶ εἰ κιθάρα ει η τὸ σῶμα, νευραὶ τεταμέναι οὐκ α λλαι η τῶν αἰσθήσεών εἰσιν· θείᾳ γὰρ ἀκροάσει πληττόμενοι τὴν ἀκοὴν καὶ ο ψιν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ καθορῶντες ὡς θαυμάσαι τὸν πεποιηκότα καὶ ταῖς α λλαις αἰσθήσεσιν ἐπαινετῶς χρώμενοι, εὐρύθμως καὶ ἐναρμωνίως ταύτῃ τῇ κιθάρᾳ ἐξομολογούμεθα τῷ κυρίῳ. εἰ δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπολάβοι τις κιθάραν, αἱ δυνάμεις αὐτῆς οι ον μνημονικὴ καὶ συγκαταθετικὴ καὶ ἀνανευτικὴ καὶ α λλαι κατὰ λόγον κρουόμεναι νευρῶν δίκην ὑπὸ νοῦ μουσικῶς ἐξομολογήσονται τῷ κυρίῳ. 68 Ψαλτηρίου δὲ πρὸς κιθάραν διαφορὰν ει ναι λέγουσι μουσικοὶ τοιαύτην· τὴν μὲν κιθάραν ἐκ τῶν κάτω μερῶν ἀποτελεῖν τὸν η χόν φασιν, τὸ δὲ ψαλτήριον ἐκ τῶν α νω μερῶν μετὰ τοῦ καὶ εὐθύτατον ει ναι δι' ο λων. τῆς ου ν ψυχῆς ἀποδοθείσης ει ναι κιθάρας, τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ οὐχ ε τερον τάχα τοῦ νοῦ τυγχάνον ψαλτήριόν ἐστιν, ψάλλον οὐκ α λλῳ τινὶ η τῷ θεῷ. ο τε γὰρ χρώμεθα νοήσεσιν ὀρθαῖς καὶ τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἡμετέρῳ τὸ α γιον προσλαμβάνομεν πνεῦμα, τὸ τηνικάδε ψάλλομεν ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ δεκαχόρδῳ. Καὶ τάχα ἐκ τοῦ δέκα χορδὰς ε χειν τὸ τέλειον αὐτοῦ παρίσταται. τὸν γὰρ τοιοῦτον ἀριθμὸν συνεχῶς ὑμνούμενον ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς ε στιν εὑρεῖν. καὶ τῷ ἱεροφάντῃ γοῦν Μωυσῇ οὐ πλὴν δέκα γενικῶν λόγων ἐχρημάτισεν ὁ θεός, καὶ δεκάτας προσφέρειν ὁ λαὸς προστάττεται. 292 Ps 32,3 ̔Ο διὰ πάντων σπεύδων θεὸν ὑμνεῖν καὶ διὰ φωνῆς μελῳδήσει τῷ θεῷ καινὸν ᾳ σμα λέγων συγγενὲς τῇ καινῇ διαθήκῃ καὶ τῇ καινότητι τοῦ πνεύματος, ο πως μὴ μόνον κιθάρᾳ καὶ ψαλτηρίῳ ἀλλὰ καὶ φωνῇ ἐξευμενίσηται θεόν. βούλεται δὲ καὶ ἐπαινετῶς ψάλαι μετὰ ἀλαλαγμοῦ· φωνὴ δέ ἐστιν ὁ ἀλαλαγμός. ὁ ἀθρόως καὶ ἀσήμως κατὰ νενικωμένων πολεμίων γινόμενος τότε Καλῶς ψάλατέ φησιν, ο τ' α ν νικήσαντες ἀλαλάξητε κατὰ τῶν πολεμίων. 293 Ps 32,4 ̔Ο τοῦ κυρίου λόγος ο ν δίδωσι τοῖς τὰ τῆς γνώσεως μεταδιώκουσι εὐθής ἐστιν οὐδὲν ε χων ἀπάτης σκολιόν. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ κατάλληλα τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ ε ργα α ἐργάζονται οἱ ἐργάται αὐτοῦ ἐν πίστει ἐπιτελοῦνται, καὶ τὰ ε ργα δὲ α ποιεῖ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος ἐν πίστει ἐστὶν τουτέστιν βέβαια καὶ ἀμετακίνητα, καὶ ὁ λόγος καθ' ο ν διοικεῖ καὶ προνοεῖ εὐθής ἐστιν. εἰ δὲ καὶ εὐθῆ λόγον τις αὐτοῦ λέγοι τὸν θεὸν λόγον, τὰ ε ργα α ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ εἰργάσατο ἐν πίστει ἐπιτελούμενα ευ ροι· αἱ γὰρ παραδοξοποιΐαι ̓Ιησοῦ ε ργα αὐτοῦ τυγχάνουσιν κατὰ πίστιν ἐκείνων εἰς ου ς ἐγίνοντο· Κατὰ γὰρ τὴν πίστιν σου γενηθήτω σοι. 294 Ps 32,5 Ητοι αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς η ὁ εὐθὴς λόγος αὐτοῦ κρίσιν μὲν ἀποδεχόμενος τῷ ἐκδικεῖσθαι δεῖν τὰς ἀρετὰς περιυβριζομένας ὑπὸ τῶν φαύλων, ἐλεημοσύνην δὲ στέργων τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἀγαθότητι βοηθῶν τοῖς ἐπὶ κρίσιν ἀγομένοις. εἰ γὰρ παρατηροῖτο πάντα τὰ ε ργα αὐτῶν, οὐδεὶς α ν ὑποστῆναι ἐδύνατο. διὸ καὶ πρὸ τῆς κρίσεως ἀγαπᾷ τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην. εἰ γὰρ ε μπαλιν ἐγίνετο, α ρδην τὸ πᾶν ἀπώλλυτο. 295 Ps 32,6 ̓Εστερεώθησαν δὲ οἱ οὐρανοὶ τὸ δυσφθαρτότατον ε χοντες· τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τῶν οὐρανῶν φύσις. ἀλληγορικῶς δὲ τῶν οὐρανῶν λαμβανομένων πάντων τῶν φρονούντων τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου ου τω καλουμένων, ἡ μὲν ἑδραία πῆξις καὶ βεβαιότης αὐτῶν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ κυρίου γίνεται, ἡ δὲ δύναμις αὐτῶν καθ' η ν εἰσιν δυνατοὶ οὐκ α λλοθεν η ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου περιγίνεται. 296 Ps 32,6b Καὶ τούτῳ τῷ ῥητῷ συναγορεύουσιν εὐσεβεῖς α νδρες τὸ δημιουργικὸν ει ναι τὸ α γιον πνεῦμα. 297 Ps 32,7 Ωσπερ τὸ ἐν ἀσκῷ η ἐν ἑτέρῳ ἀγγείῳ υ δωρ συνεχόμενον οὐκ ἐπιτρέπεται ε ξω τοῦ συνέχοντος χεῖσθαι, ου τω τὸ πολὺ τῆς θαλάττης υ δωρ ο ρῳ τινὶ περιορίζεται, οὐ συγχωρούμενον ὑπερβαίνειν τοὺς τεταγμένους ο ρους. εἰ γὰρ μὴ προστάγματι θεοῦ ἐπείχετο, ἐπέκλυσεν α ν τὴν ο λην γῆν. ἐπίστησον δὲ εἰ μὴ καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῦται· ἐπεὶ προσκαλούμενος τὸ υ δωρ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐκχέει αὐτὸ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν διὰ τῶν ὑετῶν, τὸ πρόσταγμα αὐτοῦ ἀσκῶν δίκην ἀνιμώμενον τὸ υ δωρ ὑπεραέριον ποιεῖ ὡς συστασῶν νεφελῶν ο μβρον ἐπὶ γῆς ἐνεχθῆναι. ̓Αλληγορικῶς δὲ ὁ βίος τῶν ἀνθρώπων πολλαχοῦ θάλαττα ει ρηται
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Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
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