Divine Judgment and the Worship of the Lord

We do not perceive greatness in terms of height sensorially

God makes all evil things a judgment that examines, and he performs the matters of truth with righteousness. Indeed, the law of justice may reveal the virtue of practical action, and the judgment may be the examination of dogmas; and what is called judgment, by which it is distinguished what is to be thought and not to be thought, and what is to be done and not to be done, he himself called justice, namely the activity according to virtue. For God does both, that is, he grants to the practical and the ascetic one the meaning of the good through the analogy of James.

You make him high, not by lifting him from below into the above (for this is a matter of bodies) Ps 98:5, but having high and super-abundant thoughts concerning him. But the flesh received may be his footstool. Since we do not take up the things concerning the Word of God as concerning the only-begotten Son of God, we exalt the Lord God; but also, considering the economy according to his visitation, we worship at the footstool of his feet, because the powers of his ways, which are called feet more allegorically, have prevailed over him. And the ancient temple is also called his footstool, as it is written in Jeremiah, 'How did the Lord burn in his wrath his daughter Zion? He cast her sanctuary to the ground, and did not remember her footstool' Jer 46:10.

To worship truly and principally it is fitting for the Trinity alone; for 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve' Deut 6:13. According to this meaning of worship, the Lord Jesus is also worshipped: 'For all the angels of God shall worship him' Matt 4:10. But in another way of honor, men are said to worship those in high places according to this scripture. For it has been written many times that even the king David was worshipped, as well as the other kings of Israel.

These things are said not only concerning these men, but also concerning all those who have the same virtue as they Ps 98:6. And if this is truth, stand upon that which is written in Ezekiel; and it happened that the prophet was during the time of the captivity. For it is written in that Ezekiel, saying, the Lord in the threats against Israel: 'If I brandish a sword upon the earth and find them upon it' Ezek 21:3.

Greek

μέγεθος ου τε τὸ υ ψος αἰσθητῶς φανταζόμεθα (μακρὰν γὰρ ταῦτα τῶν ἀσωμάτων), ου τι γε αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. 954 Ps 98,3.4a Νοήσεις καὶ ου τως· μεγάλου ο νομα 201 μέγιστόν ἐστιν ὡς διαρκεῖν η κειν εἰς πάντας· μόνον γὰρ τὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος ο νομα δέδοται ἐν γῇ ὑπ' οὐρανὸν πάσῃ ὡς θαυμαστὸν αὐτὸ ει ναι ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ. πάντας γοῦν τοὺς ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν σῳζομένους Χριστιανοὺς ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ καλουμένους ε στιν ἰδεῖν, περὶ ου α λλη πάλιν προφητεία Τοῖς δὲ δουλεύουσί μοι κληθήσεται ο νομα καινὸν ο εὐλογηθήσεται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. παρέτεινε γὰρ ἀληθῶς εἰς πάντα τὰ λογικὰ ἡ Χριστοῦ προσηγορία, ὡς μὴ τοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς μόνους ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ τοὺς καταχθονίους ἐξομολογήσεσθαι τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ τῷ μεγάλῳ, ἐπείπερ τοῖς μὲν ἀποστάταις τοῦ θείου νόμου καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας φοβερόν ἐστι, τυγχάνον δὲ α γιον τοῖς τυχοῦσι τῆς εὐχῆς η ς ἀνέπεμψαν λέγοντες ̔Αγιασθήτω τὸ ο νομά σου. Τούτου δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως Χριστοῦ ου τῷ ὀνόματι τῷ μεγάλῳ πάντες ἐξομολογήσονται ἡ τιμὴ κρίσιν ἀγαπᾷ. εἰ γὰρ οἱ παραβαίνοντες αὐτοῦ τὸν νόμον δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ παραβαίνειν ἀτιμάζουσιν αὐτόν, οἱ κατορθοῦντες τὸν θεῖον νόμον δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἐνεργεῖν κατ' αὐτὸν τιμῶσι τὸν νομοθετήσαντα αὐτὸν βασιλέα ἀγαπῶντες τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ κρίσιν, ἐπιστάμενοι δίκαιον τὸ κρίμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ο τι τεύξονται θείων ἀμοιβῶν κατὰ τὸ βούλημα αὐτοῦ εὐσεβῶς καὶ δικαίως πολιτευσάμενοι, τῶν φαύλων οὐκ ἀγαπώντων αὐτοῦ τὴν κρίσιν, ἐπείπερ ἠτίμασαν αὐτήν. πᾶς ου ν φαῦλος τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς φανέρωσιν ἐντρεπόμενος μισῶν τὸ φῶς, οὐκ ε ρχεται πρὸς αὐτό, ι να μὴ ἐλεγχθῇ αὐτοῦ τὰ ε ργα, τοῦ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ποιοῦντος ἐρχομένου πρὸς τὸ φῶς, ι να φανερωθῇ αὐτοῦ τὸ ε ργον, ο τι ἐν θεῷ ἐστιν εἰργασμένον ἐφ' ῳ καὶ τὴν κρίσιν τὴν φανεροῦσαν αὐτὸ ἀγαπᾷ. 955 Ps 98,4bc Εὐθύτητας οὐκ α λλας ἡγητέον ει ναι τῶν ἀρετῶν. ταύτας ου ν ̓Ιησοῦς ἡτοίμασε προκατορθώσας καὶ ἐνεργήσας αὐτάς, ι ν' ἐπακολουθήσωμεν τοῖς ι χνεσιν αὐτοῦ μιμησάμενοι αὐτόν· ὑπογραμμὸν γὰρ ἀρίστου βίου ὑπέδειξεν ἡμῖν. λέγων ου ν Μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ο τι πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, ἡτοίμασεν εὐθύτητας, ι ν' εὐκόλους καὶ ἑτοίμους εὑρεῖν αὐτὰς δυνηθέντες μετάσχωμεν αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἐν τῷ πτερνίζοντι δὲ πάντα τὰ πονηρὰ κρίσιν ὁ θεὸς τὴν ἐξετάζουσαν τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας πράγματα σὺν δικαιοσύνῃ ποιεῖ. καὶ δύναται μὲν τὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ο νομα τὴν πρακτικὴν δηλοῦν ἀρετήν, τὸ δὲ τῆς κρίσεως τὴν τῶν δογμάτων ἐξέτασιν· καὶ ε τι τὴν μὲν ε ξιν καθ' η ν διακρίνεται τὸ φρονητέον καὶ μὴ φρονητέον καὶ πρακτέον καὶ οὐ πρακτέον κρίσιν ει πεν, αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν κατ' ἀρετὴν ἐνέργειαν δικαιοσύνην ἐκάλεσεν. ἀμφότερα γοῦν ὁ θεὸς ποιεῖ, τουτέστι χαρίζεται τῷ πρακτικῷ καὶ ἀσκητικῷ τῶν καλῶν σημαινομένῳ τῇ τοῦ ̓Ιακὼβ προσηγορίᾳ. 956 Ps 98,5ab ̔Υψηλὸν ποιεῖτε οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ κάτω εἰς τὰ α νω ἐπαίροντες αὐτόν (ι διον γὰρ σωμάτων τοῦτο), ἀλλ' ὑψηλὰς καὶ ὑπερφυεῖς περὶ αὐτοῦ ε χοντες νοήσεις. ὑποπόδιον δὲ αὐτοῦ ει ναι δύναται ἡ προσληφθεῖσα σάρξ. ο ταν ου ν τὰ περὶ θεοῦ λόγου ὡς περὶ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ διαλαμβάνωμεν, ὑψοῦμεν κύριον τὸν θεόν· ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῆς οἰκονομίας τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν αὐτοῦ θεωροῦντες, προσκυνοῦμεν τῷ ὑποποδίῳ τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ διὰ τὸν ἐπερείσαντα αὐτῷ τὰς πορευτικὰς αὐτοῦ δυνάμεις ἀλληγορικώτερον πόδας καλουμένας. λέγεται δὲ ὑποπόδιον αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ πάλαι νεώς, ὡς ἐν ̔Ιερεμίᾳ γέγραπται Πῶς ἐζόφωσε κύριος ἐν ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ τὴν θυγατέρα Σιών; κατέρριψεν εἰς γῆν τὸ ἁγίασμα αὐτῆς, οὐκ ἐμνήσθη ὑποποδίου αὐτοῦ. Τὸ μὲν ου ν ἀληθῶς καὶ κυρίως προσκυνεῖν ἁρμόζει μόνῃ τῇ τριάδι· Κύριον γὰρ τὸν θεόν σου προσκυνήσεις καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις. κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ σημαινόμενον τοῦ προσκυνεῖν καὶ ὁ κύριος ̓Ιησοῦς προσκυνεῖται· Προσκυνησάτωσαν γὰρ αὐτῷ πάντες α γγελοι θεοῦ. α λλῳ δὲ τρόπῳ τιμῆς ε νεκα α νθρωποι τοὺς ἐν ὑπεροχαῖς κατὰ ταύτην τὴν γραφὴν προσκυνεῖν λέγονται. πολλάκις γοῦν ἀναγέγραπται ὡς α ρα τὸν βασιλέα ∆αυὶδ πολλοὶ προσεκύνησαν, ἐπεὶ καὶ τοὺς α λλους τοὺς ̓Ισραὴλ βασιλέας. 957 Ps 98,6 Οὐ περὶ μόνων τῶν ἀνδρῶν τούτων ταῦτα λέγεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ 202 πάντων τῶν ἐχόντων τὴν αὐτὴν αὐτοῖς ἀρετήν. καὶ ο τι τοῦτο ἀλήθειά ἐστιν, ἐπίστησον τοῖς ἐν τῷ ̔Ιεζεκιὴλ γεγραμμένοις· γέγονε δὲ ου τος ὁ προφήτης κατὰ τὸν τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας καιρόν. γέγραπται γοῦν ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ̔Ιεζεκιήλ, λέγων ὁ θεὸς ἐν ταῖς πρὸς τὸν ̓Ισραὴλ ἀπειλαῖς ̓Εὰν ῥομφαίαν ἐπάξω ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ εὑρεθῶσιν ἐπ' αὐτῇ

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.