Participation in the Image and Divine Discipline

With the verse set before him, the fire of such study consumes the pre-existing exhaustion.

Regarding the sinner he says: 'I was deaf and humbled and was silent' (Ps 38:4c); but regarding God: 'I spoke in my tongue' (Ps 38:4c). He who brings forth words in his own tongue from genuine desire and intention is different from him who speaks deceitfully in a foreign tongue. And since we have a tongue even within the human being, which is strictly our own tongue, by which it is possible to speak from a disposition.

Since I have begun to live according to human life and expect its end, this is not clear to me; make known to me my end, so that having learned the multitude of the years of life in the flesh, I may know whom I must aim for (Ps 38:5). What have I accomplished, and what is lacking to me for the completion of perfection? And so it is: since every wise man acts and works toward a certain perfection and goal, it is necessary to have knowledge of this, to know what the end is set for living and what is the number of the days according to the decrees of truth. For one is not wise if he does not know what he lacks for the fulfillment of the goal; just as one intending to take up a certain science asks the teacher: 'Show me how many the decrees of the science are, so that I may know which they are, and by which I lack the peak.'

Having passed from life into the struggle, I was enrolled to contend, as at the beginning having the wrestling match against blood and flesh, but having surpassed the child and becoming a man, I am at the beginning against the rulers of the powers of this darkness, so that the struggle may be mine (Ps 38:6ab). This signifies that the Wrestler is the same as 'In the struggle, set my days' (Ps 38:6ab). Now it is possible for Substance to be said instead of Essence, such that the saying is this: my existence, being compared to yours, does not seem to be anything.

Another scripture contains: 'Behold, you have set my days of old, having a familiarity toward the old man whom I clothed' (Ps 38:6). Therefore also my substance, by which I existed in things prior to faith, is that nothing is before you except all things are vanity. All things on the earth—animals, plants, and the like—say all is vanity. Man alone living...

By these things, he is a participant in immortal life. As Psalm 38:7 says, he who, as he progresses, is being led through an image, makes this his work, being one conformed to the image of the Son of God.

But indeed every man lives being led through an image, either through that of God, observing what is according to the image, or through that of some other animal, becoming female or irrational according to its nature. And indeed the sensible and apparent world is an image of the intelligible and invisible. Man is not led through this world, which is an image, by his own will.

Having said these things concerning the common man, he says concerning each individual that they are in vain, being tossed about in the strivings concerning mortal things. For regarding each one, he says, 'He stores up and does not know for whom he gathers them' (Ps 38:8). For the one storing up upon the earth does not know who will inherit the wealth for which he himself labored; but the one storing up in heaven, having stored up for himself and not for another, knows the wealth that is inexpressible and unremovable from him.

If essence is said instead of substance, it is also from God as from a Creator; just as we exist, so this substance of ours is from Him, imparting to us the existence of things happening by necessity. Since, having hoped to be delivered from all my iniquities, I have not attained this (Ps 38:11), the fool reproaches, as if holding your handiwork in his hand: 'From the strength of the power of your hand I have been cut off' (Ps 38:12). For if the striking hand lashes strongly, the one being lashed is cut off by such a thing.

And from the present word we learn that the things being said are not other than the lashes of God, not rebuking us. For after saying, 'Remove your lashes from me,' they have come to be in reproofs concerning iniquity. For man is disciplined by reproofs offered concerning iniquity, his soul having been stretched out to cast away all fleshy thickness. Then indeed he is able to weave according to the spider, not having matter lying outside him, but bringing forth this from where and from himself. The word is able also to make manifest the unsubstantial nature of the evil thoughts of the soul, just as it is said in Isaiah concerning the sinners, 'They weave a spider's web' (Isa 59:5).

Greek

προκείμενον στίχον, ἐξαπτομένου πυρὸς ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης μελέτης διεσθίοντος τὴν προϋπάρχουσαν μοχθηρὰν ε ξιν. 391 Ps 38,4c Πρὸς μὲν τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν φησιν· ̓Εκωφώθην καὶ ἐταπεινώθην καὶ ἐσίγησα· πρὸς δὲ τὸν θεόν· ̓Ελάλησα ἐν γλώσσῃ μου. ὁ ἀπὸ γνησίου πόθου καὶ φρονήματος προφέρων λόγους ἐν γλώσσῃ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ λαλεῖ, τοῦ δολερῶς φθεγγομένου γλώσσῃ ἀλλοτρίᾳ λαλοῦντος. καὶ ε τι ἐπεὶ ε χομεν καὶ ἐν τῷ ε σω ἀνθρώπῳ γλῶσσαν, κυρίως ἡμῶν αυ τη γλῶσσά ἐστιν, καθ' η ν ἀπὸ διαθέσεως ε στιν λαλεῖν. 392 Ps 38,5 ̓Επεὶ ἀρξάμενος τοῦ ζῆν κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ζωὴν καὶ τέλος αὐτῆς προσδοκῶ, α δηλον δέ μοι τοῦτο, σύ μοι γνώρισον τὸ πέρας 81 μου, ι να τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐτῶν τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς ζωῆς μαθὼν καὶ τίνα μοι κατορθοῦσθαι δεῖ γνῶ. τί μὲν πεποίηκα, τί δὲ λείπει μοι πρὸς ἀναπλήρωσιν τελειώσεως; Η καὶ ου τως· ἐπεὶ πᾶς συνετὸς πράσσει καὶ ἐνεργεῖ ἐπὶ τέλει τινὶ ο καὶ σκοπὸς καλεῖται, δεῖ δὲ τούτου γνῶσιν ε χειν, ευ χεται γνῶναι τί τὸ τέλος καθ' ο ζῆν προτέθειται καὶ τίς ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν κατὰ τὰ θεωρήματα τῆς ἀληθείας ἡμερῶν. ου τω γὰρ ει σεται τί αὐτῷ ὑστερεῖ πρὸς ἀναπλήρωσιν τοῦ σκοποῦ· ὡσεὶ καὶ ἐπιστήμην τις προθέμενος ἀναλαβεῖν ε φασκε τῷ διδασκάλῳ· Τὰ θεωρήματα τῆς ἐπιστήμης δήλωσον πόσα ἐστίν, ι να γνῶ ποῖα ε σχον, ποίοις δ' ἀκμὴν ὑστεροῦμαι. 393 Ps 38,6ab ̓Εξ ου εἰς τὸν βίον παρῆλθον, εἰς τὸ ἀγωνίσασθαι ἀνεγράφη, ὡς κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἀρχὴν ε χειν τὴν πάλην πρὸς αι μα καὶ σάρκα, ὑπερβὰς δὲ τὸν παῖδα καὶ ἀνὴρ γενόμενος πρὸς ἀρχάς, πρὸς ἐξουσίας κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τούτου, ει ναί μοι τὸν ἀγῶνα. σημαίνει ου ν τὸ Παλαιστὰς ει ναι ταὐτὸν τῷ ̓Εν ἀγῶνι ε θου τὰς ἡμέρας μου. ∆ύναται δὲ νῦν ̔Υπόστασις ἀντὶ οὐσίας λέγεσθαι, ι ν' ῃ τὸ λεγόμενον τοιοῦτον· ἡ υ παρξις ἡ ἐμὴ τῇ σῇ παραβαλλομένη οὐδ' ει ναί τι δοκεῖ. 394 Ps 38,6 ̔Ετέρα δὲ περιέχει γραφή· ̓Ιδοὺ παλαιὰς ε θου τὰς ἡμέρας μου, οἰκειότητα ἐχούσας πρὸς τὸν παλαιὸν α νθρωπον ο ν ἐνεδυσάμην. διὸ Καὶ ἡ ὑπόστασίς μου, καθ' η ν ὑφιστάμην τὰ πρὸ τῆς πίστεως πράγματα, ὡς οὐδέν ἐστιν ἐνώπιόν σου πλὴν τὰ σύμπαντα ματαιότης. πάντα ματαιότητα λέγει τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ζῷα, φυτά, καὶ τὰ παραπλήσια. μόνος ὁ α νθρωπος ζῶν ἐστιν παρὰ ταῦτα μετέχων ἀθανάτου ζωῆς. 395 Ps 38,7 ̔Ο ἐν τῷ προκόπτειν διαπορευόμενος εἰκόνος θείας μετέχων τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ω ν σύμμορφος τῆς εἰκόνος τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. καὶ ε τι Μέντοιγε πᾶς α νθρωπος ζῶν ἐν εἰκόνι διαπορεύεται, η τοι τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ, τηρῶν τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα, η α λλου τινὸς ζῴου ι ππος θηλυμανὴς η α λλο τι α λογον κατὰ τὸ η θος γινόμενος. καὶ ε τι ὁ αἰσθητὸς καὶ φαινόμενος κόσμος εἰκών ἐστιν τοῦ νοητοῦ καὶ ἀοράτου. αὐτεξουσίως ου ν διαπορεύεται ὁ α νθρωπος ἐν τούτῳ τῷ κόσμῳ ο ς ἐστιν εἰκών. εἰπὼν δὲ περὶ τοῦ κοινοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὰ εἰρημένα, περὶ τῶν καθ' ε καστά φησιν ὡς μάτην ταρασσομένων ἐν ταῖς περὶ τὰ θνητὰ σπουδαῖς. περὶ ἑκάστου γοῦν ἐπιφέρει τὸ Θησαυρίζει καὶ οὐ γινώσκει τίνι συνάγει αὐτά. ὁ γὰρ θησαυρίζων ἐπὶ γῆς οὐκ οι δεν τίς διαδέχεται τὸν πλοῦτον ὑπὲρ ου αὐτὸς ἐσπούδασεν· ὁ δὲ θησαυρίζων ἐν οὐρανῷ ἑαυτῷ καὶ οὐκ α λλῳ θησαυρίσας οι δεν τίνι, ἐπιστάμενος τὸν πλοῦτον ο ντα ἀναφαίρετον αὐτοῦ. 396 Ps 38,8b Κα ν ἡ οὐσία ἀντὶ τῆς ὑποστάσεως λέγηται, καὶ αὐτὴ παρὰ θεοῦ ἐστιν ὡς ἐκ δημιουργοῦ· κα ν καθὸ ὑφιστάμεθα, καὶ αυ τη ἡ ὑπόστασις ἡμῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἐνδιδόντος ἡμῖν τὸ ὑφίστασθαι τὰ συμβαίνοντα κα ν ἐπίπονα ῃ . 397 Ps 38,11 ̓Επεὶ ῥυσθῆναι ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν μου ἀξιώσας τέως τούτου οὐ τετύχηκα, ὀνειδίζει ὁ α φρων ὡς τὸ σὸν ποίημα ὑποχείριον ε χων· ̓Απὸ γὰρ τῆς ἰσχύος τῆς χειρός σου ἐγὼ ἐξέλειπον. ο τ' α ν γὰρ ἡ κολάζουσα χεὶρ ἰσχυρῶς μαστίζῃ, ἐκλείπει ὁ κολαζόμενος καθ' ο τοιοῦτός ἐστιν. 398 Ps 38,12ab Καὶ ἐκ τῆς παρούσης λέξεως μανθάνομεν τὰς λεγομένας μάστιγας τοῦ θεοῦ μὴ α λλας ου σας ἐλέγχων. μετὰ γὰρ τὸ εἰπεῖν ̓Απόστησον ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὰς μάστιγάς σου ἐπενήνεκται τὸ ̓Εν ἐλεγμοῖς ὑπὲρ ἀνομίας ει ναι αὐτάς· τοῖς γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἀνομίας προσφερομένοις ἐλεγμοῖς παιδεύεται α νθρωπος, ἐκτηκομένης τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ τῷ ἀποβαλεῖν πᾶσαν σαρκώδη παχύτητα. τότε γὰρ κατὰ τὴν ἀράχνην ὑφαίνειν δύναται, οὐκ ε ξωθεν ὑποκειμένην υ λην ἀλλ' οι κοθεν ταύτην καὶ ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ προφέρων. δύναται καὶ τὸ ἀνυπόστατον τῶν φαύλων τῆς ψυχῆς λογισμῶν δηλοῦν ἡ λέξις, ω σπερ ἐν ̔Ησαίᾳ περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ει ρηται ̔Ιστὸν ἀράχνης ὑφαίνουσιν. ο ταν τὰ

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.

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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.