Fragments on the Psalms · §223

The Ascent to the Temple and the Kingdom

Having lost a sheep from the hundred, the Savior comes seeking it, leaving the ninety-nine in the wildernesse human race has gone astray through Adam's transgression. The human race is the lost sheep from the hundred, while the rational things that do not stumble remain part of creation in the desert, staying high in virtue and truth, except for man who has gone into error.

Therefore, like the sheep, but rather a part of it, the Psalmist says: 'I have gone astray; seek me, your servant; for you came to seek and save the lost; seek me so that you may find me ready for this; for I have longed for your commandments' (Ps 119). It is to be understood that he in the Jerusalem temple has fifteen steps, and standing on each of them, those appointed to sing hymns were saying an ode. Therefore, the number of odes coincided with the steps. The arrangement concerning the odes and those singing them on each step of the temple lies in the Chronicles.

You shall understand the temple of God to be a holy, intelligible, and spiritual thing—the theology—and the steps to be the stages of progress. He who has ascended to the second step of the temple begins to be transformed into perfection, no longer thinking of something lowly. Therefore, he says he has lifted the eyes of the intellect toward the height. Thus, the ode of the second step has attained a familiar number. For the one hundred and twentieth limits the perfection of human life.

Indeed, it has been said concerning men after the flood: 'Their days shall be one hundred and twenty' (Gen 6:3). Thus also Moses, the great hierophant and servant of God, having perfected human life into one hundred and twenty years, describes his own life, setting forth his own life as a pattern for those under him who receive the laws. It can also be strongly understood regarding the exodus: the exodus of God guarding from evil for one turning away from evil, and likewise the exodus of one guarding the doing of the good, an exodus from the sensible toward the intelligible and spiritual. He who...

He who stretches himself forward toward those before him does not forget them, nor does he run back again. For he who hastens toward the prize of the higher calling goes toward the higher things. Therefore, having begun the ascent toward the temple, he does not return after having traveled; having ascended to the third degree, he does not even depart from the flight of the soul, but, having received a vision, he hastens toward that which he is being urged to lead the entrance of, being in good spirit.

Those having firmly established the feet of their own souls previously in the courts of Jerusalem (Ps 121:2–4), have a desire also to ascend to the temple. And the most sharp-witted theology is the temple, while the partial contemplations are the courts of the vision of peace, the specific virtues that occur. The vision of the aforementioned peace, having begun to be transformed, becomes as a city built by the Lord, and its participation consists of the same aforementioned courts, in which the feet of the firm ones are standing. And it is not a low-lying thing, but exists in some height, so that the citizen who wishes to become of it does not descend, but ascends toward it.

And indeed, the various ranks of the saved, having the choice of confession, ascend there as watches of the Lord, having been well testified by the Lord to ascend and having confessed, and they increase in zeal and progress, doing these things, Israel. David the savior has said many things (Ps 121:5); therefore, because it is from the seed of David, it is according to the flesh, and because it is sufficiently by hand, it is so; for David is interpreted as being 'capable by hand.' For how is he not capable by hand, he who performs wondrous powers? This is the church of David, in which thrones are seen for judgment, upon which the apostles sit judging the twelve tribes of Israel. For the faith and the citizenship of each apostle is a throne of his kingdom, judging and condemning those who have not conformed to what is prophesied in the divine scriptures, nor believed in those whom he made and taught with words.

And according to contemplation (Ps 121:6-7), he who bears spiritual fruit because of loving Jerusalem will be in much prosperity and well-being, bearing not only the acts of virtue but also the contemplation of the truth. And 'In your power it is possible toward the...

Greek

ἀπολωλὸς πρόβατον τὸ τυγχάνον ἀπὸ τῶν ἑκατόν, ἐφ' ο ἐλήλυθε ζητῆσαι αὐτὸ βουλόμενος ὁ σωτὴρ καταλιπὼν τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα ἐν τοῖς ο ρεσιν, ἐπλανήθην ὑποκείμενος τῇ παραβάσει τοῦ ̓Αδάμ. τὸ γὰρ ἀπολωλὸς ἀπὸ τῶν ἑκατὸν προβάτων τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος ἐστί, τὰ δὲ μὴ σφαλέντα λογικὰ α καὶ αὐτὰ μέρος τῆς κτίσεώς ἐστιν ἐπὶ τὰ ο ρη ἀπέμεινε τῷ υ ψει τῶν ἀρετῶν καὶ δογμάτων τῆς ἀληθείας, μόνου τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰς πλάνην ἐληλυθότος. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν παραπλησίως τῷ προβάτῳ, μᾶλλον δὲ μέρος αὐτοῦ ω ν, πεπλάνημαι, ζήτησον ἐμὲ τὸν δοῦλόν σου· η λθες γὰρ ζητῆσαι καὶ σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλός· ζήτησον δέ με ἐπὶ τῷ εὑρεῖν ε τοιμον ο ντα πρὸς τοῦτο· ἐπεπόθησα γὰρ τὰς ἐντολάς σου. 1151 Ps 119 αργ ̓Ιστέον δὲ ὡς ὁ ἐν τῇ ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ νεὼς ἀναβαθμοὺς ει χε δεκαπέντε καὶ ἐφ' ε καστον αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ ἀναβαίνειν εἰς αὐτὸν ἑστηκότες οἱ εἰς τὸ ὑμνεῖν τεταγμένοι ᾠδὴν ε λεγον. διὸ καὶ συνέβη ἰσαρίθμους ᾠδὰς τοῖς ἀναβαθμοῖς ει ναι. κεῖται δὲ ἡ περὶ τῶν ᾠδῶν καὶ τῶν λεγόντων αὐτὰς ἐφ' ἑκάστου τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν τοῦ ναοῦ διάταξις ἐν τοῖς Παραλειπομένοις. Νοήσεις δὲ ναὸν ει ναι θεοῦ α γιον νοητὸν α μα καὶ πνευματικὸν τὴν * θεολογίαν, βαθμοὺς δὲ * 1152 Ps 120,1 ̔Ο ἐπὶ δεύτερον τοῦ ναοῦ βαθμὸν ἀναβεβηκὼς η δη τελειότητος α ρχεται μεταποιεῖσθαι, οὐκέτι χαμαίζηλόν τι διανοούμενος. διὸ καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς διανοίας εἰς υ ψος ἠρκέναι φησίν. ο θεν καὶ οἰκείου ἀριθμοῦ τετύχηκεν ἡ τοῦ δευτέρου ἀναβαθμοῦ ᾠδή. ὁ γὰρ ἑκατοστὸς εἰκοστὸς τὴν τελειότητα τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ζωῆς περιορίζει. ἀμέλει γοῦν μετὰ τὸν κατακλυσμὸν ει ρηται περὶ ἀνθρώπων τὸ Εσονται αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτῶν ΡΚ. ο θεν καὶ ὁ πάντα μέγας ἱεροφάντης Μωυσῆς θεοῦ διάκονος γεγονὼς τῶν τελειούντων τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ζωὴν εἰς ἑκατοστὸν εἰκοστὸν ἐνιαυτὸν περιγράφει τὴν ἰδίαν ζωήν, μίμημα τὸν ἑαυτοῦ βίον προβαλλόμενος τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦς νόμους παραλαβοῦσιν. 1153 Ps 120,7.8 ∆υνατῶς δὲ καὶ πρὸς η θος τὸ προκείμενον νοῆσαι· ε ξοδον ποιουμένου τοῦ φρουροῦντος θεοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας τοῦ ἐκκλίνοντος ἀπὸ κακοῦ, ει σοδον τὴν πρὸς τὸ ποιεῖν τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὡσαύτως φυλάττοντος καὶ τὴν ε ξοδόν τινος τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν καὶ τὴν εἰς τὰ νοητὰ καὶ πνευματικὰ ει σοδον. 1154 Ps 121,1 ̔Ο τοῖς ε μπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος ἀεὶ τῶν ο πισθεν ἐπιλανθάνεται, οὐ πάλιν δρομῶν. ὁσημέραι γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς α νω κλήσεως ἐπειγόμενος ἐπὶ τὰ α νω χωρεῖ. διὸ καὶ ἀρξάμενος τῆς ἐπὶ τὸν ναὸν ἀνόδου 241 ἀνεπιστρέπτει ὁδεύσας, εἰς τρίτον βαθμὸν ἀναβέβηκεν· ο θεν καὶ ἐξ ἀπόπτου η δη τοῦ οι κου ἐφ' ο ν σπεύδει φαντασίαν λαβὼν εὐθυμεῖ θυμηδίαν προτρεπομένων αὐτὸν τῶν ἡγεῖσθαι τῆς εἰσόδου δυναμένων. 1155 Ps 121,2–4 Οἱ ἱδρυθέντες βεβαίως τοὺς πόδας τῆς ψυχῆς ἑαυτῶν πρότερον ἐν ταῖς τῆς ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ αὐλαῖς πόθον ε χουσι τοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ναὸν ἀναβῆναι. ἡ δὲ ἀκραιφνεστάτη θεολογία ὁ ναὸς ει η, αὐλαὶ δὲ τῆς ὁράσεως τῆς εἰρήνης αἱ κατὰ μέρος θεωρίαι, αἱ ἰδικαὶ ἀρεταὶ τυγχάνουσαι. ἡ τοίνυν τῆς προειρημένης εἰρήνης ο ρασις ἀρξαμένη μεταποιεῖσθαι ὡς πόλις ὑπὸ κυρίου οἰκοδομεῖται, η ς ἡ μετοχὴ αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ αὐλὰς ε χει τὰς προειρημένας, ἐν αι ς οἱ πόδες τῶν βεβαίων ἑστῶτές εἰσιν. οὐ χαμαίζηλος δέ, ἀλλ' ἐν υ ψει τινὶ ου σα τυγχάνει, ὡς πάντα τὸν βουλόμενον πολίτην αὐτῆς γενέσθαι μὴ καταβαίνειν ἀλλ' ἀναβαίνειν πρὸς αὐτήν. καὶ φυλαὶ γοῦν κυρίου τὰ διάφορα τάγματα τῶν σῳζομένων ἐξομολογήσεως προαίρεσιν ε χουσαι ἀναβαίνουσιν ἐκεῖ, μεμαρτυρημέναι ὑπὸ κυρίου καλῶς ἀναβάσαι καὶ ἐξομολογησάμεναι καὶ εἰς ζῆλον καὶ προκοπὴν α γουσαι τὸν δρῶντα αὐτὰς ̓Ισραήλ. 1156 Ps 121,5 ∆αυὶδ ὁ σωτὴρ πολλάκις ει ρηται, η τοι διὰ τὸ ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αυὶδ ει ναι τὸ κατὰ σάρκα η διὰ τὸ ἱκανῶς τῂ χειρὶ ὑπάρχειν· ∆αυὶδ γὰρ ἱκανὸς χειρὶ ἑρμηνεύεται. πῶς γὰρ οὐχ ἱκανὸς χειρὶ ὁ τεραστίους δυνάμεις ποιῶν; τούτου τοῦ ∆αυὶδ ἡ ἐκκλησία, ἐν ῃ θρόνοι εἰς κρίσιν ι δρυνται ἐφ' οι ς οἱ ἀπόστολοι καθήμενοι κρίνουσι τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ ̓Ισραήλ. ἡ γὰρ ἑκάστου ἀποστόλου πίστις καὶ πολιτεία βασιλείας αὐτοῦ θρόνος ἐστί, κρίνων καὶ καταδικάζων τοὺς μὴ προσηκαμένους τὸν προφητευόμενον ἐν ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς μηδὲ πιστεύσαντας οι ς ἐποίει καὶ ἐδίδασκε λόγοις. 1157 Ps 121,6.7 Καὶ κατὰ θεωρίαν δὲ ὁ διὰ τὸ ἀγαπᾶν τὴν ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ καρποφορῶν τὰ πνευματικὰ ἐν πολλῇ ει η εὐθηνίᾳ καὶ εὐετηρίᾳ ε σται, οὐ πράξεις αὐτῷ μόνον τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀλλὰ καὶ θεωρίας τῆς ἀληθείας καρποφορῶν. τὸ δὲ ̓Εν τῇ δυναστείᾳ σου δύναται πρὸς τὴν

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.

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