The Judgment as Rectitude and the Fear of God
When calling the Father, we find the Lord, as 'The high hand has done all these things' (Ps 118:74). For the Word—through whom all things were made and in whom all things exist, which the Father made—is His hand creating the all. But also in a strong hand, having brought the people out of Egypt, God accomplished this in the same Son, as one of the apostles writes: 'Jesus, having saved a people once out of Egypt, twice destroyed those who did not believe' (Heb 12:26).
And since other scriptures also say that God has made all things by one hand, such as the one saying 'The heavens are the works of your hands' (Ps 89:11), and the one announcing 'The hands did not create all the host of heaven' (Isa 48:7) (this is consistent with the one who said 'Your hands made me and fashioned me' Ps 139:13), someone might rightly seek and find the Holy Spirit being called the hand of God; from which it is shown that the Holy Spirit is creative, in the Son and Holy Spirit of the Father, having worked the heavens and having created the host of heaven.
Among these works of the hand of God in all the saints, truth and judgment are found, happening to be truth. For He gives through the Holy Spirit a practical power, and judgment is that which judges and, with examination, defines, so that one must choose good and flee evil; but truth is what Christ gives through the Holy Spirit, namely a word of wisdom and a word of knowledge. The knowledge of truth and moral virtue are works of the hands of God, being truth and judgment; therefore, following this, all His commandments were brought forth, not spoken so as to be believed merely, but because of the immovable and certain, as it is written, 'I will give you an eternal covenant, the faithful things of David' (2 Sam 7:16).
These faithful commandments stand for ever and ever because they are of God and cannot be overturned. Concerning them, indeed, the Savior says, 'Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away' (Matt 24:35). But do not err by thinking that the things set forth concern the commandments which are according to the shadow. For those passed away until a time of correction was given. For concerning the spiritual laws according to Him, it is necessary to hear the things set forth, as the coming thing teaches thus: 'Having been made in truth and rectitude.'
For they become understood in truth according to the doctrine of godliness. But they are also completed in rectitude with the best of guarding, as the work of the hands of the Lord, and these being found to be being accomplished in each godliness, are truth and judgment. But take hold of judgment for the sake of rectitude, to direct the soul toward practical and ethical virtue, and judgment is to be critical of things to be done and not to be done.
As God sent redemption to his people (Ps 110:9ab: He has sent redemption to his people; there is nothing else to the one saying), the Son of Man came to give his soul as a ransom for many. By the same precious grace of God, having tasted every death, we were redeemed from our ancestral vain conduct. For Christ has become to us as wisdom and righteousness and sanctification from God, and also as redemption, saying, 'I was sent to proclaim liberty to the captives' (Luke 4:18). For the redeemer and benefactor of all has released from captivity those held by the devil and by wickedness, forgiving the sins and impieties of those fleeing to him. But his goodness was not satisfied with merely redeeming the captives and their heirs, those of his own father, but he set them as co-heirs of himself, having enjoined upon them an eternal testament, so that possessing it with brevity and perfect readiness, they might receive an immortal inheritance according to the eternal and incorruptible promises.
His name, he says, is holy to the saints, but fearful to the unholy (Ps 110:9c). For just as the fountain of holiness makes those participating in it become saints, so it is fearful to those who sin by bearing it.
As the doing of righteous things is the beginning of the good way (for this is the contemplation of truth) (Ps 110:10), so the fear of God is the same beginning and introduction into the wisdom of God, which is called the same as the contemplation of truth, which to the practically righteous belongs. For as the doing of righteous things leads toward the good way, so this fear of God leads toward wisdom. The name 'beginning' can be here, not instead of an introduction, but as being a cause, since the fear of God is that which is called the cause and the beginning. And the struggle with this wisdom is understanding.
Greek
πατρὸς καλούμενον εὑρίσκομεν τὸν κύριον, ὡς ἐν τῷ ̔Η χείρ μου ἡ ὑψηλὴ ἐποίησε ταῦτα πάντα. ὁ γὰρ λόγος δι' ου τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡ σοφία ἐν ῃ τὰ πάντα ὁ πατὴρ ἐποίησε χείρ ἐστιν αὐτοῦ δημιουργήσασα τὸ πᾶν. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν χειρὶ κραταιᾷ ἐξαγαγὼν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου τὸν λαὸν ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ υἱῷ τοῦτ' εἰργάσατο, ω ς τις τῶν ἀποστόλων γράφει ̓Ιησοῦς α παξ λαὸν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου σώσας τὸ δεύτερον τοὺς μὴ πιστεύοντας ἀπώλεσε. Καὶ ἐπεὶ καὶ α λλαι γραφαὶ οὐ μιᾷ χειρὶ τὸν θεὸν πεποιηκέναι 223 φασὶν ὡς ἡ λέγουσα Εργα τῶν χειρῶν σού εἰσιν οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ ἡ ἀπαγγέλλουσα Ου αἱ χεῖρες ε κτισαν πᾶσαν τὴν στρατιὰν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ (συνᾴδει τούτοις καὶ ὁ εἰπὼν Αἱ χεῖρές σου ἐποίησάν με καὶ ε πλασάν με), ζητῶν τις εὐλόγως ευ ροι καὶ τὸ α γιον πνεῦμα χεῖρα τοῦ θεοῦ καλούμενον· ἐξ ου δείκνυται δημιουργικὸν ο ν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ α γιον, ἐν υἱῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι τοῦ πατρὸς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἐργασαμένου καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κτίσαντος. Τούτων δὲ τῶν χειρῶν ε ργα θεοῦ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἁγίοις εὑρίσκεται τυγχάνοντα ἀλήθεια καὶ κρίσις. η ν γὰρ δίδωσιν υἱὸς ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ πρακτικὴν ε ξιν, κρίσις ἐστὶ κρίνουσα καὶ μετ' ἐξετάσεως ὁρίζουσα α δεῖ αἱρεῖσθαι ἀγαθὰ καὶ φεύγειν κακά· ἀλήθεια δὲ ω ν δίδωσιν ὁ Χριστὸς διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ κατὰ τὸ πνεῦμα λόγον σοφίας καὶ λόγον γνώσεως. Εργα ου ν τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ χειρῶν γνῶσις ἀληθείας καὶ ἠθικὴ ἀρετὴ ο ντα ἀλήθεια καὶ κρίσις· διὸ ἀκολούθως ἐπηνέχθη Πισταὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὐτοῦ, οὐ διὰ τὸ πιστεύειν ου τως εἰρημέναι ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἀμετακίνητον καὶ βέβαιον, καθ' ο σημαινόμενον γέγραπται ∆ώσω ὑμῖν διαθήκην αἰώνιον, τὰ ο σια ∆αυὶδ τὰ πιστά. Αυ ται ου ν αἱ πισταὶ ἐντολαὶ ἐστηριγμέναι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος τυγχάνουσι διὰ τὸ θεοῦ ει ναι καὶ ἀνατραπῆναι μὴ οι ας τε ει ναι. περὶ αὐτῶν γοῦν ὁ σωτὴρ ̔Ο οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσεται, οἱ δὲ λόγοι μου οὐ μὴ παρέλθωσιν, ει πεν. ̓Αλλὰ μὴ λάθῃς νομίσας περὶ ἐντολῶν τῶν κατὰ τὴν σκιὰν εἰρῆσθαι τὰ προκείμενα. παρῆλθον γὰρ ἐκεῖναι μέχρι καιροῦ διορθώσεως δοθεῖσαι. περὶ γὰρ τῶν κατ' αὐτὸν πνευματικῶν νόμων ἀκούειν δεῖ τῶν προκειμένων, ὡς τὸ ἐπιφερόμενον διδάσκει ε χον ου τως· Πεποιημέναι ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ εὐθύτητι. γίνονται γὰρ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ νενοημέναι κατὰ τὸ δόγμα τῆς θεοσεβείας. ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐθύτητι ἐπιτελοῦνται σὺν βελτίστῃ ε ξει φυλαττόμεναι, ὡς ε ργα χειρῶν κυρίου καὶ ταύτας ἐν ἑκάστῳ θεοσεβεῖ ἐπιτελεῖσθαι τυγχάνοντα ἀλήθεια καὶ κρίσις. μετέλαβε δὲ τὴν κρίσιν εἰς εὐθύτητα τῷ τὴν πρακτικὴν καὶ ἠθικὴν ἀρετὴν κατευθύνειν τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ κριτικὴν ει ναι πρακτέων καὶ μὴ πρακτέων. 1048 Ps 110,9ab Ην ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς λύτρωσιν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ, οὐχ ἑτέρα ἐστὶ τοῦ εἰπόντος Ηλθεν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν. τῷ αὐτοῦ γοῦν τιμίῳ αι ματι χάριτι θεοῦ ὑπὲρ παντὸς γευσαμένου θανάτου ἐλυτρώθημεν ἐκ τῆς πατροπαραδότου ματαίας ἀναστροφῆς ἡμῶν. γέγονε γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ Χριστὸς ω σπερ σοφία καὶ δικαιοσύνη καὶ ἁγιασμὸς ἀπὸ θεοῦ, ου τω καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις, φάσκων ̓Απέστειλέ με κηρύξαι αἰχμαλώτοις α φεσιν. ἀφεὶς γὰρ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῆς κακίας κεκρατημένους λυτρωτὴς καὶ εὐεργέτης πάντων ἀναπέφανται, ἁμαρτήματα καὶ ἀσεβείας ἀφεὶς τῶν προσφευγόντων αὐτῷ. ̓Αλλὰ καὶ οὐκ ἀρκεσθεῖσα ἡ ἀγαθότης αὐτοῦ τῷ λελυτρῶσθαι μόνον τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους, καὶ κληρονόμους αὐτοὺς τοὺς τοῦ ἰδίου πατρός, ἑαυτοῦ δὲ συγκληρονόμους ε θετο ἐντειλάμενος αὐτοῖς διαθήκην αἰώνιον, ο πως συντόνως καὶ τελείᾳ προθυμίᾳ ἐχόμενοι αὐτῆς ἀθάνατον κληρονομίαν ἀπολάβωσι κατὰ τὰς αἰωνίους καὶ ἀφθάρτους ἐπαγγελίας. 1049 Ps 110,9c Τὸ ο νομα, φησίν, αὐτοῦ τοῖς μὲν ἁγίοις α γιον, τοῖς δὲ μὴ ἁγίοις φοβερόν. ω σπερ γὰρ ἁγίους ποιεῖ τοὺς μετέχοντας αὐτοῦ τυγχάνον πηγὴ ἁγιότητος, ου τω φοβερόν ἐστι τοῖς μετὰ τοῦ φορεῖν αὐτὸ ἁμαρτάνουσι. 1050 Ps 110,10 Ωσπερ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς ἀγαθῆς (αυ τη δ' ἐστὶν ἡ θεωρία τῆς ἀληθείας) ἀρχὴ τὸ ποιεῖν τὰ δίκαια ὑπάρχει, ου τως ἀρχὴ καὶ εἰσαγωγὴ εἰς τὴν θεοῦ σοφίαν οὐκ α λλην ου σαν τῆς θεωρίας τῆς ἀληθείας ὁ θεῖός ἐστι φόβος ὁ αὐτὸς ω ν τοῖς πρακτικοῖς δικαίοις ὀνομαζόμενος. ο νπερ ου ν ε χει λόγον τὸ ποιεῖν τὰ δίκαια πρὸς τὴν ἀγαθὴν ὁδόν, τοῦτον ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ φόβος πρὸς τὴν σοφίαν. δύναται τὸ ἀρχὴ ο νομα καὶ ἐνταῦθα οὐκ ἀντὶ εἰσαγωγῆς ἀλλ' αι τιον κεῖσθαι, ι ν' ῃ τὸ λεγόμενον αἰτία καὶ ἀρχὴ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ φόβος. Καὶ ἡ α μα τῇ σοφίᾳ ταύτῃ σύνεσις
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.