Fragments on the Psalms · §150

The Divinity of Judges and God's Presence

For the fragments left behind have become full baskets since those who feed the disciples carry these spiritual baskets. A storm is often taken for a trial. Since God is not present with those being tempted openly but rather hiddenly, it is necessary for the one being tempted to call upon Him, so that how having heard him, God will rescue him from his present distress.

'And my people will not hear my voice' (Ps 80:12). To hear signifies not only the sensing of a voice, but also to be persuaded by the one speaking, according to the Psalm: 'You do not heed the voice of my disciplining,' that is, I did not consent to the commands of the discipliner. And hearing the voice signifies also to understand and to think. For he says, 'Whoever has ears, let him hear'; that is, whoever has understanding, let him understand. And he says of his people that he awakens them to goodwill, while weighing down and increasing their transgression; saying only once, 'If he had encountered a nation that would forgive,' but not hearing our voice, being uninitiated, now they shall be punished without forgiveness.

And not only 'my people will not hear my voice,' but also 'they will not pay attention to me,' even though they are capable of understanding, seeing me. For even if he despises the voice, it is good to make clear through the one approaching me with my authority, that the timely evangelical word is not understood by the heterodox, who are interrupting these things, as seen in the Savior saying to the Jews concerning the Father, 'Nor have you ever heard his voice, nor have you seen his form' (John 12:49). The heretics, not having understood what was said, say that the Jews, having heard the voice of God and having seen his form, according to the appearances written by them. But the Savior rebukes them, showing that they have never heard the voice of God nor seen his form, and that to pay attention to God involves both hearing the voice and seeing the form. And those of differing opinions were deceived, having ignored the great significance of hearing the voice. For if even the Jews, having heard the voice of God and having received the law from him, did not understand it nor were persuaded by it, they are justly rebuked for not hearing his voice; but they also did not see his form, not having conformed to the character.

Regarding his substance, saying, 'He who has seen me has seen the Father' (John 14:9). Not so; it is said, meaning they have never heard the voice of God, and likewise here they are struck by the spoken word and the word that will be declared hereafter.

In 'the nothing' of Psalm 80:15a, it signifies that they humbled their enemies through lowly things, just as even the greatest tyrant of Egypt was not opposed by great and strong armed men, but by lowly and small creatures. In Psalm 81:2–4, they say that men set over the judging of the people are called gods, as Moses himself demonstrates, saying, 'You shall not do evil to gods, nor shall you speak evil of rulers of your people' (Exodus 22:28). For those being appointed as gods to the people of God are not further from the judges. But since hereafter in this same Psalm God says, 'I said, You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High' (Psalm 81:6) (not having been placed there, but because the word of God came to them), it is evident that even now 'God stands in the assembly of gods' (Psalm 82:1) will be brought against them. For all those who are such gods—men and angels—are divine in the same way, for God stands in their midst, unmoving and not abandoning them; such are they. For he stands away from those who fall, leaving them behind. Therefore also Adam, after the transgression, was standing before God who was with him before the sin; and it is said in the prophet, 'And the Lord God will go in the fury of his wrath' (Isaiah 33:19). But God, standing in the assembly of the gods, preserves their divinity, rather nourishing and increasing it through the participation they have in him. But even being in their midst, he distinguishes them in the manner spoken: 'How long will you judge injustice and accept the faces of sinners?' (Psalm 82:2). If the judges of Israel are gods, what is written will fall upon them. For it is a perversion of a judge to judge injustice and to accept the faces of sinners. Just as they corrupt the right through the greed for gifts, so too they judge contrary to the law by accepting faces. It is fitting, then, that the judgment falls upon sinners. For it is not right to give the right to the rich and to another who excels in the sequence of equality. For it is said, 'And you shall not show mercy to the poor in judgment' (Psalm 82:8); and it is also said, 'Not...'

Greek

α ρτων. τὰ γὰρ καταλειφθέντα κλάσματα κοφίνων πληρώματα γεγένηνται ἀφ' ω ν 163 τρέφουσι τοὺς μαθητευομένους οἱ βαστάζοντες τοὺς πνευματικοὺς τούτους κοφίνους. Καταιγὶς πολλάκις ἐπὶ πειρασμοῦ λαμβάνεται. ἐπεὶ ου ν θεὸς πάρεστι τοῖς πειραζομένοις οὐ φανερῶς ἀλλὰ κεκρυμμένως, δέον ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸν πειραζόμενον, ο πως ἐπακούσας αὐτοῦ ὁ θεὸς ῥύσηται αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς παρούσης αὐτοῦ θλίψεως. 834 Ps 80,12 Καὶ οὐκ η κουσεν ὁ λαός μου τῆς φωνῆς μου. τὸ ἀκοῦσαι οὐ μόνον αἰσθηθῆναι φωνῆς σημαίνει ἀλλ' ε σθ' ο τε καὶ τὸ πεισθῆναι τῷ λέγοντι κατὰ τὸ Οὐκ η κουον φωνὴν παιδεύοντός με, τουτέστιν οὐ συγκατετιθέμην ταῖς προστάξεσι τοῦ παιδεύοντος. δηλοῖ δὲ ἡ ἀκούειν φωνὴ καὶ τὸ συνιέναι καὶ νοῆσαι. ̔Ο ε χων γάρ φησιν ω τα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω, ῳ ι σόν ἐστιν ̔Ο ε χων σύνεσιν συνέτω. λαὸν δὲ αὐτοῦ φησιν αὐτὸν η τοι εἰς ευ νοιαν αὐτοὺς διεγείρων η βαρύνων καὶ ἐπιτείνων τὸ ε γκλημα αὐτῶν· μονονουχὶ λέγων, εἰ ε τερον ε θνος ἐτύγχανε, συγγνώμην α ν ει χον μὴ ἀκούοντες τῆς ἡμετέρας φωνῆς ο ντες ἀήθεις, νῦν δὲ ἀσύγγνωστα τιμωρηθείη–οὐ μόνον δὲ Οὐκ η κουσε τῆς φωνῆς μου ὁ λαός μου ἀλλ' οὐδὲ προσέσχε μοι, καίτοι νοῦν ε χων δυνάμενον ὁρᾶν ἐμέ, ι να, εἰ καὶ τῆς φωνῆς καταφρονεῖ, ἀλλά γε κα ν αἰσχυνθῇ με προσβαλών μου τῇ αὐθεντείᾳ εὐκαίρως εὐαγγελικὴν λέξιν μὴ νοουμένην ὑπὸ τῶν ἑτεροδόξων καὶ ταῦτα διακοπτόντων τὴν θεότητα σαφηνίσαι καλόν, τοῦ σωτῆρος τοῖς ̓Ιουδαίοις λέγοντος περὶ τοῦ πατρὸς Οὐδὲ φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἀκηκόατε πώποτε ου τε ει δος αὐτοῦ ἑωράκατε. μὴ νοήσαντες οἱ αἱρετικοὶ τὸ λεχθέν φασι (τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν φωνὴν ἀκηκοότων τοῦ τὸν κόσμον πεποιηκότος καὶ τὸ ει δος αὐτοῦ ἑωρακότων) κατὰ τὰς ἀναγραφείσας παρ' αὐτοῖς ἀποφανείας· ἐλέγχων ὁ σωτὴρ μηδέποτε φωνὴν αὐτοὺς ἀκηκοότας θεοῦ μήτε ει δος αὐτοῦ ἑωρακότας α λλῳ προσέχειν θεῷ ου καὶ φωνὴν η κουσαν καὶ ει δος ἑωράκασιν. ἠπατήθησαν δὲ οἱ ἑτερογνωμονοῦντες τὸ πολύσημον τῆς ἀκούειν φωνῆς ἠγνοηκότες. εἰ γὰρ καὶ η κουσαν θεοῦ φωνῆς οἱ ̓Ιουδαῖοι νόμον παρ' αὐτοῦ λαβόντες μὴ νοήσαντες αὐτὴν μηδὲ πεισθέντες αὐτῇ, εὐλόγως ἐλέγχονται μὴ ἀκούσαντες φωνὴν αὐτοῦ· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὸ ει δος αὐτοῦ ἑωράκασι μὴ προσηκάμενοι τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ λέγοντα ̔Ο ἐμὲ ἑωρακὼς ἑώρακε τὸν πατέρα. Ωι ου ν ει ρηται σημαινομένῳ μὴ ἀκηκοέναι φωνὴν θεοῦ πώποτε, ου τω καὶ ἐνταῦθα πλήττονται διὰ τῆς εἰρημένης λέξεως καὶ τῆς ἑξῆς ἐκτεθησομένης ου τως ἐχούσης. 835 Ps 80,15a Τὸ ̓Εν τῷ μηδενὶ α ν σημαίνει τὸ δι' εὐτελῶν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτῶν ἐταπείνουν, ω σπερ καὶ τὸν μέγιστον τύραννον τῆς Αἰγύπτου οὐ γίγαντας ἰσχυροὺς ὁπλίσας κατ' αὐτῶν η θηρία μέγιστα ἀλλ' εὐτελῆ καὶ μικρὰ ζῳύφια. 836 Ps 81,2–4 Εθει ̔Εβραϊκῷ φασι τοὺς εἰς τὸ κρίνειν τὸν λαὸν προβεβλημένους α νδρας θεοὺς ὀνομάζεσθαι, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς Μωυσῆς παρίστησι λέγων Θεοὺς οὐ κακολογήσεις καὶ α ρχοντας τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐκ ἐρεῖς κακῶς. α ρχοντι γὰρ λαοῦ θεοὶ συνταττόμενοι οὐχ ε τεροι τῶν κριτῶν ει εν. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ ἑξῆς ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ψαλμῷ τούτῳ ὁ θεὸς ε φη ̓Εγὼ ει πα Θεοί ἐστε καὶ υἱοὶ ὑψίστου πάντες (ου τοι *** θέντες, γεγονότος πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου), δηλονότι καὶ νῦν τὸ ̔Ο θεὸς ε στη ἐν συναγωγῇ θεῶν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἀνενεχθήσεται. πάντων γὰρ τῶν ου τω θεῶν ο ντων, α νδρες δὲ καὶ α γγελοι θεῖοι τῷ αὐτῷ τρόπῳ τυγχάνουσιν ω ν ὁ θεὸς ἐν μέσῳ ι σταται οὐ μετακινούμενος αὐτῶν οὐδὲ καταλείπων αὐτοὺς ο σον εἰσὶ τοιοῦτοι. τῶν γὰρ μεταπιπτόντων ἀφίσταται καταλιπὼν αὐτούς. διὸ καὶ ὁ ̓Αδὰμ μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν ᾐσθήθη θεοῦ ἑστηκότος αὐτῷ πρὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας· καὶ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ ει ρηται Καὶ πορεύσεται κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἐν σάλῳ ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ. ἱστάμενος δὲ ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ τῶν θεῶν τηρεῖ αὐτῶν τὴν θεότητα, τρέφων μᾶλλον δὲ αυ ξων αὐτὴν τῇ μετοχῇ ῃ μετέχουσιν αὐτοῦ. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν τυγχάνων διακρίνει αὐτοὺς τὸν εἰρημένον τρόπον. Εως πότε κρίνετε ἀδικίαν καὶ πρόσωπα ἁμαρτωλῶν 164 λαμβάνετε; εἰ οἱ κριταὶ τοῦ ̓Ισραὴλ θεοί, μεταπεσοῦσιν αὐτοῖς λέγεται τὰ ἐγκείμενα. διαστροφὴ γὰρ κριτοῦ τὸ ἀδικίαν κρίνειν καὶ πρόσωπα λαμβάνειν ἁμαρτωλῶν. ὡς γὰρ ε τεροι δώρων ε νεκα παραχαράττουσι τὸ δίκαιον, ου τως ου τοι ἀποδεξάμενοι πρόσωπα παρὰ τὸ ι σον κρίνουσιν. εἰκότως δὲ τὸ ἁμαρτωλῶν πρόσκειται. οὐ γὰρ ψεκτὸν ει η τὸ δοῦναι τὸ δίκαιον πλουσίῳ καὶ α λλως ὑπερέχοντι τὴν ἀκολουθίαν τῆς ἰσότητος. ει ρηται γοῦν Καὶ πένητα οὐκ ἐλεήσεις ἐν κρίσει· ει ρηται δὲ καὶ τὸ Οὐ

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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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