Allegorical and Tropological Interpretations of Psalm 43
One falls into destruction. If someone, having left Zion, that is to say, virtue, rushes toward the evil called Babylon, turning back to the things behind, he receives a blessed thing; but those saying the things set forth, since they have become among the enemies, having turned back to the things behind, fell into filth (Ps 43:12).
Those saying these things are like certain sons who, similarly to a sheep being led to slaughter, are given to be food for those approaching them for their own benefit with words and life; but even among the Gentiles they were scattered by God, sowing the seed like farming, so as to change the Gentiles into the same quality as themselves. For one must not pay attention to those saying that God's portion was scattered among the Gentiles in the manner of captivity.
Not for honor, he says, having taken the people, he sent them away, but because of their sins they have been made submissive to enemies (Ps 43:13a); for through their sins they were given over according to the prophet.
Since we have fallen away from the aforementioned things through a life fearing destruction, we face our own disgrace (Ps 43:16), the shame of our face covering us so that we no longer have boldness, with the face of the soul uncovered to reflect the glory of the Lord.
From the voice of the one reviling and acting unjustly and speaking wrongly, he sees that the day of ruin is before him (Ps 43:17). And from the one displaying his terrible face, driving out an enemy, the shame of it covered his face.
The voice, having taken up perfect courage (Ps 43:18): for having heard many and various afflictions upon them and being coerced into forgetting God, they say, as it were, 'In the affliction of the Lord I remembered' (Ps 43:19b). God turns away some of the troubles from...
He abandons his own way, handing himself over to the desires of his own heart and to an unproven mind (Ps 43:20a). The earth and the underworld are a place of affliction; thus those having experienced the body of death are humbled (Ps 43:22b). The impressions in the heart must be addressed and examined (Ps 43:26).
If one speaks these things tropically, what is meant is this: since we are currently surrounded by the composite of pleasure and other passions, because of this, 'Our soul was humbled to the earth, having become low-minded, and also our belly was stuck to the earth, feeding on nothing heavenly but eating all things according to the nature of earth all the days of their lives.' But if the present text is explained allegorically, the soul stepping into the body says, 'Our soul was humbled to the earth.' Having fallen away from itself and from the blessed life of the heavenly, while thinking of the lower things, it says, 'Our belly was stuck to the earth,' for it feeds on nothing other than earthly things (Ps 43:27).
These say that they are worthy to receive help and deliverance, not by the grace of another but by His name. And these things are also said regarding the Savior, being worn down in the heart of the earth according to the season of passion, so that having risen, He might provide help and giving deliverance, giving His soul as a ransom for many. And He does these things for the glory of His name.
A goal for those making progress and changing from quality to quality is that the one at the summit of qualities should hasten (Ps 44:1), by which the corruptible and the immortal might be proven. Concerning this, the end being attained. Concerning those who shall be transformed, that is, those who are changed and have become eager from evil, sons of Kore turning all things into a song concerning the beloved, bringing forth and shouting. And the beloved here is the only-begotten Son of God. Concerning this, the triumphal song is sung, through whom He transformed, having given incorruption instead of corruption.
Greek
ὀλέθρῳ περιπίπτει. εἰ δέ τις τὴν Σιών, τουτέστι τὴν ἀρετήν, καταλείψας ἐπείγοιτο ἐπὶ τὴν κακίαν Βαβυλῶνα καλουμένην, ἀποστρεφόμενος εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω μακάριον ἀναδέχεται πρᾶγμα· πλὴν οἱ τὰ προκείμενα λέγοντες, ἐπεὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς γεγόνασιν, εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω ἀποστραφέντες ψεκτοῖς περιέπεσον. 443 Ps 43,12 ̓Εοίκασιν οἱ ταῦτα λέγοντες, α γιοί τινες ο ντες, παραπλησίως τῷ ̔Ως πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἀγομένῳ δεδόσθαι ̔Ως πρόβατα βρώσεως, τροφὴ γινόμενοι τοῖς ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ τοὺς λόγους καὶ τὸν βίον αὐτοῖς προσιεμένοις· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ε θνεσιν ου τοι ὑπὸ θεοῦ διεσπάρησαν, δίκην σπέρματος γεωργικῶς καταβαλλόμενοι, ι να μεταποιήσαντες τὰ ε θνη εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν αὐτοῖς ποιότητα ἀγάγωσιν. οὐ γὰρ προσεκτέον τοῖς λέγουσιν διεσπάρθαι ἐν τοῖς ε θνεσι τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ μερίδα αἰχμαλωσίας τρόπῳ. 444 Ps 43,13a Οὐ τιμήν, φησίν, τοῦ λαοῦ λαβὼν ἀπέδου αὐτούς, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας α ς πεποιήκασιν ἐχθροῖς ὑποχείριοι γεγένηνται· ταῖς γὰρ ἁμαρτίαις αὐτῶν ἐπράθησαν κατὰ τὸν προφήτην. 445 Ps 43,16 ̓Επεὶ τοῖς προειρημένοις ἀπευκταίως ὑπεπέσαμεν διὰ βίου ἐντρεπόμενοι ο λην τὴν ἡμέραν, ἐναντίον τὴν ἐντροπὴν ἑαυτῶν ε χομεν, τῆς αἰσχύνης τοῦ προσώπου ἡμῶν καλυπτούσης ἡμᾶς ὡς μηκέτι παρρησίαν ε χειν ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ τῷ προσώπῳ τῆς ψυχῆς κατοπτρίζεσθαι τὴν δόξαν κυρίου. 446 Ps 43,17 ̓Εκ τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ ὀνειδίζοντος καὶ δίκην παραπαίοντος καὶ παραλαλοῦντος ο λην ἐντροπὴν τὴν ἡμέραν ει ναι κατενώπιον ἑαυτοῦ θεωρεῖ. ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἐπιδεικνύντος ἑαυτοῦ φοβερὸν τὸ πρόσωπον ἐκδιώκοντος ἐχθροῦ ἡ αἰσχύνη ἐκάλυψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ. 447 Ps 43,18 Τελείαν ἀνδρείαν ἀναλαβόντων ἡ φωνή· πολλῶν γὰρ καὶ διαφόρων θλίψεων ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἡκουσῶν καὶ ἐκβιαζομένων ἐπιλαθέσθαι τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐξ ἐναντίας ἀνεπόλουν θεὸν ὡς ε καστον εἰπεῖν ̓Εν θλίψει τοῦ κυρίου ἐμνήσθην. 448 Ps 43,19b ̓Εκκλίνει τὰς τρίβους τινὸς ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ὁδοῦ, παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῆς καρδίας ἑαυτοῦ καὶ εἰς ἀδόκιμον νοῦν. 88 449 Ps 43,20a Τόπος κακώσεως ὁ περὶ γῆν καὶ ὁ καταχθόνιος χῶρος· ε νθα ταπεινοῦνται οἱ πεῖραν ε χοντες τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου. 450 Ps 43,22b Τὰς ἐν καρδίᾳ τυπώσεις α ς καὶ ἑξῆς προσαγορευτέον. 451 Ps 43,26 Εἰ μὲν τροπικῶς ταῦτα λέγοιτο, τὸ δηλούμενόν ἐστιν τοιοῦτον· ἐπεὶ χοῦν περικείμεθα τὸν ἐξ ἡδονῶν καὶ τῶν α λλων παθῶν συγκείμενον, διὰ τοῦτο ̓Εταπεινώθη εἰς χοῦν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν, χαμαιριφῶν γενομένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ Εἰς γῆν ἐκολλήθη ἡ γαστὴρ ἡμῶν, οὐδὲν οὐράνιον τρεφομένων ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν ο φιν γῆν ἐσθιόντων πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς ἑαυτῶν. Εἰ δὲ πρὸς ἀλληγορίαν ἐξηγηθείη τὸ προκείμενον, εἰς τὸ σῶμα ἐμβατεύουσα ἡ ψυχὴ ἐρεῖ ̓Εταπεινώθη εἰς χοῦν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν. αυ τη καὶ τῆς μακαρίας ζωῆς τῆς ἐπουρανίου ἐκπεσοῦσα, ἐν τῷ κάτω φρονεῖν ἐρεῖ τὸ ̓Εκολλήθη εἰς γῆν ἡ γαστὴρ ἡμῶν· οὐκ α λλα γὰρ τῶν γηίνων τρέφεται. 452 Ps 43,27 Ταῦτά φασιν βοηθείας καὶ λυτρώσεως τυχεῖν ἀξιοῦντες οὐκ α λλου του χάριν η τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ. λέγοιεν δὲ ταῦτα καὶ πρὸς τὸν σωτῆρα ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς διατρίβοντα κατὰ τὸν τοῦ πάθους καιρόν, ι να ἀναστὰς ἀρωγὴν παράσχοι καὶ λύτρα διδοὺς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν. ποιεῖ δὲ ταῦτα ὑπὲρ τῆς δόξης τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ. Ps 44,1 Σκοπὸς τοῖς προκόπτουσι καὶ ἐκ ποιότητος εἰς ποιότητα μεταβάλλουσι τὸ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρίστην τῶν ποιοτήτων ἐπείγεσθαι καθ' η ν α φθαρτοι καὶ ἀθάνατοι ἀποδειχθεῖεν. ὑπὲρ τούτου ου ν τοῦ τέλους ο ντος ̔Υπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων, τουτέστι τῶν ἀλλαγέντων καὶ ἐκ φαύλων σπουδαίων γεγενημένων, υἱοὶ Κορὲ εἰς σύνεσιν πάντα μεταβάλλοντες ᾠδὴν περὶ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ προφέρουσι κελαδοῦντες. ἀγαπητὸς δὲ ἐνταῦθα ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ θεοῦ υἱός. ὑπὲρ τούτου ου ν τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ ἐπινίκιος ᾳ δεται, ὑπὲρ ω ν ἠλλοίωσεν ἀφθαρσίαν ἀντὶ φθορᾶς δεδωκώς.
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Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
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