The Calling of Apostles and the Nature of Psalmody
Seeing them through the 'Second' to draw them near, and through the 'Behold' to dazzle them with the truth, he prepares them. 481 Ps 45,9 The apostles also filled the inhabited world, running everywhere and recounting what had happened through him and performing wonders in his name. The Word is able also to call the nations to know the Creator of this world from the wonders seen concerning creation. 482 Ps 45,10 Having come and having destroyed the devil, the holder of the power of death, and the other evil powers, he has abolished wars even to the ends of the earth, that is, those passing from the lands; smashing the bow, the burning arrows of the evil one which were being shot, but also consuming with fire the door of unbelief opposite the door of faith. 483 Ps 45,11a No one sinning and being occupied with wandering is able to know God; for everyone sinning has not seen him, nor has he known him. He who desires to know God, having renounced every occupation, will know who God is, as the present saying says: 'Be at leisure and know.' This, therefore, the tyrant of Egypt, having perceived, subjects the Hebrews to occupations so that they may not attend to God, saying, 'Be at leisure' [as in, 'you are mere laborers']: for this reason they say, 'Let us go forth and serve our God.' 484 Ps 46,2a Since hands are often said to be instead of deeds, and the nations perform various things according to diverse customs before the visitation, the Savior, having visited men, commands a tumult to occur, that is, a harmony of the practical powers of the nations, tropically called hands. 485 Ps 46,2bβ Not only is a harmony of deeds sufficient for salvation, but also a right mind with these things. Therefore, he commands the nations to shout aloud in a voice of rejoicing along with the tumult. 486 Ps 46,3a And he is fearsome and worthy of reverence to those who hold piety toward him. 487 Ps 46,3b It is not doubtful that he reigns over the super-celestial beings. Concerning those wavering about the earth, even if he holds even it, the preceding verse is spoken, and especially because those describing providence even unto the lunar sphere do not wish to admit those under the earth to be under providence. 488 Ps 46,4.5 He also perceives thus: he has subjected...
He ordained the holy apostles as rulers and teachers of all peoples, both the circumcised and the Gentiles, under their feet, having chosen for himself an inheritance not other than that of Israel; he himself chose the election of Jacob. And he says of the whole people of the Hebrews, Jacob. From this the impartiality of God is known, that he loved nothing other than the beauty of Jacob; for in every way the one fearing him and working righteousness is acceptable to him. A voice is made significant by the shout of falling enemies, in which he rejoices (Ps 46:6); and it rises above our understanding when it is found.
The loud voice and the piercing of the dogmas are called the voice of a trumpet; for in the manifest and in the Gospel, a trumpet is taken up, as in the saying, 'When you do alms, do not sound a trumpet before you' (Matt 6:2), which is, do not make it manifest. Sing not only sensually according to the shadow of the law, but also spiritually according to the Gospel (Ps 46:7). Perhaps it commands doing this unceasingly and continuously through doubling. And this same doubling of singing must be raised up to the King Christ; for he is indeed Creator, God, and indeed Providential, King. Therefore, it is necessary to sing unceasingly to the same God and King.
He who sings must also understand the things being brought forth in the song (Ps 46:8b). It is not necessary that the thing happen primarily concerning the rhythm and the tone of the voice, but concerning the understanding of the things being sung. For God spares those who do not sing thus, but only make a noise, saying, 'Turn away from me the noise of your songs, and I will not hear the sound of your instruments.' But he sings intelligently, the one practicing according to the divine teachings and understanding them.
The rulers of the peoples are the apostles or the leaders of the churches, gathered with God Abraham, so that they might bring in the peoples who benefit through him; for their God is the God of children having become of Abraham. But stand firm, if the rulers of the peoples can be angels, concerning whom it has been said, 'He set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the angels of God' (Ps 46:10a), who also are gathered with God Abraham, since through faith they were made children.
Greek
καθορῶντας διὰ μὲν τοῦ ∆εῦτε συνεγγίζειν αὐτούς, διὰ δὲ τοῦ Ιδετε ἀτενίζειν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ παρασκευάζων. 481 Ps 45,9b ̓Επλήρωσαν δὲ καὶ τεράτων τὴν οἰκουμένην οἱ ἀπόστολοι, πανταχῇ διατρέχοντες καὶ τά τε δι' αὐτοῦ γεγονότα διηγούμενοι καὶ ἐν ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ θαυματουργοῦντες. δύναται καὶ καλεῖν ὁ λόγος τὰ ε θνη ἐκ τῶν ὁρωμένων περὶ τὴν κτίσιν θαυμάτων τὸν ταύτης ἐπιγνῶναι δημιουργόν. 482 Ps 45,10 ̓Ελθὼν καὶ καταλύσας διάβολον τὸν τὸ κράτος ε χοντα τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τὰς α λλας πονηρὰς δυνάμεις, ἀντανεῖλεν πολέμους ε ως τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς, τουτέστι τῶν περασάντων ἀπὸ γηΐνων· συντρίβων τὸ τόξον ἀφ' ου ἠφίετο τὰ πεπυρωμένα τοῦ πονηροῦ βέλη ἀλλὰ καὶ πυρὶ κατακαύσει τὸν θυρεὸν τῆς ἀπιστίας ἐναντίως 93 ε χοντα τῷ θυρεῷ τῆς πίστεως. 483 Ps 45,11a Οὐδεὶς ἁμαρτάνων καὶ πλάνῃ σχολάζων γνῶναι θεὸν δύναται· Πᾶς γὰρ ὁ ἁμαρτάνων οὐχ ἑώρακεν αὐτὸν οὐδὲ ε γνωκεν αὐτόν. ὁ βουλόμενος ου ν γνῶναι θεόν, πάσῃ ἀσχολίᾳ ἀποταξάμενος, γνώσεται τίς ὁ θεός ἐστιν, ῃ φησιν τὸ παρὸν λόγιον Σχολάσατε καὶ γνῶτε. τοῦτο τοίνυν ὁ τῆς Αἰγύπτου τύραννος νοήσας ἀσχολίαις ὑποβάλλει τοὺς ̔Εβραίους, ο πως μὴ ἐπισπῶνται θεόν, Σχολάζετε λέγων Σχολασταί ἐστε· διὰ τοῦτο λέγετε Πορευθῶμεν καὶ λατρεύσωμεν τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν. 484 Ps 46,2a ̓Επεὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἀντὶ τῶν πράξεων πολλάκις ει ρηνται, ε πραττε δὲ τὰ ε θνη διάφορα κατὰ τὰ ποικίλα πάτρια πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας, ὁ σωτὴρ εἰς ἀνθρώπους φοιτήσας προστάττει κρότον γενέσθαι, τουτέστιν συμφωνίαν τῶν πρακτικῶν δυνάμεων τῶν ἐθνῶν τροπικῶς χειρῶν ὀνομαζομένων. 485 Ps 46,2bβ Οὐ μόνον ἀπαρκεῖ πρὸς σωτηρίαν πράξεως συμφωνία, εἰ μὴ καὶ φρόνημα ὀρθὸν σὺν τούτοις ει η. διὸ καὶ ἀλάλαξειν ̓Εν φωνῇ ἀγαλλιάσεως μετὰ τοῦ κρότου προστάττει τοῖς ε θνεσιν. 486 Ps 46,3a Εστιν δὲ φοβερὸς καὶ τῷ σεβάσμιος ει ναι, ὡς εὐλάβειαν εἰς αὐτὸν ε χειν τοὺς ἐννοοῦντας αὐτόν. 487 Ps 46,3b Οὐκ ἀμφίβολον εἰ τῶν ὑπερκειμένων βασιλεύει. περὶ τῆς γῆς δὲ ἀμφιβαλλόντων τινῶν, εἰ καὶ αὐτῆς κρατεῖ, λέγεται ὁ προκείμενος στίχος καὶ μάλιστα διὰ τοὺς περιγράφοντας τὴν πρόνοιαν μέχρι τῆς σεληνιακῆς σφαίρας οὐ βουλομένους τὰ ὑπὸ γῆν ὑπὸ πρόνοιαν ει ναι. 488 Ps 46,4.5 Νοήσεις δὲ καὶ ου τως· ὑπέταξεν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς λαοὺς καὶ τὰ ε θνη ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτῶν, πάντων ἀνθρώπων α ρχοντας καὶ διδασκάλους χειροτονήσας αὐτούς, ἐκλεξάμενος τὴν κληρονομίαν ἑαυτοῦ οὐχ ἑτέραν ου σαν τοῦ ̓Ισραὴλ καὶ τοῦ ̓Ιακὼβ τὴν ἐκλογὴν η ν αὐτὸς ἐκλεξάμενος ἠγάπησεν. ̓Ιακὼβ δὲ τὸν πάντα λαὸν τῶν ̔Εβραίων φησίν. ἐκ τούτου γνωρίζεται τὸ ἀπροσωπόληπτον τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν καλλονὴν οὐκ α λλο τι τοῦ ̓Ιακὼβ ἀγαπήσαντος· ̓Εν παντὶ γὰρ ε θνει ὁ φοβούμενος αὐτὸν καὶ ἐργαζόμενος δικαιοσύνην δεκτὸς αὐτῷ ἐστιν. 489 Ps 46,6 Φωνὴ δὲ α σημος καταπεσόντων πολεμίων ὁ ἀλαλαγμὸς ἐν ῳ α νεισιν αὐτός· ἀναβαίνει δὲ ὑπεράνω τῆς νοήσεως ἡμῶν εὑρισκόμενος. ε οικεν τὴν μεγαλοφωνίαν καὶ τὸ διάτορον τῶν δογμάτων φωνὴ σάλπιγγος ὀνομάζεσθαι· ἐπὶ γὰρ τοῦ φανεροῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ σάλπιγξ λαμβάνεται ὡς ἐν τῷ λέγειν Σὺ δὲ ποιῶν ἐλεημοσύνην μὴ σαλπίσῃς ε μπροσθέν σου, ο ἐστιν μὴ φανερώσῃς. 490 Ps 46,7 Μὴ μόνον αἰσθητῶς κατὰ τὴν σκιὰν τοῦ νόμου ἀλλὰ καὶ πνευματικῶς κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ψάλατε. η τάχα διὰ τοῦ διπλασιασμοῦ τὸ ἀδιαστάτως καὶ διηνεκῶς τοῦτο ποιεῖν προστάττει. τὸν δ' αὐτὸν διπλασιασμὸν τοῦ ψάλλειν ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα Χριστὸν ἀνάγειν δεῖ· ῃ μὲν γὰρ δημιουργός, θεός, ῃ δὲ προνοητικός, βασιλεύς ἐστιν. τῷ γοῦν αὐτῷ ο ντι θεῷ καὶ βασιλεῖ ψάλλειν ἀδιαστάτως δεῖ. 491 Ps 46,8b Τὸν ψάλλοντα δεῖ καὶ νόησιν τῶν προφερομένων ἐν τῇ ᾠδῇ ε χειν. οὐ γὰρ περὶ τὴν κλάσιν καὶ τὸ μέλος τῆς φωνῆς καταγίνεσθαι προηγουμένως δεῖ ἀλλὰ συνεῖναι τὰ ψαλλόμενα. τοὺς γὰρ μὴ ου τω ψάλλοντας ἀλλὰ μόνον η χον ἀποτελοῦντας παραιτεῖται θεὸς λέγων Μετάστησον ἀπ' ἐμοῦ η χον ᾠδῶν σου, καὶ ψαλμὸν ὀργάνων σου οὐκ ἀκούσομαι. ψάλλει δὲ συνετῶς ὁ πράττων κατὰ τὰ θεῖα παιδεύματα καὶ νοῶν αὐτά. 492 Ps 46,10a Οἱ τῶν λαῶν α ρχοντες οἱ ἀπόστολοι η οἱ ἡγούμενοι τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν εἰσιν, συναγόμενοι μετὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ̓Αβραάμ, ι να προσαγάγωσι τοὺς πρὸς αὐτὸν ὠφελουμένους λαούς· καὶ γὰρ αὐτῶν θεός ἐστι τεκνῶν γενομένων τοῦ ̓Αβραάμ. ἐπίστησον δὲ εἰ α ρχοντες τῶν λαῶν ει ναι δύνανται α γγελοι περὶ ω ν ει ρηται Εστησεν ο ρια ἐθνῶν κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ἀγγέλων θεοῦ, οι τινες καὶ συνάγονται μετὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ̓Αβραάμ, ἐπεὶ διὰ πίστεως υἱοποιήθησαν
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.