The Righteous Man's Wisdom and the Heavenly Inheritance
Thoughts are evil, but the tongue having been unsharpened, indeed their word is destructive in its differences. Since therefore the one sinning by his own sin dies, and of these the sword which has been dulled against others will harm them into their heart (Ps 36:16). Regarding understanding: it is better for the righteous to have a little knowledge with piety than wealth with impiety of the sinners, who are some coming from the things of false knowledge (Ps 36:17). Regarding arms, now it is not to be said of the arms of the body but of the practical powers of the soul (Ps 36:17a).
The Lord knows the way of the righteous and the ways of the blameless (Ps 36:18a). That of knowledge is not to be said now regarding information but regarding restraint; for the Lord knows all the ways of the blameless, judging them by their blamelessness. And it is also carried forward that the Lord knows the days of the blameless. Since the blameless are never in darkness but are always in light and day, for this reason the Lord knows such days of theirs, and all the days of their life, as they work always without reproach and blamelessness.
An evil time is, or some hardship, when one enjoys the fruits of sins (Ps 36:19a). In this, in this time, the blameless will not be ashamed, not having deeds for which it is to suffer (Ps 36:20a). For the sinners will be destroyed, not by the dissolution of their constitution from the outside, but by no longer being sinners (Ps 36:20a).
When much scarcity of food comes because of a great famine, according to the commandment of God, ravens feed them as they did Elijah with foods, and as they did Daniel in the den of lions, the best being carried to him by the meteor of Abamuk (Ps 36:25ab). And this toward the literal, but toward the thought: from a young and uncertain mind, as one being younger than a youth, having changed into an old age, having come to a life without blemish and having acquired much prudence, such one, having progressed thus, is not a righteous man left abandoned. And the others are similarly to the first. They are left abandoned to him who has God feeding them and providing divine bread, so that the seed of the righteous—that is, those who have come to be according to the teaching—may never seek bread (Ps 36:25c.26). For indeed, he takes his life according to...
He does not produce a disturbance that is neither precise nor tested and known by all; nor does he spend the day in idleness, but he is a sharer with God, lending divine lessons to those who listen, just as one lends to God according to the saying 'He lends to the poor,' in order to gain salvific interest and so that their seed may be blessed with every spiritual blessing. The righteous, having perfected all moral virtue, has arrived at contemplation (Ps 36:30); therefore, his word, which is figuratively called 'mouth,' meditates on nothing other than the wisdom found in contemplation. To this end, the discourse of the pious possesses wisdom throughout, while the fool changes like the moon. And the tongue of the righteous does not speak haphazardly or by chance. For having judged and examined the difference between words to be spoken and words not to be spoken, he will say some things and keep others silent. Such is the lip of the wise, bound by perception, to both speak and be silent; for he uses the perception of the lips as a restraint.
We do not possess by nature a law in the heart by which we discern what is to be done and what is not to be done, but it is not other than that of the Creator, who made us according to His own image of God (Ps 36:31). Let us take care that we save our thoughts from being unswerving, avoiding the evil and imitating the better. Using this law as the leader of the way, we pass without stumbling toward the goal toward which we hasten. And it is possible for the evangelical law to be made manifest through the present word. The sinner, understanding the righteous man and seeking to kill him, is told: 'Wait upon the Lord' (Ps 36:34). Even if you have many who kill against you, receive salvation from God. But wait upon Him and keep His way, observing His commandments. For in this way, being prepared, you will follow the one who is exalted, so as to inherit the land often spoken of. It should be noted, however, what the Gospel says regarding the land that is to be 'in the heights': for no one is exalted to inherit a land that is in many places, but rather the one established above. And in Isaiah, it is said, 'The Lord will bring you up to the good things of the earth.' And since the land itself is found in that height, observe how God brings one up upon it and exalts him, so as to inherit it, by having someone become something for himself upon it. Then, O seed...
Greek
πονηροί εἰσιν λογισμοί, ῥομφαία δὲ ἠκονημένη ἡ γλῶσσα η τοι ὁ λόγος αὐτῶν ἀναιρετικός ἐστιν διαφορῶν. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ὁ ἁμαρτάνων τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀποθνῄσκει, καὶ τούτων ἡ ῥομφαία η ν κατ' α λλων ἠκόνησαν βλάψει αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν. 361 Ps 36,16 Πρὸς διάνοιαν· κρεῖττον τῷ δικαίῳ ὀλίγον γνώσεως ε χειν μετ' εὐσεβείας ὑπὲρ πλοῦτον μετὰ δυσσεβείας τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, ο ν πλουτεῖν οι ονταί τινες τὰ τῆς ψευδονύμου γνώσεως μετερχόμενοι. 362 Ps 36,17a Βραχίονας δὲ νῦν οὐ τοὺς τοῦ σώματος ἀλλὰ τοὺς τῆς ψυχῆς ο ντας πρακτικὰς δυνάμεις ῥητέον. 363 Ps 36,18a ̔Ο γινώσκων κύριος τὴν τῶν δικαίων ὁδὸν καὶ τὰς τῶν ἀμώμων ὁδοὺς ει σεται. τὸ τῆς γνώσεως οὐκ ἐπὶ τῆς εἰδήσεως ῥητέον τὰ νῦν ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῆς ἀνακράσεως· τὰς γὰρ τῶν ἀμώμων ὁδοὺς α ς ὁδεύουσιν πάσας γινώσκει κύριος τῇ ἀμωμότητι αὐτῶν ἀνακρινάμενος. φέρεται δὲ καὶ Γινώσκει κύριος τὰς ἡμέρας τῶν ἀμώμων. ἐπεὶ γὰρ οἱ α μωμοι οὐδέποτε ἐν σκότῳ ἀλλ' ἐν φωτὶ καὶ ἡμέρᾳ εἰσὶν ἀεί, τούτου χάριν γινώσκει κύριος τὰς τοιαύτας αὐτῶν ἡμέρας η καὶ πάσας τὰς τοῦ βίου αὐτῶν ἡμέρας ἀεὶ ἀμέμπτως καὶ ἀμώμως ἐνεργούντων. 364 Ps 36,19a Καιρὸς πονηρός ἐστιν ο τε ἐπίπονά τις ἀπολαμβάνει ἁμαρτημάτων ε νεκα. ἐν τούτῳ ου ν τῷ καιρῷ οὐ καταισχυνθήσονται οἱ α μωμοι, οὐκ ε χοντες πράξεις ἐφ' αι ς ε στι τὸ παθεῖν. 365 Ps 36,20a Οτι οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, οὐ τῷ ἐξ ο λων διαλύεσθαι τὴν σύστασιν αὐτῶν ἀλλὰ τῷ μηκέτι ει ναι ἁμαρτωλούς. 366 Ps 36,25ab Κα ν πολλὴ σπάνις σιτίων διὰ κραταιὰν λιμὸν γένηται, κατ' ἐντολὴν θεοῦ κόρακες οι σουσιν ὡς τῷ ̔Ηλίᾳ τροφάς, καὶ ὡς τῷ ∆ανιὴλ ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ τῶν λεόντων α ριστον ὁ ̓Αμβακοὺμ μετέωρος φερόμενος οι σει. καὶ τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ ῥητόν, πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· ἐκ νεαροῦ καὶ ἀβεβαίου η θους καθ' ο νεωτερίζων νεώτερος η μην μεταβαλὼν εἰς γῆρας η λθον βίον ἀκηλίδωτον καὶ πολιὰν φρόνησιν κεκτημένος. ο μως ου τω προκόψας Οὐκ ει δον δίκαιον ἐγκαταλελειμμένον. τὰ δ' α λλα ὁμοίως τῷ πρώτῳ. 367 Ps 36,25c.26 ἐγκαταλελειμένον τῷ τὸν θεὸν ε χειν τρέφοντα καὶ α ρτους θείους 77 παρέχοντα, ὡς μὴ ζητῆσαί ποτε α ρτους τὸ τοῦ δικαίου σπέρμα τουτέστιν τοὺς κατὰ διδασκαλίαν γεγενημένους. ο λην γοῦν τὴν ζωὴν ἑαυτοῦ κατάστασιν ου σαν ἀκριβῆ τε καὶ δεδοκιμασμένην ἐγνωσμένην πᾶσιν ἐργάζεται· καὶ ου τως ο λην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐλεεῖ κοινωνικὸς ω ν, καὶ δανείζει η τοι μαθήματα θεῖα τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις η θεῷ κατὰ τὸ ̓Ελεῶν πτωχὸν θεῷ δανείζει, ἐπὶ τῷ κερδῆσαι τόκους σωτηριώδεις ω στε καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτῶν εὐλογημένον ει ναι πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ. 368 Ps 36,30 ̔Ο δίκαιος πᾶσαν τὴν ἠθικὴν κατορθώσας ἀρετὴν η λθεν ἐπὶ θεωρίαν διὸ καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ τροπικῶς στόμα καλούμενος οὐκ α λλο τι η τὴν ἐν τῷ θεωρεῖν σοφίαν μελετᾷ. εἰς τοῦτο παραλήψῃ τὸ ∆ιήγησις εὐσεβοῦς διὰ παντὸς σοφία, ὁ δὲ α φρων ὡς σελήνη ἀλλοιοῦται. καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα δὲ τοῦ δικαίου οὐκ ἀνεξετάστως οὐδ' ὡς ε τυχεν φθέγγεται. κρίνας γὰρ καὶ ἐξετάσας διαφορὰν λεκτέων καὶ οὐ λεκτέων· τὰ μὲν ἐρεῖ, τὰ δὲ ἡσυχάσει. τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν τὸ Χείλη σοφῶν δέδεται αἰσθήσει, τῷ ᾐσθημένως καὶ λέγειν καὶ σιωπᾶν· αἰσθήσει δεσμῷ τῶν χειλέων κέχρηται. 369 Ps 36,31 Ον κατὰ φύσιν ε χομεν νόμον ἐν καρδίᾳ καθ' ο ν διακρίνομεν τὸ ποιητέον καὶ οὐ ποιητέον, οὐκ α λλου ἐστὶν η τοῦ πεποιηκότος ἡμᾶς κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ εἰκόνα θεοῦ. ἀμέλει ο τ' α ν σῴζωμεν ἀδιαστρόφους τὰς ἐννοίας τῶν χειρόνων ἀπεχόμενοι, τῶν κρειττόνων ἀντιποιούμεθα. τούτῳ τῷ νόμῳ ἡγεμόνι τῆς ὁδοῦ χρώμενοι α νευ ὑποσκελισμοῦ διαβαίνομεν ἐφ' ο ἐπειγόμεθα τέρμα. ∆υνατὸν δὲ τὸν εὐαγγελικὸν νόμον δηλοῦσθαι διὰ τῆς παρούσης λέξεως. 370 Ps 36,34 Τῷ δικαίῳ ῳ κατανοεῖ ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς ζητῶν αὐτὸν θανατῶσαι λέγεται· ̔Υπόμεινον τὸν κύριον. εἰ καὶ πολλοὺς ε χεις τοὺς φονῶντας κατὰ σοῦ, ἐκ θεοῦ δέχου τὴν σωτηρίαν. ̔Υπόμεινον δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ φύλαξον τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ, τηρῶν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ. ου τω γὰρ διατεθέντι σοι ἀκολουθήσει τὸ ὑψωθῆναι, ω στε κατακληρονομῆσαι τὴν πολλάκις η δη εἰρημένην γῆν. Σημειωτέον δὲ ο τι ἐν υ ψει που κεῖσθαι τὴν τῆς εὐαγγελίας λέγει γῆν· οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ τὴν ἐν ποσὶν κληρονομῆσαι γῆν ὑψοῦταί τις ἀλλὰ τὴν α νω που ἱδρυμένην. καὶ ἐν ̔Ησαίᾳ γοῦν ̓Αναβιβάσει σε κύριος ἐπὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς γῆς ει ρηται. καὶ ἐν οι ῳ δὲ υ ψει τυγχάνει αὐτὴ ἡ γῆ, σκόπει, ὡς θεοῦ ἀναβιβάζοντος ἐπ' αὐτὴν καὶ ὑψοῦντος, ω στε αὐτὴν κληρονομῆσαι τῷ μὴ οι όν τε ει ναί τινα ἑαυτῷ ἐπ' αὐτὴν γενέσθαι. τότε δέ, ω σπερ
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.